T-Shirt Recycling

As many of you know, I am a true t-shirt whore. I love them and have collected many throughout the years. Since losing all of the weight I have, many of those t-shirts have ended up in bags and gone to Goodwill. There are others that I have not been able to part with or have recently gotten too big on me and I have finally found a way to still wear them and not look like a complete and total bum.

I’m sure many of you are familiar with a Pinterest, you know, that website full of neat stuff that sucks you in and eats up all of the precious time that you could have been productive in? I have been guilty of pinning many crafty things and then forgetting about them, however yesterday, I found a pin that really intrigued me and before I knew it, I was going through my dresser drawers, grabbing a pair of scissors and dusting off the sewing machine.

The pin I am referring to is a tutorial on T-Shirt Restyling or Recycling and can be found HERE. That blog also links to where she found the idea so if you decide to give this a try, be sure to visit both sites to see all of the photos!

I ended up doing two t-shirts last night and I LOVE the way they turned out. Of course I got all caught up in making them and forgot to take step-by-step photos to go with this post, but both of the blogs I mentioned above did.

There are so many possibilities for these! I used a fun cord from a pair of old sweatpants on the Star Wars t-shirt, instead of the original collar as the tutorial suggests because I wanted a looser fit to that one. I’d actually love to do the top in orange on both of these and I’m almost positive I have an old orange t-shirt somewhere I can cut up and use just for that purpose. I also didn’t worry about swapping out thread colors. I just went with plain old white on both of these and I think they look just fine. (I also stuck with white because I forgot how to change the bobbin on my machine…sssshhhh!)

I’m so glad I found this and decided to actually try it instead of just pinning it and moving on. Buying new clothes over the past 3 years has gotten very expensive, so now I have a fun new way to wear my old clothes while saving a little money!

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Filed under Fashion, House/Fashion/Beauty

Exercise to be Fit NOT Skinny

This is the key to getting the results you really want and keeping them for the long haul.

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It Will Be Worth It

Keep pushing play, keep doing your best and keep working toward goals. NOTHING beats the feeling of achieving them!

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A Pleasant Surprise

Today I woke up to sunshine and cool temps so I grabbed my sneakers and headed for the fitness trail. It’s been a while since I’ve been there so I set my Run Keeper app for a walk instead of a run and hit the pavement.

I planned on going my normal route which is normally just shy of 5 miles round trip. As I reached the rec center, which is where I do the bulk of my run/walks, I was feeling good and decided to start jogging. It felt great to do it and I fell into pace rather easily. Once I hit the back entrance to the actual fitness trail I was surprised to see new posts with directional arrows had been installed. The trail really needed those as certain spots can get a little tricky.

As I went further into the wooded section of the trail, I had to drop down to a walk again. I was getting a little tired and there were a lot of workers cutting the overgrown brush back from the path. Once I reached my halfway mark (which is the real trail start point) I noticed something interesting… a new sign that said START as well as 5K on it. The trail was a never a 5K before and then I recalled seeing a new “path” on my way in. Of course I had to go check things out and I’m glad I did! The new trail is really nice and the view today was stunning.

As I headed back from the “Start” of the trail I noticed mile marker signs along the way, too. It was really nice to see that they were cleaning things up on the trail and that they made the improvement by extending it.

When I finally finished my walk, I ended up doing a little over 6.5 miles and it felt great. I can’t wait to head back up there and conquer the new section of the trail again.

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Today’s Workout: Stretch, Cardio & Booty!

Today I woke up and my lower body was still very sore from the lower body workout I posted the other day. I decided a dose of X-Stretch from P90X would do my body good, so that is how I started today’s workout. I had to skip the sun salutations, camel and back hero since I still can’t stretch my core too much, but I still felt great after completing the workout.

My plan was to hit the pavement this morning since I needed to go to the post office and it conveniently falls along my walking/running path. Unfortunately, mother nature had different plans and it started to thunderstorm as I was getting ready to go. Thankfully I have a stationary bike so I hopped on there instead and got a solid 30-min cardio workout in before giving this workout I found on Pinterest a try:

I did three rounds of this, Insanity style, and felt a solid burn kick in halfway through the second round.

As you can tell, I’ve been putting focus on lower body workouts, and that’s because I’ve decided to join my husband and some of his buddies in August, as they attempt the Rock Solid Mud Run. I’m a little nervous about this since I recently had the surgery, but my plan is to pace myself, do what I can and just have fun.

If you try any of the workouts I’m posting, please let me know what you think or if you add anything! Also, if you have any that you love, please pass them my way. I’d love to try it out and feature it here along with your fitness story.

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This Mornings Workout: Legs

Since my body has been responding so well post surgery to lifting, I figured it was time to add a short, but effective leg routine into the mix. If your legs aren’t jello after completing this, you’re not giving it your all.

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Fitness Mindset

Three years ago, I had a similar conversation with myself, and I haven’t looked back. Anyone can do what I have done. You just have to change the way you think!

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Post-Op Update

It’s been a little over 6 weeks since I had my surgery and I can’t believe how well I am healing!

A few weeks ago I was depressed, swollen and second guessing my decision to have the tummy tuck and abdominal repair. Today? I am on cloud nine and loving my results!

I have almost no restrictions on activities now. The only thing I am not allowed to do are any abdominal workouts until I hit the 5 month mark. I am currently on week three of my routine, and I opted to do ChaLEAN Extreme’s Push month, three times a week, to build up my arm strength again. I toyed with starting from month 1 of her program, but Push has always been my favorite so I figured why not?! I am definitely lifting lighter than I was pre-surgery, but I don’t mind at all and I’m sure I will  be back where I was in no time. The only parts I’ve had to skip are the push-ups since I feel too much of a pull in my core, and some of the single leg squats for the same stability reasons.

The other great thing is I no longer have to wear the compression garment and I have had zero swelling in the past two weeks. This really surprised because I read a lot of blogs and boards about tummy tucks and everyone struggled with swelling and still felt like they needed their compression garment at this point. I am by no means complaining, and hopefully I didn’t just jinx myself …that would however be my luck.

Over the past two weeks I have been filled with a new found sense of joy when it comes to my body. I no longer second guess what I am going to wear. I don’t stare at myself, nit picking the imperfections that only I would notice. It’s a feeling that is so foreign to me but feels so wonderful and rewarding. I love seeing what I truly accomplished over the past 3 years with my body. I worked damn hard to achieve this and I am FINALLY getting to see the true results.

Today, I tried on a bikini and after the initial shock and awe of seeing my very pale stomach exposed, I loved my reflection. It felt amazing to stand there in a two piece bathing suit and not want to cry my eyes out. As a matter of fact, I felt so comfortable and happy, I took this photo to share with everyone here.

Please pardon the pastiness of my complexion. If it ever stops raining here, I may be able to lay out in my yard and get a slight tan.

So…there you have it. My post-op update, the first time I have ever shared a photo of myself, in a bathing suit, for all of the internet to see, and my new found confidence, all rolled up into one neat little blog post.

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Another Year Down

I can’t believe it’s been 3 years since I made the decision to become healthy. There are days it seems like just yesterday that I started on the path to this lifestyle, and then there are days where I can’t imagine living the way I did. The fast food runs, over sized portions and constant bonding with my couch. I cringe when I think about all of that, but without it, I wouldn’t be the person I am today.

Looking back, I’ve come a long way. I haven’t eaten McDonald’s in well over 2 years, my body craves exercise and healthy foods and then there’s the 100+ pounds I’ve lost as a result of those things. Oh and let’s not forget my recent surgery. THAT is something I never dreamed I would be doing when I started all of this. I am a completely different person than I was three years ago and I am so grateful for that. I know that I have added years to my life with the choices I have made. It’s also nice to know that I no longer have to wish I can shop in certain stores and trying on new clothes is something I enjoy doing now.

One of the things I love the most about my journey, is knowing that I have inspired so many people along the way. I am one of those people who tend to be very hard on themselves. I don’t easily give myself credit for what I accomplish, so when I receive e-mails, messages and comments from people whom I have inspired, it’s very touching. It also in turn inspires me to keep going and to be the best ME I can possibly be.

If you asked me three years ago if I would ever be able to do the physical things I can now, I would have said you were crazy. I am forever amazed at what my body has been able to do, how strong it can be and how much I have grown mentally. There is nothing I can’t do …as long as I get out of my own way. Ha! The mental battle of this journey has been the most difficult but most amazing aspect. It’s all about mind over matter, seeing is believing and having confidence in yourself.

Thank you to everyone who reads my blog, comments on my posts and keeps me motivated!

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Baked Chicken and Spinach Flautas

I love Mexican food. I mean seriously LOVE Mexican food. My love for it is not as passionate as my love for pizza but it comes in a close second. As a result, I wanted to try something new for Cinco de Mayo this year, but I also wanted to keep it on the healthy side. After searching tons of recipes, I decided on this one and served it with Mexican rice and black beans.

Baked Chicken and Spinach Flautas

Makes about 10 flautas
Prep Time: 15 minutes – Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 16 ounces beer
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 jalapeno, minced
  • 3 cups baby spinach, chopped
  • 5 burrito-size flour tortillas (9 inches)
  • 6 ounces shredded cheese (I used a Mexican blend)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil, or cooking spray
  • Salsa and sour cream to serve on the side
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 450*F.
  2. Put the chicken thighs in a deep saute pan; cover with the beer and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the liquid and shred it. Mix together the chicken and seasonings.
  3. Pour out all but 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. Add the jalapeno and spinach and cook over low heat until for 2-3 minutes, or until the spinach is wilted.
  4. Cut the tortillas in half. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the chicken (I used a small ice cream scoop) along the long edge of a tortilla. Repeat with the spinach and cheese. Roll the tortilla up, starting with the straight edge. Place them seam-side down on an oiled baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
  5. Brush the flautas with olive oil or spray with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes, then turn them over and bake for until 10 minutes, or until crispy. Serve with salsa and sour cream (if desired)

Each flauta has approx. 180 calories, 9 grams fat, 6 grams carbs, 1 gram fiber, 18 grams protein – The tortillas and cheese you use change these numbers greatly so be careful.

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