My Grandma

One of our guest Pastors for the summer gave a sermon on treating everyone as if they are God's masterpieces. Everyone. Don't push people to the sidelines just because you aren't like them. Get to know them. Hear their story and how they got to "today". Don't judge them on what you see in the here and now.  We all have a story. Some stories are more like fairy tales and some aren't so easy to hear.

(that's me on the left)

I spent a great deal of time getting to know my 83 year old grandma this weekend on a personal level...talking...looking at pictures...and more talking as we stayed two nights with her in her tiny 2 bedroom home out in the country.  She literally only had a good 18" x 24" space to prep food. Even with that lack of space she made me delicious vegetable soup. She doesn't use a cutting board, she cuts it all by hand without even touching the countertops. Impressive. And she gives her rinds and scraps to the raccoons that visit her property at night.

She would tell me stories of how her and the kids had very little money for food and some times they even ate just plain macaroni pasta because they couldn't afford anything else.  I am beyond grateful I can provide my children with real whole food and a rather endless supply of it! For many years they didn't have plumbing in the house, which I'm guessing that anyone reading this has plumbing. Be grateful.

I won't say it was easy to live in a VERY little kitchen for around 48 hours. BUT I learned a lot.  I must get a lot of my frugal traits from my gram (and dad). I don't like to waste!  I am grateful always for money to go into ANY grocery store and purchase food for my family. Lots of food.

I can't stress enough how important it is to grasp the fact that many of you reading this have more than most. Way more. You have access to read this message. You probably have electricity to cook a good meal. You probably have a working stove and fridge. If you do, be grateful and don't let these luxuries go to waste. Cook meals for your family or yourself. Eating real food is a blessing. Stop spending money on restaurants that don't have your best interest at heart.  Don't let food go to waste. Be frugal!

Don't settle for crappy food if you don't have to! Drive a cheaper car if you have to. Buy cheaper clothes. Live in a smaller house. Do whatever you have to do because one day you could wake up with a load of regrets as your health starts to decline rapidly. I am so grateful for my health I have today. I pray that I have great health for many years to come, but it's not guaranteed.  I just want to look back and know I tried my best.

Do your best. Learn often. Eat clean. 

xo

Angie

{Transformed} Courtesy of Clean Eating

Where do I even begin? I guess I'll go back as far as I can recall before starting to EAT CLEAN.  I remember making a pact with a cousin of mine one October day in 2009 to lose weight.  Back then it was all about losing the weight and very little concern about getting healthy.  I didn't truly understand the meaning of HEALTHY back then!  This pact was before I was introduced to Tosca Reno and the world of Clean Eating.  As for exercise, I remember doing the elliptical machine many nights a week (hating it!), the Jillian Michael's 30 minute workout DVDs and jogging. As for eating, I was always hungry.  I remember eating Lean Cuisines (or similar low calorie foods) often and drinking diet coke on a daily basis. I ate chemicals, preservatives, added colors...you get the point.  A {dirty} lifestyle.  

Fast forward to almost a year after that pact to July 31st 2010 when I decided to give up Diet Coke. (trust me, you remember the exact day you give up soda) I am really not sure why I made that choice, but I would guess desperation. BEST DECISION I HAVE EVER MADE for my health. That next month I went to the doctor and weighed in at 164lbs!!! I was defeated. My weight wasn't budging at all. I was clearly doing MANY things wrong. 

My doctor decided to order a cholesterol test. A couple days later I got the results that my cholesterol was higher than it should be.  Not extremely high, but enough for the doctor to suggest I go on medications for it. I wasn't going to cave to medications without a fight.  When I got the results my friend, Shawna, was at my house. I was devastated by the news.  High Cholesterol? Ugh.  Four months prior I had just lost a good friend, Megan, to Breast Cancer at the age of 34.  I was ready to get healthy. I remember this moment very vividly, Shawna explained {eating clean} to me and suggested I check out the book by Tosca Reno. I believe I immediately went out and bought the book and the education process began.  

My husband was on board right away. We had a date night scheduled for that Friday. We decided to skip eating out and took the book with us to the local grocery store and had "date night" there. We were in search of things I had no clue where they would be on the store shelves...Flaxseed, Wheat Germ, Oat Bran to name a few.  And what the heck is a Leek? :) It was very overwhelming but I was committed to change my life. I was committed to become a healthy mom for my kids and a healthy wife to my husband for decades to come. I was determined to make my family (and myself) proud.  And there folks is when the {eating clean} process began for our family. August 23rd 2010! 

In early 2011 I stumbled onto this success story of clean eating on Clean Cuisine and More's page. I read about Ivy Larson's success with eating clean and battling MS with food and exercise. I contacted Ivy and a friendship was born. I began to study her way of eating clean and the anti-inflammatory components of their "way".  I have never looked back. I embraced it.

I was VERY good at hiding how FAT I had gotten in pictures. It wasn't easy finding "good" before photos to share with you to really drive the point home (unless I was willing to share my true before pictures with sports bra and underwear) of my weight gain. But then I found these images from a trip to Disney in May of 2009. Yikes. I had found the images needed.

This {eat clean} journey was quite different from the pact I made with my cousin.  It wasn't about losing weight first. It was about getting healthy first and the weight should come off (at least I hoped it would).  I trusted Tosca. I focused on eating {clean} foods day in and day out (for the majority of the time). We ate out A LOT less.  I started doing Zumba two days a week. I started to stretch daily.  I spent more time being active with my kids.

I think by January 2011 my family was living 85% clean (my goal) and I decided to start this blog to share my journey with others. Hoping to inspire others to feel as great as I do right now!  I am blessed by many of your success stories and decisions to follow me in this {eat clean} journey. There is nothing more in life you should want than great health for you and your loved ones!

It's been 21 months since I made the decision to change my life.  It hasn't  always been easy.  The beginning is hard. Many people look at you like you are crazy to give up soda. Many people don't believe in {eating clean} and the results. Many people don't want to put in the work. Many people are scared of change.  Ignore those people for now. Prove to them it DOES work.  I AM that proof. I've done the work. You can see the results. I can feel the results. My family benefits from the results. 

Thank you Tosca Reno for sharing your story and changing my life. Thank you Shawna for simply sharing her message with me. Thank you to Megan for inspiring me to live life to the fullest in the healthiest way I know how.  I will be forever grateful.  

The remainder of 2012 is dedicated to continuing my clean eating and toning, toning, toning!

The NEW and improved ME! Inside and out.

May 2012

21 lbs down

LOTS of inches lost

2 sizes down in clothing

May 2013 Update: I am still within 2-3 lbs from the weight I was in the pictures above (I think I'm down a couple lbs from the image). I am 5'-6" and I weigh 140-145 lbs. This has been the case for the past year or more. I truly don't weight myself often, but I find it important to point out that if you eat real food (not processed with added chemicals, preservatives, etc) you can keep the weight off! What a blessing! It's always nice for your doctor to tell you that you look great (and feel great too). 

October 2013 Update: My cholesterol numbers are FINALLY normal! YAY!

A {year} of Clean Eating

It's been year since I embarked on this life changing mission for overall health via {clean eating}.  I must admit at first it was overwhelming and almost like studying for a test. What kept me sane was not thinking too far out into the future and focusing on the day or week ahead of me. I spent a lot of time reading labels at grocery stores. A lot of time.

The first couple of months involved dumping many of the chemically charged foods I used DAILY! Making sure the foods I stocked my new {clean} shelves with weren't full of artificial colors, artificial flavors, sugars, trans fats, and chemicals. As the weeks turned into months it started to become second nature. I started to care about every single thing that went into my mouth! Making sure it was quality food with a purpose.

If you personally knew me before this journey you probably still find it hard to believe I have given up Diet Coke(all soda for that matter). I still even find it hard to believe at times. 15 months and going strong. It just doesn't taste the same. Period. 

In my past when dealing with my health and weight loss, I counted calories, worked out to many dvds, clocked miles on my eliptical and even drank diet shakes at one point! (Let's be honest, I even prayed to get fit and slim) The truth of all of that was that none of it really lasted because it wasn't truly a lifestyle change. I would get bored and stop.  Life sucks when you count calories. Period.

This mission was to get healthy first, lose weight and inches second. Over this past year I have worked out on average 2 times a week (a hour each time) doing Zumba. I wish I could say it was more, but it is what it is. I am very grateful to God that Nichol Altman came into my life to be my Zumba instructor. Find that person that motivates you and gets results and you will go far. Through the help of Nichol, Zumba, and {clean eating} my body has never looked better!


After almost a year of clean eating I have lost 16lbs and have dropped 1-2 sizes in clothing. I feel SO much better.  Some days I feel like I should stand in the processed food aisle and shout my happy news, but I hold back(most days) and decide blogging is a more appropriate and acceptable means of communication.

I have met some amazing {clean eating} friends on this journey and learned more about the health benefits of food than I ever thought I would in my lifetime. Many of these things I have learned first hand through this journey.  I started this journey after finding out I needed to lower my cholesterol. I did not take this news lightly. I was determined to make a change.


Disappointingly, after a year my cholesterol numbers haven't dropped and stayed in the normal range. But on a positive note, my good cholesterol is finally improving! They aren't crazy high but enough that my doctor is suggesting medications. I am not mentally ready to throw in the towel so to speak and take medications. I am committed to giving my body another 6 months to lose my final 10 lbs to get me to my optimal 22 BMI and adding Omega 3-6-9 oils(flax and fish) & daily vitamins (which i wasn't that great of taking this past year, shame on me) to see if I can make one more last ditch effort to control my numbers without medications.  I will also be even MORE strict on my dietary foods focusing on heart health and cholesterol. Stay tuned and continue to follow my journey to control those numbers!


Thanks so much for those of you that have supported me in this year of transformation. It has been a rewarding year despite the news of my cholesterol. Eat clean, be happy.


Angie

                November 2011                                   November 2012

NOVEMBER 2012 Update: 
Life is good! I have continued to lose the extra pounds without even trying! It's true, I just stick to the rules and it happened. I have another year of clean eating under my {tightened} belt.  I have lost nearly 25 lbs, putting me at (or close to) the BMI of 22 I wanted to achieve!  YAY normal range! I rarely weigh myself these days but I know it's around there. I've heard before that your body will plateau when it's reached it's "happy place". I feel pretty darn happy (and haven't been this small in over a decade) so I think it's safe to say....I have arrived.  

As for cholesterol, I am sadly coming to the realization that it just may be hereditary for me. I am still not taking any medication to lower it, but continue to get it checked. It remains the same or lowers a tiny bit. I still eat a heart healthy diet, exercise, and will continue to remain in my healthy weight range.