Wedding Pictures :)

Buying Real Food On A CALFRESH Budget

I read a lot of blogs about being able to eat real foods on a budget. I also hear so many people say that they cannot afford to eat healthy foods because it is so much more expensive. Well I am here to say that it is totally possible, granted its just 2 of us. Our Budget is $320 a month in case you were wondering.  I was able to get local, grass fed pasture raised meat, including cuts like Chateaubriand and Rib Eye. 4 Pounds of the chateau, 1.59 pounds of the Rib Eye, 1 pound of Sirloin  1 pound of Carne Asada, 4 Pounds of Ground Round (96%), 2 pounds  Beef Marrow Bones, 1 lb Beef Livers, 4 pounds of Chicken Breast, 1 whole Chicken, 1.50 pounds of Bacon and 30 Eggs. All for $141 and this will last us a month or more. We also were able to get a half gallon of raw milk, 2 pounds of raw milk cheese, 4 pounds Cream top Yogurt, Sour Cream and 5 pounds of Cultured Grass fed Pasture raised butter for $48. Our Fats/Pantry items included Organic Extra virgin cold pressed Coconut oil 2 pounds, 2 pounds of  organic freshly ground peanut butter, 1 lb of local raw honey, 3 pounds of Organic brown rice, 1 lb of Corn Masa, 3 pounds organic Black Beans as well as 2 loaves of Sprouted Grain bread for $42. We got 2 huge Avocado's, 4 onions and a bunch of beats for $5. And frozen organic Fruits and Veggies for $25 and we still have money left over for fresh local organic produce throughout the weeks.
   Let me just say that since eating these whole foods me and hubby feel so much better, no more fatigue when we get up, or during the day. Less Digestive upsets as well as no more headaches and muscle aches. My skin is so clear and my pores are smaller, no more breakouts!! He has lost 8 pounds and I've lost 10!!! It is amazing what eating real food does to a person physically and mentally.

I'm Baaaccckkkk yet again....

Wow it has been forever since I sat down to blog. A lot has happened, some good, some bad and some meh. Still struggling with my weight and mental illness, sometimes I really feel they go hand in hand. I got married On October 10th of 2012 in Vegas to the person I have been with since 2005. It wasn't the ideal wedding, but it was the best I could do with what I was given. It was very stressful and due to family that is so controlling up until the day we left Vegas I couldn't relax and was stressed to the max. I don't even think I remember most of it. There was no honeymoon or anything like that, we poor and I guess I am lucky that I even got what I did. (btw, there was no formal engagement  it was kinda like me saying hey, lets get married in Vegas while were there.) We visited my in laws for 3 days which was kinda the whole reason to the Vegas trip anyways. They were really cool people and I enjoyed my stay (first time meeting them was at the wedding). We even adopted a 10 month old puppy from my MIL's Dog Rescue and things were good.
The puppy wasn't doing to well and would limp allot and had a bladder infection. After taking her into the vet we got devastating news that she had something my vet had never seen before. Needless to say it was all just more stress and worry and uncertainty all piled up on me.  We found out our puppy has Valley Fever (its a fungal infection that she will have for life.) will have to be on meds forever and could have a ton of complications  including a seizure.  Once again no support at home, and comments about getting a Lemon Dog, forced us to make a rash decision to move to Arizona to get our puppy the best medical care and for me to have more support. Hubby had a job set up and we were to stay with my in laws until we got on out feet.  WORST MISTAKE EVER!!!! Had I known I was going to be in a situation that I had to eat and live by other peoples rules as if I was a 5 year old, I would have certainally passed.  I thought I'd finally had a chance to get out of the toxic environment I was in, and I thought it would change my life. I was so wrong and it pains me that I was far better off staying at home with my parents then leaving. I lost all the money I had saved up, my self respect, my freedom and myself in the process. The grass is not always greener on the other side!  I've since picked myself up and decided that whatever is thrown at me, I'm going to stand up and push past it, no matter how many times life pushes me down. Hell I have been through enough and if I got through all that then I can get through anything. Had I known I was going to be in a situation that I had to eat and live by other peoples rules as if I was a 5 year old, I would have certainally passed. In the process of all this and shitty eating while living with In laws and the stress of being away from home for the first time, with people I didn't get along with, and my so called Husband not supporting or standing be me, I gained 40 pounds :( We moved back to Sacramento in February and it took a huge toll on me, I am still not happy about any of it but I make the best of it.
     Still not working, and my mental health pushed pasted its limits I'm still bored all the time. Not to mention that hubby is at home 24/7 and is having trouble looking for a job. My life really stinks right now and I'm still semi broken. I make the best of it all and I wake up every day and hope for something new and exciting. I guess I really shouldn't have any expectations because I am always let down. No Money, no car, no friends and barely hanging on to my marriage is taking a bigger toll on me in the long run.  So to keep myself busy I have been doing a lot of online surfing. Iv'e seen the movie Food Inc, that was what prompted the change in me so many years ago. There is a lot of information out there, and while I have not really ever jumped on the diet craze train I have tried different things. It seems that I came across some potent information that led me to read and research as much as I can. After watching the movie/documentary "Hungry For Change" I started to question and wonder if the way I have been eating and trying to balance it all out has been all wrong. I stumbled across the  Weston A Price Foundation Website. Wow there is so much logic and proof into his work it really makes you step back and think.  Everything that we have been led to believe about Healthy Eating has been wrong?
      If you have been following me for a while then you know that I have been trying to lose this weight once and for all. Sure I lost 150 pounds, put about 20-40 back on but maintained that for a few years now. I started out by cutting out fast food, and limiting my soda consumption.  Then I started to eat low fat and fat free dairy products in moderation as well as only using Canola and Olive oil to cook with. I tried to cut out as much processed food as I could, considering my living situation and the support I get at home in this environment. Sure it was really hard and I had to mostly give in because there simply was no support or respect for what I wanted. Lately I have been putting my foot down and doing what I want to do and trying to keep myself healthy. It has not been easy, and it's been expensive and a learning experience and I still have so much more to learn.
   It has been 2 weeks, and I feel Amazing!!Iv'e lost 2 pounds and hubby lost 7... Who would have thought that eating Butter, Ghee, Lard, Tallow,Coconut Oil, Pasture raised grass fed red meats, lots and lots of  pasture raised organic eggs, Pasture raised, grass fed WHOLE Dairy products Including Raw Milk and Raw Cheese, Soaked Grains, Homemade tortillas and lots of other homemade from scratch stuff Whole Foods was the answer?
It is a Traditional Diet that so many cultures from our past lived by and were SO much more Healthy then we are in this day and age.  Now this has not been easy at all even though we were not eating processed foods to begin with. Hard to change 30+ years of what you thought was the "healthy" way to eat.
      Today was the first day of our Grocery shopping for the month of our new way of eating. I have read so much about not being able to eat healthy on a very tight budget and that having a weekly budget of $125 for a family of 4 is hard.  Well so far I have been able to get my staples, the most important parts of my diet and a few extras that should last at least 2-4 weeks with also incorporating what I already have for $169!! It is totally doable, and there may be a few things I don't buy in the future that could bring that total down way more.
  I know this blog is full of so much jumbled crap, I just had to write this all out and share. I'm rusty so bear with me please. I hope to start blogging again. I have 2 to keep up with and I may just incorporate them together. One is on weight loss and the other was how to save money shopping and using coupons.  

Today was WI day :)

Weigh in today and I am back down to 172! I felt really good this morning and had my cereal and coffee. Had errands to run and took care of business, walked to pick up my RX and visited the Cost Plus World Market. I burned 999 Calories from walking to and from and shopping for 3 hours :) I still have no Idea how I am going to be able to keep eating enough to sustain how much I workout. But hey it is worth it as my confidence is up, I am feeling more healthy and happy with things and they seem to go much better lately. Been slowly planning a huge shopping trip as we have not gone monthly shopping since Nov of 2011. It will take a few trips to several stores to stock up on things and get some healthy and local foods. I am looking forward to the Farmer's Market when it comes soon this will make me a happy camper. Good night all and hope you have a Great Weekend!!!

Love those Light bulb moments...

Wow I really need to stop sometimes and realize that the small things I have no control over don't really matter. Do this and it may make my life more fulfilling and help me feel better about myself.

I am sitting here on this cold morning with my clean breakfast and a cup of coffee :). Remembering why I feel in love with real whole food (because it loves me back). With the eating more calories I have felt better, mentally and Psychically and with the continued working out at the gym I can see my body changing as well. Since I got the weight off and been on birth control my periods are like clock work and I can now attribute the 2 weeks before I start when I am moody and depressed and eat everything in site to hormones. I guess that everyone is different because I always thought it was the week before you started that you get the weird PMS crap.

So I am feeling a ton better about life and my place in it. I am so glad that I now have the help I need for my mental health and the support of my love Anthony. I have the tools to help me with my weight loss and to live and be healthy and active. Starting my business also helped me feel like I was contributing to society for once in my life. After having my Interview at Macy's I never thought i would ever put myself out there. I have learned that life isn't worth living if you let fear take the wheel and steer. Now if I could just really let go of all of the past, and stop thinking that everyone sees me the way I feel about myself then maybe it would make things easier. I am working on these things yet finding it hard with social media and blogging. It is that whole approval thing and feeling like the things I have to say are important and no one ever seems to pay much attention. Then the other part of me, goes back to read and most of my posts are all the same thing over and over again. My life can be really boring but I don't know what it would be like without things like Facebook to stay connected with those that do care and my blog. I noticed I lost 3 or 4 followers and I'm not going to lie it bothered me but I realized that it doesn't matter and that maybe its because I feel I suck with words and so I hardly comment on other's blogs or participate in things on here. There goes my brain working overtime, over thinking and over analyzing everything LOL.

Trying not to be Discouraged :(

I started eating more yesterday so we shall see what the results are coming up on Friday. I have not felt well today since going to the gym shortly after eating a big, filling lunch. I know better now that I really have to let my food settle at least an hour and 10 minutes if not a little more. I am exhausted right now but have been going and going all day. Just clipped my coupons from the last 2 inserts and the ones that came in the mail today. I'm not doing as well as I had expected on the business front but I am optimistic and it is really the first week so we shall see. I'm scared that I will put more money into it then I get out. With having to buy supplies, samples and brochures if I don't have any customers (I have 2 family members who made an order to help me with my first campaign) and it is a start but by now I should have at least gotten some response. I'm really starting to wonder how one has so many friends on Facebook and so many Followers on Blogger but only seem to have 1 or 2 comments when trying to network. I mean as for facebook most of my friends are people I know and have personally met and its like I was not even acknowledged and it kinda hurts more then anything but sucks the same... I hate having doubts and worrying so much about things I have no control over but that is the story of my life and when things start going good for me some way or another it gets shot down. I continue to be positive tho and take it one day at a time, but still the BPD me is always over analyzing and having anxiety over it all... Have another full day ahead of me so I think its time to call it a night!!

Started a Buisness On Saturday

Totally off topic but I figured that networking and getting the word out there would help...

I started selling Avon again, so I thought I would let my everyone know that way if they wanted to help support my new business that would be cool. If you need anything or know anyone that needs an Avon Rep send them my way!!

www.youravon.com/rebeccafreeman

If you are not Local (Sacramento) They have Shipping and its is free for orders that are $30 or more and all you have to do is go to my website and order your Avon!

Thanks I could really use the support, so if you don't use Avon or already have a Rep, and may know someone who needs one the referral would be greatly appreciated!!!

How is it they say you need to eat more to lose weight?

So I am still having a hard time grasping the eating more to lose weight concept. My RMR is 1452 and the site I use to log my foods and exercise give me a deficit of 969 Calories and I have gained weight. Now I would think that as long as I am eating 1500 calories a day that I would be losing the weight, but I keep getting told that I am not eating enough, as I am given about 2300 calories to eat when I work out. I'm at 175.5 so I am still doing ok but 2 weeks ago I was at 173 and maybe I put on a lot of wright on my off week when I was sick and eating so much and have lost some of that weight. I have been at this thing for 4 years now, one would think that I would get it by now but I still don't. Sure I lost a ton of weight and learned how to eat good and somewhat balance my lifestyle using Nutrimiror but my #'s on the site have always been all over the place and never accurate. Ah well just thought I would throw this out there, not really much going on in my little world right now. Walked today since the Gym was closed so I burned some calories and did my thing to keep active!

Had a down week :(

I was not feeling well last week, despite my efforts to keep the parents germs from spreading to me and the SO. I was also going through a bout of depression, but I was more sad and eating way to much food then feeling worthless or sleeping too much. Very weird for me as I usually want to sleep all day and just not want to do much else. I finally got in to see someone at Mental health and I have apt with a Psychiatrist as well as my Councilor next month. Went to the gym today and it felt good as I pushed myself a lil harder then I normally do as I was feeling guilty for skipping out on it for 7 days. My body is feeling it tho its a good thing and I felt amazing afterwards. Got my new glasses today and my eyes are having a hard time getting used to them and I can feel the strain. I hate the strain/tension headaches I get behind my eyes they suck and can sometimes feel as bad as a migraine. Well its off to do a few more things before getting into a magazine and going to bed.

unproductive weekend

This weekend was not very productive at all. I am feeling very under the weather and it is bringing the bitch out in me. I am seriously mad about everything and at everyone lol. On the brighter side went to the gym everyday this week except Friday because it is closed. Instead we walked up to the Walmart and got our eyes checked and new Glasses! Shopped a bit and then walked home and in 3.5 hrs I Burned 1065 calories!!! But that does not make it right that I did squat this weekend except run errands on Saturday and we had movie night with snacks. But didn't do a damn thing today but eat and plop my ass in front of my PC and Play WOW... Very productive if you ask me LOL!! See my sarcasm there... yeah I know I suck at it. OK well Just wanted to put a Lil update out there. Not feeling well and so ready to go to bed, and the drugs are kicking in!