21 Day Fix....Week 2 Done

I survived week 2 of 21 Day Fix and I have to admit, I love the workouts!  Well I don't love them while doing it, but I love the feeling I get after the workout. I'm out of breath and sweating and feeling so good about myself. I even enjoy the next day when my muscles are slightly sore. Sometimes I am sore in places I didn't even know muscles existed. I'm even thinking I might have to increase my weights soon. Ha, didn't see that happening any time soon.  

My current weights...I think it's time to up the numbers

However, it is time to step up my game. When I started 2 weeks ago I decided to not do the eating plan. I thought eh I got the eating stuff handled. Turns out, I don't really. Feel free to read back to my post about peanut butter. So I have decided to do the full program including meal plan. The plan is actually pretty neat and seems easy enough to follow. 

So excited to start this meal plan...and no counting calories! 

You get colors containers and each container goes with a good group...Green is for vegetables, red is for protein..etc. Depending on your weight you are allowed to have a certain number of each contain a day. I have already discovered my portions were a little out of whack, and that is with only trying it for a day.  This could be very eye opening. I also like that it is teaching me how to eventually be able to eyeball portions without containers, measuring, or scales!

My container friends for 21 Day Fix
No counting calories and well rounded meals and snacks.

I am super excited to see how amazing my body does putting the workouts and the meal plan together. The goal is always to  better my health for now and the long term and to feel good, but come on let's be honest...warm weather, shorts, and bathing suit season is around the corner! I would like very much to look amazing in those shorts and feel confident in my bathing suits. 

Bring it on 21 Day Fix!! I got this! 

Party, Pants, and Friendship

I got home not too long ago from my best friend Debbie's birthday party. It was so much fun. I got to ride to the party with her and hang out with her family and meet all of her friends. I met so many wonderful people who I have heard about for years, but can now put a face to the names.

The moments leading up to the party were a bit more challenging....what to wear?? I had one outfit in mind...but you know how that goes; once you try it on you decide maybe not.

This was my original outfit, but I wasn't feeling it and
the shoes weren't that comfortable

The weather can't seem to decide from one minute to the next if it is winter still or spring so that never helps, okay it will be inside that helps. The hardest part came when it was time to choose pants. Usually I would have worn jeans, but the truth is jeans just aren't that comfortable on me. Tight in some areas super loose in others. So frustrating! When I was sick last year I lost a ton of weight, now that I can eat again I managed to put some back on. Not a lot, but enough that my jeans notice the difference. So I tried on about 5 outfits with jeans and 5 outfits with leggings. Feeling completely frustrated and unsure what to wear.  I finally decided to go with leggings and be comfortable and just have a great time. I paired my leggings with some cute heals to lick the outfit up a notch and ended up receiving so many compliments!  Wardrobe crisis no more!

Tada!  This is what I wore to the party and I am so glad I did!
I felt totally comfortable and was able to have more fun because of that

The hardest part about parties for me, is usually before I get there wondering what I will be able to eat. I didn't have to worry about that this time, Debbie told me a few weeks ago she ordered a carving station with roast beef for me (other guests were allowed to eat it as well, haha I share). She knew I could eat plain meat and wanted to make sure I was covered. She then proceeded to surprise me and told me she got me a cake. I said to her you got me a cake for your birthday party? She said absolutely! She wanted me to be able to have dessert and cake with everyone else and that is what you do for people you love, you make sure they have fun too. I was shocked. I actually started to cry a little. I am so lucky to have her in my life and be able to call her my best friend.

I had broccoli and roast beef.
So delicious!

I am sitting here now, still a little amazed at the trouble she went through to make sure I had a good time and food to eat. I know I have done something right to have a person like that in my life and I will never forget the love she showed me today. To some it might just seem like meat and cake, but to me, it made my heart happy and the food was good too.

Gluten free, dairy free, coconut flour cake
I still can't believe she got me a cake.
It was really fun being able to have dessert with everyone

Have a great Saturday everyone and if you have a friend like mine remember to be thankful for having them in your life and maybe even give them an extra hug when you can!

PB2 Woohoo!

Happy Tuesday! How is everyone doing adjusting to daylight savings?...Except those who are in states that don't have to adjust, I am jealous of you guys. 

I really miss that hour

I had a few minutes this morning before work and had to share my favorite snack find. Let me start off by saying I love peanut butter. I like almond butter, but I LOVE peanut butter. As you know peanut butter also comes with a lot of calories, not the best to devour while trying to shed a few pounds (just ask my scale). And sure you can have a serving size, but who really has a serving size of the deliciousness. Then some genius came out with PB2. 

Looks so simple,
yet so much deliciousness in a powder and less calories!

PB2 is powdered peanut butter and according to the label 85% less fat and calories than traditional peanut butter. You just mix the powder with liquid and voila peanut butter. Okay, sure it's not exactly like eating from a jar of the real deal, but it definitely helps to satisfy my peanut butter craving. I have also started using it in my morning shakes...chocolate, banana, and PB2...hello happy taste buds!!! 

I know there are lots of brands out there now, but I noticed some other brands have added "stuff" to them. No thank you. I love having a little bowl at night while watching tv or during the day with a cut up apple. 

Apples and PB2
Low carb, low calorie, super filling

Just a bowl of PB2 to watch some TV
I usually try to make it thicker but this was still delicious 

Hmm I wonder if I can bake with it...might have to play with that idea.

Have you tried it before? Do you mix it in shakes or eat it alone?  

Have a great day everyone. I am off to work!

It's a great day to have a great day!

Tea Time

When I found out I had to cut out some foods/drinks in order to help my body heal I was on board. Whatever it would take to get better. No gluten, no problem. No wheat, okay sure. No rice and potatoes, sure whatever I don't eat them that much any way. Cut back on sugar, eh who shouldn't cut back really. No dairy, umm that's no fun, but if that's what it takes. No coffee...wait what?!?! No COFFEE!!  That's it, I can't survive, life can't go on. How will I function, how will I still have friends and a job without coffee....

Yup, this is how I felt
(photo credit: http://explodingdog.tumblr.com/)

So there I was, faced with the option. Challenge the results and continue to drink my coffee, hoping that by eliminating the other foods it would help enough to heal or take the plunge and cut it out. I decided coffee wasn't worth my health suffering even just a little. On the way home I picked up some tea so I wouldn't have bad caffeine withdrawal and mentally prepared myself for starting my next morning without coffee.

By mid-week, I wanted to curl up under my desk I missed coffee so much and it was a hellish week. Thankfully my coworkers are amazing, especially my friend/coworker Marissa. She let me try lots of different ones she had stashed at her desk, Mary talked my out from under my desk, and at the end of week one I was feeling pretty darn proud of myself. I even noticed I wasn't having afternoon crashes as much...interesting. I started googling and found out that tea is actually very beneficial for your health.

So many wonderful reasons to drink tea, even if you can drink coffee

The following week I was off from work, it was close to the holidays and I had time to spare. I made plans to go out with my friend T (Theresa). She told me to meet at her place and then she was kidnapping me. Wouldn't tell me where we were going or doing. Ooh exciting! I followed orders and hopped in. We ended up in the mall parking lot. I thought okay, not so much exciting but still fun. She handed me an envelope, said happy holidays and enjoy! Her and her husband surprised me with a gift card to Teavana. She said they were so proud of me for giving up coffee and still smiling. If you haven't heard of Teavana it's a store (online as well) that sells all different types of loose tea. Different blends and types and tea accessories. We walked into the store and I was absolutely in tea heaven. So many flavors to choose from!! I picked up a few bags of different flavors, I went over my gift card limit but it was worth it.

JavaVana Mate...has a very similar flavor to coffee.
Highly recommend for my fellow coffee lovers

My favorite is one called JavaVana Mate...why you ask, because it has a very similar taste as coffee!! Some people just enjoy coffee because of the caffeine. They add sugar and milk and stuff..not me I always just loved the pure taste of coffee black. Lately I have craving that taste big time and went back to restock my Java finally and so glad I did!! I am enjoying a cup right now, even as I type this post.

My setup right now with my BIG mug of tea.
I also have a mug obsession. They are all so cute

I still miss coffee, but I am enjoying this fun and tasty new world of tea!  Do you have a favorite brand or flavor?  I would love to know.

Don't Let Candida Win

In my last post I quickly mentioned candida and oral thrush. If you are like me you have never heard of it before or have a clue what it is. First, let me remind you I am not a doctor or any type of medical professional. I am just a girl who went through it and knows how very unpleasant it can be.

Here we go...

I love this description by the MindBodyGreen website (http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-8376/10-signs-you-have-candida-overgrowth-what-to-do-about-it.html): Candida is a fungus, which is a form of yeast, and a very small amount of it lives in your mouth and intestines. Its main job? Helping out with digestion and nutrient absorption. 

Great Website for Health Information

The real problem develops when there is an overproduction of candida. Candida can break down the wall of the intestine and penetrate the bloodstream — releasing toxic by-products into your body and causing leaky gut. This can lead to many different health problems, from digestive issues to depression.

You get the idea, this is no joke and no fun!

Candida overgrowth can present itself in many different forms..for me it chose to present itself in my mouth. The infection had taken over. Ew. My tongue developed this horrible white coating, I developed canker sores, and it was so swollen and painful. My primary care doctor told me I had strep and gave me the normal prescriptions for treating strep, in addition I was given an oral lidocaine swish to help with the pain.  By the next day I was still in so much pain, even worse, and I could barely talk. I definitely couldn't eat and even drinking was painful. My mom did some googling and discovered a diagnosis called oral thrush. I found a local ENT (ear, nose, throat) Dr. who took my insurance and was able to get in that day. He put a camera down my nose, checked my mouth, and finally I had a proper diagnosis. He confirmed I did indeed have a really bad case of oral thrush. He put me on a different swish and stopped the other medicines which were actually causing the thrush to get worse! Once home I started looking into more options to help the healing process along. A friend of mine suggested I check out a site, earthclinic.com.  What an awesome site. It gave me lots of natural suggestions to help with the healing process; such as baking soda peroxide switches, turmeric for the swelling, apple cider vinegar to help with healing my digestive tract. These are just a few that I tried.

Lots of natural healing ideas for all sorts of problems

So now what...first thing, you have to change your diet. There are lots of different books and diets out there find one that works for you. Low sugar is most important! Candida feeds off sugar, don't feed the bad stuff. Small meals help your poor digestive tract that is already working overtime. I also found a Holistic Treatment Practice that had history in dealing with oral thrush and candida. They put together a very specific supplement regiment for me to take. I won't share what it is because everyone's body and diagnosis is different and I don't want you to try something without the proper understanding of the product. I will tell you that a probiotic and prebiotic are very important!!  Also switch up your foods and the pre and pro biotics every couple of weeks. Candida is sneaky and they have a way of adapting to their surroundings!  So what once helped, no longer will. 

I stayed home a lot that summer. People would ask me what happened and I felt so embarrassed to tell them. I didn't want to go out and see people. My tongue was in pain and I could barely speak and yeah I felt yucky. I mean come on who wants to talk about everything I just told you. While everyone was enjoying their summer, I turned to online blogs and social media to do research and also not feel so alone. That is why I have decided to share my story today. You are not alone ever. There is probably someone out there going through something similar. Feeling like I had support, even just in my online friends world helped me cope. 

Well this quote fits perfectly!!

Present day... I still have my struggles, but slowly I am healing up. My stomach is still sensitive to certain foods and drinks. I still have to eat small meals or it takes down my digestive system. Sugar is my ultimate kryptonite! I keep it as low and as natural as possible. I buy mostly organic foods, because who wants to fill their body with bad stuff now that you are cleaning it up. 

Keep away!!
Sugar for me is from fruits and occasionally honey or agave to bake 

I learned a lot about myself going through this, mostly I learned I am actually pretty bada**.  It was not fun, but I fought back and still fight back every day and I want you to fight back too. Don't get me wrong I had and still have plenty of boohoo me days, but I try to not let them bring me down too long. Sometimes I wish I could eat regular like everyone else, but wishing and feeling bad doesn't change the fact that I can't. 

I love this quote,
 because it is the truth!

Most important please BE PATIENT with yourself!!  Depending on how severe the case it could take a very long time to heal. Look at me going on 6 almost 7 months and I am still healing!!! Don't let the candida bring you down, you need to beat it down!!

Thank you for taking the time to read this post about something that is very personal to me and had such a huge impact on my life.

Here I Am

I'm back in the blogging world. For those of you that have not forgotten about me I thank you, and for those of you just tuning in, welcome to my life!

2015 was a crazy year for me...let's start with being bit by a dog in the park. Not so fun. Then I developed a case of oral thrush (candida overgrowth)..this was horrible! I will explain that more in another post. I dated a guy that taught me a lot of life lessons, but was in no way the man for me. In fact my best friend Debbie still wants to beat him up. What are friends for...love you Debbie!

Who knew a Great Dane would think I looked like his breakfast.
Yes I still have a scar. 

I also discovered that gluten, wheat, rice, soy, coffee, sugar, and potatoes are not my friends. Yes I said coffee, it's been since December that I gave it up and while I notice a difference in my body I still miss it every day. On the plus side I have discovered a love for tea. The first week I was off coffee my coworkers all brought me in different teas to try. I love yogi teas and the little inspirational messages on the string are fun to read.

My tea cabinet..Just a few of my favorites.
I have yet to try one I didn't like

So while 2015 was not the funnest of years for me, I am thankful for it. Without going through all of that I wouldn't be who I am today. I love who I am today and I love the path that I am on. Somewhere along the way I forgot how to dream and have faith that things do have a way of working out. I hope you enjoy going on this journey with me.  I am going to use this blog to share my highs and lows with you and I hope that you will share yours with me. One of the biggest lessons I learned in 2015 is I am not alone and with the support of friends (yes, even internet blogger friends) it can make a huge difference in your life.

Thank you for reading and please come back soon!

This is me, Cindy
And can't forget the cute furbaby on the floor, Abby 

Color Your Mind to Relax

When I was really sick I needed something to occupy my time and most importantly my mind so I wouldn't dwell on the pain in my mouth. I was out picking up a prescription and saw a bunch of color books, so I decided to pick up a Mickey coloring (not many other options) book and some crayons. I remember when I was a kid and didn't feel well I would color. So why not give it a shot as an adult. It actually worked. My mind wasn't totally focused on the pain and I was able to somewhat relax and let my body start healing.

Thank you Mickey and Minnie for helping me relax

Soon after I saw an article on the news about adult color books being the latest rage. It was like they heard me talking to my mom saying I wish they made books for grownups. On a hunch last weekend I decided to stop in at a craft store called A.C. Moore to see if they had them. I was in luck, they did. They didn't have the super fancy ones I saw online or on the news, but they still had some fun ones and they were only $5.99 so I figured let's see if I like it before going for the big books. I treated myself to a pack of 72 pencils as well.

My new coloring books and pencils.
Chelsea really loves the pencils

I'm so glad I picked up the books and pencils last weekend, because this week, while I try to remain positive and upbeat, was a struggle. I was feeling like a lump and bummed out about everything. I was worrying about the future. I was worrying about my business trip next week. And the worry seemed to go on and on...then I remembered about my new coloring books. I started coloring and let me tell you, I loved it. My mind quieted enough that I could calm myself and relax. I was able to come up with new fun ideas to cook when I am much better. I slept better than I had in days. I was able to work through or at least quiet some of the emotions and thoughts running through my mind. It's amazing what a little creativity and mindless fun can do for the mind and soul.

My current coloring project
Makes me smile

I highly recommend trying these coloring books if you are looking to relax and have some fun too!

Inside Outside Health

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!

Have fun this weekend!
Enjoy the fun not the food

I am leaving soon to go hang out with my big man and little man, can't wait. I think today is going to be a relax and hang out type of day. As long as I am with them we always have fun. 

I wanted to just stop in here for a quick update. Thank you to everyone who left me such nice comments and emails. It meant a lot to me!!!  

Abby says hi. 

I'm still working on healing up my insides, but I've notice some very interesting changes the last few days. Since cutting out processed foods (okay almost all foods), eating low carb, basically no sugar, and smaller portions I feel cleaner. I feel like my insides are starting to breathe again. I also noticed little changes, sure they could be coincidence but....I don't think so.  I noticed my eyelashes are suddenly thicker and longer, my nails have been growing again so much so that I have to actually cut them. My hair is shiny not dull and not as dry as it had become the last few months. Some days my energy level is so high I can go all day at work, run errands after work, cook when I get home, clean when I get home, and still be wide awake; other days I come home from work and must put my head down. 

I can't believe how they are growing.
I've been complaining the last few months they wouldn't stop breaking

I am not really working since I am not eating meals that would fuel me through big workouts, but I am wearing my FitBit Charge every single day. I still have to hit my calorie goal loss of 1,600 a day. I try and add in little movement and especially dancing around while cooking or cleaning. I find dancing to be not only exercise but good for the soul. To help mentally, I am remembering to stop and breathe. Enjoy the little things that make me smile. I try and work through the times I just want to cry because I am not better, if I get in my head too much I will be living with constant stress and fear and that's not how I want to live, so I have to learn to channel those feelings and work through them. It's a process. 

I saw this solar light while I was picking up a prescription. I immediately liked it.
When I was almost done shopping and was still thinking about it,
I knew I should treat myself and I got it
Some times it's the little things that can make you smile.
I still smile every time I pass it on my balcony 

Of course I wish I would be all better by now, I wish my leaky gut would stop leaking, but at least I am learning a lot along the way and my nails look great, haha. I will post my caulimash (mashed cauliflower) and soup recipes soon. I love sharing with all of you!