Caramel Coffee

How many of you LOVE Dunkin Donuts Iced Latte?  I do!  It's my favorite!!  I don't make it to Dunkin very often because it's not close, luckily, but I crave their iced lattes.

While playing around I came up with a delicious iced coffee with 102 calories, saving you 18 calories if you get the 16 oz with skim.

All you need is:
Caramel (the kind you put on your ice cream)
Condensed Sweetened Milk
Your favorite 0 calorie coffee (which is most)

For the 102 cal version
1 tbs of Caramel
1 tbs Condensed Sweetened Milk
coffee to top

I let mine cool for a little bit before putting it over the ice, but you could do it either way.  
No sugar or sweeteners needed, it is already sweet with the combination of the two ingredients!  Of course if you want to have more caramel flavor, add more.

Enjoy! Hope you are having a fabulous week!

ProgressOH! Soup

For all you lovelies that are trying to lose weight, or maintain it, here's a 200 calorie lunch or dinner that is OH SO Tasty!!!

Have you tried the Progresso Light Soups?  There is an amazing variety, and I couldn't even tell the difference in taste between the regular and light.  I'm a stickler on taste, and honestly, these are AW-MAZING!

I eat salads most days of the week, but when it's cold outside, and have I no desire to eat another salad, I pull out a can of Progresso Light.  If you all don't know, I try to be a thrifty shopper, I watch sale ads, and use coupons as much as I possibly can.  I always watch for Progresso sales, because truthfully, it's my favorite soup in a can.  I can usually get 10 cans for $8, sometimes less,  depending on how many coupons I can get ahold of.

Be sure to check out the Progresso Website and become a fan on Facebook!  They have recipes, ideas, and so much yummyness!

Making healthy choices in the kitchen is the first step to any weight loss.  Here are a couple pictures of myself so far.  The first one is in October, and the second is from 2 weeks ago, (2 weeks after I started eating better.)  You can see the difference in my face.  I'm still working on my body, but I will say I've lost 10 pounds in January.

One lucky reader could win this cool prize pack.  I received one, and loved it!  Leave me a comment to let me know your favorite Progresso Light soup, and what you're doing to help lose weight in the new year!  I will randomly select one of you to receive the same thing I did!  US residents only, sorry my Canadian and overseas friends! :(

"Disclosure: The information, products and ProgressOh! gift packs were provided by Progresso through MyBlogSpark.

Monday Motivation

Good Monday Morning friends!!!  I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend!  I stayed home and played all weekend long, it was nice to just relax, well other than daily chores.

My question to you today is, what is motivating you this week?  Have you set a weekly goal?  I stepped on the scale today, and decided to work a little harder to lose the pound I gained from cheating this weekend.  I know better than to eat out of my ordinary box, but I get an urge and I can't refrain.  If I get it in my head I want fried rice, I have to eat it, which wouldn't be a problem if that was the only bad thing I ate all weekend, but of course I can't live without my pizza too.  I have to get it in my head that I can only cheat at one meal for the entire weekend, not every meal because it's the weekend.

I am so close to my goal, yet so far away.  I have a number in my head of what I want to weigh, but I also have a picture of what I want to look like.  With that in mind, does it matter what the scale says or being happy with how I look?

I so wish that on December 31st I would have had hubby take a picture of me and measure me, so that I could have seen how good/bad I've done this month.  I know weight is coming off, I just don't know where from.  I still have time to take the pictures and measure and see how much I progress in the next month, but I won't have something to look back at from this past month.

Here's a little picture I found to keep in mind.  I'm beginning to notice, are you?  Make today's workout count!  Get off your booty, and do something, ANYTHING!  Work a little harder and it will pay off!  YOU've got this!  Happy Monday All!! xoxo BJ

Java Mocha Oatmeal

Good Tasty Tuesday Morning my friends!  For all you folks out there trying to lose weight, love chocolate and coffee, I've got the recipe for you!!!  I found this recipe on fitness.com and adapted it just a bit!

What you'll need:
1/2 cup Oatmeal (not instant)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup brewed coffee
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder  (very chocolaty, less if you don't want really chocolaty)
1 tsp sweetener
raspberries or fruit of choice

Boil water and coffee, add oatmeal and cook 4-5 mins
Let sit for 1-2 mins
Add Cocoa powder and sweetener
Top with favorite fruit and enjoy!

Only 207 calories with 1/2 raspberries!

Oldie but goodie, Valentine's Craft!!

For all of you out there that are starting to get your Valentines gifts, party ideas and recipes ready, I thought I'd share a craft I did 2 years ago that's super simple and teachers love it!!    If you'd like to see step by step check out my tutorial here!

Hope you have a Fabulous Friday!! xoxo BJ

Wordless Wednesday- Snow Fun

Motivation

Good Monday morning all you pretty people!!! I hope that you had an amazing weekend!  We had a wonderful weekend, spending time as a family.

We all have different motivations as to why we do anything.  Different things motivate us for different reasons, and one motivation might not be the same for all aspects of our lives and the things we do.  I have several motivations as to why I do things.  I thought I would make Monday's, "Motivational Monday"   I will share something every week that motivates me, or something I find that might help motivate you.

Of course my biggest motivator in my life are my boys!  They are the reason I'm running and eating better.  I think about all the things that could take me away from them, and I've decided that I'm going to do what I can to prevent that! (Well the things I can prevent) If choosing to eat better and running is going to make me healthier, I can at least attempt that.

Every night I pray that I live a long healthy life so that I'm here to watch them grow up and to grow old with my amazing husband.  I think about the friends I've had that have been taken from this world too early, and it makes me sad.  I don't want that for anyone!  Life is too short not to enjoy every second you have.  I know that having a milkshake once in a while or 2 slices of pizza isn't going to be what kills me, but if I live the lifestyle of making poor food choices, sitting on my butt and doing nothing, what does that teach my boys?  I not only make the choice I do for myself, but for them.  If they see me choose a piece of fruit over a bag of chips, hopefully they'll make the same choice.  If I sit down at lunch and drink a glass of water, they don't think that they have to something else to drink because water is the better choice.

Last night while watching The Biggest Loser, I thought about the kids on the show.  Did they make themselves that way, or did their parents contribute to their overweight.  I don't think we can blame our children for their mistakes.  If a child is given a donut as a reward for something, who's fault is that?  Of course if that's all they know, that's what they are going to choose.  We as parents are not only responsible for ourselves, but the children we bring into this world.  They learn not only what they are taught, but what they see.  Lead by example!  Taking them outside for a walk, play kickball, teach them to play any sport, even if you are not a sports person, that doesn't mean that they don't have to be.  Give them choices and let them make their own decisions.  If they want to stay inside and play the xbox, I don't see a problem with that as long as they are not sitting on their butt doing it.  Pop in Dance Central and let them shake their booty, and yours too.  They don't care if you look like a goofball and you're not good at it, they see their parent having fun with them!  Exercise doesn't have to be a chore, it can be fun, you just have to make it that way.

By no means am I an expert, or saying that anyone is not raising their children right.  Everyone has their own way of doing things, but we can't blame a child for being overweight, or say that, because their parents are, they are going to be, that's straight up BS, sorry, that's just how I feel.  Make the difference you want to see, right?

Anyhow, share in a comment what motivates you, pin it on pinterest and share your link.  We could all use a motivator, what's yours?

Have a fabulous day!  xoxo

Body Image

When I was pregnant with my youngest, I told myself that I wanted my old body back when I was finished breast feeding him.  When that time came, back in October, I didn't do much about it.  I've really thought about that statement.  I want my old body back, the more I think about it, the more I don't want my old body back, I want a new and improved body.  I'm ready to take the steps to be one hot, smokin mama, as my six year old says.

When I was in high school, I was in shape.  I played sports year round, and even in college I stuck with it.  I wasn't bulky or defined really, but I wasn't fat and I actually went to the gym.  After college and since, my weight has gone up and down, I've dieted, and quit, and repeat.  You all know how it is I'm sure.  After my oldest, I started running to get back down to my high school weight, and it worked.  I loved being the old me.  Ever since my second, I haven't hit that weight, and am a horrible food cheater.  If the food is here, I will eat it.  I'm trying to weed out most of the snack food, but I have to keep some for my boys.  I don't have anything that's really bad for us, but I still shouldn't eat it.

I actually started taking the right steps to a better me on Monday, I decided I wasn't waiting until the first or second to start being the best me I can be.  I have searched and searched on the internet, pinned all kinds of new ideas and recipes and even started running again, granted I'm not as fast as I was, but I will get there.

As for the new me, I want to eat cleaner, more fruits and veggies, less processed foods, which is extremely hard to do, at least so far it is.  I want the defined muscles, the ones that people say wow, I want those.  I've owned P90x for years, and am going to actually start using it.  I'm going to start making more time for me before and after the kids are in bed.  I want not only myself to be healthy, but also my family.  It is going to be hard work, but nothing worth keeping is easy, right?

What goals have you set for yourself?  Share them in a comment, and we can motivate each other!

Here are a couple signs I found on Pinterest.  I find them a little motivational.

If you'd like to follow me, and see my fitness and running boards, click here.

Good Luck and Happy Thursday!

Coffee and Banana Smoothie

Here is a great treat that I adapted from a recipe in Health Magazine to help with that mid afternoon hunger pain.  It's delicious and it helps you feel full until your next meal!

What you'll need:
1 banana
1 cup Chocolate Almond Milk
1/2 cup cold black coffee
2 tsp sugar
Ice

Blend all ingredients  together until smooth.  Serves 2 and is 95.5 calories per serving!  Not bad, right?

If you have any great Hunger busters, please share a link in the comments, I would love to try it!