Week 2 Thursday

This week my knee started hurting me a bit, not sure if it is from running or soo many lunges and sqwats...  However I have made a few adjustments in my workouts.  Tuesday I took my day off from exercise, Wednesday I did Prevention Fitness: Better Belly Yoga, then on Thursday I did The Biggest Loser Workout: Power Sculpt  Both were a great workout, but I enjoyed the power sculpt much more than the yoga, but it was nice to have a little variety.  Water hasn't been much of a problem lately.  With the exception of Monday, I have been done with my 3 liters by about 2 or 3 each day and end up having more as I am still thirsty.  Thursday my meals included

1 - Green smoothie
2 - Egg and egg white with spinach and onion. and a glass of milk.  This was actually really good.
3 - Toast with almond butter (that I made with my blender) and a bowl of cottage cheese.
4 - cottage cheese, yogurt and an apple
5 - Wrap - chicken with black beans, and some spinach (look at me veggies at 3 meals today.)

Great day, aside from my knee I am feeling great.  Even finding my energy levels increasing as well.  Not sure if I told you all my goal of this healthy challenge, first off I needed to increase my energy levels, but I really would like to get back down to 120-125lbs, these are numbers I have not seen since high school, we shall see if it is attainable.  I know that I wont reach it during the duration of the game, but I will be close.  I want a bikini body by summer and I know if I keep doing all the things that I know I am supposed to I will be there.

Positive Thought for the day

A man can make what he wants of himself if he truly believes that he must be ready for hard work and many heartbreaks along the way.
~Thurgood Marshall

Game on Diet Update

Okay so with work and kids and the diet I have kind of spaced out updating you all on what has been going on.  Here are the results from last week.


Team 2 score 821.60 Amy,Sheena, and Joy
Team 3 score 813.47 Annette, Sheri, and Kerry
Team 1 score 800.27 Dustin, Leslie, and Gentry
Team 5 score 783.87 Mandi, Becca, and Natalie
Team 4 score 773.60 Katie, Alana, and Brooke

This is such a close competition, at this point anyone could take this.  It is within 50 points, so best of luck to everyone on week 2.  Everyone lost weight, and has even began noticing that they have more energy and are more on top of their game.  It is amazing how much difference just adding in a few healthy habits can do for you.  Weightloss ranged from 2-8lbs, which is pretty common on the first week, I am guessing that next week we will see people in the 2-4lb loss range, as that is a pretty healthy weight range to be in.  Experts say 2lbs a week is healthy.  So here's hoping for 2lbs this week.  So far I am down almost 1lb this week.

Some of the things I have been eating.

Green smoothie - this is by far one of my favorite things as I can get in a veggie with my breakfast, it tastes yummy and it is easy.  I have a few variations but mostly it is strawberries, 1/2 banana, spinach, almonds and some water. 

Eggs have become something that I eat daily.  It seems that no matter what each day includes an egg.  Cottage cheese, string cheese and yogurt seem to be a daily food for me as well.  Meat seems to be a little harder to prepare so I think that is why I am sticking with the cottage cheese and string cheese more often.  However, chicken on the george forman grill has been fairly common as well.  Yesterday I had some whole wheat pasta with some spicy tomato basil sauce and chicken sprinkled with walnuts.  This was one of my favorite meals.

Wraps have also been a common one for me.  A whole wheat tortilla filled with steak or chicken and then stuffed with spinach or asparagus.  Sometimes I add in some black beans and always a little avocado or a some walnuts sprinkled in.

Honestly I am a pretty picky eater and very addicted to sugar and white flour.  I really thought I would struggle with this.  In addition to my addiction I don't like veggies, fruit is great but veggies are harder for me.  However I am finding that as I eat them I am growing to like them more and more.  I know that everyone out there wants a quick easy fix, that is why trendy diets such as the atkins and HCG diets are soo popular, the get quick dramatic results.  Now I am not saying these diets are easy by any means, but the huge results lure people in.  But if you take it back to the basics (eat healthy and in correct portions and regularly, get your rest, drink your water, commit do some exercise daily) you will get slow and steady results.  If you remember the tale of the tortoise and the hare, slow and steady wins the race.  Set yourself up for a new healthy life not a quick fix that will be gone as quick as it comes.

Game On Diet Recipe

Richard's Popey Salad
Makes 4 servings

12 ounce bag of spinach
3 cans of tuna (6 oz each and packed in water, not oil)
1 can bean medley
14 crushed almonds or 2 tablespoons roasted flaxseeds
crushed red pepper or hot sauce to taste, if desired

Mix all ingredients in a big-ass bowl.  Divide the salad into 4 containers.  You've got 4 good, hearty spinach salad meals in no time flat.

Positive Thought for the day

If it's just one person and you, there's a chance for kindness.
~Mary Ellen Edmunds

Game On Diet Recipes

The Game On! Diet: Kick Your Friend's Butt While Shrinking Your Own Recipe.  Okay this is one that I might pass on as I really don't love greek yogurt, but I thought I would post it for those who do.
Az's Super-Smooth Smoothie
(1serving)

1 cup either fat-free or soy milk
1 banana peeled and frozen or any other fruit (frozen strawberries are awesome too!)
6 almonds or 1 tsp flaxseed oil
1/2 C fat-free greek yogurt
1 pinch cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in your blender and puree until smooth.  Try it!  It's a whole meal and its delicious!

Positive Thought for the day

Heroes are made in the hour of defeat.  Successis, therfore, well described as a series of glorious defeats.
~Mohandas K. Gandhi

Game on diet recipes

This recipe sounds divine and it might help me curb that sweet tooth I am battling.  This recipe also comes from The Game On! Diet: Kick Your Friend's Butt While Shrinking Your Own.  I am intending on making these sometime this week.

Big Fella Phil's Banana Chocolate Protein Bars
(makes 8 servings)

Olive oil cooking spray
1 Cup oatmeal
5 scoops (1 ounce each) chocolate protein powder
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder
2 egg whites
1/4 cup fat free cottage cheese
2 bananas, mashed
4 tbsp agave nectar
1/2 tsp udo's oil
Dash of vanilla extract
1/4 cup raw, crushed almonds

Preheat oven to 325 and spray a 9 x 12 inch casserole dish with the cooking spray.

In a medium bowl combine the oatmeal, chocolate protein powder, and milk powder.  In a separate mixing bowl beat the egg whites, then add the cottage cheese, bananas, water, agave netar, oil, and vanilla extract until blended.  Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix to combine.  Pour the mixture into the pan, sprinkle the almonds on top, and bake for 30 minutes or until edges are browned.  To serve, cut into 2 x 3 inch bars.

If anyone makes this befor I do, I need to know how yummy it is.

Fun Fact

Did you know that in a 20 year study it shows that kids who were raised in homes with a lot of books attend school 2 1/2 years longer than those with few books in their home.  This improves not only their knowledge, but also helps them secure a better financial future.  My very favorite place to get books is Amazon.com, in case you didn't already know.

Game on Diet Day 8

New week, new day.  I had a fantastic first week lost just over 7lbs which for me is a big deal.  I actually lost 5.1% of my weight.  I know that my second week won't be quite so big, but it is a motivating start.  I am still waiting on two players to get their score sheets in so we don't have the results yet, hopefully by tomorrow morning.  Still going strong with Jillian Michaels - 30 Day Shred, almost ready for level 3.  My day today was a little off, I forgot about my water until much later in the day so I had a guzzle session this afternoon...  guzzling 3 liters of water makes for lots of potty breaks.  I did have my first day of weakness, I am dissapointed in myself, but I had a snack... I didn't even think about it I was sitting with my kids and wanting some sugar and so I had some of their treat without even thinking. 

1 - Green Smoothie
2 - Cottage cheese, apple, and yogurt
3 - porkchop spinach all in a nice wrap with a few black beans and some avacado
4 - boiled egg, and grapefruit
5 - boiled egg and apple because the first boiled egg tasted really good to me.

Hopefully I can get myself together tomorrow.

Positive Thought for the day

When love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece.

~John Ruskin

Game On Diet Recipes

This one I have made and I would have taken pictures, but it really doesn't look all the appatizing... infact when my hubby looked at it he asked me if I was really going to eat that.  But it is sooo yummy!!!

Peter's Perfect Oatmeal Puddin' Breakfast
(makes 1 serving)

1/2 cup oats (not instant)
3 egg whites
1/2 cup fruit (blueberries, strawberries, peaches, whatever you have, fresh or frozen) sheena personally recommends frozen berry mix
1 tsp flaxseed oil (sheena has been using walnuts over the top instead of flax oil)
a couple drops stevia or 1 tsp maple syrup

cook the oatmeal.  While it is still ont he heat and almost ready for serving, stir in the eggt whites.  Continue cooking for a minute or so more to make sure the egg whites cook through.  Turn off the heat and add the fruit, flaxseed oil and stevia or maple syrup.  Hearty, tasty breakfast goodness.

This recipe is from the book The Game On! Diet: Kick Your Friend's Butt While Shrinking Your Own 

Positive Thought for The Day

There isn't a person anwhere who isn't capable of doing more than he thinks he can.
~Henry Ford

Game on Diet Day 6 & 7

Let me catch you up on my weekend.  Saturday I woke up feeling sooo great about my success so far that I almost didn't want to take my day off.  Almost.  I started my day with a workout with Jillian Michaels - 30 Day Shred as I took friday for my day off from working out.  Then had a grapefruit with some string cheese and a few almonds. Then I planned on going to Chili's for lunch so I could get my chips & salsa craving under control.  We got there and I ordered some chips & salsa and a cup of potato soup.  I loved the chips and salsa and was sooo full after I finished the soup.  Then I didn't eat much until that night I went to dinner and a movie with my friend Terra, we went to Olive Garden and I did good, nice big salad with dressing on the side, only 2 breadsticks opposed to my typical 4+ and then when my meal came I only ate half.  I was pretty proud of myself and I didn't feel like I indulged too much but my day off cost me 2lbs.  I was amazed that just one day of naughtiness could cause that.  I also didn't get my water that day, I drank probably 1 1/2 liters... if that.   I woke up sunday not feelining my very best, not sure if it was the day of naughtiness or just a bug, but I was not feeling my best at all.  I did however get in all my meals and my exercise.  I did my Jillian Michaels - 30 Day Shred and felt a little better, but still not my best.  Here were my meals for sunday

1 - Green Smoothie and string cheese
2 - Oatmeal with fruit and egg whites
3 - Grapefruit with an egg and some whole wheat toast
4 - Steak wrap with spinach and walnuts
5 - Cottage cheese with yogurt and almonds

I think I am starting to see a trend here.  I need to change up my meals so I am not eating the exact same things each day.  I am going to set a goal that at least one of my daily meals is something new.

Positive Thought for the day

Showing up is 78 percent of life.
~Mary Ellen Edmunds

Fun Fact

Most of us who struggle with extra pounds tend to view hunger as a condition that needs to be cured—and fast, says Judith S. Beck, PhD, author of the new Beck Diet Solution. "If you fear hunger, you might routinely overeat to avoid it," she says. Thin people tolerate it because they know hunger pangs always come and go, buying them some time.

Copy Them: Pick a busy day to purposely delay lunch by an hour or two. Or try skipping an afternoon snack one day. You'll see that you can still function just fine. Then next time you feel those grumbles, you'll hold off before making a beeline for the fridge.


Prevention
Megan McMorris

Game on Day 5

For Friday I took my day off of exercise as I had the day off work, and my abs were killing me.  My workouts will Jillian are definitely working!!!  Today was sooo easy, and I am not really craving much sugar anymore.  My hardest thing today was that I really wanted some chips and salsa, been craving them like crazy, but no white flour and no sugar kind of make chips and salsa a hard thing... My idea is to make some crispy tortillas from mywhole wheat tortillas and some olive oil, then bake them in the oven and get some tomatoes, onions and peppers and chop them up... this might be one of my snacks on sunday.  I am taking Saturday as my day off as I am going to the movie.  Here is how my day 5 meals went

1- green smoothie with a string cheese instead of protein powder
2- apple cottage cheese and yogurt
3- chicken bean corn spinach wrap in whole wheat tortilla
4- oatmeal with eggwhites and fruit this was sooo  yummo
5- yogurt string cheese and a few almonds.

I actually almost forgot my last meal... we were watching a movie and I remember I still had one more meal to eat... lukily I still had 30 min left before my 4 hour mark. phew.

I am sooo happy with the way the diet is going this time around.  I really am enjoying the food, and I am starting to feel better, and the weight is coming off nicely, and I can even notice a subtle change in my body.  My muscles are toning and I can tell my clothes are a bit looser.  Wow all that in 1 week.  Can't wait for the next 3 weeks of this!!!  I am loving it soo much it may be something I stick with even after the game is over.  If you are not playing with us and want to start your own game get the book, it is a great read.  The Game On! Diet: Kick Your Friend's Butt While Shrinking Your Own, and if you are playing and don't have the book already, you should check it out, you will love it. 

Positive Thought for the day

I am one with the power and wisdom of the universe.  I claim this power, and it is easy for me to stand up for myself.
~Louise Hay

Game on Diet Recipes

Here are a couple more recipes, again I haven't tried them, so if you do let me know if they are any good, and if I get any of them tried I will do the same.  These recipes come from the book The Game On! Diet: Kick Your Friend's Butt While Shrinking Your Own

Bill's Spicy stuffed pepper to go (1 serving)

1 bell pepper (prefferably yellow, red, or orange)
1 tsp dijon mustard or garlic aioli
2 slices turkey breast
1 tsp olive oil or four olives
1 c low fat milk

Pop out stem and shake out the seeds of the pepper.  Spread the DIjon mustard or garlic aioli on the slices of turkey.  Roll the turkey slices and stuff them into the pepper.  Drizzle the olive oil or stuff the olives into the pepper for your healthy fat.  Drink your glass of milk then scarf the rest on the run.  Crisp, refreshing, filling, delicious, fast food.


Aussi Jo's Surf 'n'Turf Salad (1 serving)

1/2 head of romaine lettuce (the greener end)
1 green onion, chopped
1 tomatoe (nice and red for full flavor)
3 or 4 peperoncini
Cucumber slices to taste
1 stalk celery chopped
1 small carrot, chopped
1/4 can unsweetened corn
3 artichoke hearts (we suggest you use the canned version)
1/2 a palm size portion of chicken
1/2 a palm sized portion of tuna

Dressing (1 serving)
Whisk the following ingredients in a small mixing bowl.  Be sure to mix the garlic and balsamic vinegar together first so the vinegar has time to work its magic on the garlic.
1 garlic clove (crushed)
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
dash of soy sauce
1 tsp flaxseed oil or olive oil
salt and pepper to taste.

There is a couple more ideas for you... I will keep posting more recipes as I can.

Game On Day 4

Wow this is getting sooo much easier... I didn't eve use my 100 calories all day.  I was even a little thirsty before bed so I was going on 4 liters of water.  My body is loving this.  I started my day off with the Jillian Michaels - 30 Day Shred again which I am loving.  I ate my meals, wasn't really all the hungry in between and by adding a b complex supplement to my daily regimine I found I didn't get quite so tired in the afternoon.  The caffeine headache has left and I am down 6lbs in 4 days.  I know that my second week won't have quite such quick results, it seems that the first week of any diet seems to be the most weight loss.  I am anticipating a 2lb per week loss after this initial week.  My meals on day 4 consisted of

1- oatmeal with cinnamon and walnuts and a string cheese
2 - green smoothie (part of a banana, some strawberries, a ton of spinach, some protein powder and flax seed) and a little water
3 - fried egg, whole wheat toast and a couple slices of clementine
4 - Cottage cheese with yogurt and some apple
5 - grilled steak with  black beans and spinach in a whole wheat tortilla (SOOO YUMM)

I am loving this!!

Positive Thought for the day

No contest: Love is much much stronger than hate, and light will always dispel darkness.
~Mary Ellen Edmunds

Game On Diet Recipes

Ok so as we are doing this game on diet, we have certain food restrictions that make it a little more difficult to find things to prepare.  In the book The Game On Diet there are several recipes, and I thought I would share a few to help you out.  Weather you are playing this with us, or just want some healthy recipes to try I hope you enjoy them.

Krista's Quick and Easy Breakfast
makes 1 serving

Olive oil cooking spray
A few big handfuls of spinach
1 finely chopped onion
2 egg whites
1 or 2 tsp crumbled low fat feta cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1 slice whole grain toast
1 tsp olive oil

Lightly spray a nonstick pan with olive oil cooking spray.  Over medium heat, saute the spinach and onion until the spinach is wilted down and the onion is cooked through.  Add the egg whites to the pan.  When the egg whites are cooked through, crumble in the low-fat feta cheese, and add the salt and pepper to taste. Serve with one slice whole grain toast drizzled with the olive oil and lightly salted. Yum!

I haven't tried this one, but I might in the morning.  It sounds easy and delish.  I never thought of adding the onion to give it more flavor, but that definitely would.  Plus first thing you get some of those veggies in that are required.  If anyone tries this recipe please post a comment and let us all know how delish it is :)

Day 3

Game on diet day three went great. I started my day as usual with my workout with jillian, level 2 today, feeling the burn.  Then I ate my first meal and began drowning myself with water.  Actually the water is not my hardest part, aside from getting at least 7 hours of sleep getting the water is the next easiest.  Honestly for me the food is the hardest and the no snacking. I obviously have a bad sugar addiction, but we are getting past it.  Here are my meals for the day

1 - Grapefruit and string cheese with some almonds
2 - cottage cheese mixed with some fat free yogurt and fruit and a couple almonds
3 - Salad w/walnuts a tiny bit of dressing steamed broccoli and some grilled porkchop (this was really filling)
4 - Meal off at cafe sabor (couldn't eat as much as usual) and I had me a lemonade instead of soda I am hoping I can keep up the no soda thing.
5 - cottage cheese mixed with some yogurt and a couple of almonds

I am down a couple of pounds already and starting to get my energy levels back.  I can't believe this after just a few days I have lost.  Hope the rest of my team is having as much luck as me.

Game on Diet

So we ended up with 5 teams of 3, so 15 people committed to getting healthy and hopefully shedding some lbs along the way.  I will be excited to post how we are all doing after 1 week.  Day 2 for me seemed a little easier but I really felt like I wanted some sugar... so for one of my meals I had part of a yogurt (key lime flavor) some cottage cheese, and part of an apple all mixed together, it was sooo good, and curbed my sweet tooth for the day.  I may have to have that every day as I am finding I really want a treat.  I can't decide how long I am going to wait to take my day off, but it is something that keeps me motivated.  I got on the scale this morning so after 2 days of being healthy and cutting all the crap and getting in a good workout each day I have lost a couple pounds, this is VERY motivating for me to keep going.  I find the afternoon is my hardest time of day... I seem to have a little energy drop and get really sleepy hopefully my body gets used to this soon.  Day 2 my meals went as follows.   (as you can see I am not cooking a whole lot, which is nice)

1 - grapefruit and a boiled egg
2 - oatmeal with a string cheese
3 - grilled chicken with asparagus
4 - yogurt, fruit and cottage cheese
5 - spaghetti (whole wheat) with marinara sauce a salad and some grilled chicken with some walnuts sprikled on the pasta.

And a whole ton of water with every meal.  I usually have my 3 liters drank by about 3pm which is nice to have done so I am not up all night at the potty :)

For my workout I did the 30 day shred with Jillian, and then in the afternoon when I get my energy slump I tried going fr a run to see if I could boost my energy (it didn't), but it felt good to get in a run anyway.  Can't wait to see what 1 week of this does for me.  I know I am going to feel better.

Positive Thought for the day

"We can never bring anything to us unless we are grateful for what we have. In fact, if somebody was completely and utterly grateful for everything, they would never have to ask for anything, because it would be given to them before they even asked.

That is the power of Gratitude."

 

Rhonda Byrne

Game on Diet Day 1

Here is how my first day of the diet went woke up had a boiled egg this gives me my protein and my fat, and an apple with a ton of water.  I then proceed to my workout did the 30 Day Shred with Jillian, which is a fantastic little workout.  It has 3 levels each one progressively harder, in each level you do 3 circuits of her workout.  You start with 3 min strength training, then 2 min of cardio and 1 min of abs.  It is an intense workout but is only 20 min, and I am soo sore the next day.  Then after my workout with Jillian I did some additional ab workouts.  I continued to drown myself in the 3 liters of water I am supposed to drink.  I went 3 hours between my first and second meals,  I then had an orange and a string cheese with a couple almonds.   I continued drowning in the water, and for lunch had a pork loin chop (at least part of one since it had to be the size of my palm), some spinach leaves with some cucumbers and I used part of my 100 free calories towards some dressing.  Then continuing in my drowning I finished my water about 3pm (which worked out perfectly for me not being up all night peeing.)  I seemed to spend a lot of my day drowning and peeing.  I went 4 hours between my last 2 meals, they were a fried egg and toast for the first, and a big salad with dressing some cucumbers and a boiled egg.  I found about 2 I got hungry for a treat, and spent most of the day with a headache from lack of caffeine.  I am sooo glad that I accomplished day 1 with all my points.  I made sure to keep in contact with my team and an opposing team, I stuck to my healthy habits I ate all my meals with no snacking, got in my workout, got alll my water and got my 7 hrs of sleep!!  Hurray for a perfect day.

Positive Thought for the Day

You do what you can for as long as you can, and when you finally can’t you do the next best thing.  You back up but you don’t give up.

~Charles “Chuck” Yeager

Positive Thought for the Day

No one should negotiate their dreams.  Dreams must be free to flee and fly high.  No government, no legislature, has a right to limit your dreams.  You should never agree to surrender your dreams.

~Reverend Jesse Jackson

Positive Thought for the Day

You must accept that you might fail; then, if you do your best and still don’t win, at least you can be satisfied that you’ve tried.  If you don’t accept failure as a possibility, you don’t set high goals, you don’t branch out, you don’t try – you don’t take the risk.

~Rosalynn Carter

Grocery Shopping for the Game

Just headed out to get my groceries before we start our big Game On Diet Healthy Challenge, and I wanted to remind you of some of the foods that are forbiden (except on your day off and your meal off)

F.L.A.B.B. (fat-loading and belly bloating) Foods

• All fried foods
• high-fat/processed meats
• anything made with refined sugar (which includes sugar, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup and sucrose)
• Anything made with white flour
• Butter
• Margarine
• Whole-fat Cheese
• Cream
• Dried Fruit/Fruit Juice
• Common foods that contain these ingredients
• baked goods
• sugary breakfast cereals
• most breakfast bars
• cakes
• candy
• chocolate
• condiments (ketchup, bbq sauce, etc.)
• cookies
• donuts
• ice cream
• pastries
• pies
• granola **
• potato chips
• french fries
• fruit "drinks"
• sugar-sweetened beverages
• all soda (coke pepsi etc)*
• all diet sodas*
• bacon
• fast food sandwiches and burgers
• hot dogs
• jerky
• salami
• sausage
• bologna
• chicken nuggets, strips, fingers
• fish sticks
• mayonnaise

* not options for your 100 calories a day
** not junk food bu very high calorie

Basically no sugar, no white flour.

Here are the FYT (flatten your tummy, pronounced fit) Foods that are listed on the original post click here. 

The shopping list recommended in the book is a nice start

• 3 cucumbers
• 3 bunches celery
• 1 head lettuce
• 1 lb of mushrooms
• 2 lbs tomatoes
• 1 bag carrots
• 1 bag spinach
• 1 bundle asparagus
• 2 bundles or bags of broccoli
• 1 bag green beans
• apples
• bananas
• grapefuit
• lemons
• oranges
• pears
• peaches
• plums
• strawberries
• 1 bag frozen mixed berries
• 1 package whole grain oatmeal (not instant, nothing added)
• 1 package whole grain tortillas
• 1 loaf whole grain bread
• 1 package whole grain hamburger buns
• 1 bag brown rice (not instant)
• small bag potatoes
• small bag sweet potatoes
• whole grain pasta
• canned beans
• skinless chicken breasts
• tuna
• lean cut of topside sirloin
• eggs
• tofu
• low-fat mozzarella sticks (string cheese)
• low fat milk
• non-fat greek yogurt (i did not love this, but you may)
• low fat cottage cheese
• avacados
• almonds 
• cashews
• walnuts
• 1 bottle flaxseed oil
• 1 cup fresh olives
• olive oil cooking spray
• all natural peanut butter
• condiments such as:
• basil
• dill
• garlic
• ginger
• honey (real maple syrup)
• mustard
• pepper
• salt

Happy Shopping.  I will be sharing recipes that I try throughout the game, and encourage you to do the same.  e-mail them to each other, or comment on the blog.  I can't wait to start!!

Fun Fact

Get Happy!!!  Studies show that citrus smells such as orange, bergamot, lemon, lime and grapefruit will help to boost your mood, and are great for those suffering from depression!

Positive Thought for the day

Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking outward together in the same direction
~Antoine De Saint-Exupery

Positive Thought for the day

Today I give my best to that which I do, knowing that when one experience is complete, I am led to even more fulfilling and rewarding experiences.
~Louise Hay

Positive Thought for the day

"Sometimes questions are more important than answers."
~Nancy Willard

Fun Fact

Did you know that you can use a damp washcloth with some essential oils as a dryer sheet to freshen your laundry.

Positive Thought for the day

How many cares one loses when one decides not to be something but to be someone.

~Gabrielle (Coco) Chanel

Positive Thought for the day

You can't hire someone to go through your sorrow for you.
~Mary Ellen Edmunds

Positive Thought for the day

Come live with me, and be my love, and we will some new pleasures prove, of golden sands, and crystal brooks, with silken lines and silver hooks.

~John Donne

Positive Thought for the day

"Beauty comes in all sizes, not just size 5."

~Roseanne

Positive Thought for the day

"Pure love is a willingness to give without a thought of receiving anything in return."

--Peace Pilgrim

New Years Resolutions

New years resolutions always start with a big bang, and fizzle by the end of January.  I think that part of the problem is that people don't set realistic resolutions,  or they set one's that cannot be measured.  I think the most common are weightloss, eat healthier, spend less, save more, go on a vacation.

Well this year here are mine.
Hmmm... I have been pondering on this one since November... I would like to include some fun one's this year, in addition to having a few catagories to keep me balanced.

Husband goal - dedicate one night a week to date night and take turns with taking each other out, the goal is to make sure there are 52 dates this year!!!

Mom Goal -Read to my kids for 20 minutes at least 4 days a week.

Physical Goal - I would like to run a minimum of 260 miles this year. (I know that for those of you who run this isn't a huge amount, but it is big for me!)

Mental Goal - My friend Amy did a similar one last year (hers was to read a book a week for the year 52 books in a year wow!!)  I would like to commit to reading 26 adult books (no not naughty books, but not children's books like green eggs and ham).

Spiritual Goal - Commit to regular scripture study (I am going to set my goal of 1 hr a week)

Nutritional Goal - track my food intake so I don't overeat.  I would really love to say that I am going to give up sugar for the year, or eat more veggies (but I am being realistic)  I bet if i track my food intake I end up eating much less sugar and more veggies just because I will be aware.

Fun Goal - I would like to make sure I am creating something new each month of the year so by the end of the year I should have finished at least 12 creative projects.

Work Goal - I would really like to write a book, so my goal is to finish a chapter a week.

I am hoping to keep you all posted on how my progress is coming.  I think that these are fun resolutions that I can see in progress, in fact I think I will make a tracker that goes along with all of this to put on the side of my blog so you can all know where I am at with all of this.

Fun Fact

Did you know that applesauce can help to protect your DNA and cells from the damage that leads to many forms of cancer.  Women who enjoy one heaping cup of apple sauce  (eat one apple or drink 8 oz apple cider) every day cut their risk of developing nay kind of female cancer by as much as 70% according to research done at Loma Linda University.

Positive Thought for the day

Love comes when manipulation stops; when you think more about the other person than about his or her reactions to you. When you dare to reveal yourself fully. When you dare to be vulnerable
-~ Dr. Joyce Brothers

Positive Thought for the day

I do not have to earn love.  I am lovable because I exist.  Others reflect the love I have for myself.
~Louise Hay

Positive Thought for the Day

You are a blessing in someone's life.

Positive Thought for the Day

"You don't get to choose how you're going to die, or when. You can only decide how you're going to live now."

- Joan Baez

Positive Thought for the day

"Nobody ever drowned in his own sweat."
~Ann Landers

Positive Thought for the day

Each moment of the day is special to me as I follow my higher instincts and listen to my heart.  I am at peace with my world and affairs.
~Louise Hay

Positive Thought for the day

The only people who acheive much are those who want knowledge so badly that they seek it while the condistions are still unfavorable.  Favorable conditions never come.
~C.S. Lewis