Happy Memorial Day!

This weekend we celebrate the fact that regardless of what the stick thin models in the magazines may imply, despite what "society" may think - we have the freedom to do and be whatever we want. 

This weekend we celebrate our freedom, we remember and pay tribute to those who have died.

I'd like to say...

Thank you...

Feature Friday: The Skinny Dip!

Hello all! Welcome to another edition of...

Today you get to meet one of my favorite bloggers! Say hello to Katie...

My name is Katie from One Day At A Time. A little over two years ago, I hadn’t even met my husband, Clayton.  Now I’m married to a wonderful, hard-working man and the step-mother of a beautiful seven year old. Oh, and I now have two dogs – an adorable jack russell terrier named Laila and a large very-much-so-an-outdoor-dog lab named Bandit. It amazes me how quickly things can change.

In high school
I'm the girl on the far right.

I grew up in a large, supportive, close-knit family. Getting a college eduction has always been a heavy emphasis so when I graduated from high school at 18 it didn't occur to me not to go to school.  I moved off with high hopes and the type of optimism that only the young usually posess. I was leaving behind my high school boyfriend who, in a desperate attempt to have us stay together, proposed just weeks before I moved. At eighteen, I was delighted at the idea of getting married so young (ha ha ha...) and said yes.

The year I attended school away from home was miserable. My "fiancé" and I would fight almost daily. By the end of the year, I gave up on the idea our relationship would work living so far apart and made the difficult decision to more back and transfer to a school in my hometown. In my naiveity, I thought that moving back would fix everything.

It didn't.

As depression set in, I stopped going to class, my grades plummeted, and the weight started to pack on thanks to my tendency towards emotional eating.

I've always been a full-figured gal and, although I didn't think so at the time, I was fairly athletic and slim for my build through out highschool. Now none of my clothes fit and I couldn't button my pants.

Headed to a murder mystery party
The upward climb

I started working in a clothing store around this time and it became easier to ignore the problem.  Since I was also emotional shopping, it became easier to ignore the extra 5 pounds here or there.  I would tell myself "This style must just fit small" and simply purchase a size larger.

I hit my largest in the beginning of 2007.  It was then that I realized I needed a "life-makeover". I ditched my on-again off-again fiancé, finally recognizing the emotionally abusive relationship for what it was. My depression started to lift and I began working out.

My heaviest

It was around this time that I joined Weight Watchers.  My first go-round wasn't very successful. I wasn't quite ready to be honest about my portion sizes and still had a penchant for emotionally eating.

Things really changed right before my sister's wedding. She had enlisted in a 6-week bootcamp and encouraged me to join her.

The first day I barely survived but, little by little, I was able to push myself harder and harder. I re-joined Weight Watchers and this time it stuck.  I was pushing myself so hard that a slice of cake hardly seemed worth negating that day's work out.

And the pounds started to melt away.  By my sister's wedding I had already lost a considerable amount.

And I kept at it.

And kept at it.

And kept at it.

The down-hill climb

I started changing my eating habits.  Instead of picking up a value meal at a local fast food place, I was much more likely to pick up a small roll of sushi with some pineapple on the side.  I ate fruit all the time. I went through bottle upon bottle of water each day.

I started running on top of my boot camp.  At my peak, I was going to boot camp five days a week and running a 5k at the local park three times a week.

As I continued with my "life-makeover", my confidence improved and I became more outgoing.  I shedded toxic relationships and made new friends.

The slimmer me!

And I met a boy who quickly became my best friend, partner, and husband. His confidence in me is staggering him. With his support, I went back to school to finish my associate's degree and in the fall I will start an accelerated program for my bachelors.

I didn't just "lose weight". I changed my whole life.

In the end, I lost over 70 pounds. I find that staggering to think about.

I did it by taking one day at a time.

Where I'm Going... And Where I'm At.

When I started this blog, I didn't really know where I was going or how I would get there - all I knew was that I didn't want to be at this fat place anymore. I'm still at a fat place - albeit a tiny bit smaller version of it. I've read a lot, learned a lot and am still working on trying to figure out exactly what works for me. I've been making progress though.

I've learned that the health issues I've been dealing with a lot over the past several years - at least 10 years actually - have been more than likely related to the foods that I used to eat. When I eliminate gluten from my daily meals I don't have the terrible heartburn, upset stomach and experience much less depression and stress. There is a huge difference in the way that I feel - it's astonishing. But I am still struggling with avoiding those foods.

I  like fresh baked bread, I like bear claws and donuts. The thought of never being able to eat those again is depressing.

I've been doing some experimenting with different food combinations. Over the weekend I ate wheat products on Friday and Sunday - I was sluggish, depressed and wanted to sleep all day both days - not to mention the return of the gastrointestinal distress.

Saturday I stayed away from wheat and gluten laden products and I felt great. Monday I stayed away from them again - felt great. Yesterday I stayed away from them for the most part of the day, then had a sweets craving right before bedtime and ate a serving of Atkins "oreos". They were not gluten free - and to be entirely honest I didn't think about it until after I'd eaten them. They are one of my "safe snacks" so I ate them completely forgetting about the gluten thing. I barely had the last cookie eaten before the upset stomach started. It continued through the night and still isn't entirely back to normal now.

As for the exercising - I've actually started doing it! This week I've been doing my version of "water aerobics" in my swimming pool after work. Which consists of basically just jumping around and dancing to my country music for a while - running in place, treading water (which is actually a good arm work-out, come to find out...) and acting ridiculous. It's been fun. My stress level at work has been through the roof - so jumping around and acting like an idiot for a while in the pool makes me feel better. Whatever works, right?

So Excited!!! Check Out The Bountiful Booty!

I got my first Bountiful Basket this morning!

It was so fun to come home and dig through all the fresh, organic goodies!!!

After my afternoon in the pool, I plan to spend some time looking up recipes for some of the veggies and/or fruits I've never really cooked with before. Plantains? Two pineapples? I need a gluten free pineapple upside down cake recipe! I get to be creative and try some new stuff - which is exciting and re-invigorates my healthy eating attitude.

I apologize for the crappy iPhone pic - but here's all the wonderful goodies I got!

(Don't mind the candle... :)

Enjoy your Saturday

{plus size} Fashion Friday

Most of the following clothes come from a website I spent some time exploring this morning - unless otherwise noted. I haven't ordered anything from them yet - but I think I've finally found a bathing suit I want! 
The company is called Kiyonna. Has anyone ever bought anything from them? I've seen them before - but never found anything much that I liked. When I went back today I found quite a few things. 
Here's the highlights...
This outfit is so completely me - from the color of the dress to the necklace/boob decor. 

Here's a fun "Wear To Work" dress. Love it!

This dress is from Igigi - I'm absolutely in love with it. Every girl needs a little black dress in their closet. I need this one to be MINE! 

This one may be a bit too form fitting for me right now - it would accentuate the spare tires around my mid-section. But once I get a few more pounds off I may splurge and get something like it. Maybe next summer...

I love the new trend of interchangeable clothing - it's a wrap... it's a skirt... it's a dress! 

And I ADORE the bathing suit!

The Skinny Dip With Krystle @ Skinny Jeans Dreams!

Hello everyone!!! 

It's Friday - my favorite day of the week! 

Why? It's time for another edition of the Skinny Dip at Shrink to Fit! 

Today's s Skinny Dip comes from Krystle at Skinny Jeans Dreams! 

Take it away Krystle! 

My name is Krystle and I've been a fat kid my entire life! I played softball as a child and trialed some other sports but my love for food always kept me bigger and chubbier than all my friends my age. Growing up, I always managed to have a slew of friends though so it never occurred to me that anything was "wrong" with me or that anything needed to change. My dad would always ask me if I was watching what I was eating as I got a little older and I would brush him off with a "yea, Dad.. I'm good." .. then sneak the Oreos from the kitchen while nobody was watching. I could write forever about the emotions of being fat and everything that goes along with that but I'd be here for days. So let's jump ahead a few years..high school... 

I was the fattest girl in school..(maybe one of two.. but I was up there!) but yet again, I always had friends! It was in high school though that I realized that being heavy was causing complications in my life...in gym class, in sports, shopping with friends became difficult because I couldn't shop at the same stores as my skinny friends, and especially in my love life (if that's what you want to call it). I had no problem hanging out with boys who always thought I was "pretty" or "cute" and were quick to have sex with me but I rarely found myself in a relationship because guys would see me at night but wouldn't be seen with the big girl on their arm at school. This went on from Sophomore year and on...It wasn't until I was 20 or so that I even realized what was occurring and the depth of the consequences of my actions. "I just wanted to feel loved"...I guess.. :-/ 

Senior year I lost a lot of weight..about 60 pounds.. and I felt so good about myself. I went to college with a more confident mindset but was in a crappy relationship that, looking back now, I stayed in for the fear of not finding someone else to "love" me...even though I highly doubt that this guy loved me at all. When that ended and I wanted to go home.. the weight slowly piled back on little by little and there I was, the fat girl again. 

Jump ahead a few more years.. July 2009 I had just gotten back from staying a few months in Las Vegas with my aunt. The week I got home, I met Nick.. and oh how my life changed. We started hanging out all the time and things were just different than with guys I had dealt with in the past. He actually LIKED me!! Well it wasn't long before I got pregnant.. by November 2009 I was pregnant with our daughter. (I'll skip the details of our relationship for the sake of an extremely long blog! But he is amazing.. we have a wonderful relationship and a wonderful daughter who is now 9 months)

When my daughter was born, I looked into those big brown eyes of hers and I knew I had to change. My dad died at 43 (a month before I got pregnant) of a heart attack and I was devastated. All I could think about was how I had to live a long life for my baby.. she needs me! At that time I was 253lbs AFTER I LOST MY BABY WEIGHT!...and in that moment.. I said this is it. I am losing it..and I'm losing it for good!!

I joined Weight Watchers and got active and the weight started flying off. Now I am down 55lbs and well on my way to a healthier ME!

The Before Picture: The Beautiful Krystle in 2009

The After Picture: The Still Beautiful & Now Healthy Krystle today! 

Krystle - thank you SO MUCH for sharing your story. You are an inspiration! Good luck on your goals and I look forward to following your progress. Don't forgot to pick up your snazzy new blog button! :)

If you'd like to follow along with Krystle too - be sure to check out her blog here!

Reminder!

Don't forget to send in our Skinny Dip submissions. So far - I don't have an entry for tomorrow!

Tasty Tuesday: Summer Chili & The Glory of Kale

I had many requests from you wonderful Bloggy Buddies for my summer chili recipe - so I'll share it with you all on this lovely Tasty Tuesday! 
I've also had many kale inquiries lately - so I'm going to share with you some info on that amazing super food, along with a really simple recipe for Kale Chips - they're my favorite! I also put kale in my summer chili - so it's Kale Day here at Shrink To Fit! I'd love to hear some of your favorite kale recipes!
First of all - let's talk kale! 

This is what kale looks like. Leafy, green, - a lot like salad greens but more dense and nutrient rich!
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It typically comes in bunches in your local grocery store. You can find it hidden in with the leafy greens - sometimes they have it in with the fresh herbs. The darker the kale, the better the flavor.

This is some wonderful winter kale - it's at it's best in the winter months.
But I like to eat it year round regardless!
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I've noticed that not all grocery stores carry it - but most farmers markets and health food stores such as Sprouts, Whole Foods and Trader Joe's always have it on hand. 
Trader Joe's even has it in a ready-to-eat bag, already de-stemmed! That's probably the most annoying thing about kale - the stems. It can be tricky to work with at first, especially for lazy cooks like me. So my Trader Joe's Kale-In-A-Bag find has been a God send! 
Kale contains high amounts of vitamin C and A, and is also a good source of copper and manganese. For a green, kale is unusually high in fiber. I love this about it because it helps fill me up and keep me full! It's also full of cancer and heart disease fighting antioxidants.

Nutritional Values of Cooked Kale

Serving Size: 1/2 cup

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Calories	18
Fat	0 g
Saturated Fat	0 g
Cholesterol	0 mg
Carbohydrate	4 g
Protein	1 g
Dietary Fiber	1 g
Sodium	15 mg
Vitamin A	8,854 IU
Folic Acid	9 micrograms
Vitamin C	27 mg
Calcium	47 mg
Magnesium	15 mg
Potassium	148 mg
Carotenoids	17,172 micrograms

Now - on to the recipes!Summer Chili

alas - this is not a picture of my chili - but it looks a lot like it!

Ingredients:

4 organic chicken breasts

1 large butternut squash

1 Vidallia onion (because I'm from Georgia and those are the BEST onions ever! But really you can use whatever kind of onion you desire)

1 bunch (or approximately 2 cups) organic kale

2 (15 oz) cans of Mexican style (preferably organic) stewed tomatoes - pureed (because I hate chunky tomatoes in anything. If you are ok with chunks, no need to puree)

1 can organic pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 can organic northern beans (or black, lima, etc, whatever you prefer), drained and rinsed

1 can organic sweet corn, drained and rinsed

1-2 cans organic vegetable stock (it's good to have an additional can set aside in case your chili needs additional liquid. Water would work but doesn't add as much flavor.)

2 tablespoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

1) Cook the chicken in the 1 can of the vegetable stock until desired tenderness is achieved. I usually put it in the crock pot and let it cook for at least 4 hours, because I like to be able to pull it apart with my spoon when I am ready to put the chili together. I don't like to have to deal with cutting up raw meat. Ew. 

2) Puree the stewed tomatoes and set aside.

3) In your chili pot, put in the tablespoon olive oil, heat over medium heat and add onions and kale. Cook until onions are translucent and the kale is slightly wilted. 

4) Add the chicken and vegetable stock to the chili pot. Stir into kale and onions and shred chicken. 

5) Add in the tomato puree

6) If additional liquid is needed, as additional vegetable stock. 

7) Add beans and corn

8) Add summer squash

9) Simmer for about 20 minutes or until summer squash is cooked thoroughly.

Enjoy!

Kale Chips

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Ingredients:

1 bunch of fresh kale, washed, stems removed. (Ensure that the kale is completely dry prior to seasoning it. This is key in making the crispiest kale chips possible!)

1-2 tablespoons Olive Oil

Seasoning of your choice (I LOVE them with lemon pepper and Himalayan or sea salt)

Directions:

1) If you have a dehydrator this is the easiest way to make the chips. They turn out best that way - but they can also be cooked in the oven. If you are using a dehydrator, just prep the kale as outlined below and leave them in the dehydrator over night. If you are using an oven - preheat it to 350 degrees and follow the steps below.

2) Place kale on a large baking pan covered in parchment paper - ensure that the kale pieces aren't overlapping each other and that they are completely dry (blot with a paper towel if needed). It's best to spin them dry in a salad spinner if available. It may take 2 pans depending on the size of the kale.

3) Drizzle olive oil over the kale leaves and use your hands to toss and coat the leaves thoroughly. (A spritzer works nicely for this as well.)

4) Sprinkle with your desired amount of seasonings and salt. Go easy with it - a little goes a long way! 

5) Bake until the edges are brown but not burnt (approximately 10-15 minutes). 

6) I then leave my kale out and loosely covered with paper towels overnight to dry further. 

Enjoy!

Meet Me On Monday

Questions:


1. Crunchy or smooth peanut butter?
Smooth - most definitely! This is my favorite!


2. What is your favorite color Rose?
Pink! Obviously...


3. Do you remove your shoes when you walk into your home?
No - I have heel spurs. I never remove my shoes, unless I'm swimming, sleeping or showering


4. What is your favorite season?
Hockey season


5. Approximately how many hours a day do you spend blogging?
I don't think I even really want to add those up...

Remember When...

I said I'd post about both my success AND my failures?

Well I'm being true to that promise. I haven't really failed though - I just haven't found what works for me.

This week - I am going to start my mornings out with smoothies. I went to the store today and got some frozen fruit. I have some vanilla protein powder and my favorite unsweetened soy milk. I have fresh spinach, carrots and oranges. I'll play around with some different recipes I've been looking up and take a smoothie with me to work for breakfast. If I get hungry later in the morning, I have some kale in the dehydrator for making kale chips. (They're SO GOOD!) I also have some granola bars and a Trader Joe's fruit and nut mix that I love on hand at work. If I'm starving, there's ingredients for my stinky breakfast on hand as well. (egg whites, black beans, frozen spinach and salsa - my go to breakfast!)

I'm so exhausted right now and my weekend didn't go a thing like I'd planned. I wasn't feeling well yesterday and today I didn't get to paint my bedroom like I wanted to. Now it's almost time to go back to work. I had a horrible day at work Friday - like the worst day EVER - and I am dreading going back. Not that there is anything lingering from the bad day - but just the memory of it and the fact that any day could bring on the same occurrence in my current job - or worse. I just don't want to go back... I don't want to keep having those experiences and become so desensitized that hearing things like what I heard on Friday just don't bother me. But I don't want them to effect me like this either. There's no healthy balance and can't be if you want to remain human....

I made what I like to call my "Summer Chili" tonight for dinner and there's enough of that to last me through several lunches. I love the stuff - perhaps I'll share the recipe this week for Tasty Tuesday. I got several packages of dry beans, frozen veggies and meats. So dinners will consist of those.

{plus size} Fashion Friday!

It's Christian Dior Fashion Friday over at Blonde Episodes! 

However, good 'ol Christian isn't too keen on making clothes for the fat folks. So instead of boycotting the brand, I'll just bitch. That's more fun 

:)

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This was the only thing I could find over a size 14 (and still - it only went up to size 18) via google search for Plus Size Christian Dior. 

It may be a fake - and I also don't like wearing dead animals. 

So - Christian Dior FAIL all around on this one:

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Even though, dear Christian - you do not have clothes for the likes of us fat folks. I want this purse:

{via}

& furthermore - I believe you should donate it to my broke ass - as retribution for your fat discrimination.

& this too:

{via}

& even more furthermore... I think you should sponsor my weight loss - you know... pay for a personal chef, personal trainer, shopping money, pay for the book I will write afterwards, etc and then you will have done your part for society by helping one person reach their goals and thus inspire thousands of others to do the same. 

We can even call it the Dior Diet.

Anybody buying this? No? 

Well fine. These shoes are ugly anyway!

:D

Enjoy your weekend lovlies!

{via}

The Skinny Dip!

Good evening ladies and gents! 

It's Feature Friday here at the Shrink To Fit Blog and time for my favorite post of the week: 

The Skinny Dip!

This week's Skinny Dip comes from Charley at Defining Your Beauty. I absolutely LOVE her blog! Not only is it gorgeous to the eyes, the content is gorgeous too! Go spend a few checking out her blog - you won't regret it!!!

Here's Charley's Skinny Dip:


"I can not say that I have a successful weight loss story to tell but I want to tell you how I made it to this day. I have been struggling with weight for most of my life. I have had moments of being thinner, but they were short lived and there are several reasons for that.


I could never understand why I could not just stop eating the extras and finally be thin. Saying the words make it sound so simple but living those words would be a heck of a lot more difficult. Have I tried all the fad diets?, yes. Have I tried weight loss shakes or pills?, yes. Have I tried looking within myself and finding the real issue?......... NO. It is so easy to try every weight loss plan and just blame it on not being right for me, but why was I really eating and not taking care of myself.


This last year has been one of the most difficult and has forced me to take a long and real look at myself. I am not going to make a list stating why I hate every part of me because honestly there are some parts of myself that I truly love. And yes there are some parts that I try not to think about. My appearance is one of the things I am unhappy with because I am so over weight. I am obessed with make up so looking at myself from the neck up is not problem, but I tend to ingnore the rest. (How many of you do the same thing?, I hope I am not alone). Of course its not until I see a photo that someone else took that I realize that I have let myself go. It is more than my apperance at the same time because as the pounds add on, so does the health risk. WHAT AM I DOING TO MYSELF?


After another battle with depression, I woke up and said no more. I refuse to allow myself to lose the best of me. This is where things have started to change for the better. I wake up everyday and tell myself something positive and do my best not to put myself down. We are not prefect, so small changes will amount to huge changes. I noticied that I am smiling more and wanting to live more. I am making goals for myself and actually accomplishing most of them. I finally started blogging and actually am satified with myself and know that I can be successful.


I am living moment to moment and that is working for me. I make mistakes, but pick myself up and keep moving forward. I have constitently been walking 5 miles at least 5 times a week. I am confident that I will soon submit a post revealing how many pounds I've melted off my body ( I do not want to say I lost pounds because once they are gone I do not want to find them). I hope that this may give at least one person some encouragment.


TELL ME WHAT MOMENT MADE YOU WANT TO MAKE REAL CHANGES IN YOUR LIFE…"


~ Charley @ Defining Your Beauty ~

Bee Friendly!

I'm co-host this week over at Crazy About My Baybah this week. YAY! Stop by, link up and meet some AWESOME bloggers like you!!!

Now that Blogger is back up and running - this week's Skinny Dip will be up later today!

Awkward & Awesome

The Awkward:

• My black toes. Very strange... Rather off-putting. Don't look at it!
• A client singing "I Can't Get No Satisfaction... NO NO NO!" at the top of his lungs outside my office door yesterday morning. Me neither buddy... get in line!
• My "religion issues" popping back up. I don't want to deal with this right now
• The fact that my heel spurs won't go away.

The Awesome:

• Hurraw! tinted cinnamon lip balm. I'm in loooooooove! 
• My bike!
• My swimming pool!
• My fabulous BFF and her graduation party this weekend!
• My free Motorola Citrus from Verizon. I'm an iPhone girl - but this is my other phone. Yep. I have 2.

I Wish...

That I could figure out why I crave all the things that I know are so horrible for me. With all this wonderful knowledge I'm accumulating - I should know better. I DO know better. I wish I could eat only raw, good for me, organic foods. No sugar, nothing processed. No wheat, no gluten. No meat, no cheese. That's the diet I'd like to be on.

But I crave it. ALL of it!

I watched that video I posted below. Twice. It makes perfect sense. But I still want some of that goat milk fudge in my refrigerator. It's chock full of the sugars he talks about. I don't just want some of it though. I could sit down and eat the entire container. Half of it remains, in fact I will likely go home and finish it off today. Why?

I also want some of those leftover malt ball Easter eggs my father needs to hurry up and eat. And I want a strawberry cream Twinkie (he bought an entire box of them).

Sugar: The Bitter Truth

If you haven't seen this yet - I highly recommend you take some time to check it out. It's very informative. 
If you are trying to lose weight this may be the best hour of your life.

Monday Musings...

Did you know...

That the woman of whom many consider to be THE perfect example of the beauty ideal is Marilyn Monroe?

Did you know that Marilyn Monroe wore a size 14?

This is her (the picture is from my android wallpaper app), perched on the beach in her glory, proudly displaying her fat rolls and all.

I love her...

*quotes from bing images*

Funny Story...

I didn't go to work today - because I dropped my bed on my foot last night. (Don't ask...). I woke up pissed because I couldn't put any weight on the foot at all - I thought for sure it was broken. Luckily it doesn't appear to be at this point - but back to the story... I got up, called in sick to work, took a pain pill and needed to eat breakfast. I couldn't put any weight on the foot though - so cooking wasn't an option. I needed something quick. My fat habits came rushing back at me and I grabbed the popcorn out of the cabinet. I got a glob of butter, salt and put the microwave packet of fluffy goodness in to cook.

I was thinking to myself "at least there's no wheat in this!"

I didn't care, I was hurting and I wanted to eat. Fast. Life had other plans for my morning meal however...

I'm normally an OK cook. I don't claim to be fantastic. But this morning I burnt 4 bags of popcorn trying to binge. Can you believe that?!?! This isn't rocket science! I burnt through all the popcorn in the cabinet. I tried different settings, temperatures, times... they ALL STILL BURNED!

After the 4th came out of the micro I just laughed, threw them all away and grabbed a banana. Obviously someone was trying to tell me something... :)