Val's turning the big 5-0!
I just read Good Housekeeping’s article about Valerie Bertinelli. I can’t believe she is almost 50; she doesn’t look it at all! I really hope I can look like that when I hit the big 5-0.
Her down-to-earth personality shined as I read about her struggles, obstacles she has overcome, family life, and accomplishments. She truly seems to be happy in her own skin now. She explained how Jenny Craig has helped many aspects of her life because she was able to understand why she had been overeating, and learn how to face the emotional problem rather than fill a void with jalapẽno cheese poppers! I recall so many times where I have eaten to solve my relationship woes, and Val is right, we have to learn different ways to deal and cope.
I loved Val’s video interview with the behind-the-scenes of her photo shoot. She looked so happy, healthy, and was embracing getting older. She talked about being grateful, learning to love and forgive. It made me realize how at any age we should be grateful for everything we have been given. She also taught me how truly important for us to forgive others, but most importantly, ourselves. If we can’t forgive ourselves how can we possibly learn to forgive others and move forward?
I thought her article was truly inspiring and put me in a great mood to kick-start my weekend! Thanks, Val!
Val's before and after!
Have you ever put motivational pictures on your fridge so you stay on track, and won’t grab that late-night pint of ice cream? I have!
I thought instead of putting a picture up to keep me from munching, I would put the Jenny Craig team up on JC Talk! This way they all act as reminders and inspiration on my online “communal fridge.”
Here are some awesome pictures to keep you motivated along with links to Val, Sara, Nicole, and Jason’s video blogs, plus a behind-the-scenes too!
Valerie
Sara
Nicole
Jason
Behind the scenes with Valerie!
Sara in December
Sara in January
Nicole in October
Nicole in February
Are allergies bugging you as much as they are me? This past week was a nightmare. Although I absolutely love spring, when the seasons start to shift from winter, my allergies go crazy from all the budding flowers and pollen.
I made the big mistake of going on a run after work and a block after I started, realized I should turn around. But did I? Of course not. I finished my three mile run then came back with swollen eyes, a stuffed up nose, and an inflamed throat. Thank you, pollen!
As a result I have been sneezing and blowing my nose for the past week. Of course I put running outside and training for my race on hold as to not make it worse. I decided I’d take my workouts inside. It’s also important to build muscle when training for a race rather than just running alone.
As for the market, I went on Sunday morning and LOVED it; I can’t wait to go again! The best part was when I stopped by a honey stand and discovered how raw honey can help allergies, obesity, and insomnia amongst others. Local raw honey helps your allergies because the bees get nectar from local flowers, which helps you build immunity to the flowers and pollen in your area. Check out these interesting articles I found from howstuffworks.com and EatingWell magazine about how honey can help allergies!
If you get local raw honey from your local markets you are not only helping your allergies but your farmers as well. It’s a win, win situation! I’ve been adding this honey to my tea and in the morning either on my banana or replace butter and jam on my toast with it. You can also add it to your dinner, like with this honey-soy broiled salmon recipe Remember not to eat too much honey. It does contain sugar so you’ll want to limit yourself to three tablespoons a day. I must say, after trying local honey I will never go back to the store bought kind. It tastes more fresh and floral, and knowing that it was made locally instead of on a conveyer belt helps too.
Maybe Winnie the Pooh was onto something!
So as I previously pledged, I’m going to participate in the local St. Patrick’s Day race. I officially signed up this morning (eek!), and now I have to stick with it! I’m going to have to figure out a good routine to either get up early or run after work to train. I have a little less than a month so wish me luck and I’ll keep you posted! If you’re interested in finding a local race or marathon check out Cool Running’s website and find what’s coming up in your area!
In the meantime, since today starts my “no eating after dinner” vow for the next 46 days (April 3rd seems so far away!) I’ve been trying to think of other ways I can get excited and enthusiastic besides late-night snacking while watching the Olympics.
I’ve decided I’m going to replace a bad habit with a good one. I absolutely LOVE to cook, although I do prefer baking! Since I can’t (correction, won’t) eat late at night, I’m going to make phenomenal dinners so I won’t have the desire or the stomach space to eat late.
Rather than just going to the grocery store and roaming the aisles for inspiration I decided visiting local farmers’ markets would be more fun! Not only are there awesome fruits and veggies that you can sample, but some of the stands offer free recipes as well! It’s a great way to get out with friends or family, and be a part of the community and get fresh produce. I found a great website where you can look up your local farmers’ markets, so rather than lounge around all weekend I’m going to hit up my local farmers’ markets! I’m excited to see what I can find, taste, and take back to create my next masterpiece! Who needs late-night snacks now?!
In honor of Mardi Gras starting tomorrow I thought I’d look into cooking a classic Cajun style dinner. Cajun food is absolutely delicious, but can pack on calories with butter and starch.
Thus I went on a mission to find a healthy dish. I finally came across a Cooking Light recipe that looks out of this world. The best part is not only is it healthy, but other New Orleans recipes are included as well!
So what the heck, lets try out a few! My top picks to make are the Jambalaya with Shrimp and Andouille Sausage, and for my sweet tooth I’ll make the Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce. Both recipes are under 500 calories a serving, which is awesome! This may seem like a splurge, but if you plan ahead you can enjoy a special meal and keep on track.
Speaking of Mardi Gras, is anyone giving something up for Lent this year? I decided to challenge myself. After going back and forth trying to figure out whether or not I actually wanted to commit, I’ve decided no more eating after dinner. I’m going WAY out of my comfort zone. It will most definitely be hard to give up late night chips, popcorn, and dessert, but I think I can do it!
If anyone has advice besides locking my cabinets and refrigerator or placing an alarm system in my kitchen to keep me away from snacking, I’m all ears! For those of you who are also going to give something up this week, good luck! I’ll let you know how it went in April (eek that sounds far away); I should probably pick up a late-night hobby for the next 46 days!
I must admit, when I started hearing about doctors recommending drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day I wasn’t fazed. I am without a doubt, the biggest water drinker I know. To keep up with my water trends, over the years I have gone from trendy athletic water bottles to the newest, Klean Kanteen.
Needless to say, although I think of myself as a water expert, I was fascinated when I came across this water article on Oprah. Although I know the 8 glasses a day rule, I never really knew the logic behind why our bodies actually need and crave water. There’s got to be a reason why our bodies are comprised of 60% of water, eh? I also discovered our bodies can actually give us signs and signals for as to when we need water when we are dehydrated, need energy, or to aid in digestion.
The article ends with a challenge that is something we all can try. For a week when you start to get thirsty, go for water rather than coffee, soda, or juice and pay attention to how your body and mood feels after. You might start noticing you don’t need that caffeine fix or morning cup of orange juice to you get you going. Water can give you the boost you need without the calories!
Perhaps they were onto something when they deemed water the elixir of life!
Way to go, Valerie!
As we spring forward into the new year it’s important to also focus on our bodies as well as food. Let’s face it; some of us haven’t hit the pavement or the treadmills in quite some time (if at all) and tend to put exercise at the bottom of our lists.
Whether you’re getting outside or staying in the gym, it’s important to remember the best approach for your body.
Check out this article I recently read from Shape Magazine that gives great running tips for beginners and pros. As someone who is not always the most enthusiastic about jogging, this article really helped me realize some of the things I have been doing wrong, as well as how I can better myself when I hit the ground running!
In fact, after watching Val’s half-marathon video blog I was inspired to get out there and see what I’m capable of. I’ve decided to do a local St. Patrick’s Day race. I’m starting small with a 5k (3.1 miles), and see where I can take myself from there! Whether it’s walking, run-walking, or full on sprinting, let’s continue to challenge ourselves this year like Val has!
Beyond Halfway!!!!
This was one of the most stressful weeks on my program. First of all, I had to work over the weekend, so by Friday of this week I had worked ten days straight! Second of all I had a long-term customer of mine tell me (admittedly due to a mistake on my part) that I was unprofessional and had lost all credibility. The last straw was the possibility that my job could be eliminated. So you roll that ball of stress up and what do you get? For me at this point in my life it meant sticking even closer to my program. I have finally learned that when things external to me and beyond my control are spinning it is even more important for me to follow my JC menu. On my 10th day of work I calmed myself with some Evian water and magazines at 9pm at night at the end of my workday. I passed all the drive-through restaurants that used to be my retreat in times of stress when I would convince myself that “this” was just not a “good” time to follow my program. Now I know ALL the time is a GOOD time to follow my program. So what was my reward for taking exceptional care of me? I didn’t meet my halfway goal of 40 pounds, I PASSED IT and lost 2.8 pounds for a total of 41 pounds GONE. YAY ME!
It hit me that I had finally grown to a point where the opinions others have of me don’t define me. I get to determine who I am, and I know I AM professional and credible, independent of what that customer said about me. I know I am someone who will land on my feet regardless of what happens to my job. Why? Because I have decided on whom I am, and that’s a woman who knows how to put herself on her “to-do” list of top priorities.
I haven’t felt this proud of my choices in a very long time. I could get used to being powerful and not pitiful.
I’ve also attached a picture of me in front of the poster at my center. I think I’m looking pretty good if I say so myself!
Hope
Comment Here!
My 39th Birthday!
Well I’m officially 39 now and I lost 33 pounds for my birthday. I was disappointed for a solid minute during my Jenny Craig consultation and then it was all about facing forward. I’ve attached some pictures of myself wearing a size MEDIUM dress and it’s from Target. I never could have worn anything that didn’t have at least one “x” in it 33 pounds ago, so I’m incredibly proud and excited about the next 33 pounds to lose. I spent my consultation focusing on the next short term goal which is still to hit 40 pounds. I’m only 7 pounds away and I know I can do it.
I must admit I had to borrow a little of my consultant’s faith in me. Just hearing her say every week that I CAN do this and that she is 100% convinced, makes me take the leap of faith in myself. I LOVE the one on one attention. Maybe it’s because I’m an only child. I like being the focus. This journey isn’t easy so I don’t miss the days of the other program where I would sit in a large group and have to hear about solutions to problems I didn’t have. I’m glad I found the courage to walk through Jenny’s door and I’m even more proud of the courage I’ve had to stay. So much has happened in my life….loss of a baby, unraveling of a marriage, and the threat of being layed off. But you know, through all of that the skills I’ve learned on this program have taught me that no matter what I belong on the list of people to take care of. As I continue to put myself at the top of my list of priorities I continue to have more to give to others and to my job. I’ve learned you can’t give what you don’t have and because of this program I now have a LOT to give.
39 and 33 pounds lighter!
So that’s my update. It’s knocking on the door of another “first” and I always thought it was crazy to only be excited on January 1st. We have 11 others we could embrace and get pumped up about. So I’m pumped, I’m excited and just too thrilled at the possibility that THIS Christmas I could be weighing ‘1′ something. Only 10pounds away now, so it’s possible. My choices are the only thing stopping me.
Until next time….Hope
Comment Here!
I’ve had some stressful and frustrating moments at work over the last couple of days, but you know, I have just decided that feeling frustrated and stressed is fine, but destroying the goals I have for myself is NOT acceptable. At least not because of how someone else is behaving. My consultant gave me a care call last night. Just one of the many reasons I love this program. Lately hump day has been a tough day of the week for me. Remember last week I had a total meltdown with those dangerous 100 calorie snack packs. It doesn’t help that they come seven to a pack! They should call them what they are….700 calories of snacks because you can’t eat just one. THAT would be much more accurate, but I digress. So my consultant reminded me of my goals and reset my focus for the remainder of the week. Did I say I love this program? I mean who else would’ve called me to talk about my weight management goals on a Tuesday night? NO ONE…at least that I wouldn’t have hung up on.
So what did I do to handle my stress and frustration? I made the decision to be even more diligent with my program. Tonight when I got home I listened to a song by Pink called “SO WHAT” and turned it up as loud as my ipod would go as I worked through interval training on my elliptical. So now after 60 minutes of sweat and the “So What” lyrics ringing in my head, all seems well.
There aren’t many guarantees in life, but you know I never regret following my program or the guaranteed feelings of empowerment I feel afterwards. On the other hand I ALWAYS regret deviating…that too is a guarantee. It still comes down to the power of choice, but tonight SO WHAT…I’m feeling like a rock star! I made it over the hump……woohoo!
Hope
Comment Here!