Trouble in Paradise

Chad and I are in trouble. Big trouble. Super-sized trouble, in fact. In the past year, we've thoroughly enjoyed being married. Marital bliss is incredible and is simply something that cannot be explained. It's something that is represented by gourmet dinners, dinner parties with friends, family-size desserts made for just two people, "love" being shown by a fro-yo date (my fav), appetizers and fun snacks... and the list goes on.

My friends, I must share this devastating news with you: we're fat.

Here's the thing. After I got married, I had a kitchen full of new appliances, cute dishes, and gourmet cookbooks. And I love to cook. How could I leave my cute pink Kitchen Aid mixer to just collect dust? It needed to fulfill its destiny by being used to blend all sorts of delectable goodies. To top it off, my sweet husband told me that when I cooked, he'd do the dishes and clean up because I had just slaved over the hot stove (or crock pot). Yep. You heard that right. I got to cook all of this deliciousness and not clean up a single thing. Life has been beautiful. But now my clothes are tight or they just plain don't fit. Chad, of course, has gotten a little bit of pudge, but all his clothes fit him the same way and no one can tell (men! so frustrating!).

So now is the time... Operation: Get Skinny! began nearly four weeks ago and is in full swing. We took a trip to Chicago at the beginning of August for our one year anniversary and allowed ourselves to eat anything and everything our little hearts desired. Giordano's pizza complete with the signature bubblegum cheese. Sprinkles Cupcakes (I'll have two, please). Chick-fil-a, extra pickles and with an extra side of Chick-fil-a Sauce. And the Italian food that my Sicilian self was begging for. It was almost as if we were eating our last meal. In a way, we were. You see, we had made a pact that when we returned from our little vacay that things were seriously going to change. Boy, have they!

A little bit of background knowledge- about 3.5 years ago, I lost 50 lbs doing the Body For Life diet/exercise program. It's an intense, 12 week program of eating a whole lot of protein and veggies and working out 6 days a week. And it works.

So, I pulled my dusty Body For Life book off of our bookshelf and cracked it open. We've been working our butts off for nearly four weeks and things are starting to pay off! The employees at LA Fitness have gotten used to seeing us come through the doors each and every day, I've gotten used to grocery shopping more often (healthy food goes bad much more quickly...), and some of my clothes are certainly starting to feel a little looser. We still have about 8 weeks left of this particular program, but I'm hoping to continue for quite a bit longer. It feels good to be making good choices and working out each day. It's still hard when my colleagues bring in huge pans of tasty bars, brownies, and cakes (my serious weakness), but I feel empowered and a bit stronger each and every time I resist them. We're on our way, folks! I'll update you as we move forward. We can do this!

xo,
Angie

PS! I can NOT believe I forgot to mention the absolute very best part about Body For Life... FREE DAY! Every Sunday, we don't work out and we eat as we please! This has absolutely been my saving grace during this time. If I want Chipotle, I wait till Sunday. We planned our State Fair trip for a Sunday, because you better believe I wasn't going to pass up jalapeño cheese on a stick or Sweet Martha's Cookies! Punch Pizza? Sunday! Not only does this free day keep you sane, it also tricks your body out of getting used to operating on such a low number of calories. It's really the way to do it! :)

PPS! Seriously, how many different foods did I mention in this post? Addict!