Who doesn't love some good before and afters???

I went to San Francisco 2 summers in a row.  We took a Hornblower cruise around the bay both times. 

 (- if you ever get the chance, it is pretty cool. ) 

Here we are on the pier, waiting to board.  That is a 12 month difference. 

And here I am in the boys football jersey.  In 2011 it was senior night, and we got to walk on the field with our player.  I was trying my best to hide my body behind the boys.  It was such a special night, and I was so self conscious.

This year I had NO problem walking around the stands and being in the crowd.  I wasn't the fat mom this year.  I can't even describe how different it is for me now.  This transformation has not only given me my health, but it is giving my a life.   

Christmas - before and after

yep.  that really is me sitting on Santa's lap December 2011. And here I am again December 2012!

  I am just as impressed with the transformation as you are!  

69.5 pounds down

This was the day that I could finally wear the super-cute pink top that never fit & hung in the closet for 3 years.  So, I finally put it on, and would you believe it: by now, it was waaaay too big.  Well, at least I got to wear it 1 time.  :) 

New Year - New Posts :)

I am super- excited about the "new me!"  I feel so blessed to be able to share this fantastic program with my friends!  I Love how good I feel, and believe it or not, it feels even better to hear of my friends and their success!!!

I have a family member (not gonna mention names) and she has lost over 105 pounds since May.  WOW!!!!  

With that in mind, many of my friends have been asking about what some of my favorite items and "must haves" for anyone trying to do Medifast / Take Shape For Life.  

So, in no particular order, here goes:

My number one favorite tool is the Magic Bullet.  I use this thing several times a day.  I love to make most of my meals into shakes, so this is my go-to tool.  

Next I have to say that Dr. A's Habits of Health curriculum is a MUST have!   This is the actual "program"and is what makes TSFL different than all other diets.  

You can get them here lifesaver.tsfl.com, or at other book retailers, like Amazon

Next up, is my new fave Silk Almond Milk.  Here is the scoop:  I really have never enjoyed cow milk.  And soy milk is not for me.  I was skeptical about almond milk, but it is an approved item, and I really really wanted some of the MF cereal, so I was willing to give this a try.  Success!  I am a fan!  Be sure to get the unsweetened 30 calorie kind.

Speaking of almonds, I love these as a crunchy little snack sometimes. 

Blue Diamond Natural Oven Roasted Sea Salt Almonds

Ok, so at this point I have given you almost all the tools for my favorite Medifast Meal: I LOVE making the softbake into a shake, so here is how I make it: 

I put some ice in the magic bullet, then add some almond milk, about 5 -7 almonds and a 1/2 tsp of ground flax seed meal. (my secret weapon when things don't seem to be moving as smoothly as they could be )

I blend that all up until the almonds and ice are all ground and frosty.  Then I add a pack of Medifast Chocolate Chip Soft Bake and blend some more, until the chocolate chips are small enough to fit through a drinking straw.  Add  your straw and you have just made my favorite meal.  And, this is also awesome with the Medifast Brownie!

Next up is sugar free jello.  I love this as a sweet treat after dinner. A Tablespoon of Cool Whip lite is also on plan :)

How about something to perk up your pancakes?  First, I am not good at making pancakes.  But, I am a fan of waffles!  I love the Cuisinart waffle maker.  So, I use some cooking spray, and make the batter with 1/4 cup water. 

 Sometimes I will add some flax seed meal for fun.  & sometimes I will add some Sugar Free Torani Syrup.  Right now I really like the Almond Roca flavor.

Mooooving on to the dairy catagory: Laughing Cow 

Light Creamy Swiss :) no words are needed 

And if you are a fan of cottage cheese, I love Knudsen 2%  

Ok, our all time favorite seasoning: kirkland no salt organic seasoning.  We get it at Costco & use it on almost everything!

And Dave recently discovered McCormick Smoked Paprika.  I think we also got this at Costco. You Must   Get This!!!

So, there you have it.  Some of my favorite items  

I did it!!!!!

Yahoo!!!!  I did it!  Here is the scale - with ME on it!!!!!  

Transition = day 1!  Here I go!

My first extra veggie?  I had a carrot today.  :)

fun tips for me to remember during transition :)

Ok, so, I am about to start transition.  And I keep looking up kindof the same info all the time.  I decided this is a good place for me to keep track of my good ideas.  So, here is transition tip #1:  During Transition you are gradually increasing your carbohydrate intake.   We want the snack to be close to 100 calories.  Good to know!

"I just saw these online and wanted to know if they would meet the requirements for transition. I'm in my 3rd week of transition. They're called Jalapeno Ranch Veggie Chips by Snikiddy. I'm really working on learning to read labels as I enter this new phase......
Thanks for your help!

Calories:130 Total Fat: 7g Saturated Fat: 0.5g Trans Fat: 0g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 140mg  Total Carbohydrate: 16g Dietary Fiber: 3g Sugars: 2g Protein: 3g "

"Hello,
My name is Cindy and I am a Registered Dietetic Technician on the Nutrition Support Team here at Medifast. During Transition you are gradually increasing your carbohydrate intake and this would be 16 added carbs all at once. I would not recommend this product until you reach Maintenance. Then 2/3 of one serving may occasionally count as one of the Healthy Fuelings. We want the snack to be close to 100 calories. Remember that this snack is not as nutritious as a Medifast meal or a piece of fruit but you may occasionally have it if you want.

I hope this information is helpful. Please feel free to contact us again.
Cindy Swiss, DTR"

http://mfboards.mymedifast.com/showthread.php?t=119736

Guess what???

Yeah, so, by now you know that I wasn't kidding about being a really really bad blogger.  But, hey, I have been busy losing 81.9 pounds and stuff.  :) 

Yes!  I did say 81.9!  Yahoo!  

And, I think I am gonna actually be blogging on a regular basis now.  I have been a bit overwhelmed with all of the different ways the internet sucks my time away, but I need a place for me to keep track of the notes I want to make as I begin transition into the "real world."  And you get to join me :)

At this point, I really really wish I had been a better blogger.  So, let's just imagine that I was posting lots of cool updates here, and you could just really "see" my transformation.  And I am planning on doing some revisions, so this will have my weigh-losing photos... because, man, it was really fun to go to the store and try on new clothes and say "oh my gosh!  I can't believe this fits!"  So be prepared for a lot of dressing room mirror shots. :)  For now, here are some of my fav's: 

This was the day I had a 72 pound loss!  & it was game day, so that was even more fun.  I have a great "before pic" of me in this same jersey last year.  um, it looks different on.  I will add that one later.  :)

 Here is my most current before & after.  I do need to get a new one, because many people have said this looks like a bathroom shot.  - and I am soooo not a bathroom mirror photo taker.

 This is a fun one.  gah!  our before photo-shoot was so funny!  and just a few months later, here we were on vacation with the Mississippi River in the background.  Honestly, I really really loved being "not-fat" on vacation this summer!

Same dress.  I should put it on now and get another "after."

This was just a few weeks ago with my dad.  We were at my grandma's 90th birthday party.  I love that I have made changes in my health that will hopefully help me live past 90.  :)

 The "bathroom mirror" shot, that is really in the JC Penney's dressing room.  What a happy happy moment! My first size 6 ever! I think the only other time I wore a size 6 was when I was a little girl and it was a 6X (cause I was a little chubby even back then)  I got these pants, and another pair just like them in a darker color.  Yeah, they are pretty loose on me now.  lol.

 And one last mirror shot for now.  yay!  I am not obese anymore.