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June 3 2011 - June 2 2012 One year ago I promised myself that summer would be the last time I ever had to lose weight because I would do it the healthy way. A year later what started as a diet has become a complete lifestyle. I didn’t know who I was or what I wanted when I started, I just knew things had to change and those changes could only come from my attitude, the way I approached food and exercise and myself. Today I’ve done so much more than working exercise into my daily life and changing my eating habits, I’ve learned to stay positive, dedicated, to never give up and that with God’s help I truly can achieve the goals I’m willing to work for! YOU CAN DO IT TOO!!

Chocolate Orange Meringue Cookies!

16 calories, 4 carbs, 0g fat,  0g protein!

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This recipe uses the zest of a whole orange to add a delicious citrus tang to the chocolate. Meringues are normally healthy cookies since they’re basically just egg whites, cream of tartar and sugar, but by using cocoa powder you not only get great chocolate flavor but cut down on calories from sugar! You can use this recipe to experiment with all different flavors, coconut or crushed/pureed berries like raspberry would be great too!

*These are about 3 inches in diameter*

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Recipe here:

piecesinprogress.tumblr.com/creativecookies

35 notes | 2 days ago

7

Inspired by my workout today, I pushed myself to try something I really wasn’t sure I could finish but when I did it was beyond worth it! Be adventurous, try something you’re not sure about, you’ll be amazed by just how much you can do!

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Even on the days when I most don’t want to exercise I remind myself that my goals are worth more than an extra 20 minutes of sleep or cold/wet weather or whatever else is keeping me from doing it. I may grumble about it but in the end I’m always glad to have pushed through the excuses to get it done!

The Perfect Cheesy Veggie Omelet!

213 calories, 16 carbs, 5g fat, 26g protein!

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This omelette is packed with diced red onion, diced red pepper, roasted red peppers, spinach and colby jack cheese. I cooked all the veggies together before adding them to the omelette so the flavors all meld together and come together really well. The whole thing only takes about 5 minutes to make and is a fantastic breakfast. I paired it with two slices of Pepperidge Farm Light Style Oatmeal bread (90 calories) and half a tablespoon Land o Lakes light butter (25 calories) to finish off the meal! :)

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Recipe here:

piecesinprogress.tumblr.com/breakfast

35 notes | 2 weeks ago

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While both losing weight and maintaining, most of my exercise came from power walks (60 minutes, 4+ miles) but those can get boring fast so to keep it interesting these are the things I did. I’d bring a family member or friend, end at my favorite coffee shop, make my halfway point a pretty beach view, try all different routes and track how many .01’s of a mile I could get into my 60 minutes. Nearly a year after I started I STILL love walking because I’ve found ways to keep it interesting!

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Another good reason not to depend on the scale! Weight can be a useful marker of progress, but try to never let your weight define you. Learning to look beyond that number can be tough but always remember that what people see is you, not your number! This shot represents 7 months of hard work, nutritious eating, getting active and never giving up along with 3 months of maintaining all my new healthy habits! You can do it too! :)

52

I love squats because I can change up how I do them each time. You can use just about anything for hand-weights, I’ve been known to use everything from sneakers to soda bottles, and you can go as deep into the move as you want. As long as you have a few minutes and a clock you can get an excellent lower body workout anywhere! The routine here is pretty basic, just different types of squats alternated with basic ones! For more at home equipment free exercise plans go here: piecesinprogress.tumblr.com/athome

There’s plenty of ways to get active, today I went on a photo walk and burned over 300 calories in the process!

Personally I’m not a gym rat, what I really enjoy is getting outside in the fresh air so my absolute favorite exercise is going for walks. Today I didn’t feel like doing a work-up-a-sweat workout so I went on an hour long 3.5 mile walk around my University. It was a truly beautiful day so I relaxed, took pictures and enjoyed myself all while burning calories and getting moving!

Here’s some of my favorite pics from the walk!

I found this beautiful spot along the river next to school. There was a grassy area next to it and even two wooden benches to sit on! It was more secluded so I might go back and do yoga around here!

The campus has been in bloom the last week, our main quad is lined with cherry blossoms so I got a sunset picture before all the petals are blown away. 

Another cherry blossom pic, from standing underneath one!

Last one, walking back into my dorm, this is our library!

That was my walk! Now off to have some dinner (I’m having cottage cheese (90 cal) and got a fantastic 260 cal spanish rice, black bean bowl, I’ll post the recipe tomorrow), go to work and get ready for my last full week of junior year!

I hope you’re all having a fantastic Friday! :)

Tell me about it here!

6 notes | 1 month ago

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We all know drinking lots of water is one of the most important parts of losing weight but it can be tough to get enough so here’s a few ways to spice it up! The amount each person needs changes but in general if you’re losing weight you’ll probably need at least 10 cups so start drinking! ~ For more weight loss tips go here: piecesinprogress.tumblr.com/tips

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I absolutely love going for walks! It’s always been my primary source of exercise and in addition to careful nutrition was what really helped me lose weight. In the summer/ when I have time I like to go on hour long power walks to listen to music, clear my head and just have fun! ~I also love taking pictures, especially since my University’s campus is so pretty. The background picture of this post is one I took on a walk yesterday from underneath a tree! :)

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I found this sign in a small shop up in Maine and really liked the quote on it. To accomplish anything we have to do more than just dream about it, we have to make it a goal with real plans and real action. In that line I’d like to know: What are your healthy/ fitness dreams? How are you going to turn your DREAMS into GOALS and make them happen?  ~ My health and fitness dream is: to maintain the results I’ve worked so hard for; I’m turning this dream into a goal and accomplishing it by keeping up with the healthy lifestyle changes I’ve made in staying active, eating well, and remaining positive!