Meatless Monday

Hey blog readers...I'm back!!! My husband reminded me last week that I have been neglecting my blog readers of my trials and struggles. So just to let you all know I am back and I am on track!

Did you know that today is Meatless Monday? Today, is the day that everyone is challenge to give up meat for one day. For some this may seem unthinkable and for others this may be less of a challenge. Here are my thoughts...it is always good to change up your diet every once and while. Going one day without meat is not going to kill you and you may even find that you like it.

Recently, I have done a lot of reading about the Western diet. I feel that some where we have gotten all out of control with our diets. If we think back long ago when people lived on farms or hunted for their own food, meat was a luxury item. You could not go into the store and buy a couple of pounds of meat. They had to go out and hunt for it or you had to raise and kill it yourself. The fact of the matter is our bodies are not made to ingest the large amount of meat we are putting in to it! This is why cancer is on  the rise as well as heart disease but that is a whole other blog. :)

Today, I challenge you all to give them a break and go meatless. If you accept my challenge, I would love to hear about it. Until next time...Happy and Healthy Eating!

Eating on a Budget

I cannot tell you how many times I have heard that eating healthy is expensive. Usually, when people tell me this I ask them where are they buying their groceries. If you purchase groceries at major grocery chains you are probably over paying for your fresh fruits and veggies. Here in the Chicago area we have stores like Mariano's, Garden Fresh and Caputo's. They usually have a nice selections of fresh fruits and veggies that are much lower in price than major retailers. I also like to buy frozen bag of fruits and veggies when they are on sale. They are helpful to have on hand for quick meals and soups. Many times stores will have them on sale for 99 cents. They are way better for you than canned vegetables.

Buy fresh fruits and vegetables that are on sale. For example, there are plenty of times when blueberries and strawberries are on sale. Buy them and freeze the extras.

I also suggest trying some of these healthy recipes that are $3 or less per person. You can feed your family well while on a budget.

Eating healthy does not have to break the bank. You just have to be smart!

Dawn's Hefty Meatloaf

People always ask me to share recipes. My family loves meat loaf and I made this up one night. I supplemented steal cut oatmeal because 1. I can't figure out how to cook them properly and 2. I didn't have any bread crumbs. What I found is the oatmeal makes it more dense and fills you up so you do not need a huge portion to be satisfied. 


Dawn's Hefty Meatloaf


1 lb of Lean Ground Turkey* 
1 Packet of Lipton Onion Soup Mix
1/2 cup of Instant Steel Cut Oatmeal


Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 40 minutes or until it reaches 190 degrees. Yields 6 servings at 3 points plus each.


*Always check because some ground turkey is not 100% white meat and will cost you more points. I use Jennie-O because I know they use 100% white meat.

Here's to 2 Years!

For those of you who have been following my journey...it began two years ago today (1/24/09). It is amazing what I have accomplished, conquered and learned over the last two years. If you would have told me several years ago that I would lose 80 lbs and be an inspiration to others to do the same, I would have laughed and said surely not me. However, I could have not done it without my faith in the Lord and the love and support of the people around me. They all believed in me even when I did not believe in myself. The Lord gave me strength when I really wanted to give in to temptation.

Losing weight has been an overall positive experience in my life and it has helped me to find the person whom God always wanted me to be. I was reminded of this on Sunday when my pastor said that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. It was that exact statement that I heard in health class shortly after I started classes at Trinity. It got me thinking...if my body is a temple and I am mistreating it...how am I suppose to do the work that God has called me to do?

I would love to say that this was an easy journey...but it wasn't. Yes, the first few months I dropped weight every week and to some it may have looked easy. But I worked hard and I had to discipline myself and my eating habits. I had to say no even when I really wanted to say yes. I still struggle with saying no and I know I always will.

After losing my job back in August it brought new challenges to my life. I gained 13 lbs but I refuse to allow myself to gain anymore. I did not keep any "fat" clothes and there is no way I am buying new ones. This new challenges comes from being home every day and not being limited to only a certain amount of food. It has been a learning curve for me but I am back on track and I am faithful that I will be at my goal of 155 lbs by May. I know I can do it because I have all of you behind me! :)

Again, thank you for your love and support!!! I could not have gone this far without you!

This was the last photo of "Fat Dawn". It was taken two weeks before I joined Weight Watchers.

My Gifts from God

My kids have been one of the biggest cheerleaders in my weight loss and I give my success to the Lord. Today I give glory to them and my heavenly father. God has given me the strength to overcome a lot of obstacles in my life. He has been the rock in my life over the last few months, that have been a little more challenging that usual. I really felt God's blessing through both of my children this weekend.

Saturday, Hunter and Maddie started their first bowling league. Hunter was placed on a team with not one but two people with developmental disabilities. One of the girls is 27 and her mom refers to her as a 27 year old trapped in a 10 year old's body. Since the Hunter and Maddie were small, I have always told them that God makes everyone different. I was proud of Hunter who did not even think twice that both of these people were much different than him. He even helped this young women with her ball when she was struggling to lift it out of the ball return. I felt like a very proud parent.


Today, I was equally blessed as we exited 55 on the way to my parent's house. It is not unusual to sight to see a homeless person out on the corner. Today, was no exception. There was a man standing there holding the sign that he was homeless and hungry. I usually give them a dollar or hand them some sort of food in my car but I had nothing. I know what most of you are thinking "He is just going to go out and buy drug or booze." or "He probably has money and he is just pretending to be homeless." However, it is not our place to judge. God knows our intention when giving generously to others and what the person does with the money is their issue with God. At the moment when I am feeling bad I have nothing to give this poor man, Maddie pipes up because she read his sign and says "Aw, that man is homeless. God bless Him!" I did not feel bad anymore because it became a moment when we could pray God's blessing over this man.

There are times when I wonder if my kids are absorbing anything from AWANA's and Sunday School. Or if my Christian values are rubbing off on them. Well...I think God answered that question. I have two pretty awesome kids...who sometimes have off days. :)

A Year in Review

Wow, 2010 where did you go? Occasionally, I like to interrupt my diet blog for just some general thoughts...this is one of them.

Looking at the year in review it started off not that bad but I guess everything was saved up for the end. The highlight of the year came in July, when my husband and I renewed our wedding vows. It was a great celebration with friends and family.

In August, I lost my job shortly after my three year anniversary. That was a challenge in itself. However, God has been good and always provides for us when we need it most. He knows our needs and always meets them for us. I am still actively seeking work and I have a few things in the works. I have a feeling this is going to be one of those things that falls on God's time and not my own.

The end of the year brought challenging issues. Again, God has been good to me. He has shown me who my real friends are and they have been a great sense of support for me over the last few weeks. These friends have lifted me up in prayer when I have felt like I could not go on any further. It really brought true meaning of Moses in the book of Exodus. If by chance any of you are reading this...I just want to say I love each and every one of you with all of my heart and you mean the world to me. Thank you so much for being there for me and just listening.

My wish for the new year is that relationships that need to be mended will find healing and the Lord. That I will continue to grow spiritually and remain focus in my studies. Lastly, that I will make WW lifetime sooner, than later. The word that I am going to focus on this year is humble. (I heard this on Klove this morning and though what an awesome idea.)

Happy New Year my friends!!!

Supersize Me Part 1 - Uric Acid

One of the interested facts I took away from the movie Supersize Me, was that after two weeks on the fast food diet the doctor's warned him about his uric acid levels. I decided to take a look at the long term effects.

First, high uric acid level (hyperuricemia) is an excessive concentration of uric acid in your blood. Uric acid is waste produced during the breakdown of purine, a substance found in many foods. Uric acid normally is carried in your blood, passes through your kidneys and is eliminated in urine. A high uric acid level may not cause problems. However, some people develop gout, kidney stones or kidney failure due to high uric acid levels. A high uric acid level may appear prior to the development of high blood pressure, heart disease or chronic kidney disease. OUCH! However, it's often unclear whether a high uric acid level is a direct cause or merely an early warning sign of these conditions.

The number one cause of high uric acid levels....Obesity! Obesity increases the likelihood of developing gout. It is a known fact that food is fuel for our bodies but many of us (including myself) use food for pleasure and comfort. However, when we over indulge in high caloric items such as fast food and sweets, are bodies are unable to process it correctly. God did not develop our bodies to consume massive amounts of fast food and processed foods. We have become a society of quick and easy...therefore fast food sells. High uric acid levels is just one of the bodies warning signs that our bodies are crying out for help.