Mind Body Green Feature

Hey Guys,

I know it's been a while since I've posted something and I apologize for that! I've been super busy with working. I am currently working at a gym and loving every moment of it. Never that in a million years that I would be working where I am working but I figured it was fate. :)

I wanted to share something that has me on cloud nine right now. A friend of mine reached out to me and asked if I wanted to share my weight loss journey on a blog called Mind Body Green. After some thought, I figured why not, and today my post went live! I wanted to share this with you guys and hope that you pass my story on to others that you know who need a little inspiration in their lives. Here the link to my article! Thanks for the support!

Finally 100 lbs+ Lost

So, I get on the scale this morning and to my surprise, I've lost 4.6 lbs this past week. Last week I was .3 lbs away from hitting the 100 lbs lost mark and was so surprised at the number this morning.

So I've lost a total of 104.3 lbs officially and that is starting from my heaviest weight I ever recorded which is 325 lbs. Most people would not want to share that number, and trust me, I didn't want to for a long time. Since I started really eating healthy and working out consistently, I've wanted to set an example for others.

I was always the fat kid, whether it be in class, in the family or in the building. It's been hard and I had tried everything in the past to loose weight except for diet and exercise. I always thought-- eh it'll never work. So, when I finally decided to make my lifestyle change, to my surprise, diet and exercise was really all I needed.

I've battled PCOS and metabolic syndrome, both which make it hard for me to loose weight and now, with the choices I've made, I am slowly reversing those diseases one pound at a time.

So, 325 lbs is my heaviest weight, and I can't really remember the exact date that was, but that number is burned into my memory. I don't ever want to weigh that or anywhere close to that number ever again. I remember how unhappy I was even though I pretended I wasn't.

Each pound that I shed is one step closer to where I want to be. My overall weight loss goal is 180 lbs. However, when I made the decision to change my lifestyle, I made a goal of reaching 200 lbs by the end of this year, which seems like something I might be able to accomplish.

So today, I officially weigh 220.7 lbs--- I can't even remember the last time I weighed that. It's been a great feeling to have been able to loose 100 lbs, and I am looking forward to loosing the last 45 - 50 lbs. I hope you continue to follow me on that journey.

No Magic, Tricks or Fairy Dust Here

I've been getting approached a lot more lately on how I've been loosing my weight. The usual is wow, you've lost a lot of weight what are you taking or drinking?

At first, I thank them for noticing my weight loss, and then in my head I say to myself, "I'm just eating real food and getting off my butt and exercising," but I hold my tongue and answer... "I'm not taking or drinking anything, I am simply just working out and eating healthy."

It's funny how once I say that, they have some confused look on their face like I'm totally lying to them. Why is it so hard for people to believe that weight loss can be achieved with just good ole diet and exercise?

I guess it's because of how society. Everything is based on convenience, and while fad diets, wraps, supplements etc. will help you get results, they aren't a permanent solution.

Once you embrace following a healthy lifestyle of diet and exercise, you results will start showing and in the long run will help you keep off that weight you worked so hard to achieve. I have definitely not regretted my decision to make a lifestyle change and do not intend on going back to those old habits of mine.

Hopefully in the next few weeks, I will have officially lost 100 lbs. It's been a crazy ride to get to this point, but I've definitely learned a lot and enjoyed the ride so far. So, stay tuned my post when I hit that awesome milestone!

Guest Blog Post: Against All Grain: Strawberry Short Cake Cupcakes

A really good friend of mine had a birthday last week and asked me to bake her something healthy, and after some research, I came across the Strawberry Short Cake Cupcakes on Against All Grain.

You should definitely check her out. She has some wonderful recipes! Here is the pic of the cupcakes I made:

They we freaking delicious, and everyone at the party loved them! Here is the link to the actual recipe: http://www.againstallgrain.com/2012/08/27/strawberry-shortcake-cupcakes/

Enjoy!

Stuffed Pork Tender Loin

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Paleo | Soy- Free | Grain- Free | Gluten Free

This was definitely an easy and delicious dish to make!

Ingredients:

- 3 to 4 lb Pork Tenderloin (Boneless)

- 1 TBSP Finely Chopped Garlic

- 1/4 of Yellow Mustard

- 5 Strips of Bacon

- 3 Cups Fresh Spinach

- 1 Medium Apple of your Choice ( I used Fiji)

- 2 TBSP of Olive Oil (For Outside of Tenderloin)

- 1/2 TBSP of Fresh Rosemary, Salt and Pepper (For outside of Tenderloin)

Directions:

1. Preheat Oven to 400 Degrees

2. Butterfly the Pork Loin (about 1/2 inch thick-- you can YouTube it if you don't know how)

3. Spread the mustard in the inside of the pork loin, you can sprinkle 1 TSP of rosemary if desired

4. Cook Bacon in a pan till crispy, and keep bacon grease, once bacon is cooled break apart into small pieces and sprinkle on top of mustard

5. Cut and core your apple and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

6. Cook the garlic and the apples in the bacon grease

7. Once the apples brown a little, throw in the spinach and cook until it wilts, once that happens turn off heat

8. Spread the apple, garlic and spinach over the bacon and mustard

9. Now here's the fun part, roll the tenderloin and tie with butchers twine (If you don't know how to do this, you can find videos on YouTube

10. Once the tenderloin is rolled and tied, spread oil over the outside and sprinkle with salt, pepper and rosemary

11. Put tenderloin in over and cook for an hour or until your thermometer reads 145 degrees

12. Once it's done, let tenderloin cool for about 10 mins then it's ready to cut into and served with your choice of sides.

Enjoy!

Raspberry Shredded Coconut Muffins

Raspberry Shredded Coconut Muffins

Paleo | Grain- Free | Gluten- Free | Dairy Free

Dry Ingredients:

1 Cup of unsweetened shredded coconut

1 tsp of baking powder

1/4 cup milled flax seed

1/2 tsp of sea salt

1/2 cup of coconut flour (you can sift it if you want)

Wet Ingredients:

5 eggs brought to room temperature (you can leave them out for about 30 mins or put them in a bowl of hot tap water for about 15 mins)

1/4 tsp liquid stevia (you can use liquid vanilla stevia if you want)

1/4 cup of melted coconut oil

3/4 cup of applesauce (get the one with no sugar added or natural- they are the same thing)

1/4 cup of raw organic honey

You will need 1 and a 1/2 cups of Raspberries (or whatever nuts or fruit you want to put in- I used raspberries this time because they were on sale) leave aside to be folded in later on

Makes 12 muffins

Directions:

1. Set over to 350 degrees

2. Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a large bowl

3. Mix all of the wet ingredients in a separate bowl

4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until well combined (I used a hand mixer)

5. Once the wet and dry ingredients are well combined, quickly add in the raspberries (batter thickens quite fast so, don't take your time to add in the raspberries

6. Use an ice cream scoop to scoop the batter into 12 muffin cups (you can dip the scoop into some coconut oil to coat it so the batter doesn't stick or use a scoop that as a lever

7. Bake for approximately 30 mins (you can use a toothpick to check to see if they are cooked through)

Let cool and enjoy!

One Month of Progress

So last month, around this time, I posted a transformation pic of me when I was heavier. I thought I'd post a month to month transformation picture this time. So, in one month, I've lost a total of 14.3 lbs and a total of 11 inches all over my body.

I can't believe how much I've changed in a matter of a month. If I can keep at this pace, I will for sure reach my goal by the end of this year, which means, I will then start studying to become a personal trainer. I've been super passionate about changing my lifestyle and fitness, and to be able to help people do the same will be something that I would enjoy doing for the rest of my life.

It maybe a slow process and it may be a long process, but I know that I will reach my goals!

I will be posting an amazing transformation picture of myself on Tuesday on my Instagram, so if you want to see it, he sure to follow me: www.instagram.com/ohitzlilia