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Still Going

by Lizzy on September 1, 2010 · 2 comments

in General, personal, review

I believe I’ve mentioned that Jason and I have had a few struggles over the past week of our Medifast Journey, but we are still going, and going strong now.  Although our weight loss had plateaued due to a few “cheating” episodes, we are now back on track to losing these stubborn pounds.

Jason’s pants are now falling off, and even his belt isn’t helping keep them up!  I’m breaking into the 140’s, which I haven’t been to in over three years now.  I can’t wait to share our numbers with you next week, and share a little more information about our progress.  For now though, I’d love to explain how Medifast works a little more in detail.

The Medifast 5&1 program is what Jason and I are currently doing, and I’m finding that it’s working well with our lifestyle.  Here is some in depth information from the Medifast site:

5 MEDIFAST MEALS:

Choose 5 Meals from over 70 different, delicious Medifast choices, including shakes, soups, stew, chili, oatmeal, scrambled eggs, fruit drinks, iced teas, hot drinks, bars and puddings.

Plenty of Medifast Meal choices are vegetarian-approved.

1 LEAN & GREEN MEAL:

Your Lean & Green Meal consists of lean meat plus salad and/or vegetables. Enjoy your Lean & Green Meal at any time – breakfast, lunch, dinner, or in-between – whatever works best with your schedule.

You can prepare it yourself, grab it on the go, or enjoy it in a restaurant – as long as you follow the Lean & Green Meal guidelines.

LEAN:

Choose any of the following, grilled, baked, or poached (not fried):

5-7 ounces of cooked lean meat (such as chicken, turkey, fish, beef, pork, lamb, shellfish)

Meatless options including eggs and veggie burgers

Up to three servings from our condiment list.

GREEN:

Any 3 servings from our vegetable list, such as salad greens, broccoli, spinach, eggplant, or tomatoes.

A few of my favorite Medifast meals thus far are the brownies, dutch chocolate shakes, peanut butter crunch bars, and the peanut butter soft serve, yum!  I’ve found that this plan works for me because you never have to wait longer than 3 hours to eat again.  Since I’ve been a “snacker” for so long, this is an extremely compatible plan for my eating pattern.  I’ve also found that the more water I drink during the day, the less problems I have with hunger, which is a big plus.  This week I have added in daily walking, and I’m hoping to work up to jogging soon.  I already feel better physically, and mentally, and I’m really enjoying these positive benefits of the Medifast plan.

Thanks so much to Medifast for providing both Jason and I with a full month’s worth of products to aid us in our weight loss journey at no charge to us.  I will always include my honest opinions, and provide a candid review of Medifast.  I haven’t been monetarily compensated in any way.

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Cards Direct Giveaway

by Lizzy on August 29, 2010 · 3 comments

in General, Giveaways

When seeking any type of personalized cards, I know just the place to find them.  Cards Direct is a one-stop shop for most all of your personalized card needs.  Whether you’re looking for the perfect Baby Announcements, birthday invitations, or even some extra special Christmas Cards, then you can find them at Cards Direct for a discounted cost.

I enjoy sending out Christmas Cards every year with a special photo of my children to make it more personalized.  The variety of holiday cards that are available on Cards Direct are so varied, and delightful, that I can’t make up my mind on what style to choose.  To me what makes Christmas cards extra special is that I always enjoy ordering photo cards that display my children usually in a holiday scene.

One of my readers has the opportunity to win a $50 Gift Code to Cards Direct to use on whatever they desire!  TO ENTER, please head over to Cards Direct, and then leave me a message letting me know what type of card you would choose.

For Additional Entries:

  • Follow my blog on Google Friend Connect
  • Add my button on your blog/site
  • Blog about this Giveaway, and link back here
  • Follow me on Twitter and tweet this daily:

Enter to win a $50 Cards Direct Gift Certificate @lizzydear:  http://lizzydearslife.net/2010/08/cards-direct-giveaway.html

This Giveaway will end on September 8, 2010 at 11:59 pm, and the winner will be chosen by random.org and have 48 hours to respond to the initial email, This contest is open to US  readers, thanks, and good luck!

Thanks to Global Influence for giving me the opportunity of participating in this campaign. I have received a  gift certificate to use at Cards Direct. All opinions are mine, and I haven’t been monetarily compensated.

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Le Parker Meridien

by Lizzy on August 26, 2010 · 1 comment

in General, review

While I was in NYC recently for BlogHer I had the distinct pleasure of staying in Le Parker Meridien.  It was a great experience, and I am anxious to share more about it.  Le Parker Meridien is a unique hotel in an ideal location, and caters to it’s guests with style.  The entire experience in Le Parker Meridien is unforgettable, and the hotel itself is beautiful.  The main lobby houses two renowned restaurants, as well as a coffee bar.

The room was quite comfortable, and included any amenity imaginable.  I loved the modern feel of the room, and enjoyed the view immensely.  I felt safe, and sound during my entire stay, and especially loved the VIP treatment I received at my first breakfast.  I was treated to a delectable breakfast at Norma’s, which is housed in the lobby, and has been raved about throughout the years.  I enjoyed the freshly made French Press coffee, and scarfed down a delicious specialty known as the Wa-Za, which is a waffle infused with fruit and a crackly brulee top.  To die for.  The other restaurant in the lobby of Le Parker is The Burger Joint.  It was hidden behind a tall curtain, and had the tempting, sinful smells of freshly fried burgers wafting down the hallway.  I’m sad to say that I never had the chance to grab a cheeseburger at the acclaimed Burger Joint.  But if I ever have the opportunity to stay in Le Parker Meridien again, I won’t miss out on that chance.

Le Parker Meridien is not only an exquisite hotel to stay in NYC, but they offer a one of a kind service for guests that can’t be beat.  The Smart Aleck program is an original idea of Le Parker Meridien, and takes answers from a questionnaire and compiles a complete custom “tour” guide to NYC.  This is a hotel that cares about it’s guests, and it shows.

If you’d like more information about Le Parker Meridien, visit their site, and maybe even book a stay, you won’t regret it!

I haven’t been compensated in any form or fashion for this post, I am expressing my own opinion and viewpoint.  I received a  meal at Norma’s at no cost to me, and I received a press rate during my stay at Le Parker Meridien.

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My hubby and I have been doing Medifast now for over a week and so far we are seeing great results, but we have had a few minor slip-ups.  Our planning has not been stellar, and we’ve come up with a few nights where what we were planning to have left us a little more than hungry.  I’m not going to lie, I’ve had more than a few moments of hunger while doing this Medifast program, and understandably so.  When you go from gorging yourself on 3000 calories a day (mostly either fast food, or junk food) to eating a diet of under 1000 calories a day that is made up of high protein, low carb, you do notice the difference.  Believe ME.

Tonight after church my husband had an idea to make some catfish in a pan sautéed with squash and zucchini for his Lean and Green meal, and let’s just say that it turned out pretty disgusting.   After this realization, it was nine o’clock at night, and Jason was literally starving at this point.  After a scan of the refrigerator and kitchen cabinets, Jason was desperate for something to eat, and something filling.  He made the decision that I should run to a particular unnamed (ahem, ____king) fast food joint a few miles away and pick him up a cheeseburger.  His rationale behind the idea was that he’d barely had 500 calories for the day thus far, and even if he consumed another 1000 calories, he’d still lose weight with ease because of his size.  I was thinking about the yummy fountain diet coke I could nab while going through the drive-thru of said restaurant, so my judgment was slightly tainted by my blinding love of diet coke.  I agreed too easily to go to the restaurant, and grabbed my keys, willingly helping my husband “cheat” on his Medifast journey.  Yeah, I know, some wife I am, right?

So, about halfway to the restaurant I start convincing myself that it’d be okay if  I eat a little something also.  No one would know, and I’d hop right back on track tomorrow.  Plus, seeing as how I have a major fast food addiction (hello Super Size Me) I have been craving greasy, processed food for the past week, with a vengeance.  Don’t judge, mmmkay? I didn’t get this size by eating healthy, organic food, people!

I ordered a chicken sandwich, and told myself I’d just have one bite.  Uh, yeah that really worked out for me.  So as I was driving along the dark highway heading home, I grabbed the paper sack that contained the sinful chicken sandwich, and swerved on the road.  I nearly had a wreck!  Over a silly fast food chicken sandwich that I wasn’t even supposed to eat in the first place.  Fast food almost became the death of me, and I think I learned a lesson in the process.  No more cheating on my diet!

(P.S. Jason is nearing the 20 pound mark on weight loss in less than 2 weeks, and I am still around 8 pounds lost, so we are doing something right, I promise.)

Anyone else addicted to fast food? (I’m sure it’s just me, I’m a junkie I tell ya!)  Have you ever cheated on a diet?

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Moon Dough is Out of this World

August 25, 2010

My two youngest children have been in hog-heaven lately thanks to a special delivery of Moon Dough.  The Moon Dough set we received is so cute, it came with a barn, and accessories that can be used to create little farm animals out of the dough.  Three colors came in the set including blue, white, [...]

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Gatorade ‘Beat the Heat’ Blog Tour

August 25, 2010

My oldest son is playing jr. high football this year, and it’s his first year to ever play.  I’m slightly nervous to say the least, what with possible injuries, high temperatures outside, and staying hydrated.  I was recently able to join in a Gatorade blog tour, and I felt that this is the perfect time [...]

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Safe Social-A Must For All Parents

August 24, 2010

If you are anything like me then you might get a little concerned with who your child is “chatting” with online.  I don’t allow my children online often, but when I actually do allow them to play games, and interact online, I wonder if a pedophile is lurking among their online [...]

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Booty Pop

August 23, 2010

I’ve mentioned before that I am working on losing weight, and in the mean time I’m trying to find flattering clothing that accentuates my positive attributes, and minimizes my not so great parts.  When I heard about a fun item called the Booty Pop, I was definitely intrigued.  The Booty Pop is an undergarment that [...]

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Duvet Covers-Small Price, Big Change

August 23, 2010

We just moved recently, and realized that my daughter’s comforter was starting to get slightly tattered and worn.  Of course my first thought was that we should run out and find a new one.  But after pricing new comforters at a few places, I wasn’t quite so keen on purchasing some of the pricey options [...]

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American Public University

August 22, 2010

As a Mom I realize how important a college education can be.  I had my oldest child at a young age, and didn’t move away and attend college right away.  But slowly and surely I was able to attend classes, and take online classes and receive my Bachelor’s degree 3 years ago!  It might have [...]

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