Body Positivity

Well, it has been quite some time since I sat down and wrote a post. I hadn't thought of any good topics to talk about and quite frankly politics, which are always on my mind, just don't get me started! Haha.

Anyways, the topic at hand today is body positivity. It has become a movement in the last couple of months with more women being confident in their skin, whether they are on the larger or smaller side. Shows like, My Big Fat Fabulous Life really help reach out to the ones who are unsure about what they see in the mirror. Whitney Thore is so confident in her skin while being close to 400lbs. I've never been confident ever! It's impressive to me and yet, it makes me question myself and why I haven't had any confidence.

My weight didn't effect my thinking until I decided to go to public school after being home-schooled from 7th-10th grade. I can only think of a few instances where someone had mentioned my weight in those times and yeah, it hurt but I was still growing up and it really didn't bother me. But, once you're in an environment with other teenagers and around boys, who doesn't feel insecure? I know I'm not the only one! You just throw a smile on your face and try to walk it off.

 Now a days, it seems that more people have issues with their bodies or rude comments being made towards their appearance. Even when someone is confident in their own body someone still feels the need to try and break them down. But, at some point you have to realize there will always be a Negative Nancy out there who wants to bring people down. Their opinions shouldn't matter, why? Because who cares what others think of your body, it's yours! Feel how you want to feel! Everyone has the right to feel beautiful.

Everyone has their own opinion of what the perfect body looks like. Social media does, you do, and I do but the only opinion that should matter is yours. And remember, there is no such thing as perfect.

Our society has become so intertwined with the sizes on clothing or the number on the scale. Why are we letting those insignificant numbers define us? Is that going to give us the self worth we desire? Not at all! Those numbers will keep decreasing and some will never be happy. If you keep seeing yourself as fat and keep telling yourself that everyday then what are you going to believe? That little voice in your head will always win over the voices from people around you, believe me. I've been there and one day you have to say enough is enough.

Body Positivity starts with yourself. If you want to lose weight I'm not saying don't. I still have plans to drop a few pounds but I'm not going to let the scale control my life or when I go out to dinner with friends or my husband. Another thing to remember is, confidence shines and can be contagious. Don't let anyone bring you down!

I'll end there since I feel like I'm rambling, teehee. Just remember, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and everyone deserves to feel beautiful (or handsome :p).

-JNB

Weightloss Journey Take Two!

In February 2013 I set out to lose weight. Through out that year it was a struggle to actual stick to any plans that I came up with when it came to fitness and eating right. Even with these struggles, I managed to lose almost 30lbs in time to go see my now husband graduate from bootcamp. Vacation always screws up plans, but I tried to stay away from as much junk food as possible. I managed to keep my weight the same.
After that, I returned home and continued my weightloss. I had stopped working out and decided I was just going to eat as little as possible. I began to only eat about 900-1000 calories a day. Many know that is unhealthy and even though I knew that I didn't care. I did't worry about cutting out unhealthy foods or eating fast food. I only worried about the calories. From about December 2013 to the beginning of March 2014 I managed to get my weight down to 142lbs! That is the smallest I have ever been that I can actually remember. Obviously, I did it the incorrect way and it caught up with me.
Early March I got married and quickly put back on 20lbs in the months to follow because I hadn't changed my habits. I ate what I wanted and I had stopped counting the calories. Now, I am on take two of my journey and I'm doing great!
I have realized that eating that low of calories was very unhealthy and it made my body feel weak. I am now eating about 1500 calories in a day. I may not be losing weight as quickly but I feel so much better! I am working out about 1-2 hours a day 6 days a week and resting on Sunday. It still has been a struggle to keep my plan but I am almost through week two and have dropped 4lbs! Motivation, old photos of who I was, and wanting to be healthy and strong keep me going. I know what I am capable of and I will continue to push myself each and every day.

New Recipe Friday!

     I have been trying to eat less meat and get more protein from nuts and sometimes egg whites. We have recently tried two meatless recipes, one actually following a recipe and the second just adding some here and there for the meal I am showing off today. The prep and cooking time is under an hour as long as you don't make homemade corn tortillas which will add another hour since the dough has to set. Corn tortillas are easy and I don't mind making them because then I know what is going in them and I know there aren't any preservatives and what not. I also used dry beans and cooked them up myself a few days ago for the first recipe. I'll list the recipes below and hopefully someone else will enjoy them as much as I have!

Corn Tortillas:
http://www.theleangreenbean.com/homemade-corn-tortillas-and-tortilla-chips/

Crunchy Black Bean Tacos:
http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/12/crunchy-black-bean-taco-recipe.html

Spanish Rice:
http://skinnyms.com/skinny-mexican-rice/

Cooking Dried Beans:
http://onceamonthmeals.com/get-real-dry-beans-vs-canned-and-the-winner-is/

Enchilada Casserole (makes 8 servings):

1/2 jar of any salsa
1 can black beans
12 corn tortillas
1/2 cup cilantro
1/2 cup onion
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp paprika
1 cup or more of any cheese

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl except for the tortillas and cheese.
In a square pan place four tortillas on the bottom and some of the mixture and a bit of cheese, depending on how much cheese you want.
Layer again and then place the last four tortillas on top with a bit more cheese.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes with aluminum foil on top. You can take it off after and broil it for a few minutes, I did.
Enjoy!

Yesterday,

   I made my own corn tortillas and beans not from a can! The real test will be when we eat them tomorrow. Hopefully, I did well and if not then I will just keep trying. I have plenty of time to make mistakes. Now it is time to write some of my novel and quit procrastinating!

Trying New Things,

    Now a days most things that seem healthy are not. Many items are packed with different forms of corn ranging from Xanthum Gum to High Fructose Corn Syrup. After watching many documentaries I have realized that the groups put in place to protect our health are doing the exact opposite. Don't get me wrong, I love food! I have struggled with weight my whole life and still am. It's hard to find a balance between getting into a new lifestyle and still wanting to enjoy the delicious foods we see all around us. Many will argue for moderation and that's fine, but how is that going to help in the long run? We would still be eating things that could cause damage to our body. I don't want to risk my health for something that is only going to make me happy until it's gone and I want more. That just won't do.
    I have realized that I have plenty of time on my mind. I could be baking bread and making my own refried beans and what not. Why aren't I? It is definitely a healthier option and something that I will be trying in the next few weeks. It'll give me something to do and will also cut out a lot of processed items I don't need while still allowing me to eat something that is delicious. The only person that is stopping me is myself.

Healthy Eating,

     Since getting married and moving away I have gained back about 15-20lbs. It definitely has taken a toll and I just feel gross. I'm happy to say that today is day one of getting back into the swing of things. I want to drop 30lbs and eating the way I have been just isn't going to cut it. It is time to make healthier choices and to stick with it and make it a lifelong lifestyle. I have my workouts ready and running starts next monday! I'm actually excited for all this because it's another start and I know I will feel good in the long run.

A Hurricane,

     Life on the east coast must come with a few storms here and there.It rains a few times a week but today I will be faced with my first hurricane! I'm not even sure what to expect and we didn't really prepare like the doomsday preppers who have bought all of the water at the commissary and Walmart. I'm not that worried. The rain and wind will start at about 3pm and will go through the night until about 10am. I'm glad that it is during the night! If my power goes out then it is no big deal, haha.
    His family is still on their way and will be here tomorrow morning. Hopefully, they will not rush because of the storm, (take your time!). We are looking forward to seeing them and getting some delicious Kentucky BBQ! But, just happy we will see them and have company for the weekend. Staying safe and staying in for the next day!