Operation Weight Loss Week 18- The incredible shrinking woman

This week I've maintained my weight loss and am holding at 162 for a total loss of 40 pounds since November 23. I am still excited because I know that I have been making good food choices and this week I took some much needed rest from exercising. My left foot has been bothering me tremendously and instead of doing heavy cardio and calisthenics I practiced yoga and when I was able to apply pressure to my foot I also danced.

We will see what next week holds but my biggest revelation over the past week has been that exercise does not have to be chore. Exercise can actually be fun and I am rediscovering this by doing Zumba, Bellydancing and am awaiting the arrival of a Ballroom dancing DVD that I hear is extremely challenging.

I think this is a very important to remember, exercising is something to look forward to if you find something that resonates with your soul. I have always been a dancer and have found some activities that incorporate dance and burn some serious calories. I know that next week I will both lose some weight and have fun while doing it!

Until next week, this is Renée, the Incredible Shrinking Woman, signing off!

Cauliflower Pizza Crust! A healthy option

Over the last few months I've been enjoying cooking food at home. My refrigerate is full of healthy options and I can always scrape up something to eat. However, sometimes I don't have plans for some of the food I buy and that can become a problem. Luckily for me I have my friends in the blogosphere to assist me. After posting my homemade Nutella my friend Tamona asked if I would make a pizza with a cauliflower crust. I'd never heard of such a thing but since I had a head (is that what you call it?) of cauliflower in the 'frig, making a pizza with it seemed like a great idea.

I found a recipe for the crust made from cauliflower, an egg and mozzarella cheese. I used 2% milk mozzarella.

While the crust was baking I cooked my toppings -

onions, gourmet mushrooms- portobello, shiitake and oyster, spinach and topped it with fresh tomatoes and a sprinkle of mozzarella. I also placed a small amount of pasta sauce as a base.

Here is the final result - it tastes delicious!

However, the crust was not crusty. It was more melted on the foil and I was unable to pick up the pizza in my hand. However, it was tasty and I am hoping that the failure with the crust might be due to the fact that I don't have a non-stick cookie sheet and on my husbands advisement I used foil. Next time I am just going to do the cookie sheet alone and perhaps the

crust will be more crusty. Overall I really enjoyed the taste and this is a great option, particularly if you are on a wheat-free, gluten-free or low-carb diet. This pizza is surprisingly low in calories so it is a guiltless pleasure.

Here is my entire recipe with nutritional information based on the ingredients that I used.

Pizza made with cauliflower dough

1 cup of cauliflower

1 cup of shredded 2% reduced fat mozzarella

1 egg

Pre-heat oven to 450.

Cook the cauliflower (I steamed mine but you can cook it any way you choose to) and once soft mash. Mix all ingredients in a bowl and spread on a cookie sheet covered with non-stick spray(Pam). Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Topping

2 oz gourmet mushroom mix - portobello, shiitake, oyster

.25 sliced onion

1.5 cups raw spinach

Italian spice mix

.25 cup pasta sauce (I used Ragu veggie mix)

Sprinkle of mozzarella

Saute mushrooms and onion add dash of Italian spice. Remove from heat and saute spinach.

Remove crust from oven top with pasta sauce, mushrooms, spinach and tomatoes. Top with cheese.

Return to oven until cheese melts. (In the original recipe it indicated place in grill, I suppose I should have up'd the heat to broil which might have made the crust crispy)

Enjoy!

Nutritional Info per slice (pizza makes 4 slices)

116 calories

6.5 carbs

5.7 gram of fat

12.5 protein

For more Wordful Wednesday visit Angie's 7 clown circus.

Homemade Nutella!

On Sunday evening I was writing, watching tv and reading the chatter on twitter (yes, I multi-task like that) and I saw a commercial for Nutella. I am probably one of the few folks that has never tried Nutella, I was first introduced to it when I lived in South Africa (long before it was available widely in the US). I never tried it because it just looked and seemed weird, I didn't like the name or the brown color so I just left it alone. But when I saw the commercial the other day I decided to ask about it on twitter. I was surprised and overwhelmed by all of the lovers of Nutella that came out of the woodwork!

I had at least 100 responses from folks that are fans and while chatting, I quipped that Nutella better have a fan page because it is hugely popular. Of course, I had to investigate and Nutella has close to 4 Million fans on facebook! Now I was completely intrigued, people on twitter were offering to buy and ship Nutella to me because I "am missing out." I was given recipes - like crepes with bananas and Nutella and was told that it even tastes great right out of the jar.

I visited the Nutella site to see what the nutrition information looked like because I was sure it had to packing sugar and calories. I wasn't mistaken, one serving size - 2 Tablespoons boasts 200 calories, 12 grams of fat and 21 grams of sugar and 3 grams of protein. Calories not withstanding, I was willing to "take one for the team" for purposes of investigating this beloved confection. However, the lone voice of @designmama emerged from the fray and she said that "she prefers homemade it is cheaper and tastes better." Now we were talking, I figure anything I make at home is going to be better than mass produced so I searched for a recipe, found several and last night made my first batch of Nutella!

It starts with raw Hazelnuts,

if you want to have a nuttier flavor you should toast them from 10 minutes but I forgot that step so I just placed them in the food processor.

Next I added organic vanilla,

fair trade unsweetened cocoa

powdered sugar, a little salt and canola oil. Unfortunately I was unable to find Hazelnut oil which probably would have taken the fat level down but that was okay. The entire mixture took about 10 -15 minutes to make and then it was time for a taste test.

I placed the chocolaty - nutty spread on a quarter of a tortilla and bit in.

My verdict? Delicious! If you are a fan of chocolate and nuts, you will love Nutella. I only made half of the recipe because I am the only person in the house that will eat it and I am not going to have this on a daily basis. I certainly will have it again, as a matter of fact I had it for breakfast on a bagel with strawberries.

I only use half a serving size- 1 tablespoon goes a long way. Per 2 tablespoon serving, my version has between 109-147 calories, 9 grams of fat, and 2 gram of protein. Of course when you are making it at home you can adjust the sweetness and amount of oil you use, my Nutella is not too sweet and not too nutty, for me it is simply delicious!

Despite being on a weight loss journey I truly believe in having everything in moderation. My homemade version of Nutella is a nice treat, not a daily indulgence and I can say thanks to twitter I am now a Nutella convert!

Homemade Nutella Recipe

• 2 cups chopped hazelnuts (filberts)
• 3/4 cup to 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder (such as Hershey's Extra Dark cocoa)
• 1/8 to 1/4 cup canola oil

Place hazelnuts in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process until nuts start to clump together in a ball. This will take some time (about five minutes), so be patient. Add the powdered sugar and cocoa powder and process again for 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture turns dark and the ingredients are well combined. Now, slowly drizzle in enough oil to make a spread.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 weeks.

Makes approximately two cups of nutella (16 servings).

Per serving: 147 calories, 12 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 0 mg cholesterol, 9 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 2 g protein, 0% vitamin A, 2% vitamin C, 2% calcium, 6% iron

Recipe Reprinted from Healthy Cooking Suite 101

5 Tips for Exercising at Home - Mamavation Monday

Week 1

When people learn that I've lost weight they always ask how I did it. My answer is always the same - diet and consistent exercise, plus a change in my mindset. The mindset change is probably the most important factor in weight loss but I will devote another blog post to that issue. Right now I want to focus on exercise. So many people think that in order to exercise consistently you have to belong to a gym. That is simply not true and I want to give you five tips to help you with exercise without utilizing a gym.

1. Pedometer - So many people say that they don't have time to exercise. I know you have time, you can make time but if you are adamant about NOT having time, strap on a pedometer. You can buy one fairly cheaply and wear it for a week. See how much walking you are doing on a daily basis. Even if you feel like you can't make time to exercise you can get up and move your body more. You can take the stairs at work, you can park further away from stores. Every little bit helps. After monitoring your average for a week, set goals for yourself and work up to 10,000 steps a day. You can do this - and yes, chasing your kids around the house counts!

2. Exercise TV- If you are anything like me you have tons of exercise DVDs in your home that were used a few times, maybe even for a couple of months and now probably have so much dust on them that if you blow it a sneezing fest will ensue. Well, I've found a cure for the DVD graveyard. Exercise TV! If you are a cable subscriber you have the Exercise TV channel or something similar on your television. It is best if you have it On Demand because every month new workouts are added. I don't think you can ever get bored! If you don't have it On Demand, record your favorite shows and workout at your leisure. There is no excuse not to workout if you have Exercise TV!

3. EA SPORTS Active - I am big fan of both Personal Trainer and More Workouts. These "games" are the closest thing to having a personal trainer in your home without the high cost associated with one. Personal trainer has the 30 day workout and More Workouts has a 6 week workout. I've done both and prefer More Workouts because it has warm-up, cool down and ab exercises. If you own a Wii, I highly recommend EA SPORTS Active. I lost my first 20 lbs using More Workouts exclusively and it really started me on my journey to fitness. (and by the way, I am not just saying this because I was featured in the commercial. My results speak for themselves and like any other fitness activity - if you are not consistent you won't see results).

4. Run/Walk - Aside from the cost of a new pair of sneakers, this is a free exercise. You can run/walk around your neighborhood. Although the days are warming up now, I am not a fan of walking in my neighborhood. It is really hilly and there is not enough variety in the terrain. Instead of walking in my area, I have started mall walking. I will take my son in a stroller and walk around the mall. The only caveat to mall walking is be sure to keep your money in your wallet! Even if I go to the mall to shop, I take an extra lap or two around the mall to get exercise in. I'd love it if I had a pair of earth foot wear Exerwalks or a similar type of shoe that firms up your legs and burns extra calories but for now I am stuck with wearing my shoes or a pair of regular sneakers.


5. Rest - I am sure you are thinking "rest? Isn't this supposed to be about being motivated to exercise?" and the answer is yes. I want you to exercise but I also want you to rest. Give your body time to recover from workout sessions don't overdo it. If you workout too much and injure yourself, it is going to be difficult to get back in the saddle again. Muscle soreness is to be expected but when you can't move without saying "ouch" you've done too much. I personally had to step back this week from exercise. I felt a little guilty about it but my feet were hurting - my left bunion was screaming and I wanted to push through it but why? This is a new week, I exercise consistently and it is important that I listen to the clues my body gives me. In this instance my body told me to rest. I hope that you listen to your body too. Rest is an important part of all exercise regimes.

These are my tips for exercise, do you have any that you'd like to add? Please let me know in the comments!

Reward Yourself!

This week I reached a milestone in my weight loss journey, I have officially lost 40 pounds! It is amazing to me that in a little over four months I've been able to make such an incredible transformation. I can now fit a size 8 women's and size 9 juniors, I know the last time I was able to do that was a decade ago! Although I haven't reached my overall goal yet I still think it is important to acknowledge and celebrate the work that I've done so far. I mentioned the importance of rewards in my top 5 weight loss tips last week and I followed my own advice. I took a step back from blogging and read 5 books this week. I've always been a voracious reader but I haven't been making the time to read so this week I treated myself.

In addition to purchasing and reading books, I also decided to pamper myself. In the past I've spoken about how important I think it is to maintain eyebrows. Having well groomed brows opens up your face and gives you a put together look, even if you are not a person that wears make-up. I really like having my eyebrows threaded and primarily have it done by East Indian women. My favorite spot is in New York but since I only visit occasionally, I've needed to find a brow place here in Atlanta. For the longest time I've wanted to try Saylah's Threading and Day Spa because I've heard great things about it. This week I decided to treat myself and have my brows threaded.

I was greeted by Shahmaz and she walked me back to a very earth toned room with a comfy chair. Looks welcoming right?

I reclined in the chair while Shahmaz worked her magic with a piece of thread that pulled my stray eyebrow hairs out one by one.

Well,here is a little secret that I must share with you - beauty hurts! I am used to having my brows threaded but have to be honest and tell you that there is some pain involved but the results are amazing. My brows look great and a few tears are a small price to pay for beauty. At this point I don't cry when my brows are threaded but a tear will leak from the corner of my eye when my lip is threaded. Yes, my lip, I have a little peach fuzz that I need to get rid of every few months. Some people bleach it, I just thread it!

I am so happy that I was able to visit Saylah and the best part about it was I received a 20% discount on my services saving me $5 dollars! And not only that but I have an on-going 20% discount because I used 6 of my Tropicana points to get this discount. I will be a regular visitor to Saylah spa. When I hit my next milestone - losing 50 pounds, I am using some of my Tropicana rewards points to visit Massage Envy for a 10% discount on a massage.

Remember - when you hit a milestone, reward yourself! You've worked hard and you deserve it!

Disclosure: I am a Tropicana Juicy Insider and received reward points and compensation for participating in the program.

Operation Weight Loss Week 17- The incredible shrinking woman

I'm going to get right to it. I am down another 1.4 pounds this week bringing my grand total to 40 pounds! I've lost 40 pounds since November 23, 2009 - the week of Thanksgiving! I've remained consistent with my diet and exercise and I am proud to say I am seeing results. If you watch my video you will see that I can now wear my size 9 junior goal pants that I shared with you a few months ago. I used to wear these pants to the club - it has been ten years since they have graced my backside comfortably!

I've reached one of my goals but I still have other goals to meet. I want to lose another 12 pounds to reach my goal weight of 150 pounds and I want to fit in those Joe Jeans that I got for my birthday. Give me another month and I think I'll do it!

Now that I've shared with you some of my goals and I want to let you in on a goal that my girls at the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans have going on this year. A group of them are running a half marathon with team in training to raise money for Leukemia and other blood cancers. Leukemia is close to home for me, my aunt and a cousin succumbed this disease. And two of my blogging buddies have children that are being treated and in remission for leukemia. As a matter of fact, years ago I was training for a triathalon with Team In Training but sadly I didn't do it. I may set that as a goal for next year but in the meantime I hope you can support the Sisterhood reach their goal of $50,000. For added incentive a party is going on and for every $5 you give you get entries to win a ton of cool stuff. For more info click HERE!

My 5 Top tips for weight loss

Over the last four months I've learned some valuable lessons regarding weight loss and healthy living. I want to share my top five tips with you!

1. Eat - this may sound like a no-brainer, it is very important. Food is not our enemy, far from it. Food is fuel that we need for our bodies to function. The important thing is to provide your body with the right types and amounts of food. Frequently when people are trying to lose weight they decrease the amount of food that they are eating but sometimes this can be the opposite of what we need to do. Personally, I was eating too little and I slowed my metabolism down. When I did eat, most of the food was high in fat and calories, a terrible mix. Now, I am eating much more food - I grace and eat about 5 meals a day and I have been losing weight consistently. Be sure to eat enough! Food is our friend, we just have to make the right choices.

2. Exercise For many busy women, finding the time to fit in exercise is extremely difficult. Many of us do not have one full hour to devote to exercise but you can still get exercise in. As a mom with a toddler at home I have to get the exercise in when I can. I utilize nap times and sometimes late evenings to exercise. I've found that by doing 20 minutes of exercise at a time I am able to move my body almost every day. If you don't have 20 minutes do three 10 minute sessions throughout the day. Your body will thank you for it!

3. Journal

Write down the food and/or exercise that you do on a daily basis. I know what you may be thinking "uh oh, here goes another fanatic trying to convince me to log food" but just listen. It took me awhile to get to the place where I could log all of my food but I've found it to be tremendously helpful. I use an online tool, Sparkpeople.com that helps me assess if I've met not only my caloric goals but my nutritional goals too. This is an invaluable resource for me because I am better equippe to make good food choices without need to actually "count" calories. With practice I've been able to determine the foods that I can eat.

Perhaps you aren't convinced and that is okay, you might want to just journal your exercise. That is where I started and it helped me keep track of my activity level. When you are ready to journal regarding food, perhaps rather than track what you are eating, you can write down how you feel before and after you eat. This awareness can help you determine if you are mindlessly eating, emotional or stress eating and in the long run I think you will learn a great deal from this exercise.

4. Celebrate - Be sure to celebrate your victories. Too often when we are on a journey to healthy living we wait until we reach our final goals to celebrate. I believe in setting up mini-goals along the way. Every pound loss is a victory in my book and when I go down a size I treat myself with a new pair of jeans. Other ideas are manicure, pedicure, massage, you are working hard and deserve to reward yourself!

5. Remember - We all have setbacks. Whatever your idea of the "perfect" way to lose weight entails, understand that at some point you will fall short of your ideal. Perhaps you won't meet your exercise goals for a day/week/month or maybe you will overindulge over a weekend or for a week. This happens to EVERYONE! The important thing to do, no matter what, is to get back up, dust yourself off and move forward. Don't let your hard work go to waste because of a slip-up. Move Forward!

That's it. My five tips for weight loss. I hope that they are as helpful for you as they are for me. And I'd love to hear your tips, be sure to leave a comment with your suggestions!

The Princess and the Frog - Giveaway

Giveaway Closed Congratulations to CocoaMommy!

On the weekend when Disney's Princess and the Frog was released, my son, my girlfriend and her son all went to the theater to see the film. This film was making history, the first African-American princess in a Disney animated film, we had to see it. Especially given all of the conversation about the matter ranging from - "why did it take so long?" to "why doesn't she have an African-American prince?" and "Why is the princess a frog for most of the film?" And let's not forget the controversy over the dialect of the firefly. I also had a serious personal interest in the film because when I attended the first African-American mom bloggers mixer at Walt Disney World, it became very clear that the executives wanted our perspectives about the upcoming film and worked diligently to "get it right."

When I went to see the film I had an open mind. I knew heavy hitters like Oprah Winfrey had worked on the advisory panel for the film and I truly trusted that this would not be a negative protrayal of African-American culture. I was not disappointed. I totally enjoyed the musical score and although I have never traveled to New Orleans, the music and the scenery left me with the feeling that I'd visited this historic city.

The voices of Anika Noni Rose, Oprah Winfrey, Keith David, Terrance Howard and John Goodman brought the film to life and I was highly entertained. My son loved the film too and continued to ask about the Princess long after it was over. The DVD has been released and we are now proud owners of the DVD combo pack that includes a Blu-Ray disc, regular DVD and one for travel. There is also a code that can be used to download the film right to your computer! I was given my copy but I've also been given one so that I can share the love with you! I hope that you enjoy the movie as much as my family and I do.

Giveaway!

To enter: simply leave a comment telling me who you will share The Princess and the Frog with.

Extra Entry: Tweet this contest, to make it easy you can use this text - "Enter to Win Princess and the Frog DVD on Cutie Booty Cakes Blog @reneejross http://bit.ly/a0Ek3i"

Please be sure to leave a comment for each entry!

Good Luck!

Contest is open until 3/27/2010 at 11:00p.m.

Greek Yogurt - Breakfast of Champions!

Since beginning my journey to healthy living, I have become more conscious of my intake of protein. I am a pescatarian - I eat fish and seafood but no other meats and until recently, I didn't pay much attention to my protein intake. A huge mistake! Protein is essential for our bodies and is found in every one of our cells. Another great thing about increasing protein in my diet is that it provides a feeling of fullness that I certainly appreciate. On a daily basis I try to eat between 60 - 227 grams of protein, I find it in numerous ways - beans, tofu, nuts, rice, protein shakes, but my favorite has to be Greek yogurt!

Greek Yogurt can have up to 23 grams of protein per 8 oz serving. I eat this yogurt daily and many companies are now selling both plain and fruit flavors of Greek yogurt. When I eat plain I add my own fruit and it is delicious. I wanted to share my breakfast this morning with you to give you an idea of how to enjoy this treat. My yogurt parfait is only 281 calories. It packs a powerful 17 grams of protein and only 5 grams of fat. This indeed is a breakfast of champions!

Recipe:

4 oz of plain non-fat Greek yogurt -

1 cup frozen Dole Mixed berries (You can use any fruit that you like - fresh or frozen, whatever suits your taste buds)

Kellogg's low fat granola cereal (you can always make your own but I didn't have the ingredients on hand)

6 almonds

Layer each ingredient in a glass or bowl and enjoy!

Turning Lemons Into Lemonade

I have been anticipating the "How to Train A Dragon" movie ever since I saw the trailer. It looks like a fun movie for the entire family and when I showed Mekhi the trailers On Demand, he wanted to watch them over and over again. When I received an invite to attend a screening today I immediately responded yes! Despite the movie screening being 45 minutes away, I knew my son and I would enjoy the movie together. Yesterday I confirmed my reservation and this morning I headed out to see the 11 o'clock show.

I arrived early in anticipation of a large crowd and when I approached the ticket booth the lights were out. I wasn't surprised it was still early and this was a special screening. My mood quickly turned sour when I approached the ticket agent and he told me the movie was screened at 9:00 A.M. we both heard his walkie talkie screeching "credits rolling" and my eyes rolled as the credits drifted up the unseen screen.

My almost three year old was asking about the dragons and while I tried to calm him the manager was called. He apologized and offered to get the representative from the film and when she arrived, she too apologized. Noting that she knew I was coming but the movie time changed late in the day yesterday and although she informed my contact, I was not notified.

This miscommunication made my blood pressure boil. Can you imagine having to explain NOT seeing the Dragon to an almost three year old that is hyped about the movie? As we watched the moviegoers departing the theater with dragon plush toys I implored the representative to at least give me a toy for my son. She only had them at her office off-site but the manager came to the rescue with a toy for my son.

Crisis averted. My son was quickly engaged with the dragon and that was the first drop of lemonade.

After being assured that I'd have tickets next week when the film is released (which really wasn't the issue, I was more concerned about dealing with a disappointed almost three year old) I turned to see my good friend Jennae and her family. More lemonade! I haven't seen her since last year and it was wonderful seeing everyone happy and her daughter looked wonderful. We chatted briefly and as we were going down the escalator I spied a carousel. Score!

My son had his dragon and delightedly rode the carousel on his own horse. After the ride, I needed a quick pick me up so I stopped by Starbucks for my new favorite Soy Chai latte with a shot of espresso, a dirty chai was a quick pick me up!

Mekhi enjoyed a chocolate drink and we sipped contentedly in the coffee shop.

I looked across the way and saw the information desk, after finishing our drinks we trotted to information to see what was going on in the mall and found out that a Handy Mandy celebration was occurring with Kidgets club. For a five dollar annual fee my son can participate in all the club activities at any Simon Mall. We quickly paid the fee and headed down to the celebration.

On the way I rented a race car stroller to push him in and when we arrived at the Handy Mandy zone we were given a gift pack filled with goodies.

Mekhi enjoyed the newest episode of the show, we were entered in a raffle (but didn't win) and had an all around good time.

After the event we looked to our right and saw the Easter Bunny!

A kind man gave us crayons, a coloring book and balloons to add fun.

Our next stop was the indoor playground where Mekhi ran around with a ton of other children for 45 minutes.

While he played I checked our goodie bag and saw coupons for stores. I found a Godiva coupon for a free sample and we headed in that direction for a treat.

I asked for a dark chocolate truffle (figuring if I am going to indulge, I might as well get the "healthy" option) and the attendant told me that if I joined the Godiva club I'd get the chocolate for free. And by the way, the membership was free. Score!

We proceeded to walk the mall (I walked and Mekhi rode in style) to get a little exercise in and my son was soon dozing off. We had one mishap when trying to carry my sleeping son to the car I inadvertently left his shoe in the car stroller that was not in sight when we returned to retrieve the shoe.

Luckily we had a coupon and were able to pick up new shoes for the spring/summer and as much as I loved his old shoes, he is ready to go up a size so losing the shoe was a blessing in disguise.

And this long winded story is the tale of how a day that started off with lemons ended up sweet like lemonade!

Letting Go

At this point in my weight loss journey I am not having difficulty letting go of my weight. I eat the appropriate foods and workout consistently for slow and steady weight loss. However, I am having a difficult time releasing my fear of needing ALL of my clothes. Around these parts I am known for my pack rat tendencies. I get it honest, my mother doesn't throw away much either. Please do not confuse this with being a hoarder, I am far from that(I think) but I do have a closet full of clothes and a couple of bins that I need to go through and give things away. These things have been sitting around for the two years that we've lived in our house.

We moved in 5 days before I gave birth and although I'd started packing our belongings and got rid of some things, my husband completed our packing while I was on bed rest. Needless to say, I have clothes from the late nineties to the present and it it time to purge. In many ways I am happy that I didn't get rid of my clothes because I am now able to shop my closet - I have sizes ranging from 9 junior to women's 18 (not quite sure where that came from) and as I shrink, I've been able to pull from my arsenal of old clothes.

As I've been rooting around, I've also noticed the sheer number of my clothes that are outdated and need to go. This week I started tackling the task of purging. I am able to get rid of the clothes that will never been in style again (although you can never be sure, I am certain they said that bell bottoms wouldn't come back in style and aren't boot cut jeans bells?) however the size 14s that I've worn once or never worn at all because they were too small? I am afraid to get rid of. What happens if somehow during my weight loss journey I slip up and fall into my old bad habits.

And weight creeps up? I can't see myself shopping for more "big" clothes. So against my better judgement I am saving some things. Just. In. Case.

I know this sounds like a defeatist attitude but until I've been living this way for at least a year (or two) I just don't feel comfortable letting go. I don't foresee myself slipping but you never know....

I think I've taken a big step by attempting to toss anything so I am patting myself on the back. Perhaps next year at this time, I will be celebrating maintaining my goal weight and finally feel comfortable letting go.

Operation Weight Loss Week 16- The incredible shrinking woman

Hello beautiful people! Today I am happy to report that I am down another 4.3 pounds for a total of 38.6 pounds! I can't believe it either. I think that all of my lunges and squats are building a great deal of muscle in my legs and burning that fat and calories when I am resting.

Cooking at home has been amazing. I find that not only am I full but I have enough leftovers to carry me during the week. I am saving money and losing weight. The recipes that I've been using are all easy to make and most meals only take 30 minutes or fewer to make. Right now I am eating between 1300 -1550 calories a day and with my activity level I am still losing weight.

This is a photo of my lunch today. Spinach salad with shrimp, strawberries and a cranberry vinaigrette. Oatmeal apple raisin muffins, more strawberries and for desert a 60 calorie rice pudding. With the exception of the pudding, I made everything today. I had to utilize nap time to both cook and exercise but I did it. When my son woke up he was ready for his meal and he ate the muffin (off of my plate) with no problem. One thing I really like about the muffins is that I could also freeze them and use them for breakfast, a snack, any time.

I am becoming a regular Betty Crocker! And unlike when I was first married, I am now able to bake recipes that are healthy, delicious and low calorie instead of the cakes and cookies that I used to make.

I am proving to myself on a daily basis that weight loss is possible with dedication and commitment without spending a ton of money to do it!

The Victory Project

Have you ever had a secret that you've been dying to share but had to keep your lips sealed? Well, for the last few weeks I have been bursting at the seams because I wanted to tell everyone that I'VE BEEN CHOSEN FOR THE VICTORY PROJECT: ATLANTA! I know you're thinking, what is that? Well, I'll tell you. The Victory Project is a six-week webisode that follows 4 women in 3 cities nationwide that are on a journey to healthy living on MSN.com. The first group of women are from Seattle and the next group is from Atlanta and I am one of them! During the project we will meet with a celebrity fitness trainer, a nutritionist and at the end of our journey we will receive a full makeover!

To get an idea of what this is all about you can visit The Victory Project website. It is still highlighting the journey of the Seattle women but next week Atlanta will be featured! For now, I have a facebook page and twitter account that are specifically for my friends to follow my journey and stay up to date on what I am doing. I would love it if you would become a fan on Facebook and follow me on twitter (this project is sponsored by Special K ). I am so happy to have this opportunity to do what I love (I will be blogging and vlogging) and sharing my journey with millions of women.

Renee, The Victory Project: Atlanta on Facebook

Drinking for a Great Cause!

For as long as I can remember I have been interested in making a difference. I want my stay on planet Earth to mean something, not just for me and my family but for the world at large. Although this may seem like a large undertaking, I believe that small initiatives can have a tremendous impact. Things ranging from donating old clothing to the needy, to volunteering to mentor a child or even donating to your favorite charity all make a difference.

Recently I was asked to become a Tropicana Juicy Insider to try out their rewards program and discuss my experience on my blog. I am a life long fan of Tropicana (my favorite is the juice with the Pulp!) so becoming an ambassador for the brand makes sense for me. Of course, before I agreed I had to investigate the rewards and I was elated to see a reward that would benefit not only my family but future generations. By drinking Tropicana and collecting points I am able to assist in the effort to save the rainforest!

• Rainforest destruction accounts for as many CO₂ emissions as the USA - a staggering six billion tonnes each year.
• 1.6 billion people depend on rainforests for their welfare and livelihoods, with 350 million of them living in rainforest communities.
• Rainforests are made of carbon. When the forest is destroyed, this carbon is released as climate warming CO₂.
• Rainforests are critical to global weather systems acting as the world's thermostat
• The Amazon rainforest alone provides a fifth of the world’s fresh water as well as a fifth of the world’s oxygen.
• Rainforests are home to two-thirds of all living animal and plant species on the planet, with hundreds of millions of species still undiscovered.
• The forests are known as the “world’s pharmacy” because of their wealth of natural medicines and destroying them can destroy the chances of new breakthroughs in treatment. (From the Cool Earth website)
  

The Tropicana Save The Rainforest program has partnered with the Cool Earth Foundation to help save the Amazonian Rainforest. For every Tropicana rewards point donated 331/3 square feet of rainforest are saved. I donated 3 rewards points and saved 100 square feet of the Rainforest! This is the newest Tropicana program to protect the rainforest, but not their first. To date, Tropicana has already protected five thousand acres of endangered rainforest in the Amazon. Working with Cool Earth and the local Ashaninka communities in Peru, Tropicana is ensuring an incredible 1.3 million tons of CO₂ is protected 24/7!

By drinking Tropicana, I am making a difference! Since I am already a lover of Tropicana, donating points found on a carton of juice that I already drink is a no-brainer! I decided to be philanthropic with my points but there are numerous awards available for family outings, to beauty treatments and discounts on your favorite retailers. Check out Tropicana.com for more information and don't forget to enter the points from your juice carton!

Don't have any Tropicana on hand? Well here is a gift of a point for you from TheMotherhood!

Register for Juicy Rewards at www.tropicana.com and you'll get one extra bonus point worth $5 in savings immediately! Set-up your Tropicana Juicy Rewards account, visit the "enter codes" page within the site and get started with MOTHE-RHOOD*

*This one-time use code is valid for new accounts ONLY. Must be entered within 6 hours of creating your account.


Disclosure: I received points and compensation for my participation in this program but my decision to donate was all my own!