Today my goal was to find recipes that were healthy and yet tasted good. I was pretty successful and my family is thrilled. Tonight for dinner was chicken parmigiana and mini chocolate bites for dessert. I will share them on my recipes tab.

I decided today I have to surround myself with yummy food and yet it has to be healthy. So I searched the bottom of the Internet as well as some fun recipe books and did just that.

I also had an amazing lunch today with my best friend who always cheers me up when I'm not feeling great about myself. She too understands what it means to lose weight she just recently lost a little over 50 pounds. So it's Nice to be able to relate to individuals who understand where you're coming from.

Looking forward to continuing the fun with my recipes and I will be sure to post those so that others can enjoy it as well let me know what your favorite recipe is!

So today as I sit outside waiting to enter this weight watcher meeting knowing I'm going to show a gain I am encouraged. I know that sounds strange, but there was a time previously that I would not have even shown up. I would have given up and not put myself through this. Today I have told myself is a new day to begin again.

As I reflect back over my last year it is very clear that running from my problems is my thing. I told myself I'd rather ignore it then admit that there was a problem. That is what is got me to the point where I am at today and the point of what I need to change. I'm done running and now I just need to move forward with making these changes one day at a time. If tomorrow I mess up again I'll just know that I can always move forward. I can get up and try again. That is not a statement I would have made before, but something is changing inside me a day at a time.

I hope that you are able to find the changes that you need to make in order to bring you to this point because it's only at this point that change can actually be made.

Wow as I look back over my site I wonder where has the time gone. I have to be honest I am still in the struggle of my life over my weight and feel that I have gone from one extreme to the other.  As I can see from previous posts I can not fathom how many different weight loss strategies that I have been through.  Though some worked for the interim the only long term strategy is the life style change I spoke about earlier.  I don't know what more I can say other than things have to keep moving.  I can not give up and I will fight this and win!

As many people that view my recipes, I would love to start seeing comments and support.  If you are challenged just as I am reach out and let me know.  I am all about accountability and would love to know that there are others out there that may be supportive or need support of knowing that someone else is challenged with this as well.    

While Advocare is an amazing product and I have experienced great results, but it is time to get serious.  I was trying to figure out exactly what I was missing and I think I've found it.   I enjoy working out, but get overwhelmed working out in the gym as it is still not easy.  I have found a great at home product called Les Mills Combat workout.  I can punch,  kick and lift the fast right off (along with a little aggression as well).   It is so much fun and the music literally rocks!  I purchased an entire package and got the set of dvds, 30 packs of Shakeology and a coach that kept me motivated throughout the entire process.  I enjoyed the experience so much I decided to start my own team that could work together to lose weight and have a great time doing it!  If your looking to lose any weight and need a little motivation I'd love for you to join my team as well!  Visit my site at www.beachbodycoach.com/joannafinch today!

Ugh!  The pain has been immense over the last few months and I haven't shared that with anyone, but wow I don't know if I can take much more.  So I figured the one thing that revved my engine up the last time was doing a 24 - day challenge inclusive of a cleanse and revitalization of vitamins and minerals my body is craving.  I am on day 8 and slowly I can tell I am feeling a little bit better.  I want to work consistently though on the way I feel and I know that it has a lot to do with diet and food choices.  It's just very hard to stay on track.  There could be a thousand different reasons, but I choose to get back on track.  

It's been very busy over the past two weeks, personally I have been chasing my tail consistently.  A few months ago though, I would have been so tired by the time I got home, that I would not have been able to even function and would have just plopped down on the bed and succumb to a vegatative state.  However, I have now switched to the Max E vitamin pack and have more energy than I could have ever wished for.  I have been able to start my day with roller skates on moving quickly and with purpose, and going throughout my day in overdrive without having to even stop to catch my breath.  I have been working on several different techniques to try and keep focused under the tremendous amount of pressure I am facing at work, and still be able to come home and focus on my kids and household duties.  Whether or not you have an organized mind depends upon your ability to "drive" your attention and keep it focused when you're under pressure or faced with challenging conditions.  Taking the Max E vitamins help as well, I would suggest that no matter what your health "goals" are that you look at something that keeps you moving in the right direction without the "crash" other products can give you.  No matter what you choose to do, keep thinking about your overall health, including your mind as well.  

Tame your frenzy
Before you can focus your attention, you need to take charge of your negative emotional frenzy (worry, anger, sadness, irritation). This frenzy impairs and overwhelms part of your brain so that you can't "think straight".  Too much negative stress damages your ability to focus and harms your health. The great news is that the same things that improve your health can improve your mind's ability to manage negative frenzy. Sleep well, exercise, do a mindfulness practice or choose the slow lane from time to time, even for a few minutes.

Sustain your focus
Now that your mind is calm, identify one task and one task only. Turn off your phone and e-mail, shut the door and set the timer for 20 to 30 minutes as a first step.

Access your working memory
Accessing your short-term memory, turning over various elements in your mind, helps you problem-solve, generate new ideas and insights, and see the new patterns that lead you to a strategic perspective.

Shift sets
Now it's time to move your focus to a new task. Move all of your attention fully to the next task and give it your undivided attention. Often our most creative ideas come, seemingly out of the blue, when we're taking a brain break or focusing completely on something else.

Connect the dots
You've learned how to tame your frenzy and focus your attention on one thing at a time. You can handle distractions. Your working memory is ready for action when you need it. You are nimble, able to shift deftly from one task to the next. You take breaks, move your body and shift your focus to invite new ideas, insights and connections.  You'll be more productive and therefore have more time to do things that are healthy for your body and mind. You'll feel good about yourself, and positive emotions are health promoting. And you'll be able to use your organized mind to set health and fitness goals and focus well on achieving them.

Working on your overall health, will allow you to not only get fit, but you will be able to find the time to enjoy the life you deserve to live!  

Right around the corner it's going to be the busiest time of year for most families.  With Thanksgiving and Christmas looming around the corner, its important to start thinking about what you are going to struggle with most.  it could be one of your favorite desserts, high carb side dishes or those recipes where we take what could be some of the healthiest dishes and add extra butter and sugary syrups to impress family and friends with flavor.  I can't imagine that I am the only one out there that struggles like this. 

Why not prepare yourself early for these events?  Start looking for alternatives and developing strategies now that will help you become successful and not succumb to the pressures that we face during those holiday get togethers.  Advocare has provided structure for me and allowed me to overcome cravings and assisted me in making better choices.  I am excited and looking forward to hitting the holidays head on.  It's almost like I am getting ready for a fight that I know I am going to win.  Preparation will take it that much further, and here are some other ideas.  

- Take your time! . Try eating smaller portions over longer periods of time rather than a large portion all at once. This allows the digestive system to work progressively at breaking down your food and avoids a heavy demand that can make you feel tired and sluggish. - (Once you start on these products you will want to eat smaller meals throughout the day) 

- Chat it up!. Take time to visit with friends and family. This is not only is good for relationships, but oxygen is the source of metabolism. Talking allows you to take in that needed oxygen for digestion and slows you down so you don’t eat too fast.

- Savor ever bite! Chewing stimulates the production of saliva, which is full of enzymes and stimulates digestive response. The more you chew the easier it is for the body to process and the more the digestive system is helped.

- Take this...not that! By choosing a salad or vegetables before going to the dessert table you will suppress the overwhelming desire to fill up on the sweets. 

- Eat enzyme-rich foods. Foods naturally contain digestion-helping enzymes, but some have more than others. Raw salads, fruits and vegetables are great sources of enzymes. 

- Take Advocare supplements! By incorporating even a few of these healthcare supplements to your holiday plan, you will find that your energy levels will be up (making it easier to play flag football with the family, rather than chilling by the appetizers) you'll make better choices, because you will even feel fuller and overall provide you the focus you need to stay on track.  

Each of these options have worked for so many individuals who have already started on their journey, why not get on board today so that you too can get fit and love your life!!!  

A new group will get started soon with the 24 Day Challenge and I am so eager to coach them through it all.  Dramatic things will be happening and its so neat to experience coaching someone else through the process.  

As they get started, I think about my own journey, and this helps keep even myself on task.  I think about everything before I put even the smallest bite in my mouth.  Not to the point where I am feeling deprived, but I definitely have smaller portions and make better choices.  It's so funny to see what my refridgerator looks like now compared to that of only 2 months ago.  There is much more color and vibrancy to the vegetables and fruit.  I actually crave carrot sticks and spinach.  I firmly believe that you can concur your need for constant sweet and salty things by putting in a little bit of effort.  Now if I do find a food that I want to eat, that I know is not the healthiest choice, my body almost gets a shock and I don't feel as good eating it.  

This plan really takes the dieting out of it and helps you develop a whole new lifestyle.  Your energy is up and you just feel good about yourself everyday.  As I help others embark on this journey I look forward to sharing experiences, failures, successes, and most of all loss...weight loss.  Its important that more people get fit and start loving life!  Good luck!

What an amazing night tonight, not only did I get to spend the evening with one of my favorite people, I had the opportunity to participate in a mixer that shared a ton of information about how to get started in Advocare and got the opportunity to see and hear about some amazing transformations.  I can't wait to start my team of individuals and coach them through their own transformations.  We are getting started in just a week and although I have several people signed up I know that there are so many more that need it.  For me that is the best part.  I have so much further to go on my journey having this amazing support system around me and seeing that the products work on so many different types of people have really just continued to motivate me more. 

Tonight we watched this guys transformation video, so I wanted to share it as well.  He's quite a character, but it just proves more to me how real this product is.