Feelin like a Winner!

I WON!!! Not to gloat, but I am super excited that I won the Biggest Loser competition! Granted there were only 8 of us participating, but it still feels awesome to have won 1st place along with a nice monetary prize ($150)!

I feel like such a winner! Wait, a LOSER! I lost 26 pounds since September and I feel great! I still have 25-30 pounds more to lose, so I can't stop now, but now that I have come this far I know I can do it!

The thing I learned the most throughout this part of my weight loss journey is that it doesn't happen overnight. I started out slow and some weeks got frustrated when the scale didn't move. But I found that focusing on day to day and week to week, all of those small losses add up! If I would've started the competition and my personal weight loss journey by saying I had to lose 25 pounds by December, there is now way I would've done it. I honestly didn't think I'd lose even 20 so I am incredibly happy with my results, but it really helped not to focus on a huge goal but just go week by week.

That is why this competition helped me so much. Even though I wasn't losing weight FOR the competition, it really helped to have a weigh-in each week and someone to report my weight to so that I was held accountable. I always knew that I'd have to weigh in each week so I focused on my results each week rather than looking at the big picture of a huge goal.

So my advice to anyone trying to lose weight - take it one day and week at a time and the results will build up! Your results may not be noticeable at first, but 3 months and 26 pounds later, you will feel great! :)

Also, I do owe a lot of my loss to the Atkins diet. I wouldn't recommend it for everyone and frankly I hated it for the first few months until it became habit for me, but it really made a huge difference in how I eat, stabilized my blood sugar, stopped a lot of my cravings, and has given me a reason to avoid processed foods and sugary foods! Eggs can get boring (that's mainly what I eat since I'm not much of a cook), but I get filled up faster than before and don't get hungry as often, so I do recommend this lifestyle if you have issues with carbs and yo-yo weight. It is definitely a lifestyle change and eventually I will add in fruits and whole grains when I have lost all the weight I need to and move on to the maintenance phase, but obviously it's not something where once I decide I'm done losing weight, I can go back to eating pasta every night and sugary desserts and breads. That's where all the weight can come back on after dieting. This is definitely not a quick fix, but a way of living.

I am happy with the fact that I am eating healthier than ever before and losing weight, and I am determined to stick with this lifestyle! Thanks to everyone for your support, and especially to my cousin who started the Biggest Loser competition and encouraged me throughout the past 3 months!

Before                                                      After

Biggest Loser Ends; Thanksgiving blessings

The Biggest Loser competition I am in with a few former co-workers and acquaintances ends this coming Wednesday, December 1st. It started in September, I believe it was September 8th that we started. Why the leader of this competition chose the week after Thanksgiving to end, I'll never know ;) But, I think I am close to winning!

There has been one girl that has been serious competition and I'm pretty sure me and her are in for first and second place. First place gets 75% of the money (we all put in $25) and second place gets 25%. I am pretty confident that I at least will be the second place winner. The competition went by percentage of weight lost, so even though I lost a good amount of pounds - 24 to be exact! - I still am not sure if I won or not. But I'll find out on Wednesday and maybe I'll even be down 25 pounds by then!

Thanks to this competition and Atkins, I have reached my first major goal, and now I have to keep reminding myself that my journey is not over yet. I still have another 25-30 pounds to lose which is my next major goal. But it really did help to take it slow and focus on small goals. If I would've started by thinking I needed to lose 25 pounds during this competition, I don't think I could've done it. I actually didn't expect to reach my goal at all. But instead, I went week by week and pound by pound, and reached my goal that way! I feel great and it is awesome to fit into my old clothes again and to be able to wear some fun things.

It was also nice to start a new job feeling confident and positive and wearing some cute clothes. The new job has been a great change in my life, plus I started Mary Kay which is another positive support group and a fun experience. I have had so many great changes the past few months and losing weight is the icing on the cake (not that I can eat the cake, lol) My sister had her first baby last week, even though she wasn't due until January 5th, so it was a little bit of a scare but the baby is doing great and healthy and beautiful! She is the biggest blessing in our lives right now! And since my sister and her husband live with me now, I will get to spoil my new niece to pieces! :)

I can't help but feel overwhelmed thinking all of the amazing blessings in my life, and it is good to take a minute to thank God for bringing all things together for good. I always knew he had a plan for everything, but oftentimes I worry that things aren't going right or the way I plan until later I realize "Oh THAT's why that happened"! I love that, and I always say Everything happens for a reason.

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

Walk at Home Review

I have been a fan of Leslie Sansone for a few years after buying one of her health plan books, and I was lucky enough to get to try one of her great Walk at Home DVD's for review! I received The Big Burn - 2 Miles of Intervals, which utilizes intervals of walking and jogging to increase calorie burn.

The Big Burn program includes:

• A WARM UP Walk to get your ready to move fast!
• A brisk pace averaging 4 mph, 5 mph and 5.5 mph
• Mile Markers allow you to choose a 1 or 2 Mile Walk!
• Multi- Muscle Moves- Compound exercises give you a bigger calorie burn!
• A COOL DOWN WALK and healthy stretch to end!

Although this Walk at Home program is definitely a workout and a great boosted walk, it's something virtually anyone can do. There are no difficult moves or anything and Leslie even says during the workout that it doesn't matter if you are doing the "right" moves or keeping up with the music, as long as you just keep moving. She also gives a low-impact alternate option for the jogging parts so that even beginner's or out-of-shape walkers can still do the program. I love how simple and easy she makes it - No frills, no costumes, no over-the-top sets. Just Leslie and some of her fellow walkers working out in her fitness studio. I really like that because it's real, not an entertainment production.

I actually got a great workout from this boosted walk and was sweating plenty by the end of the program! It was great and is a great alternative to walking outside now that winter has begun. I also like that you don't need any accessories or special equipment - just a DVD player and walking shoes! It is so simple and anyone can do it. And it only takes 33 minutes. Plus there is a great variety of other Walk at Home programs for everyone from beginners to advanced walkers and runners.

You can join Leslie's Walk Challenges on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LeslieSansone and check out all the great DVDs at www.walkathome.com/!

Disclaimer: I was given this product free of charge for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own experiences with the product. Individual results may vary. No other compensation was given.

CSN Stores Upcoming Review

CSN Stores is an online one-stop shop for anything and everything you could ever want for your household, office, children, and pets. CSN offers so many different things from 200+ stores, like bar and barstool sets, dining room sets, all the way to exercise equipment and health equipment for the elderly.

There are literally thousands of items to choose from, and products for every style and budget. I will be given the opportunity to review a product from CSN Stores soon, and can't decide what I want to review.

I do want a new pair of dress shoes for a wedding I will be a bridesmaid in this coming March, so I was thinking these Monaco sandals. They look easy to walk in during winter. :

But perhaps I want to get some flats:

Or...something totally different?

What would YOU get?

Weight Loss Adventure: Not Giving Up

So last weekend I freaked out and ate a Reese's peanut butter cup and a fun-size Snickers. In the past, these would be like nothing to me. But ever since I have started focusing on my Atkins Adventure, sugar equals halted weight loss. Not only did I feel guilty right away, but I could not believe that the Snickers actually tasted BAD! Like, something just didn't taste right, it wasn't the good ol' Snickers I was expecting. So even though it wasn't good that I ate the candy, I was happy to find out that my tastes have changed and sugary carb-filled foods that once were like a drug for me are no longer as great as I remember.

I was frustrated that I had halted my weight loss because in Atkins when you have too much of a blood sugar spike, your body goes out of ketosis (fat-burning mode) and you experience bloating and halted weight loss. It's just not worth it to go "off" the wagon anymore! BUT, I am happy to report that today I am down 2 more pounds, putting me at a total of 14 pounds lost! I REALLY hope I can keep this up and lose 8 more pounds before Thanksgiving, which would help me reach my first major goal of losing 22 pounds and then I will be almost halfway to where I want to be!

I know I can do it, it's just a matter of sticking with it. I have learned that weight loss and maintenance is more about consistency and less about exactly what plan or diet you do. If you are consistent with your diet or exercise program, you will lose weight and maintain a healthy weight. If you do the old up and down, back and forth, this diet and that diet, high carb and low carb, etc etc, it's inevitable that your weight will spike up and down. I did this for the longest time. But this time I am sticking with low carb and I am going to follow the other 3 phases exactly so that I can slowly add in more carbs and whole grains while I keep losing weight and then get to the maintenance phase and keep my weight steady after that. Consistency and gradual changes are the key. I am not giving up and I am not going to eat anymore candy bars - losing weight feels so much better than eating a funny-tasting Snickers!

Celsius Supplement Drink Review

Celsius – “Your Ultimate Fitness Partner” - is a pre-exercise supplement drink that helps to burn calories, boost metabolism, reduce body fat, increase endurance, and provide lasting energy when you drink it before physical activity. It is backed by six clinical scientific studies and has been shown to help burn calories.

Celsius contains no sugar, high fructose corn syrup, aspartame, artificial flavors, colors or preservatives, and it’s very low in sodium. It is powered by a proprietary blend of ingredients: MetaPlus which includes Green Tea with EGCG, Ginger, Caffeine, Calcium, Chromium, B Vitamins and Vitamic C.

I am very impressed with the fact that Celsius does not contain aspartame. I have heard so many negative things about aspartame and just recently decided to avoid it because I have read that it inhibits weight loss as well. So I looked through all my sugar free drink mixes and even SlimQuick drink mix, and guess what – they all contain aspartame! But not Celsius, it is natural and contains only good and healthy ingredients that I can actually pronounce.

I was wary of tasting the Celsius drinks I received for review since they don’t have artificial flavors, but they were actually good and quite refreshing. I especially enjoyed the sparkling orange and wild berry. The non-carbonated cans of Celsius were great too. I also received a pack of Celsius “On-The-Go” stick packets, which is awesome because I love taking drink mixes to work. Even if Celsius wasn't a calorie-burning drink, I would still drink it just for the fact that it’s a healthy alternative to sugar free drink mixes. And it has little or no carbs, which is also a plus for me since I am doing a low-carb diet.

The materials say to drink Celsius 15 minutes prior to moderate exercise, but I drank most of the cans even when I was just working around the house and not really doing a workout, but still getting some physical activity. I still feel like it was effective in helping with my energy levels and boosting my metabolism. And with almost no calories or carbs, this is definitely the pre-exercise drink I would choose. I am about to start training for a 10K (I know, I don't believe I can do it either!) and I think Celsius will be great to drink before my runs.

Celsius is available at many mass retailers and grocery stores like Walmart, Cub Foods, Hy-Vee, Walgreens, and Shopko. 

Disclaimer: I was given this product free of charge for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own experiences with the product. Individual results may vary. No other compensation was given.

SOMbands Review & Giveaway

 **Giveaway Winner - Comment #2, Anne!**

Have you ever been in such a negative mood that it is impossible to get out of your head and just focus on the task at hand? I have those moments all the time - instead of focusing on what I'm doing or what I should be doing, I spend time worrying and stressing out about things I can't control. And the more I think about something negative, the worse I feel.

Which is why I always need to be reminded that Happiness is a state of mind. And thanks to my new SOMband bracelet, I can be reminded of this every day! The Yellow "Happiness" SOMband reminds me that it's all a state of mind -- If I constantly put myself in a negative state of mind, of course I won't be happy. So why not think positive and smile...And be HAPPY!


Charles R. Swindoll once said, "Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% of how you react to it." Does that mean that by changing our reactions to the things that happen to us we can change our lives? YES! This fact has been proven time and time again. The mind is a powerful thing; it can turn around disease and get one through seemingly impossible situations. SOMbands remind us that we can overcome life's most challenging obstacles by changing our state of mind.

The different colors of bracelets correspond to each phrase, since viewing and wearing certain colors can have a powerful effect on mood and psyche. Yellow is meant to stimulate nerves and purify the body. We often hear of yellow as a "happy" color, so it makes sense that it corresponds with the Happiness bracelet.

The thing I like best about SOMbands aside from the positive phrases, is the face that each bracelet has reflective material on it, which is very nice for outdoor activities, even just walking the dog in the evening, throw on a SOMband to remind yourself to have a positive state of mind and stay visible in the dark. SOMbands are washable and recyclable, plus they are comfortable to wear. I will be wearing mine a lot!

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Buy It: You can purchase SOMbands online for $5.99.

Win It: Enter here to win a Green Pain SOMband 

("Pain is just a state of mind")

Here's How to Enter: 
Leave a comment for each entry and include a way for me to contact you.
Mandatory Entry: Tell me which SOMband phrase/color is your favorite.

Extra Entries

• FollowReady2GetHealthy publicly and let me know in a comment
• Follow my other blog Cheapskate4Life and tell me you did so
• Promote this Giveaway - Tweet, Facebook, or Blog it! (1 entry each)   

Contest Details: Giveaway will end on Monday, October 25 at 11:59 pm (CT). Open to US residents only. Winner will be drawn via number generator Random.org. Winner will be contacted by email and will have 48 hours to reply.

Disclaimer: I was given this product free of charge for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own experiences with the product. Individual results may vary. No other compensation was given.

Hypnosis for Weight Loss

Disclaimer: I was not sponsored or compensated in any way for this post about hypnosis. These are my own opinions and experiences, and I am not advocating that hypnosis is the best or only way to achieve weight loss results!

I just wanted to write a post about the hypnosis for weight loss session that I participated in the other night because I think it's interesting. Obviously it was just two nights ago so I can't share any results. Also, since I am working hard on my Atkins Adventure, I really will have no evidence of whether or not the hypnosis helps my weight loss or not anyway. But it can't hurt, and I like the idea of hypnosis for other reasons that I will share.

Every year we get a brochure of the community education programs and courses offered in our area. One of those programs was Hypnosis for Weight Loss. There was also a Hypnosis to Stop Smoking. My mom and I attended the Weight Loss hypnosis session. When you think about hypnosis, you might think of those entertainment shows where an audience member is hypnotized into doing something crazy on stage. This hypnosis is different. You can move, you're in control of your body, and you are aware of things around you. You can even fall asleep and your subconscious mind will still hear everything.

Before the group session, the doctor explained that everyone experiences hypnosis differently. They may feel absolutely nothing. Or they may feel heavy and relaxed. Some people even fall asleep - my mom did! The doctor also explained that all hypnosis is self-hypnosis, so if you don't think it will work, it won't. This can be said for lots of things in life - the self-fulfilling prophecy. Anyway, she spent a half hour talking about what foods to avoid and different weight loss tips which I thought was nice. She explained that even though we are trying hypnosis, it's just an aid, not a miracle. You still have to make conscious decisions about what to eat. I believe this is why hypnosis is very individualized - it might work great for one person and not work at all for another.

Aside from the group hypnosis session, you also get a CD with the same type of hypnosis on it, which you're supposed to listen to every night for at least 30 days. I have previously had this CD from a few years ago, and the best thing about it is that it puts you right to sleep. The doctor pointed out that this CD can be great for anyone with trouble sleeping or insomnia. I think if nothing else, I will continue using the CD to help me sleep! It's great.

Another thing I liked about hypnosis is that she directed us to include our own personal goals into the session, by mentally saying them to ourselves during hypnosis. This can be done with the CD too. Like I said, I don't know yet if it "worked" or not, but I do know that I'm getting an awesome night's sleep thanks to the CD and that I feel more in control of my goals. We can also attend any other group weight loss hypnosis sessions now that we have a lifetime member card, so if we want to go again to renew our weight loss, we can. There was a lady at this session who had already done the hypnosis months ago and lost 23 pounds. So like I said, it can work for some people. It's worth a try anyway.

Also, the doctor talked about diet pop and aspartame before the hypnosis session. I always thought the dangers of aspartame were a myth, so I'm mad because now I want to avoid diet pop and sugarfree drink mixes with aspartame since they might stall weight loss which leaves me with plain old water. Oh well!

Have you ever done anything like hypnosis for weight loss or another type of program?

If you have any questions or want information on the session I attended, feel free to contact me or visit the hypnosis clinic's website at New Way Hypnosis Clinic.

Atkins Adventure, Week 5: Making Progress and Sticking With It

Well, it's official - I've lost 12 pounds! I don't know how I lost 4 pounds in the last week, but I weighed myself several times this morning to make sure the scale wasn't lying to me. I hope it's not just one of those one-day things and I won't weigh in next week to find those 4 pounds back on. But, I have to THINK POSITIVE!

I guess I do know how I lost those 4 pounds, I stuck with the program! I was getting disheartened because I have sacrificed so much for this diet program but the scale wasn't moving the past few weeks... Suffice it to say that when the scale does move, I feel that much more motivated to keep going! I think what's hard is that I'm still on the strictest phase of Atkins and I still cannot have fruit. I love apples and had to have a few bites the other night because Fall is the best time for apples. I am sad without my apples!! But when the scale moves I remember why I am going without them for now.

I'm not going to lie, I am getting sick of eggs. They are so easy and great, but dang, I am just sick of them. So for this week I have avoided eggs and tried to do some different things. I had a chuck roast in the freezer that I had gotten awhile ago, so I threw that in the crock pot and it was delicious plus extremely easy. I think the crock pot will be a God-send for this whole meat-eating thing, since I hate cooking meat.

Last night I went to Applebee's with my friend and ordered a small steak with grilled shrimp on it. It was delicious, and there was some broccoli on the side, but it wasn't very much, so I ended up eating half of the baked potato that came with it. And I felt GUILTY. Can you believe it - guilty for eating a baked potato? I only felt guilty since I know it was more than 20 net carbs which is what I'm supposed to stick to for the Induction phase, but for me that's a good sign to feel guilty eating a potato considering I never used to feel guilty eating a Whopper Junior and fries. Anyway, that is the one nice thing about Atkins is that even though it seems kind of restrictive, it doesn't give me the option to have the foods I end up binging on. I have realized that my self-control isn't all that great, so when I tried keeping track of Weight Watchers points, I would go overboard since I could "still have" all the good stuff. With Atkins, it's just not an option and it seems easier to overcome my cravings that way.

Well that's all for now, later today I'll be sharing a post about Hypnosis for weight loss that I tried through a community education program.

Atkins Adventure, Week 4: Stuck in a Rut

So I got my Little in the Middle jeans back from the tailor yesterday and just had to try them on right away! I wrote a review of these jeans over at Cheapskate 4 Life and they fit me perfectly, although they were too long. So I spent $6 to get them tailored (which was a small price to pay for an awesome pair of jeans!) I think they look pretty good, don't you? Of course, this is a very slimming photo of me, lol. I had to get size 18.1 which is 18 in the waist and 20 in the hips. So it's not all that exciting since I still have a LONG ways to go on my journey to health. But it's nice to have jeans that fit right and feel good! :)

On another note, I feel like I am in a slump. I am still on Phase 1 of Atkins (Induction) since you can choose to stay longer than 2 weeks if you have over 30 pounds to lose. Well I definitely have more than 30 to lose, but the scale hasn't budged the past few weeks. Plus I feel bloated and fat. I have been sacrificing a lot diet-wise with no alcohol, no sugar, etc. And even though I haven't had time to workout a ton, I've been at least doing a good workout once or twice a week. So why the slump? Any ideas on what I can do to rev up my weight-loss and get my body past this plateau?

Well anyway, hope you all are having a great Friday and enjoy a beautiful Fall weekend!

P.S. - Exciting news - I will be doing reviews and giveaways for some exciting stuff soon, including a Kalyx running bra and Crystal Light sugar free candies! I hope that these new reviews will help me get motivated and reach my goals!

Trick-Or-(Healthy)Treat

Do you think the neighborhood kids will hate me if I hand out 100-calorie snack packs and Crystal Light Pure Fitness packets on Halloween? Or maybe (hopefully) they will welcome getting something different, but still delicious!

I love these snacks, they don't taste like "health food", so I think kids will enjoy them. And the Crystal Light Pure Fitness are naturally-flavored so they don't have artificial ingredients like other low-calorie drink mixes, but yet they taste amazing!

I just want to do something different this year. And since I live on a frontage road, we don't get very many trick-or-treaters. So I figure, why not give them something good for them that isn't lame like an apple or toothpaste?

What are you going to hand out to trick-or-treaters this year?

 

 

Spiritual Health

Being healthy doesn't always mean physically - it also means emotionally, spiritually and mentally. So if you have religious beliefs, make sure you take time for your spiritual health and for your faith.

I heard this poem the other day after the passing of a good friend's relative, and just thought it was a very comforting thought, especially for anyone who has lost a loved one:

THE WEAVER
________________________________
Written by B.M. Franklin (1882-1965)

My life is just a weaving
Between my Lord and me.
I cannot choose the colors
He weaves so skillfully.

Sometimes He weaveth sorrow
And I in foolish pride
Forget He sees the upper
And I the underside.

Not ‘til the loom is silent
And the shuttles cease to fly
Will God unroll the canvas
And explain the reasons why-

The dark threads are as needful,
In The Weaver’s skillful hands
As the threads of gold and silver
In the pattern He has planned.

Terrifying Tuesday blog hop

Please join the new Terrifying Tuesday blog hop over at my other blog, Cheapskate 4 Life!

Can Pets Benefit Our Health?

From the Mars Petcare Press Release -
For decades, Mars Petcare – through its world-renowned WALTHAM® Centre for Pet Nutrition – has led the way in research in Human-Animal Interaction (HAI), the scientific field that studies the bond between humans and companion animals. 

“WALTHAM® has established an incredible body of evidence on the health benefits of pet ownership and The Power of PetsTM program will help us translate that research to people and communities,” said Dr. Karyl Hurley, global director of scientific affairs, The WALTHAM® Centre for Pet Nutrition.  “With obesity levels rising and health levels falling, we want to contribute our knowledge and expertise to help address those very serious issues, and at the same time, call attention to what we can do as humans to ensure the pets in our lives are also healthy and happy.”  

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I know from experience that without my dog Dotty, I'm not sure how I would have ever gotten through the rough times in the past few years. She was ALWAYS there for me, cuddled with me every night, and even licked my tears the many times I cried during those bad times. I will forever be thankful to her for that - for being there when it felt like nobody else was - and for giving me a sense of purpose. Plus, now that I'm starting to run, I take her along with me and she keeps me going and gives me motivation!

Rocky & Dotty

Tell me: Do you think pets can benefit our health? How has your pet (if you have one) influenced your life?

Atkins Adventure, Week 3: It's a Journey, Not a Race

I need to keep reminding myself that weight loss isn't (or shouldn't be) a race to the finish line, and that goals are good, but not if you reach them and then end your journey. I don't want to compete with anyone in my weight loss or work so hard to lose weight by a certain date that I lose track of the real purpose - to get healthy. Events are great motivators, but they aren't the only thing that's important. My health & well-being is important. That is why I am telling myself it's a journey, not a race. I haven't been happy with the slow, almost non-existent weight loss the past 2 weeks, but I have to keep going forward. Plus, I got the new Atkins book for free with the Barnes & Noble gift card I earned from Swagbucks, so I have gotten some great tips:

• Measure yourself. Sometimes the scale stays the same but inches are coming off and muscle is being gained. (I do feel my clothes loosening a bit, so that is a good sign)
• Calories still count. Even if you are doing a low-carb diet, that doesn't mean you can go all out and take in more calories than you use each day. On Atkins, you don't have to keep track of calories, but also don't pig out either - seems obvious, but a good reminder.
• Don't skip meals. This is my biggest weakness since I have been so busy, but I am trying to eat consistently to keep my metabolism up. Another no-brainer but I still have problems doing it.

Aside from having a slow weight loss this week, I have noticed that I now have the "Atkins Edge" which they refer to in the book. It means that you don't get those nasty hunger pangs that you often get when you have blood sugar spikes from a diet high in carbs and sugars. I used to be terribly hungry all the time and crave carbs like mad. I was an emotional eater as well, so cutting out most carbs was not only a shock to my system at first, but it also made me a little emotional as well since I had to address my issues rather than suppress them with food.

The first 2 weeks of Atkins are hard, no question. They address this in the book and in the online support tools. Your body needs to adjust to the change in diet, but the book gives tips on how to avoid some of the symptoms - like for dizziness they say to drink clear broth for extra sodium. My body went wacko when I started - I was dizzy, tired, emotional, headaches and my cycle got all messed up. Plus my digestive system was acting totally weird. Thankfully now that I'm in the 3rd week, I am pretty much back to normal. But now I have the Atkins Edge and I no longer feel the need to eat all the time, plus my cravings for carbs is pretty much gone too. Totally worth the 2 weeks of discomfort for a lifetime of healthy eating with the Atkins Edge! The only thing I do crave right now is fruit, but I have decided to take the option of staying on the 1st phase of the program longer than 2 weeks since I have a significant amount of weight to lose. So no fruit for me yet, but sugarfree Jello & whipped cream works for a sweet treat. More foods including fruit and whole grains will be added in during the next few phases. So contrary to popular belief, Atkins isn't NO-carb, it's just LOW-carb and GOOD-carb!

This post is in no way sponsored or endorsed by Atkins. All opinions are my own experience with the diet plan. Individual results vary.
 

Love Your Blog Award

Wow, I am so blessed to have received another blog award - the Love Your Blog Award! Thanks goes out to Riema over at http://www.riemasjourney.blogspot.com for giving Ready 2 Get Healthy this award!

I can't even begin to list all of the things I am thankful for in my life right now, but here are a few that stand out in my mind: 1) New beginnings, 2) Blogging - it has become my passion and gives me a chance to hone my writing skills, 3) The ability to finish my first 5k, 4) Support, especially finding support in the last person I'd expect, 5) My roommate, Andrea, who has inspired me to work hard for what I want

These are four of the ladies I would like to give this award to:

Joyful Housewife

Miles to Run

Get Healthy Cheap

Fabulous N Free

Rules:

• Thank the person who gave you the award and link up to their blog
• Give the award to four people
• Mention five things you are thankful for these days

Running Chics Review

As you may or may not know, I am attempting to become a "runner" (or jogger, if you will). And what better way to get motivated to run than with new workout clothes? Running Chics generously sent me one of their new thermals for my running adventures.

Since I was about to run/walk my very first 5k, I was super excited to get this thermal, and just in time for the fall weather! And thank goodness I got my thermal in time because it was 46 degrees on the morning of the 5k! I was SO thankful to have a thermal shirt. I picked out a white Bella Knit Thermal because I figured that way I can put any race shirt over the top of it or wear it plain too. It is super cute with the Running Chics logo and it even says "Running Chics" on the backside.

The thermal was not only warm, but it was thin enough that it wasn't bulky with layers and the sleeves were long as well as the length being nice and long too. They even sent me a nice canvas bag to hold my running gear, which I thought was really nice! I used that to bring along my stuff for the 5k, and felt proud to let everyone know that I am a "running chic."

Ready for the 5k

I love the Running Chics motto of "Life is a race ~ Be comfortable." The thermal I tried was very comfortable and I felt like a true runner while wearing it! The clothing from Running Chics is all very affordable with lots of selection. Plus, a percentage of all their sales is donated to the Republic and Springfield, MO, Girls on the Run program.

I am very happy with my Running Chics thermal and would recommend them for anyone, weather you wear it for races, casual strolls, or anytime when the weather cools down (which in MN is most of the year!) Thanks Running Chics!

Disclaimer: I was given a Running Chics thermal free of charge for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own experiences with the product. Individual results may vary. No other compensation was given.