15 ways to max your metabolism

15 ways to max your metabolism

Oklahoma obesity rate shows fastest growth since 1995, report says | NewsOK.com

Oklahoma obesity rate shows fastest growth since 1995, report says | NewsOK.com

I'm back!!

I originally started this blog as a means to communicate w/ friends and family. However, due to Facebook, Skype, etc, I really haven't used this blog for it's intended purpose. I've pondered what to do about this situation and I decided that I would still use it as a means of communication w/ friends and family. But I thought it would be better utilized to talk to them about a topic which I have become very passionate--health and wellness.

A lot of you are already aware of my journey from 180 pounds to 120 pounds a few years ago. Well, last winter, a few of those pounds started to creep back on and I'm not about to go back there again! I already try hard to watch my diet, so the only other answer to get the weight back off was exercise. I started going to aerobics 2 days weekly and really enjoyed it. Then, I started to run! I was immediately hooked!! And as you all know, I've been running/working out pretty regularly.

I'll be sharing my journey with you all. We'll be discussing health, wellness, fitness, nutrition, tips, recipes, etc. We will also encourage and support each other or vent, if needed, as we all pursue our own "health trek".

Me!

People often ask me what's the secret to my weight loss success, so I thought I would blog about it so that you all could read about it. In 2007, I was facing my 40th birthday and not too chipper about it.....I was heavier than I ever had been in my life and pretty unhappy about it. In late March/early April, I decided to do something about it but wasn't sure exactly what. A lady that I knew told me about her diet which was all organic/natural.....I wasn't sure if it would work, but it didn't sound too bad to me. I was discussing this with my sister one day and she said "That sounds like the Dr. Oz plan". I remembered hearing something on Oprah similar to what I was talking about so I did some research and discovered the book "You On a Diet" by Dr. Oz. I was hooked immediately and became a faithful label reader.

I cut out soda pop and drank mostly water. I quit eating anything with bleached, enriched flour; high fructose corn syrup; and partially hydrogenated oils. I quit eating processed foods and started to eat more healthy, natural, nutritious foods and snacks. I limited my calorie intake to around 1200-1500/day. I ate 4-5 small meals daily consisting of 100% whole grains, fresh fruits and veggies, and clean proteins such as chicken or fish. And I limited the foods I ate to 5 grams or less each of sugar and fat. The transformation was amazing!! I lost 55 lbs and went from a size 14 to a size 4!! See the above photo vs my profile pic for comparison!!

Today, I still maintain this healthy diet most of the time.....I will on occasion eat a burger or a piece of cake because I don't think self deprivation is helpful to weight loss. If I eat something that I don't deem "healthy", I limit my portion size......1/2 a burger instead of a whole one or skip the bun. If anyone is interested in losing weight, I would highly recommend the above mentioned book or check out Prevention magazine and the Flat Belly Diet book too!! Stay tuned for healthy tips and meal plans, etc. Good luck!!

06/19

We had a great time at the concert last night. Ordinarily, I am not a fan of the Cain's Ballroom, but they have made some changes since we were there last and it was much better. Johnny Lang is an amazing musician!! He has a great voice and can wail on the guitar. I had an opportunity to see him in 1999 but I blew it off, so I was glad to get another chance. He has changed much......used to be more bluesy (was compared to Joe Cocker way back when he was about 16y/o) but now he is more R&B with an almost spiritual feel. He is actually #1 on the Christian charts. Anyway, now I must catch up on chores since its back to work tomorrow.....yuck!!

Summer time at the Unruh's

Wow!! June has been a busy month for us!! Jon moved to his own apartment in Stillwater 2 weeks ago and so far, seems to be doing well.

We have new additions to our family. Our little outdoor cat, Mira(cle), recently had 4 little kittens......they are so sweet and innocent!!

I recently became a consultant for Homemade Gourmet and have been busy with that. I have really enjoyed experimenting with the products!! They have really made a difference around here at our house and I'm excited about sharing them with others!!

Gary has been busy both a work and with outside jobs!! I have included pictures of our garden to show just what he has been working on!! So far, we have enjoyed fresh potatoes and onions; today we picked some yellow squash. I love summer and all the fresh veggies!!

Tonight we are excited to go see Johnny Lang in concert at the Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa!! A good time should be had by all!!

Graduation 2009

Well folks, he did it!! Jon graduated from Stillwater High School tonight!! I am about as proud as a mother could be right now!! Way to go kiddo!!