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Yep, Traci the Smurf!
Hello Dear friends!
As most of you know, I am battling a shoulder injury, so between this and my knee, Traci is often not a happy camper! 
In January when I’m able to have the MRI and start figuring out what is wrong with me exactly, I’m going to do my ‘ Eat Clean Guide’, we have talked about!
For now, so that I can keep in touch, lets just talk about some ‘ regular’ things which are going on, for even I need a break from all MY misery! LOL
Since I have been shopping ( for Christmas) I have been having to do some for myself, even though the joke is- ‘ I HATE SHOPPING’! My Husband just shakes his head and patiently just does the ‘man nod’! You know the one, where they don’t say anything, they just nod, yep, that was it!
I have been wanting to change my look, get away from wearing ALL black, do you know how much black I have? Now, that I have changed a bit, lost some weight, I want to add some color back to my world! So Hubby, being the patient man he is, took me shopping. My (oh my) what a wonderful man I have, took me anywhere I wanted to go! He waited, carried and commented, all in the most positive of ways! Now, can you ask for more than that?
So, Traci went to Aeropostle, yep, me at 42 thinking, am I crazy, do people my age even KNOW about this store? I have to say this because I have found a wonderful woman Amber whose been cutting my hair, and she has the two- toned hair that Avril Lavigne made so popular. I WANT IT, lol, but I joke with her and say ‘ but I am to old’ and she says’ please, you don’t look to be out of your 30′s!’ Now, you see why I love Amber, and I may yet do the two-toned style, but it may be brown and red.
BTW, like my new haircut? I laughed and said that if you were to give me a can of Aquanet and some electric blue eyeliner it’d be like I was back in the 80′s! What do you think?
Traci 2011, my new Haircut!
Also, you can’t see it but I am wearing my new Aeropostle Hoodie! As I mentioned, COLOR, TRACI NEEDS COLOR! So, while we were there, I saw a lime green hoodie and said YES, that is mine! Of course being at an Outlet Mall and EVERYTHING is on sale, they are limited in sizes! They only had a large, and I thought, YES my size! You are talking to the lady who was 245 pounds, right, a large, that will work!? So my Husband had me try it on OVER my sweater, did I tell you HE must have been crazy? Well, umm, you see ( I HATE admitting he is right, sigh!), it was too big! I was like, are you kidding? So, I saw the blue one ( my Husband calls me a smurf, lol) and they only had a small. Well, why not, stranger things in the universe have happened. Yep, perfect fit! A small, with medium bottoms, WOW, can anyone say WOW!
Here is the Hoodie, before I cut my hair!
And there you have it, I am adding some color to my world, I have something really comfy to wear and I am a Smurf, you just gotta love it!
Happy Holidays to everyone, I hope they are blessed!
xoxoxoxo
Traci
Still here and trying to find my Sunshine! :)
Hello dear friends!
Sorry I haven’t been here- I am trying to keep up! I have just had one issue after another…
We saw the knee surgeon and found out that my walking two miles a day was not beneficial for me, and was setting me back, so now I am not getting much movement really. We also found out that PT is not covered by my insurance, sigh! UGH, CAN WE SAY, I give? So, I have been a bit frustrated, depressed, and ok - pissed off lol! I am at my wits end to tell you the truth, I can get the MRI for my shoulder for about $400.00 but I can’t do PT at this time, we just can’t swing it. I don’t have to have surgery right away for my knee, thank you God, BUT they want me in PT now BUT again, we can’t afford it. I am going to do research for lower body injuries and see what I can find to get some movement which doesn’t hurt for chopping vegetable hurts and by the time I get home I am pretty useless for I hurt so much but try to just ignore it and be ‘ functional’ yeah, it is really working for me.
They felt bad for me ( I guess) so they have given me a brace to wear for a month for my bend is 86, should be in the 100′s and my extension is between 3-4, should be 0. Sorry to be so negative, I am just frustrated for I feel I have gone through hell to get here and I am still here, but we weren’t promised ‘ a pain free life’ so I am doing my best to hang on till January and not have my family either commit me or hate me in the process for Traci is not always a happy camper, really I feel quite sorry for them for they put up with quite a lot from me!
Per my lifestyle, still Veganish, but struggling with the dairy aspect, specifically the cheese aspect so having that occasionally and lately I have been craving red meat. We have been doing more research and honestly think fish is an important aspect BUT I am STILL struggling with the whole ‘ moral’ issue so, I am somewhat stuck. I am craving it but not sure I can do it, so where I am? I think we may try going out to dinner this weekend and I will see IF I can do it that way, my body apparently is wanting/needing this? I am not sure, I am also exhausted and feeling very run down, part of this may be that I not eating enough, since we have cut out dairy AND meat, I am not eating NEAR enough fruit and vegetables, which is part of the problem. I seem to be around 1100/1200 calories a day but not getting enough of what my body needs so I have starting taking supplements per the Hubby. So, Traci REALLY needs to figure this out so I don’t make myself sick, I am having a hard time mixing my clean lifestyle with this new lifestyle but I think that is in my head.
Can anyone see I am struggling?
My weight seems to be stuck in the low 150′s, about 153 (size 9 in juniors seems to fit the best but I get no movement, go figure, can’t lift my arm that much (still thinking the rotator cuff is torn) and only sorta bend my knee, so trying to figure it out and the burning is still there- Mama says this too shall pass! I am doing PT at home and doing it at work as well…so we shall see.
I will update, I still believe in paying it forward, I am just trying to get myself figured out, God only gives what we can handle, so I am praying for peace- Dear Lord please give me peace!
Thank you all for being here for me while I try and get it together!
xoxoxo,
Traci
Sorry I have been away!
Sorry I have been away, been under the weather, will try to catch up soon, I am not sure what is going on but when not making myself go to work, I have either been in bed or on the couch, some stomach thing, hoping it will pass soon!
Still planning on doing my journey, tips and anything I can think of to help those who are just starting, currently going through it or just need some help!
Thanks for hanging in there with me!
xxoxoox,
Traci
Yes, Vegan Cookies, Hubby APPROVED!
Sorry, I am behind, I have to admit this shoulder is just kicking my tail, I keep thinking I have a handle on it and I just don’t, it is making Traci not a happy person and to THINK, it will be this way till at LEAST January, sigh! I see my knee surgeon on the 15th, I am going to at least ask him about it. I know he does knees, but he is ortho, maybe he can help me in some way for this pain, I think I am going to lose my mind! It hurts when I go to bed, it wakes me, it hurts when I walk, when I breathe, when I lay down, and now my leg falls asleep again, it hurts when I carry things, when I cook, when I make the bed, when I type, open things, and when I move the wrong way. I have to catch my breath, and trying to hide it, well, that just makes it harder. Trying to be ‘ happy’ all the time or ‘ normal’ sigh, it is just making it worse, but I just SO want to be freaking normal, I am so tired of this, but when you don’t tell people, they treat you normal and they expect it, but I am out of drugs so either way, then you are screwed, so sitting here I am in pain, I just want to scream, but hence I am quiet! Plus, my boss wants me to work, so I wanted to try to get this out while doing that…sigh, so sorry, I am behind!
So, my Vegan cookies, first draft, they were a little dry, I will work on that. The next draft will be better I think.
Hubby Approved
And of course, Michael had to take one with me eating them, one
Yep, I was eating them!
So, here is the proof, they were tasty, trial and error, but they were GOOD! I have learned, especially during ‘THOSE’ times, you must have sweet eats, and instead of invading the pantry, which I have done. I need to have healthy eats, that of course are tasty!
Here is the recipe, now I had to add and extra 1/4 cup of oil and I also added an extra 1/4 cup of chocolate chips for I used mini and vegan ones btw…
Vegan Choc Cookies049
So, not sure you can see this, I will have to find a way to put this another way, for it was a great recipe. I truly believe a lot of this will be trial and error for I am not the best cook but it is making me try more and different things, so that is good.
So, all for now, off to work, looking for mugs for our Thanksgiving Luncheon, my first I have planned, eek! Thankfully, my boss, though not Vegan, she is healthier so there will be some options available for me.
Have a blessed day!
Traci
Stuffing my ‘ Subway’ face while running late for Jesus!
Good Afternoon,
How is everyone doing today?
I ‘m off today and having a great one so far, was up early this morning ( left my charger at work) and actually the scale gods were smiling on me this morning so I FINALLY got to weigh, of course I had just eaten but I will take it! 155 baby! I have been trying to diet, be a Vegan, all this together and it hasn’t been working out well, more on this later, but I ‘m happy with this number, coming to get you Michael-smooches!
Yesterday, I learned two things…
1.) Yes, I ‘m still eating clean but I need to focus on one thing at a time.
2.) I need to be more prepared.
I think for now, I just need to focus on one thing at a time, yes I am still going to reach my goal (140 pounds), but I am going to concentrate on this new change in lifestyle instead of ‘ stressing’ on these last 15 pounds and maybe yesterday won’t happen. I packed my lunch, 10 rosemary crackers, small portion of home-made guacamole’ and some blackberries and headed off to work, knowing I would leave at 5:00, head home, have time for a quick dinner before I headed off to Church. Well, life does not always work out this way, so as I was working late, I was already hungry, but as time was getting later and I knew I was not going to have time to get home before Church I was starting to panic, what on earth was I was going to eat? Being new to this lifestyle, it’s not like I was going to be able to find just any fast food restaurant and know what to order nor had I prepared myself for a longer day. So, as I left my office at 6:40 pm, knowing I had to be at Church at 7:00 pm, and I was at least 20 minutes away, and literally feeling I was going to throw up for I was so hungry.
I had to make some serious decisions, at this point a gas station was a VERY real option for I knew I was not going to last till I got home at 9:30 pm and I needed something quick for I was late and I didn’t want to keep God waiting!
Since I have just started going to this Church with my friend Amy I do not know the area as well, so I of course passed your typical Wendy’s and Mickey D’s which I didn’t want. I kept going, I was already late, it was after 7:00 pm and I just started praying, ‘ Please God, just find me a ‘ Subway’. I knew there at least I could have a veggie sub, it would be fast and stay within my EC and my Vegan lifestyle, not 5 minutes later, there it was like a beacon the night, I almost cried, I was so hungry. I was sick to my stomach, I literally was driving and eating in my car, I was a few minutes from Church so I finished in the parking lot and thanked God and went in and had the most amazing service! ‘ I believe I have received-Thank you Pastor Sarah and Amy!
Lesson learned, I will not be unprepared again and I am going to work on one thing at a time, my new lifestyle. This does not mean I am going to just eat whatever I want and not worry about my weight, it just means I don’t want to be in the situation I was in yesterday. I ‘m going to get a handle on this new lifestyle and then incorporate my EC into it. As I found on the scale this morning, I ‘m not gaining like I thought I would, but what I think I ‘m doing is not eating enough actually, so I want to concentrate on what I ‘m eating so I don’t hurt myself and find myself scarfing down a Subway sandwich in the parking lot I felt like when I was heavy and hiding my food, how many times have we all done that one?
So, that is what is going on with me today!
Happy Birthday Alexis Baby, I remember being in labor with your Mama on the phone and bringing you home from the hospital, you have left such footprints on my heart, I love you so!
Just put some new tunes on my iPod, going to brave the cold I think, still trying to get a handle on working, things at home and getting my walk in. Since it takes me an hour to do two miles, doing it in the morning is a challenge, and with only having two days off, I seem to now only get those two days and the weekend, I really miss it, any suggestions? By the time I get home I am beat just from sitting at a desk, sad I know, but maybe with this new surgery, they will fix me up, not sure WHEN that will happen, and the shoulder, blah, blah, just prayin’ prayin’!
I do have a mandatory doctors appointment this month per SS so, we shall see how that goes and I also see my surgeon, so we shall see!
Now, off to do my walk, was HOPING it would warm up, but does not appear to be doing so, sigh!
Hope everyone has a wonderful evening!
xoxoxoxox,
Traci
My first shopping experience!
Now, as most know I have been ‘ Eating Clean’ for about two years and lost 90 pounds, I am not going to stop doing that, nor try to convert anyone to this new way of life I am now following…I am here to try to help those who 1.) want to lose weight and think they CAN’T do it with an injury like I have and 2.) want to be healthy, whether that is Eating Clean, Vegan, just starting, whatever, this is a SAFE place and I intend to keep it as such.
I have tried and failed EVERY diet known to man out there, just sayin’ so if anyone can learn from MY mistakes, please do!
So, one thing I did read yesterday was, going into this new lifestyle was, start slow, this is REALLY hard for me for I am a ‘ jump in and let’s do it’ kinda girl! Did this with EC, working out, as we see that didn’t do so well with me, lol and also with this, but man did that pizza commercial look good last night! But I don’t want to back slide and we do still have a lot of things in our house and Michael is struggling a bit, it is all nice and fuzzy when you KNOW you are doing things for the right reason, but even my step son did this gradually so please bear with me as I transition into this process, I am not backsliding, I am just going a bit slowly so I am can make sure I do it forever!
So, the store, or shall I say THREE stores and almost $350.00 laater! Eeek, we were thinking, ummm, not sure this is going to fly for very long, we can’t afford this, now granted, we are trying some things!
Now, I have yet to give up Oil, so we got the Earth Balance butter? Have ya’ll tried this, I was pretty surprised, I really like it!
It was much better than I thought!
Oh and here is my fridge!
It was packed to the RIM, Michael was like, THINKING THERE IS NO WAY we are closing this baby! And you can’t even see it all, LOL, we went a tad over board! You are so surprised on what has eggs, what has milk, so that was part of it, I mean I bought some multi grain Pringle’s I know, NOT CLEAN, but I was SO surprised, you could hear me through the WHOLE store, lol, so I think some of this is just going to be an adjustment! Trial and error! And more making things, like I have been doing for the past few years but now without egg whites and milk and cheese!
The other thing I did find for you EC’s, I do not like almond milk, I mean it is ok, but it just has this taste, but I had my Kashi this morning and had rice milk, it as DELISH! So YEA for that, WAS so happy! It just didn’t have the bitter taste I find with almonds!
I am also having a scale issues, as some know, I weigh every day…keeps me honest, and it seems to not want to weigh in the morning, UGH, driving me batty! I feel so off kilter, may have to take some of my bday money and break down and buy a damn scale! Sigh! With being close to my goal, this is an issue!
So, this is where we are, Traci will be having shrimp tonight, see, keeping it honest, no one but me eats it and like I said, we are trying to get all things out of our house, sigh!
Happy Fall to you all, it is Beautiful here in Michigan, anyone got any good foodie ideas, I can always use them!??
Have a Blessed Day!
xoxoxo
Traci
My first post! :)
First off, welcome to my blog!
Let me start by giving a little background information on me!
I am happily married, 42 years old, and started this weight loss journey about 2 years ago!
When I started this process, I weighed 244.5 pounds- I have struggled with this because I have a bad knee so working out has been really hard for me. Almost a year ago ( in Feb) I had a total knee replacement and I thought that was it, I never thought I would get this weight off and even before then I had to stop working out because I had knee surgery and was in physical therapy for the last year-I have kept going, even with constipation, medications and constant downtime I have been determined! I have only been able to do this with food, I have just started working out slowly, I walk two miles on my cane, they want to do another surgery this winter for I am still having complications with my knee, meaning it is not fixed and they believe that I have torn my rotator cuff. I did loose the first 20 through my gym ( thank you Beth at the Brick house in Mt, Clements, I miss you girls!) which I sadly had to quit. I wanted to say thank you and really thank you! I have paid it forward, so may people ask me, how I have done it, they know my story, they know I can’t work out, and they know my struggle and that I am 16 pounds to my goal, I tell everyone about the Eat Clean diet! And that if they want to change their lives and not just diet, then this is the way to go one pound at a time, that if this 42 year old woman can do it, anyone can.
I wanted to start this blog for so many people have asked me HOW I do this, how can I DO this with an injury, how can I still lose weight, working out so limited? Well, I do follow the Eat Clean diet, I am also now a Vegan which I will get more into and I am determined!!!! It has taken me longer, it has been harder but it CAN be done! REALLY, it can!
So, here is my blog, I will share what I have done, hopefully, others will too and this will be a safe, clean place we can DO this TOGETHER!!
So, be patient with me, I am just starting, never done this before, any tips, feedback, help, will be greatly appreciated!!!!
-YOU CAN DO THIS! I am so close to my goal but it has taken me so long to get here but even better than that, I am paying it forward for I have learned that so many people out there feel the way I mentioned and when they see how YOU are doing-that is your chance or our chance to help, so many people ask me how I have done this and I tell everyone about the Eat Clean diet, it has changed my life and I am so thankful to Mrs. Tosca for this I can’t even say….
So, this is my story, I am looking forward to reading so many more of yours and getting to know ya’ll!
xoxooxxo
Traci
ONE POUND AT A TIME!!!!!
