The post about deep thoughts with my boy and how I shop "healthy" on a budget...

• Meanwhile, yesterday on Instagram...
• It's just after 5:30am and I'm headed out the door. No coffee. Just this sorry banana. I just wanna stay in bed. I'm exhausted. This should be an interesting workout. My only saving grace is that it's not leg day. My legs hurt. Walking all day through Darien Lake yesterday was so tiring. Especially in that heat. So even though I'm toast, I'm gonna give it my all. But I'm def going back to bed when I get home after I've had my coffee...

• Finally it's #coffeetime. I'm bagged but I have reason to smile. Who did 40 shitty military style pushups and 40 assisted pushups? This girl did. Feeling a touch hardcore right now. And speaking of core, working it today was slightly easier. That only means that Tony's going to make it harder for next time. He's prepping me to do TRX (suspension training) which is going to start soon and is freaking hard. 
• Today I am doing as little as possible. Getting my house in order, picking up some provisions and reading my trashy summer novel. I had a conversation with Julien about getting my arm lift done. He had so many questions then asked why he doesn't remember me when I was morbidly obese. There's such a disconnect there for him. He was almost 4 when I began my lifestyle change. After I had lost 100 pounds we were looking at pictures from our trip to Busch Gardens the previous summer and he asked me who the lady was that was with him. When I told him it was me he looked confused and said I was joking. He understands more about my circumstances now. 
• Yesterday while we were waiting to go on a coaster at Darien Lake he said, "I love that you go on all these rides with me mommy". And I asked if he remembers why I can go on them. He smiled and said, "because you're healthy and you can fit now". That is why I dragged my ass out of bed this morning at 5am to meet with my trainer while I'm on vacation. Someone counts on me. And I won't let him down...

L: Spring 2008
R: Summer 2015

• #ThrowbackThursday Me and my baby then and now. OMG I just want to eat those cheeks. Then and now!!! How beautiful is my boy? We were just looking at the photo on the left and he asked me why I was so big then. He's never asked that before and there's more to that answer than I just ate too much. He knows I changed my lifestyle for him. Well, for both of us. And while I was reflecting before answering he said, "I know mommy. It's because you were sad before I was born". There's definitely some truth in that answer. I didn't feel I had purpose until he was born. I never seriously thought of getting healthy before him. If I had, I wouldn't have spent my life yo-yo dieting. 
• The fun I have keeping up with him now is priceless. If I weighed 300 pounds at this time in his life I'd not be bike riding with him, playing on swings, going to amusement parks or waterparks, going zip lining and I wouldn't be role modeling a healthy lifestyle. He knows activity is important and he knows what healthy snacks are. Although I think he was delusional due to exhaustion, last night on the way home from Darien Lake, he told me he was going to eat everything I ate today. So far we're 0 for 2 but the sentiment was nice. I can't really expect a 7 year old to eat hard boiled eggs and canned salmon can I?

• Although extremely flattered, there is no way I look 25 or younger. I got ID'd at the LCBO. Whaaaaaat? If I'm wearing sunglasses maybe. But that's still a HUGE stretch. The young man who carded me was barely 25. My eyes are old. The eye cream I bought and had to remortgage my house to afford is not really doing the trick. So back to square one. 
• Anywho, it's #winetime. After having a lengthy conversation with my trainer this morning about alcohol and training, he told me he cut it out for months and it made no difference. So I'm drinking in moderation without guilt. 
• After this morning's session, I'm feeling a touch sore in the abdominals and my right rotator cuff seems a bit effed up. I don't believe there's ever been a time in my life when I've been pain free. Either I hurt from being morbidly obese or I hurt from running and strength training. True story. But to be clear, I prefer this hurt to the latter. And Tony advised me to forget the kettle bell and get some dumb bells. I'm using 12.5 - 20 pounders right now. So that will be my next mission. Cheers...

• I've enough produce in my house to choke a rabbit. Tomorrow chicken breast goes on sale. I'm pumped! Tonight's dinner was peppers and onions with BBQ'd hot Italian sausages and acorn squash. The squash was drizzled with evoo (extra virgin olive oil) and baked. The peppers were sauteed with evoo and some sea salt and pepper. 
• I am not a lifestyle pusher. You will never hear me say that high protein, grain and refined sugar free is the way to effectively lose weight. It was the right choice for me but everyone is different. I know people who have successfully lost a lot of weight having WL surgery, following weight watchers, following meal supplement programs, counting calories, eating low carb, eating vegetarian, only eating foods that are purple. You get my point. I lost all my weight eating low carb, high protein. 
• Weight loss is hard, maintenance is harder. If you don't have a sustainable plan for maintenance, no weight loss plan will work long term. That's why there's such a low long term success rate for weight loss. Something I hear a lot is that eating healthy is expensive. I'm not going to negate that but there is a solution. Price matching. If you're lucky enough to have businesses that do price matching in your area than take advantage! 
• I have an app called Flipp on my phone. It's a free download for any smart phone. All I do is put my postal (zip) code in and the app pulls up all the grocery fliers in my area. I simply make a shopping list on the app and it highlights all the deals. I clip the lowest price ad and show it to the cashier at check out. That is the price I pay. Today green peppers were $2.47/lb at Walmart. I paid $.99/lb. I do price matching at Walmart and No Frills. It's so easy and a huge money saver. 
• Protein is expensive. Produce is expensive. Saving money is awesome. Eating healthy on a budget is possible. It's a bit of work just like everything else that has to do with maintenance and life in general. But it's worth it. I can use the money I save to shop at Value Village for some (normally) expensive labels that I'd never be able to afford full price for. I'm a very frugal girl...