It's been a long time friends!!

Hi there everyone!!! I realize it's been quite a while since my last post! So much has happened since my last blog! I went on a Hawaiian adventure with my family for 2 weeks, I've started doing more with photography and the most exciting thing of all is my weight loss progress! I think that I was still in the 200lb range when I last updated you! Well as of this morning I weigh 181lbs!!!!!!!!!! Making a total of 89lbs lost since the beginning of my whole journey! I never imagined being where I am today! I have so many people to thank for standing by me while I fight this fight! It's so hard to keep going but when you see results it makes things easier! If you are struggling, just know that YOU CAN DO IT! Seriously, I never EVER thought I'd be where I am.. I couldn't even vision myself smaller but I see it now and realize it really can happen if you try hard enough! It's ok to have days where you mess up, just pick yourself back up the next day! Keep Fighting! Keep moving forward and KEEP BEING A BIG LOSER! I want to share a photo with you that shows my progression! I'm going to try and start posting blogs again! It actually was a big help with keeping me on track! I want to lose 40 more pounds! As long as I have the amazing people that surround me and support me, I can do ANYTHING! Love you all!

Exciting News!!

Hey! Sorry I haven't written anything on here in forever!!! You know how life is! It's been crazy busy in the life of C-Sulli!! Anyway I have some exciting news! I went shopping today for a new dress... I hate dress shopping so much! I've never had a good dress shopping experience.. Usually nothing ever fits right and I always end up going to a crazy amount of places just to find a dress that I sorta like..! Well guess what!!!! I found a dress... Tried it on.... and it is a size 14!!!!! and I'm in LOVE with it!! I used to wear a size 22!!!!!!!!! WOOOO! I even got a pair of shoes to go with it!! 

Update!!

Sorry I have not written in a long while!!! I've been busy with life and such!! I have new recipes that I will post as soon as I can!! But for now I'd just like to inform you that my total weight loss so far is 20LBS DOWN!! I'm so excited to share this with you!!! Everyday is a challenge but that's what keeps it interesting!! I'd also like to share a few pictures with you! I have one from 3 years ago I believe... I was at a very unhealthy weight!! as you will see... I don't even look like myself!! I never want to go back to that!!!   

Me about 3 years ago!!

Me January 2012!

      Since this photo was taken I have lost 20 more pounds!! I'd like to eventually add an even more recent photo very soon!!! I'm very proud of myself and I cannot wait to make another comparison in the future!!! :)

LOVE OUR WORLD!! IT STARTS WITH ONE!!

 Hello there friends!! -OK- Today was a super nice day! I figured since Mother Nature blessed me with this wonderfully nice day, that I would do something nice in return!! When I was driving home I noticed so much garbage on the side of my road!! It made me so sick!! I just cannot believe that people can be so careless! This is the only Earth we have!! We all need to stop taking advantage of this place we call home!! If we all joined forces we could clean up our world!! I alone today filled FIVE trash bags FULL to the top and that only cleaned up HALF of my road!! You know what most of the garbage was?!?!?! Mc-FLIPPIN-Donalds bags and BEER!! C'MON PEOPLE!! I'm so furious about the things I found!! I just wish that people would realize that nature can't pick the trash up on its own!! WHY CAN'T PEOPLE JUST WAIT TO GET HOME TO THROW THEIR CRAP AWAY!! AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! It's really not hard!! It's Elementary.... NO.. its Flippin Pre-School!! I found this old plastic bucket with holes in it, and a Vine literally weaved itself through it!!

There is such an easy and simple solution to this madness!! Just stop being Mr. or Mrs Lazy Pants and be responsible!! It starts with 1 person!! 1 person really can make a difference!! So I ask you fellow Earth dwellers!! Lets Change the World!! Lets make it the best place it can be!! We are here to protect it! Lets create a new kind of Super Hero!! A Hero here to stop our world from becoming one giant landfill!! I will take on the role of Super Litter Picker Upper!! I hope you all will join me!!! LOVE OUR WORLD!! IT STARTS WITH ONE!!

Spring Rolls!!

 Hey there Pals!! I made some super fabulous Spring Rolls!! You will need....

• Green Onions
• Rice
• Red Pepper
• Boca Vegan Burger
• Spring Roll Skins
• Teriyaki Sauce

First I fried my rice in some Olive Oil until they were golden brown! I used about 2 cups of rice! I added water to the pan and let the rice simmer until it was nice and fluffy! While the rice was cooking I fried the Onions, Red Pepper and Vegan Burger together until the Veggies were tender! 

 After the Veggies were done I added the rice and Teriyaki Sauce! Now its time to make your delightful Spring Rolls!! 

 First you have to soak the Spring Roll Skin in warm water for about 15 seconds!! No Longer!! they get really Fragile! Then on a clean surface you can start creating these Rolls of Wonder!

 Lay out your Spring Roll and place a spoonful of you rice mixture to the center!!

 To roll, fold the bottom half over the rice then fold in the sides! Finish rolling them all the way up and you've got yourself a fancy Spring Roll!!

 After you get them all rolled up, its time to cook these bad boys!! Place them in a pan far away from one another! They will stick together and cause holes in the Skin!! Not Good!! I fried mine in a mixture of Coconut oil and Canola Oil!!

Allow them to cool a little bit before you eat!! They are very hot!! These things are amazing!! The cool thing about them is you can make a ton of them and freeze some!! Its great for a real quick meal!!

Chili!!!!

Hey everyone!! I made a pretty fabulous Chili!! I went to the store and bought a variety of beans! Make sure you read each label and see that the contents are! I don't like all the liquid from the beans in my chili so I always rinse them off before I add them to the pot!!! I combined about 4 different kinds of beans with Veggie Broth, 2 cans of Fire Roasted Tomato's and some spices! (Salt, Pepper, Cocoa Powder, Cinnamon, Garlic, Chili Powder, and Cayenne Pepper oh and I also added some brown sugar for a little sweetness!) While that was on a low simmer, I fried some Red Peppers, Onion and a Vegan Burger together in Coconut oil! after the veggies were tender I added them to the pot of wonderfulness! I let it cook for over an hour so the flavors could blend together! It really was amazing!! It made alot!! So if you wanted you could totally freeze some!!!

Boca Vegan Burger!!

Heyyyy Gals and Pals!! I've discovered a pretty fabulous Vegan Burger! This brand is called Boca! I LOVE it!! In the past I've had regular Hamburgers and never really liked them much so I was pretty excited to give these a try! AMAZING! I fried the Burger in a pan with some Coconut Oil until it was a little crispy! While it was cooking I sauteed Red Bell Peppers and Onions until they were tender in Olive Oil and Soy Sauce.  I toasted a piece of Sour Dough bread (my favorite!) and placed my peppers, onions and Vegan burger on it! It was FABULOUS!!

Pizza Time 2!!

Pizza time again!!! This pizza starts out with a flat Pita Bread, Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, Sun dried Tomato's, Spinach and Green Onions! It was super yummy!! My brother and best friend loved it too!! So its not just for Vegans!! I know you all will love it also!! Give it a try!

Falafel Pita Pocket!!

Hey there Pals!! I've fallen deeply in love with Falafel!! They are amazing by themselves or in a Pita Pocket!! All you do is cook the Falafel in a pan of Coconut Oil until crispy! I broke them up and stuffed them inside a Pita along with some Lettuce, Tomato, Onion and a Raspberry Dijon Mustard Sauce!! Yuuuummmmyy!

WEIGHT LOSS UPDATE!!!

HEY FRIENDS!! I have some Grand news!!!! So before I started my Vegan lifestyle I weighted 222lbs... I now weigh 204lbs!!!! I've lost 18lbs so far!!!! I already feel a difference in the way my cloths fit! Today since it is so nice out I wanted to pop on my swim suit and go outside, well guess what... IT DOESNT FIT ANYMORE!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Thank you all who have been reading my Blog and supporting me through this journey! You all mean the world to me and I couldnt do it without you all by my side!! THANK YOU! This isnt over yet, I have a long way to go, but with strength I will beat this!! Love you all!!!!!!!!!

Teriyaki Rice Noodles and Veggies!!

 Hey there friends!! I made a pretty swell dinner last night!! A friend of mine had some Chinese food at work the other day and I was super jealous! It looked fantastic! So I decided I needed and Oriental dish to make my tummy happy!! I started out with some rice noodles!! They are sooooo easy to make its unbelievable! You just soak them in a bowl of warm water for 20 minutes!! While the noodles were soaking, I fried some Mushrooms, 2 Red Bell Peppers, half an Onion, 1 can of Water Chestnuts and 1 can of Bamboo shoots in about 2 tablespoons of Coconut Oil until the veggies were tender! I then added the Rice Noodles, Alfalfa Sprouts and Garlic and Green Onion Teriyaki Sauce to the Veggies!! I let that cook for just a few minutes and then served it up to the whole family!! Everyone loved it!! It was super amazing!!

I was also super excited about eating with Chop Sticks!! They just make my heart smile!!

Acorn Squash!!

 Ok Dudes...Seriously..!! This is one of the most YUMMY dinners I've had!! I was at the Al's and saw this Acorn Squash.. It Look Amazing!! So I bought one!!! I cut it in half, filled each side with Brown Sugar, about a Tablespoon of Coconut Oil, and a hand full of Raisins!! Remember to cut part of the bottom off so the Squash stays level on the baking sheet! I preheated the oven to 350 and cooked these babies for over an hour until they were super soft!!

 Seriously Dudes... A-Maz-Ing!!! I'm in love!! Everything about this dinner just made me the happiest of all campers!! I seriously doubt that there is a happier person on this planet right now!!

Seriously..... O.M.G!!!

Granola Bars!!!

 Hey Pals!! I made a great morning treat that will for sure knock your socks off!! I love Granola Bars with all my heart!!! They are just so tasty! I mixed together: Whole Grain Quick Oats, All Natural Maple Syrup, Sunflower Seeds, All Natural Crunchy Peanut Butter, All natural Corn Syrup, Jumbo Raisins, Blueberry infused Craisins and Future Life Immune Boosting shake mix! My friend Andrea gave me the Future Life stuff and its amazing!!  After everything was mixed together I put the mixture, on a greased non stick baking sheet, in the oven at 350 for about 25 minutes until the edges were golden!! Let them completely cool down and then you can cut them up and munch away!!

Weight Loss Update!

As of today I lost another 2lbs! Making a total of 12lbs since my new Vegan Lifestyle! This has been a challenge but a really fun one! I really enjoy cooking and creating new things so this is right up my alley! I hope that who ever is keeping up with my posts finds inspiration! My weight has been the biggest barrier in my life! I know that when I beat this my life will flourish! This has been holding my back for so long! It's my time to shine!! A big THANKS goes out to everyone supporting me through this journey!

Pizza Time!

I'm a Pizza freak!! I love Pizza with all of my heart! So I wanted to try to create a Vegan Pizza that would make this Pizza gal's heart smile! First I needed a sauce! So in my blender I combined Sun dried Tomato's, Olive oil, Balsamic Vinegar, Fresh Basil, Almonds and some fresh Lime Juice! I will say that I wish I had a Food Processor, doing this in the blender took forever!!  

 The crust I made was Red Hill's Gluten free Pizza Crust mix.  It calls for Eggs... I just replaced the eggs with more Olive Oil and added Baking Powder.. I also added some Italian Seasoning! Bake the crust according to the instructions on the package!

 After the crust baked for about 9 minutes, I put a layer of my Pesto Sauce on very thin!! Basil is very strong! I then added a layer of Roasted Red Pepper Hummus! 

 I then fried an Onion, Red Bell Pepper and 1 clove of Garlic in Olive Oil until the Veggies were tender! I placed them on top of the Hummus layer! Then added a layer of Sliced Beets and Spinach! Popped it back in the oven for about 7 minutes, took it out and cut myself a slice!

I think next time I will try a Tomato Sauce or just the Hummus... I really did enjoy it though!! I think I will also put more Veggies on it! For my first Vegan Pizza it was a pretty good one!!

Vegan Pita Pockets!

 

So I saw this stuff at the store and was intrigued.. I don't typically like to intake processed foods.. but I thought that if maybe I had a crazy craving I could try this! The first thing I thought about was Chicken Caesar Pitas! 

 I fried the Veggie Chicken in Olive Oil until it was golden brown! While that was cooking, I tried to think of a way to make a Vegan Caesar Dressing.. I looked around the kitchen for some inspiration and then I spotted it... AVOCADO! I used 1/2 an Avocado, about a cup of Almond Milk, 1 small clove of Garlic, about 2 tablespoons of Balsamic Vinegar, Pinch of Oregano, Cayenne Pepper, Parsley and Rosemary, and 2 wedges of fresh Lemon Juice! I put all of the ingredients in the blender and blended it to a smooth consistency! It turned out GREAT!!

After my Veggie Chicken and Dressing were complete I put them in a bowl with a handful of Spinach, Carrots, and Tomato's! I only used a small portion of the dressing and I have alot left over for another day!! When everything is all mixed together, throw that fantastic stuff in an All Natural Pita Pocket and CHOW DOWN!! I was on cloud 9!! Like I said before though, I don't intend on eating this Faux Chicken often, just on occasion! I will say I enjoyed it! I was definitely nervous to try it but it was a pleasant experience! 

Almond Butter Banana Rice Cakes!

Snack time!!! After a long day at work I enjoy having a yummy snack that is healthy and delicious! Grab some Rice Cakes, All Natural Maple Almond Butter and a Banana and you are set!! The Almond Butter is FABULOUS!! Seriously, you will fall so deeply in love that your heart will be smiling from ventricle to ventricle!!!

Lentil Soup!!

Hey there friends! Tonight I made some yummy Lentil Soup that I think you all should know about! It's pretty fabulous! First I sauteed 1 cup of shredded carrots, 1 yellow and 1 orange bell pepper, 3 garlic cloves and 1 onion in 2 tablespoons of Coconut Oil! Cook the Veggies until they are nice and tender! Then I added one 32 oz container of 100% fat free natural Vegetable Broth and 1/2 cup of Vanilla Almond milk to the veggie mixture! Add 1 1/2 cups of lentils to the soup! I seasoned this magical soup with Cumin, Italian seasoning, Rosemary, Sea Salt, Red Pepper Flakes, and Cayenne Pepper! The soup has to cook for like 30 minutes or more to cook the Lentils! It's pretty amazing!

RAW Vegan Chocolate Decadence!

So I like everyone out there, have a major sweet tooth from time to time!! I was worried by living a Vegan lifestyle that I would have to give up my love for Chocolate! (teeheeet! not the case!) I found an amazing Recipe for RAW Vegan Chocolate Silk Decadence! You will need:

• 3 Avocados 
• 1 Cup of Pure Maple Syrup
• 1/2 Cup Cocoa
• 2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon 
• 1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt
• Up to 1 1/2 Cups of Water to thin.

 I placed all of the ingredients in the blender, except for all of the water! I only ended up using a little under a Cup! Blend on high speed until you reach a pudding texture!! This stuff is amazing! Seriously! I plan on putting some sliced Strawberries in it as well! You can also freeze your Chocolate Wonderfulness to make a Gelato!!

Remember to use Portion Control!! This fabulous Heaven like treat is healthier but is still packed with fats! (but they are good fats!!)

Veggie Taco Time!

Yumm!! Dinner time!! I made Veggie Tacos!! First I fried some brown rice in about 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil and boiled it until it was tender! While the Rice was cooking I sauteed Onions, Green Peppers, Garlic, Mushrooms and Black beans in Olive Oil until the Veggies were tender! To give it a Spanish flavor I added Cumin, Coriander Seed, Red Pepper flakes, Garlic, Chili powder and Italian Seasonings! Mix together the rice and veggies and put that fabulous stuff on a Lettuce Leaf!! Holy biscuits its amazing!!  I finished off  my plate with some All Natural Peanuts and a Banana!!

Start off your day right!!

I start my day with an all natural fruit smoothy every morning!! The great thing about these smoothies is that you can put whatever you want in them! This one for example, has an Apple, Pineapple, Kiwi, Strawberries, 1/2 of a Cucumber, All natural Cashew Butter, and 100% Fruit Juice! I know you probably raised an eyebrow at the cucumber part! Cucumbers add a really fresh flavor to your smoothy! Now if you don't have all of these ingredients, be creative!! I also really like to add Spinach or Carrots to my smoothies!! Another thing I add is Coconut Oil (organic and unrefined!) about 2 Tablespoons! Coconut Oil is good for many things! (I've even put the stuff in my hair when it feels dry!) I try to mix up the fruit so I don't get bored! Thursdays smoothy had a Blood Orange, Bananas, Frozen Mixed Berries and All Natural Peanut Butter! Its best to make them the night before! I have to be up super early every morning and I'm usually miss crabby face.... Miss Crabby Face morning Cindy does NOT want to blend together a smoothy at 5am! That and your smoothy will be nice and cold by morning so it's extra yummy!! Tonight my smoothy will consist of: an Apple, Spinach, Lemon Juice (from a fresh lemon!), Frozen Peaches, Carrots, Bananas,  All Natural Maple Almond Butter, and Coconut Oil!!

Introduction!

Hello friends! This is my first ever Blog! My friends Kelsey and Kelley suggested that I start this blog about my new lifestyle change and weight loss goals! I've struggled with my weight my whole life.  It's been a never ending battle for me, a goal that just always seemed so far out of reach! I've tried crazy diets, Weight Watchers, and vigorous exercises.. but nothing seemed to work for me.  I would always find myself going backwards! I finally reached a point in my life where enough was enough! I had a person very close to me say, "Look at you! How big are you going to let yourself get!" and those words stuck with me.. I was disgusted with myself.. I guess you could say, that was me hitting rock bottom and that was the statement I needed to get myself back into a healthy lifestyle! I started really trying to loss the weight when I turned 21 in May 2010.  I started to jog with my best friend Kelley Kasprzyk! She was a big help! My brother also got me into bike riding! since then I've been able to keep 60lbs off! But I'm not stopping there! Recently I have been slacking off with workouts and healthier food choices and started to gain some of my weight back! (EEEKK!! Not Good!) So I'm trying something new!! On Wednesday, February 22, I started an all Vegan lifestyle! Today is the 26th, I've lost 10lbs!! So for all of you out there that have the same struggles as I do, (or anyone really!!) this blog is for inspiration! I will be posting my diet plan with pictures of my meals and workouts that I enjoy! As hard as this is for me to post... I currently weigh 210lbs! With encouragement and support from others I WILL win this battle! It's time for progress!