Thanks Née!!

Geez I have a lot on my mind today!! So I was talking to my cousin Vernee on my lunch break and she tells me she has thought of a name for my pending business!! My cousin is a year younger than me and we grew up together so she knows me very well. She’s pretty in tune with the things that I like and dislike. She told me the name and I thought “perfect!!” I had only considered using my name because it represents who I am effortlessly and it’s not a common name. The idea of having something in front of my name crossed my mind but I couldn’t think of anything catchy yet appropriate for my mission. Well my cousin is a lifesaver and I owe her a gift! I’ll share the name she came up with soon…to be continued!

Attitude IS everything!

This might come across as a bit harsh but I have to speak my mind! I have compassion when it comes to the struggles of weight loss but I don’t have any sympathy for the “woe is me” attitude. With all of the gimmicks and diets out there, it is easy to fall victim once you see that the “magic pill” that promised a 20 pound loss in a month didn’t work. I do not like or use the word diet. It is a four letter word literally. If you think dieting is going to remove excess pounds for good than I’m sorry to inform you that you are sadly mistaken! A diet is a temporary fix, a band aid for the problem. In order to be successful at permanent weight loss you have to change your entire attitude and outlook on life!

I can’t get with someone that feels sorry for them self because they are choosing to take the easy way out. It’s easy to eat all of the wrong foods and not exercise. It’s easy to place the blame on everything and everyone else except yourself. I do not feel sympathy for the bag of Oreo’s you ate because you were bored or stressed. If it’s yours, own it and claim it! I have my “moments” but I do not blame anyone for my poor choices. I don’t blame the junk food in my house on my kids because I buy the food! I don’t have the luxury of blaming poor eating habits on anyone else because I’m not married (yet)!

I’m holding myself accountable for the choices I make (good and bad) as it pertains to continuing my weight loss journey. I’ve maintained a positive attitude because that’s what carries me forward.

October already???

Tomorrow is the 1^st day of October!!! I’m thinking about my workouts for the next month. I have one more week to go in the Turbo Fire 12 week program but it’s time to change things up a bit before I gear myself up for Power 90x in November. I’m considering doing the 30 Day Shred (Jillian Michaels) along with Zumba (Betos), Turbo Fire (Chalene Johnson) and No More Trouble Zones (Jillian Michaels) for cardio. I haven’t done the full 30 Day Shred since February and I’m positive my physical fitness has improved a ton since then! I really struggled when I started doing the Shred in February but I did manage to lose about 10 pounds that month. I’ve lost a considerable amount of weight since then so I believe I should be able to achieve better results this time around. I’m also thinking about incorporating 4 days of resistance training each week instead of 3. I’ll see how I feel after the first week since the Shred is circuit training with weights. I’m not trying to over train my muscles.

I’ve mentioned this before but I can’t stress enough how important it is to confuse your body. At the start of each month I’m doing a different routine so that my body doesn’t become accustomed to the routine. The more confusion, the harder your body has to work to “get it.” By the time the body starts to adapt it’s time to switch it up again! That’s the beauty! I have been very successful with this method. Go ahead and try confusing your body at the start of each month!

Meal planning

I have learned the great importance and value of meal planning. Knowing what I’m going to eat the week prior and what I have to buy at the grocery store saves me time and money. I know people that plan menus 2-4 weeks out but for me I like to only pre-plan 1 week in advance. I change my mind about what I’d like to eat on a fairly regular basis so this works best for me. The idea is to get into the regular habit of planning your meals. I will attach a sample menu that I’ve created for myself shortly.

Gearing up for 2011 (already)!!

I am making plans to have people join me in 2011 to get on board with healthy living! This is not about setting resolutions for the New Year and not following through. This is about completely changing your lifestyle and making healthier choices and decisions as it relates to food and fitness. I am not an expert but I do know a little bit about effectively losing weight for good. I’ve been receiving such positive feedback from others about me inspiring them to get moving and I feel as though it is my responsibility to give back.

When I started my journey I had no idea that I would be blessed with the opportunity to help others. That was not my motivation or intent. I wanted to get myself together and live comfortable and happy in the body I was given. God will put things before us that we otherwise might not have seen on our own. My friends telling me I should start speaking and helping others was just the beginning. Something is telling me to go forward and make it happen! I’m a Virgo and being a picky perfectionist comes with the territory. I don’t want to do something unless I know I can do it right. I’m giving myself to the end of this year to reach my own weight loss goal AND prepare the forum for 2011!

I’ve got a lot of work to do but I am up for the challenge!

Allowance for curves!

I have come to a conclusion. Although I am happily wearing a size 12 pant…I’m realizing that my jeans still need a little give (stretch)! I have been blessed with big legs, or at least my honey thinks it’s a blessing! I’ve worked hard to remove a considerable amount of inches from my thighs and hips but I still don’t think it’s necessary for me to wear “regular” jeans without a little spandex! I am a black woman and I am built like a black woman. I have curves in all the right places. I’m learning each day to love my body more and more. I’ve accepted that even with wearing a smaller size, I still have to make an allowance for my curves. That’s my reality!

Rewards!!!

As I inch closer to my goal, I keep thinking about all of the things I’d like to do to celebrate my success. The main thing I’d like to do is take a trip (alone) with my honey. I say I’d like to go to Maui but in all honesty I don’t really care where we go as long as I’m with him. He’s supported my efforts this entire time and has loved me unconditionally through my transformation. I can’t say enough how much I love and appreciate having him.

Then there are the photographs I want to take. The plan is to go super sexy and glamorous…pushing myself completely out of my comfort zone! I had to step out of my comfort zone to lose the weight so one of my rewards will also take me out of my “zone!” I’m looking forward to seeing how they end up turning out!!

Last but not least, I’ll be updating my wardrobe. As of right now I’ve dropped 10 sizes…that’s a lot of clothes to get rid of and replace! Thrift stores have been my friend over this period of time because every 2-3 months I’ve had to buy new things. I can’t buy things right now that I absolutely love and intend to keep because chances are I won’t be able to fit it by the time I reach my goal.

I’m sure I’ll add a couple more items to my celebration list but for now this is a great start. 18.2 pounds to go…!!!

90 pounds down!

Let the countdown begin!!! As of today I am 90 pounds lighter than I was 12 ½ months ago!!! I have 20 more pounds to lose to reach my 110 pound weight loss goal! I’ve lost in a gradual and consistent way. I do not want the excess weight to return so my entire lifestyle has completely changed. I’m looking forward to the challenge of getting rid of the last 20!

Birthday celebration 2010

My sister's and I celebrating my birthday at the Brandon Roy party !

Adios 190's!!!

I am happily and gladly bidding farewell to the 190’s! I teeter tottered back and forth for about a week but I’ve consistently weighed in the 180’s for the last few days so I can say now that I’m over the hump! The 180’s will put me at my 90 and 95 pounds down markers as well as my next 10% goal loss! Big things happening as I continue to move the numbers down on the scale!

32 years of life

I’m 32!! On August 31st 2010 I celebrated my 32^nd birthday! I know some people grovel at the idea of getting older but I actually enjoy it. The sweetest gift I could have given myself is the smaller body I am living in now thanks to consistent diet and exercise. I’m not joking when I say the last year of my life has been amazingly wonderful! I fell in love again, I’ve made permanent lifestyle changes and I’ve taken back control of my life. I don’t apologize for who I am, you’ll either love me or not…and I’m secure enough now to know that it’s okay to feel that way. I have a special thank you to all of my friends and family that wished me a happy birthday! Most importantly the sweet happy birthday wishes that came from my girls when I woke them up to get ready for school, that completely made my day!

Monkey Wrench :-(

The last couple of weeks were rough on me! A monkey wrench was thrown into my workout and eating regimen. The week of August 15th I had some kind of stomach virus which meant limited eating and no working out for four days! The week of August 22^nd I woke up on Sunday with stiffness and pain in my neck and shoulders. That equaled five days without working out. I felt as though I was going to lose my mind! Thank the lord I started to feel better and was able to jump back into my workout routine once I felt rested enough to do so. I never thought there would be a point where I would actually miss working out. Well it looks as though I’ve reached that point!