Let the journey begin

I wanted to find a fun way to keep everyone up to date on my progress with my weight loss journey, so I spent all day making up a monthly newsletter to send to each of you. When I got it all done, I realized I couldn't figure out how to send it to you all so everyone could view it the correct way, so I decided the easiest way to do it was to start a blog, so here goes.

Firstly I want to thank each and every one of you who are supporting me on this journey. All of your kind words and encouragement have meant so much to me. I truly could not do this alone. Please continue to check in with me as often as you would like. There have definitely been some tough times so far and all it takes is thinking about each of you who are watching me and I am able to find some strength within to keep going.

I have learned so much in the past month about myself and what it takes to be successful. I am keeping a daily journal where I write my feelings, frustrations, goals, successes, and so many other things. I would like to share with you my successes from this first month on my journey.

*Lost 30lbs

*Lost 14.5 inches

*Quit drinking soda

*Have not had a single treat, even all through Christmas.

*Have raised enough money to feed 6 children for an entire year.

*Signed up to run my first 5K on May 19^th

Looking over this list, I can’t believe I have accomplished all of this in one month. I am really doing this and I can’t wait to reach my goal, but I am also excited for all the learning and discovery I will do along the way to greatness.

Along with a monthly update, I also want to send out challenges, inspiration, and recipes.

As I said, I am learning so many amazing things about health and wellness and if I can pass a little bit of that on to you guys, that would make me feel even more successful. So my goal to everyone this month is to drink more water, and if you are a soda drinker, stop or at least cut back. Researchers say, “The relationship between soft drink consumption and body weight is so strong that researchers calculate that for each additional soda consumed, the risk of obesity increases 1.6 times." So please try harder to get your water in each day, your body will thank you!! And if I can can quite drinking soda cold turkey then anyone can!

So far I have made a new recipe every time I have cooked, and am actually starting to like cooking again. There are so many good healthy recipes out there and I have really had fun trying new things. This months recipe is cauliflower crust pizza. I shared it with everyone from my group and got nothing but rave reviews back on it, even from the kids.

Cauliflower Crust Pizza

1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (I used less than this 1/2 to 2/3 cup)

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp crushed garlic

1/2 tsp garlic salt

olive oil (optional)

pizza sauce, shredded cheese and your choice of toppings*

Directions:

To "Rice" the Cauliflower:

Take 1 large head of fresh cauliflower, remove stems and leaves, and chop the florets into chunks. Add to food processor and pulse until it looks like grain. Do not over-do pulse or you will puree it. (If you don't have a food processor, you can grate the whole head with a cheese grater). Place the riced cauliflower into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 8 minutes. There is no need to add water, as the natural moisture in the cauliflower is enough to cook itself.

One large head should produce approximately 3 cups of riced cauliflower. The remainder can be used to make additional pizza crusts immediately, or can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.

To Make the Pizza Crust:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup cauliflower, egg and mozzarella. Add oregano, crushed garlic and garlic salt, stir. Transfer to the cookie sheet, and using your hands, pat out into a 9" round. Optional: Brush olive oil over top of mixture to help with browning.

Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.

Remove from oven. To the crust, add sauce, toppings and cheese. Place under a broiler at high heat just until cheese is melted (approximately 3-4 minutes).

Enjoy!

*Note that toppings need to be precooked since you are only broiling for a few minutes.

And finally, I will leave you with some inspiration.

A goal is only a wish, a goal this is written is still a wish, but a goal that is written and then acted upon is a measure of success.