Cheat meals...and finding a balance...

Yesterday's post hit home with a lot of you.  I had a feeling that it would, as I was pretty sure I'm not the only one who struggles with the devil that is unhealthy, processed, unnatural foods.  Those are the foods that fill voids that no amount of healthy eating could ever fill.

But let's be real.  I can't ever, nor do I ever want to give those foods up.  I don't ever want to deprive myself too much.  Life is too short and you only live once, so indulging every once and awhile never hurt anyone.  BUT you have to find a balance between going crazy one way or the other.

That said, although I do love me some greasy, cheesy, nacho cheese sauce covered tex-mex and a big 'ol margarita on the side to wash it all down, followed by a Sonic shake for dessert, (like I said, #innerfatgirl) I only allow myself that type of meal twice a week.  Usually for the weekends when we go out.

So, what do I do about all 20 some meals + snacks the other days of the week?  Well, y'all asked pretty much the same thing yesterday when it came to your questions about my "clean" eating.  You wanted to know what a typical day of meals looks like for me when I'm eating clean.

Now, I probably should have prefaced that "clean eating" statement with the fact that I'm no expert.  And my idea of "clean" isn't anywhere near where it should be, but it's more of a loose term I use when I say that I am eating healthy. I'm a real person, not a machine that scours the aisles at Whole Foods for the all organic, natural food items that make something clean.  That said, when you look at this example of my meal plan, you are probably going to be saying "is that really considered clean?"  And the answer probably isn't yes...but it's a healthier alternative to a lot of crap that is out there!

So, without rambling anymore, here is a look into a typical day of Jenna's "clean eating":

7:30 a.m.: Breakfast ~ Peanut Butter Oatmeal

 10:00 a.m.: Snack #1 ~ Chocolate Covered Strawberry Protein Shake

12:30 p.m.: Lunch ~ Mexican Baked Sweet Potato

3:00 p.m.: Snack #2 ~ Peanut Butter Banana Roll-Up

5:30 p.m.: Dinner ~ Chicken Tortilla Soup

6:30 p.m.: Dessert ~ Chocolate Covered Strawberries and Pineapple

This stuff is amazing.  Walden Farms Chocolate Syrup.  Calorie Free, fat free.  I find it in the Health food section at my local grocery store.  They also have caramel and blueberry and maple syrup flavors.  It is delish!

You already know of my love for these bad boys...

I just pour some frozen pineapple and strawberries into a bowl and drizzle them with that delicious chocolate syrup.  It totally hits my sweet tooth, while filling me up and not making me feel guilty!  Plus, since the fruit is frozen, it takes me longer to eat it, which is always a bonus when eating...the slower you eat, the faster you become full.  It's quite the concept!

So that's it.  A typical menu of my "clean eating" days.  Honestly, I could have added a million other recipes to this post, which would have made it a mile long, so I just chose one of my favorite days.  Not only are these meals super yummy, they are super easy and fast to whip up.  Easy is key when it comes to eating healthy.  If you just do a google or Pinterest search for "Easy Clean Eating Recipes" you will likely find thousands of recipes.  That is typically where I get a lot of my ideas.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to email me (schabenj@gmail.com) and I will answer them specifically to you!

Until next time...

I'm just going to be honest...

So if you've been here long enough, you know that I've come a long way in my fitness journey.  I've lost 50 lbs, a large percentage of body fat and have been able to maintain that for about two years now by working out and eating "clean" 85% of the time.

Beginning and halfway points

Halfway point and today.

You would think that this little thing called maintenance would be easy.  But you would be wrong.  It's down right hard, y'all.  You might think that because I worked my butt off to get to where I am, that I would never want to touch another donut, piece of pizza, cheeseburger, or ice cream sundae ever again, right?  You probably think that my body is repulsed by those things that made me 50 lbs heavier.  Ha!  I crave them.  All. The. Time.
So what do I do when that brownie is calling my name at 9:30 at night?  Or when Madden's chicken nuggets and mac and cheese are staring me in the face at dinner time?  I have to use every ounce of will power to not just shove them in my pie hole.  The temptation is real.  It's like a force beyond my control.  When I use hashtags like #myinnerfatgirlishappy when I am eating something unhealthy that is no joke.  

Food was and always will be an addiction.  A type of drug for me.  If you've ever struggled with your weight, or are struggling right now, then you know exactly the addiction that I am talking about.  Unhealthy food fills a void that no amount of "clean eating" can.  Now, obviously I don't always give into those temptations, otherwise I would be back where I started.  And I worked too dang hard to get to where I am to ever go back down that path.

But the question is, will I ever not have to fight with this?  And if I'm being honest with myself, the answer is no.  Bad temptations will always be there.  Unhealthy choices will always be there.  I can't hide from them.  I can't run away from them.  But the truth of the matter is that this lifestyle I am living now is a choice.  Plain and simple.  I have the choice to control what I put in my mouth.  I have the choice to workout everyday or not.  I have a choice.

It's never going to be easy.  It's going to be down right hard as hell.  But this...where I am right here and now is worth it.

Now, not only do I have a choice to be healthy and work hard to maintain where I am right now, I also have the choice to be happy.  If I deprived myself from all things bad for me 100% of the time, I would be unhappy.  I would be crabby.  Nobody would want to be near me...That is why I say I eat clean 85% of the time.  I allow myself cheat meals.  Yes, I said cheat meal"s".  How, what and when do I indulge in my "cheats?" That's a topic I want to delve into tomorrow.  Because I am real.  I am just like you.  I am not a machine...

What questions do you have for me when it comes to my "clean eating" and my "cheats?"  What do you want to know about how I manage the space in between?  Leave your questions in the comments section and I will answer them tomorrow!

Until next time...

A little bit of sunshine on this Monday...

I am beyond flattered right now, y'all.  Like for real.  I had seen this little award floating around last week in blogland and instagram, so imagine my surprise when I was reading one of my fave blogs yesterday and I see my name flashing back at me in her post!  I was seriously tickled pink!  I was nominated by one of my favorite bloggers, Lori at FATTOFIT41, for a Sunshine Award.  I have followed Lori since she first started blogging and instantly fell in love with her!  She is real.  She is driven.  But most of all, she is an inspiration.  I can only hope to one day share a glass (or two) of wine with her! :) 

Anyway, the rules of the award are as follows:
The award is circulated to those bloggers to let them know that their posts brighten your day.

1. Include the award logo on your post or blog
2. Link to the person who nominated you - Lori @ FATTOFIT41
3. Answer 10 questions about yourself.
4. Nominate 10 bloggers to receive the award. Link your nominees in your post and leave them a comment letting them know that they have been nominated.

There you have it!  Now on to my 10 questions:

1. Your "first time", regret or no regret:  Well, I would hope I don't regret it...because I'm going to let you in on a little secret here...considering I started dating my husband when we were 15 and 16, he's the only one I've ever been with! (cat is outta the bag!)  So, that said, I definitely don't regret it!! ;)

2. Best concert you have ever been to:  I would have to say it was the Jason Aldean concert I went to with my Mom and Sister this past April...even though I love Jason, it wasn't so much him that made it the best concert, it was the bonding time I got to have with my two favorite girls!!

3. Vanilla or chocolate:  Chocolate.  Hands down.  (I literally am devouring the last fudge brownie from a pan I made on Friday afternoon as we speak...whoops) #innerfatgirlishappy

4. Dream Car:  Y'all.  I will own this car someday...

A Black Cadillac Escalade with chrome wheels and trim.  She will be mine... ;)

5. Have you ever been in a fist fight:  Three words: I hate confrontation. (I couldn't hurt a fly!)

6. Tropical vacation or ski vacation:  Give me a beach, a cocktail and a swimsuit and I am as happy as a clam!  (That, and I'm uncoordinated as all get out, so I wouldn't be caught dead on the ski slopes!!)

7. Do you still speak to your high school bff:  Well, considering she is my first cousin and I see her at all of our family functions, I do!  We definitely aren't as close as we used to be, but I do still love her!

8. Cake or pie:  Give me a big 'ol piece of strawberry or peach pie with a giant dollop of fresh whipped cream and I couldn't be happier!

9. Gin or Vodka in your martini:  Vodka.  Gin makes me gag... 

10. Have you ever peed your pants, as an adult:  I'm going to be flat out honest with this one...Even though I haven't full out peed my pants, I have definitely made my underpants wet from laughing too hard...the things that happen to your body "post-child birth" are nuts...

There you have it!  Now y'all have a little more random insight into who I am...

Now here are my nominees:

1.) Stefanie @ Stealing Sweet Kisses
2.) Christi @ The Chapters of Our Lives
3.) Ashley @ {Texeira Tales}
4.) Brin @ Bold Butter Baby
5.) Jenna @ The Fashionista Teacher
6.) Darci @ {the good life blog}
7.) Amy @ A Balancing Act
8.) Amy @ Mrs. T's Wild Ride
9.) Colleen @ Meet The Sullivans
10.) Colleen @ So Much to Say

My questions for these lovely ladies are as follows:

1.) My favorite place to shop for clothes and accessories for myself is...
2.) My current screen saver on my phone/computer is...
3.) I currently drive ______ but I would love to drive ______.
4.) My idea of a "last supper" is...
5.) In my free time I love to...
6.) Girl's night out, or date night with the significant other...
7.) I am currently craving...
8.) I take my coffee like...
9.) My favorite form of exercise is...
10.) My favorite topic Jenna writes about is...

Thank you, again, Lori for the nomination!!  Now I can't wait to see what my nominees come up with!

Until next time...

Five on Friday Faves

Happy Friday my loves!  I know this was a short week, but I am never more happy than to see a Friday roll around.  Especially when I know that I get to post all about my faves that I'm loving right about now...

I of course am linking up with Darci and some pretty phenomenal ladies like I usually do every.single.Friday!!  For the "Five on Friday" link-up.  Here's what my nominees for my five faves are this week:

{One.}

Y'all.  This shirt.  How true is this??  It literally screamed at me when I was browsing the internet the other day for cute/fun workout tanks...I don't know about y'all, but all I need, to make me happy, is food and to hear I look pretty every once and awhile (and the occasional gift is nice too)...it's good for my ego the soul...I know quite a few girls that would be perfectly suited for this tank; especially around "that time of the month."  Can I get an "amen?" #funfindalert

{Two.}

Ok, so I know my "little's" birthday isn't for a few more months, but it's never too early to start planning, right??  I jusssssst might be one of those moms that goes above and beyond for his birthday every year, but I just can't help it!  So, as I was perusing the infamous Pinterest the other day, searching for birthday party ideas, this fun and creative idea popped up.  Annnnnd, I might just be stealing it!  It's an ice cream sundae bar...You put your ice cream into mason jars (with the lids), place them in a bucket of ice, and then display bowls of toppings for everyone at the party to mix and match until their heart is content!  How much fun would that be?  You can get as creative as you want, or keep it as simple as possible...LOVE this!

{Three.}

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, the hubs is starting to work out again...and with that working out comes a healthier eating plan for him (and in turn, the rest of the fam!)  That said, I tried to do good with my meal planning this summer, but time just slipped away, as did the summer, so more often than not, I was stuck making the same recipes every week.  So, when I found this clever little gem over at life of ai, I knew I had found an idea that would not only be efficient, but fun and cute hanging on our kitchen wall!  This will hold me accountable for my meals for the week, and no one (ahem...the hubs) will have to wonder what's on the menu everyday!  So clever...why couldn't I think up something like that??

{Four.}

Now that school is back in session, I don't know about you, but I feel like I need to suck up to thank Madden's teachers for all that they do for him...especially in the hustle and bustle of the "back to school" chaos.  My Mom is a teacher and I always remember those first few weeks of school she would come home exhausted.  She was adjusting to new students, a new schedule and from standing on her feet all day.  What better way to say thank you and we appreciate you than with cute (and free) printable ideas to thank them for all that they do and will do for your little ones this school year.  Check out all of these wonderful ideas here.  I'm thinking the "Donut" printable will be a perfect gift for breakfast next week...

{Five.}

Hold the phone...have y'all entered to win this cash money giveaway yet??!!  If not, you could be missing out on your opportunity to win $500 in Paypal Cash!!  I'm not even kidding you.  This is a legit giveaway y'all.  The only downfall is that I can't enter myself to win! :(  Boooooo!!  So what are you waiting for??  You have until noon today to enter!  Just follow the Rafflecopter instructions below and you're set.  Easy peasy...(lemon squeezy).  Go get yoself some! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have a great weekend my dears!

Until next time...

Thursday Thoughts

Heeeeeyoooo!!!  Hello my dears!  I don't know about y'all, but this week is flying by!  I'm definitely not complaining.  This just reiterates my prior statement about making every weekend a three day weekend.  Everyone is just much happier...am I right??

Anyway, last week I started my "Thursday Thoughts" post.  And the more I thought about it, the more I really began to like it.  It really grew on me.  In fact, I had quite a few people tell me they might steal the idea as a sort of "brain dump" post.  I mean, who doesn't love a good brain clean out?  Those are sometimes my favorite posts of all!  So, this is what I've decided to do.  I want to see how many of y'all would be interested in linking up with me and starting a weekly "Thursday Thoughts Link-Up?"  If I get enough interest, I might just have to call upon my good friend Holly and her Hubby Jack to create a button for me.  So, let me know with a comment if that is something you would be interested in seeing every week!

Now on to the good stuff:

*We have definitely come into the thick of the "Terrible Two's/Three's..." This little guy has got such a mind of his own lately!  His personality is developing each and every day, and I just don't know what is ever going to come out of his little mouth.  I seriously have to wonder who's child he is, because the things he does just crack me up on the regular.  If you follow me on Instagram, you've seen these pictures before, but they are just too good not to share because they express the stage that he is in right now to a "T".  I just think we have a long road ahead of us!

"Mommy, rook at me!  I naked rike my baby!"

*I've started back working out at the local gym that got me to where I am today.  They helped me to lose 40 lbs the first go around, but when we moved for the hub's job, we obviously had to leave them behind.  We never could find anything even remotely close to their set-up, so when Aaron decided he wanted to get in shape again (after letting that area of his life slip a bit with his crazy schedule) he asked me if I wanted to join that gym with him again.  Of course I jumped all over it!  It is a "boot camp" style layout that is an all over body hour long workout.  I am loving being back in a group atmosphere and working different muscles that I forgot that I had!  They offer classes throughout the day, so I just go to a 9:00 class while Madden is at school!  It works perfectly...I'm going to track my progress with before and after pictures at the 10 week mark.  I will let you see them when the 10 weeks are up.  Wish me luck!

*We are looking at getting our family pictures taken at the end of October/early November and I am really struggling with a color scheme.  Any ideas??  What is hot right now?  I don't want anything classic.  We've done that the past three years, so I really want to add some pops of color this year.  We will be taking them all outside, with the fall foliage in full force, so that's going to play a factor.  I'm kind of loving this look of mixing patterns within the same color scheme...what do you guys think?

Well, that's all I have for you for today...I know it's short, but I'm running behind this morning, so I've got to jet.  Before you guys go, though, let me know what you think about a "Thursday Thoughts" link-up...I would love y'alls feedback!

Until next time...

Back To School Survival Guide 101

What day is it??  Hump Daaaaaay!  That Geico commercial cracks me up.  For real...every Wednesday from now on I'm pretty sure you will find me saying it at least once or twice throughout the day...Hilarious.

Anyway, have I got a real treat for y'all!!  I have my first guest post ever today...Caitlin contacted me a couple weeks ago asking if she could guest on my blog and I jumped all over it!  She is in the process of starting her own blog, and let me tell you, this girl has some great topics to write about.  I told her to take the reigns on this, and write about a topic that my readers could relate to.  So, without further adieux, here's Caitlin!

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Hi all, I'm Caitlin Hudson, a full-time SAHM, nature lover, writer, and health nut! I am in the process of starting my own blog, but in the meantime, Jenna has been kind enough to have me as a guest on her lovely blog. Today, I'd like to share with you some of my tips for mommies trying to survive back to school time! If you have any questions feel free to email me!

Summers are the best time for family activities that keep me active alongside my kids, but I know that when school rolls around, the whole summer routine goes right out the window and I am usually left with little to no time to look after myself. Whether I am running kids to and from school, practice, or other after school activities, all of that time that I was able to enjoy being actually active in the park, on the beach, or just playing with my kids is gone. That’s why I’ve got a few pointers for staying organized and stress free in the back to school rush. 

Write things down
I like to have a physical calendar where I can write any appointments, events, dinners, guests, birthdays or almost anything that will take place. This works a bit like a checklist and when I put it somewhere that I look every day, it helps to keep my thoughts organized. I recently bought a new agenda from MomAgenda – it’s small enough for me to carry in my handbag, but big enough to fit all my appointments and notes. Having a calendar and scheduler on my phone is great, but most of the time I am not necessarily looking at my phone and I have missed some important things or been late to my kids' sporting events because of it. Writing things down helps me remember them, too. 

Don’t be last minute
If you haven't seen the ads already, it is time for back to school shopping, and as much of a burden as it can be, getting it out of the way early just helps me reduce my stress come the start of the school even more. There are loads of back to school specials, sales, and other events to help you save money, too. Most of these happen a bit earlier, so being ready for it is a huge boost. 

Cleanliness is next to godliness
Lots of folks swear by spring cleaning, but I find that the best time to clean and reorganize is the week when the kids are back at school. Not only is it nice to have the house alone again after three months of the kids being home, but it is even better to clear the clutter that has built up over the course of the summer. You would be amazed at some of the things I find hidden in the corners of my kids' rooms. Create a list of chores and set rules for the kids keeping their rooms clean. Don’t let your hard work go to waste! 

Most important, don’t forget about yourself
The first week is also a great time to get set in my own schedule where I can find time for my daily workout. Even though I am usually extremely busy, I make it a priority to fit in some sort of exercise. Workouts do not need to take hours to complete. Even if you have a very packed schedule, 30 minutes is doable. I personally have found the Focus T25 program from Beachbody to be a lifesaver – 25 minutes a day and I am done. Keeping up with a healthy diet and exercise routine will help reduce stress and ultimately have you feeling better about yourself.

There are plenty of other great things that I like to do to keep me organized and stress free because in the end, I know that it is not only healthier for me but also for my family. The first month when school starts is the most hectic and stressful, but you can do a ton of things to help reduce that stress. Granted, nothing ever seems to go according to plan, but preparing can go a long way to help.

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Until next time...  

"Final Fling" Recap

Hey y'all!  How is it possible that this weekend is over already??  I mean, I guess if you want to look on the bright side, it is already Tuesday!  So, I guess if we are trying to be positive, that means we are only four days away from the weekend!

Anyway, these past three days have been craaaaazzzy!  So, instead of giving you a detailed day-to-day play by play, I'm only going to focus on the big, bad, glamorous bachelorette party that I hosted for my sister on Saturday night.  It was beyond fun.  Things got a little bit crazy.  But the best part of it all?  My sister had a blast!  Here's what went down on her "Final Fling Before the Ring":

28 girls, dressed in black arrived at my house around 7:00.  They were greeted with hot pink and zebra print cups to fill with their drink of choice.  The goal was to never have an empty glass all night long.  We then proceeded to drink, snack on some amazing foods such as veggie pizza, meatballs and little weenies (clever, I know!), chips and four different kinds of dips, croissant sandwiches, and these lovely little cookies that not only looked fancy, but tasted amazing!

We then continued the night with a few games that y'all had so generously suggested for me when I asked for your help last week!  And let me tell ya...the girls had soooo much fun with this!  

We played 20 questions; I called and asked my sister's fiancé different questions about himself and their relationship and then I asked my sister what she thought his responses were...for every one she got wrong, she had to take a Jello shot.  For every one she got right, she had to pass a shot to one of the girls...she did surprisingly well, so the girls paid for it by having to take more shots than her!  

We then played the "Purse Game."  I asked all of the girls to grab their purses and then I started listing off items that could be found in their purse.  Random things such as paper clips and hair ties to hairspray and tweezers.  There were different points for each item and the girl with the most points at the end won a prize.  It was truly amazing what some girls actually keep in their purse!  So much fun!

We took a little break from the game playing to let my sister open her presents...and let me tell you...I'm pretty sure she is set on underwear, nighties and alcohol for the next few years!  She definitely did well in that department.

Then, since we had about half an hour before our bus was coming to pick us up, we played one last game of "Hot Potato" except it wasn't a potato...if you catch my drift ;)  I played and stopped the music until the last person not holding the "potato" was declared the winner!  

These games were a great way to get the girls all "loosened up" before the party bus arrived to take us out on the town!

This bus took us all downtown to continue the night "bar hopping" and selling suckers from the sucker bouquet that I had put together for my sister for the "suck for a buck" game...My sister was really, really good at this...like the bouquet had over 150 suckers in it and she walked away with only 5 suckers at the end of the night...I'd say that was a success!

After four hours of suckers, shots, beer and drinks, the bus picked us all back up and drove us home.  An intense night...a loooooong night.  A night that I don't think my sister will ever forget.  I know that I won't. :)

I sent all of the girls off the next morning with a breakfast that my Mom so graciously prepared for us as well as a goodie bag of "recovery essentials": tylenol, gatorade, pictures of them with the bride and cute glasses to pour their gatorade into as they drove home.

The countdown is on now.  The big day is less than six weeks away.  I cannot wait.  If this party was any indication of how much fun her wedding is going to be, we are definitely in for a good time!

How was your weekend?  I spent the rest of mine recovering, so I would love to hear what exciting things y'll did to celebrate Labor Day!

Until next time...