Stacey lost 43 pounds

Transformation of the Day: Stacey lost 43 pounds. After 11 years of college and achieving multiple degrees, she realized that she’d neglected her health. Her doctor advised that she was headed towards a diabetes diagnosis. She used Beachbody workouts and meal plans to get fit and healthy. Check out her journey. I decided about 6 years […]

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Shiryl lost 172 pounds

Transformation of the Day: Shiryl lost 172 pounds. Crohn’s Disease, depression and fatigue were making her very unhappy. She became a vegetarian and developed a true passion for fitness. Check out what she shared with us about her journey. Hi, my name is Shiryl and I used to weigh 380 pounds. I have been overweight the majority of […]

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Double digit training walk

It would be a flat out lie if I said that I feel prepared for the Indy Mini a week from tomorrow! Haha.  I do feel more prepared than I was in 2008 (my first time doing it, and I didn't do ANY training), but I am far from ready now. Having such a long depressive episode last year took a huge toll on my body (and obviously my mind).

A couple of months ago, I made the decision to take a break from running, and I don't regret that decision one bit. I just felt SO tired of it--I got tired of racing a long time ago, and I struggled with wanting to run for fun. I don't have a running partner, which makes it tough to enjoy running and find the motivation to get out there.

When my running mojo showed no signs of returning, I decided that I would walk the Indy Mini. I've walked it three times before, and it's actually a really great race to walk!
Read more »

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May 30 Time Crunch Intervals Challenge

The Goal for this super, straight forward exercise challenge is to add an Intense Burst of Exercise into your day. Add these quick interval workouts to your regular workout routine. Join Us! Download the Workout Calendar! – Print it out! – Get Moving! Click Here to Download the Calendar Leave a comment below and tell us your health […]

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Diet tips for a healthy gallbladder

Meagan lost 94 pounds

Transformation of the Day: Meagan lost 94 pounds. She simply got tired of wanting to do better and decided to change her life commiting to a healthier lifestyle. This journey was not just about what she did, it was about the positive, realistic point of view she embraced. Check out her story. My story is very simple. I […]

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Weekly Coffee Date

Obesity exacerbates type 2 diabetes-related brain abnormalities

Six-Month Half-Marathon Training Plan for Beginners

Finally! I've been working on this plan for what feels like forever, and I finally finished it up today. I've posted it on my Training Plans page, but I'll share it here as well.

My original thought for this plan was to take a true beginner (non-runner) and prepare them to run a half-marathon (particularly the Rock 'n' Roll Vegas Half in November, since I'll be doing that with lots of From Fat to Finish Line tribe members). However, I don't want it to be specifically for that half, because you could use this plan to train for any half marathon.

This is a six-month training plan--26 weeks! If you are currently capable of walking 30 minutes, four days per week, and your doctor okays it, then you can certainly follow this plan to run your first half-marathon as soon as November. I basically combined my "Walk to Run" plan, my "Base Building" plan, and my "Finish Strong Half-Marathon" plan, made some tweaks here and there, and kept it as simple as possible, while still being effective.

At first, there are four workouts per week, and then in Week 15, a fifth day is added. The plan starts by building up from walking to running for a full 30 minutes, non-stop. From there, it slowly builds up the long run on weekends, while still running at a very easy pace. In Week 15, I introduce some very simple speed work--intervals from 60 seconds to (eventually) 5 minutes long.

The majority of the plan is EASY running. I stress that because easy runs are so important! Please read my post about The Importance of the Easy Run before you start any training plan. I became my fastest, while staying injury-free, by doing most of my runs at a very slow, easy pace. The post I linked to above describes it much more detail.

So, without further ado, I give you the link to my Six-Month Half-Marathon Training Plan for Beginners (it's in PDF format for easy printing). I hope you enjoy! I welcome any feedback, good or bad, about the results of the plan. I've gotten very good feedback about the other plans I've written, so I hope this one will serve you well :)

(P.S. If you are using this plan to train for the Rock 'n' Roll Vegas Half on November 12, then this plan will start in just a couple of weeks on May 15!)

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If your grandmother smoked, you may be more likely to develop autism

A mother who smokes during her pregnancy may increase the risk of autism in her grandchildren. Published today, the results will, no doubt, spark debate.

Smoking Cessation Feeds

Brandy lost over 70 pounds

Transformation of the Day: Brandy lost over 70 pounds. This mother of six experienced significant weight gain with each pregnancy. She found herself self medicating with food to deal with the pain of feeling alone and unloved. One day, she realied that she had to change her life, not only for herself but for her children. Good […]

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Risk factors for diabetes: Type 1, type 2, and gestational

How Charlene Bazarian Lost 93 Pounds

Childhood obesity quadruples risk of developing type 2 diabetes

Children with obesity face four times the risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to children with a body mass index (BMI) in the normal range, according to a study published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society.

Both obesity and diabetes are epidemic health problems. Obesity affects about 12.7 million children and teens in the United States. The SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth study found 3,600 cases of type 2 diabetes were diagnosed in U.S. children and teens each year between 2002 and 2005, according to the Endocrine Society's Endocrine Facts and Figures report.

The researchers who published the Journal of the Endocrine Society study found a similar trend in a large-scale analysis of diabetes and obesity rates among British children.

"As the prevalence of obesity and being overweight has rapidly risen, an increasing number of children and young adults have been diagnosed with diabetes in the United Kingdom since the early 1990s," said the one of the study's authors, Ali Abbasi, M.D., Ph.D., of King's College London in London, U.K. "A child with obesity faces a four-fold greater risk of being diagnosed with diabetes by age 25 than a counterpart who is normal weight."

The cohort study used electronic health records from one of the largest primary care databases worldwide, the U.K. Clinical Practice Research Datalink, to pull data from 375 general practices. The researchers examined BMI measurements, diabetes diagnosis records, and other data for 369,362 children between the ages of 2 and 15.

Examining data recorded between 1994 and 2013, the researchers found 654 children and teenagers were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and 1,318 were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Children and teenagers with obesity constituted nearly half of the type 2 diabetes cases - 308 in all.

The study found no association between obesity and increased incidence of type 1 diabetes, which is linked to an underlying autoimmune disorder.

"Diabetes imposes a heavy burden on society because the condition is common and costly to treat," Abbasi said. "Estimates indicate one in 11 adults has type 2 diabetes, or about 415 million people worldwide. Given that diabetes and obesity are preventable from early life, our findings and other research will hopefully motivate the public and policymakers to invest and engage in diabetes prevention efforts."

Article: Body Mass Index and Incident Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes in Children and Young Adults: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Ali Abbasi, MD, PhD Dorota Juszczyk, PhD Cornelia HM van Jaarsveld, PhD Martin C Gulliford, MA, FFPH, Journal of the Endocrine Society, doi: 10.1210/js.2017-00044, published 25 April 2017.

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My watch, Wednesday Weigh-in, and alcohol

After a busy weekend, the last couple of day have seemed dull--but it's nice, because I've gotten quite a bit done. I've been feeling so much better since I started my new medication, and I'm thrilled that it's actually working. I'd gotten used to feeling depressed for so long (this bout lasted about 10 months) that I was getting desperate. I even told my friend Andrea, just before seeing the psychiatrist, that I was putting ALL my eggs into that one basket, and I just hoped that it would help.

Yesterday, I was SO energetic. My depression had made me feel lethargic and I had to force myself to do things; but now that I'm feeling better, I don't have to talk myself into things anymore. My house is super clean, I'm caught up on email (well, almost--but much more than usual), I've been spending time with the kids, and I just feel very 

content

. I'm not euphoric or anything, but I am loving that I don't feel depressed. I had so many really dark days that I thought would never end, and when I look back on those, I have a hard time believing it.

I was happy I got to spend some time with Jerry yesterday. He picked me up from the airport on Sunday night, and then we went to bed (I only saw him for about two hours, but I was unpacking, visiting with the kids, etc). He left for work before I woke up on Monday, and from work, he went to a concert with a friend on Monday night. I was sleeping when he got home, and then he woke up for work early on Tuesday, while I was sleeping. So last night was the first night I really got to talk to him since Thursday afternoon.

While I was in Boston, he did the coolest thing for me--he got a new battery put in my watch! Maybe that doesn't sound like a big deal, but Jerry bought me this watch when we were dating, probably in 2001-ish? I loved it, and I wore it until the battery went dead. Then I put it in my jewelry box, intending to take it in for a new battery. And it sat there ever since!

I was cleaning out drawers in my bedroom, and I went through my jewelry box as well. When I saw the watch, I told Jerry that I really HAVE to get a new battery, because I'd love to wear the watch again. So, while I was in Boston, Jerry surprised me by taking my watch in and now it works again! I know a lot of people don't wear watches anymore, because it's easy enough to check the time on our phones; but I've always liked telling time manually--with the "big hand" and "little hand"--instead of digitally. Anyway, I'm happy to be wearing it again! (It's definitely bigger on my wrist than it used to be--but that's just fine with me).

This morning was my Wednesday Weigh-in, and I was pretty psyched when I got on the scale to see that not only had I not gained weight in Boston, I actually had a good two pound loss this week! It was funny, though. I usually weigh in while wearing my underwear and sometimes my socks, but when I stepped on the scale, it said 140.0. SO close to the 130's--so I took off my undies and socks, and that was enough to bring it down to 139.8.

THEN, when I picked up my phone to take a picture, it went up to 140.2. Obviously, it doesn't actually make any difference whether it reads 140.2 or 139.8 (my body weighs the same either way), but because I was so close to the 130's, I wanted the official weigh in to read that. After a few tries, I managed to grab my phone and snap a picture before the scale registered the weight of the phone. HAHAHA.

I haven't seen the 130's in a long time. I think the biggest change over the last couple of months has been that I haven't had much alcohol at all. It wasn't just calories in alcohol that would be a problem (a glass of wine only has 100-125 calories); but a glass of wine usually makes me want to eat something, and then sometimes I would binge or just eat when I wasn't actually hungry. Alcohol gives me that, "Ah, screw it! I'll worry about it later!" mentality.

I haven't quit drinking alcohol entirely, but I can count on one hand the number of occasions that I've had any drinks--even including this weekend in Boston. I had one and a half beers on Friday; one drink with dinner at Kowloon, and two at the comedy show; and none on Sunday. Usually, on vacation, I like to indulge in several drinks! The benefit to drinking only on rare occasions now is that I've become a lightweight, and one or two drinks is plenty.

Anyway, I haven't binged in over two months, so I think it has made a pretty big difference. I still haven't been counting calories, but I've been eating four times a day and keeping my portions reasonable. I'm pretty happy with how things are going right now! :)

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Anita lost 206 pounds

Transformation of the Day: Anita lost 206 pounds. When day to day tasks became unbearable to perform, she knew that something had to change. As a health professional, she was sharing the importance of healthy living, but not making healthy choices in her own life. Check out how she took action to release the weight. […]

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Artery-clogging saturated fat myth debunked

Study finds major health benefits linked to indoor temperature variation

Exposure to environments outside a comfortable temperature could help tackle major metabolic diseases, such as diabetes and obesity, and should be reflected in modern building practices, finds a study published in Building Research & Information.

This new research reveals how exposure to mildly cold or warm environments, outside the standard comfort zone inside buildings of 21 - 22 ^oC, increases metabolism and energy expenditure which may help to tackle obesity. For those with type 2 diabetes, exposure to mild coldness influences glucose metabolism and after 10 days of intermittent cold, patients had increased insulin sensitivity by more than 40%. These results for diabetes treatment are comparable with the best pharmaceutical solutions available.

As a result of the positive benefits, the authors advocate that living conditions in modern buildings, such as homes and offices, should be dynamic and incorporate drifting temperatures in order to support healthy human environments. Such measures should go hand in hand with the classical lifestyle factors such diet and physical exercise.

The research, "Healthy Excursions Outside the Thermal Comfort Zone", published in Building Research & Information, outlines how preventable metabolic syndrome health conditions, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes, may be influenced by exposure to a variable indoor temperature.

The lead author of the study and Professor of Ecological Energetics and Health at Maastricht University Wouter van Marken Lichtenbelt commented, "It has previously been assumed that stable fixed indoor temperatures would satisfy comfort and health in most people. However, this research indicates that mild cold and variable temperatures may have a positive effect on our health and at the same time are acceptable or even may create pleasure."

Richard Lorch, editor in chief, commented: "This ground-breaking research provides a new approach to how we think about the heating and cooling our of buildings. The health benefits from a short exposure to a more varied temperature range will redefine our expectations on thermal comfort. In turn, this will change our practices for heating and cooling our buildings."

The research, part of a forthcoming Building Research & Information special issue entitled "Rethinking Thermal Comfort", examines the practices of thermal comfort, and offers solutions providing healthier, comfortable, low-energy solutions in buildings. In developed countries, buildings account for up to 40% of energy demand and constitute a significant proportion of CO2 emissions. A reduction in heating and cooling of buildings will have a positive health effect on the occupants, as well as reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

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Little kids' regular bedtimes and ability to regulate emotions may lessen obesity risk

Study finds link between routines, emotions and weight.

Family structure including regular bedtimes, mealtimes and limited screen time appear to be linked to better emotional health in preschoolers, and that might lower the chances of obesity later, a new study suggests.

"This study provides more evidence that routines for preschool-aged children are associated with their healthy development and could reduce the likelihood that these children will be obese," said lead author Sarah Anderson of The Ohio State University.

The study - the first to look at the connections between early childhood routines and self-regulation and their potential association with weight problems in the pre-teen years - appears in the International Journal of Obesity.

Researchers evaluated three household routines when children were 3 years old: regular bedtime, regular mealtime and whether or not parents limited television and video watching to an hour or less daily. Then they compared those to parents' reports of two aspects of children's self-regulation at that same age.

Lastly, they investigated how the routines and self-regulation worked together to impact obesity at age 11, defined based on international criteria. (The U.S. criteria for childhood obesity is set lower and would have included more children.)

The research included 10,955 children who are part of the Millennium Cohort Study, a long-term study of a diverse population of children born in the United Kingdom from September of 2000 to January of 2002. At age 3, 41 percent of children always had a regular bedtime, 47 percent always had a regular mealtime and 23 percent were limited to an hour or less daily of TV and videos. At age 11, about 6 percent were obese.

All three household routines were associated with better emotional self-regulation - a measure based on parents' responses to questions such as how easily the child becomes frustrated or over-excited. Those children with greater emotional dysregulation were more likely to be obese later.

"We saw that children who had the most difficulties with emotion regulation at age 3 also were more likely to be obese at age 11," said Anderson, an associate professor in Ohio State's College of Public Health.

Anderson and her colleagues also found that the absence of a regular preschool bedtime was an independent predictor of obesity at 11. Obesity risk increased even when children "usually" had a regular bedtime, as opposed to "always." The risk was greatest for those who had the least amount of consistency in their bedtimes.

How persistent and independent children were at age 3 - another aspect of self-regulation - was not related to obesity risk, nor were routines associated with these aspects of self-regulation.

The new findings build on previous research by Anderson and her colleagues showing an association between earlier preschool bedtimes and decreased odds of obesity later. Previous work published in 2010 showed in a US national sample that obesity prevalence was lowest for children who got enough sleep, had limits on screen time and ate meals with their families.

"This research allows us to better understand how young children's routines around sleep, meals, and screen time relate to their regulation of emotion and behavior," Anderson said. "The large, population-based, UK Millennium Cohort Study afforded the opportunity to examine these aspects of children's lives and how they impact future risk for obesity."

This research should prompt future work looking at the role of emotional self-regulation in weight gain in children and how bedtime routines can support healthy development, Anderson said.

"Sleep is so important and it's important for children in particular. Although there is much that remains unknown about how sleep impacts metabolism, research is increasingly finding connections between obesity and poor sleep," she said.

While it's impossible from this work to prove that routines will prevent obesity, "Recommending regular bedtime routines is unlikely to cause harm, and may help children in other ways, such as through emotion regulation," Anderson said.

But competing family pressures including parents' work schedules don't always allow for consistency, Anderson pointed out.

"As a society, we should consider what we can do to make it easier for parents to interact with their children in ways that support their own and their children's health."

The National Institutes of Health and the U.K. Economic and Social Research Council supported the study.

Researchers from the University College London and Temple University also worked on the study.

Article: Self-regulation and household routines at age three and obesity at age eleven: Longitudinal analysis of the UK Millennium cohort study, S E Anderson, A Sacker, R C Whitaker and Y Kelly, International Journal of Obesity, doi: 10.1038/ijo.2017.94, published 24 April 2017.

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Emotional overeating in children linked to home environment not genes

Overeating by children who are stressed or upset is mainly influenced by their home environment and not by their genes, according to new research led by UCL.

The researchers found that genetics play a surprisingly small role in young children's emotional overeating, unlike other eating behaviours seen in early childhood, such as food fussiness. Their study 'Home environment shapes emotional eating' is published today in the journal Child Development.

Previous research had focussed on how adults use food to cope with stress, sadness and other negative emotions. However, little was known about the development of emotional overeating in childhood and this study is the first to examine the roles of genetic and environmental factors.

The researchers collected data from over 4,800 British twins born in 2007 and taking part in the Gemini twin study.

Parents described their twins' tendencies to eat more than usual when experiencing emotions, such as feeling upset or anxious. They answered questions on two occasions; when their twins were 16 months old, and again when they were 5 years old. The researchers compared how similar identical and non-identical twin pairs were for emotional eating.

"We showed that children's emotional overeating is mostly influenced by environmental factors completely shared by twin pairs. Future research should look towards home environmental factors that might play a role, such as certain parental feeding practices or stress around the dinner table. Genes are largely unimportant for emotional overeating in childhood," said Moritz Herle, (UCL Behavioural Science and Health), who co-led the research.

"The results were surprising because previous studies have shown that other eating behaviours are strongly influenced by genes in early childhood; such as being fussy about food. Findings also contrasted with studies of adults that have shown that the tendency to eat emotionally is partly shaped by genes, while the home family environment we grew up in plays no role at all when we're older."

The researchers found that genes contributed just 10% and 4% to the trait of emotional overeating, at the ages of 16 months and five years respectively.

"People who have a tendency to eat for comfort when they are stressed or upset have been found to be more likely to gain weight and develop other mental health problems, such as binge eating disorder. Understanding when and how these tendencies develop is useful, because it helps researchers to give advice about how to prevent or change it," said Dr Clare Llewellyn, (UCL Behavioural Science and Health), senior lead researcher for the paper.

"The findings from this study suggest that if we want to stop children becoming emotional eaters, we should focus on influences within the family. Using food as a reward or to sooth a child who is upset might be one of the ways that children learn to overeat in response to negative emotions."

Article: The home environment shapes emotional eating, Herle M, Fildes A, Rijsdijk F, Steinsbekk S and Llewellyn CH, Child Development, published 25 April 2017.

Weight Loss

Taking Ollie Marie on the Road!

I did my first show last weekend, it's a local one about 20 minutes from my house. Being this was my first time I had a ton of expenses - fixtures, canopies, signs {thanks to my friend GirlHobbs! She designed it for me!}, bins, pricing guns and tags, cash box, and a million kettle bells. Yes, kettle bells.  See Friday is was hot and sunny and we had a huge storm roll through overnight which led to a COLD AND WINDY Saturday. No one was in the mood to buy summer clothes, hats, and accessories when they are walking around with parkas on. 

Let me tell you - I owe Oliver 'hugs' whenever he wants for the next year! He got up at 4am with me {after barely any sleep from the hail coming down at 2am!} helped me set up in the wind, the person who had the spot next to me never showed so we took the brunt of the gusts and he had lots of times where he had to stand and hold it up. He stayed all day without complaint and I'm so grateful because it was really stressful and bitching would probably have sent me over the edge. I had to run to walmart to buy 200 bucks in kettle bells to tie the canopy down, actually worked really well. 

I'm so glad I got up early to curl my hair to stand out in the wind. You can find my

denim joggers here

, my top

here,

and my sunnies

here

. Overall I only did about half of what I expected, but it wasn't a total waste because I learned all kinds of things I would do differently!

Like:

1. To speed up checkout just put prices on everything and do a quick sale - searching for specific inventory was taking WAY too long and no one likes to stand in line when it's windy and cold. I used the Shopify POS system and LOVED it. The only problem I ran into was that the iPhone 7 has no headphone jack to plug in a credit swiper so I had to buy a bluetooth reader for about 80 bucks. 

2. I would have more signage! I only had a big one out front stating who we were and that we sold curvy sizes also, which I think was a great idea because a lot of boutiques only carry up to a large. I would do signs for deals - like $10 flip flips or sunglasses. 

3. I did take my LipSense and only kept out my testers - people will walk up and open colors which I would have to damage out so I kept live product under the table. 

4. I had people asking to try items on, but in the wind no way I could set up a dressing room, but if it's possible I sure would. 

I do plan to do more shows so I feel like I'll be more prepared next time, hopefully! Indoors would def be a lot easier!

All was right in the world when I found out my favorite restaurant now has FROZEN Moscow Mules!! Well that and 11 hours of deep sleep. 

Weight Loss

3 Big Reasons Why You Should Stop Drinking Diet Sodapop

I’ve been saying for years, that people need to relax on the fizzy drinks. The sweet drinks, too. Yes, that includes juice. And, for years, people have been coming aaaaat me about it. I mean, you would think I was threatening folks’ mamas out here. But I get it. People are very attached to these […]

The post 3 Big Reasons Why You Should Stop Drinking Diet Sodapop appeared first on A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss.

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Junk food and diabetes: Recommendations and tips for eating out

Physical activity may ward off heart damage

Physical activity can lower the risk of heart damage in middle-aged and older adults and reduce the levels of heart damage in people who are obese, according to research published in JACC: Heart Failure.

Obesity is associated with structural and functional abnormalities in the heart and subsequent heart failure. Heart failure may be caused by subclinical myocardial damage, in which there is damage to the heart muscle but a patient does not show sign or symptoms.

Researchers examined 9,427 patients aged 45-64 years without cardiovascular disease and a body mass index of more than 18.5 kg/m2. Physical activity was measured through a questionnaire and categorized according to current guidelines as "recommended" (at least 75 minutes per week of vigorous intensity or at least 150 minutes per week of a combination of moderate to vigorous intensity), "intermediate" (1-74 minutes per week of vigorous intensity or 1-149 minutes of a combination of moderate to vigorous intensity), or "poor" (no moderate to vigorous exercise). To measure damage to the heart, researchers assessed levels of high sensitivity troponin T. Elevated levels of this biomarker are considered a marker of heart damage and have been shown to be associated with future heart failure.

Elevated levels of high sensitivity troponin T were observed in 7.2 percent of the total study population. Individuals with lower levels of physical activity were significantly more likely to have elevated levels of high sensitivity troponin suggesting higher heart damage. For example, participants who performed poor and intermediate levels of physical activity were 39 percent and 34 percent more likely to have heart damage than persons who engaged in recommended levels of physical activity.

The researchers subsequently looked at the combined associations of physical activity and obesity with this blood marker of heart damage. Obesity had been previously shown to be strongly associated with elevated levels of high sensitivity troponin, and the combination of obesity and elevated troponin was associated with a significantly increased risk of future heart failure. In the current study, the authors demonstrated that participants with obesity who performed poor levels of exercise had the highest likelihood of having elevated high sensitivity troponin levels. Participants with obesity who performed recommended levels of physical activity had a weaker association with elevated levels of high sensitivity troponin, and after adjustment for traditional cardiac risk factors, this was association was no longer statistically significant. These results suggest physical activity may lessen the association of obesity and heart damage. The authors also found a significant interaction between physical activity and obesity on elevated levels of high sensitivity troponin, which indicates that the protective association of physical activity and heart damage may be stronger among individuals with obesity, a group at particularly high risk for future heart failure.

"The protective association of physical activity against subclinical myocardial damage may have implication for heart failure risk reduction, particularly among the high-risk group of individuals with excess weight," said Roberta Florido, MD, cardiology fellow at Johns Hopkins Hospital and lead author of the study. "Promoting physical activity may be a particularly important strategy for heart failure risk reductions among high risk groups such as those with obesity."

In an accompanying editorial comment, Tariq Ahmad, MD, MPH, FACC, and Jeffrey M. Testani, MD, MTR, said they encourage cardiologists to promote healthy habits rather than simply treating heart failure after it has developed.

"In this report we add to the body of evidence supporting moderate physical activity and its protective effect in the setting of obesity," said JACC: Heart Failure Editor-in-Chief Christopher O'Connor, MD, FACC.

Weight Loss

Britney lost 70 pounds

Transformation of the Day: Britney lost 70 pounds. At 17 years old, she was told that she had borderline diabetes, also known as pre-diabetes. This young lady took her wakeup call seriously and immediately began making changes to avoid an unhealthy lifestyle. Check out her journey. What was your motivaiton to change your life? All […]

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Ten diabetes superfoods

Anderson, J. W., Baird, P., Davis Jr., R. H., Ferreri, S., Knudtson, M., Koraym, A., ... Williams, C. L. (2009, April). Health benefits of dietary fiber [Abstract]. Nutrition Reviews, 67(4), 188-205. Retrieved from http://ift.tt/1pc6ozZ

Bes‐Rastrollo, M., Sabaté, J., Gómez‐Gracia, E., Alonso, A., Martínez, J. A., & Martínez‐González, M. A. (2007). Nut consumption and weight gain in a Mediterranean cohort: The SUN study. Obesity, 15(1), 107-107. Retrieved from http://ift.tt/1jAEWsT

Bode, A. M., & Dong, D. (2011). The amazing and mighty ginger. Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. Chatterjee, R., Yeh, H-C., Edelman, D., & Brancati, F. (2011, September). Potassium and risk of type 2 diabetes. Expert Review of Endocrinology & Metabolism, 6(5), 665–672. Retrieved from http://ift.tt/2aUpVTn

Christie-David, D. J., Girgis, C. M., & Gunton, J. E. (2015, February 10). Effects of vitamins C and D in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Nutrition and Dietary Supplements, 2015(7), 21-28. Retrieved from http://ift.tt/2aWheuK

Daily, J. W., Yang, M., Kim, D. S., & Park, S. (2015, March). Efficacy of ginger for treating type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Journal of Ethnic Foods, 2(1), 36-43. Retrieved from http://ift.tt/2aUpeJK

Dickenson, G. (2013). Going nuts - for nut and seed butters, that is. Today’s Dietitian, 15(9), 64. Retrieved from http://ift.tt/2aUpeJK

Dreher, M. L., & Davenport, A. J. (2013). Hass avocado composition and potential health effects. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition, 53(7), 738-750. Retrieved from http://ift.tt/1Snycle

Higdon, J., Drake, V. J., & Klurfeld, D. M. (2012, April). Fiber. Retrieved from http://ift.tt/2aUpusg

Kelly Jr., J. H., & Sabaté, J. (2006, November). Nuts and coronary heart disease: an epidemiological perspective [Abstract]. British Journal of Nutrition, 96, Suppl 2:S61-7. Retrieved from http://ift.tt/1RQbpxX

Lu, T., Sheng, H., Wu, J., Cheng, Y., Zhu, J., & Chen, Y. (2012, June). Cinnamon extract improves fasting blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin level in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes. Nutrition Research, 32(6), 408-412. Retrieved from http://ift.tt/2aUpuIM

Magnesium [Fact sheet]. (2016, February 11). Retrieved from http://ift.tt/1IuUZXx

Maher, P., Dargusch, R., Ehren, J. L., Okada, S., Sharma, K., & Schubert, D. (2011, June 27). Fisetin lowers methylglyoxal dependent protein glycation and limits the complications of diabetes. PLoS One, 6(6), e21226. Retrieved from http://ift.tt/2aUoIeP

Mattes, R. D., & Reher, M. L. (2010). Nuts and healthy body weight maintenance mechanisms. Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 19(1), 137-41. Retrieved from http://ift.tt/2aWhl9Y

Mofidi, A., Ferraro, Z. M., Stewart, K. A., Tulk, H. M., Robinson, L. E., Duncan, A. M., & Graham, T. E. (2012). The acute impact of ingestion of sourdough and whole-grain breads on blood glucose, insulin, and incretins in overweight and obese men. Journal of nutrition and metabolism, 2012. Retrieved from http://ift.tt/2orFmOB

Mozaffari-Khosravi, H., Talaei, B., Jalali, B. A., Najarzadeh, A., & Mozayan, M. R. (2014, January 8). The effect of ginger powder supplementation on insulin resistance and glycemic indices in patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial [Abstract]. Complementary Therapies in Medicine. 22(1), 9-16. Retrieved from http://ift.tt/12ndITj

Nagao, K., & Yanagita, T. (2009). Medium-chain fatty acids: Functional lipids for the prevention and treatment of metabolic syndrome. Pharmalogical Research, 61(2010), 208-212. Retrieved from http://ift.tt/2aWhgD1

Palmer, S. (2008, July). The top fiber-rich foods list. Today's Dietitian, 10(7), 28. Retrieved from http://ift.tt/13kI5dq

Ryan, E., Galvin, K., O’Connor, T. P., Maguire, A. R., & O’Brien, N. M. (2007). Phytosterol, squalene, tocopherol content and fatty acid profile of selected seeds, grains, and legumes. Plant Foods for Human Nutrition, 62(3), 85-91. Retrieved from http://ift.tt/2orI6v3

Schaeffer, J. (2013, June). Latest scoop on berries - Harvard study shows heart health benefits for young women. Today’s Dietitian, 15(6), 16. Retrieved from http://ift.tt/1GlC5SL

Shidfar F, Froghifar N, Vafa M, Rajab A, Hosseini S, Shidfar S, Gohari M. (2011, May). The effects of tomato consumption on serum glucose, apolipoprotein B, apolipoprotein A-I, homocysteine and blood pressure in type 2 diabetic patients. International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition. 62(3):289-94. Retrieved from http://ift.tt/2orSnr8

Tsuda, T. (2016). Recent progress in anti-obesity and anti-diabetes effect of berries. Antioxidants, 5(2), 13. Retrieved from http://ift.tt/2cMuRuE

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Recipes and Resources for Week 3 – 21 Days of Clean Eating

Thank you so much for joining our April Clean Eating Challenge. Here are the resources for Week #3. We’ve posted new recipes and meal plans, along with information on dealing with cravings and emotional/stress eating. Enjoy! Dealing with Cravings 12 Snacks Nutritionists Eat to Stop Cravings When Clean Eating Makes You Feel Crazy: The Emotional Detox […]

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A Boston weekend

I'm home from Boston! What a whirlwind weekend--it went by so quickly. I started to write out a detailed post about everything we did, but it would have taken forever, so I'll just do a quick recap.

Friday

I arrived in Boston at around 8:00 AM, and Caitlin and John picked me up from the airport. We headed from the airport to Sam Adams Brewery for a tour! "It's five o'clock somewhere" applies quite literally at Sam Adams Brewery, because all of their clocks are permanently set to 5:00, haha. So, the fact that it was a 9:30 on a Friday morning made no difference ;)

Waiting for our Sam Adams tour

First, we did a tasting while we were waiting for our tour. They had four blind samples of beers to taste and then respond to questions about each one on a computer.

Caitlin and I are not exactly beer-people, so we took a tiny sip of each just to see what we thought, but they all tasted the same to us. Our tour guide was awesome, and I learned quite a bit about making beer. I was mostly interested when he described putting unusual things into beers that are brewing--like oysters!

At the end of the tour, they gave us more beer to taste--some of their best sellers--so it was fun to taste without committing to a beer that I wasn't sure if I'd like. Then took a free shuttle/party bus to a cool pub called Doyle's. The driver of the bus was very intense, and had us cracking up. I felt like I was on a sitcom or something. I would love to do that again if I go back to Boston.

At Doyle's, I had the BEST fried pickles I've ever had in my life! Fried pickles are a favorite of mine, but these ones were honestly the best I've had.

Fried pickles at Doyle's

After lunch at Doyle's, we went on a mission to get a piece of carrot cake from Mike's Pastry. Their carrot cake is SO good, and I was looking forward to having a piece while I was in town!

Unfortunately, they were sold out. So I "settled" for a chocolate chip cannoli instead, and it was amazing. I'm kind of glad they didn't have the cake, because I wouldn't have tried the cannoli otherwise.

Chocolate chip cannoli from Mike's Pastry

We went to the Airbnb and chatted for a little while before going to a dive bar about a mile away. I love dive bars, especially when they have Keno. Caitlin and I played Keno, and we all chatted for several hours--it was exactly what I was looking forward to! I love being able to catch up with friends in a low-key environment.

At Sully's, the dive bar where we spent the evening

Saturday

I had gotten a comment on my blog from a reader named Rachel, who is from Boston and asked about meeting up. I hadn't planned an actual "meet-up" because I was only going to be there for two nights, but I suggested that she meet us for breakfast on Saturday morning. I was happy that it worked out, and she met us at a little cafe near the Airbnb.

Rachel!

I always get nervous before meeting readers, because I typically know NOTHING about them. There is a lot of my life described here on my blog, so I feel like they know all about me--but I'm literally meeting a stranger. Thankfully, Rachel turned out to be not just "normal/not a serial killer", but she was awesome! As soon as she walked up to the table, I stopped being nervous. We had great conversation, and a yummy breakfast. Then we said goodbye, and John, Caitlin, and I went into downtown Boston.

It was cold and raining, unfortunately! It was raining the last time I was in Boston, so I had hoped for nice weather, but no such luck. Still, we walked the Freedom Trail, stopping at David's Tea to warm our hands with a hot cup of tea.

Our first stop on the Freedom Trail

I love cemeteries, and I could have walked through this all day;
I'm amazed that these stones are in such good condition for being
from the 1700's. 

We went back to Mike's to see if they had carrot cake, and they told us to go back after 3:00, because it wasn't ready yet.

We went to Fenway Park for a tour. Caitlin and I both have Reynaud's (mine is terrible in my feet, and hers is in her hands). My feet started to get numb and then very painful, which drives me crazy! It was hard to walk up and down the stairs because my feet hurt from the Reynaud's (triggered from the cold). I was wishing Jerry was with me, because he would have loved the tour--but I'm pretty sure we'll go next year together, so he can see it then.

Fenway Park

It felt like January, not April!

After the park, Caitlin and I were dying to get warm, so we headed to the nearest restaurant for lunch. All I could think about was hot clam chowder. My toes finally thawed out, and I had some delicious chowder for lunch. John's friends, Will and Denise, met us there. They were fantastic people! I enjoyed getting to know them, and I could clearly see why John likes them so much.

After a late lunch, we went to Mike's (for the third time!) to get some carrot cake. It was only about 4:30, but they were out! The line for Mike's is insane--but it's totally worth it. And the line actually moves pretty quickly. We couldn't see if there was any carrot cake until we got to the front of the line, but we actually had fun while we waited.

The line outside of Mike's

Almost our turn! (That's Will on the right)

We walked to the car, and I couldn't resist getting a picture with this food truck, of course:

After that, we went to Caitlin's house to meet her boyfriend, Joe. Since our lunch was so late, we didn't get a chance to sit and chat, but Joe was great! His brother lives in Detroit, so we chatted about Detroit a little. Now, how is THIS for coincidence?--remember that day Caitlin came to visit last summer, and we went to Eastern Market in Detroit? Well, Joe (who Caitlin hadn't met yet!) was actually at a Tigers game in Detroit on that same day at the same time. Crazy, right?! They later met and are now smitten with each other ;)

Joe wanted to take us all out to dinner, so we went to a Chinese place called

Kowloon

. Holy cow--I can't even describe how cool this place was! I wish I'd have taken some pictures inside, because it was truly indescribable. It was the largest restaurant I'd ever seen in my life, and the atmosphere was really fun. Even with the restaurant being so large, there was a wait to get a table, so clearly the food was good.

The menu was overwhelming, and I asked Caitlin and Joe to just choose for me, because I wanted to eat what

they

like to eat there. They chose well--the food was AMAZING. I wasn't very hungry because our lunch was so late, but I instantly made room when I tasted the food ;) Another place I want to go back to with Jerry!

Just some of the food at Kowloon

After dinner, we went upstairs for a comedy show. I happen to really love comedy shows, so I was looking forward to it. When we walked in, the hostess sat us front and center--which is a notorious spot for getting heckled by the comedians. Thankfully, the only attention we got was when the first comedian accidentally knocked the microphone stand over, and it fell right between John and me. John caught it before it hit me, so that was cool ;)

Joe, Caitlin, me, and John

Anyway, we had lots of laughs at the comedy show; and then I was full, tired, and ready for bed--it was a long (fun) day!

Sunday

We took our time getting ready on Sunday morning, and then went to breakfast at the same little cafe as Saturday. I had packed up my stuff for the airport, because I knew I'd have to get there at 2:30. We got tickets for a Duck Tour (a tour around Boston from a vehicle that goes on land and in water). I learned some really interesting facts about Boston and saw some of the city I hadn't seen. It was fun! And the day ended up being beautiful--Friday and Saturday were cold and rainy, but Sunday made up for it.

I look so awkward in this photo, because I thought
John was taking a picture with me on the RIGHT,
and the "Duck Tours" sign on the left. Hahaha

I didn't know she had done this, but early in the morning, Caitlin called Mike's and ordered a WHOLE carrot cake! Hahaha. She wanted to make sure I got a piece of carrot cake before I left. After the Duck Tour, we stopped at Mike's to get the cake. We drove around for a while looking for parking so that we could each have some, but we couldn't find a spot--and it was time to head to the airport. So, we did what any carrot-cake-hungry people would do and we stopped in the cell phone lot. I cut out a slice of cake to take into the airport with me, and we all had a couple of bites of cake in the car. It was just as delicious as I remembered! (I imagine the other people in the lot were pretty curious about the three of us swooning over bites of cake in the car, lol)

Caitlin and John dropped me off, and I headed home. I had such a fun weekend, but it felt good to get home and see all my boys. I was wound up last night and couldn't fall asleep until around midnight; then I got up with the kids today. I'm exhausted! But thankfully, it's for good reason. I'm looking forward to going back to Boston (hopefully with Jerry) next year!

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What to say

My heart is not in blogging right now, but with those asking if I am okay and for an update, I decided to write something today. Am I okay? No, not really. Actually not at all okay, but what can I say about it? I decided years ago not to write about my family members' stuff, out of respect for their privacy. I wish I could. I would love to ramble on and give a lot of details about what we have been going through and share my emotions about all of it. It would probably be therapeutic. But I can't, because I don't want anyone coming back later and being upset that I wrote personal details about them. So without the benefit of being able to vent, there is no reason for me to write here at all. So I haven't.

But I do appreciate the concern and the support I have always gotten here so I wanted to say something. But what? Well myself, I am just finishing up a couple weeks of antibiotics from being sick. I feel like crap and am not getting enough sleep. My husband is having health issues that are affecting all of us. But the thing I am drowning in is that my daughter was given a pretty devastating diagnosis. Her deterioration has been life altering. We have spent a lot of time seeing doctors, therapists and specialists and travelling to the hospital hours away. I have been working on getting second opinions. We went to the hospital a few weeks ago, we are going again in a week, and again in one month or sooner. She is in daily pain and can no longer dance or go to school. As much as I would like to say more, I won't, and I ask you to respect that. I am just sharing this bit so you can see how it is affecting our lives. I love her so much and if only I could take away her pain, I would.

I am very emotional inside because I stay strong on the outside because I have to. It seems SO stupid to me to say *anything* about food or dieting at a time like this, but that's what the blog is about so, the update is that I have started stress eating and feel like I am kind of losing it. I eat food as a way to cope, or quell anxiety, worry, stress. I know I have started doing it. I cram food into my mouth because if I don't I will fall apart. I feel the tears and fear and scared emotions welling up and about to spill out (which I just cannot do... I have to take care of everything and can't be breaking down) so I hurry and shove some food in there to smash those emotions back down.

I need a better way to cope but right now this has to do. After next week we will know more about the course of action and what the next few months holds. Depending on that, maybe I can find a different way to deal. I am too high stress right now to make any effort in the food or diet direction.

Hug your kids. Just go hug them or whoever you love.



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Sipping on Sugar. Diet Bet. Recipes.

I made it through the election (with my parents and very opinionated FB friends), so who knew that a Unicorn drink would be the thing that was the line in the sand for me. 

I knew the risk of posting this picture online.

OMG, it's has 76g of sugar and you gave it to your kids?! 

Yup. Cause we know how to treat ourselves in moderation. We got talls - we shared - we had our fill and threw the rest away. It was a fun little way to spend a Wednesday afternoon. {don't worry we shared with Aiden too} We made up songs and cheers in the car about being unicorns and had a grand ole time sipping on that sugar. BTW I guess some places made it differently, but ours were pretty dang good.

But, seriously, the judgy people are too much for me. I hope they know that a can of coke, a gatorade, and a MILLION OTHER DRINKS have lots of sugar too. Sheesh. Killing my happy unicorn vibes. Honestly if there is one thing I can't tolerate in other people it's negativity - even if it's not directed to me. 

Now let's talk about food.

I know I mostly eat my chicken, but with the addition of the Instant Pot to my life I've been branching out and trying Salmon. It cooks in 10 minutes, is super yummy, and full of protein. I put mine over Cous Cous {get the fast cooking kind!} for an easy lunch. I bought this one from Walmart and I rarely shop there for meat, but it was preseasoned and quite tasty.

I made this Honey Garlic Brussel recipe the other night - it has soy sauce in it - Oliver flipped over how good it was, must try! Also if you haven't cooked a spaghetti squash in the IP you are missing out, it legit peeled like an egg.

Cardio dieting vs Weightlifting dieting. To be honest I'd take either one over my 'before' photo, but I'm pretty proud of those muscle cause I've worked really hard to build them.

I'm currently reverse dieting- I was in a 'fat loss' plan at around 1650ish calories. I've been adding 200 every few weeks and I'm at about 2000ish right now. I will keep that up through the summer, but checking in on my weight/measurements so I don't go overboard and start adding a bunch of fat. That's the problem when I move my calories up - I get lazy and start not being consistent with my numbers. To hold myself accountable I'm doing an after Labor Day Diet Bet - starts May 3.

We will have a month long accountability group on FB to share workouts, recipes, daily food logs, etc. The link to the FB group will be posted on the activity page of the Diet Bet a few days before the game begins! Keeping others acceptable helps me keep myself that way too!

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Mood journaling and weigh-in

Okay, how much does Phoebe look like a kangaroo in this picture?! I thought she looked so odd in that position, and Eli said she looked like a kangaroo. Once I saw that, I couldn't UNsee it, and it makes me laugh every time I look at it!

It's finally starting to feel like spring here in Michigan. We've had gorgeous weather for about a week now, and it's been SO nice to open up the windows in the house and work on spring cleaning. A few of you mentioned that I seem to be doing better mentally lately--happier. And it's true :)

After seeing the psychiatrist and starting a new medication, I decided to keep track of my moods using an app on my phone (my friend Emily suggested it, and I had never thought to see if such an app existed before!). I downloaded a few different ones to try out and see what I like best, so maybe once I use them a little more, I write a post about them. But so far, they've been really helpful to keep track of my moods!

I basically just choose an emoticon/mood to represent my general feeling at that moment, and then I write a few notes about it. It's easy to see at a glance my overall moods and to look for patterns. I'm hoping it will help me to see how the new medication is working (or not working). I always used to think that I could "keep track" in my head of how my moods have been, but after tracking it for a week, I realized that there was so much I would have forgotten. This will be useful to look over before I go to therapy, too, so I can remember specific events or things that changed my mood.

The first few days of the new med involved a lot of ups and downs; but now, I have very few "downs". So, I hope that means it's working, and I won't have to try any other meds! The only side effect I've noticed so far is that I'm having trouble falling asleep at night. I've even stayed up until 1:00 AM watching movies on a few occasions! But the psychiatrist said that the side effects will diminish as I get used to it. I can deal with a little insomnia if it means I won't feel depressed ;)

The kids are on Spring Break this week, but we don't have anything major planned. A lot of my friends go on family vacation for spring break, but we're going on our vacation in July to my sister's property in the upper peninsula of Michigan. (And Joey gets to go with us!)

Tomorrow, I told the boys they could each invite four friends over for a little "party" for spring break. So, we'll have 10 boys over here--God help me ;) No, their friends are actually really well-behaved, so it should be fine. I bought them some snacks and drinks, and I think I'll order pizza for dinner.

On Friday, I'm going to visit Caitlin in Boston (just for the weekend) and I'll be home on Sunday night. It all came about when I was visiting John, and we were chatting (over margaritas). John said we should go visit Caitlin in the spring, so we immediately made plans. I'm really excited to see both of them! Jerry and the kids have some fun "boy stuff" planned--I'm sure they will have a blast. (Because I used to be too scared to fly, I didn't start traveling until 2011. I did drive to Indy for the half-marathon each year, though. Every year, my kids would get so excited for me to go to Indy! They kept asking me how much longer until I leave--hahaha. I love that they have so much fun with Jerry, though.)

I think I'm going to try to get in a long walk again tomorrow morning. I know I'll be doing a lot of walking in Boston, but probably not the "training" kind of walking I need to do for the Indy Mini. I'd like to get in a 10+ mile walk at least once or twice before the race. It won't hurt to burn some extra calories before blowing them all on

a piece of carrot cake in Boston

 ;)

Speaking of which, today was Wednesday Weigh-in. Wednesday seemed to sneak up on me this week! But I was down 1.2 pounds today.

I'm a little nervous about going to Boston, because I've gotten into such a routine with eating that it may throw me off. But, obviously, I want to enjoy my trip and not worry about my weight--so that's what I'm going to do. I'll also be doing a lot of walking while I'm there, and hopefully that will help minimize any indulgences. I'm only going to be there for two nights, anyway.

With 10 boys here tomorrow, I may not get a chance to write again before I leave, so have a great weekend everyone!

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Q&A Wednesday: How to Handle the Gym ‘Alpha Dog’

Q: so i know this is going to sound a little weird, but i am terrified of the gym. i mean, it scares the sh-t out of me. like, i get all siced to get up and go workout, but then i envision some a--hole in a muscle tank pointing and laughing at me as i struggle with two one pound kettlebells or whatever, and then i flip out and decide to stay on my couch in the comfort of shonda rhimes instead.

The post Q&A Wednesday: How to Handle the Gym ‘Alpha Dog’ appeared first on A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss.

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Electroacupuncture may improve regulation of blood sugar in overweight and obese women

For women who are overweight or obese and are unable to exercise, new research appearing online in The FASEB Journal suggests combining acupuncture with an electrical current may help. In the report, an international team of researchers used electroacupuncture to assist with muscle contraction, which led to improved blood sugar regulation. This research also may benefit women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), the most common hormonal disorder among women, which is associated with prediabetes and an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

"This study has the potential to gain better quality of life for patients with prediabetes and reduced capacity to regulate blood sugar levels, especially for those who have difficulties performing voluntary exercise," said Elisabet Stener-Victorin, Ph.D., associate professor and study author at the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology and Reproductive Endocrinology and Metabolism, Karolinska Institutet, in Stockholm, Sweden.

The scientists used a cohort of overweight and obese women with and without PCOS. Changes in blood sugar levels were measured during and after 45 minutes of acupuncture. Blood glucose regulation was improved in both women with and without PCOS after 45 minutes of treatment. Researchers also used a group of rats to investigate the mechanism leading to blood glucose uptake. They found that electroacupuncture causing muscle contractions activates the autonomic nervous system in rats and that the blood glucose-regulating effect was reversed by administering drugs that block the autonomic receptors. This study has important clinical implications for patients with prediabetes and a reduced ability to regulate blood sugar levels.

"Acupuncture is tried and true, for at least certain symptoms," said Thoru Pederson, Ph.D., Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal. "Here we have a new possibility centered on a disease of massive morbidity."

Article: Autonomic nervous system activation mediates the increase in whole-body glucose uptake in response to electroacupuncture, Elisabet Stener-Victorin et al., The FASEB Journal, doi: 10.1096/fj.201601381R, published online 12 April 2017.

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Easter Weekend

This cracked me up because it's like a look into Oliver's soul {deep childhood love for Rottweilers} and trying to do the math from his never ending Easter celebration Sunday. 

To be fair we both ate a good meal, every time I have a single bite of dessert my Mom whips out her camera and asks 'does that fit your macros' Yes, it does Mom ;)

I can't be too mad at her, she whipped up some pretty awesome baskets for the children. She knows me too well, I don't want anymore candy or toys in the house, I'm all about DECLUTTERING right now. She even bought them each stuffed animals, ughhhhhhh THE WORST. I swear she does it to see my reactions LOL Deep down I'm probably just jealous I no longer get a basket.

The confetti filled eggs were a big hit, Aiden was so sweaty his stuck to his head for most of the day. Oliver refuses to let me cut his hair, I've trimmed the bottom, but he wants his curls to stay for as long as possible.

This is Oliver around the same age - I mean could they BE any more similar!? Hands in pockets, same hair, same smile. 

We are closing on the new house 6/7 which is like, so soon! I'm working on packing up rooms to show the house, it's exhausting for sure. I'm also gearing up for my first booth at a show for Ollie Marie this weekend. I've had to buy tents, fixtures, signs, bags, etc. Hopefully the weather is perfect and it's worth it. I'm kinda testing the waters with this to branch out a bit - if you're local I'd love to see you. It's in Rockwall - click here for info. 

I know I'm long overdue for a boutique update, but I just finished out my taxes and I'll do a post updating things that worked and didn't work for me thus far. If you have specific questions please let me know and I'll be happy to cover it in my post.

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