{And.. we're back!}

Sorry folks! Things got a bit crazy there for awhile. I think it's a good kind of crazy though. We've been pretty busy with our little one AND now we have room mates living in the upstairs of our house. It's quite interesting, but a good experience. It's a family of three and they have a 4 month old son. It's nice to have another baby around. We're definitely not ready to tackle baby#2 yet!

I just started school and last night was my first day! It went really well. I am attending Southwest Institute of Natural Aesthetics in Tempe, AZ. There's 11 of us in the class including myself. I like that it's a small group. Our instructor for the first 16 weeks is wonderful! I love that she is very organized. She gave us a syllabus of everything we will be doing in the next 16 weeks. I should complete the program in June of 2011. My goal is to be the best of the best! I can't miss ANY days of class. I want to get perfect attendance.

Elora has three teeth coming in on the top. Her two top teeth and one on the right side. She has been doing very well with teething thus far. They were bothering her a lot last week while we were in San Diego, but overall she's doing great! That's my babe! I'm teaching her how to give kisses. She claps her hands and baby talks like crazy! She says "ma-ma" & "da-da". Sometimes when she cries she says "ma-ma" =)

We're going to try and post as much as possible during this hiatus. Getting ready for Elora's FIRST birthday in a few months! I can't believe how fast this year is going. Our 4 year anniversary is on June 27th and our two year wedding anniversary is on November 22nd. We don't have anything special planned, but we'll definitely celebrate =)

Until next time friends!

Angela

{First Mother's Day Celebration}

These past few days have been amazing! My parents came into town on Wednesday evening and just left this afternoon. It's my very 1st Mother's Day and I definitely take pride in that. It's a new Holiday added to my list to celebrate!

It felt so weird this morning when Brandon said "Happy Mother's Day Babe!" I loved it though. What an honor to become a new Mom. I have to thank my beautiful Daughter Elora for giving me the best gift of all, the title "Mom".

My Mom has never been pampered before. I have no idea why, she's just never been into getting her hair or nails done. She has never had a professional massage either! So for Mother's Day we took her to get a make-over from La Lou Salon in Scottsdale. I entered her into a make-over contest for Mother's Day and she was one of the three Moms chosen! She received highlights, a hair cut and make-up applied. She loved it! Something she could definitely get used to. We also got her a facial from my school, Southwest Institute of Natural Aesthetics It was so great because not only did she get her very first facial, but she also got to see my school in action.

Brandon gave me gift certificates from Spafinder.com for Mother's Day. I got an hour & a half massage and my hair done! Ah, I LOVE being pampered! I also got a pedicure as well =)

This was such an amazing first Mother's Day for me. I will never forget it!

{Week 1 on HCG Diet} Weigh-in

And the results are in!!! After one whole week on the HCG diet, Brandon and I have learned a lot already. We've learned more about portion control, discipline, and will power. I have to say, I feel GREAT! And it feels awesome to have your Husband say "Wow babe, I can definitely feel that you are losing weight everywhere" haha =) I can actually see it in my face.

So here it is:

Brandon: 227.0 lbs.

Angela: 197.4 lbs.

You can see our starting weight here: http://mommypadilla.blogspot.com/2010/04/day-1-of-hcg-diet-loading-day-1-of-2.html

SUCCESS!!! We have both lost a total of 7 lbs. each! We feel great and we're very excited about our results. Looking forward to another two weeks & even more results!
Stay tuned for our progress!

Happy Monday everyone! Make it a wonderful day!

{Team A & B}

{Day 6 of HCG Diet} "Tough time"

So today was a bit of a rough patch for Brandon. He was craving SO many things and kept talking about tacos, See's Candy, Cinnabon, frozen yogurt, & candy, candy, candy! That's what happens when you walk around a Mall. The temptation was EVERYWHERE. Left and right, everywhere we looked. We could smell the aroma of freshly baked pretzels. I feel like we gained calories just inhaling that stuff!

I had to remind him of the commitment we made to ourselves. We knew this diet was not going to be easy, but we are determined. I'm standing strong to our commitment and I will stand behind Brandon every step of the way. Needless to say, he did NOT splurge by eating any of that crap. Go Team A&B! =)

Our weekly weigh in is on Monday morning. Stay tuned for our progress!

Cheers!

{Lean Life Challenge Casting Call} Sheknows.com

This morning we woke up early to get our Saturday started. We drove to Phoenix to Desert Ridge Marketplace and got there at 11am. I auditioned to be part of a new reality TV show called "Lean Life Challenge" by Sheknows.com. Sheknows.com is the third largest website for women. I love reading their articles and checking out their updates.

When we arrived there I was #4 to audition. They were extremely organized, I loved it! First, I filled out the application, went to take my photos, then pre-screening, and finally interview with the panel of judges. Everyone was extremely nice and great to talk to. It was a really good experience for me. If I'm not one of the 4 women chosen for the show, I am still empowered to get in the best shape of my life! I want to be healthy for myself and my family.

I love challenging myself everyday. Whether it's seeing how much I can get done around the house while Elora is napping or getting a workout in during my busy day. Life is about challenges. The question is... How far will you go?

If I don't hear back from them within a few weeks then I'm not a potential candidate. I'll keep my hopes high and fingers crossed in the meantime. =)

{Mommy A}

{Day 5 of HCG Diet}

Whew! What a week! Once we started the "Detox" part of the diet on Wednesday, it's been a little rough. But since we have each other for support, it's been better. Here's our testimonials for the first 5 days on the HCG diet....

Brandon: Well it’s been almost a whole week on the HCG detox, I can say I am already noticing results. Jeans that used to be super tight on my waist are starting to require a belt.

It’s a bit trying, as driving around usually you notice the emanating scents wafting in from restaurants and fast food places. My co workers bring in doughnuts and buy lunch for us all but I hold strong and tell myself this HCG diet really works as long as I stick to the protocol. At first you feel hungry but the drops diminish that, you will notice your body feeling different, like the HCG kicking in and doing its thing. The cravings still exist, that’s the one thing that the HCG cannot overpower at first. I still would love to have a huge bar of chocolate or a giant milkshake, but it’s all mind over matter. I’ve always been a firm believer that whatever we decide to do, or put our minds to, it can happen and will happen. Nothing is impossible, and with the HCG it makes dieting all the more better.

The greatest asset in this diet is my wife Angela. It would be twice as hard if she was not doing the diet with me. She’s there for motivational support, and also the fact that both are experiencing the same things as I am. It’s a huge relief knowing that I’m not alone in this. We find it easier since both of us can talk to each other about our thoughts, feelings, and cravings!

Let’s hope week 2 goes as great as week 1 has been!



Angela: I was telling Brandon last night, "I wouldn't be able to do this diet without you". Since it's my first time doing it, I'm SO glad I have him for the support and motivation. But I'm sure I can do it on my own if I were to do it again. I feel good so far. The first day, it was a little rough, but we got through it. I like that we've changed our eating habits. Every night before bed, Brandon weighs & cooks the chicken breast for us, for the next day. He also throws in a vegetable and cooks it all with seasoning. I really think this will completely change our whole outlook on eating, in a good way. We needed portion control.

Before we would just eat whatever and wouldn't care. Now, we appreciate food more. I get excited to wake up in the morning to drink my tea and eat a piece of melba toast. So good! I thought the drops would taste funky, but they don't taste like anything so it's easy. It's getting easier each day, for sure. Stay tuned!

We will weigh in on Monday, which marks one week of being on the diet and post our weight for everyone to see our progress. (We have been weighing ourselves every morning to see our progress, but we'll just post our weekly results for you).

Until Monday everyone! Have a fabulous weekend!

A & B

{ Day 1 of HCG Diet} "Loading Day 1 of 2"

We have always been curious about the HCG diet ever since Brandon's co-workers raved about it and swore by it. We never got around to it with me being pregnant (*you can not do the diet if pregnant or nursing*) and with being occupied with our baby girl.

We finally decided to commit to it when an opportunity arose to be testimonials for a company that exclusively sells oral HCG. You can check out their website here:
http://www.hcglabs.com/

This is a 23 day commitment. Day 1 & 2 is the "Loading Phase" where you have to load up on FAT and start taking the HCG drops (3 times a day). Day 3 and on is a detox where you will follow a 500 calorie diet while taking the HCG drops everyday, 3 times a day.

So today was Day 1 of the "Loading Phase". This part of the diet seems the hardest because we don't eat a lot of foods with "fat". We weighed in first thing this morning before eating & after using the bathroom.

Here's our current weight:

{Brandon}: 233.8 lbs

{Angela}: 204.2 lbs

We will post a new blog on our status & update every Sunday for the next 3 weeks.

Until then...

{A & B}