JJ: One Year Ago...

Exactly one year ago, on January 31, 2011, I weighed 158.4.  Never again.

I think I'm going to start doing this on a regular basis.  Every month or so I will post how much I used to weigh the year before.  It puts things into perspective for me and lets me so how far I've come.  Hopefully, it will also keep me motivated :)

JJ Motivation

Reading this literally gave me the chills.  Can't wait for this day to come :)  Enjoy!!

I apologize for the blurriness!!

JJ Fiber

So I read an article about fiber.  I know this is something that MB has talked to me about before and I thought it was time to finally listen Lol  I didn't get to do my grocery shopping today, but plan to do so tomorrow.  For those of you who are looking for more fiber-enriched foods, here is a list:

• Green beans
• Broccoli
• Avocado
• Banana
• Spinach
• Pear
• Brussels sprouts
• Orange
• Apple
• Beets
• Almonds
• Beans
• Brown rice
• Flax seeds (not sure how you eat these lol)
• Bok choy (had to look this one up)
• Cabbage
• Carrot
• Cauliflower
• Raspberries
• Amaranth (had to look this one up too lol)

The ones in bold are the ones I'm considering incorporating into my diet.  I know it may not seem like much, but I am a picky eater.  Just ask MB! Lol

Note: The article mentioned that it is important to start off slow when incorporating more fiber into your diet in order to allow your body to adjust.  The reason? Well, lets just say you don't want to be making any, um, unpleasant and unexpected noises... from your butt... Lol

Here's a pic of fiber-rich foods.  It actually shows more than the list I included.  To see what each item is, look here 

JJ

Disclaimer: The first paragraph is depressing.  It's pretty much me bitching and feeling sorry for myself.  Lol So go onto the next paragraph for a more positive outlook on things :)

I realize the reason I haven't posted anything in awhile is because I am super embarrassed and disappointed in myself.  This past weigh in, which was the 27th, I lost absolutely nothing.  Zero.  Zilch.  But what can I expect? I've been eating super unhealthy.  This past week I had Taco Bell on Monday, Sophia's on Tuesday, leftovers on Wednesday, Taco Bell again (!) on Thursday, and a frozen dinner on Friday.  In between, I've been snacking on Lays BBQ and Sour Cream and Onion chips, cookies, and Mexican candy.  It's like instead of trying harder or being more motivated to eat healthier because of the weight I've lost, I'm telling myself "It's ok to eat whatever I want and not exercise BECAUSE of the weight I've lost."  I don't know if that makes sense.  But what I do know is that this needs to stop.  I had been super excited about weighing less than 140 for the first time in years only to step on the scale and see 140 flashing back at me.  140.  Not 139, or even 139.999999.  140.0.  *Sigh*

On a more POSITIVE note, not losing any weight and staying the same also means that I didn't GAIN any weight, which is a very positive thing indeed Lol  So here is the plan for this week:

• Eat healthier (duh)! Lol  I will be going grocery shopping today and plan on buying lots of fruits and veggies.  Maybe I will even try some of the things MB posted.  Maybe.  Lol
• Do at least 15 minutes of exercise EVERYDAY this week.  I know it might not seem like much, but I kinda fell out of practice so I need to get back in the game.  And because of my back and knee problems, I know I need to start off slow so I don't get hurt.
• Get more sleep!! I constantly overlook the power of getting a good night's sleep.  I will go to sleep super late, like at 1 or 2 am when I know I have to be up early the next day.
• PROJECTED WEIGHT for this week's weigh in: <140.  Lets get 'er done!! Lol

That's it for now.  Hope it all works out!!

PS: I just realized that I have already met my January weight loss goal, which was to be at 140!! YAY!!! :)

PS^2: Congrats on the weight loss MB!! And great posts!! You give the best weight loss advice ever!! :)

MB 5 reasons to drink lemon water(and no jj lemonade doesn't count)

1. It balances your pH levels. Lemon is an acidic food, but once metabolized it becomes an alkaline. Alkalines help keep oxygen in our blood at a safe pH level.
2. It keeps skin clear and glowing because lemon contains Vitamin C which helps with wrinkles and blemishes.
3. It kick starts the digestive system. Helps heartburn and constipation (we all hate constipation lmao)
4. It helps control any coffee habits.
5. Boost your metabolism!

So you heard it double J start drinking lemon water!

*Source pinterest.com

MB 7 ways to Detox your body!

A seasonal detox is an effective way to clear your body of toxins. Clearing your body of these toxins will help speed up your metabolism and keep you overall in better health.

A. Consume less sugar, this includes artificial sweeteners, honey, and molasses

B. Drink a tall glass of water with 1/2 a lemon's juice in the morning

C. Exercise regularly

D. Drink Tea it will help hydrate you and it has a ton of antioxidants

E. Use more color in your diet! Variety of fruits and veggies

F. Use a sauna to help give you some down time.

*Shape.com souces

MB Superbowl

Allright Superbowl is right around the corner so I decided to post a few healthy snacks on here. I know we all want the damn pizza box by our side but hey if you are going to have 1 slice(emphasis on the 1) then you gotta make up for it by eating at least a decent amount of healthy snacks so here it goes guys!

A. Instead of Chips substitute it with some fruit or veggies and dip

B. Veggie and Cheese Quesadilla Bites: you can add whatever veggies and cook them up put the cheese in there and voila! Add some hot sauce (I'm mexican everything taste better with hot sauce PLUS it boosts your metabolism)

C. Beer substitute Melon Margaritas: 4 cups seeded and cut up cantaloupe, 2/3 cup frozen margarita mix, 2 tablespoon snipped fresh mint, 2 tablespoon lime juice, and 1 tablespoon tequila. ( of course substitute more tequila less margarita mix lmao!

D. Bruschettas: super easy to make you cut up some italian bread (or you can substitute with some wheole wheat bread your choice) make a mixture of tomatoes with olive oil, garlic, and basil. Top the little breads with it and there you go! Tomatoes contain lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that can help prevent cancer and heart disease. So top that shit with tomatoes lol. 

E. Of course Salsa

F. Guacamole

G. Hummus

H. Chicken Kabbobs

I. Fruit and Cheese

J. Red Wine

Hope this helps!!

*Sources from Shape Magazine

MB weigh in

YAY! another loss this time 1.2. Realistically I would love to loose like 5 lbs a week but I have been sucking at working out! :( Blah but a loss my friends is a loss! i have a few new posts that I want to post and share. Sorry life gets hectic and this blog gets ignored boo! Motivation here it comes!

JJ 8: Catching Up

Looks like I have a lot of catching up to do!  Lol Well, first of all I want to thank MB for the breakfast post.  All fabulous ideas :)  I especially liked the egg whites and the yogurt ones (not a big fan of oatmeal and smoothies just don't seem to fill me up).  Although I have to admit I didn't really appreciate the obese comment... Lol  And as far as your weigh in goes, CONGRATS!! :)  I am super proud of you!!  Both for the weight loss and for eating healthier.  I definitely have a lot to learn from you.  Anyways, if you've lost this much already, imagine how much more you will lose once you are able to squeeze in the workouts. Even a few minutes a day go a long way, right? ( I learned that from you <3)

So now onto my weigh in...  This week I weighed in at 140.0 lbs!! Yes, that's right, I lost 3.8 lbs this week!! That's a total weight loss of 6.6 lbs!! I was super happy, and as always, a little surprised Lol I know I don't have the best eating habits in the world but I guess the workouts I do seem to balance things out fairly well.  So looks like me and MB are opposites on this one Lol

PS: MB, are you naked in your weigh in pic?! Lol How scandalous!!! Lmao

MB

There verdict I lost 1.2 lbs! Yay!! So that makes a total of 6.8 pounds! woot woot. So what I didn't do as much of was work out. I need to add that to my list! I am busy but I also know that people who are busier than me manage to workout. I do get tired working two damn jobs but hey losing weight is more important to me! Alright, so on the bright side I love love how I ate this week! No joke I did sooo awesome!! Have to keep it up! I am having back problems today but i will try to manage a workout in anyways! Lets do this! (: Happy Friday!

MB Breakfast

This is totally a blog for JJ! JJ did you know that skipping breakfast makes you FOUR times more likely to be obese! Freaking crazy right? So all of you out there that skip breakfast maybe you should try to incorporate some sort of breakfast that A.Fast and B.Easy. I have been eating breakfast (as well as trying to eat slower) everyday now and honestly I feel 10xs better and fuller longer! So in honor of us not going on the obesity list lmao I have decided to give a few basic breakfast idea:

A. Oatmeal (DUH) it contains a specific kind of fiber known as beta-glucan that not only helps lower your cholesterol, but it helps you feel fuller longer.

B. Egg whites, chicken, and avocado omelette. O.k. it doesn't have to be so specific but hey that sounded yummy to me dammit!

C. A fruit smoothie. Easiest thing to make take out frozen fruit add orange juice and greek yogurt, hey thrown in some protein shake! 

D. Yougurt Parfait! YUM. Substiture greek yogurt in place of the regular yogurt! 

Happy Breakfasting!!! (if thats even a word lmao)

*sources from Dr.Oz

JJ 7: Weigh In

I apologize for not posting sooner. It has been a super hectic weekend. Anyways, here I am now :) So this week's weigh in was surprisingly good. I was completely convinced that I had gained, rather than lost, weight. I was dreading the weigh in all Friday, from the second I woke up until the moment I stepped on the scale outside of Panera (I didn't have a scale at the time so MB and I met up for dinner at Panera and she let me use her's).  The verdict: 143.8, which means a weight loss of 2.8 lbs!! Words cannot describe how happy I was.  All I could do was literally exclaim with happiness and jump up and down. Sorry MB for any embarrassment I may have caused you! Lol Unfortunately I was too distracted to remember to take a pic of the actual weigh in.  But here is something better, if you ask me Lol

MB 7 Weigh In

So if you can see that I can't figure out how to freaking make it right lol! but anyways I lost YAY!!!!  Agrand total of .8lbs! YAY O.k so not much but hey a loss is a loss I'll take it (: Doing good this week so far (:

JJ 6

MB, you sure have been busy! Lol so where to start? How about the "Just 10 lbs" post.  I don't think I'll be doing the Biggest Loser competition. I know I got the job (YAY!! Lol), but I still can't 'afford the sign up fee.  As far as the  Dr. Oz Challenge goes.... YES!! Lol All of those things sound doable. Well, MOST do; there are some I'm going to have to tweak a little bit, like the vitamin ones (too expensive).  But I really like the idea of doing a bunch of small tasks to get the results you want rather than throwing yourself into one HUGE task.

Now onto the next post.  The Nike app sounds awesome.  I just wish I had a smartphone :( I know, I know, I just have to be patient.  It's only one more month til I can afford to use the one I have.  In the meantime, I will just have to stick to youtube to meet my workout needs. Anyways, I like the quick workout routine you posted. I just have a couple of questions: 1) what are bench dips Lol and 2) do you rest in between each exercise or do you wait til you are done with each set, rest, do set 2, etc?

Alright now for the dreaded part... Ugh so I have not been doing as well as I would have hoped this past week.  I swear it's like instead of being more food conscious, I have become a completely pig.  I know for a fact I ate better BEFORE I made it an official goal to lose weight rather than afterwards.  I just don't know what it is.  Maybe it's the pressure or stress or whatever you want to call it.  I'm trying to get over this hump but it's become increasingly harder...

So I decided to research some tips to help me calm those insatiable cravings or that feeling of "I need to eat ___________" or in my case the "I want MORE" feeling Lol  And this is what I found:

• Tips to stop yourself from overeating: Tips
• This is a longer article, but it provides tips for specific overeating styles: Overeating Styles

Hope these help! :)

MB 6

Allright ladies and gents this is going to be a long post lol. First thing I wanna talk about is my new NIke training app that I downloaded on Monday. I did the first workout today and O.M.G did it kick my but! If you wanna check it out go on google and you can get all the information on it. My favorite part of the workout is that it goes by so damn fast. I know its only 30 minutes what do you expect? but usually 30 minutes is hell for me! Also i love that it rewards you with free videos once you reach a certain amount of minutes on your workout routine! Try it out!
The next thing that I wanna bring up is getting in ANY type of exercise a day. Literally ANY! even if its just for 10 minutes! So i got a really quick workout routine that I think we will love if we are in a hurry and can't get in the thirty minutes or the hour! So here it goes:
-100 jumping jacks
-10 crunches
-10 squats
-10 bench dips
-10 push ups
-30 sec wall sit
Repeat all of these 3 times. Seriously it like freaking covers everything right!
Now I wanted to include a few snack ideas because snacks are like the hardest thing in the world to find that are A. satisfying and B.Yummy (: So here are a few that I love and look super scrumptious!

#1 Cored sliced apples with peanut butter, oats, nuts, and chocolate chips

#2 Tofu spinach dip with raw veggies

#3 Low-fat cottage cheese with fruit spread and unsalted pretzels

#4 Tortilla chips and chunky salsa

#5 Raw veggies and ranch dip

#6 Chocolate pudding (Kozy Shack is my fav) and a banana (for dipping)

#7 Unsalted peanuts and raisins

#8 Graham crackers with light cream cheese and sliced red grapes

#9 Ants on a log (celery with peanut butter and raisins)

#10 Half of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole wheat bread

#11 Small salad with light dressing

#12 Half of a tuna melt on whole wheat English muffin with cheddar cheese

#13 Homemade trail mix with Puffins cereal, nuts, dried fruit, dark chocolate chips

#14 Small bowl of bran flakes with 1% milk and blackberries

#15 One cup of Greek yogurt with sliced mango and a sprinkle of Grape Nuts

#16 Smoothie – mango with mango Greek yogurt and a splash of orange juice

#17 Two hard boiled eggs with Kashi crackers (salt and pepper and some hot sauce)

#18 Cheesestick and 1 cup of red grapes

#19 (Leftovers) Small veggie quesadilla with black beans, sweet potato, scallions, cheese, and (scrambled eggs – optional)

MB 5

Allright so we are close to out weekly weigh in (which I have to do because I am doing a biggest loser competition) JJ can join or not her choice (: I was, as usual, interesting my life away instead of just working out lmao and I came across an awesome awesome challenge that I am doing. I sure hope that JJ joins me (hint hint) Anyways its a challenge that Dr.Oz came up with and there are 10 rules, if I recall, and Here is the link please go look at it and let me know what you think? How do able do you think it is JJ.

JJ 5: Ups and Downs

Lol Mb, you crack me up!! NO, there is no diaper issue that you're not aware of Lol And yes, you're right about the couponing. I guess I just need to just get off my lazy butt and GET ON IT!! Lol I subscribed to a couple of couponing websites, but still haven't seen any that catch my eye.  I know that there is one for $3 off of 10 Smart Tones, but that stills comes out to almost $15.  And I know that's a lot to save on, especially because of how much they usually cost, but it's money that I just don't have to spend at the moment.  Especially since I'm already fully stocked on groceries for this week (I went shopping BEFORE we started the blog Lol).

Ugh this is so stressful!!! And all this extra stress is just making me want to eat more!!  Which makes me GAIN more weight, which makes me more stressed out, which makes me want to eat more.... Lol I hate this stupid cycle! Lol  I know I'm just frustrated right now because of how new all of this is for me.  I've always been like those types of people who want something, yet do nothing about it.  You know, those people who wish and dream, yet are never willing to WORK for it.  But I don't want to be that person anymore.  I REFUSE to be that person...

On a more positive note, I've integrated fruit into my diet.  Not every day (yet), but I'm getting there :) So far this week I've had strawberries with Tajin.  Super delicious!! And I'm also had more salads (romaine lettuce, tomatoes, baby carrots, corn, cucumbers, a few croutons, and half the amount of dressing that I usually use).  In addition to all that, I've been working out for the past 3 weeks and I've only missed  a couple of days. I know it's not perfect, but it's a million times better from how I was doing just a few months ago :) So here's to progress and PERSEVERANCE.  And to MB for keeping me sane and on track <3

Coupon MB4

Valid point JJ healthy food is pricey! If you becom an avid couponer like myself this food is manageable to purchase. I know right come on mb not all of have time to coupon! But really all you need is to get coupons that benefit you. For example JJ you wouldn't keep a diaper coupon(unless there is an issue I'm not aware of lmao) but you would keep a coupon for oranges. You might not be getting the best deal in the world, but saving 50 cents is better than paying full price, right? If you are not digging the coupon idea then a farmers market helps you save a ton, plus it's fresh! There are plenty of blogs(whom we should subscribe to lol) that have recipes that are money saving but healthy (: I am hoping that it gets easier being on here and sharing our thoughts! So any blogs added on here would be great (:

JJ 4: Baby Steps

Thanks MB!! After reading your post, I finally stopped hyperventilating Lol This is definitely going to be a challenge, maybe a lot more than I realized... And it's only day 1! Lol And you're right, I'm just going to have to start taking the time to make myself healthier meals. Looks like I will be picking up a new skill along with losing weight: cooking.  I can see that's a skill you already have; your dinner looks delicious! Would you mind posting the recipe on here?

There was something else that made me feel better about today's mishaps too.  I found a website (I'll post the link at the bottom) that says that the recommended calorie intake for a 22 year living a sedentary lifestyle is 1,800.  It also said that "If you are trying to lose weight, you should eat 500 fewer calories per day for each pound of weight you wish to lose or add an extra 500 calories of exercise."  That means that I could potentially restrict my diet to 1,300 instead of only 1,200.  I think I will try this out and see how it goes.  If I don't see any progress, then I will revert to 1,200.  Wish me luck!

On a side note, I realize that there is yet ANOTHER downside to being poor: not only do I have to worry about finding healthy things to eat, but I also have to worry about the PRICE of said healthy things. Maybe I really should consider robbing a bank... Lol

*Sigh* That'll be the day Lol

The website I found the recommended calorie intake for a 22 year old female: http://www.livestrong.com/article/448042-calorie-count-for-a-22-year-old/#ixzz1ivZqJ3Zc.

MB 3

Allright DON'T PANIC JJ! I know that it is crazy to see how many calories a damn cookie holds! Freaking crazy right! But if you cut down the calories success is a must. Yes it is a pain in the ass to have to look up the calorie and see what you can eat and make sure you don't go over and blah blah blah. Repetitive and boring understood! Any how all I can say is you HAVE to make time to cook healthy shit. Simply said. My breakfast consisted of a greek yogurt, filling and yummy! But you can make oatmeal, make 1 egg with a light muffin that is yummy. You can even add ketchup. You can have healthy yummy food! I know right who would have thought it could be possible! lol. This is my dinner:

Chicken thigh fillets, squash, zucchini, and potatoes. YUMMY right? O.K. it sounds very lame but honestly its the spices that make it good. On the side with that is 1 pita bread and some hummus!  Hummus made by my awesome friend RUBY who is an arab and damn can she make hummus! Anyways just gotta make smart choices so that you feel full but don't have too many calories total calories for all of this is like 500-600 calories. And that like 3 chicken fillet thighs! 

JJ 3: Breakfast

O-M-G. I am LITERALLY in shock right now. So after finishing my breakfast, which consisted of 2 fried eggs, 1 slice of turkey breast, 1/2 slice of American cheese, 2 slices of white bread, mayonnaise, ketchup, and Tapatio*,  I decided to do a calorie count for it.  I had never done that before, so it took me awhile to figure it out.  As I was figuring out the calories for each individual item, I was naively thinking this can't possibly amount to much, it's not a that big of a meal.  Boy was I in for a big surprise.  Altogether, my breakfast consisted of approximately 695.5 calories!  Yes, that's right, almost 700 calories!!  Which means that if I am trying to do a 1200 calorie a day diet (not quite sure that I am... yet Lol), I only have 500 left for snacks and dinner.  WTF?! Lol

Here are the calories for each item:

• 2 fried eggs (this includes the oil used to fry the eggs) = 268
• I'm sorry if this sounds stupid but I had no idea oil had so many calories!! Lol
• 1 slice of turkey breast = 30
• 1/2 slice of American cheese = 17.5
• 2 slices of white bread = 100
• Mayonnaise = 120 (!)
• Ketchup = 100 (!)
• Tapatio = 0

I had no idea condiments were so much!! And I am a BIG fan (no pun intended) of condiments. I love ketchup, mayo, mustard, etc.  What am I supposed to do now??  MB, I need you!! Lol

*This might sound like a weird combo of ingredients, but I made it into a sandwich similar to what you might find at Denny's or IHOP.  Kinda looks like this:

JJ 2: The Dress...

OMG!! So I wore this dress to a dance my senior year of high school.  It was probably around October of 2006... Wow, over 5 years ago!! Ahhh! Lol  There is no size on the dress other than "medium," but I would really like to be able to fit into it again.  I wanted to do a pair of jeans like MB did, but I gave my old jeans away a LOOOONG time ago (it was too depressing to not be able to fit into them again).  I am currently a size 7-11 in jeans.  I give that range because I know it often changes from brand to brand.  Anywho, I will try to locate an old pair at my parents house, but for now I'm going to say that I would like to be a size 5 in jeans.

So here's the dress:

I only took a pic from the back because that's where you can REALLY see how small it is on me now.  I'll be taking a pic in this dress every month... Hope the huge gap gets smaller and smaller :)

MB Jeans

Oh yes, the depressing "high school" jeans! SOB in high school I dreaded my size 11 jeans now that I am a size 14 how I wish those size 11 jeans fit! But do not fear because they will be going up on this fat ass and zipping! Determination=results! I am hoping that these will be the jeans that will fit me in July of 2012. I want to fit comfortably in these jeans. Monthly I will be trying them on in hopes that they will zip and not have that gut hanging off of them. Here is to a size 11 woot woot!

JJ 1 :)

First post ever on my first blog EVER!!  Lol I really hope that blasting this online will help me lose the weight I want.  I know I'm not nearly as knowledgeable as MB; she is the weight loss guru! She knows all the important stuff is and is really good at keeping track. I am definitely the lazier of the 2 when it comes to that.  Lol But I am definitely trying to change that :)

We started off today by weighing ourselves and taking measurements.  We also established monthly goals from here until July of this year.  Here goes:

• Bust: 42
• Waist: 36
• Abdomen: 38
• Hips: 41
• Thighs: (L) 18, (R) 19*
• Calves: (L) 13.5, (R) 14
• Arms: (L) 11, (R) 11
• WEIGHT: 146.4
• Height: 5'1
• Age: 22
• BMI: 27.7

According to a site we found, the recommended weight for people my age and height is 120.  The medical recommendation is between 101 and 132.  My goal: 115, although realistically speaking, I think I would be ok with weighing 120.  I can't even remember the last time I weighed 120... High school maybe?? Lol

Anyways, so here are my goals for the next 6 months.

• February: 140

• March: 135

• April: 130

• May: 125

• June: 120

• July: 115

Hope I'm not not aiming too high... Anyways that was my first post!! Yay!!! Lol

Me and MB will be doing weekly posts, so keep an eye out! :)

*I was super freaked when I realized how unsymmetrical my thighs are! Lol

MB 1 (:

Alright well here it goes the most dreaded part of this whole damn blog: the beginning measurements BOO! I am just going to get straight to it:
Bust:46    Waist: 39   Abdomen: 44    Hips:  45.5   Thigh: 25 (both sides)  Calves: L:15.5 R:16
Arm: L:12.5 R:13  Weight: 197.2 BMI: 31.8  What I should weigh: 155
What I want to weigh is between 145 and 150. I have set small goals that I want to reach each month and ultimately get to my goal weight of 150. So these are my "mini" goals:

February 8: 189.2

March 8: 181.2

April 8: 173.2

May 8: 165.2

June 8: 157.2

July 8: 149.2

My weight loss plan is simple eat better and exercise. I want to eat 1,200 calories a day (this is def. not extreme, I looked up the plans that they give you at Jenny Craig and all those places and basically this is how the cookie crumbles, or should i say celery) and try and exercise at least 5 times a week. I want to loose 50 lbs as healthy and as quickly as possible. I am hoping that with this I can accomplish my goals! (:YAY here is to a healthy new US (:

*Disclaimer: JJ and I will be posting on here periodically random things and egging each other on! That is the purpose of this blog is to be healthy and pump each other up!