I have really missed sharing my healthy living journey here on the blog. Life has changed in so many ways over the last few years, and now I am ready to get back to documenting my progress, ups, downs, and all.

In June 2023, I had Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (VSG) surgery to help me reach a healthier weight. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made. After surgery, I lost 90 pounds and finally felt comfortable and confident in my own skin again.

By September 2024, I took another big step and had a tummy tuck to remove excess skin after the massive weight loss. The healing process took time, but seeing the results made it all worthwhile.

Then something unexpected happened. After receiving steroid injections in my knees for joint pain, my weight crept back up from 168 to 187 pounds in just a few months. It was discouraging to watch the scale rise after working so hard to lose the weight, but I knew giving up was not an option.

That is when I decided to try a GLP-1 medication to help me get back on track. I started Zepbound at 2.5 mg and now, four weeks in, I am already down 11 pounds. It is exciting to see the scale moving in the right direction again and to feel my energy return.

If you have had bariatric surgery or you are considering GLP-1 medications like Zepbound, Mounjaro, or Ozempic, I want to share a few lessons I have learned that might help you reach your goals faster and stay consistent.

Small But Pack A Punch| Vitalicious EnergyLoaf Review

Do you love when you find a snack that taste great and is good for you? I saw the Vitalicious EnergyLoaves and I had to give them a try. Granted, I totally had one of Tee's special moments and I didn't get to enjoy all of my muffins; however, that was totally my fault. I'll get to that in just a moment.

What Type of Grocery Shopper Are You?

The question was posed about the types of grocery shoppers. Do you wander when shopping, or are you prepared with a grocery list? The question made me giggle because my neighbor and I were just talking about the topic the other day.

Credit: cremson.edu

Taking control of my health and happiness

I recently had a real conversation with myself about my health, weight loss, and overall happiness. I have to get active in my own life and not expect things to change without any action from me. I am responsible for me and I have created a plan to get back on track. 

What Is The Cost of Being Unhealthy?

I saw this Infographic on the cost of being unhealthy and I decided to share it on my blog. I'm not arguing the validity or how you can be overweight while stilling being healthy. I thought the statistics of the cost of gas, insurance...were interesting enough to share and get your thoughts.

FitWit: Changing Fitness for Atlanta Youth!

Recently, I was strolling through my emails and found information on a couple that created fitness program and foundation to support students in Atlanta. If you are local with younger children, this might be something to look into for your family. I love the concept of the program because it is a combination of fitness and tutoring.

More information about the program:

She's Been In the Kitchen Again...Lemon Brownie Cheesecake, Maybe?

Have you ever made something so good that you had to toot your own horn? I was playing around with a recipe that I've been working on for a minute last night and it turned out better than expected. I'm not a huge fan of lemon but this had just the right amount of lemon and Splenda that made it just right. I was so busy watching, "How To Get Away with Murder" that I forgo the Strawberry reduction on the stove. I thought I ruined it but by the time I doctored it up and let it cool down, it was perfect.

Happy Labor Day!

Eat responsibly! LOL!

I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful holiday. Today marks the start of my birthday month. I have 28 days to reach my mini goal. Let's see if I can get all of the medicine weight back off. I'm watching what meds I take and being mindful how they affect my weight and body.

30 Day Fiber Choice Get Picky Challenge Is Over!

Thirty days goes by so quickly. I can't believe my challenge has come to an end. Thirty days again I joined the Fiber Choice 30 Day Get Picky Challenge. We were offered out choice of Fiber Choice products and I naturally chose the weight management product.

Still Going...Fiber Choice 30 Day Get Picky Challenge

Sponsored Post

Yes, I am still going strong with the Fiber Choice 30 Day Get Picky Challenge. I am so proud that I am able to be consistent and stay on track. Last week I moved my daily intake up from two tablets per day to four tablets per day.

Meal Prepping and Weight Loss

I realized after writing my last post I didn't go into detail about what I am doing for  meal prepping. OK, I forgot to take pictures too. Let me tell you, meal prepping has been a life saver. It takes the fuss out of what I am eating for the week. Also, I works for those days that I have not felt well enough to cook. I just pop a meal in the microwave and go. Works for me!

Challenge Accepted: The FiberChoice 30 Day Get Picky Challenge

Sponsored Post

Losing weight and maintaining weight loss is not for the faint of heart. It truly takes hard work and dedication but for some of us there are challenges and obstacles beyond our control that makes the process much more difficult. I've been on my journey to living a healthy life for awhile now and I decided to changes things up to give myself that extra boost. 

Low Carb Meal Plan 5/26-5/31

It’s time for another weekly meal plan. This week is focused on low carb eating. I am back on track mentally and headed in the right direction. I’ve been eating okay. I found out I was not eating enough and that bummed me out but I got over it. Now, it’s time for dig in and get going. I should have a new workout coming soon focused on my joint issues and I’m pretty excited about getting started. I hope to be back at my mini goal by the end of the summer. I think I can do it!

Weekly Update: Coming Out of The Closet...Kinda

I'm sorry I've been so quiet. The last few weeks have been a struggle. I guess this is my coming out post of sorts.  I've had a couple of Lupus flares and it's slowed me down a bit. Today it got to the point I couldn't walk more than a few steps. I won't lie, I scared the hell out of me. It hurt so badly that I lost my breath and I couldn't stand up straight. No one knows my personal struggle because I don't want people to feel sorry for me. I've been suffering for years and the doctors didn't put it together until December. Lupus attacked my kidneys in 2011. That was the first major clue. Then I started having issues with my knees and other joints. I explained that away because I was running with too much weight on my joints. Wrong!  I had been experience other symptoms long before then. I spent years trying to explain away what was going on with me. I will do another post about the systems I experience.

Meal Plan and Juicing Chat

This week I have to go in for my weigh in with my doctor and I will find out if he is going to keep me on the Adipex or take me off. I know he is going to ask me again about juicing so I decided to get a few juices in this week. I know I'm terrible. Let's see if this resparks my love of juicing. I love having juices but I don't love the clean up.

Mean Plan Saturday #3

It's time for me to post my meal plan for this week. I do apologize that I am a day late. I wrote it out and fell asleep with my laptop and everything. LOL! Anywho, you will see juices listed in this week's meal plan. I have a separate post about why I'm adding them in scheduled for tomorrow.

Please remember that I am going back to intermittent fasting for a bit. So, you will not find breakfast listed. If you would like to know why I removed breakfast, please read my last update.

Weekly Update and Reduxa Review

I wanted to catch up with everyone and give you all a quick update. Each week I attempt to create a meal plan to prevent the "What's for dinner?" stress. I will admit, things don't always go as planned but it is nice to have an idea. I posted my meal plan for last week and I tried to keep up with it as best as possible. I even threw in the Reduxa fat burner that I was sent for review.

What does that mean? I ate on track but I might have skipped breakfast or dinner. I have been trying to force myself to eat breakfast for years but it has been difficult. I can eat breakfast for dinner with no problem but I have trouble eating in the am.

I've been this way since I was a child. My grandmother tried to get me to eat in the morning but I just couldn't do it. My grandfather ate breakfast every morning but my mother never ate the am. My parents would eat breakfast occasionally but not anything worth mentioning. I guess the example was set that breakfast wasn't mandatory.

I started thinking and I decided to go back to intermittent fasting (IF). I started it but stopped in attempt to eat three meals. However, that is just not me and IF works better for me. Actually, I lose better with IF because I only eat between 4 and 9 or 10 pm. It depends on the window I set.

If you have been here for awhile, you will know I've done this before off and on. I am going to create a meal plan for the rest of the week and you will notice breakfast is missing. As for last week's weigh in, I'm down 4lbs. I'll take it!

Now, I gave the Reduxa a try in hopes it would give me a little boost in fat burning. Hey, every little bit helps. I try to keep things as natural as possible and thought these might work because the ingredients only list Garcinai Cambogia, Green Tea extract and Raspberry Ketone. I was hoping I could possibly replace the Phentermine my doctor put me when my thyroid function dropped.

I can't say that it helped. I didn't see an extra boost of weight loss or energy. It says it curbs appetites but I slipped up Sunday and had Chinese food because I was so hungry. I was not feeling well and wanted to eat right then. lol I went back to my Phentermine today to help get me focused again.

Oh, I almost forgot that my 20lb kettlebell came in on Friday. I can wait to try this one out. I have a 10lb kettlebell but it is just too light now. I'll search YouTube in a bit to find more workouts for legs. I have on DVD but I want to add a little more to it. If you have any suggestions, please leave a comment below.

Anywho, I will catch you next week. I have a video to post on YouTube tomorrow. Be sure to subscribe to the blog and the channel. Thanks for dropping by.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Healthy Living Tiki Printables

I was just browsing some of the group that I have joined online and one gave the idea of creating or ordering a custom printable for my readers. I was thinking maybe a shopping list and/or a weekly menu. My only concern is if anyone would be interested in a either of these. At the very lease, I could share mine with you all each week. Just thinking... 

Meal Plan Saturday #2

It's time for meal plan Saturdays! This week I am making one of my favorite low desserts, Pumpkin Bake. You will see days that I do not have a vegetable listed with a protein. I am off setting those carbs with the Pumpkin Bake. I am trying to keep my carbs at 20 grams total for each day, similar to Atkins Induction. If you would like any of the recipes that are not already posted on the site, you can check back on that day. I will update recipes as I go. 

Heroin Wings - Adapted Version

Heroin wings are a staple among low carbers. I have heard about them for years but never gave them a try until recently.  I think they are quite yummy and I wanted to share my adapted version of the recipe. I do apologize but I do not know where I found the original recipe.

4 Chicken wings, cut into sections
1/4 C Shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tsp Parsley
1/4 tsp Oregano
1/2 tsp Paprika
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 Stick Butter
Pepper to taste

I also added adobo and garlic powder. That just me and I add them to everything.

Direction:
Preheat over to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine Parmesan, and spices. Melt butter in a separate baking dish. Dip wings in butter and follow by dredging in Parm and spice mix. Place wings on a lined baking tray and bake for 45 mins.