NO JUNKFOOD CHALLENGE - Day 12

Courtney:
This will be quick because my computer battery is about to die and I'm going to bed. But today was a well done last day of the challenge - green smoothie for breakfast, Fuddrucker's for lunch (only the best burger of your entire life! on a whole wheat bun with sweet potato fries!) and some spaghetti with veggies for dinner.

Virtual hi-5's to Jeni - WE DID IT! Tomorrow is going to be a fantastic Easter :)

Hope all of you have a beautiful weekend, and just wait till you see what our new challenge is for April!

Jeni:
Ok, it's nearly 3am and I'm just now posting. It's been a long, lazy day here at the apartment. I got some kind of stomach bug that keeps giving me a 24 bout of bathroom fun and then magically goes away.

Ed did make some yummy dinner though, and I enjoyed every bite! Pork chops, cucumber salad, stewed zucchini and tomatoes, and some rice! So yummy!

Since the day was long and somewhat miserable, Ed asked if I would end the challenge early so we could enjoy some ice cream and a movie. I texted Courtney and she said that was cool, so there you go.
It's been a good run!
I feel really good about how diligent I was and the things I learned. I can honestly say I don't think sugary foods will be big part of my future. I have pinned a lot of healthy baked goods that I want to try in April and I'll let you know how all of that goes, but as for over processed and super sugary, no thank you! I like being able to walk up my stairs and not be winded!

I wanted to tell you all about Bountiful baskets really quick.
http://www.bountifulbaskets.org/
That's their website and there are links for all the states that they service.

You order a basket whenever you need one, on a once a week basis. Ed and I do every other week, since we can't get through it that fast.
When you first sign up there is a $3 dollar fee to buy a basket, but you never pay that again.
Each traditional basket is guaranteed 50% fruit and 50% veggies for $15.
They get the BEST of the best, and for a little more you can get all organic stuff as well.
Ed and I have loved our baskets so far.
They also do other packages that you can add, like tropical, salsa and breads.
The idea is that lots of people pay into a pot and they can go buy the produce wholesale and then divide it up to all those who paid in for a lot less.
We go pick ours up at the High School in town each Saturday morning.
I wanted to let you know what we got today!

I'm guess-timating numbers a bit...
1 bunch of bananas
1 pineapple
3 zucchini
4 cucumbers
1 bag of cuties
1 head of green leaf lettuce (the good stuff)
and I can't remember the rest.

Last week:
1 head of broccoli (big)
1 head of cauliflower (big)
2 lemons
4 apples
1 bunch of bananas
3 grapefruit
2 mangos
1 head of green lettuce
4 tangelos
1 bunch of asparagus
and I think I might be forgetting something, but you get the idea.

Ed and I had gone out one night to get a few veggies to eat with our dinner and spent the same amount on 1 avocado, 1 cucumber, spinach and 2 tomatoes!

As poor college kids, we really didn't think we'd be able to afford produce, but we love love love Bountiful Baskets and are really grateful to have heard about them!

Ok, onto my picture for today...
Poor dogs, who will never know the joys of chocolate. I can't wait for a little indulgence tomorrow (today). In all honesty, it feels a little forced and guilty, but I hope I can have a good Easter and just enjoy my day off. The husband and I are going to our friend's house (another young married couple away from home) and doing a dinner there. Ed is the master chef, so he's doing lots of fun stuff and I can't wait to eat it! :)

I really hope you have a good Easter.
Be happy and healthy!
xoxo

NO JUNKFOOD CHALLENGE - Day 11

Courtney:
Today was pretty dang good!! I didn't get to go out walking like I wanted to (I was stuck on my bed doing homework, literally ALL DAY) but I did eat pretty good! I had some fruit for breakfast, some veggie wraps for lunch, and whole wheat spaghetti and meatballs for dinner! Not my best day, cause I just sat around like a big potato sack doing nothing, but that means I'll be able to relax tomorrow and not worry about having to finish homework. Besides, I'm going to the temple tomorrow, and I want to enjoy it to the max!! :) Hope y'all have a great weekend & a Happy Easter! I know I will!

Jeni:
Oh hello darlings...
I'm rather exhausted
 as I type this, so please forgive me if I'm not coherent.
I just got home from the "Best Of" show at BYU-I. It was an invitation-only variety show that featured all the best acts from each talent group on campus. We were blessed and humbled to be chosen for two slots in the show! Our troupe just started this semester, so that's a huge honor.

We have YouTube links of our show that are being uploaded new each day. I'll send you to one of them and you can find the rest in the playlist. None of the one's I'm in are up yet, but I'll let you know!

So eating was a one-time occasion today...NO BUENO!!! My poor body probably thinks it's starving now :( We rushed out late this morning, so no breakfast. I tried to make lunch stretch, but now it's nearly 10:30 and that was our only meal. Ed and I get grouchy with no food. It's really no fun at all.

Other than that, no junk food. I will admit I was literally HANDED temptation today. For one of my roles I had to bring a thing of cookies with me on stage...I held them for 20 minutes or more total and even moved some of them, but I didn't eat one! VICTORY!!! I felt good about that...especially since I was starving, I could have totally justified it.

In honor of our show tonight, I'll just leave a video instead of picture. I hope you laugh! <3

Stay happy and healthy!
xoxo


Crazy Kelsey - BYUI Sketch Comedy - The Humor Code

P.S. I thought I would add a picture from the show. I need to tell you all that these pictures were a big "wake up call" moment for me. I'm the heaviest I've ever been and it shows! I really do love myself, but I need to start showing it. If you can't tell, I'm the one with the finger-waving-crazy-latina-who-is-commanding-the-situation-look on her face ;)
I can't wait for this video to be up! I'll let you know when it is.
xoxo

NO JUNKFOOD CHALLENGE - Day 10

Jeni:
Don't know why, but today was this first day in the whole challenge that I've just been kind of feeling lousy.
It's not the weight thing, I know my success isn't measure on a scale, I think it's more from being tired...it just happens.
I did fine with both the challenge and my calories, but for some reason I just wasn't feeling it today. I just didn't want to be doing this, I wanted to not count my calories...I wanted to buy some junk at the store and just go crazy.
I think it will pass, and I also think I see why. I waited too long between meals and didn't snack. I also had breakfast for the first time in a few days, which means I had less to eat throughout the rest of the day.

In other news, my troupe performs tomorrow night, Saturday we get our Bountiful Basket and Sunday is EASTER!! We're so close!
I'm also finally ahead on some homework, which hasn't been the case since before my miscarriage in January. Feels super good to be on top of things.

My picture today is an old favorite of mine. I've given up on myself too many times in my life, and I need to remember that I'm not just responsible for me. I have a husband now and we are a family. I hope to one day have children who can look to me as someone with self worth and confidence.

I know that my body is a gift from God. I know that. I just need to start acting on the knowledge.

I love you all...thank you SO MUCH for all the support in this journey.

Be happy and healthy!
xoxo






Courtney:
Hey Jeni, remember all those times we used to say "THIS is why we're best friends" ? Well this is another one of those times. We were SO on the same vibe today. I did great for the first half of the day, eating carrots and drinking water and going on a walk, but then, somewhere before dinner, I started to crave sugar, and I broke. I'm super disappointed in myself, because I know that Jeni is trying so hard to keep this up, and I feel like a little weakling. So I have some rededication to do tomorrow. Only 2 more days till this is over.

NO JUNK FOOD CHALLENGE - Day 9

Jeni:
So today was amazing and I'll tell you why...I did ZUMBA!!! Man, it was so invigorating! I loved every minute, even the ones when I was hurting. :)

You see, last night I did some YouTube workouts (I think I mentioned that) and I woke up today with some super sore legs!! We had an early class and getting up those stairs at 7:45am was like running a marathon!

In any case, I feel amazing for working out a second day in a row and breaking a serious sweat tonight. My only regret is that Courtney isn't here with me to go! I do have a work out buddy, though. Her name is Rachelle and she's one of my mission buddies wife and they are in our ward! Since we live the same distance away from the school, we decided to just go together and it's been quite nice.

In food news, I did alright. I didn't eat breakfast again, which is gonna be my big downfall. (Do I sound like a broken record yet?) But otherwise, good choices all around.

I've not cheated or failed once on the "No Junk Food", for which I am very proud...but I won't lie, I'm very excited for Easter to come!

My husband bought me some agave nectar yesterday, and we have some apple sauce, so I've been looking up some sweet treats that I can use those things in place of oil and sugar.

So...I need your guys' help. I'm kind of bummed. I weighed myself a week ago and then again today (and I'll admit a few times between) and the scale hasn't budged. I have been so diligent for the last 10 days and I guess I just wanted some evidence or validation from the number on the scale...even a .2 of a pound, but nothing.
I need some encouragement. I know I need to keep going...but I'm worried and confused and wondering if I need to change something.

Also, for all my Rexburg people, I have an announcement! The Comedy Troupe I'm in has been selected to perform in the "Best Of" show this weekend. If you want some laughs, missed our show, or just want an encore, please come! I'm stoked to be part of some good, clean humor that can uplift people.

My funny picture is only funny because it's true for ME. I have been posting like crazy about this journey on Facebook and really making a fool of myself, but I'm grateful that I haven't gotten any complaints so far ;)

Love you all!
Be happy and healthy!
xoxo






Courtney:
Today wasn't a great day for the diet. I went crazy on Pinterest last night (PIN ALL THE HEALTHY THINGS!!!) hoping I would be just as motivated when I woke up..... yeah, totally didn't happen. I've been trying to be good about eating breakfasts, but like Jeni, I'm not doing so hot on that front. I had a green smoothie around 10am, but I was hungry a couple hours later for lunch, so I ate a ham and cheese sandwich on wheat bread, and then went out with my sister and sister-in-law. We got our toes done and went shopping, which was fun, but then we went out to "lunch" at La Nopalera. I tried to get the most healthy form of mexican food - quesadilla and taco salad with lemonade - but it still didn't sit well with my tummy. I was full for hours, and then I didn't eat dinner, so my day was all screwed up. Tomorrow is going to be a day at home, sitting on my bed, writing papers and doing homework, so hopefully I'll have better control over foodage intake, and maybe I'll take a take a little walk, for like 5 hours.

This kitty photo explains generally how I was feeling today. Hope y'all had better luck than I did. And may Thursday be a better day than Wednesday!

NO JUNK FOOD CHALLENGE - Day 8

Courtney:
Today was a fantastic day! No junk food, no fast food, no sugars! I'm still beyond tempted, don't get me wrong. And I'll have a royal hay day once Easter rolls around.

Breakfast was freshly juiced fruits and veggies with my breakfast burritos, lunch was apples with PB and carrot sticks (I was taking care of my nieces) and dinner was leftover veggie soup.

Temptation was kicking in when A) I went to the gas station for mints (since I had just had soup before institute, and my breath was kickin!) and allllllllllllll the chocolates and candies were calling my name, and then B) the pianist for our choir practice came in with Zaxby's. KILL ME DEAD. Only the best chicken in the world. I fought REALLY hard not to stop on the way home from institute. AND I WAS VICTORIOUS. 2 points Courtney, zero points temptation.

Bring it on, tomorrow!!! ;)

Jeni:
I had another slow morning with no real food until around 1pm. I need to stop doing this...so after a long talk with my husband, we bought some easier and healthy breakfast options for me. Ed hates breakfast and it makes him feel sick to his stomach to eat super early, so he just doesn't.

We also got an amazing FEAST for Easter. Ed will be cooking for us and a couple in our ward (congregation) that night and I'm really getting excited about what he got. A good sized Pot Roast, some crescent rolls (that will be my first white bread in weeks!) and he's going to make jalapeño poppers! Our friends are making dessert, so I'm obviously looking forward to a bit of indulgence with that!

Ed also bought me a bag of Salt & Vinegar chips, since I've been craving them a ton lately and I can't have them. He said they are my reward for doing so well on this challenge! I love his support and help with all of this. I really feel like that has been a big part of my success.
I wanted to cheat one night and I told him, so he reminded me kindly of how far I've come and what my goals are. Then he offered me a few alternatives to the ice cream I so desperately wanted and I didn't give in!

Back to today...it was good! I worked out for the second time this month...haha! I'm getting pumped about our next challenge and really getting my body in better shape.

Overall, I haven't seen the scale move a lot, but I have noticed my energy go up and I'm not getting winded as easily.

For todays picture, I'm going with truth rather than humor ;)

Love you all! xoxo

NO JUNK FOOD CHALLENGE - Day 7

Jeni:

Well folks, we've hit the week mark! So far so good. I had a pretty good day today. I got a late start again, which always leaves me hungrier through the day, but I've noticed that if I'm hydrated a lot of that hunger fades.

I went over calories today :( only by a little, luckily, but my husband made a delicious dinner and I think I just overdid it a bit.

Other than that, I'm just gearing up for the end of the semester. I'm excited to start going to Zumba classes with a friend this week, too. :) Gotta love that latin dancing!

For our funny picture of the day, I bring back an oldie, but a goodie. This is the story of my life, folks...finger in the cake batter and wondering why I'm so sad to be overweight.
So glad I can say I'm changing and that it's for good reason.

Love you all!









Courtney:
Let it be known - TODAY I DID SO GOOD FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER. I need to get better at skipping breakfast though. When I wake up late, I just go straight to lunch. No wait! I did have breakfast - I shared a sleeve of fig newtons with my sister. Lunch was a sub sandwich and a smoothie, and dinner was almost an entire tray of raw veggies, with pork loin, potatoes and carrots from the crock pot. No chocolate! No candy! 1 week after starting, I finally had a perfect day :)

Best of luck to the rest of you, darlings! :)

NO JUNK FOOD CHALLENGE - Days 5&6

Jeni:
Well, I got a text from Courtney that her internet was down because of the storms in Florida, so I decided that we would take the weekend off and hopefully she can update you about the weekend later.

As for me, this weekend was kinds of good and bad.

I still haven't broken the "junk food" rules of this challenge, and I feel good about that, BUT my calories all weekend where wacky. I didn't even eat until after 5pm yesterday...an unintended fast I suppose. :)
Anyhow, once I did eat, I wanted lots of junk and it was no bueno.
Luckily my husband kept me in check and I just had some waffles with peanut butter. That's good, right?

So yea, weird weekend, but lots of rest and relaxation, which I'm grateful for.

Since I didn't post for TWO days, I thought I'd double up the funny pictures today. I'm not gonna lie, I've got some good ones for you guys this week! :D

This first one totally takes me back to my pre-marriage days. It's just...true...every word. This next little gem is just a really accurate depiction of the days when I can't get enough sweets! Granted, I feel like a lot of that is curbed now, but still...I identify with this girl! :)

Love you all...thanks for all the support!












Courtney:
Well it's been a very interesting weekend, to say the least. Saturday was a good day. My sister got her mission call, and one of my friends got married! :) It was a pretty good food day, but I ate a salad and a cake at the wedding (the good with the bad), but other than that, it was a good day.

Sunday was a super long day, getting ready for the mission call opening party, so that means tons of party food. I stuck with P&J, taquitos and lemonade, so as to avoid too much other fried food and sweets. But overall, I feel pretty victorious! (And for those curious, my sister is going to the Utah Provo mission, Spanish speaking!! :) )

Thinking back on it now, I wish that I had thought to weigh or measure myself before we started this No Junk Food Challenge, because that way I would be able to tell the difference from start to finish. But that being said, I will be be all the more prepared for the next challenge in April :)

Hope y'all have had a healthy and successful weekend!

NO JUNK FOOD CHALLENGE - Day 4

Jeni:
Hola amigos. :)
I'm gonna try and make this quick, but I have some cool insights today.

First of all, water is your new best friend. I know you've heard it a million times, but it's not until the last couple of days that I'm realizing just how handy it can be with trying to eat less, move more and feel good. I'm still in the "pee a lot" phase, which is tricky with being a college student, but not impossible.

Speaking of pee, do you mind me saying that I'm pooping more regularly and it's healthier! Sorry if that's TMI, but I don't believe in TMI, so there :P

My cravings are starting to take a hike, which I'm SUPER grateful for. I have a feeling this isn't the end, but I'm not always thinking about what I can eat that's sweet anymore either.

I've done better at calorie intake, though I will admit that it's been a challenge. I'm at 1500 a day right now, and once I reach my first goal, I will reduce that to 1200. I'm learning that it's harder to eat all my calories, but with a supportive husband and some diligent planning, I'm doing it!

Courtney and I had a Skype conference tonight about our next challenge and I'm really excited to tell you all about it later this month.
We also have some really fun ideas for the blog and where we want to take it. DIY's, creative writing, reviews of books and movies, etc. You will love it...or at least that's the hope!

I need to tell you all about one modification I made, just so I stay 100% accountable. I'm bad at fiber intake, and in order to stay at a healthy level I've always eaten the Fiber One bars. Well, I ran out a couple of weeks ago and I knew I wanted to use them in this new challenge, but they have some chocolate in them. After talking to my husband about it, I decided that the value outweigh the consequences and I have had a bar for both yesterday and today.
The other confession I have is that I had a grilled chicken sandwich this morning (sans mayo) on an asiago bagel. Probably not the same quality as whole wheat, but again, I made a judgment call.
I don't want to justify cheating, and thus far, I've been really good, but I do want to say that the overall purpose of challenges like this is to be more aware of what we are eating and why. I think the fact that I made that call today really signifies my awareness for what I'm eating and hopefully wasn't too much of a diversion. Luckily, it didn't throw my calories too out of whack, so that was good.

One last tip! If you are using MFP to track your calories, I've noticed that entering in meals ahead of time really helps.
For example, my husband is the cook in our family and he usually tells me what he plans for dinner each night. Those days, if I put in dinner ahead of time, it gives me a better gage of how much I should eat in the morning and afternoon. I hope that makes sense, but it's totally working for me! I hope you see some wisdom in it too!

Finally, the part we all look forward to...FUNNY PICTURE TIME...I really need to name this something better.

Now this is funny in it's own right, but it's especially funny because my husband and I have similar conversations whenever the other person showers, shaves, grooms, etc. Oh married life!

Love you all!
Be happy and healthy!
-Jeni






Courtney:
Soooooooooo about today... Let me just show you my laundry list of excuses while today was not my best day. I worked 12 hour days this week for a temp nanny job I had, and today was my first day not working. So obviously, I slept in as late as possible, duh ;) Woke around 10am and did some homework, and by the time I was done, we were outside waiting for my sister's mission call (that never came... hopefully tomorrow!!), and then my dad said he's taking us to lunch, around 2. There was this pizza place opened just last week, and the whole family went to lunch, even my sister-in-law and her kids. Went straight from there to a doTerra essential oils class, but I went early to help out. It's now 11pm, and that pizza is the only thing I've eaten all day. It was on whole wheat crust, and I even threw some veggies on there like spinach and artichoke hearts, and it was truly fantastic - I'd like to have another one right now, actually. I also had another Vanilla Coke (favorite drink in the world!!!) and some blood orange gelato (it was a feux Italian place where you make your own pizza). So while my food intake was limited, it was actually pretty good. It seems like I have a bunch of not-so-great days, but that's because I don't have the steel will power of my buddy Jeni. Hopefully it will come with time, as I continue to strive to make myself better. Now we'll see how the weekend goes... heaven help me!

NO JUNK FOOD CHALLENGE - Day 3

Jeni:
Well hello there. Today has been great!
I haven't eaten one sweet for three days now, and today was a bit easier than the first two.
I didn't get as many calories in as I needed to early in the day, so now I'm gonna try and space some time between dinner and a snack to finish up.
It can be a tricky to get calories right, because you never ever want to starve yourself! I've made this mistake before and you can actually GAIN weight if you aren't getting enough calories. Lame, right?
Well, your body thinks it's starving, so it holds onto what you give it like it might not get enough later.

I am really starting to get passionate about this journey. I've been reading all kinds of blogs today about different women who have made the kind of changes that make a difference over time. It's the kind of things you can stick to that add up to results.

I don't have much else to say today...SO ONTO THE FUNNY PICTURE!
This one is in honor of those days I couldn't spend away from the fridge...luckily those days came and went with puberty, but this...this is funny, because it's accurate!









Courtney:
Not a good day for me. Props to Jeni for being so on top of this. You're an inspiration, my dear. <3

Had peanut butter toast and a banana for breakfast, hot dogs on whole wheat buns (way to go, nanny family!) and a Coke for lunch, yogurt for a snack, and pork chops doused in butter for dinner.... oops? I also had to taste test about 3 cupcakes before I sent them on their merry way to the RS birthday party tonight... so to make up for it, I'm going to do something crazy tomorrow, like walk 7 miles or something, hahaha. Now that I'm out of that nanny house, I can get back to a pretty regular diet, and hopefully a regular schedule too.

In the mean time, I've got some great motivation for my upcoming 5K ;)

Good luck this weekend, everyone!

NO JUNK FOOD CHALLENGE - Day 2

Jeni:
Hello loves!
I'm so excited about how things have been going with this. Today I didn't feel very good this morning, but this afternoon, after some healthy foods, it's gotten better. (I had a stomach bug Monday...so I think it's hanging on like a desperate ex. Hah!)

So, it's only noon right now, but so far so good. I will admit it's VERY hard to say no to sweets after a big meal, which is like a knee-jerk craving that I just need to work through. I've gotten rid of that before and I'm strong!

So I thought I would give you my MFP profile so that you can see exactly what I'm eating each day, if you are a stalker like that. (https://www.myfitnesspal.com/jenidominga)
Feel free to explore the site and join! You can get an app on your phone which allows you to log your food intake wherever you are. It helps me to do it right away so I don't keep shoveling food in my mouth.
Also, if you join, there are forums, groups, and other ways to network and find support. You should totally be my "Friend" (we ARE friends, right?) and we can pump each other up! Of course, if you want to, you can also keep it totally private.

For my funny picture of the day (yes, I just decided this will be a daily practice), I thought I'd share this little gem about shampoo.
In case you haven't noticed yet...I know, all two entries! I love humor! I love to laugh...I have realized in the last few months that it is the best medicine.

I joined a comedy troupe on my college campus in February and we just had our first show EVER last Saturday. I was super proud of what we did and lots of people laughed! That was the best feeling in the world!

So now I basically want to be the next Tina Fey...she's gorg, right?! And hilarious! :)
If you will appease me, I will try and get through this challenge with laughter and humor...ENJOY!

(This is Jeni in the future...or the past by the time you read it. It's now the end of the day and I'm happy to report I did well in both the challenge AND my calories...VICTORY! But let me tell you...that ice cream in the freezer is calling out to me! Healthy wishes my friends!!)

Anyhow...I'm hogging all the blog room for Courtney!

Love you! xoxo
Jeni


Courtney:
First note: Jeni, you are totally Tina Fey to me <3

For me, food-wise, today was better! Not perfect, but definitely better. I had a decent breakfast of eggs, toast and one bite of an orange that had gone bad (as a Florida girl, nothing upsets me more than a sour orange. Well, maybe rain on a perfect beach day, or something monstrous like that). Lunch was freezer burritos (prob not the best choice, but as noted before, options were limited!), snack was strawberries and popcorn, and dinner was made by my bro Luke - cinnamon chicken with onion sauce, corn and rice. BOOM! Twas fantastic. (He's on a new paleo diet thing, which I highly disapprove of as a lifestyle - it's just a glorified Atkin's diet, which is awful for your body - but I've got to admit, that was a yummy dinner!) Now I'm baking cupcakes for a RS birthday party tomorrow night, and yes, I will need to taste test to make sure I'm not feeding people disgusting cupcakes, but I'm only tasting when absolutely necessary. 100 cupcakes might require a bit of taste testing, but I will resist.

I'm not as persistent as Jeni yet, I haven't jumped on the counting calories bandwagon yet, and I used to have that same app on my phone around this time last year, but I could never keep it up. Hopefully I can get back into the swing of things. I am also desperate to get back to the gym. I wish I could run, but I have a bad back (there's a long history with that, more on that later) and my chiropractor strictly said "No running" at least until I build up my core muscles. And lets be real, my core muscles are anything but built right now. Well, maybe they are, but they're built out of playdoh, and not solid brick like it should be. But while I'm out of a job, that means I'm also out of a gym. So I've taken up walking and trying to be more consistent in my stretching. I want to take a yoga class or a pilates class, but I have to be careful with those too, because of my back. Gosh Courtney, excuses much?

But I'm not going to let a few setbacks stop me. I've leaned on my setbacks for too long, and it's time to start making progress again. Hopefully this prep diet will get me back in the game.

If you're getting back in the game too, let us know what you're doing, and how you're doing! Those who struggle to meet the same goals can be some of the best support systems. So say your prayers, believe in yourself, and then get to work! :)

Have a great Tuesday night, y'all! <3

ETA: oh yeah, I also had a Coke. :p

NO JUNK FOOD CHALLENGE - Day 1

Jeni:
So, I had a good day today. I didn't remember that peanut butter was on the list, and while I realize some peanut butters can be filled with sugars, I am removing this from the list! Why? Well first of all because I had some peanut butter on my whole grain toast this morning, but also because I believe the value of a good peanut butter is worth it!

Other than that, I did really well. No junk food for me!

I am also tracking all my foods on MFP (My Fitness Pal) and promising to stay diligent about that throughout my whole lifestyle changing process.
Today, I exceeded my caloric intake in order to curb junk food cravings. I'm gonna try and not be so hard on myself about this within a few days so I can find a balance. That's all folks!

BONUS: I'm adding this amazingly hilarious picture of a naked cat for humor's sake.
Honestly, I want this to be my laptop wallpaper...but I'm too afraid of the strange looks I'd get ;)


Courtney:
First of all, I'm with Jeni on removing peanut butter from the list. It's a great source of protein, among other things. Plus it's yummy, but healthy. So I say, bring it on! ;)

But for me, my food intake was baaaaad. Today was an absolute bust! Let it be known that I started a new job today, and those kind of changes should never be incorporated with food.

So I woke up at 5:30 to be ready for a new nanny job, which is an environment in which I have no control over what kind of food is available. But I left the house with a green smoothie, which is one of my favorite breakfasts ever! Frozen fruits and greens - not as gross as it sounds, promise. It's packed with nutrients and always filling, so I thought I had a good start on the day.

But that was the extent of my good foods. I had chocolate milk and PB&J on white bread with the kids for lunch, snacked on an oatmeal pie later, and after institute I went out with friends and the only thing open was McD's. So a bad start today, but now I know how to prepare better for tomorrow. Bring healthy things to snack on during the day, and I don't have to eat whatever the kids eat. And thank goodness, this is just a temp job for this week, so I won't be drowning in temptation for long. I CAN DO THIS.

My motivational picture of the day - you tell 'em, little guy.

Gemelas: The journey of soul sisters.

Jeni:
Well hello there! My name is Jeni and this is my blog with my bestie.
I wanted to tell you a little bit about us and then explain why we have this blog. Ready? Psh...you were born ready!

I served a mission for our church in Portland, Oregon and learned a lot while I was there. I remember sitting down with my Mission President's wife one day and talking about life back home. She gave me some really sage advice about who my friends should be when I returned to San Diego. She said that my past didn't need to be a part of the friendships I would have, but rather, that these new friends would see who my past had made me, and that's who they would love me for.

Well, it turns out she was right...not that I doubted that! I got home and found that a lot of the people I thought were my friends, still treated me like the old and not-so-wise person I was. I won't go into that too much...It's not like I'm perfect, nor was I when I got home...but I think you get it.

One day I was sharing a story with some people at institute about some answered prayers. One girl, who I had met briefly, told me that she had some similar stories and wanted to get together sometime and chat.

A couple of months went by and finally around the beginning of December 2011 we went to lunch at a Mexican place near my work. We talked for hours about my life and hers and it became very clear that we were going to be friends.

Then she left for the holidays and it wasn't until 2012 that Courtney Amanda Willis and I really got to grow our friendship the way we were meant to.

We went on adventures together, ate a LOT (remember that, cause we're gonna come back to it) and made tons of memories. It was a very fast friendship that quickly entered the "Best Friend" status I had been longing for.

The more we hung out, the more we realized just how similar we were. It wasn't long before I asked Courtney what the word for "twin" was in Spanish (which she speaks fluently...like a boss!) and she told me "gemela" which has just stuck ever since!

I'll let Courtney add more details later in this post, but for now, let's talk about WHY we're starting this blog.

You'll remember that Courtney and I like food.
A lot.
I'm pretty sure most people do.
But Courtney and I, unlike some of our peers, cannot eat all we want and never suffer a pound gained or inch grown...no no...we are big girls that only get bigger with each delicious bite.
...and oh how many delicious bites there are to be had!

Sushi

Panda Express

Fair Food

After California Pizza Kitchen

Studio Diner (dessert!)

Extraordinary Desserts

Outback Steakhouse

Italian Place Downtown

Free Slurpee Day

IHOP

Rubios

In case you needed evidence, this is just a small amount of our adventures in eating.

In any case, we need to shad the pounds. Courtney is still on the hunt for a husband (haha! I'll let her tell you about that!) and I am hoping to start a family with my Husband later this year.

We both know we need to be healthier and we both know it will help us feel better.

So this is us being accountable to that.

To our challenges (one which we start tomorrow) to each other and to you!

I think Courtney will agree that we will also use this as a way to keep in touch, (she's in Florida and I'm in Idaho right now) and also to post DIY projects, funny videos, fashion, make-up and all sorts of other goodies.

I hope you will enjoy it all!

Please give us some love and encouragement! We would love to hear from you!



Courtney:
Hola! My name is Courtney, and I'm the other half of this project. And just in case you're a little curious - of course you are - I'll tell you a little bit about me.

I also served a mission, in Houston Texas to the Hispanic community. And unlike some of my friends who have served, I slimmed down quite a bit on my mission. After I returned home, life was different. A majority of my friends had moved away or gotten married, and I was ready for something new. So I got a job offer in San Diego, and I took it. Getting comfortable with living so far away from my Florida family took a while, but I made some fast friends that helped with this process, and among them was Jeni.

While Jeni and I do have our differences, we became "gemelas" almost instantly. Days and months passed in our friendship, and we would constantly have "WHAT?!" moments, when we discovered yet another thing we had in common: books, music, YouTube videos, relationship struggles, swapping mission stories and having comp studies, and painting the town almost every weekend. And as previously noted by Jeni, most of our weekend adventures generally included food.

I'm seriously a fan of almost all food, there are very few things that I won't try or don't like. And one of my biggest struggles has been with my job. I've been a nanny for almost 2 years now, and living with a family that has young mouths to feed doesn't always provide the healthiest options - easy fixing and cleaning up proves victorious in most cases, as opposed to fresh foods and less processed/preservatives. But this is on my own head, I have total control and accountability over what I put in my mouth. And you can see, Jeni and I went out to eat ALL the time. And let it be known that Mormons don't drink alcohol, so most of our social activities revolve around food ;)

But there is a health code in the church as well, known as the Word of Wisdom, which encourages a healthy lifestyle, including eating and sleeping well, and exercising. There is also a gospel principle that says "moderation in all things." And while I don't think we've been disobedient to any one particular thing, we might have been a little negligent. But a healthy lifestyle isn't going to happen overnight, so we're taking baby steps. We'll try cutting the junk food first for a couple weeks. And this is actually pretty mild, compared to other diets. Cutting out sugars and refined foods is a step in the right direction. And though we might protest in body and mind, I think it's achievable. And for our overall health and being, it's definitely worth it.

In March, we kick junk food. In April, we take on the world!!!

So here's to a healthy and happy lifestyle! :)