2015 Goals and a Recipe for Mustard and Molasses Chicken

All recipes will now be published on Instagram. Check out our Mustard and Molasses Grilled Chicken there.  We always make extra and save it to cut up and put on top of a salad the next day, it’s a nice, juicy dish.

I made two goals in 2014 that were public.  The first was to reach the rank of Triple Diamond this year.  I was able to achieve that goal on November 30th.  The second was to hit a certain income level with It Works.  We won’t know if I made that goal until January, so I will not-so-patiently wait.  Currently, I think I’m going to fall just shy of that goal, but the month isn’t over yet.  😀

My goals for 2015 are to pay off 1/3 of our remaining mortgage principle (with the long-term goal of having our mortgage completely paid off by my 40th birthday) and to lose 40 pounds.

Of those three, the weight loss scares me the most.  I’ve been through higher carb, lower carb, allergen-free, paleo, primal, just plain real food, and so far the scales just aren’t budging.  I’ve put together a plan going forward to see if I can get the scales moving, even if it’s slowly.

• Drink half my body weight in ounces of fluid a day.  I am fully aware that many people don’t like the ‘arbitrary’ guideline and encourage you to just drink to thirst, but the problem is that I never find myself thirsty.  I find when I do stick to this guideline, I feel much better. I’m not as prone to headaches or fatigue.  I try to drink 16 ounces as soon as I get up, and sip on water regularly throughout the day in order to get it down.  It really does make a big difference for me.  I will be including red raspberry leaf and nettle tea, bone broth and hot teas as part of my fluid intake.
• Daily ACV drink, morning and evening.
• Avoid white sugar and high starch foods.  It just isn’t worth the blood sugar swings that make me feel awful.  They put me to sleep.
• Be in bed every night by 10pm.  I have discovered an amazing thing.  If I’m in bed by 10, I don’t have bags under my eyes the next day.  If I go to bed at midnight or 1am, even if I sleep 8 or more hours, I get bags under my eyes.  Beauty sleep it is.
• Exercise at least 30 minutes a day.  This one is difficult since my knee is giving me trouble.  I’m starting out slow and building up, but I’ve got to get moving to help get the weight loss going.  I feel this is one of the big keys to why I’m not losing, because I sit at the computer most of the day.
• Targeted supplements.  We have known for a while I don’t produce enough Growth Hormone, and I’m using a supplement called New You to help stimulate more.  I’m also taking some other supplements, like vitex tincture and other hormone balancing herbs, a multivitamin, and Hair Skin and Nails.  The Hair Skin and Nails helped me fill in my bald spot earlier this year, I’m starting back on it to see if it can thicken my hair.
• Not eating after 8pm.  This is my downfall, especially if I’ve had to scrimp on a meal or skip one during the day.  If I haven’t gotten enough calories during the day, I wind up over-eating at night, then I’m not hungry the next morning and it becomes a vicious cycle that isn’t good for me.
• Never miss breakfast.  And eat protein at breakfast.  Both are very important for me to be clear-headed, on point, and awake through the day.
• Hormonal testing and adjustment to my diet, lifestyle and exercise plan as needed.

I’ve set up a facebook group for my It Works clients who would like to join me in losing weight.  If you’d like to join in, you can do so here.  We will be focused on diet, exercise and carefully choosing supplements to aid you in meeting your own weight loss needs.

Paying off our mortgage early is also a big goal because we want to be able to sell the house, get an RV and go on the road for a year or more before the kids are high school age.  Paying off the house before I’m 40 is a big part of that goal, so we will have the funds needed to travel the US. We want to take them to all of the national parks and let them see the country and do some living history and hands-on science before they leave home.  That is why I have chosen the goal of Ambassador Diamond.  Currently, I’m a Triple Diamond and my husband is a Double Diamond.

Recently, several people have said they thought my biggest goal was Ambassador, and I laughed and told them the weight loss was far scarier to me.  The reasons for that are simple. The weight loss depends, on part, on hormones, which is a factor that is only partially under my control.  Previous weight loss attempts haven’t been successful and that has left me frustrated as it’s not as simple as calories in, calories out when you’re dealing with hormones and other health issues.  There is SO much more at play.  I seem to get down to a certain point and it won’t go any farther no matter what I do.  We’ve got to figure out why and get that turned around.

Whereas,  I know that with hard work, focus and dedication, I can reach Ambassador Diamond.  Even if it isn’t when I’d like to see it happen, I know it’s just a matter of time.  It’s not an ‘if,’ it’s never an ‘if.’  It’s a ‘when.’  It might not be on the timetable I’d like to see it happen on, but I know it can still happen so long as I remain dedicated and focused.

We are currently remodeling the house so Jeff has his own office, as will I.  We’re also adding a bedroom and bathroom.  All thanks to having basement space that can be remodeled from wasted space into something usable.  As we go through that process, I will share the pictures with you.  Having my own office will help me with being able to have the dedicated space to be focused.

Next time, I’ll share with you how to set goals and lay them out in attainable bites. I’ll also soon be sharing with you an upcoming trip to Disney- our familt Christmas gift for this year. In the meantime, if you’d like to keep up with me, follow me on Instagram.