I guess I am the other other sister!

 

   Hello everyone, my name is Cassie. A little about me, I have been married since April 2010 to a wonderful man named Noe. We have two beautiful little girls, Winry who is 2 and Keely who is almost 6 months old. I work at Walmart and am planning on starting school in February.

     I have always been down on myself for my weight. I got made fun of all through school and it was incredibly hard and has made me fear for my daughters when they go to school. My senior year was the hardest. I was working 2 jobs, one at McDonald s  one at a Mexican restaurant called El Sol. As a result i was always snacking so i gained a lot of weight. So of course i got made fun of more for that. So i decided to do something about it.

       Starting after my senior year i became bulimic  I thought this was the best way to deal with my problem. I started dropping weight and was happy about it, so i kept doing it. at the beginning i started out at over 200 pounds. At the lightest weight i hit 145 pounds. I thought i looked good and was happy about where i was. 

         Little did I know what it was really doing to my body. My husband who was my boyfriend at the time caught on to what i was doing, and convinced me that this was not right. I am thankful everyday for that. While i was skinny my body was starving. my teeth are now horrible and because of the year and a half that i did this i gained back so much more weight.

         I finally got a kick in the butt to do things the right way this time. I am currently on weight watchers and am trying to work out for at least a half hour a day four days a week. I keep telling myself that results take a while. Especially for me, I am trying my best not to get discouraged  I feel better with the amount of water that i am drinking and I am loving working out again. I know that this time around I will keep it off for good. I want to be able to keep up with my family and feel good about myself. I want to be a positive role model that my girls can look up too.

Emmily keeps bugging me to post something but its been a rough week. I was finally able to step on the scale and see what my weight was after four weeks of being inactive and it was really set back for me it told me I had gained 12 pounds in those four weeks. so I was really bummed. All the weight that i lost last year back. I really hadn't changed my eating habits but when I took exercise and moving out of my life this is what happens. I am able to walk now on the treadmill and it has never felt so good. I thing I was going to say was if you are having a hard time losing weight  and your re doing everything you can you need to get check out I found my thoird is out of whack it took three years for me to be able to start to lose  the weight.

A little motivation and another sister joining the group!

This inspirational quote is another one of my favorites! I often used to and sometimes even now remind myself that this is a continuous journey and to stop making excuses and NEVER give up! Now on to other news, sorry for the lack of posts as of late but with the new semester starting I have been slightly distracted but I am back on track now! Another item of business another one of my sister's will be joining us on this wonderful blog as she begins her weight loss journey! We are all so proud of her and we cant wait to see what she accomplishes!! YAY Cassie welcome to the blog! We love you!

Emmily*

It's a Lifestyle Change not a DIET!

When I first started my weight loss journey I told myself I was not going to DIET because generally people who DIET fail. Losing weight the healthy way requires a lifestyle change, a change in attitude a change in your relationship with food. I see many people succeed on The Biggest Loser however this is a CRAZY program that is not realistic at all and if you check in with most of the competitors they gain weight back and go back to unhealthy eating styles once they stop the program. The diets they set up are not realistic, CARBS are NOT your enemy you need them for energy, just watch your portion size. White potatoes are not bad for you just eat a smaller potato than you usually do.I eat quite a few vegetables and fruit during the week and alot more whole grains and little to no fried food. These small steps have worked wonders for me. I also cut out all soda a year ago and have never felt better! I eat more natural sugars and feel amazing however once in a while if I want an Oreo I have one, it has been proven that if you deprive yourself you will fail. Also these DIETS that say you do not have to exercise are lying, you need to exercise even if its only for 30 minutes a day you are doing your body a world of good. You do not have to go to the gym to exercise there are lots of things you can do at home!!It is all about smaller portions and allowing yourself to give in every now and then and working out as much as you are able. I also plan on keeping this up for my life not just until the weight is gone that is why I say Lifestyle change something you will do for the rest of your life! I just wanted to write a few things down today and hope that maybe someone will be encouraged by this. You do not have to follow a crazy diet to succeed you can do it!!

Creamy Corn Chowder

Creamy Corn Chowder-

No one will ever guess this creamy, rich soup is low in fat and calories! This deceptively rich soup is inexpensive, quick, easy and filling.\

6-8 oz  of bacon                                                 2 Tbsp butter
1/4c flour                                                           1 c water
3c 1% milk                                                        3 chicken bouillon cubes or 2 tsp chicken base
2-3 red potatoes (also works with russets)        3/4c minced onion
2-3 cloves garlic                                                1 (14oz) can corn
few dashes of hot sauce                                      salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook bacon until crispy (set aside)
2. Melt butter in a soup pot. When melted add flour to make a roux and whisk until it comes together in a ball. Add water and whisk until bombined and there are no lumps. Add milk and chicken bouillion or base and bring to a simmer. Add potatoes, garlic and onion and simmer (dont boil). stir frequently for 20 mins or until potatoes are tender.
3. crumble bacon and add to soup along with the corn. Heat through. Add a few drops of hot sauce and salt and pepper to taste.
4. Ladle ito bowls and sprinkle with cheese and extra bacon if desired.

This recipe is from "our best bits" cookbook. I love this soup when i made it the first time it was a little to thick it says to only use 2 1/2c of milk so i just added a 1/2c and now it is perfect. Its so yummy my 11 month old loves it. I just put a little on a plate for her she loves the potates and corn!

Ashley*

Morning everyone I just wanted to tell you about a new machine I tried at the gym today its called the Arc trainer. I have to say I am liking it better than the elliptical. It was awesome! Hope everyone is doing well. I am sure it is hard to fit a workout in or you just dont want to do it (like me yesterday) but it feels so good once you get there and get it done.

Chicken and Peppers!!

This recipe is so amazingly easy and delicious!! It is super colorful, tasty,and easy to assemble a win win in my book! I made this for dinner last night and had leftovers for lunch today. It is a huge hit in my house and I hope it will be in yours!(I need to remember to take pictures! sorry)

Hawaiian Chicken and Peppers
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 orange bell peppers
2 red bell pepers
2 green bell peppers
2 yellow bell peppers
1 jalapeno* optional (or more if you like it spicy ;-) )
1 bottle of Lawrys Hawaiian marinade

Salt and pepper your chicken and place in a baking pan of some kind. pour over 1/4 to 1/2 of the bottle of marinade depending on what your prefer. Marinate for 20 - 30 minutes. While the chicken in marinating slice your peppers and place on top of your chicken and toss in the marinade, you can add a little more as needed if using jalapenos slice them up and throw them in the pan and mix them in. Place in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Could be more or less time depending on your oven. Just watch for your chicken juices to run clear.

I serve this with a salad and fruit of some kind it would also be excellent with rice! I hope you ENJOY!!

Emmily*