Day #174 & #175: Rollin', Rollin'!

Hi gang!

Man, am I glad that it is Friday! Lately, I've just been living for the weekends and since

this happens to be a 3 day weekend, I'm even happier :)

In a few weeks my team and I (who organize community events) are putting on a Family Bike Ride in our community and I am pretty pumped! It will basically just be an opportunity for parents and their kids to get outside, exercise, and enjoy the great city of Pittsburgh!

I can't lie, lately I've been feeling like I need something a little more than just an elliptical machine to get me motivated; I want to be passionate about living a healthy lifestyle and for me I think that might entail some sort of activity that I can get involved with...like biking!

Pittsburgh has SO many amazing bike trails (think street biking, not mountain biking) and it's a good way to be outside (which I'm loving more and more); sure, I couldn't really do this in the winter, but it's a fine way for me to soak up the sun right now.

Sunday evening, a friend and I went out to ride the trail that we will be doing the day of the bikeride to make sure it was doable for kids and it was a ton of fun, well...besides the fact that I was riding a borrowed granny bike with no gears- but it's all good. Check me out!

We rode around for an hour and it really was a fantastic time. I'm thinking that if I happen to win this round of The Biggest Loser Challenge that I might just have to mosey on over to Wal Mart and pick me up a cheap, but decent bike.

Anyone else love them a nice bike ride?

Days #162 - #173: Dear Me,

Dear Self,

You are almost halfway through this journey of losing 100lbs in a year and you have made some truly great progress thus far...

You have:

- Lost 50lbs

- Overcome your fear of going to the gym

- Learned what it means to eat in a balanced and healthy way

- Proven to yourself that you CAN lose weight

- Figured out some of the things that trigger you into eating unnecessarily

- Worked yourself into doing 30 minutes on the elliptical

- Made some great bloggy friends

Those are things to be celebrated and proud of, you are well on your way to living the life that you deserve and taking control of the things that were manipulated by situations and other people in the past.

However, the truth of the matter is: you aren't giving this your all.

I know that because you are more comfortable with yourself now and have proven that you can lose weight that the need to do it doesn't feel as immediate but the truth is- YOU ARE STILL ALMOST 300LBS and THAT is NOT what you deserve or want!

You deserve more than to be a victim to circumstances or habit, you deserve to live the healthiest life possible, and you deserve to have all your dreams and desires not hindered because of this stupid thing.

You know your own strength, you know your destiny, and you KNOW that God will be with you every step of the way to help make this a reality- DON'T SELL YOURSELF SHORT!

YOU CAN DO THIS! You HAVE done it already!

Be fabulous, strong, and healthy- LIVE the life that YOU desire!

As this second half of the journey approaches, I challenge you to give this E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G. you have- which looks something like:

- Eating food that is healthy and fuels your body in a way that you will be happy with the physical results of your choices.

- Not depriving yourself of something that you really want but eating in in proper proportion and in balance of what else you have eaten that day.

- Push my body to do things I don't currently believe it can with exercise!

- Not be negatively influenced to eat things I have not planned on eating (or know is healthy) just because: I'm eating out, it's the weekend, or someone is offering it to me.

Tiffany, you KNOW who you are and you KNOW that you have a STRONG support system. And the fact of the matter is that no one can make this decision for you but yourself, you cannot simply wait around for it to happen or wish that it would- you have GOT to MAKE it happen.

And you will.

Love,

You

p.s. Keep a sweaty smile upon your face :)

What are friends for?

So, I mentioned in my last post that my best friend Erin's wedding is coming up this August and how excited I am about it, remember?

Well, last weekend I roadtripped it over a state in order to attend her bridal shower and it was the first time I had seen her in almost a year exactly as she lives on the other side of the country. Erin and I have been best friends for almost 5 years now and I can honestly say she knows me better than any other person on this planet. When she and I became friends 5 years ago I was well on my way to my heaviest weight ever, which she definitely knew me at as well.

During this weight loss journey, she has been the one person that I have never felt afraid to talk about things with. We shoot it straight with eachother and I knew that she wouldn't just tell me things to make me feel better or at the same time flatter me for no reason- she knows ME and it has been a true joy to share with her over the phone the changes that I've made more mentally than anything and for her to be able to acknowledge the change that has taken place without even seeing me has been pretty dang cool.

Anyways, besides the fact that I was super excited for her bridal shower, I was also SO pumped about her finally being able to see my weight loss progress (when she saw me last time I had lost about 40 pounds, now I was even 60 pounds lighter than that!). When I finally arrived at my destination and we were reunited I could tell how shocked and excited she was, even though she couldn't really show it since we were with her future in-laws and she knew talking about it right away would probaby embarass me, but later when we got some time alone she shared with me something that I truly never really anticipated being a part of this journey...

Besides her noticing the obvious physical differences, she said that one of the most moving parts of seeing me for the first time was that when she introduced me to her future in-laws, the thought didn't even enter her mind- "Oh, they are going to notice/judge that Tiffany is very overweight" but that they were "just going to be introduced to ME"- not me, the overweight friend, but just me.

Honestly that comment was pretty shocking to me because Erin just never made it known that it was something that she or anyone else really even thought about - Lord knows I never really thought/cared about being overweight for whatever reason! And it really just hit me that there really is so much more of an opportunity for people to just get to know ME now- not that no one did before, but I'm sure it was in the thoughts of people much more often than I will ever know.

One of the coolest things about our visit was comparing some pictures we took that weekend to the thousands of pictures we've taken over the course of our friendship (can you say photowhores?? lol). Here- take a look:

We've always enjoyed making crazy faces... 

Except the face I make now only has 1 chin :)

Here's a pic of us at what was very close to my heaviest at my college graduation:

And then one taken the day of her bridal shower:

I don't know how this sounds or what it really means, but even though I wouldn't ever want someone to be my friend just because of the way I look, the fact that Erin's friendship to me has never changed, even when I weighed 352lbs and clearly didn't love myself to much, says so much to me.

I'm continuing to work to uncover the REAL ME that has been hidden underneath layers (both physical & immaterial) and see just what I'm really all about :)



Days #160 & #161: R-r-r-random.

Morning friends!

It's Friday!!! Can I get a whoo hoo?!? WHOO HOO!!!

I feel the need to just share a bunch of randomness today- heck it's almost the weekend and my mind is nowhere near being able to focus on anything! So here goes nothing :)

Yesterday I got a pretty sweet workout in- my usual 30 minutes on the elliptical followed by 15 on the upright bike, sooner or later I'll kick it up and change it up but for right now this is what is realistic for me and I can't lie- I still thoroughly enjoy it! Check out the sweat :)

So....I have new OBSESSION- wanna know what it is???

It's GLEE! I seriously love this show and just cannot get enough! The writing is witty, the characters and hilarious, and best of all- they are actually all talented! Anyone else share this newfound love of mine? I would marry Finn, no lie. :)

Continuing on this train of randomness, does anyone have any REALLLLY good recipes for the crockpot? I just got a new one and I'd really like to try it out and before I head to the library to check out a cookbook I figured I'd check in with a more reliable and fun panel, you! Suggestions?

Alright, I'm peacing out now but I would just like to share that I will have a very special treat for you all on my blog this weekend- it's a Tiffany first ;)

Have a GREAT weekend friends, make good choices!

Moving from HOPING to KNOWING.

Guess what??? I'm alive!!!

I've been missing posting & reading your blogs as well- between trying to move to a new apt & a few other things, life has been full & a bit turbulent. One of the great things I've been up to happened this past weekend when I attended my best friends wedding shower! After not seeing her for a year, it was such a blessing and just what I needed. This is the dress I'll be wearing in her wedding this coming August- isn't it so super cute!?!?

I'm hoping to lose another 15lbs before her wedding the first week of August so needless to say I'm doing my best to tear the scale apart! In fact, here's this week's weigh in:

Last Week: 252lbs

This Week: 247lbs (-5lbs)

Total Loss: -105lbs

Pounds to next progress pic: 3lbs

And now, it's time to get real with ya'll:

Now that I'm continuing this journey past a 100lb loss, things have definitely changed. Since beginning this journey over a year ago, I was able to focus like a laser beam on my long term goal- to lose 100lbs- I knew I had to lose at least that and it was still a pretty lofty goal so that's what I was going for. Now that I've achieved that goal (which I am still just amazed by), I kind of find myself a little...directionless. I mean, it's obvious that I still have weight to lose- about 70 more pounds I'm guessing, but it's just kind of weird because I've never been as small as I am and truthfully have NO CLUE what I am even hoping to look like after 70 more pounds.

I talked this over with my beloved trainer JZ this past Sunday during our tri-weekly (is that even a word??lol) training session and he said something that I believe is absolutely true; he said, "Tiff- you know you can lose these 70lbs, you've already lost that + 30 lbs- these last 70lbs though will require more mental than physical effort." I guess, in short I find myself back to wondering...can I really get to a place where I am nowhere near being obese or overweight? That one day I can be completely... normal? I think somewhere deep down I always knew I could lose 100lbs, but I guess I need to take time to really focus and come to KNOW that I can do and be ANYTHING with God's strength coupled with my obedience & effort.

Everything that I've always dreamed about and never really knew if it was possible is within my reach and is even coming into reality even now and I know that I'm worth it, that I deserve it, and that I can do it.



Days #146 - #159: An Update :)

Well... hello :)

It's been exactly 2 weeks since my last post- I got a few comments wondering where I was and wanting to make sure that I am okay (which was SUPER sweet) and allow me to put your mind's at ease- all is well with Miss Tiff! See...

Between my best friend coming to visit from Florida for a whole week (which also meant a week's vacation off from work! whoo hoo!) and the launch of our church, it just wasn't the right time. There used to be times where I would feel SO guilty and like I was failing in my weight loss efforts if I couldn't blog (and read blogs) every single day; like seriously- really guilty. But that ideaology began to make things feel like a chore, which is obviously not the purpose. This blog is for me, for my growth, evaluation, and enjoyment and the moment that it becomes anything but is the moment I need to take some time away, which is what I did :)

But miss you all, I did! This network is such a blessing- truly. And I'm more excited than ever to share with you all that as of this morning, I have hit a major mile stone...I have broken the 300lb barrier and now weigh 298lbs!!!!!

I can honestly say that I don't really remember the last time (since being maybe....16 or 17) weighing under 300lbs; it was like I remember the dreadful day that I saw 300 on the scale and then I've just always fluctuated between 300-352 for the last 7ish years. But not anymore!!!! :) I know that 298lbs is by NO means a heatlhy or normal weight, but I almost feel like I've taken one step closer to joining the ever exclusive club of the "normal" by having a #2 in front of my weight-one last time WHOO HOO! :)

This means that I have lost a total of 54lbs in about 6 months and only have 46lbs to go to make my goal of losing 100lbs by November 8, 2010!

I'm still grooving w/ replacing 1 meal a day with a fruit smoothie (see last post) and have been reevaluating a lot of my goals and motives, which I'm sure will be shared with you all sooner or later, but right now I'm just happy to be back in the swing of blogging as well as NOT weighing 300 anything :)

Peace and Love to you guys- I'm looking forward to catching up on all of your blogs and hearing about your progress as well!

Playing Catch Up: Memorial Day Weekend!

Whew! 

As it does for many people, Memorial Day weekend kicked off lots of fun stuff but the level of activity just never seemed to drop until this moment! 

The last two weeks has been full of lots of fun with my hubby & friends as well as lots of successful new creations in the kitchen (whoo hoo)! 

Last Saturday we attended the wedding of one of our great ministry friends- it was an outdoor/country/rustic type themed wedding and it was decorated with the theme to a tee. How unique is this guest book idea? 

Here's how  my hubby signed it for us; fyi: I am convinced more and more every day that I could never out love him- love simply pours out of him. 

I can't lie, now that I'm not afraid to literally show every part of my body other than my face, I actually enjoy opportunities to get all fancied up and wear dresses! I will say that I don't ever foresee myself feeling comfortable wearing a dress any shorter than just above the knee but other than that, losing weight has opened up a whole new world of clothes to me (I'll share more about this in a post soon to come). Check out me and the hubby in our fancy clothes :) 

Yep- in case you didn't know, I'm taller than him. I had always told myself (and him actually) that I would never date anyone under 6 foot; I'm sure that always gave God a good laugh. 

For Memorial Day D planned a bike trip for us! PA has plenty of amazing bike trails and biking is pretty much the one form of exercise that he and I both enjoy as he tends to lean more towards trying to enjoy exercise at a somewhat leisurely pace while I prefer to work my bum off with lots of intensity and get it over with. We ended up riding a total of 28 miles and stopped for lunch in between- it was a beautiful route and I'm so glad we went; however, our differences in exercising definitely still present somewhat of an issue as apparently I like to ride much faster than he does but I'm sure with a little bit of compromise, we'll be able to come up with something that's suitable for us both :) And while I may be the more intense rider, I'm definitely the lazy one when it comes to getting the bikes ready & loaded, hence me taking this picture from inside the truck resting haha- oh he's a patient man! 

As I mentioned earlier, I've also been experimenting with lots of new pinterest recipes and all but 1 have been a success! 

We might as well start with the failure: 

Almond Crusted Salmon w/ Roasted Asparagus

I should first say that the asparagus was DELICIOUS actually. D and I LOVE asparagus and eat it a lot and this was the first time we had thought to add some red onion and mushrooms to it (not to mention our regular fixins- lots of garlic, garlic powder, lemon juice & pepper). So while that was yummy, the salmon...not so much. I think the recipe had potential, it's just that I overcooked it and didn't add enough seasoning. Anyone have another salmon recipe I should try? I'm really trying to branch out from my usual meats (chicken & shrimp) and try something new and I've had and liked salmon before, but I'm okay with saying my first attempt, wasn't a winner. 

However, I've discovered lots of other good lunch options lately! 

Lunch Winner #1: Grilled Chicken Caprese Salad

This yumminess consisted of: baby romaine lettuce, tomatoes on the vine, Trader Joe's pre grilled balsamic chicken (sometimes I just don't feel like grilling it myself), sliced mozzarella & Ken's light balsamic dress)= 370 calories. This was flavorful and oh so delicious. Honestly I probably had more mozzarella on there then I needed to so you could easily cut the calories down a bit if you wanted. 

Lunch Winner #2: 

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps 

I followed this recipe that I saw on Pinterest. I ended up getting 6 servings out of this recipe of 3 lettuce wraps each. They were super flavorful and definitely satisfied my ever-occurring buffalo chicken craving! I decided to top these with some diced tomato and fat free feta cheese (which helped tame some of the spice!) I would definitely recommend trying these out! 

Lunch Winner #3: Shrimp Fiesta Bean Salad 

While this picture may be crap-tastic, this may have been the top winner (I am aware that title makes no sense). I used this recipe and let me tell you, the combination of cumin and lime juice...shut.the.front.door! I added some shrimp and scooped it up with a serving size (10) of Food Should Taste Good's Multi-Grain tortilla chips (which I love btw!) and this was one of the most delicious lunches ever- something I will definitely be making again and soon! This meal was approx 480 calories. 

But lunch wasn't the only winner last week, I even had a dinner winner (which seem to be a bit fewer and far between! lol) and while this may not have been the most creative or difficult culinary feat, it was a winner with me and D nonetheless: 

Dinner Winner: Brown Rice Mediterranean Pizza! 

This was literally SO freaking good! I sprayed a brown rice tortilla with pam, threw it in the oven (420 degrees) for 5 minutes, took it out and topped it with some marinara from TJ's, sauteed up some spinach and mushrooms, sliced some thin tomato and topped it with some fat free feta. This beauty of a dinner came in at 330 calories and while I could obviously tell the difference between this and real pizza, this more than satisfied my pizza craving and honestly, we prefer thin/crispy crust and this was exactly that! 

We finished out our crazy busy weekend with a beautiful day at the ballpark with D's parents and I fully enjoyed finally getting some sun!

 FYI- it's still randomly cold here in Pittsburgh (like in the 60's with a windchill of the 50's) and being that I'm constantly cold now that I've lost weight & am originally from the land of 100 degree temperatures, I'm ready for it to be summer for real! 

I think I've officially caught ya'll up on most of the life happenings over the past two weeks. I will say that I've really been facing some new and very tough challenges when it comes to this weight loss journey as of late and I'm still currently working through them and letting God teach me what He wants to through it. I will definitely be sharing in due time. In the meantime, if you think of it- keep me and this journey in your prayers. 

Oh and one last thing...

Quest bars are gross. Yes, that is $8 worth of protein bars in my trash can. Bleck!!!