Eating clean on a Budget

Lets face it. Todays economy is tough enough as it is without having to worry about eating healthy. And to be honest eating healthy and clean can be quite expensive. Alot of web site will tell you that it is actually cheaper to shop organic and eat healthy than to indulge in boxed and canned food, and although on some levels they are right, you and I both know that when your on a tight budget and it comes to pasta sauce one thats organic and costs $4.00 or one thats not and costs $1.00, were most likely going to forgo the healthy organic option and take the less healthy option in order to save a couple dollars.
I myself as a single parent, am broke. To be honest I probably live on or just under the poverty line. But I have found ways to still be able to eat clean and healthy. Here are a list of ideas on how to shop and save money and still be healthy.

1. SHOP IN BULK:
 A lot of times shopping in bulk may seem more expensive but it is not. I tend to hit up costco for my meats in bulk. At a local grocery store, one might pay almost $8.00 for two chicken breasts. At costco I can get approximatley 12 for $20.00.  One small freshly cut piece of fish could cost around $10.00, at costco I can get enough to make five or 6 meals for around $16.00. By buying your meats in bulk it saves alot of money for a person on a budget. And once you have the meat, its very easy to seperate and portion out all the meat for meals. I typically spend about $60-$100.00 on meat at costco but that easily lasts me a month or more.  It is also important to be aware of what is a deal and what is not a deal. Shopping in bulk stores can be tricky if you do not know the prices of the items at other stores. One fabulous deal i have found at costco is on their greek yogurt. In a regular grocery store one container of liberte greek yogurt is around $5.00. At costco I can get two of them for the same price.

2. BUY STAPLE ITEMS THAT CAN MAKE A VARIETY OF MEALS:
 Buying items like quinoa or beans can keep your meals healthy and can be used in a variety of ways. I personally love quinoa. It can be used in hot or cold meals. You can use quinoa as a meal itself or as a side dish. By having items that can be used in a variety of ways, you can still eat clean and healthy and not get bored of the same meal over and over again. You can add beans to your chicken, use as a side dish, make a salad out of them, or mix them in with quinoa. Other staple items that can add flavor and keep your  meals healthy is investing in extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. These two items can make a variety of sauces and flavours  with your meals, and tend to be longer lasting then unclean and sugary items like dressings and sauces.

3. BUY FORZEN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES INSTEAD OF FRESH
 Often for those of us who are on a budget, it is hard to keep buying frsh fruit and vegetables every week. Or if we do buy fresh food, it sometimes goes bad before we can use it, which is a waste of precious money we dont have to waste. Buying frozen is actually cheaper, and because the fruit and veggies or flash frozen, there is actually more nutrients found in the food. Not only will the food last longer but its just as healthy. I tend to buy alot of frozen veggies and fruit and use them as needed. It saves me quite a bit of money when i am not having to spend money every week on fresh veggies.

4.BUY ONLY WHATS IN SEASON
Alot of times we want to have fresh veggies and fruits and that is totally okay. But if money is tight, then stick to the fruits and veggies that are in season. These tend to be priced the lowest, and will save you much more money than indulging in fruits and veggies that are being imported from other areas or countries.

5. FOOD BANKS: SHOPING WISELY
With the economy there are unfortunatley many more families having to use food banks to get buy, and I am one of them on occasion. There are certain things to look for when at a food bank. Most of the food is canned and boxed, and so it can be difficult to eat clean. But here are some ideas. Sometimes food banks will have fresh veggies. Stock up on those. Veggies can be frozen and used later so take what ever you can thats alottted. Canned veggies are not ideal, but are a healthier choice than canned spaghetti. Just try to read the labes and see if any of the veggies are low in sodium. Pasta is usually redially available. Try to find whole wheat pasta instead of white. Also canned tuna or salmon packed in water is a great choice as well. Look for low sodium and low fat soups to use if you can, and if there is bread being offered than see if there is any whole wheat options available. If you know what to look for, you can get healthier food to get by on.

This is just a suggestion as to how to start to save money on food. By being knowledgable and getting staples that dont get used up fast, one can still eat clean and be healthy on a budget.

A Happy Healthy Mothers Day

Today is mothers day. Being a mother is probably one of the hardest jobs in the world. A mother has to wear many hats. Maid, caregiver, chef, taxi driver, lover, boo boo kisser. It frankly can be exhausting. For me, although I love every minute of being a mother, being a mother has been especially hard and difficult for me. I have been on my own since i was six months pregnant with my son. Long story of the short of it, i left an extremely abusive relationship and never looked back. Do i regret that choice of taking the hard road? NOT one bit. It has meant peace, tranquility and a safe home for my child. But it hasnt  been an easy one. Infancy was partyicularly hard, especially as I was the only one waking and feeding the baby. I sometimes went over 24 hours without sleep, let alone a break. Add post partum depression, and it was not a piece of cake. There have been many unique struggles that I have faced as the one and only parent. Job hunting has been a particularly sticky issue. Because i only have reliable day care from Mon-Fri, it has been difficult for me to find work that will accomadate my day care issues. Most people dont care, understand, or care to understand that I dont have a husband, or father to help, I also dont have inlaws to help out as well. And with my immiediate family busy and not always avaialble, being available nights and weekends is especially trying. But I keep pushing through and I keep my head up and keep telling myself that things will work out and get better. I think alot of mothers start off fit and faboulous and through out the stresses and daily demands of raising their children, we start to lose ourselves. Maybe we start off not wearing make up as much, are clothes become more comfortable (and less stylish) as we focus on our children, and I think for many, we start to put on the weight and become unhealthy. With busy lives, such as managing work, child sports and dance class, we become quick to pull out that box of frozen pizza from the fridge, or grab take out to feed our family on the go. Between our careers, taking care of the children's needs, keeping up our homes, and what ever other busy things we keep ourselves overwhelmed with, some of us even start to pack on the pounds. And before we know it, we look in the mirror and we've becomea totally different person than we once were. But I think its important that we try to keep ourselves up. Not for anyone but for ourselves. I lost myself too. I gained weight, lost any sense of fashion and lost any interest in myself.Thats why I have been on this journey to a new and improved me. To find my old self again. To feel good about myself again. To look good again. But it really isnt just about me, its really about my son. As a single mother I need to be healthy and change my habits. I am his only parent and as his mother, I owe it to him to be the happiest, and healthiest I can be. And with change comes great things. As I continue on my journey to lose the weight and become healthy, I have become happier. I dress up now, I do my hair, my makeup, and I wear heels sometimes too!!! And my little guy sees the positive changes in me. I am setting an example of what living healthy and happy can do for him. So for mother's day I think the biggest gift is to give back to us, so that we can be the best mothers we can be. Lets continue to have more mothers decide to get fit and healthy and set an example of healthy living for our children.
Happy mothers day everyone!!!!!!!

Book 2-Still Alice

This was the second book on my reading list and it was FANTASTIC. Its about a 50 yr old women named Alice who is a Harvard Proffesor. She has her PHD in Psychology and specializes in linguistics. She starts to notice that she is forgetting things that she once knew so well, and one day gets lost on a run. She soon discovers that she is diagnosed with eary onset Alzheimers disease. The book takes you through her progression of the disease and looks at the toll it takes not only on her family and children, but also how the disease begins to define who she is. The story was incredibly impactful, and makes you think about the person and not the disease. It gives you an eye opening experience to what it would be like to be fully aware of losing your mind.
***** (5 Stars out of 5)

Have you read this book, what are your thoughts on this???

Book 1: The Help

Loved Loved Loved this book!!!! For those of you who haven't read this yet, although the movie was fantastic, the book is even better. I could not put this book down. I found it to be very insightful into the lives of black women before there was equal rights. There were hilarious and poignant moments. It was a fantastic book to start off with for my summer reading list.

For those of you who havent read the book, its about a white women who wants to be a writer and decided to interview the black maids in her community about what it is like to be a maid to white folks in their community.

The book was eye opening and I think the book gets *****

How did you enjoy this book?

My Summer Goals and The Book Club

When I was a little girl, I loved to sit in my room and read. I couldn't get enough of immersing myself into these imaginary worlds. I would spend hours and hours reading. Sometimes I would read a couple novels in a day. At first when I was little I loved to read Nancy Drew, Goosebump Series, and The Babysitters club. As I grew older I became a fan of Stephen King and True Crime Novels. Reading was a passion of mine. But then life came along, and reading was only something I did, when I had a chance to do. University meant reading texts, and more texts, which left me little urge to pick up another book to read, especially since that's all I did was read texts. The early twenties was filled with bar hopping and going out with friends, working and staying out late, and sleeping all day, and then to get up and do it all over again. There was little time or place in my life to pick up a book and read. I have to be honest that even now, in my early thirties, reading has not been a priority in my life. Don't get me wrong, I still loved to read, and I read the entire Twilight series in a week over Christmas break a couple years ago, but it wasnt in on my priority list. As I have been reexamining my life in the last several months, and making positive changes, I realized that besides the unhealthy habits that I had let go, I had also let go of doing something I enjoyed. My life had been about stress, work, school, more stress, eating badly, and drinking alcohol to cope with the stress. There really wasn't any room in my unhealthy lifestyle to do the things I once enjoyed so much, But alas this has been the year for positive change. And I have decided that this summer is going to be one of relaxation and enjoyment rather than one of stress and anxiety. Although my summer job is stressfull (I waitress in a tourist area in the summer), this summer I have vowed to make it more enjoyable. No longer is alcohol a part of my life anymore, but so is the stress. I have learned that when making positive choices and changes in your life, in order to live a life of peace and tranquility, one needs to make time for themselves and do something they like. So this summer I have decided to read. I am hoping to read at least a book or two a week. As I was soaking in the tub the other day, finishing up my second book off my reading list, i decided to use this blog as a forum to start a kind of book club. I am hoping that some of you will be inspired by the books that I have been inspired by, and that I can be inspired by books off your reading list. So I will be dedicating some blogs to the books I have been reading and will rate them out of five, and I hope that you will comment and leave books for me to read!!! I say enjoy the summer and happy reading everyone.

Oh That Plateau!!!!

Only three months into my journey of weightloss and Ive already hit a plateau!!

As the great Homer simpson once said "DOH!!!!!" I cant even begin to describe how incredibly frustrating this is. Ive managed to get from 180 lbs to about 162, in which i hover between that and 160. And for the last three weeks i have been at this number and NOTHING and i mean NOTHING is making that scale budge. It really gets my mind turning. I ask myself questions like "Am i meant to never be skinny"  or "what am I doing wrong" and in my darkest moments "Maybe I should give up". But then I think about it and I know I am not doing anything wrong. I am working out 5 to 6 days a week. I eat clean. I eat every two hours to keep my metabolism up. So I know I am doing things right and I am not sabatoging myself in any way. Someone recently asked me about my calorie intake, to which i replied I dont keep track. I was very interested to find out that I was consuming daily about 1200-1300 calories a day when infact my body actually required around 1800, so infact I had my body in starvation mode. So now I am stepping up my calorie intake, and Ive also stepped up my workout regimine. I am amping up the weights and trying to include more intervals in my cardio. I am hoping this will work. It is so frustrating to not be able to move down the scale. I see on the internet all these great success stories of women who have been able to lose hundreds of pounds and end up with a slammin body, and i start to question my ability, like why isnt this working for me, maybe I am not meant to have a great body, maybe Its not in the cards for me. On the other hand I know that I must not give up and keep pushing through, because if I dont, change wont happen and I wont be able to show my 6 yr old boy what hard work and determination can do. So I will continue my journey onward and upward, and am crossing my fingers that I will move down to the 50's, which is my next short term goal!!!

Love You Like a Fat Kid Loves Cake but Your Not Gettin The Cake

So yesterday I am shopping at Costco, getting some healthy groceries for myself and my lil guy and after a hard day of shopping I decided to treat myself and cheat and have a slice of pizza. Now everyone is allowed a cheat day, and yesterday was my cheat day. This does not mean I cheated all day, just the moment I ordered pizza. Anyways I digress. So I am enjoying my pizza when I notice what looks to be a 16 yr old boy, so obese that he must use a motorized scooter to get around the warehouse. This saddened me immensly. It also made me think about just why are so many kids obese like this. This boy shouldnt be in a scooter but walking, playing football, and trying to hit on girls. I noticed next to him was his sister, also obese and looked to be about 12. She wasnt as obese as her brother, but she was well on her way, and then I saw their mother, also obese. All three of them sat and munched down on fries, pizza, and pop, and other goodies. It struck me as so sad, because these children didnt have a chance.  Have I been overweight? YES!!! have I been obese???? NO. Is my son overweight???? Not even an once of fat on the kid, hes got the metabolism that all women would die for. But I couldnt help but feel anger towards the mother. If the mother wants to fill her stomach full of fatty stuff thats her perogative, but her children were so obviously obese to the point one could barely walk, and shes feeding her children with junk????????? Even if these poor kids wanted to be healthy how can they? They dont buy the groceries, and by the looks of it, these children just eat what their mother supplies them with...junk. It boggles my mind as a parent, that if you saw your child getting that big, that you wouldnt change their diets and get these kids to eat healthy and start moving. Doesnt this parent want their children to be healthy??? But perhaps not. If the mother is unhealthy and obese, then perhaps she doesnt see the benefits of happy healthy children. I am by no means a perfect mother, but when I see children so big they cant walk, it makes me want to scream at the parents. I can understand where in some places children's services have been called on these families, because in a way it is like abuse. To not put your child's health and well being first, and to continualy set your child up for failure, and poor health is negectful at best. We wonder why there is an epidemic of obese children in America, but the target shouldnt be to the children, but rather to the parents. Because it is the parents who feed their children, and it is the parents who buy the groceries and the fast food,and it should be the parents who are making sure the food going into their children are healthy. Now I realize there are children who suffer illnesses and are on medications that can cause weight gain, and that is something both parents and the children have no control over, but is the parents who feel Mcdonalds and pizza are better choices than chicken and veggies that get me burning. Everyone is entititled to a treat here and there. Hell i just treated myself to a slice of pizza yesterday, but its in moderation. I really pray for that child I saw yesterday and that one day he can lose the weight and live a long and healthy life, but I know that as long as his mother is sabatoging his chances, the poor boy will likely suffer from an aray of health conditions and it may be too late before it happens.

The Forgotten Children

I wanted to take a minute and talk about something that is dear to my heart and that is special needs children. I am an advocate for all children with special needs. As parents we know that physical actibity and fitness is important for our children. But often parents and other professionals fail to see the same importance to get their special needs child into physical activitys or programmes. Maybe they are worried their child might get teased, maybe they think that physically their child cannot do it. But these children need to be physical just as any other child does. I work in a programme that does just this, help all special needs children reach their physical potenial. Whether the child has a learning disorder, autism, cerebral palsy, or even downs, there are activities these children can engage in. It is soooo important to get these children activities for several reasons. Firstly it boosts their self esteem. Being able to do something physical they didnt think they could, or were told they couldnt, boosts their confidence about what they can do. During some research I did on this very subject for a course I took this year, the research had indicated that given the opprtunity to participate in physical activities or programmes greatly promoted a higher self esteem and a feeling that they were just like their typically developing peers. The fact they are participating even if they cant do all the requirements of the sport or activity is also a huge esteem booster. Think how many times these children are forced to sit on the sidelines and watch their peers, and are not included in the activities. This exclusion makes them feel ostracized. 60% of disabled children reported that they seldom or never play games with their friends in their free time. The benefit of being able to participate will actually promote social development in these children. Research indicates that one of the most important things to a child for quality of life is having friends and being included socially. Just think how just being included can bolster your special needs child's esteem.
Another great benefit of promoting physical activity in  special needs children is that it promotes strength and physical development in areas that may be weak. By using modified activities, the child can gain strength and muscle development in areas that may be lacking, and may even find physical skills they are good at. Children may learn better coordination skills, develop better fine and gross motor skills, and may learn better skills to help them in every day life. Cognitive skills are also developed in special needs children when they are involved in physical activity. It can help with executive functioning skills such as helping attention and impusle control, it promotes the growth of neurons in the brain which is important in cognitive skills like attention, planning, etc.
So just remember that the benefits of physical activity is also beneficial to special needs children. Check your local areas for programmes, or get your kids involved in activities, you will make and notice a huge difference in your childs life.

My Pet Peeves About The Gym

So I have some pet peeves that I need to get off my chest. And it all surrounds the gym. Now I am not going to say that I am a perfect gym goer, but I try my best to be curtious, and I tend to go to the gym, do my work out, keep to myself and leave. The goal for me is to lose weight and gain muscle, and become healthy, fit, and strong. So without further adue, my first pet peeve....drum rollll please.....
THE GIRLY GIRLS AT THE GYM!!!!!!
These are the girls that have their hair done just right and their make up on. They dont really work out or do it to break a sweat (cause thats gross or something). These are the girls that sit on the bikes or the ellipticals and try to look as hot and as sexy on the machines as they possibly can, intermittently posing and doing the fish lips, as they scan around the gym hoping that some guy is staring and paying attention to them. It is DISTRACTING. Not because I am jealous of how well their hair is done, or because i may think they have a body that I am trying to attain, but merely because laughing during my work out is not condusive or safe while using weights. My personal opinion is that you come to the gym to work out and change your body, not to look cute. Plus if the gym is busy and I am waiting to break a sweat I shouldnt have to wait for them to have 20 minutes to pose and toss their hair back in order to gain attention.

THE SMELLY GUY NEXT TO ME
OK i realize that I am at a gym, and the aroma of BO may at some point wafer through the building, but there are some people who have obviously forgotten to put on that deodarant before their workout or who obviously dont use a strong enough strength. The smell coming off the guy on the elliptical next to me is making me gag, rather than focus on hitting the pace or heart rate Im looking to reach. Instead I feel nauseous, and have to stop my work out and move to another machine so that I can somewhat better concentrate on my goals, and thus ruin the groove I was just in. So people, wear deodarant when you work out. We can tell who does and who does not, and you will not be making any freinds that way.

THE PEOPLE WHO LEAVE THEIR SWEAT EVERYWHERE

The machines and weights all have spray and clothes to wipe down the machines.weights after you are finished. The last thing I want to do is mesh my sweaty butt, back, legs or whatever with someone elses sweat. The only time mixing sweat is good is if your in bed with someone and I dont even want to think about that kinda sweat on a machine. Please just take the two seconds it takes to wipe down the machines/weights so that I dont have to feel your sweat on me.

These are just a few of my pet peeves but there is more to come, and please feel free to comment on your own pet peeves!!!

The Scale

I think that the scale is a horrible thing. Its actually more of a love hate thing i have with it. I love it when i'm losing weight and Im hating it when I seem to be gaining weight. Im almost addicted to the scale. Every time I walk into the bathroom I imidiatley size up my glass scale. Its so pretty to look at, and Im in awe of how such a basic item can add such beauty to the room, but at the same time I feel like i am back in the cowboy days where you shuffle up and hand on your weapon, waiting to see who draws first.I wait to see who will win today. Will my willpower to ignore the scale win over the beauty of it calling my name, desperatley playing at my curiosity to see if ive lost weight. It almost teases me "come on, you know you wanna see if you've lost today". And sometimes I can win, and other times I give in and lose and step on that scale, holding my breath as if that small breath Im holding will somehow help the weight to go down.  And then I watch in horror awe, anticipation of what the little digitial numbers are going to read, and wait for the good or bad news my little scale will give me. See not only will my scale give me the number of my weight but it will also tell me by just how much i have gained or lost since i last fell prey to its beckoning. I know that people say you should rely on a measuring tape instead of the scale, because your weight does fluctuate, but still, there is something mesmorizing about the numbers on the scale. Its a horrible battle we fight, me and the scale, but it is a fight that I am determined to win. I will one day step on that scale and see my goal weight and will be able to laugh in the scales face "see i won, you cant keep me down HAHAHAHAHa" but untill then, we play that game of the battle of the wills every time i step foot into the bathroom. Today I have lost the battle of wills, but tommorrow is another day.

What are complex carbs and lean protein?

Complex carbs can come in a couple forms whether it be grains, veggies, or fruits. Here is a list of some complex carbs you can pair with your protein at every meal:
rice
oatmeal                     Onions
quinoa                       Spinach
whole grain pasta      Tomatos
bananas                      cucumbers
carrots                        califlower
chick peas                  brocolli
potatos                       Apples
green beans               berries
asparagus                   grapes
lettuce                         melons

So basically any fruit, veggie or whole grain source is a great way to have your complex carb. Just make sure that your sticking to serving sizes. Having two huge bowls of pasta and chicken is not going to help you lose weight.

Lean Proteins:
Fish
chicken
eggs
canned salmon or tuna packed in water
turkey
tofu
yogurt
low fat cottage cheese.
natural nut butters (almond, peanut, sunflower seeds)

so basically any meats that are lean,having a steak every night is not what you want to do. I personally tend to stick to more fish and poultry, and try to stay away from the red meats, however when i do have the red meats, lets say if i am making meatballs, I make sure the ground beef is extra lean or lean. Also when it comes to making homemade meatballs, use whole wheat bread crumbs..dont forget that prepackaged food can be tricky. I personally will crumble up whole wheat or 12 grain bread into my meatball mix just to make sure Im not using white bread crumbs.
Also make sure that when you are buying your meat, to try and go Organic. Yes its definitley a little more expensive, but your guarenteed not to be ingesting harmful chemicals or hormones that these animals are being stuffed full of in order to mass produce. Organic is my own personal choice, and I figure if Im going to eat clean, im gonna go big or go home. It is a personal choice but just be sure to check how much chemicals and processed ingrediants are going into your meats and veggies when you are buying them.

TIPS for Eating CLEAN

Just incase there are people who do not know what the rules are for eating clean, Im going to give you some tips.

1. drink lots of water
2. If it comes out of a box or can, dont eat it
3. Eat six small meals each day (or every 2 to three hours)
4. combine lean protein and complex carbs together at each meal
5. Eat the right portion sizes (this is tricky, how many of you actually look at the serving size when your making food. Are you aware that 1 slice of bread is a  serving size?)
6. Stay away from any white pasta, bread, or rice
7. Stay away from sugar, chemicals, or any processed foods including kraft single cheeses and even lunch meats!!!!
8. Avoid saturated and trans fats
9. Avoid artifical sugars (like those found in your diet pops)
10. Do not eat anything that is man made like crackers, chips, etc.

GIving up the Things

To be healthy, fit and happy there are just certain things ya gotta give up. Everyone has a vice that helps them cope but usually these vices are not healthy choices. I used to smoke and drink to cope with my stress, I no longer do. Giving these up just increased my health in so many ways, and I feel better not using these vices any more. Maybe food is what gets you through your rough times. But the more unhealthy foods you eat, the more weight you gain, and the more unhappy you will be. Are you one to stay out late all night? Did you know your body needs at least 8 hours of sleep a night. By sleeping well each night your giving your body enough time to relax from daily stresses, and if you sleep well each night, it helps in the losing of belly fat!!!! Do you drink too much pop? did you know that even diet soda is bad for you? even though its ZERO calories that fake sugar in the pop actually contributes to belly fat staying on and not coming off, instead drink lots of water. Water is so amazing and can help you not only to lose weight but it helps keep your skin looking fresh and healthy too.
The point is, you need to give up certain things that contribute to an unhealthy lifestyle if your going to get your butt moving and working your way into a healthy lifestyle.
It may seem hard at the beginning but before you know it you wont even miss it anymore and I promise you, you will start feeling and looking better soon!!!

Giving up the People

I have learned throughout this journey that in order to maintain a healthy and positive lifestyle, sometimes you have to give up the people in your life that are bringing you down and into a negative space. This is a hard concept for some people to grasp and lots of people will have a hard time doing it. It is a difficult thing to do and its definitley not easy, but sometimes the hardest things that you need to do, are the best decisions you need to make, especially if you are on a road to a healthy positive life.
There are certain types of friends or people in your life that you dont need. For example have you ever had a friend that tries to sabatoge every thing you do? Maybe your trying to eat healthy or maybe your trying to quit smoking, and the person knows this yet still offers you the cookie or the ciggarette? Thats a sabatour. Thats someone who doesnt respect what you are trying to do and wants to see you fail, because they cant be in the same place where you are at. You need to get rid of those friends and family that want to and encourage you to fail. What about the friends that always have constant drama and feel the need to bring drag you into their problems. Because you dont have enough of your own life issues you need to be dragged into their problems. These people expect you to take sides, and want your advice and need you to be there on a drop of the dime when they have a new crisis bubbling up, yet the moment you try to express something that is bothering you, they shut down, ignore you and then its back to their drama..its a me me me situation. These friends and family need to be out of your life. They are not supportive, they dont care about you, its a one sided relationship.
Finally there are the people in your life that are just plain negative. These are the people who are always complaining about how crappy their life is, how nothing ever works out for them. If you give them suggestions that can help them, they quickly dismiss them and come up with more excuses as to why it wont help. They are dramatic and are constantly seeking affirmation and compliments from you. They might be constantly drinking, or doing drugs or any other unhealthy habit that you have no interest in being around Maybe they hang out with shady people that you want nothing to do with, or have their priorities screwed on so backwards and then complain when something doesnt go right. They complain they have no money for food but just spent 100 dollars on shoes or concert tickets and then expect you to feel sorry for the woeful mess they've got themselves in. They are dating a person who is so awful and does terrible things, yet refuses to leave them and expects you to be there to listen to all their problems. These people need to be out of your life. How can you move towards a positive and healthy lifestyle, and how can you move and grow successfully in your life when you surround yourself with those that just bring you down? You cant. There is no way to move forward when your stuck with people bringing you backwards.
So how do you stop? My suggestion is just to start to slowly pull yourself away from those people, ease away from it, untill your just not there any more or be straightforward with these people and tell them that their lifestyle and behaviour is not condusive to a healthy lifestyle for you and for that reason, you need to terminate the relationship. Either way, by eliminating these negative people from your life you'll realize how much happier and positive your life can be. I know because I have done this and my life is much better and less stressful without them.

Giving up The Places

Sometimes getting healthy can mean eliminating stressful places, people, and things from your life. If you want to be Sane healthy, and you want to reach your goals there is going to be a lot of sacrifices, or changes that are going to need to happen.

The Places

Sometimes the places you work or live may be what is contributing to the stress in your life that is keeping you unhealthy and unmotivated to change. When your in a place that makes you unhappy, you can get stuck in a rut. Recently I have made some changes to places that have helped me in my journey to health and happyness. I recently was living in a house. Being that it was only myself and my lil guy living there along with our two dogs, there was a whole lot of house for me to to try and take care of. I was responsible for trying to maintain all three floors, and the front and backyard maintence on my own. On top of not being one of those people who are obsessivly clean, dealing with health issues contributed to difficulties maintaing the property. The rent was very expensive, and financially I was falling behaind. The house was falling apart, and the landlord wasnt getting much done in the way of fixing up the place. The new rugs that had been installed before moving in were cheap and any type of catch would end up leaving huge tear marks if you happened to run over it with the vacuum. The windows were old, and so the healting bill was out of this world, and then there were the neighbors. One neighbor was old and bitty and constantly complained about the neighborhood dogs barking and had the spca always at the door, other neighbors would gossip and argue..it was completly and uderly stressful. The situation made me feel hopless and I frankly just didnt give a shit if things got done around the house. I was in a rut. Then I made the decision that the house was not financially a good place for me, and neither was the size. I made the decision to move from a house and downsize to an apartment. I ended up finding a fabulous ground level apartment that has tons of green space for my dogs, and was in excellent condition. I also was saving almost 500 dollars a month just by moving there. The change in my attitude since I have moved has been enormous. I am happy, stress free, and now take pride and care of my home. By leaving a stressful place behind it gives you the positive head space to move forward and get healthy. This can be applied to a job as well. If you go to a job and it sucks and it brings you down, chances are by finding a new job your head space will definitly become more positive. Positive changes brings positive places :)

Why Im doing this

To be honest the last 6 years I have been depressed. I became a single mother when I was six months pregnant with my son. The short end of the story was that I was in a highly abusive relationship and had made the decision that if my son was going to have any type of success in life, I was going to have to leave and do it on my own. Post partum depression, combined with Post traumatic stress disorder from the abuse, my weight was all over the place. It took me a year after my son was born to lose the baby weight and I was happy at a size 6. Things were great until a job I had with the government ended when the recession hit, and I became extremely ill and was unable to work for 8 months. Bewteen being sick, financial troubles, low self esteem, and depression, in three years I went from a size 6 (135 lbs, im 5'9) to 180 and a size 12/13. Needless to say, the more the weight piled on the less great I felt about myself and the more depressed I became. I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia about two years ago and the pain has mostly been unbearable. My excuse was that I couldnt get healthy because I was to sick to get healthy. And then one day, this past January I was listening to a local radio station in which Tosca Reno of the eat clean diet was on talking about her programme and books. Something hit a nerve and I dont know what it was, but her message seemed to stick with me. Three weeks later I bought one of her books, cleaned out my kitchen and began my journey of becoming healthy.
Im not sure what it was inside of me that seemed to click but I think I just became sick n tired of being sick n tired. With in the first couple of weeks of eating clean and exercising I noticed big changes. I wasnt tired any more and had lots of energy, My face was looking clear and my eyes were brighter. I was happy and the pain I felt all the time, although not gone, was much less. It has been now 2 and a half months. In these two and a half months I have managed to lose 20 lbs and 3 and a half inches so far. I havent felt this great in years. I want to share my story because I know there are other mothers out there who are tired and need that boost to get up and move and change and get fit for their kids. If I can do it, you can too!!!