9/10/21

Why am I posting a photo of cheese and crackers?

Because this is actually a huge milestone for me. 5 months ago I would have eaten the whole sleeve of crackers and at least 2 pieces of cheese. (I cringe to even think about how many calories that added up to!)

Today, I flexed my self-control muscles and had this sensible 170 calorie snack that left me satisfied and not at all feeling guilty.

There have been many small victories during this #weightlossjourney and most of them don’t have anything to do with the scale.

I am the one driving this bus and although there are a lot of bumps in the road, I am strong enough to grip the steering wheel with all my might and get to my destination! HONK! HONK! 😂

🧀🚌🧀

9/9/21

Another kettlebell workout complete following along with @chichigonzales on YouTube!

It’s nice that he includes a warm-up and cool-down in his videos…

9/8/21

A very colorful lunch today…

We get 6 portions out of this ravioli, which makes a nice meal prep for the rest of the week.

Plus, it’s under 500 calories!

9/7/21

How it started vs. how it’s going…

The photo on top has never seen the light of day. It’s the first (and only) time I wore a tank top out in public. It was 112 degrees out and we wanted to see the osprey nest in the parking lot of the Shasta Dam Visitor Center.

I’m sharing it now because, 40 lbs lost later, I’m finally not ashamed anymore.

I’ve been working so hard these past 5 months and my body is changing and shrinking and I’m comfortable in my own skin for the first time in a long time.

I still have a little ways to go before I get to my goal weight, but I’m so glad I started making changes when I did!

9/6/21

 #foodfail

We don’t have many of them at the Vaughn household, but this was definitely one of them.

We put chicken breast in the slow cooker with Caribbean Jerk marinade and it turned out so freakin’ spicy that we couldn’t even eat it.

It’s something I’ve always wanted to try and was pretty disappointed.

I guess that’s the risk you take when you try something new…

9/5/21

Post-workout selfie with my workout/writing partner (@sweetcalicodreams)!

“We” did a @teambodyproject cardio workout from YouTube and then some arms with 5 lb weights…

9/4/21

Slow cooker chicken enchiladas (@themagicalslowcooker) are one of my favorite “indulgent” meals.

We get 6 good-sized portions out of this (400 calories) and usually pair it with tortilla chips (140 cal).

As long as you keep your portions sensible and don’t go over on your calories for the day, you don’t have to survive on kale and quinoa (I have yet to try either) in order to lose weight!

9/3/21

I hung up my full-length mirror again!

A few years ago, I’d put it away because I was tired of walking by and seeing myself in it every day.

Now, 42 lbs lost later, I am ready to embrace my reflection and see my progress staring back at me every single day!

9/2/21

✔️Weekly yoga complete!

This is a 15 Minute Standing Yoga Flow from @yogawithuliana’s YouTube channel…

Standing yoga might look easy, but it’s a lot more challenging than you think!

September 2021 ~ Monthly Goals

All right, September, here we go!

Here are my goals for the month…

~ Ever since I upped my water intake, the pounds have started to come off a little easier, so I’m going to keep drinking at least 64oz per day.

~ The 1500 calorie meal plan I’ve been on these past 4 1/2 months has been working out great.

~ I’d like to work on my posture and try to stop the bad habit of hunching over all the time.

~ I’ve been working on writing several different books at the same time (sometimes my brain just works like that) and it would be really nice if I could switch my focus onto just one and finish it already!

~ Last month I got carried away and challenged myself to do a pilates and a kettlebell workout and it didn’t end up happening, so this month I’m going to pick just one to complete. I haven’t decided if I’m going to keep doing weekly kettlebell or switch to something else.

~ Getting into the 170’s would be awesome! At my last monthly weigh-in 2 weeks ago, I was only 5.4 lbs away from the 170’s and that seems like a totally doable goal for this month.

~ Doing standing yoga every single day (for 2 months straight) ended up hurting my knees, but I’d still like to work it into my weekly routine and not abandoned it altogether.

~ I just want to keep up this good momentum during the month of September. I have roughly 30 more pounds to lose, which means I’m already halfway to my goal!

Hopefully September will be another productive month in the weight loss department…

8/31/21

So long, August!

This was the first month I set monthly goals for myself. How’d I do? Well, let’s see…

~ I drank a minimum of 64oz water per day. The longer I do it, the more it becomes part of my routine.

~ I filmed all of my workouts this month (there were only 5 because I scaled way back after burning myself out in previous months).

~ When I set my August goals, I was overzealous and added two workout challenges. I did do the kettlebell workouts every week, but didn’t get to the pilates challenge. There’s always next month!

~ I got into, far into, the 180’s and am on my way to the 170’s!

~ I didn’t eat over 1500 calories per day. Most days I was way under because ever since I started packing my diet full of veggies and water, I can’t seem to get the numbers up, even though it feels like all I do is eat.

✨ I also came out of hiding here on my account and that was a big milestone for me. I had a birthday this month, so I guess that helped compel me to embrace the body I’m in, even if it’s still a work in progress.

So, I’d say it’s been a pretty productive month. I like the idea of setting small, totally achievable monthly goals for myself in addition to that monumental be-all-end-all goal of getting into a specific clothing size.

Tomorrow I’ll post my goals for September as we coast into autumn and check another month off this roller coaster of a journey…

8/30/21

I usually drink plain water, but it’s nice to mix in some lemon (or lime or frozen fruit) once in a while.

btw I’m still going strong on drinking at least 64oz a day!

8/29/21

It looks like I’m doing a funky dance when you time lapse standing Yoga!

This is the first time I’ve done yoga in over a month.

For 2 months straight I did standing yoga, and then stopped when it took a toll on my knees, but I’d like to get back into it again. This time I’d scale back and do it once a week I think.

I’m constantly making adjustments during this #weightlossjourney, always trying to find what works.

I tend to be an all-or-nothing type person, so moderation is something I’ve been trying to work on…

Chapter 22: Words of Wisdom

I've already done a chapter about not waiting to start your weight loss journey because the sooner you start, the sooner you can start seeing results.

Well, that advice especially applies as you age. The older you are, the harder it is to get the pounds off. (Trust me, I know from experience.)

Even when you think you're older and wiser, a body and mind that is so used to overeating isn't going to easily fall in line with your vision for a slimmer, healthier you.

So, I think it's worth repeating: Don't wait to do tomorrow what you can do today!

I’m 4 and a half months into my #weightlossjourney and I’m so glad I started when I did!

It only took a couple of months to start seeing results and hitting some encouraging weight loss milestones.

If I hadn’t made a change when I did, I’d still be back where I was, unhappy with my body and myself.

Do this for yourself. Don’t wait another minute to start!

8/28/21

This orange chicken is my favorite “indulgent” meal.

It’s under 500 calories and we get 4 portions out of it, which makes for a nice leftover meal for the next day.

By portioning things out and not going too crazy, I can eat my favorite foods (like white rice) and still lose weight.

8/27/21

Happy #facetofacefriday!

There’s a 30lb difference in these photos and neither one has been filtered.

I have a full face of makeup in the first one, something I started doing because I thought it helped masked the fact that I was overweight.

On the right, I only have a little bit of mascara on. I never would have posted something like this before, something so “unglamorous” or “unflattering.” But I don’t feel like I need to hide anymore. This is me. Older, unfiltered, unmade up, and that’s okay. I’ve worked hard to get this weight off and I’m not going to spend an hour on a full face of makeup every time I want to take a picture of my progress.

Here’s to being older and wiser and feeling more comfortable and confident (and brave!) in your own skin…

8/26/21

Another weekly kettlebell workout complete!

This is another YouTube video from @chichigonzales because they’re my favorite and include a warm-up and cool down.

My workout partner (@sweetcalicodreams) loves them too 😽

That’s 4 out of 5 kettlebell workouts done to meet my August monthly goal of doing one per week!

8/25/21

Strawberry Banana smoothies are my favorite so far!

I see so many smoothie recipes that call for a dozen ingredients, but I think the simpler the better.

This only has 4 ingredients and is absolutely delicious. I froze a banana and fresh strawberries, added a cup of water and some chia seeds.

The consistency is almost like ice cream and it came out velvety smooth! You could even eat it as a smoothie bowl with a spoon.

Plus, it’s under 200 calories…

8/24/21

I was feeling cute and confident and decided to take a photo. 42 pounds down and I have a feeling that’s going to be happening a lot more lately ☺️

As you can see, my writing partner decided she didn’t want to be left out.

You’ll be seeing a lot more of her, I promise. She’s a ham for the camera and always seems to make an appearance in my workout videos.

She even has her own account (@sweetcalicodreams) and has more followers than me!

8/23/21

I’m not going to hide anymore!

When I first started this weight loss journey, I didn’t even post my before pics because I was so ashamed of how much I weighed and how I looked.

Now that I’ve lost half of the weight I want to lose, I’m finally feeling brave enough to come out of hiding.

I’m proud of how far I’ve come and I’m so glad I started when I did because it’s only taken 4 months to give my confidence a huge boost and feel comfortable in my body for the first time in a long time.

So here I am, completely unfiltered and ready to face the rest of this crazy journey without anything or anyone standing in my way—including myself!