What exercise can do for you - Before and After Shots!

I thought I'd post some before and after shots, showing just what healthy eating and exercise can do if you are consistent. It's been 5 years and I still eat right and workout - I've found no other "magic" way to do it! I lost 40 pounds total over the course of 2-3 years. Slow and steady wins the race!  

During the course of the 5 years, we have tried many different styles of eating and it's been  a process figuring out what works for our tastes, time and budget.  It's been a progression to get to this point, but I place emphasis on whole foods, minimizing all preservatives, additives and food colorings.  Recently, I've even been re-evaluating foods like Cheerios or Granola Bars, because they are more processed than I'd like to consume.  

Some of things I do daily:

1.  Take a green powder drink.  Recently I've found Amazing Grass and really love the product.  It's also affordable and Amazon has started carrying it!  (Free ship over $25.)

2.  Drink a daily Green Smoothie!  I got a Vitamix shortly before Christmas and I'm so happy that I found Green Smoothie Girl's website because her information has helped me so much! We are committed to the daily Green Smoothie.  The kids each drink about 1.5 cups and DH & I have anywhere from 16-32 oz.  

3.  Snack on fresh fruits and veggies.  We also rely on Wasa crackers with natural peanut, almond or cashew butter, air popped popcorn, nuts, light stick cheese, frozen organic yogurt sticks, hard boiled eggs.

4.  Eating main dishes with beans,  legumes or lentils.  We still eat meat, but not at every meal. 

5.  Eat "good" meats!  Grass-fed beef, free range chicken and eggs from free range chickens.  These things all cost more, but from all my reading, the benefits to health are immense. 

6.  Buy only organic milk and butter and less of it.  We don't drink milk as a beverage and use it mostly for breakfast cereals.  We use real butter sparingly.

7.  Incorporate kefir into smoothies for the probiotic value.  

8.  Invest in some supplements.  Hopefully we are getting a vast amount of our nutrition from our food.  I supplement with a chewable calcium/d, vitamin E, fish oil, evening primrose oil (has helped a great deal with PMS), magnesium, probiotics, natural digestive enzymes and vitamin C powder.  
Check out the large mid-section!  It looks like I could be expecting again!  That's what having 3 babies in 1.5 years does to the ol' belly!  My little boy was about 6 months old in this picture.  I carried around my extra baby weight for a while- I did not start trying to lose the pounds until the twins were around 3!

Me and my better half out on the town!  Happens very rarely so we had to get a photo!



Photo with my $3 Target shirt!