New year, new possibilities

I've always lived with the thoughts of tomorrow isn't promised. So in 2012 I can't say I would change anything. However, 2013 I will go after things I never had the courage to before. 2013 I want to accomplish the following:

- become more of an out door sports person (will be easier to accomplish with our move to Washington in 4 months)
- hit G.E.T team
- buy a family car (SUV) with my husband
- run a 5k/color run
- wash my make up off every night
- go on family trips every other month
- continue dedicate two hours every week day for taj to learn (words, reading etc)
- get another tattoo
- stick to a schedule with working on blog
- always know when to stop working and focus on family time
- manage time more effectively
- lose 10 more pounds, and maintain that weight
- start my own nutrition center in Washington :)
- inspire, and be inspired


As I tip my glass, and look back on my amazing year, I cannot wait for 2013! Here I come! I will concoure you #againstallodds
Words of inspiration: "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Mommy fashion

I love getting dressed up and looking nice like every woman, but as a mom I don't always get that luxury. My best friends are skinny jeans and tights, because I can dress them up or down. Here is my outfit I wore today to go grocery shopping with my son, and my husband. I am able to bend down and pick my son up, and also run around the house with him and not worry about messing up my outfit, or being restricted. Also this isn't an expensive outfit so I don't mind getting foot marks from Taj's shoes on my pants when I pick him up :)

What I am wearing:
Tights from target $8.99
Shirt from Ross $5.99
Crop jacket is too old to remember
Boots from Waltz $30.99
Michael Kors purse gift from hubby




The most difficult thing in life is to know yourself. Thales

Eat clean: Turkey burgers

Hi guys! Are you ready for some yummy eats? Here is my recipe for turkey burgers, and meat balls! Add Italian herbs to meat balls for a more authentic flavor!

Day in the life

Today is Christmas Day! Being an army wife, sometimes we are forced to be away from family when we want to be with them the most! I made the best of today even though my husband worked half the day. Taj and I took advantage a caught up on some rest, and cuddled on the couch. I want to thank my family for sending gifts to help make our first Christmas away From home easier. Gifts don't mean more than quality time, but they did make us all feel special and loved! Maybe next year we will be home.

Work from home

Working from home is not what I expected it to be. Honestly I thought it would be easier, but I never expected it to be as rewarding. Not only am I adding an income to my household but I get to be here with my son on days like today where he has learned to say "no" and "up". (Yes let the good times roll with the NO word) I know my son won't feel the effects of me being home with him now, but I know when he gets older he will. My mom advised me to stay with him as long as I can. When I was younger I remember my mom was constantly working. My sister and I would wake up in the morning and she would be already on her commute to work. Then we would return home after school and she would still be at work. I am proud to say I have a strong independent mother, but I know she wishes she was more present for my sister and I. Even though I have picked a different path than she did, my mom still tells me she is proud of me! Being almost 27 years old, hearing that still makes me shed a tear! It feels good to be recognized for my hard work from family, friends a colleagues. At the last herbalife success training I had the chance to be pulled up on stage in front of 60 or so people! Some times being your own boss other people who don't understand, and that makes you feel alone in the hustle. With that being said, I am determined to add people to my team that live near me! #againstallodds Which is the name of the team I am apart of, and our motto!






My progress to date. What will 2013 bring?


"If you want to reach a state of bliss, then go beyond your ego and the internal dialogue. Make a decision to relinquish the need to control, the need to be approved, and the need to judge. Those are the three things the ego is doing all the time. It's very important to be aware of them every time they come up." - Deepak Chopra

Eat clean: tilapia and boc choy

Here's a super easy recipe! Another good side dish would be some brown rice or quinoa! Yumm

Back at it

Calling myself a super hat lady doesn't mean I can do everything perfect all the time. As mom/wife and being a woman in general, we all have to learn to time manage. It's a constant lesson for me. One that comes with bumps in the road, but I manage to get back on track, most of the time :) With that said; I let my blog fall by the waist side for other things: moving, caring for my son, working out, coaching, and connecting with who I was becoming within those roles. Most of which were still new to me. HOWEVER, I AM back now! Deployment has ended and life has become a little more busy. Taking care of our house hold, our son, and caring for our marriage as well as health coaching has made Me exhausted, but also very fulfilled :) this post will be about the end of deployment, and the start of our family. My husband returned from Afghanistan mid July. The moment he walked into the hall where all the spouses were, I spotted him! "It's really over" I kept thinking! I held our son, Taj, my source of strength the entire 10 and a half months. As he slept, I whispered in his ear, "your daddy is home." Taj abruptly woke up to the reception music, and my voice! I like to think he was resting for his daddy so they could go home and play.

OUR SOLIDER IS HOME. Tears filled my eyes, and love flooded my heart! That first kiss felt amazing! I had butterflies in my stomach. Much like when we first kissed 4 year prior. He was really here, home, for good! Finally he was safe, and we wouldn't have to let him go for awhile. We went home that night and I hoped he grew to like it because this was the first time he would see the home I choose for us, our family. I was different too! Having dropped 38 pounds and put on lean muscle, I stood tall and confident, and he noticed. :) there's nothing better than the way I felt that night. I felt like the best ME. I posted the picture of our kiss on Instagram simply stating "COMPLETE"
With my husband home, I feel more free to handle a lot of things I otherwise did not, because he's one of my biggest supporters! So blog here I come!










Words of inspiration: "You go fight for the world. I'll be home fighting for us." ~ Determined Army Wife

as long as it gets DONE

Lately I have been more busy than usual. My mom had surgery on her hand so she's home from work for a few weeks, so I am helping her a bit around her house. My son has become super active the past week! Makes me aa prroud momma, but I do have to keep a close eye on him as he tends to pull himself up to stan on things, but then falls sometimess, and screams bloody murder even if he only bumps hhis butt. Which we all know is mostly diaper! He's such a mommy's bo, but I love it! Also, coaching takes a lot of time! I've been asked a few times if I do this for the money, and that's a definate NO! I have been coaching for four days now, and I have literally been on fb talking to people, on the phone with possible clients, or doing something to bettr myself as a coach for most of the day! I do it because I love it! I do it because I want people to see results like I have! FINALLY!

Because of the more that usual hectic schedule, I have been forced to work out at night while my mom and son are sleep! My philosophy is; as long as it gets done! Don't let fatigue get in the way, because the feeling I have after I finish my work out over comes that! I know it will for you as well.





Daily words of inspiration: Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you too can become great.
- Mark Twain

VEGITARIAN CHILI!

Here's another recipe! It tastes so good! I added turkey, ground because I love meat! Also, for a bit more spice I used HOT canned green chilis. However, I don't advice it if you do not like heat! Also, scale down the measurents if you dont want a lot! I have enough chili to eat for a week now!!! Good thing it came out good!

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 (4 ounce) cans chopped green chile peppers, drained
2 (12 ounce) packages vegetarian burger crumbles
3 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, crushed
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can black beans
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn



Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and season with bay leaves, cumin, oregano, and salt. Cook and stir until onion is tender, then mix in the celery, green bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, garlic, and green chile peppers. When vegetables are heated through, mix in the vegetarian burger crumbles. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer 5 minutes.
Mix the tomatoes into the pot. Season chili with chili powder and pepper. Stir in the kidney beans, garbanzo beans, and black beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 45 minutes. Stir in the corn, and continue cooking 5 minutes before serving.
Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 342 | Total Fat: 7.7g | Cholesterol: 0mg

source: allrecipes.com

Dailyyy words of inspiration: Go confidently In the direction of your Dreams. Live the life you've imagined.

recipe!!!

so here's another recipe! I've been so busy the last few days with calling people to tell them about herbalife, taking care of my son, remembering to eat, excercise, (YIKES), that I complely forgot to do my blog!! hence why I am finally posting! This is proof we can do it all people! it's all about managing our time and put our priorities first!! any~whooo

Chicken fajita!!


So I baked the chicken breast on 350 for 20 minutes and then browned them in olive oil for a few minutes. Cut them up into fajita pieces then returned them into the pot along with onions and bell peppers. I seasoned the meat with low sodium fajita seasoning I found at Savemart (GET THAT ONE IF YOU FIND IT) put meat mix into a whole wheat wrap along with a few cubes of avocado that I mixed with tomatos and lemon juice!! yummy! try it and tell me what yall think!! This was my post work out "snack".. for spice I added hott salsa :)

Daily Words of wisdom: Fear less, hope more, eat less, chew more, whine less, breathe more, talk less, say more, hate less, love more, and good things will be yours.
Swedish Proverb

walk it out!

Hey guys!!! I hope eveyone is doing well. So, I've been tellig people how much walkig has helped me drop the weight I've needed to! no one believed me untl I gave them proof! Until I posted my progression pictures today! I am half way to my 30 ilb weight loss journey!



I enjoy walking, because I can sort of space out and organize my thoughts. As a stay at home mom my day seems to fly by, but while I am walking and my son is in the stroller, I am time.... it is at my pace! I love it!

mayo clini websit says walking has a ton of benifits such as:
Lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol)
Raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol)
Lower your blood pressure
Reduce your risk of or manage type 2 diabetes
Manage your weight
Improve your mood
Stay strong and fit






sounds good to me!! I walk about 2 to 3 times week! My other cardio consists of once a week I do an insanity dvd work out, and then I also use the bowflex machine! So try it with me! Grab you kid(s), a friend, or just your ipod, and get out there and WALK IT OUT, and walk it off!

Daily Words of inspiration: Energy and persistence conquer all things.
Benjamin Franklin

OFFICIALLY A COACH!

Today I officially became a health coach! yay!!! I am determined to help people achieve their health and fitness goals, like my coach has helped me. I was asked if herbalife really worked, and I can simply say "HECK YEA!!" I not only use it myself, but I invested into the company to become apart of it. I believe it can and will work for others! So far I have been using today to research the company HERBALIFE more in depth, and also making goals for my business. I am more than excited! My coach's coach shared a video with me that I want to share with you all! (she's the one in the video) Her story is so relatable. I too have tried more than a few times to drop my extra weight and nothing helped. Everything from diet pills, to herbal cleanses, to hitting the gym for hours. Nothing worked, until now! So watch the video, get inspired! And go towards your fitness goals today! It really is as simple as emailing me, and we will take it step by step together! Let me help you to fall in love with your reflection in the mirror! Herbalife style of course
Herbalifetiffany@yahoo.com

garage sale

This weekend my grandma, my sister and I had a garage sale! It was pretty successful too! I had a ton of clothes and shoes to sell, because I can't take everything to El Paso. I didnt want the garage sale to keep me from being active, so I had to get creative. During the times it was slow on Satuday I did sit ups in the grass, and Sunday I did arm and shoulder work outs with free weights. :) I got my cardio from puttiing up signs, I ran to post them, and dancing to music all day while it was slow! :) Those were amazing work out! That plus it being sunny helped me break a sweat!! It was abut 75 degrees here! Perfect weather!! Before I started on my nutrition plan I always said "I don't have time to work out" and now I make time. Now I am a firm believer in the fact that you can get your work out in almost anywhere! Get creative, bring free weghts with you, do your ab work out where ever, etc. Working out outside helped time pass and I it was fun!! Try it!!








Today's words of inspiration: "Every day do something that will inch you closer to a better tomorrow." Doug Firebaugh

Here is the arm work oput I did.




and the shoulder work out I did. These two together make an amazing work out!!! You WILL FEEL THE BURN

Birthday!! 4/6

my birthday was awesome! I told myself I was going to cheat today because I earned it! But as the day went on I still made smart choices! (plus a little birthday cake) Starting Herbalife has really changed how I view eating, healthy food is tasty and filling to me now! Before I thought I'd have to sacrifice good meals to eat healthy, SO NOT THE CASE!! I woke up at 7 am, and did my cardio and abs! My cardio was an insanityy DVD! Awesome work out for days I don't have time to go running or do the bowflex, and for a day I thought I'd need the extra calories burned! I had a jult of energy because my son let me sleep in. He usually wakes up at 6am, and doesn't go back to sleep until 10am. But today he woke up, ate and went right back to sleep! Then 30 minutes later my husband called to wish me happy birthday! I love hearing his voice, even though things must suck over there he always musters up the energy to sound super excited to talk to me:) After my work out I went to lunch with my son and twin sister. Then to the mall to buy her some running shoes, she will be starting her nutrition plan soon too! I hen took my son to get his shotsand ended the nighht having dinner with my grandparents and in-las. My birthday was full of love and I feel very blessed to have reached 26 years old! With my new lifestyle I am ready for 26 more, and then some!

Lunch at Mimi's




words of inspiration: The best way to prepare for life is to begin to live. Elbert Hubbard

Army Wife's Prayer

before I go to bed I lay my son in his craddle, say my prayers over him, and most nights toss and turn while thoughts of my husband fill my head. He's been in Afganistan for 7 months, and the closer we get to him coming home the harder it is for me. Strange isn't it? His homecoming is so close I can taste it! I can't wait to see him wth our son again, to wake up on a Saturday morning and have breakfast in bed that I prepared (His favorite, scrabbled eggs with cheese, potatoes with bell peppers, and bacon and a glass of milk) I can't wait for him to get home after PT smelling all "manly" and want nothing more than to sit on the toliet with the Ipad lol... sorry babe! so tonght I am dreaming of cooking breakfast, on a Saturday morning, with ESPN playinng in the backround. Tonight I am thinking and praying for my husband's well being and high spiris.

Eat clean, get lean!

This is everything I ate today, plus about 80oz of water! The object is to keep my metabolism working with healthy foods! I eat or have a shake every three hours or so a day! It's a challenge though let me tell you! Keeping up with cleaning, my son (Taj) and fitting in work outs makes my meals a bit of a balancing act! The trick is to prepare ahead, or while Taj is napping or playing! Recipes are below!

Chicken in pita bread (pic #2 from top) season chicken with your favorite spices. I used masqette BBQ seasoning from McCormic. Bake the chicken breast for 45 minutes, or until cooked! Cut into slices. Put into a whole wheat pita bread along with tomato, lettuce and 1/4 of an avacado!
Tilapia (last pic on bottom)Take frozen tilapia thaw it out, and season it with lemon pepper and garlic pepper. Cook in a pan with olive oil, this should only take a few minutes per side. Then finish it off with some lemon juice on top when it's done!! Sooo good!! This is my favorite meal so far during my get healthy transition. The tilapia, along with the broccoli is an amazing flavor!!

My workout today consists of a YouTube video for legs and thighs and because I don't have anyone to watch my son before the sun set I subsituted my run for 30 minutes on the bowflex! YouTube is an amazing source for all your get healthy needs guys! They have everything from workouts, heathy food recipes, to great stretch videos! All ya have to do is search for what you're looking for!! Add weights for added resistance

What I am doing to loose the weight

Lets start at the basics! Herbalife is my nutrition plan! The plan I am on consists of two shakes a day, with suppliments, and an herbal tea! This plan has helped put into prospective that food is body FUEL! Also to ensure that my body's metabolism runs effectely I have to feed it healthy well rounded meals, feed it through out the day, and during meals, stop eating when I am satified. (not stuffed) I consume something every three hours. Here is how my days go:

Wake up 8am: Shake and tea
11am: lean protien, carb, healthy fat, and veggies (or fruit)
2pm: Shake and Tea
5pm: Lean protien, and veggiess
8pm: Lean protien, veggies (or fruit)

now for my work outs. I focus on one part of my body a day more than another. Here is my schedule:
Monday: arms, shoulders, back
Tuesday: abs
Wednesday: legs, thighs
Thusday; arms again
Friday: Abs
I also do 30 mins or more or cardio a day as well.
NOW, every week doesn't go perfectly! Depending on life, I might have to adjust my work out schedule, but what's important is that it gets done, and I alternate the body parts I focus on.

The shakes are well balanced meals with 20 essential vitamines and nutrients that help aid me to get the lean and healthy body I am striving for! So far I have had a weight loss of 12 pounds ;0) my goal is a total of 30

Now that we have he basics down, tomorrow I will share wth you my work out, meals, and more :0)

First post

Life is hectic sometimes isn't it? Through the day it's hard to slow down and remember what you did! Hence why I am starting this blog! I have a lot going on, from my weightloss journey, being a first time mom, army wife, and starting my journey as a health coach, its hard to remember what I did a few days ago including my accoomplishments and situations I grew from! I want to share my life, but more impotantly give guidance and inspiration to others out there! I am currenly in my third week of my nurtition plan with herbalife, and things are going GREAT!! However, I find myself seaching for help with: inspiration, work out tips, healthy food recipes and more! This is my first time in my almost 26 years of life, that I have taken ccontrol of my health and fitness, and plan to stick with it! I hope to share the answers I find, becacuse I truly want to help others from my experiences. So lets get started!

Below are pictures of where I started three weeks ago! I was at my all time HIGH in weight and disatisfaction in my physical appearance! I weighed more then, than after having my son 6 months pior! With my husband deployed in Afghanistan, I let myself go, so to speak! I let food comfort me, like he usually did! Naturally, I focused all my attention I used to focus on my needs, into my son. But I realized this had to end, and that I could be a good mom, and take care of myself too! I needed something to jumpstart my plans, especially with my husband ccoming home soon! I also needed to be more accountable for my health! As a mom and wife who does it all, I needed to be at 100% for my husband and son! Herbalife was that something! I had means to loose the weight and geet fit, and I haad a health coach to hold me accountable for loosing the weight! It was exactly what I was looking for, and so desperately needed!



It's painful to look at this picture, but I know I won't have to see this body anymore! I will post my 30 day progression pic when I hit my 30 days in 15 days! As that day approaches, I will post my work outs, meals, and anything else going on in my crazy life ;0)

Today's words of inspirations: IT'S NEVER TOO LATE, TO GET HEALTHY, AND WORK TOWARDS THE BODY OF YOUR DREAMS