Luke Gerard Baldomero

Never forget to count your blessings. 

This morning I found out that a preemie baby I followed on Instagam has passed away. Needles to say, I was in complete in utter shock. I just couldn't understand why and how this could happen. He was 7 months old and looked so healthy and happy. His name was Luke and he had the most adorable set of brown eyes. 

 

I follow several preemie babies on IG, but I had a special connection with little Luke. Luke and Sophie were both micro-preemies at almost 25 weeks and Luke was 1lb 5oz when born - Sophie 1lbs 6oz. For lack of better words, my heart just aches. I can't even imagine what his family is going through. Makes me think back to our NICU days and how scary it was. 

I ask that tonight we all say a prayer for Luke's family and ALWAYS remember to thank God for what he has blessed you with.

This is Luke:

 

 

 

Visit Luke's blog here.

Blk Water?

So, today I tried this Blk Water stuff. I was totally freaked out. It is LITERALLY BLACK. Like when you mix black paint with water black. Everywhere I look I see this water or people talking about how amazing it is. I did some research and found some good and some not so good reviews about it. The good were that it offers some extra minerals and bad were that it’s just a gimmick. I haven't reached a conclusion yet, but I did want to try it. I mean, really. It's Black Water! I didn't know how it would taste and I found it very hard to believe that it tasted like water, like they claimed. Well, as for the taste, it does taste like plain water. So I guess it's ok. As for how good it is for you, I will have to do some extra research.

As for price, I got it at Stop & Shop for about $2 for a 16oz bottle.

If you try it, let me know what you think. J

While looking online, I came across this blog:

http://blog.sneakpeeq.com/2011/08/18/why-would-anyone-want-to-drink-black-water/

Here is what they had to say about:

Why is it Black?

Naturally black in color, the formula binds to the molecules of pure Canadian Spring Water turning it naturally black, with no artificial dyes, coloring, or additives.

So why would I want to drink it?

Blk water has Fulvic Acid in it which is critical in helping transport and absorbs nutrients. Fulvic Acid’s small molecular structure allows for the fast absorption of over 77 different trace minerals and elements, powerful electrolytes, antioxidants, and free radical scavengers. Giving you energy, re-balancing your pH levels and making you feel like a total rockstar!

Confessions of a Junk Food Junkie

Hello there friends,

I’ve been working on a post for about 4 days now (yea I know), but with working full time, being a wife, mom and working out, sometimes sitting in front of the computer just doesn’t happen. Today as I came into work, I had received an email from Team Beachbody. They are always sending these emails with tips and I wanted to share this one with you. I found it very interesting because it talks about being a junk food addict. Yes, there is such a thing.
You can also receive these newsletter articles if you’d like, just sign up at: here.
Al always, if you have any comments or questions, I’d love to hear it.

 

Confessions of a Junk Food Junkie: 6 Tricks to Kick the Habit

By Denis Faye

It's safe to say that junk food addiction is a very real thing. The first place to look for proof is the ever-mounting pile of scientific evidence, including a recent study out of Sweden showing that the hormone ghrelin, which activates the brain's reward system and increases appetite, reacts similarly to sugar and alcohol.

True story: I was a fat kid, peaking at about 225 pounds by age 18. In my more socially awkward moments—and there were many—junk food was my best friend. Or so I thought. When my algebra class crush would gave me the "just friends" speech or a so-called buddy would jokingly call me "Fatso," nothing said acceptance like a pint of Rocky Road and half a package of Nutter Butters.

Today, I weigh about 160 and I'd love to tell you those urges are behind me. Sadly, they're not. On bad days, it takes a concerted effort not to pig out. My name is Denis Faye and I am a junk food junkie.

Given our nation's exploding obesity and diabetes rates, you very well could be too. The good news is that with a few tricks and a little hard work, together we can keep those sugar monkeys on our backs under control.

Why we're hooked on garbage

Then there are the increasingly decadent foods we have 24-hour access to. In his book The End of Overeating, Dr. David Kessler theorizes that manufacturers have, over the years, engineered the balance of fat, sugar, and salt in junk food to the point of making it irresistible. He refers to our gluttonous response to this crackified food as "conditioned hypereating."

Most of this current thinking revolves around physiological factors, such as the fact our brains are hardwired to seek out highly caloric foods as a "feast or famine" instinct left over from caveman days. Unfortunately, human beings are slightly more complex than our primitive ancestors. By adulthood, most of us are a hodgepodge of neuroses and psychoses for whom a Twinkie has become a security blanket, so this urge to splurge will never completely vanish. Sure, you can retrain your body to crave healthy food, but your psyche may never stop seeking validation, Hostess^® style.

How to keep that addiction under control

Luckily, a well-trained body goes a long way towards helping a slightly off-kilter mind. For example, if I were to force down that aforementioned slice of Sara Lee^® heaven, I'd get physically sick. After years of clean eating, my digestive system has lost its ability to handle the toxic effects of a sugar hit like that, not to mention the preservatives and additives. Thanks in part to these newfound "limitations," today I can walk away from the cake or limit myself to one or two bites—but that's taken years of training.

But it wasn't easy. If you're going to break a sugar habit, it's going to take time, patience, and willpower. But take it from a guy who used to work his way through an entire box of Cap'n Crunch^® for breakfast: If I can do it, so can you. Here's where to start.

1. Clean all the junk food out of your home. Think of the stereotypical image of the woman getting dumped by her boyfriend and climbing into bed with a tub of Ben & Jerry's^®. If that tub wasn't in the freezer to begin with, odds are that our protagonist would have instead settled for a soak in the tub. 
   
   There's also "unconscious eating" to worry about—when you just grab a bag of fried carbs while you're sitting in front of the tube and stuff your face for no reason. If you don't have access to the junk, the only bag you'll be able to grab for will be filled with baby carrots. If someone brings some junk over for a dinner party, enjoy it with them and dump the rest when they leave.
2. Make 80% clean. Relax with that other 20%. Just because your kitchen cupboard no longer looks like a movie theater concession stand doesn't mean you can't live it up sometimes. If most of your diet is super tight, you're doing great, so cut yourself some slack. When I made my first big push to clean up my diet, Friday was Cookie Day. I ate like a saint 6 days a week, but every Friday I had a giant chocolate chip cookie and a latte. 
   
   Knowing I had Cookie Day to look forward to made all the celery on the other days much more palatable.
3. Make a comforting ritual out of eating healthy. The fact that Cookie Day was a ritual was also quite helpful. Unhealthy eating is often ritualistic—something comfortable and constant that you can depend on. Not only can you have your own Cookie Day—a conscious, controlled, weekly moment of indulgence—but you can replace unhealthy rituals with healthy ones. 
   
   For example, I used to drink at least two servings of alcohol a night. I'd have wine or beer with dinner and then another one when I was sitting around reading or watching TV. When I realized that second drink wasn't doing me any favors, I replaced it with a cup of herbal tea. The 21-days-to-form-a-habit thing has no scientific backing, but eventually a behavior pattern will set in. In my case, after three weeks I stopped missing that second beer. Then, after a few more weeks I really started craving the calming, peaceful feeling my cup o' chamomile gave me. Now it's a nightly ritual.
4. Carry healthy foods with you at all times. If you carry a purse or a backpack, throw an apple or some raw nuts in there. In this Fast Food Nation, it's pretty easy to find yourself in situations where you're hungry and, shucks, you just have no choice but to buy a donut because that's the only thing you have access to. 
   
   You don't have that excuse if there's a snack in your pack. Here are a few to consider: 
   
   
   • Fresh fruit (Apples and oranges travel well!)
   • Dried fruit (It all travels well!)
   • Raw nuts
   • Whole-grain crackers
   • A Shakeology^® packet


5. Discover new, yummy fruits and veggies. There's a lot of weird, healthy food out there. Sometimes, we avoid fresh produce because either we're either bored of the same old oranges or there's a stigma associated with particular produce. Dad just forced you to eat asparagus one too many times. If this is a problem for you, buy fruits and veggies you don't recognize. If you don't know how to prepare it, do an internet search for "(produce name) + recipe." You might stumble on a new flavor that completely blows your mind. 
   
   For me, that magic fruit was the cherimoya, or "custard apple." They're green and scaly on the outside, thick, white, and creamy on the inside, with a rich taste as sweet and satisfying as the richest sorbet. My mouth is watering just writing about them.
6. Binge on healthy foods. I'm probably the only person who will ever give you this advice since it's a wee bit questionable. Every once in the while, something emotional triggers me and I need to eat junk. Someday I might completely conquer this urge, but not yet. When I feel this happening, I hit the fridge and "pre-binge" on healthy foods, mainly raw veggies. Sooner or later, the ice cream or chips come out, but by that point, I'm so full of broccoli or spinach that I'm not physically capable of doing too much damage. Dysfunctional? Maybe, but a vast improvement over the alternative.

You might be one of those lucky souls who just decided to walk away from the candy counter and never looked back. Good for you. I'm not one of those people. Eating right is much easier than it was 20 years ago, but it's still a process. That said, the rewards are innumerable, so why don't you set down the pudding pop, grab a peach, and join me?

Resources:

1. Kessler, D. (2009). The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite. New York, NY. Rodale.
2. Lally, P., Van Jaarsveld, C., Potts, H., & Wardle, J. (2010). How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world.European Journal of Social Psychology, 1009 (June 2009), 998-1009. JOHN WILEY & SONS LTD.
3. 3. Landgren, S., Simms, J. A., Thelle, D. S., Strandhagen, E., Bartlett, S. E., Engel, J. A., & Jerlhag, E. (2011). The Ghrelin Signalling System Is Involved in the Consumption of Sweets. (M. Mattson, Ed.) PLoS ONE, 6(3), 9.

My Personal Favorite of the day:
Honest Tea

I LOVE peach iced tea, but they ALWAYS come with so much sugar, calories and other not-so-great ingredients that I was pretty ecstatic when I found this. I've been drinking this for a little while now. One of my co-workers brought it in one day and I was hooked.

Nutritional Facts:

Serving Size: 8 fl oz.
Servings per Container: 2

Calories per serving    30
Calories per bottle      60
Total Fat                         0 g
Trans Fat                       0 g  
Sodium                          5 mg  
Total Carbohydrate       8 g  
Sugars                           8 g   
Protein                           0 g   
Iron                                 0 g


Other Ingredients: Purified water, organic cane sugar, organic peach puree, organic Fair Trade Certified™ oolong and black tea, organic brown rice syrup, natural peach flavor and citric acid.


I have found it at Stop & Shop and Trader Joe's. It shouldn't be hard to find it in other stores though. Price: Every time I have purchased it, it has been on the 10 for 10 sale at Stop & Shop so I am not sure what the "real price" is.

If you try it out, let me know what you think. :)

 

Want to know what I am up to? Come chat with me on Instagram: mrs_rumble

I've Hit A Plateau

As you might have guessed it, yes I have hit a plateau. It really sucks big time, but it actually has taken longer than usual this time. I have been consistently losing weight for about 3 months now. It is really frustrating when you are putting in the same amount of effort and not getting any results. This would be the time that most people give up, like I did other times. The only difference is, this time I have my secret weapon. My Shakeology. I can't even brag enough about this. This is simply the easiest and best thing I can put in my body every day. I already drink it at least once a day so this will be  a piece of cake for me.

Tomorrow I will be starting my three day Shakeology cleanse!

I am really excited about this for two reasons.

1. I know it works. For the short time I have been on Shakeology, it has worked wonders for me. I have no doubt in my mind that if I do this I will see results. 

2. I LOVE this product. I love how it makes me feel, I love how it gives me energy, helps me sleep better and not to mention how much I love how it tastes. 

If for me to lose weight, all I have to do follow this "diet," I am totally ready for it. 

Because I have a little peanut who refuses to go sleep, I will have to make this a short one. 

I wanted to share something I came across today.  

I saw this and I immediately thought about myself. So many times this would be my way of thinking. 

"Why start something I know I'll end up failing at." Never once even giving myself a chance to try it. Don't be like I was, it took me a while, but I get it now.

If you need help finding motivation or questions on how to start. I am always here and willing to help.

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

-Albert Einstein

How Do You Overcome Cravings?

Hello Friends,


For the past few days I've been thinking, what are some ways you overcome cravings?
Yes, that pesky little feeling you get every time you decide you are on a diet? At one point, cravings were my arch-nemesis. LOL. Yes, it was that bad. Now, this is actually something I don't struggle that much with anymore. I do however, have a few tips on how it became easier to deal with it and for staying on track.


Tip#1:

My best and most important tip I can give you is, if you have something you know isn't good for you, DON'T BUY IT! Yes, don't even put yourself through that. In my house, I am the one in charge of groceries as I am sure most of the other mommas out there are too. If I know I have a weakness for cookies, or a specific anything, I just don't get it.

Tip #2:

When you do go grocery shopping, make sure to get plenty of healthy snacks. I always keep fruits, yogurts,  and peanuts around. This way when I do need a snack, I can go in the fridge and grab something. The harder it is for you to find or get to a healthy snack, the less-likely it is that you will stick to it.

Tip #3:

Plan ahead.
Me for example, every night I pack my lunch and snacks to bring to work the following day. If I wait to do it in the morning, I always come up with a million excuses and don't do it.


Tip #4

Chew on ice. I have a very bad habit of eating when I am bored. Sometimes when I am home alone or on long weekends like the one we just had, I seem to always end up in front of the fridge. Even at work, sitting in front of a computer for 8+ hours a days can also get pretty boring. I would always find myself in front of the vending machine (which I must say, is pretty awesome at work. LOL, I'll post a picture in the future.) As awesome as it is, it is not for this gal. One thing that helps me A LOT is chewing on ice. It tricks my mind into thinking I am eating and it has zero calories. :) Also helps on your water intake which for me is at least 8+ glasses a day!

Tip #5:

Give in.
(Your probably like WTF?? LOL)
Like I said before, avoiding cravings comes easy to me, but sometimes, very rarely there is that one thing that I just have to have. When this does happen, I allow myself to have a cheat day sort of speak. One thing you have to keep in mind though, just because you are having a "cheat" day, DOES NOT mean you are going to stuff your face until you can't anymore. No, by no means is that what I am saying. Last week I was craving pizza for days, it was Friday and I really didn't want to cook dinner so I caved in and ordered it. I went with the thin crust, some veggies and meat. I had one slice and my chocolate Shakeology for dinner. I was satisfied, got rid of my craving and over all it wasn't a super bad dinner.

These are some of the things I do to avoid cravings, what are some tips that help you? Please share below in the comments or email me. I would love to hear what helps you stick to your goals!

On a different note, just wanted to share a few quick things with everyone.
Today I got my Beachbody check for being a coach. I knew it was coming, but I was totally surprised when I actually opened the mail and saw it. I am soo excited about it, this weeks check is paying for almost all of Sophie's daycare. Not only is Beachbody helping me achieve my goals physically, it is also helping me financially. Let m eknow if you are interested in finding out more about becoming a coach.


Also, today I received my Hip Hop Abs and Rockin' Body workouts by Shaun T. I am not really sure when I am going to start it yet. Either when I am done with Insanity or while still on Insanity first thing in the morning. I'll let you know when I decide and I'll post my results. :)

Last, but not least, I want to share with you my latest FAVORITE Shakeology recipe. 

Man, I thought I liked the peanut butter and banana one and BAM, I fell in love all over again.

Here it is:

1/4 cup strawberries

1 cup of ice

1 scoop of chocolate Shakeology 

1 cup of coconut water.

Yes, this shake is absolutely amazing! 

For the time being, my favorite, until I try I different recipe of course.

It still boggles my mind how something so delicious is actually my healthiest meal of the day!

Thank you Shakeology :)

Let me know if you have any questions or comments. I always love getting those. You can also email me at pamsrumble@gmail.com

Until my next post!