how i lost 50 pounds

July 2014 and December 2015 Earlier this week, I told you about my incredible 50-pound weight loss in the last year. Because so many people have asked me (and my mom, who has lost 30 pounds in the last nine months) how I did it, I thought I'd just post here. I took the basics of Trim Healthy Mama and adapted them to fit me--so what I've done isn't...

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one year later...

I began following the Trim Healthy Mama diet one year ago, in large part due to the picture below. (I'm on the far left in the 2nd row.) Photo from the 2014 Nebraska Christian Christmas card But before we get to that, let's go back to the beginning. I've had a weight problem nearly all of my life. I don't know for sure when it started, but I do...

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california through photos

Late Monday night, I got home from a weekend trip with my parents to visit my uncle (my mom's brother). He has had some health issues, and I hadn't seen him since his last trip to Nebraska over Christmas 2013, so it was great to see him again! Here's a glimpse at our trip through photos ... Friday We left around 9:30 on Friday morning. Fortunately,...

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eating for health? it's not all sunshine and rainbows

I started AIP a month and a half ago. In the first month, I saw an incredible change for the better in how I felt, and I really didn't feel deprived. I told one of my friends that the hardest part of AIP was not what I could and could not eat, but the loss of the social aspect of food. Going out to eat was not an option, which meant I couldn't go...

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recipe: molasses cookies (aip)

In my last Friday Favorites, I told you I was adapting a recipe to make molasses cookies. I think I have it just about perfected! These cookies are AIP compliant, which also makes them gluten-, egg-, nut- and dairy-free. (So my egg and dairy allergic brother-in-law could eat these!) Basically, they're so good that I have to pop the extras in the...

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five friday favorites #19: week of oct. 9, 2015 (aip edition)

This week's Friday Favorites is going to look a little different than usual--I have a theme: AIP. Just before Labor Day, I talked about how I was going to embark on the AIP (Autoimmune Protocol) diet in an effort to feel better. Today marks my 30th AIP day. In these 30 days, I've had only one truly bad "thyroidy" day (more on that later). I'm still...

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five friday favorites #18: week of sept. 25, 2015

Four months. That's how long it's been since I've done a Friday Favorites! But I'm back, people, and I hope to not take so long of a break again. So let's dive into the things that are making me happy this week... 1. Chuck I swear to you, I am half in love with Chuck Bartowski. Or Zachary Levi. Or a combination of the two. Whatever. When my sister...

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let's get real for a minute

You may have recently seen me posting about Jen Hatmaker's new book For the Love. (I say that tongue in cheek, as if you're my Facebook friend, you know For the Love and Jen are just about all I've been posting about recently!) I posted my review a couple weeks ago, and I'd love it if you'd go check it out. If you've been following me...

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happy birthday to me!

Yesterday was my birthday, and it was an exceptionally good day. Here's a look back through pictures: I arrived at work to find this on my desk, courtesy of my mom: Dark chocolate always makes me happy, as does my Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice tea! Then I got a text from my sister-in-law, who wished me a happy birthday filled with Vietnamese...

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tobymac's new album "this is not a test" is here!

I don't usually talk much about my reviews on this blog--that was the whole point of having two blogs: one for reviews, one for life stuff. But you guys. I just reviewed TobyMac's new album ... and dcTalk appears on one track! Take a moment to let that sink in. dcTalk!!!!! Seeing dcTalk in concert is one of my as-yet unfulfilled dreams (see my...

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35 before 35: #12

#12: Release 35 pounds One year ago and today. When I stepped on the scale this morning, I saw a beautiful number: 169.0. That makes 35 pounds down since I started following Trim Healthy Mama and 37 pounds total. I am more than halfway to my goal of 140, but honestly, whether I get there or not isn't so important to me. What is important to me is...

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