42 Day Challenge (Days 3&4)

Yesterday was pretty uneventful. Unfortunately, I didn't make it to the gym :(. I was shooting some bridal portraits around the time my step class started so I couldn't go. I'm ashamed to say that there were several other aerobic classes earlier in the day that I could've gone to, but I was just plain LAZY! My husband and I did take our dogs for a long walk though, so that is something I guess. I was good on my diet. I didn't cheat. I had scrambled eggs for breakfast, a protein shake for lunch and grilled chicken and peas for dinner. Oh! And I ate LOTS of fruit throughout the day.

Here are some of the pics I took :)

Today was a lot better energy wise. I woke up, made some scrambled eggs with cheese, went to the studio from 12-5, went to the gym, came home and helped my little sister Megan register for wedding gifts online. It was a busy day and I ate sandwiches for both lunch and dinner. Today was the first day that I REALLY wanted some ice cream! I mean, I thought about ice cream ALL DAY!! (Thanks to my monthly visitor.) I considered using my cheat for some Cold Stone, but I decided that I'd rather wait for the weekend. I haven't had to go a weekend yet on this challenge and I am hoping it isn't too hard. I am shooting a wedding on Saturday and most of the time the bride and groom feed us. That will be difficult to say no to! Wedding food can be so YUMMY!! But it's rarely healthy!

So, on a completely unrelated topic...My husband is wanting to get a motorcycle. It is completely freaking me out!! I used to work for Farmers Insurance and I had to look at photos of motorcycle crashes all the time. It's made me a little paranoid I guess, but it scares me so bad! I don't feel like I can tell him "no," because I know that he would be safe. It's the other drivers on the road that I'm worried about. He's assured me that he'll take a motorcycle safety class and wear all the protective gear, but I'm still a little scared. Has anyone else ever worried about something like this before? I really don't think I would be near as scared as I am if it hadn't been for Farmers.

Anyway, I hope you all are having a wonderful week! I am impressed with everyone that has been doing the challenge for a week and a half now! You are all doing a great job! Keep it up! I wish that we weren't so far away from everyone. I need to start a North Carolina chapter!! :)

42 Day Challenge (Day #2)

Yesterday was rough! Not in the way that I was craving bad food, but because I had to quit my kickboxing class. I HATE quitting! It makes me feel like a failure. I had to quit though. I got way too hot and started to feel a woozy. I've been taking this class for about 2 weeks now, but yesterday was the frist time I ever had to stop early. I quit after about 30 min. because the room was hotter than it normally is. I arrived late so I had to be towards to very back and there are no fans back there. I've learned my lesson though, NEVER BE LATE AGAIN!! Always arrive early and get near a fan!! lol!

As far as eating goes, I've been doing great! I didn't crave anything bad yesterday. I made some really yummy HEALTHY chicken parmesan pasta! It is my husband's favorite thing to get at Italian restaurants so I wanted to learn a healthy way of making it. I made a lot too so now we have leftovers for lunch for the next few days. :)

Here is the recipe if you are interested:

Baked Chicken Parmesan

Want you'll need:

* 3 pounds chicken parts or bone-in breast halves
* 1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs
* 1/2 cup low fat Parmesan cheese
* 2 teaspoons parsley flakes
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf oregano, crumbled
* 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf thyme, crumbled
* 1/4 teaspoon pepper
* 1/4 cup melted butter (I used fat free I can't believe it's not butter)
* 1 tablespoon cold butter, cut in small pieces (Fat free can't believe it's
not butter)

Remove skin from the chicken. Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, parsley flakes, salt, oregano, thyme, and pepper. Dip chicken in melted butter then coat with crumb mixture. Arrange chicken in a single layer, not touching, in a shallow baking dish sprayed with PAM. Dot with butter. Bake at 350° for about 1 hour, until chicken is tender.

***I also cooked some whole wheat spaghetti and marinara sauce and made it chicken parmesan pasta. It was delicious! If you don't want to eat it with pasta it is still really good by itself and you could serve it with veggies.


I hope that everyone has a great day today!! Good luck with the challenge! I know that all of you are a week ahead of me, so you may be having a little bit harder of a time than me since I am only 2 days in as of yesterday.

Here are some silly& motivational diet quotes I found online:

"With your diet, don't dawdle -- if you don't want to waddle!"

"Nothing in this world that's worth having comes easy."

"Bigger snacks means bigger slacks"

when folks say they don't want good food to go to waste, it makes me think "better to waste than to waist!" so go ahead, toss those leftovers!

"unless I want to look like a porky,
come on Amber, put down the forky"

"Eat to live......don't live to eat!"

"Nothing tastes as good as THIN feels"

42 Day Challenge (Day #1)

Today actually went pretty well. There was a time around noon when I desperately wanted some chocolate, but I pushed through it. I cut up a cantaloupe and ate that instead. Then, I actually looked up some healthy recipes online and made a really yummy dinner for all of us!

I kept myself as busy as I could today so I wouldn't think about sweets! Haha! I gave my two dogs haircuts, cleaned the kitchen, did laundry and cooked breakfast, lunch AND dinner! Dustin is pretty happy right now ;)

For some reason my stomach feels HUGE lately! I'm hoping that it is because of the "girl" issues that are due soon and not because I'm getting fatter..sheesh! Hopefully this challenge will help it shrink down soon!

I hope everyone had a great week! Mine was pretty uneventful, but good. I did see this pretty hot air balloon floating above our house the other day. It was pretty cool to see!

42 Day Challenge!! Whoop Whoop!

My friend Tanna has started this WONDERFUL 42 day challenge and although I am a week late, I am jumping in!! I have been struggling with my weight for a long time now and I am TIRED of it!! I am ready to get rid of this weight already!

I met Tanna about 4 years ago in Martial Arts. I got to my purple belt (about halway to black) but my school schedule got so hectic my senior year of college that I stopped going. HUGE regret of mine by the way! Martial Arts was wonderful! I loved it! Tanna was a huge inspiration to me and I think that is so great that she finished and got that black belt! It is definitely NOT an easy thing to do!



Up until about 5 years ago, I never worried about my weight. I ate what I wanted and rarely worked out but I never had a weight problem. I was skinny!! Around the time I got married and started taking birth control, I noticed that I started to gain quite a bit of weight...FAST!! The doctors tried putting me on about 4-5 different kinds of birth control, but my body just did not like it! It got to the point were we decided that birth control just wasn't for me. I have gained about 45 lbs. since I've been married!!! That is ridiculous!! Now, I can't blame it all on the birth control. I'll admit that I haven't been the healthiest eater...and I didn't work out as much as I should have. I'm just saying that I have noticed a HUGE difference in my metabolism since I was on birth control.

Anyway, my husband and I have tried so many different things to lose weight. Weight Watchers, Atkins, South Beach Diet, etc. But nothing has worked. We've joined gyms but after about a month we would always stop going. I'M DONE!! I am not going to do this half-way anymore! Dustin and I joined a gym and we are DETERMINED to go at least 4-5 times a week! I'm tired of complaining about being fat! I'm ready to finally do something!

Okay, here is my info:

*Name: Amber Parnell
*Where you are from: From OK, but live in NC now
*Desired pounds to be LOST (just in 42 days--keep it realistic): I would like to lose 10-12 lbs (that's about 2 lbs a week)
*A pair of shorts/pants you hope to fit comfortably in by June 1st (describe them)We all have that one pair that we are still hanging onto with hope that we will one day fit into them! I just want to be able to wear shorts again! I'm sick of rockin' the chubby cellulite thighs!!!
*Your weakness food: Chocolate!!!!!!!!!
*What you will be doing for exercise: I joined Gold's Gym about two weeks ago and I've been going to kickboxing, Zumba and step classes 4-5 times a week.
*Any other goal you may have for yourself: I really want to be able to take pictures of myself without cringing! I mean, I'm a PHOTOGRAPHER!!! I should be able to take pics of myself and love it right?? The only pictures that I will post on facebook or Myspace have to be photoshopped or I won't post them! I used to love to take pictures! I was always the one with the camera! Now, I just take pictures of other people.

Okay...So here are some of my "skinny" pictures. These should give me motivation!

GOOD LUCK EVERYBODY!!! I WILL BE PRAYING FOR ALL OF YOU!! :o)

New Beginnings

So as most of you know, my life has drastically changed in the last few months! Dustin and I, along with my sister Kristi and her husband all moved to Raleigh, North Carolina from Oklahoma City. So far we love Raleigh, but it can get pretty lonely. I don't know what we would have done if Kristi and Eric hadn't moved here too. To be honest, Dustin and I would have never moved here if they didn't move here too.



On top of THE BIG MOVE (as we like to call it) I have made a drastic career change. I graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a Broadcast/Journalism degree, but I've decided to go in a completely different direction. I am trying out a career in photography! It is pretty scary and a HUGE risk, but I will always regret it if I don't try. I have always had an interest in photography and I absolutely LOVE the thrill I get when I take a good picture. I love the fact that I am helping people capture the most important moments in their lives. I have a lot to learn, but I am learning from the best by interning with f8 Photo Studios here in Raleigh. I am so grateful for Dustin! God really has blessed me with the most amazing husband in the world! He has been nothing but supportive with my decision! It definitely hasn't been easy! In order for me to do this, I had to quit my job. It cut our income in half, but we are making it work. May is going to be super busy for me b/c there are a TON of weddings! I am so excited though! The more weddings I help out with, the more I will learn and be able to start making money.


ME PRACTICING :)


PRETTY LITTLE GRACIE



MEGAN AND NATHAN


JAIMEE AND MIKE



CRISTEN AND BROOKS



KRISTI AND ERIC


I am so grateful to God because none of these huge changes would have been possible without Him! A year ago, if I would have known that our income was going to be cut in half I would have freaked out! God really has provided for us in so many ways!

Of course, not everything is perfect. I have really been struggling with BABY FEVER! I can't even explain how badly I want to have a baby! It's really been hard because: 1. No matter how bad I want to, we can't have a baby on what we make right now. With me not bringing in any income it isn't smart. 2. I have SO MANY friends that are pregnant or trying to get pregnant right now! In a span of one week I found out that NINE of my friends were pregnant! Of course I am extremely happy and excited for them, but it is also hard to not be jealous! (This is one of the downfalls of having a Facebook account...lol) I've been trying to be patient, but patience has never been one of my strengths so it's been difficult. It is something that I am working on. So....needless to say, I need lots and lots of prayer! I know that we will be blessed with a baby when the time is right...I just want that time to be NOW! :)


I LOVE THIS MAN!! HE IS HANDS DOWN THE BEST THING TO EVER HAPPEN TO ME!

Anyway, I hope that everyone has a great weekend! The weather has been really nice here so it should be a fun weekend for us!

Hi! :)

Okay...so I've had this blogger account for a while now. Back in college I had to join for a class, but I haven't really used it since then. I really like the idea so I am going to try it out for real this time. I just figured out how to decorate my page. That took me a while...LOL! I'm not very computer savy, but luckily I have a computer nerd for a husband to help me out :) I'm looking forward to finding more of my friends on here!!