Life is good!

Today is the first day of my TRANSFORMATION Contest.....coming off vacation I need this more than ever. Even though we walked our asses off....I also indulge in too much of everything. My mind set was this is it....enjoy it now cause your life is changing. 

I really want to be successful at this journey, my family is supporting me and I have the will and drive. But I also have that little voice in the back of my head that is telling me life is short enjoy! But enjoy what the muffin top I'm sporting or the heart burn, painful achey knees, short of breath and tiredness....life is short and life is good...I want to be here a long time and enjoy it to the fullest. 

I really felt my extra weight on this vacation. It was a slap in the face daily....I was in pain, tired and struggled to keep up. I hope this is the slap I need and the reminder to be successful in the next six weeks and many weeks and years after.

My bloggy friend Patricia aka PVE posted this recipe for a Detox soup....I think I'm kicking off my transformation with this recipe

Detox Green Soup Recipe with Broccoli, Spinach and Ginger

This easy detox soup can be thin or thick, depending upon the amount of water you add. It cooks up fast. We served ours with a modest scoop of hot cooked jasmine rice in the middle. Super good.

You'll need:

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons diced onion
1 inch of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
4 cups fresh broccoli, cut up
1/2 pound of fresh spinach leaves
3 parsnips, peeled, cored, chopped
2 ribs of celery, trimmed, chopped
A handful of fresh parsley, roughly chopped
Fresh water, as needed
Sea salt and ground pepper, to tatse
Lemon or lime juice


Using a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and stir in the garlic, onion, and ginger to season the oil. Add the broccoli, spinach, parsnips, celery and parsley, and stir a bit until the spinach wilts and collapses. Add just enough water to cover the vegetables. Remember the spinach will cook down quite a bit, so don't add too much water at first. You can always thin the soup later, if you need to.

Bring to a high simmer, cover the pot, and reduce the heat to a medium simmer. Cook for fifteen minutes or so until the veggies are softened.

Use an immersion blender to puree the soup.

Taste test. Does it need brightening? Add a squeeze of citrus.

Off to have my weight and measurements and before picture taken....yikes!

Have a wonderful Monday!

I signed up

I signed up for the Transformation Contest at my Boot Camp Class. It said it's for serious CAMPERS....not sure if I qualify as a serious camper...but I'm ready to make the next step in committing to complete Nutrition and Fitness.  I think I have the fitness down but have struggled with the nutrition.

It's only a 6 week contest....6 weeks starting after Easter....yeah one last hurrah with my Peeps! It's a pretty strict diet...no wine or coffee....yes you heard me right....no wine or coffee. So basically I'm going to be a bitch for the first two weeks and possible all six weeks without those two items in my routine.

But if I can make it I can lose 15-20 pounds and that would be a great jump start to my goal. And we all know what's around the corner....shorts and swim suit season.....ugh!!

Wish me luck, I 'm going to need it....no freaking coffee and wine people!!

Still on this journey...

It's been a while since I've posted.....I'm still on this journey! It's just taking me down some roads along the way. I love my boot camp it's a guarantee ass kicking three times a week. I think I have done pretty good on the other days. I'm so sore and tired...feeling really defeated. Not getting the endorphin high from exercising like I should. Not feeling the boost in energy from all the changes in my life. In fact the last four months I have felt worse than ever before.

I don't think it's the exercise or changes in diet. But I feel like it's something else, something not right. You know when you need to listen to your body, it's that kind of feeling. I have been losing my hair in alarming amounts. Since I've had Katelyn 17 years ago, I have been thinning but this is bad. The last four months wow theres no hiding the bald spots. My only saving grace is I don't know a lot of people here and any future friends need to be under 5'4''!

Not only the hair loss but I'm so tired. I fall asleep fine but never have good nights sleep. I have been falling asleep during the day, little short naps. I have never been a napper...not since preschool! I get up early  and exercise and complete my daily chores or whatever needs to be done but one chore at a time leaves me exhausted.

I went to an Endocrinologist last week for blood work and have to come back next week for results. He thinks my Thyroid is fine but perhaps I'm in MENOPAUSE!! What did  he say.... but I'm only 40 45! At this point I just want to feel good and see the benefits of trying to live a healthier life style.

I guess there is more to this journey than simple exercise and diet....I hope I get answers next week.