Welcome to the first edition of "Not So Slacker Friday"

In 2008, I learned from my trainer and good friend the best foods to eat to really slim down and be healthy at the same time. It was amazing how much impact changing my diet had on my body's ability to lose fat, gain muscle tone.

I haven't stuck to this way of eating consistently SINCE 2008, but I'm ready mentally....I think. HA!

{Keep in mind that this meal plan is similar to those used by"Fitness Models"}

{I hate the term "diet" when used to mean RESTRICTING oneself. The word diet will only be used by me as a general term for the food I eat: i.e. "My diet consists of healthy foods" or "A diet high in protein." You get the idea}

{I get off track like everyone and some days eat off the menu. That's cool- I just get back on track soon thereafter. Example: last night I devoured a Caprese salad...Well, more like spinach leaves and tomato rolled up IN Mozz. cheese. BAH! Oh...and wine, but damn I needed that glass (four). I find this type of diet burns fat and adds sleek muscle quickly- Once I reach my goal I switch to (still) healthy, less restrictive recipes}

What I eat:

Breakfast: Oatmeal with cinnamon and strawberries if I have them
                   6 egg whites (Yes, 6.)
                   1 cup of coffee IF I'm tired (Not a huge coffee drinker)
Breakfast for me never really veers off course. It's the same thing daily
Mid-morning snack: Some form of protein.
Example: Protein Shake. The kind I usually drink is by Parillo Performance . Their protein shakes have no sugar and a high amount of protein- which is what I'm going for. This package is something I picked up from the local health food store because I ran out of my Parillo. It's not as good to me, but it shall do.

Dinner: Usually same food groups as lunch minus the carb. I add WAY more veggies for dinner. OH and after my afternoon workout I have some sort of protein. Usually Skim Milk. It's the easiest thing to grab.
Example: Asian Turkey Meatballs with Lime Sauce. This recipe is under my "Eat This" tab above. It's so good. So, so good...

After Dinner Meal: Yeah, one more meal if you're hungry is OK. Gotta keep that metabolism burning! This meal SHOULD be a protein.
Example: More egg whites. Yeah. I might turn into an egg white. How awful.

I love Oxygen magazine not only for their awesome fitness tips, but their clean recipes that are satisfying AND good for you. A+ for Oxygen. What what!

Monday- P90X Shoulders and Arms + 30 minute jog
The first day back started out well with a fairly easy upper body workout. Upper body isn't the most fun for me, but I always feel it the next day since it's my weak body section. The jog just gave me some extra fat burn.

Tuesday- Rest Day
Ugh. Unexpected rest day here. My shoulder was really hurting me after work- I'm convinced I have some slight tear in my delt from years of weight work because every time I do upper body it tends to hurt. BLAH.

Wednesday- 15 minutes of P90X Plyometrics, 10 minutes on treadmill
Another setback day. WTF is what I'm screamin'. My fave, Plyometrics, caused me to have a sharp pain in my temple every time I landed a move or bent over. I tried to work through it, but finally had to stop after 15 minutes. I hopped on the treadmill hoping it wouldn't be so bad, but the sharp pain continued. I worked out a total of 25 minutes today. Horrendous.

Thursday- Ab Ripper+ 30 minute jog/incline fast walk
Woke up at 4:30 for a morning workout. I still have that sharp, throbbing pain sometimes in my left temple. I also feel like I may be "trying" to get sick. Nooooooo...I managed 30 minutes of incline walking (blah) and jogging at 5.0mph. Also did P90X Ab RipperX which is almost impossible for me to do- I have no strength in my core. Another goal for me. {Dear Temple: Stop being a biotch so I can actually get my ass moving. Thanks.}


Friday- ?
I didn't workout this morning and I can't promise myself that I'll feel like doing anything after work. It's been a stressful week at work and I can't shake this painful throb in my head. ugh. We'll see.
Next Friday will include this Saturday and Sunday's workout.

If there's any subject, workout moves, etc. in the area of fitness that you'd like me to feature on Friday's, please LET ME KNOW.

Ladies- I have an issue with my flaky skinned lips. Especially during the Winter months. But this is also an all-year thang. I admit- I have an issue with chewing my lips every now and then out of nerves, or licking them (not as much as L.L., but close). I've tried Burts Bees, Pomegrante, which I love, but for me- it's not nourishing enough.

Christmas time is, like a lot of people's, my favorite time of year- for one, I LOVE colder weather. Not COLD weather, but cold-ER. I live in the South, so it's never really cold, and as much as I like being warmer, cold is a nice change and I can wear cute tights and crap :-). Another reason I love Christmas time is the overall feeling, no matter if it "feels like Christmas" or not, there's always that teeny tiny feeling you get that's different from any other day of the year- or maybe that tingle I get is telling me to go to the Dr.? Ha, nah.

Anyway, I'm doing my Christmas wish list. Just a few of the top things I would really like if Santa brought me this year. WHAT ARE YOURS??

1. Clarisonic Mia Facial Cleanser- I don't know WHY I want this so badly. I never switch up my face routine, because I have something that works for me (tip: don't EVER fix something that isn't broken. Especially when it comes to your face wash. If you're using a face wash you've used for years and it never breaks you out and balances your skin- please for all that is sacred, don't try new products. It's really a waste. And believe you ME- I love buying and trying, but I always come right back to my old stuff.), but I have heard so many great things about this little guy! How well it gets the remaining make-up and dirt off your face being the number one rave. It's precious, too.

2. Rocking chairs (two) from Lowe's- My front porch is screaming for these! They would look PERFECT sitting out there. My mom actually wants me to have these, and at first I was like,"Eh. I'd rather have something else for the house first." But, I really don't need anything else at the moment. I can picture myself sitting outside, rocking away in one of these babies with my sweet tea in one hand and my fan in the other. HA! yeah right. Still wish for these. Did my Mom take the initiative and buy them? We'll see.

3. Clark wall shelf and bench from JCPENNY- *sigh* This is so cute- cuter than the chairs maybe? I have a blank wall in the kitchen area, and granted the kitchen isn't huge, but this would be PERFECT. For one, extra seating! For two, extra storage once I start accumulating more junk- ANDDDD little coat rack thingies. MAJOR want, but I haven't told Santa or anyone I wish for this- so I'm on my own with this one.

FIRST and foremost, I have to tell you all that my goal is to NOT be rail thin. I want muscles! I want abs you could wash laundry on! Biceps that could make a grown man bow to his knees! heehee. Don't fret--I know it says to the right over there ----->that I have about 43 pounds to lose, but if I ever see myself getting way too skinny--what I like to call "Skeletor Thin"--I'll STOP.

As promised, I’ll share with y’all my current diet and fitness regime plus fun Before and Current pictures!

I can’t even begin to tell you what I’ve tried over the years, to lose weight. Nothing too extreme—just not the healthiest per say.

As of now, I guess I would say I’m on a high protein/low carb diet. The trainer who works in the “Life Center” here at work (yeah…cute name….Life Center.) is a bodybuilder—she’s done a few shows and isn’t too big and meaty, but has great muscles! She basically put me on the diet she sticks to while training for shows. I first came to her last year with the goal of wanting to be in the Miss Alabama USA pageant. Long story, but I never went through with it. Just didn’t have enough time between when I started the program and when the pageant was. I did lose about 12 pounds in two months doing things her way, and it wasn’t too hard to do. I really stuck with it. I made it priority numero uno in my life—some people don’t need to, or can’t, but for me, being single and young I was able to do so.

I eat every 2-3 hours all day. Mostly fish, chicken and turkey meat dishes. Here’s a typical day for me, meal wise:

Breakfast: Strawberry Protein Shake by Parillo performance (VERY high in protein! I was drinking a different kind before Christy stepped in and told me the carbs were too high in it and not enough muscle building protein. Oops.)

Snack #1: Chicken breast, ½ cup of broccoli and 1/3 cup brown rice.

Lunch: Tilapia, ½ cup green beans and sweet potatoes.

Snack #2: Chicken salad and whole wheat crackers.

Dinner: Salmon and ½ cup of some vegetable.

Snack: Sugar free pudding or Special K with skim milk


Lately I’ve been so horrible with my dinner. I do my workout after work from 4:30 until (some days) 6:00 and when I get home I just grab what I can. Not bad eating, but probably "not enough calories" eating and by the time bedtime comes, I’m starving. NOT GOOD. Something I need to work on.

This is my basic, run-of-the-mill menu. I stick to this most days, but for good measure, try new low carb recipes to keep things interesting! Cooking is my new love since I moved out into the big-girl world almost a year ago! I'll share some of my recipes with you all and PLEASE do the same (are you taking the hint? I've mentioned that a FEW times now!)



My Lightest - 160 lbs in 2004




















My Heaviest - 200 lbs in 2007















My Happy Medium - 180 lbs in 2005 (HAPPY HALLOWEEN!)

















Current - 198 lbs in 2009