Cranberry Almond Kale Smoothie

-1/2 cup of fresh cranberries
-1 banana
-1/2 cup of almonds
-1 small green apple
-3 leavea of kale
-1 cup of almond/coconut milk
-1 cup of water
-a little bigger than a thumb nail piece of freah ginger

Blender her up and drink up!

Meal of the day: Veggie suite for the King (and queen)

Ingredients:
-1/2 an onion
-3 mushrooms
-2 mini peppers
-1/2 can of Bush's vegetarian beans
-4 cloves of garlic
-4 stalks of asparagus
-a half a cucumber
-a cup of peas
-1 tbsp of butter
-2 tbsp of peanut oil (or extra virgin olive oil)
-1/2 tsp of dried mint leaves (or oregano if you don't have it)
-1/3 tsp of McCormick Garlic sea salt grinder

Directions:
-dice up the onion
-bring a big frying pan to medium heat and add the peanut oil in
-put onion inside pan and saute for a minute
-dice mushroom and peppers
- add to onions
-saute for a minute
-add Bush's vegetarian beans to the side of the mixed veggies (don't mix them
-cut asparagus in halves and add on the side of veggies and beans
-let simmer for about a minute on LOW heat
-chop garlic and add to the veggies
-chop up cucumber in halves and put off to the side
-microwave peas in a small bowl for a minute
-place McCormick's garlic & sea salt over all the food and shut off stove
-place the veggies on the side of a plate, Bush's beans in the middle and asparagus on the side.
-place cucumbers on the other side of the plate
-place peas beside the veggies and cucumbers
-add dried mint leaves on the cucumbers
-optional** add some more McCormick's garlic & sea salt

Prep time: 5 minutes Cooking time: 5 minutes Total time: 10 minutes

Nutritional value:

Nutritional Berry-mix-a-lot

Yummmy!!!

-One banana
-2 cups of water
-1/2 cucumber
-8 chunks of melons
-1 cup of mixed berries
-2 tbsp of chunky peanut butter
-1 tsp of coconut oil
-3 dashes of cinnamon

Blend it all together until smooth. Drink up!

Broccoli Coconut berry mix

A nutritional smoothie that will have you energized for the rest of the day!

-1 banana
-4 chunks of a melon
-1 med. Sized tomatoe
-1 cucumber
-1 cup of mixed berries
-1 1/2 cup of broccoli
-1 tbsp of peanut butter
-1 1/2 cup of coconut milk

Blend it in the blender until smooth. Pour into a glass and enjoy!

A promise to myself

A little over a year ago (going into 2012 to be exact), I made a promise to myself to lose 25 pounds by the time I turned 25 on June 26. I didn't realize that 2012 was going to be a year that really tested me. A lot had occurred (too much personal details to share on a public site). And my promise to myself went by the waist side along with the love handles that came with them. I was struggling with many different things in 2012 that I honestly wasn't focusing on myself and I put on weight, a lot of weight. At my heaviest I was at 147lbs (I'm 5ft by the way). Waaaay overweight!! eeekkk!!! I started running and doing 5k races 2x a month. Slowly weight was coming off, however I still didn't change how I ate and would eat chocolate every day. It was my crack!

When I went to go see my parents in Dubai in Oct, I was in shock in how much weight I put on since I saw them last in Feb of 2012. My dad embraced me at the airport and pinched my love handles saying, "Omama, what are these!?" I brushed it off and jokingly said, "Baba, winter is approaching soon and I need fat to keep warm." After hanging out with my family and their friends we finally headed back to the hotel we were staying at. My favorite part was about to take part.....getting clothes!!!! As my mom handed me all these different outfits, I was getting upset with her (really myself) that she bought me LG & XLG clothing! I flipped out saying I'm not fat and why would she get me such huge clothing. I WAS IN DENIAL!!!! I tried on the clothes she got me and they all fit...some were a bit snug. I was modified! I didn't indulge in my favorite foods the 2 days I was in Dubai and watched what I ate.

When I got back to the states, I started going out more on the weekends, dancing and losing some weight.  I decided I was going to get serious about my health and weight!

::::Breaking point::::

1) I work in the Insurance industry, it was heartbreaking to see people in their 30s, 40s on high blood pressure medicine and diabetes. I said, No Way is that going to happen to me!! I want to live!! So I started eating cleaner.

2) I started talking to more men and surprisingly, dudes with 6 packs were interested in me. Whoa!! Not that I'm shallow and go for what a person looks like, however someone with a good looking FIT BODY is a turn on. Getting fit was a motivated. I started working out more.

3) I felt like I was constantly lacking energy (and I'm extremely energetic). I didn't like it. So I asked friends, family, and a few associates to hold me to a challenge to better myself.
----
Honestly it was the 3rd breaking point that REALLY pushed me. Because now I had to perform and get results.

I started doing Bikram Yoga after a dear friend encouraged me to sign up. That REALLY helped in eating clean and losing weight and wanting to be healthy!!

So now I am fulfilling my promise, although it's a year past due. My goal is to be at 110lbs by June 1st. I want to have a fit, clean, healthy, smoking body!!

I'm starting to accept my body and it's been exciting in watching the inches come off!!! I can finally fit into my size 2 pants (a bit snug and still have that muffin top). I'm currently at 134.7lbs. I have green smoothies 6 days out of the week. I have cut out pasta, rice, baked goods, soy, and dairy out of my diet. I don't eat red meat. I consume seafood once a week and turkey (which I will be cutting out except for 2x a year) once a year. I have increased my fiber in take (thank you flaxseed) and how much water I consume. I feel alive!!

Even my sweat smells clean. It's free of toxins!!

I haven't ate pizza in 2 months and haven't had chocolate in over a month. I am truly amazed at my discipline level!

What's crazy is I've been attracting people who care about their health and body into my life. I decided that I don't want to just go out to eat as "hanging out with someone." I want to get my heart pumping, challenge myself, and have fun.

I have changed the mentality of a fat kid to a skinny kid. I should actually say Fit Kid!!

Today I realized that never in my life have I ever had a flat stomach. I've always been that "fat kid" or "thunder thighs" as my brothers would call me when we were kids. Well NO MORE!! I'm Quarter of a Century young and going to be seeing 26 in a few months. Time to look the ABSOLUTE BEST IN MY YOUNG LIFE!

And the song/video that has boosted my energy and is now my theme is Now or Never: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ym4dGPLd5Ww&feature=youtube_gdata_player

I'm LIVING my LIFE!! 

Get it right. Get it tight!!