THE WORST SALADS!!!!!!

So after my bitching session last week, complaining about how I wanted to give up, I just said shut up Andrea... you've got this.. and moved on. So, back to bootcamp this morning, and boy was it a killer, if you don't know what burpee's are, you must learn, and you should try to do at least 10, and then maybe try 100 because we did WAY more then 100 today (the cards workout is not even a joke, it's a bitch, a big big ass kicking bitch).... Yeah, I'm badass I know. But the more burpees you do in a day, the more you can probably eat.. Brian burned over 1200 calories on this morning, which is how many calories I'm supposed to be eating in a day! Sheesh....

Anyways, I'm still waiting on weighing myself, I just really really REALLY don't want to. I just really don't. I like thinking I'm getting smaller, and then eventually in like 20 weeks ill get on the scale and say, wow yeah I'm so skinny now hahaha... Why can't scales just read "you've lost weight this week" or "you've gained weight this week, nice try, work harder next week" instead of telling you your actual weight? I need to invent that, someone write that down! 

We put up our christmas decorations Sunday and I realized a fun new way to track if I am getting smaller or not... it's called the, "Can we fit into a full size tupperware" method. Step 1) Get into a tupperware, preferably the standard storage bin size. Step 2) try to get in as small of a ball as possible. Step 3) have someone close it on you. Try this at the beginning of your weight loss, 8 weeks in and 16 weeks in, and see if there's any difference! WORKS LIKE A CHARM! HAHAHA. I'm almost there... take a look: 

 See, I'm almost there. HAHAHA. Come a few more weeks we will be able to close that container and I will feel like I've accomplished something! HAHAHAHA. So funny.

No but really. This is weird, I totally know. But I was walking into the bathroom this morning to change at work and I stopped and I looked in the mirror, and I said damn, I am swimming in this shirt, I'm actually looking smaller these days. (this is the weird part) I had HAD to document this for my own sake HAHA... I literally went back to my desk, grabbed my phone and snapped a pic. Because I was proud of myself. HAHA. I was actually feeling good for a minute. It felt nice to be swimming in my shirt. (still didn't feel awesome when we were doing jacks this morning my my flab was bouncing all over, but maybe soon that won't be a problem).

I've got 33 days till I have to be in front of my mom and my friends in a wedding dress, and I'm shit scared. I really really hate shopping, let alone shopping with people watching me. Honestly, and this might sound horrible, but you know when you go wedding dress shopping and you see these shows where the mom cries and is just like wow my daughter is so beautiful, I want my mom to be like that. She's already said that she's going to cry, but I want her to cry because I want her to say, damn, andrea is beautiful.. and I know, I know, I am beautiful no matter what size, but it would be awesome if I was beautiful because I was smaller than I am now.  I would feel more comfortable about the whole wedding dress experience if I was... blah... only a few more weeks, I can do it.. the other thing I'm scared about is finding a dress I really want to try, but not even being able to fit my left thigh in the thing.  Some dresses are just so small, and I'm just scared I won't fit into anything! All I want, is to be able to fit, and zip, into one dress, just one. That's all I ask wedding dress gods, let me fit into one! :)

Since I feel like I want to give something back to the people reading this blog, I read the other day about the 7 salads you should never EVER eat, and it's funny because you think you are eating something healthy, but it's SHIT. Read below, and watch out next time you're ordering a salad you think is good for you!!!!!!!!!

BY THE WAY, I started a facebook page so I could share more info and stuff on the page instead of doing it on my own personal page, so go ahead and like me if you want, if not, that's ok too, but I'll be sad. BAHAHAH https://www.facebook.com/fromthicktothin

7 SALADS YOU SHOULD NEVER EAT

7. #7: WORST BUFFALO-STYLE SALAD: Friendly’s Kickin’ Buffalo Chicken Salad
1,180 calories, 95 g fat (19 g saturated), 2,090 mg sodiumDon’t be fooled by the lettuce—it’s simply a foil for the hunks of deep-fried meat, oily wing sauce, cheese, and cream-based blue cheese dressing. This salad is, in fact, more damaging than the hot wings that inspired it. (It has 66 percent more calories than a full order of Applebee's wings!) Instead, opt for the tuna melt and salad combo, the sole menu option to keep both calories and sodium in check.

EAT THIS INSTEAD!
Half Tuna Supermelt and side salad with Italian dressing
450 calories, 25 g fat (5 g saturated), 1,190 mg sodium




6. #6: WORST TEX-MEX SALAD: Baja Fresh Steak Tostada Salad
1,230 calories, 63 g fat (17 g saturated, 2 g trans), 2,380 mg sodium
Props to Baja Fresh for introducing lower-calorie entrées like Bare Burritos and Baja Ensaladas, but that doesn’t excuse the more nefarious offerings like the 2,000-calorie nachos and this fat-drenched salad that comes served in a deep-fried tortilla receptacle. Don’t let the novelty suck you in. There’s still nothing better than the Original Baja Tacos paired with a side of fiber-rich beans.

EAT THIS INSTEAD!
Original Baja Steak Tacos (2) with Pinto Beans

632 calories, 17 g fat (4 g saturated), 972 mg sodium

5. #5: WORST CLASSIC SALAD: Outback Steakhouse Aussie Crispy Chicken Cobb Salad with Honey Mustard
1,288 calories, 98 g fat (32 g saturated, 2.2 g trans), 2,096 mg sodiumCobb might as well stand for “Corrupted by Oil, Bread & Bacon.” These iconic salads’ toppings include croutons, cheese, bacon, and an oft-fried protein, and they tend to be topped with heavier dressings. In the case of Outback, this salad contains more fat than 64 ounces—that’s four pounds—of the chain’s Victoria Filet. The Shrimp Caesar is the lightest salad on the menu, and it comes with 25 grams of lean protein.

EAT THIS INSTEAD!
Shrimp Caesar Salad
554 calories, 39 g fat (11 g saturated), 1,382 mg sodium

4. #4: WORST CRUSTED SALAD: Applebee’s Pecan-Crusted Chicken Salad
1,360 calories, 80 g fat (17 g saturated, 1 g trans), 2,640 mg sodium
Nuts can be a great salad topping, but because they’re calorie-dense, they should be applied judiciously. Applebee’s does not adhere to this advice. With this salad, the chain adds both crushed nuts and sugar-coated pecans. In addition, it adds deep-fried chicken and fat-heavy bleu cheese dressing. The total damage is more than a full day’s recommended fat intake and 117 grams of carbohydrates. You’d have to be nuts to eat that.

EAT THIS INSTEAD!
Seasonal Berry & Spinach Salad (with chicken)
620 calories, 31 g fat (9 g saturated, 0.5 g trans), 1,610 mg sodium

3. #3: WORST “HEALTHY” SALAD: California Pizza Kitchen Moroccan Chicken Salad (full)
1,370 calories, 12 g saturated fat, 1,040 mg sodiumAt 116 grams, this salad has more carbohydrates than most of the pasta dishes on the menu. Then there’s the saturated fat. With the exception of the Sicilian or the Meat Cravers, you could eat half of any thin crust pizza on the menu and take in the same amount or less. Try the new Quinoa and Arugula Salad instead. Despite being a seed, quinoa supplies the same amino acids as meat, making it an excellent vegetarian source of protein.

EAT THIS INSTEAD!
Quinoa and Arugula Salad
607 calories, 5 g saturated fat, 872 mg sodium

2. #2: WORST SPINACH SALAD: IHOP Chicken & Spinach Salad
1,530 calories, 111 g fat (30 g saturated, 2 g trans), 2,400 mg sodium
This is the improved version. IHOP’s previous effort at this same salad had 1,600 calories. Call it progress? We don't either. Despite being 70 calories lighter, this plate still manages to fit in more calories than 5 McDonald’s Cheeseburgers, not to mention a day’s worth of sodium. And athough this salad is by far the worst of IHOP’s greens, the others are far from ideal: With the single exception of the Chicken Caesar Salad—ordered without chicken, that is—none of the chain’s dinner salads fall below 1,000 calories. You’d do better to play it safe and order off the Simple & Fit menu.

EAT THIS INSTEAD!
Simple & Fit Grilled Balsamic-Glazed Chicken (served with a salad)
440 calories, 22 g fat (3.5 g saturated), 940 mg sodium

1. #1: WORST SALAD IN AMERICA: Cheesecake Factory Santa Fe Chicken Salad
1,720 calories, 17 g saturated fat, 2,636 mg sodium
Tex-Mex salad iterations are rarely light, what with all the sour cream, guacamole, and creamy dressings. But wait—this salad can’t claim any of those usual culprits! The only two potentially troublesome toppings are cheese and tortilla strips, but how much damage could they possibly do? Well, based on these numbers—and the fact that their inclusion appears to be the main difference between the Santa Fe and the Skinnylicious salad below—a lot. Order accordingly.

EAT THIS INSTEAD!
Skinnylicious Spicy Chicken Salad
440 calories, 1 g saturated fat, 771 mg sodium

8 weeks down, a lifetime to go....

Looks like I'm going to have to keep writing this blog people, because clearly, my job is FAR from over.

The big question is why...? Why??? BECAUSE. I DONT WANT TO LOOK LIKE THIS ANYMORE! (see right below)

Our 8 week CRANK class has now come to and end... and as I sit here and look back on when I started this whole thing, and not even just 8 weeks ago, but like from the beginning of this blog.. I look at the fact that I did 4 week cleanses, or I did a WEEK of working out, but today, I can say, I watched what I ate, and I worked out for 8 weeks straight. Besides playing sports in school, that's the longest I've gone, post college, that I have ever been in a gym, and I'm not stopping. What's Next? 8 weeks of bootcamp. So in 8 more weeks I'll be writing talking about how I made it thru 16 WEEKS of working out... and so on, and so on. I think a lot of it has to do with the people I work out with at RTB, and my friends who graciously sit here and read my horrible writing, and listen to me bitch and complain, but still send me those supportive text's, or facebooks, or emails.... It's YOU guys, and a little bit of dedication on my part, that has gotten me through the beginning (and I believe hardest) part of this journey.

The hardest part for me has always been getting over that 2 week hump - finding time to get to the gym, and finding a place where I'm happy and I feel comfortable.... but I've learned, if you want to meet your goals (and unfortunately, mine take a lot more work then most) you have to make it part of your life. Make it a priority, and make it one of those things you just have to do everyday... I used to just, eat, work, sleep, hangout... now, eat, sleep, work, WORKOUT... It obviously sucks... because I don't have the time that I used to have for my friends, or for Juan..... just last night he was telling me how he's happy for me, but he misses me, and misses that we don't hang out as much.. and that hurts. It's the hardest part of this whole thing... trying to better yourself, without hurting the ones you love. Especially for me I think, because i'm not just trying to lose the weight so that I'm healthy and skinny for everyday life.. but I'm newly engaged, and am trying to meet specific goals for my wedding, so it's like, one, I'm doing this for me, for our day, but two, it's hurting my relationship. Unfortunately, I can't force anyone to come workout with me, Juan and I from day 1 have had different ways of dropping pounds, and we are pretty much stuck to our ways.. .he does his thing, I do mine. Thats just the way the cookie crumbles my friends... and it sucks. It's not that he doesn't support me, that's not true in any way, it's just hard, and I understand that.

make animated gifs like this at MakeAGif

Last night I met with Brian (the owner of RTB) and we talked about diet and nutrition - and we are going to be taking it to a level that I haven't taken it before. Well, actually, I retract that... the "detox" I used to do, is a lot similar to what my diet will be from here on out, but I think it's going to be harder this time. I really learned what I should and should NOT be eating... because it's so hard for women's bodies to lose the weight, since we were built to have some chub and be baby makers, there are tons of things that we think are OK for our body, that really aren't. And last night, I learned a lot about it... And like Brian said, this isn't a "diet" this is changing your eating habits to give you a healthy life. And I believe that. I think the problem with a lot of these quick loss weight loss programs is that you do them for a year or so but you aren't training yourself how to eat healthy for life... you are training yourself how to be healthy for your immediate goals... I really have a much better sense now on what this banana is doing to my body instead of just, I'm going to eat it since it's a fruit. It's really pretty cool.

What does this mean though? It means again, less socializing, more working out and eating right. If I am going to achieve such radical goals in one year, this is what is going to have to happen... and hopefully my friends won't get pissed, and won't be upset with me, but instead, will go on a bike ride, or take a boot camp class with me... but see that I need to do this, I can't step off track by going to the bar one night and skipping the gym... that this is my life right now, and hopefully you will be there with me along the road... Does this sound selfish of me? Of course... but honestly, I've been a good friend, for a long time, and I was always the YES girl, YES I'll go drink, YES I'll party all night, YES I'll eat that whole cheese PIZZA ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! haha... But I can't do that anymore.. plain and simple... And stop making me trying to eat a whole cheese pizza when I'm drunk, I won't do it! HAHAHAHA..

This doesn't mean I'm going to be lame, shit ass boring, Andrea... I'm still planning on going on my trips, I'm still planning on going out and such - but I'm just changing some of the habits that I had in the past, to reach my goal in the future.

SO AFTER ALL THIS - AFTER 8 WEEKS - I know it might not sound huge to you guys, but I lost over 12 inches on my body - 4 1/2 in my bust, and 4 1/2 in my waist to point out the big ones... and 10 pounds! A normal, healthy weight loss is a pound a week, and yeah, that sounds like not a ton, but it's healthy weight off that I will keep off!

I couldn't be happier... (well, I could, not thinking about everything I'm about to give up as far as FOOD YUM YUM FOOOOOOOD) but, really... I say this again, I couldn't have done this without you guys... without the trainers at RTB, without Juan... and this is only the beginning!

I also think about the things I COULDN'T do in the past, and the things I want to do...

• I couldn't wear a north face jacket unless it was dudes, because a womens didn't fit me. 
• I couldn't wear sweet ass snowboarding gear bc again, the women's stuff didn't fit me... 
• I couldn't fit into a blazer because it wouldn't fit around my sides and button -- (my arms are still an issue, but I'm sure those will start shrinking soon as well) 
• I couldn't shop at awesome stores like GAP/AE/ATL without shopping online in their "Large Sizes"
• I couldn't fit into most XL Nike workout pants... 
• I couldn't even really fit comfortably in a plane seat...

All these things are now I CAN'S... we are getting there, slowly but surely... but I'm about to buy my first North Face winter jacket, and some new snowboarding gear that isn't MENS for this upcoming season... I love being able to say, finally... I can get this stuff... And eventually I will have all the problems skinny people have with shopping and such - more problems like - I can't find this in my color, or this might be too big, can I get a smaller size, or even, these are too small, can I get a larger size! Because up till now, I've ALWAYS BEEN THE LARGEST SIZE! haha

So, after all that, I leave you with this today... THANK YOU. If you are reading this, I have to THANK YOU... and because if I can finally do it... ANYONE can do it...

Well, I'll leave you this as well -
From our friends at Dashing Dish:

Carmel Apple Pie Protein Shake!!!!!! Yum.
Ingredients

1/2 cup	Fat free cottage cheese 1
1	Scoop vanilla protein powder 2
1/2 cup	Apple chopped fine, or 1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 tsp	Caramel extract (or 2 tbs sugar free butterscotch pudding mix)
1/2 tsp	Apple or pumpkin pie spice
Dash	Cinnamon
5-10	Ice cubes (Depending on how thick you like it, use less for a thinner consistency)
1/2-1 cup	Water (Alter this according to desired consistency)
Optional:	1/2 tsp xanthan gum 3, 1/2 tsp butter extract

¹ Cottage cheese may sound strange, but TRUST me… this is what makes the ‘MILKSHAKE’ consistency! Also, if you are sensitive to dairy, you can use tofu to get the same consistency!

² I use Designer Whey Protein powder. (I WOULD SUBSTITUTE THIS WITH Vitol Egg White Protein Ice Cream Vanilla -- 12 oz (LINK HERE)) It has 100 calories per scoop. I buy the vanilla flavor because it’s a good base to add whatever flavors you want to make. It is also all natural. You can buy it from Kroger, GNC, Trader Joe’s, Amazon, or Netrition.com.

³ You can get xanthan gum from most grocery stores in the gluten free section! Just a pinch of it makes your shake so thick and creamy!

Nutrition Breakdown

1	Serving
213	Calories per Shake
0 g	Fat
16 g	Carbohydrate
2 g	Fiber
10 g	Sugar
36 g	Protein
5	WWP+*

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