24 Day Challenge Check In

It's over already?!?!?

I am over the moon pumped to report to you my stats now that I have (SUCCESSFULLY) completed the AdvoCare 24 day challenge!

Here are my final results...

I lost a total of 15 pounds and the following inches...
4" from chest
3" from waist
3" from hips
2" from upper thigh
1.5" upper arm

I was so happy when I did my final check in! Yea!!! I am back on track!
I truly loved the challenge and I was able to abstain from alcohol, sugar, dairy and coffee the whole 24 days however, now that it is over, I am drinking coffee again. I love my coffee! I am staying away from the other things and sugar as much as possible as I know it is not that great for me! 

The biggest change that I experienced from the challenge was learning AGAIN that my portions were at least 3 x the size I should be eating. Now I measure and weigh everything! 

Also, food prep was a great help. I realized if I have healthy food prepped then I will not normally eat crap. So I will continue with the prepping also.

Thanks to AdvoCare for this much need jump start! I will keep you posted on the losses!! HA

Thinking Out Loud Thursday

Happy Thursday yinz! I am joining Amanda at Running With Spoons for her Thinking Out Loud Thursday!

Thank goodness there is only one day left in this week!

I am wishing this day away to get to Friday ASAP! 

This is the final day of my Advocare 24 Day challenge! It looks like it went fantastic!!! I do not weigh in and check measurements until tomorrow but it looks like it is going to be more than 15 pounds lost in 24 days!!! YEA YEA YEA!!!!  It has been awesome and I feel great!!! I have cut out sugar and coffee (with only 1 blow pop and 3 cups of black coffee) for the past 24 days and I am ready to get my coffee back!

Maybe not so mush wanting to add sugar back to my diet but definitely the coffee!!!!

I have such a fun weekend planned and cannot wait to get it started! My family will be going zip-lining on Saturday!!! This has now become a tradition and we love it!  My parents get us all tickets for Christmas and we all go on the same excursion! Sisters, brothers, sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law and my parents watch all the little kids that day. Actually, last year, they took the kids to the kids zip-line for the day  while the adults did the adult version.  SO MUCH FUN!!!!

Then on Sunday, they are all coming to Pittsburgh with me to run the Great Race - YIPPEE!!! It is so fun to run on the streets of Pittsburgh...over bridges and highways that you usually just drive on! I LOVE THE GREAT RACE!

Cant wait to link up and find out what interesting things you are thinking about!!!

Happy Thursday yinz!

Let's Be Friends

Happy Tuesday yinz!!!

I am linking up with with Chelsee and Tiffany for their Let's Be Friends Blog Hop!!

I can not wait to make some new bloggy friends and find some awesome new blogs to follow too!

What I love about Fall/Halloween...

Brace yourselves, I like food A LOT!!!

HEE HEE

LOVE these Fiber One bars! I would swear I am eating a candy bar and they are halfway good for you!!!!

I love my Jamberry Nail Wraps! They last forever and are sooo cute! I especially love when the new holiday ones are released each year and this year does NOT disappoint!!! As always, they are buy three and get one free HERE!  So stinkin' cute and perfect for gifts or a stocking stuffer (the Christmas as equally as cute)!

I am loving all the blog swaps coming up for Fall/Halloween also!! I joined two already and would love to do more! There is nothing I love more than exchanging gifts and getting mail!!!
 

These babies are amazing!!! I can only find them in the Fall - Caramel Apple Pops!!! YUMMY!! I am totally addicted!

No store even begins to compare to Pier1 for me! I love this place and all of the glitter and fluff associated with their decorations!!! Some people think it is too much but I do not agree! I can never have too much glitter or bling!!!  HA!

I bought these accidentally! I thought they were plain almonds and then after I tried them - I am completely in LOVE! They sound awful but I promise you, if you like semi-hot things and you try them, you will be hooked!! You are welcome!!!

I can not wait to go read all the other blogs they are linking up for the hop! I look forward to getting to know each and every one of you!!  Thanks Chelsee and Tiffany for hosting!

MIMM - Fun-filled Weekend and Happy Mistakes

Today I found an awesome new (new to me that is!!) blog to link up with!

I am linking up with Katie for MIMM (Marvelous In My Monday). I love finding new link ups and meeting new and awesome bloggers to follow!

What a fun-filled weekend I had - amazeballs!!!

It started off with a little of this...

Of course I look nothing like that when I do it but you get the idea of how my Saturday morning started out! HA

Then I made my way to Ohio for some awesome fun hanging out with some of my favorite people - MY FAMILY!!!!

I got to my parents house and their cat was so sick :-(

My mother and I took her to the emergency vet where she proceeded to get an enema (never heard of this for a cat) and then she was good to go. I created this bit strip while sitting in the waiting area for two hours during this process!  Poor little thing was plugged up!

We then spent Sunday at church and at a local Oktoberfest Picnic which was great! Here is a picture of the kids waiting to get into one of the three bounce houses they had set up for rides.

And this is the ski show they lakes Ski Club put on! It is always so much fun to watch!

They have so many seriously talented skiers!  Here is a girl doing a back bend over a man skiing! Pretty awesome!

And I am not sure how I survive the rest of the year when these are not in season! I love Fall for this reason only!!!!!!! Caramel Apple Pops!!!!!!!!!!! YUM x 100!!!!!!!!!

I am not sure why I never tried these before! I bought them accidentally and they are truly amazing! I know they sound awful (I totally agree) but you HAVE to try them! I promise you will totally thank me!

Yummy mistake!!!!!!!

Happy Monday yinz!!!!!!! I cant wait to read everyone else's #MIMM!!!!

Guest Post By Aly

One time I was at the Delaware County Fair.  I rode the Super Shot with my brother named Ryan.  He was so funny because he said, "I am so scared" and I said "You'll be fine" in a nice voice.  When we got to the top, not even one minute later, whoosh went the Super Shot.  We were both so shocked.  I said "Why did I pick this ride?" to myself and to my brother because we only had two more tickets left.  So that's why we rode the Super Shot.

By: Alyssa J., 6 years old 

Guest Post By Kyleigh

One time I went one a roller coaster,with my brother and we sat in the very front row. There were millions of hills so I was thinking "on no". The ride started moving and right then we came to a hill - we got jerked down. We came to a tunnel and we went really fast. We came to really, really deep hill with a camera at the start. It went down and I screamed with all of my might! It came to the station I said, "can we go again?". But they said no so I just went out of the of the station. So we went on a different ride. 

By: Kyleigh J. - 7 years old

Posted with Blogsy

Count Me In For Swapoween!

I am excited to announce that I am joining in with the creative and fun Beth and Angie over at Chaotic Goddness Swaps for Swapoween!!

These are ALWAYS so much fun - I love finding interesting and fun things to send people!!

Check it out - there is still time to sign up if you are interested~~

Dates to Remember:

• Sign-Ups Start:  Monday, September 8th
• Sign-Ups End: Monday, September 15th
• First Post MUST be Posted by: Monday, September 15th
• Partners assigned: Wednesday, September 17th
• Packages Shipped By: Saturday October 11th
• Show-Off Linky Opens: Wednesday, October 15th
• Show-Off Linky Closes: Friday, October 31st

AdvoCare 11 Day Check In

I've been doing the AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge and here are my Day 11 check in results!!!!! 

Day 11 was Friday of last week and I am amazed and thrilled so far!

Total pounds lost so far...10!!!!
 

Chest: down 4 inches (bye bye back fat!)

 

Waist: down 2 inches (whoop)
 
Hips: down 2 inches
 
Thigh: down 1 inch
 
Arm: down 0.5 inch
 
Amazed so far! I'm over the moon happy and I feel amazing!

I am loving this new way of life and I definitely plan to continue on the healthy and measured eating for lots of time to come!!!!!! Feeling better everyday!!!!!!!

Update as of today:  I am down 12 pounds as of this am!!!!! WHOOP!!! This is exciting becauser I spent the weekend with my sister and her family at Hershey Park and did not cheat all weekend except for stealing TWO french fries at the park from my niece! TWO fries!!! I was and AM so proud of myself!!! YEA!

Have you celebrated any tiny milestones or you own lately?! I would love to hear about it!!!  Hope yinz have a great week!


 

Thinking Out Loud

Happy Thursday yinz!!

I am so happy to have found this awesome link up for today!!

I am joining Amanda at Running With Spoons for her Thursday link up...

I recently found her blog and I LOVE it! I am now even happier to participate in this link up and hopefully make a bunch of new friends!!! YEA!

I am thinking about how lucky I am to have the worlds most amazing mother! She just had her birthday and turned 72 and you would never know it! She has set an amazing example as a mother and friend. She is my biggest cheerleader and I am hers!!!  She recently placed second in a 5K in her age group!!! She rocks and I am so proud of her!!! She is the most active person I know at any age!! XO Mom!
 

I am thinking about how excited I am for my weekend at Harrisburg! Not only so I get to see my sister and her family but I get to spend a day at Hershey Park too - double score!!!! Bring on the coasters!!!!!!! YIPPEE!!!

I am thinking how in love I am with the Jamberry Nail Wraps for Halloween!!! I already ordered mine!!!! Check them out HERE if you are interested!!!

I am thinking about how to make my Halloween costume for our work charity party. The theme is Under the Sea so me and a co-worker are going as jellyfish! I am excited to see how awesome this costume can be - some examples we found are below...

And, last but surely not least, I am dreaming of two more hours when I can escape from work and run to the gym to de-stress with some Piyo!! This is my new favorite workout and I am officially obsessed!!

Thanks Amanda for the link-up and I cant wait to read everyone else's thoughts and make some new friends!! Happy Thursday yinz!

Weigh in Wednesday

YEA!!!

It's Weigh in Wednesday!

My scale is FINALLY moving in the right direction and I could not be more excited!

I started following the 24 Day Challenge from AdvoCare about 9 days ago and I have already gone down 10 pounds! I am so excited! It is really just healthy and tracked eating and drinking lots of water!

I am thrilled!

I have always worked out religiously but after these nine days of writing down everything that passes my lips and measuring portions, I have realized that my portions have been wayyyyyyyyy too large and I snack wayyyyyyyyyy too much!

I am so happy that I am finally losing and doing it the healthy way! YEA!! I am not even hungry all day! I feel awesome and it has helped me cut out my coffee too! AMAZING

I am also so very happy that I have found this Weigh In Wednesday and cannot wait to go check out everyone else's weigh in and possibly make a few new friends!!!

Happy Hump Day yinz!

Clean Eating Turkey Meatballs

I made up this recipe last night and they are amazing!!!!!!

I just had to share it with you!!!

The world's best Turkey Meatballs!!!

3 lbs ground turkey

1 egg white

1/4 cup parsley

1 whole sweet onion chopped

2 cups baby bells mushrooms chopped (you can use any veggie chopped finely but the mushrooms make these REALLY moist!!!)

4 T crushed garlic

salt and pepper to taste

Mix all the above together well and roll into 3 oz balls.

Lay them out side by side (its okay if they touch) on a foil lined cookie sheet with a rim (there will be juice)

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 min.

2 meatballs is a serving.

ENJOY!!!

You are welcome!
 

I hope yinz all have an amazing day!!!!!

AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge

I know I am really late on this post but I did not want to forget about it all together so here we go!

About 7 days ago I embarked on a serious personal challenge!!!

I workout very religiously about 5-6 days a week and I eat healthy for the most part (sneaking chocolate and tic tacs here and there) however, I have been maintaining my weight for over a year now....no losses at all! I had been getting very frustrated! 

I watched my Zumba instructor over about a month period as she got even leaner and stronger and looked amazing. At that point I asked what she was doing. Her answer was AdvoCare.

That was the first time I had ever heard of AdvoCare.

She told me all about the plan and how you take supplements and eat healthy, structured, and measured portion meals.
I started it 7 days ago and I am sooo happy I did.
I will not tell my starting weight but this is day 7 and I have already lost 8 pounds!! YEA ME!! I am not even hungry all the time either!!!
I take their supplements and then eat healthy, portioned meals that I cook myself..no pre-packed food and no un-natural crap! It is awesome! I feel awesome and the weight is dropping off!

Reflecting back over the last 7 days, I realize that I was not losing that last year because I was eating WAY too large sized portions of all my food and also I would have too many cheat foods a day. I have passed on cake about 6 times and chocolate and ice cream just as many.
I just have to keep reminding myself that after I get to my goal weight I will be happy at; then I can eat these things and still maintain the healthy weight.

I am so excited to finally be moving in the right direction again and I cannot thank my instructor (an now coach on AdvoCare) Jessica for all her motivation and guidance! She showed by example and looks amazing!
If you are in any way interested in hearing more check out what they have to offer HERE and I can give you Jessica's information also.

I will keep you posted on my 11 day check in to show you how many total pounds so far and also how many total inches so far! Yippee!!