Weight loss

So, i have had a bit - yay! I started running a week ago but now have shin splints (too much too soon.. stupid me trying to do more than I'm ready for...) But whatever - yay!!! Ok, so its only like a pound but now I'm 5 down from my heaviest weight plus Darrell says I feel skinnier when he hugs me lol. The only thing I have noticed is that I need to go and buy smaller bras.. not really what I wanted to do but if its coming off there its coming off elsewhere - it will just take more time to notice I guess..

Another cool thing is I can't really handle restaurant food anymore - it makes me sick now because it is all so greasy! I have been trying to eat healthier and more 'raw' not meaning raw food but meaning raw ingredients you know.. instead of lots of preservatives and stuff its all fresh -  obviously my stomach likes it better than greasy restaurant food - yay happy stomach!

Just a helpful tip

If your first week of school ever coincides with your period week - don't decide to also start a work out plan.... it kind of just messes everything up and leaves you feeling miserable and guilty that you didn't work out the past two days because of said misery... just saying..

:/

I hate period week...

Healthy Sloppy Joes?

Well, to be honest I have no idea how healthy this sloppy joe recipe is but I made it and I like to assume it is better for me than canned sloppy joe mix...

As far as I can tell the only "bad" thing in here is butter, beef and ketchup.. the rest is seasonings and veggies :)

So, the recipe comes from Pioneer Woman I heart her and her recipes - even if there is butter in just about every one of them :)

So, here is the recipe and below is my picture walk through just so you can add some visuals :)

Sloppy Joe

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 2-½ pounds Ground Beef
• ½ whole Large Onion, Diced
• 1 whole Large Green Bell Pepper, Diced
• 5 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1-½ cup Ketchup
• 1 cup Water
• 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Chili Powder (more To Taste)
• 1 teaspoon Dry Mustard
• ½ teaspoons Red Pepper Flakes (more To Taste)
• Worcestershire Sauce To Taste
• 2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste (optional)
• Tabasco Sauce (optional; To Taste)
• Salt To Taste
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
• Kaiser Rolls
• Butter

Preparation Instructions

Add butter to a large skillet or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add ground beef and cook until brown. Drain most of the fat and discard.

Add onions, green pepper, and garlic. Cook for a few minutes, or until vegetables begin to get soft.

Add ketchup, brown sugar, chili pepper, dry mustard, and water. Stir to combine and simmer for 15 minutes, adding salt and pepper to taste. Also add tomato paste, Worcestershire, and Tabasco if desired. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Spread rolls with butter and brown on a griddle or skillet. Spoon meat mixture over the rolls, topping with a slice of cheese if it makes your skirt fly up. Serve hot with kettle cooked chips!

Add yourself some butter to the awesome pan your future mother in law gave you last time you went to visit ;) 

Throw some meat in and brown it :) 

We got onion, bell pepper, garlic and I added some mushrooms.. I definitely recommend it but don't go too overboard because I did a bit (next time I'll cut the amount in half) because the flavor was strong. 

Go ahead and throw it in while you get all your seasonings ready. 

Add in some ketchup. 

Then the seasonings - chili powder and crushed red pepper made this Joe! 

Tomato paste too - I added more than was called for because I like the tomato-ish flavor :) 

Toast your buns and enjoy :) 

Now, I know the chips were much for me trying to be healthier but I'm not one of those dieters that completely says no to certain foods - I fully believe if you cut yourself off of the bad stuff you'll regress and indulge waaayyy too much when it finally happens - and it will happen!

Try them - they were awesome, I loved the subtle burn that the chili powder and pepper gave it :)

Its not the number...

So, I haven't lost any "Official" weight yet - at least not according to the scale. However, I did get asked today if I had been working out - hmmm... Pretty much the only different thing I have been doing is making sure I drink the 'required' amount of water everyday.. I have also been watching what I eat.. just not that closely lol. Hopefully after my final on Thursday I will work up the motivation to work out. I actually liked it when I was working out - hated the actual act but it did make me feel better about myself - hmm :)

Spray Painting..

Does sweating out in the 8000 degree weather while spray painting my dining table and chairs count as a work out?

Here is the before picture - no after yet because I'm not done.
Plus, I need more spray paint... 

I'm not going to tell you what I'm going to do with my table... Mainly because I just don't want to explain it right now - I'm hot, sweaty, and out of sweet tea and spray paint...

Question about that sweet tea... does the amount of tea I drink count for my daily water requirement? I mean.. its water with sugar and flavoring... I've heard that unsweet tea 'counts' but I'm not sure about sweet... hmmmm..

In the beginning

There was a pygmy pear shaped person (like that alliteration?) named Natalie - thats me. Why pygmy do you ask? Because I'm short - 4 feet 11 inches to be exact... well if you wanted to be exact its more like 10.75 inches but it doesn't matter - point is I'm short and the title "petite pear" was taken. I think pygmy suits me better anyways - its weirder and not as 'cute' as petite... sounds a bit like me lol. Ok, moving on. Why pear you might ask? Because I have hips, and they're big.. so is my butt... and if you do a little test on yourself using a mirror and imaginary marker you can figure out if you're pear shaped too..

Stand in front of a mirror and use your imaginary marker to draw a line straight down from your shoulders - if this line doesn't extend all the way to be flush with your hips you're pear shaped - or like a triangle... to be honest I'm really much closer to having an hourglass shaped figure if I do this test but what kind of a title is "pygmy hourglass????!"

Anyways - this is me - semi stepping out of my comfort zone of burgers and fries and telling the world that I'm a chubbster and want to loose some weight. I have felt like this for quite some time now but we just recently set a date for our wedding and if I'm going to be taking engagement photos and having parties and stuff I need to start now - no more excuses!

So, here it is world - I'm 4'11" and 151 lbs. Now - most of you might be wondering what the big deal is - 151 isn't really that big is it? Well when you're pygmy it makes it just that much worse... honest. I saw pictures of myself dancing from this past weekend at a friend's wedding and I didn't like it at all. My butt is huge! Anyways, as you may have noticed this isn't a blog that I would normally advertise to the world so don't be offended if you're reading this and you never got an invite.

Well, here goes - my little journey to be documented here ... I'll start exercising at some point.. right now though I have surprisingly had much to do.. not an excuse I know but maybe next week - I need to start running again anyways - I liked the feeling of exercise. Just couldn't stand the work..