Pinterest Boards: Three Tips to Get Organized!

Hi there!

I know I've written before about my love for Pinterest, but let me just emphasize my affection.

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I friggin' love Pinterest.

My good friend Amber told me recently that her recipe boards are organized two ways: by recipes she has made and enjoyed and another with recipes she wants to try.

Brilliant, I tell you!
I wish I would have thought of this a long time ago!

So now I bring you my TWO newest boards on my Pinterest profile:

I know, I know. The names aren't too exciting or creative.

Also, I seriously can't believe that I've made 90 recipes!

As I've struggled with my weight over the years, my original "Healthy Foods!" board, as it was previously named, has been so reliable. Yes, a lot of the pins are from SkinnyTaste, but there's quite a few from other bloggers and sources. I have certainly been populating and updating my boards since January 11 of this year, when I restarted Weight Watchers. Keeping meals interesting and varied has helped me to stay on track.
(And after 3 months I've lost 17 pounds and 16.5 inches! I still have a long way to go but I'm on my way thanks to these recipes and a ton of exercise!)

Here are three tips the keep your boards in tip top shape:

1) Dig in. I like to click through to view my source and the ingredients before I commit to pin it.
2) If you are interested in a list, click through and see which recipes truly suit your fancy. Then pin those recipes from that post. This will cut down clicking and scrolling when you go to cook. Honestly, I need to go through my pins that list things such as "20 Weight Watchers Crock Pot Recipes," pick recipes from that list to pin individually and delete the list pin on my board. I know I won't make the recipes until I take this step! It's lazy but true!
3) Be realistic. If there is a difficult recipe I probably won't make it, so - going back to #1 - I like to look at the ingredients and steps involved to achieve the final product. Unless it's for a special occasion I keep my pins attainable. Also, for tougher recipes (for me this typically involves baking and/or unhealthy ingredients) I have another board called #ThisIsWhyImFat...and I haven't made a single recipe on the board.

These tips translate to areas aside from recipes, too. I need to organize in this manner for my "Motivation" board and hairstyles I've tried from my "My (Wannabe) Style" board.

Interested in my favorite healthy and/or "healthified" meals I've prepared? The best of the best, if you will? Let me know and I'll create some posts to share both recipes I make again and again as well as some new finds.

Have any good Weight Watchers pins to share? Please leave your username in the comments or go ahead and send me a pin or two!

Have a good one!

Work It Out Wednesday: Week 21

Hi gang!

Rough week for me. I just feel tired, which doesn't make sense. It's been tough for me to wake up in the mornings, and my workouts at night have been lackluster. Help me out of this funk, friends!!

As promised, I did try a new workout this week. I've actually been doing quick 10-minute morning workouts a few times this week. It doesn't do much for me, but it's better than nothing!

Weekly Workout:

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Weekly disclaimer:
Remember what I said about my lack of qualifications? Please keep in mind that I am aware that I am chubby and have no fitness/nutrition authority. I'm just trying to spread some wellness love as I fight the battle to live well myself.

How I made it harder:  Nada. No energy to add on, I just wanted to get it done!
Overall impression: I'm happy I carved even just ten minutes to do this. My head really hurt when I woke up, but I took a day off the previous day and NEEDED to do something to not hate myself entirely! I know it's a silly issue.
Sweat factor (on a scale of 1-10, where 10 is when I look like I just got out of the shower): Meh, a 3. It was 10 minutes. haha
How I felt when it was over: I knew I could have done more if I had time. But again, it was something
Would I do it again? Absolutely! I want continue to try a bunch of 10-minute workouts for late mornings and for after work.

Weekly recipe:

I'm excited to use the slow cooker this Saturday and I found this recipe on Skinnytaste.com that looks too good to pass up!

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Weekly motivation:

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So true. I need to remember this!

And I need to love my body! Someday? Maybe?

Weekly workout sass:

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TOTALLY.

Earlier this week I went for a run and it was awful. It was my fifth run outdoors this month and my absolute worst. My goal was to run four miles, and my knees hurt and feet cramped after 1.5. I was so ashamed and walk/ran for another mile before calling it quits for the day. I was so disappointed in myself and felt like a whale...but I at least got out there.

I have to remember how I feel when I don't do anything vs. when I do something and it doesn't work out the way I was hoping it would.

Anyone else have this issue? How do you overcome it?

Have a good one!

I Have One Fewer Chin!

Seriously you guys I am so excited!! 

I saw a number on the scale this morning that I haven't seen in over a year AND I'm wearing a pair of my hot jeans that I haven't been able to wear for a while.

In other words:

I have lost 10 pounds since Christmas!

How?

1) My workout routine

2) Eating healthy with little alcohol, keeping myself honest via my Weight Watchers app

3) No sugar - when my sweet tooth attacks I eat light applesauce, fat free whipped cream, sugar free pudding or fat free Greek yogurt 

4) Advocare products

Seriously, if you need help with your weight loss and/or fitness goals let me know. 

I'm selling Advocare products and they have been a huge help for me. Advocare can help you, too!!

Have a great weekend!

Want to Lose 5 Pounds? An Advocare Review

You guys. I'm just really excited.

I talked about my workout routine earlier this week. 

That, paired with clean, sugar-free eating, little alcohol and 

the Advocare 10-Day Herbal Cleanse,

has helped me to lose almost 8 pounds since Christmas.

4.6 of those were during the last two weeks while I was on the cleanse.

Honestly, I feel great. Better than I have felt in years.

I know that is a little dramatic, but it's true!

Cleanses have such a horrid connotation. 

This cleanse, however, was fantastic.

I was never uncomfortable and after each reasonably portioned meal I felt full.

It includes a fiber drink, probiotic pills and herbal cleanse tablets.

Granted, the fiber drink is not exactly the easiest thing to drink, but suck it up. It's doable.

My favorite thing about the cleanse aside from just feeling better was that it helped to curb my otherwise insatiable appetite. 

You see, my appetite is the reason why I'm not a skinny person.

Seriously, I use working out as a crutch for eating more and increasing my portion sizes.

Obviously that doesn't work.

Considering that I'm on Weight Watchers (tracking points really keeps me on track), I must say that I barely dipped into my allowance points in the past two weeks while taking Advocare products.

Once the cleanse completed (Tuesday of this week for me), I started to take ThermoPlus, a vitamin supplement. It still helps to curb my appetite!

I LOVE that! 

Why these two products?

My good friend Greg from high school has sold Advocare products for the last seven years and has helped SO many people. He really knows his stuff. When I mentioned that I just need some help with my appetite and toning he knew exactly what products I should use. Plus, I can't afford the 24-Day Challenge, which looks pretty amazing, too.

But seriously, if you are interested in trying Advocare please let me know. I can put you in contact with Greg! Andrew and I are also considering selling Advocare...would any of you want to buy anything? I could get samples of stuff before you commit!!!

If you need a jump-start to weight loss I really think Advocare can help you.

It only took a couple pounds lost to make me a believer. 

Enjoy your weekend and Happy Valentine's Day!

Wedding Wednesday!

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Happy Wedding Wednesday!

This weekend we took our engagement photos!

Andrew's friend (and now my friend!) Becky from Michigan State has a photography business in addition to her marketing job. Check out her Facebook Page: Becky Johns Photography! Lucky for us, she was free on Sunday to take our photos!

Doubly lucky for us, the weather was perfect!

We went shopping on Saturday for something to wear. Shocking that we waited until the last minute!

I picked up a lovely investment piece from Madewell. I absolutely love this dress and definitely plan to wear it all of the time. It's navy and classic and everything I wanted!

We started at Lincoln Park (the actual park, not the neighborhood) and walked around taking photos with the city in the background and the changing leaves all around us.

Then we were off to Adler Planetarium because the view from the outside is amazing: right on the lake with the whole skyline in view.

We finished up in our neighborhood park.

It was such an awesome day. We giggled the whole time!

After our photo shoot we made an awesome dinner and looked on Becky's camera at the photos. I looooove them! I can't wait to see them!

Becky took a photo of us on Andrew's phone just so we could have one while she edited hers. I was going to post it on the blog but I really don't like it. Thank goodness everything Becky took was 1 million times better. Seriously, with every "Like" the photo received on Facebook I liked it less.

OK fine, here's the photo:

It's not the best of us, but oh well. Becky's are awesome!

.........................................

OK it's time to get real for a minute.

This photo (and other photos from this summer) are motivating me.
I must lose some weight. I'm not entirely sure how since I currently do Weight Watchers and workout 5 or 6 times a week. I have lost 7 pounds this summer but I have a long way to go. I workout really hard, too. I can choose to not go into my Weight Watchers Allowance Points so that should help. That's a good goal, I guess. I know that I'm not meant to be a size 2 (and I don't want to be ) but I just want to look like I work hard. Seriously, why can't my arms look as muscular as they are? I love my muscles! Why don't they show up and say hello once in a while?!?! Grrrr

Sorry to complain. I'm not fishing for compliments here. I just wanted to let you know that I'm not all sunshine and rainbows all of the time. I am incredibly happy, but when I see photos of myself the happiness decreases a little.

Just a little, though!

I mean, shoot! I have so much to be thankful for and the #1 reason is standing next to me in that photo! I have Andrew! He is the best man in the world. I just love him. Simple as that.

I also have my amazing family! And tons of friends! And my faith! And my health! And my job!

Who cares if I should lose 100000000 pounds so I feel acceptable?
Sheesh, get a grip, Mary.

OK pep talk finished. Back to being sunshine and rainbows :)

What do you have to share this week? Any updates or stories? Please link up with me and Kristyn and tweet your posts to us!

Pros & Cons of my 90/20 Regimen, Part 2

Source: organize.com via Katie on Pinterest

Usually I post classy images on Tuesdays, but today I am going to continue my pros and cons for my 90/20 experience. On Sunday I wrote about my progress on both Weight Watchers and P90X. Based on the feedback from that post I decided to write my reviews on both programs over two days. Yesterday was all about Weight Watchers and I am focusing on P90X today! Again, please keep in mind that what I write is based solely on my experiences using the program. P90X works for me, but it may not work for you - many workout programs don't work for me!

On to the review!

Source: google.com via Carlos on Pinterest

Quick Info: P90X is a fitness program designed for working out at home. There are 12 DVDs in the set, each with different workouts. You can choose one of three programs for the 90 days; the Classic, the Crazy (haha it's for extreme athletes working out twice a day), and the Lean. Refer to the online schedule, follow the workouts, and in 90 days you will see a new you.

Why I chose it: I love to exercise and have worked out regularly my whole life. However, I need variety. Running hurts my knees and I get so bored doing it. I also can't afford a gym membership. Plus, the gym at work is small without TVs and is surrounded by mirrors. Motivating? Sure. Boring and awkward? Clearly. I tried Comcast On-Demand workouts and loved The Butt Bible and Jillian Michaels workouts, but Comcast cut them and now has horrible options. I barely broke a sweat on most of the workouts I tried. For me, that's saying something. I pride myself in my sweating ability, and these didn't cut it. Like I said in my post on Sunday, I heard P90X works and I got the DVDs for free, so I had no excuse for avoiding it.

Why I am sticking to it: I love the variety! While the workouts are getting easier they are by no means easy. I love the challenge and look forward to the day when I can do everything as fast as the people on the screen!

Pros: There is a great mix of cardio and weight training. My favorite workouts are more cardio-focused: Plyometrics, Core Synergistics, Kenpo X (Kickboxing), and Cardio. The Ab Ripper X is tough, but I am improving on those moves. Since I have bad knees there are a couple of moves I need to modify in some of the workouts, but not many. It's surprisingly easier on my knees than running, and I get better results! Also, no mater which workout I do I am a sweaty mess at the end!

I also love the amount of energy from working out regularly. Sure I have my sleepy days and sure my body is sore often, but that's natural.

I may get the second edition of P90X or Insanity someday, but for now the first version of P90X works for me!

Cons: I truly hate the Yoga DVD. It is 90 minutes and the first 45 are so repetitive I want to scream. Now that I am on my second 90-day run I may substitute the yoga for a cardio, but I'm not sure yet. I just really hate it. Don't get me wrong, I like yoga, but the P90X version is not enjoyable.

The other thing is that I am on the Lean program and Plyometrics is not part of it. My co-worker told me the Plyo workout is awesome so I do that twice a week after work as my second workout for the day. It's a fantastic sweat fest, I am a hot mess the whole time, and doing this workout helps me justify any weekend eating when I go over my points.

I do not have a pull-up bar so I modify with dumbbells and instead do lat pulldowns. It's not the same but I don't have any other option. I may look into getting bands, too. It's annoying having multiple sets of weights around the house and the stronger I get I want heavier weights!

I am sure most of you have heard the main pain of P90X: it is time-consuming. Yes, it is 7 days a week, and yes, it's about an hour for each workout. I wake up every work day at 4:30 or 4:45 to get my workout in, and plan my weekend days around them. Once I got into a routine it really wasn't bad to fit them in; in fact, as crazy as this sounds I can't imagine my days without these workouts! The 7th day you either do the Stretch DVD or flat out rest. I have done both or added a cardio workout on Sundays. It just depends on my energy, what I ate the day before, and how my body is feeling.

The worst thing about P90x is how hungry I get from working out. Obviously your body needs fuel, but it sucks that I am somewhat limited on WW to really fill up every day. It's very frustrating. I am not starving myself, but sometimes it sure feels like it! When the hunger pains come I eat fruit or protein to help. Honestly, the time, the early mornings, and the soreness are nothing compared to my constant hunger!

Tips:

[These are all my opinions. Please keep in mind that these opinions are coming from me: a 26-year old in Chicago, who loves to workout, wakes up early, works upwards of 10+-hour days on a regular basis, eats a lot on Weight Watchers, and has a social life. Basically, even if you work a lot and have a busy life you can do P90X!]

1) If you do not like to workout do not purchase P90X. Don't kid yourself; if you haven't stuck with workout classes at gyms or even just working out on a regular basis for an extended period of time, maybe do that first and then if you like working out, then invest in P90X. If you want the advertised results you have to do the program, which is 6-7 days a week. There is a second version of P90X now, so I think the first version (what I use) may be cheaper on Amazon or some other places online. I was lucky that I got it for free from my friend. He is a marathon runner and wasn't into the workout routine.

2) If you think you can't do it then you won't. You can modify moves and hit the pause button. Nothing is too tough if you tell yourself you can do it, and if you can't right away then keep working at it. There are a few moves that are super tough for me (I'm looking at you, Dreya Roll) but I keep pushing through because I'm a dork and enjoy competing with my brain. Again, I'm still a chubby sweaty gal and will be through the whole process. I am no fitness phenom and would never claim to be. It is tough for me, but I enjoy the challenge.

3) If you are seriously considering investing in the program but aren't sure if it's for you, check out YouTube videos on different workouts, go to the P90X website (beachbody.com) and search for your questions on the discussion boards, or ask me! I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I would love to talk to you about it!

4) I didn't buy any of the supplemental junk advertised with the program. P90X supporters try to sell you products and such but they seem expensive for what they are. I went to GNC to get something cheaper yet similar to the P90X recovery drink; this jacked up dude sold me a huge tub of protein powder that I kept on top of my fridge, which made me feel like a douchy college guy. I used it all and didn't notice a difference. Now I get the small bottles of low-calorie gatorade (1 point per bottle!) if I need a boost after working out. That works better and is cheaper than the 3-point gross protein powder!

5) I wasn't sick during the 90 days that I did this the first time. If I get sick in these next 90 I will take a break, as I would recommend to anyone who works out regularly! Listen to your body!

Whew! That was quite a bit of info! Bravo for you if you read it all! Let me know if you want to talk more about P90X or Weight Watchers!

Pros & Cons of My 90/20 Regimen, Part 1

Source: organize.com via Katie on Pinterest

I had a lot of views on my post yesterday and plenty of offline comments asking about my experience with both Weight Watchers and P90x. Today I will discuss my top pros and cons for Weight Watchers and tomorrow P90x. Please keep in mind these are my own opinions based on my personal experiences with the programs. Since everyone has different lifestyles, these programs may not work for you, as many other programs do not work for me. It's a lengthy post, so bear with me!

Let's get the party started, shall we?

Source: pinterestoffer.com via Mundy on Pinterest

Quick Info: Weight Watchers assigns everything edible a points plus value based on fat, carbs, fiber, and protein. You can eat a certain number of points every day. Your daily point value is based on your gender, height, and age. You also have Allowance Points for the week. This enables you to splurge a little here and there. As long as you don't go over your Allowance Points every week you will most likely see results. Daily Points and Weekly Allowance Points do not roll over into the next day/week. Also, when you workout you can add on points to your day based on the intensity of your workout. In college I went to meetings but now Andrew and I subscribe to the online version. If this is your first time on WW, I highly suggest going to the meetings. It is incredibly motivating, and don't worry - you never have to share your weight with anyone there. Healthy loss is 1-2 pounds per week. It is natural to have gains and hit plateaus. The body is a curious thing, and the scale sometimes doesn't reflect your efforts.

Why I chose it: I love food. I love eating socially, alone, to celebrate, to kill time...you get the picture. I also use it as a crutch and eat my feelings. I am not disciplined when it comes to eating, so WW provides a structure for me that is easy to stick to since I track it all online or on my iPhone app.

Why I keep going back to it: Again, it's the discipline. Sometimes you don't realize how much you eat until you measure it. When I am not conscious of the point value I will eat more. It's as simple as that. When I'm on WW I just feel better. Plus, I try to use WW as a lifestyle, not a diet. I think dieting is silly because once you're off the diet you might keep up with healthy living, but I sure don't. I revert right back to overeating, using food to celebrate, eating unhealthy food, and drinking too much too often. When I stop WW, I keep the healthy lifestyle in mind, but I actively choose to ignore the points, thus jumping back to my bad habits. They die hard, friends, they really do.

Pros: There are so many! First and foremost, I have not completely cut out any of my favorite foods when I eat out. I'm serious! I either "healthify" them, coordinate my eating around them, or plan ahead.

For example, when I want pizza, we order thin crust, one-topping pizza instead of the pan pizza with breadsticks I love so much. I still get my pizza and as long as I limit myself to a reasonable portion, I stay within my daily limit. For Chipotle I only get the burrito bowls without cheese, sour cream, or guacamole. I know those are the best parts, but I really don't miss them. Plus, sometimes Andrew and I get chips and guac, barely eat half of the bag of chips between us, and I put some guac on the bowl. Sure it's extra points, but it feeds my craving so I don't overdo it the next time I'm there. During this 90-day period I had two huge cravings for pasta and a club sandwich. Huge. I got pasta one time, ate less than half of the restaurant portion and saved the rest for later. Another time I had a club sandwich, bacon and all. I ate half of the sandwich and got a salad instead of fries. In all of these examples I went into my allowance points for the week, but I also fed my craving, which is the most important thing. I have found that when I crave something long enough it's worth the "healthified" splurge. Otherwise I know myself enough to know that I WILL overdo it the next time the craving hits; aka I will make excuses, eat the whole sandwich with fries, etc., and feel awful the next day. Being smart makes me feel better while I enjoy my favorite foods.

In terms of cooking, Gina's Skinny Taste Recipes are insane. You would never know you're eating healthy food. We have made a number of them and wow. Just wow. I started to follow Chocolate Covered Katie and the dessert recipes are WW friendly, too. If I ever get around to baking, you can count on reviews from me.

Fruit is zero points!!! When I started senior year the points formula was different and basically every serving of fruit was 2 points. It was rough getting my 5 servings of fruits and veggies in every day! Now, I can eat fruit to hold me over until my next meal.

Cons: Measuring and tracking points are annoying, but it's not that hard once you get used to it. The hardest part for me is how difficult it is to stick to WW in social situations. It's tough to politely reject those freshly baked cookies or dips or delicious punches at parties, it sucks being "that girl" at the bar ordering a salad, and it is difficult to be spontaneous with meals. You know what, though? It's worth it. That's the point, friends: it's hard but it's worth it. There is no miracle formula for losing weight.

Tips: The biggest tip Andrew and I remind ourselves of is this mantra: Don't demonize food. Maureen (sorority sister who lost 85 pounds on WW and has kept it off!!!) taught this to me and she is spot-on. You are allowed to enjoy your life, and sometimes that means enjoying food. Demonizing your eating choices makes you feel bad about yourself. That's a slippery slope to giving up completely.

I have tons of grocery store finds that are WW-friendly, too. Connect with me and I will be happy to share!

Stay tuned for tomorrow when I discuss my pros and cons for P90x!

Friday's Fancies: Tangerine!

Happy Friday! It's finally here!!!

Today I'm linking up with {av} at Long Distance Loving for her Friday's Fancies series. This week's theme is Tangerine Tango! I'm not usually an orange gal, but when I saw this dress on polyvore last night, I swiftly migrated.

Friday's Fancies: Tangerine Tango! by mkrulia featuring clutch bags

This dress is a steal! OK fine it isn't ORANGE, but when I searched "tangerine" on polyvore this popped up. Justified. They have other colors of the dress at Modcloth, but I am pretty much swooning over this number. I may just have to charge it. Thanks for making me spend money I don't have, polyvore.

As for the rest of the ensemble, I picked a super fun clutch, some Tory sandals, a shiny bracelet, and classic pearls. I would wear soft curls and pretty makeup. Is the fact that I can see myself in this outfit a rational reason to purchase this dress? I think so.

What do all of you think? Do you dance the tangerine tango? Should I buy the dress?!?!

Also, two things real quick:

First, Fridays are my weigh-in days for Weight Watchers. Since we started again on 1/2/12, (and I started P90X the week after) I've lost 16.7 pounds!!! The best part is that two pairs of jeans that I bought in December and were tight after the holidays are now super loose. OK fine, they're super loose compared to my skinny jeans, BUT the point still stands: I'm getting smaller! Jeans don't lie, friends, jeans don't lie.

Source: fuckyeahfitspo.tumblr.com via Mary on Pinterest

Second, tomorrow Andrew and I are taking the train to Milwaukee! We're going to the Georgetown/Marquette game! Hoya Saxa!!!! :)

Source: sports-logos-screensavers.com via Austin on Pinterest

What are your weekend plans?

Ask Dr. Murph Part II

{cute medical image via}

Happy Friday! I am excited to share the second part of the post that I started yesterday in the Ask Dr. Murph series!

As a reminder, my sorority sister/doctor friend (her nickname is Dr. Murph) has agreed to let me publish her answers to my many random health-related questions. Since I take a bunch of vitamins I was curious if I was on the right track or way off base. The first four are in yesterday's post, and please read below for the remaining answers!

Real quick, though, please read her Disclaimer and Vitamin Definitions.

DISCLAIMER- I have an M.D but I am far from an expert! The following is what I have synthesized from med school and residency lectures, attending mentors, textbooks, and journal articles. Many doctors have differing opinions on vitamins because there can be an overwhelming amount of unfortunately small studies that show opposing results. To me, this seems to be the case with anything that enters the arena of "complementary or alternative medicine." I will try to differentiate what is accepted as medical fact and when I venture off into opinion. If other health care people read these answers, I'm sure plenty of people will disagree with me. (I think I could fight with Dr. Oz for a week straight about almost all of his opinions!) Overall, I tend be on the skeptical side - As one of my favorite attendings taught me - Read the study and Ask yourself, What does this author WANT to be true?

Vitamin Definitions:

• Fat-soluble vitamins - surplus stored in the liver, extremely high doses can cause toxicity - A, D, E, & K
• Water-soluble vitamins - not stored in the body, kidney simply excretes the extra - such as B vitamins and vitamin C, and others.

On to the questions!

5) I heard that Vitamin E is good for my skin, so I take it every day. Right or wrong?

I'll just give you some opinions for this one - Besides important biochemical functions in the body, Vitamin E is another antioxidant that can actually be delivered by your body to the skin via the sebaceous glands. In my opinion it seems like Vitamin E could help based soley on that mechanism of action. Anecdotally, the plastic surgeons and dermatologists that I have worked with seem to frequently recommend topical formulations containing vitamin E.

7) I heard Fish Oil helps you lose weight. True or False?

Fish Oil is another one that somehow seems to cure everything! The important part, as you probably know, is the omega-3 fatty acid, specifically DHA or EPA (ALA does not seem to help) which is an essential molecule that your body cannot synthesize. I remember the craze started with trials showing benefit in the area of cardiac and stroke risk and I would highly recommend fish oil for those patients. (Sidenote: extreme high doses can increase bleeding risk). After that, there seems to be a lot of money and time spent on possible benefits with immune function, weight loss, cancer, and neurologic disease, and there is less consenus. However, my personal opinion in reading some of the stuff is that at least they have proposed mechanisms of action for how extra omega-3 fatty acids can have those health benefits. I am also slightly biased because I buy it and take it myself so I have to rationalize the cost, I suppose! One more note in my area of expertise - Recently there was a surge of these products as prenatal vitamins because some study showed DHA prenatally helped the baby's future IQ and brain function but that has since been debunked! Sorry babies.

7) OK so a quick recap: I take Vitamin D, Calcium, Vitamin B Complex, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E. Are these good vitamins for me to take? Aside from adding Fish Oil and probably deleting Vitamin D, what else should I add/delete?

The OB/GYN in me wants to say: If you are of childbearing age then make sure your multivitamin has folic acid in it.

8) I heard that taking a Cinnamon vitamin (saw it at CVS!) helps you lose weight. True or False?

I think Dr. Oz says true but I say false :)

9) Finally, I am participating in Weight Watchers and P90X. Should I take any supplements for better results? The jacked up dude from GNC talked me into getting a giant tub of 100% Whey Protein to take after my workouts. It was a ridiculous encounter considering I had sported curls, pearls, and a dress when I went into the store. I kind of feel silly with that monstrous tub in my kitchen.

Hahahah, this story makes me laugh. Love you Mary :) I guess you'll be the experiment to see if you get just as jacked after taking the supplement!

THE END!

That's all for now! Do you have any follow-up questions or any other health-related questions for Dr. Murph? Let me know! Have a great weekend!

Mary's Musing Monday

Hey everyone!

Yes it's been a week since I last wrote, but it was just one of those weeks. I traveled for work for the first time which was a great experience! Other than that (and spending time with the new cat!) it was an average week. But who wants to hear about the fact that I was always tired and always hungry? Not you!

So here's some happy: I am happily participating in Holly and Chelsea's "Make it My Own Monday" theme today. The idea is to find inspiration on Pinterest and create outfits with what's currently in the closet.

So I kind of did mine backwards. This Saturday Andrew and I met up with friends to listen to his college friend's band. It was a blast!!!! My outfit for Saturday night was inspired by someone I saw on the train months ago. Yep. Months ago. I loved her whole look from head to toe, so when I saw a similar dress at H&M over the holidays I jumped at the opportunity! I looked on Pinterest to see if there were other style options. I liked the chick from the L's version better, but here were my "inspirations," if you will:

Source: tobi.com via Mary on Pinterest

Source: tobi.com via Alicia on Pinterest

Not bad, but not what I saw on the L, either. The fashionista had on a faux fur vest over the dress, no belt, tights, boots, and plenty of baubles. Super cute. Alas, I do not have a faux fur vest (and probably never will because it would make my broad shoulders resemble football pads), but here was my rendition. Oh and this is 11 pounds lighter than the last time you saw a picture of me :)

Dress: H&M
Tights: Target
Boots: Macy's
New gorgeous brand new clutch on sale at my favorite boutique on my street: M2. I kind of salivated when I saw it. It had to be mine.
Necklace: H&M
Earrings: Francesca's
Bangle: Banana Republic Outlet
Watch: Michael Kors from Bloomingdale's

I think this may be my new "go to" dress, if not outfit. I was comfy all night, never had to suck in, and felt cute. And really, feeling happy is all that matters.

Make it My Own Monday

Happy Monday!

Today I'm linking up with Holly from Running in Stilettos for her fun Make it My Own Monday theme (and sending happy thoughts to her buddy Chelsea). For this theme you are encouraged to pick from your pins on pinterest to inspire an outfit with your own clothes. Unfortunately I wasn't conscious of it this past week, but it was definitely on my mind for New Years Eve! As you may remember from my Friday's Fancies post, I was all about sequins and glitter to ring in 2012. Here are the three pictures I chose among many sparkly pins since I got a sequin skirt over the holiday. I wasn't sure how to style it because I don't have a loose, silk blouse like the pretty ones pictured, but I went with the look anyway.

Source: Uploaded by user via Mary on Pinterest

Source: theglitterguide.tumblr.com via Mary on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Mary on Pinterest

And here's how I adapted the model look from the above pins for my chubby figure:

I love that sequin skirt from H&M that I picked up while home in Ohio shopping with some sorority sisters. The heels and tights are from Target and the top is from Forever21. You can't really tell, but the top is sheer, and I had a black tank under it. I went with a long and plain necklace from The Limited, a belt from J. Crew, a small clutch from my favorite local boutique, and lots of curls and make-up. I liked the ensemble, or at least how big the girls look in that shirt.

Earlier that day I took a "Before" picture. On Tuesday, January 2nd Andrew and I got back on Weight Watchers. In this short amount of time I've lose 6 pounds, feel great, and started P90X. I hope next year at this time I won't be taking "before" pictures again. I'm excited for the "After."

Please make sure to check out Holly's blog!

Happy Friday! It's Week One (Yet Again)

Happy Friday!

I hope all of you have exciting and/or relaxing weekends planned! I don't exactly know what my weekend will entail besides football and feeding our friend's cat (!!!), but I am pumped nonetheless.

I feel like I have so much to catch up with all of you. First of all, it's been a random week-ish, but in a good way! Let's see, last week the Weinermobile rolled by my office and I got a picture with it:

That same day a co-worker cleaned out her shoe stockpile and offered up some barely worn freebies! Look what I got!

Later that same glorious day Andrew said that we were going on a surprise day trip! Um OK! I'm always down for that! So Saturday he whisked me away to Wisconsin! To a Cheese Castle!!! hahaha I have a lot of pictures that I need to upload, but don't you worry - you won't be disappointed. From there we ventured to a cute and silly apple orchard/pumpkin farm. The kids were as annoying as the cider was good. It sure was a memorable and laughable adventure!

My next posts will have my Think Pink Friday's Fancies outfit and (hopefully) a very exciting announcement! For now, here we go (yet again) with my weekly Weight Watchers plight, um I mean update. :)

Weekly Update:
Weight loss:
0.9 pounds!

Total weight loss:
0.9 since I started yet again.

Pounds remaining to reach goal weight:
35.2 - sigh.

[I did not come up with my goal weight arbitrarily. This goal weight is based on the WW site guidelines. My goal weight is actually on the heavy range for my age and height.]

Pounds remaining until I can shop for myself:

9.1. That's right, I have a new motivating factor in my weight loss: shopping. I mean it, too! No new clothes, hair products, nail polish, shoes, accessories, etc. until I lose some poundage. If that doesn't make me wake up at 5:30 every morning to workout, I don't know what will! I mean, c'mon, mama needs a new pair of shoes! (No seriously, I really need rain boots.)

Overall mood this week:

Honestly I've been pretty good! Looking back on the week the only thing that brought me down was my little Wednesday mishaps...and that I wore a winter coat and gloves yesterday...but other than that I'm pretty cheery!

Worked out:

5 times! I just love the Butt Bible in the morning before work. I ran twice this week, too, even though it was chilly, so I'm proud of myself for that!