A Year of New Beginnings

Don't ya just love the New Year?  No matter what you're going through, no matter where you are.. it's a New Year.  It's a time to clean out your closet and start fresh.  Hell.. we could do just that with every new day, but there just seems to be something about a New Year.  It's a target far enough away to prepare ourselves for what's about to happen.  Many of you will resolve to be healthier this year, some will resolve to be organized, start and plan to follow a budget; but for some it will be major changes.  Well, you can put me in all of those categories!  I know it's been a LOOOOONG time since you all have heard from me and I'm positive you're just chompin at the bits wondering what it is that I've been up to.  If you know me, you should know by now that I don't give up that easily.  ;)  Since the last time I blogged, so much has happened and I am soooooo ready and excited to share it with you all! Now.. let's see.. where shall I start......

"The More You Prepare, The Luckier You Appear" ~ Terry Josephson

Dream a Little Dream
In September, I spoke of  "A Bright New Tommorow", but I had NO idea just how bright it was gonna be!  I had aspirations, once upon a time, to become a nutritionist or something in the health and fitness field, but that quickly dissipated after gaining weight, getting married, gaining more weight, having children, gaining more weight, working a full time job, and oh.. yeah.. I gained more weight.  BUT, after two solid years of eating right and working hard to lose everything I had gained over the years and THEN SOME, I realized what I wanted to be when I grew up!  Since I graduated from high school, I worked toward a career as a nine to five pencil pushing momma because I thought that that is what I was supposed to do; little did I know that my lifestyle revolution would take me on a journey that I had only ever dreamed about! 

"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." ~James Dean

 WHEN I GROW UP..
I'm 32 years old and FINALLY know what I want to do with my life!  In November, I turned in my notice at my job to embark on a new career as a dance teacher, fitness instructor, and personal trainer.  I set out to become a certified Zumba instructor; and because of a very generous, kind woman who barely knows me, but has faith in me and what I am doing, I am able to attend a course at Cooper's Clinic in January to become a Certified Personal Trainer!  EXCITED does not even BEGIN to describe how I am feeling these days!  I feel like I'm walking in the clouds!  There have been a couple of personal trials that I've gone through.. I could sit here and tell you how nervous I am about quitting my job and how I hope that I can do this.. but I'm not. ;)  I know that this is what I was made to do.  I am so unbelievably at peace with quitting my stable job to start a new career.  I don't know all the details, I can't tell you exactly what the future holds, and I can't tell you my 5 year plan.. but what I can tell you is that I know deep down in my SOUL that I will be successful.  I may not make millions and become Madonna's personal trainer, but I will be HAPPY!  Doors have been opening all over the place for me!  There is alot of opportunity and I have lots of things in the works for and in my community.  I am so excited to see what the New Year will bring in for me.  I. Can't. WAIT!!

"Don't be pushed by your problems. Be led by your dreams.”~ Unknown

When One Door Closes..
It is SO true that when one door closes another one opens.  I chose to close the door on my career, but all KINDS of doors are flying open!!  I am currently teaching Zumba at a couple of locations and still teaching dance, as well.  In the New Year, I will be teaching more Zumba classes and will be apart of a gym in my area!  I am very excited about the possibilities out there!  If the good Lord is willing and the creeks don't rise, after I pass my Personal Trainer Exam I will be training at a gym in Fannett!  This just thrills me to NO END!  I want a career that I very much enjoy and will allow me to be available for my children whenever I need to be.  This has always been very important to me, but I've always been in a job where if I left then I'd be leaving someone hanging or feel guilty for not getting all the work done before I left or blah blah blah.  My dream is to one day become a strength training and conditioning coach.  Ideally I would LOVE to work at a University training athletes! How AWESOME would THAT be?????  But.. baby steps.. baby steps.  Who knows what the future holds, but I am UNBELIEVABLY excited to find out! ;)

What will the New Year bring to you?

“Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe" ~Gail Devers

MISS ME???

I'm still here and have LOTS in the works!  I'll update later this week so STAY TUNED!!! EEEEeeeekkk!!

A Whole New World

As they say in Weight Watchers, "This isn't a race it's a marathon"!  I have learned a new meaning to that over the last several months. The first time I heard that statement was close to two years ago.  At that time I was losing on average about two pounds a week and I thought, "Hey.. this marathon thing is really working for me! ;) "  I carried on with that kind of weight loss for a good year and then I hit a few bumps in my road and it seemed to get harder and harder.  Then as you all know I hit this brick wall.  I haven't had any real significant weight loss in a few months.  My "marathon" wasn't so much fun as it was frustrating!  For a long time this motto, to me,  meant that a slow weight loss is good and long lasting.  No one needs to lose a huge amount of weight fast because it will cause a SLEW of problems.  As of late, I have come to realize that this motto isn't just about the speed at which one should lose weight. There is so much more behind this meaning.  When I think of a race, I think of something quick.. fast.. in the moment.. and then it's all over with.  It's a sprint from the 50 yard line to the goal line.  It's the rabbit trying to catch the carrot.  Aaaahhh.. but a marathon.  A marathon is slow.. paced.. long lasting.. something that you'll remember forever.  It's winning the Superbowl.  It's a lesson that will make you grow and will forever stick with you.  My marathon has changed from my pushing so hard to make the numbers on the scale go down.  My marathon will last me a lifetime.  Just like a marathon runner, I have trained and trained.  I have met new friends on my route.  I have become weary and lost focus at times.  I have had my cheerleaders cheering me on.  I have learned new things about my life, about myself, about my strength, my endurance, my determination, my confidence and on and on.  Being in a marathon gives you time to think and reflect on yourself and your life and I gotta say.. it's getting more and more exciting!!  Don't get me wrong.. the numbers on the scale still matter and I still look forward to seeing them drop more and  more, but I refuse to let it get me down.  Instead I look at the big picture and the wonderful road ahead!

Breaking Boundaries

The numbers on the scale have bounced back and forth over a couple of pounds, but my body is ever changing.  I have continued to have some pretty exciting breakthroughs! A few weeks ago I was able to fit into a size 6 jeans.  I can't even explain to you how weird that is to even type that.  It is an unbelievable feeling.  Coming from the size 24 jeans that I started in.. just makes it unimaginable.  Just this past week by a total accident I discovered that I fit into a SMALL t-shirt!  I have such mixed emotions!  Every time I step on that scale I am so frustrated that it just hoovers over the same mark week after week after week.  But then great things are happening and progress is still being made.. just in a different way.  How can I argue with that?  Don't answer that.. I'm sure I'll find a way.  I will continue to keep pushing forward in my everlasting marathon.  Just because I reach my goal doesn't mean I've crossed the finish line. ;)

A Bright New Tomorrow
A couple of months ago, I was approached with an opportunity to teach a dance class.  For those of you who don't know me.. I have always loved dance.  It's my thing!  I've danced since I was a young girl all the way up through high school.  I had looked into being on the Lamar University dance team after I graduated, but unfortunately I didn't meet the requirements.. meaning I was too fat.  At that point I gave up pursuing anything that had to do with dance.  I was too fat and didn't want to hear anymore rejection so I just stopped.  I didn't try to lose weight.  I just went on with life.  Well here I am 15 years later and a few pounds lighter teaching 6 dance classes a week and looking to teach more!  But I'm not stopping there!  This has opened up something inside of me that I've had buried for a while.  I was too scared of rejection to go for it before, but now I am working toward getting a few fitness certifications and a personal trainer certification so that I can do what I love doing.  I still want to go back to school, but baby steps.. baby steps.  I believe there is a great opportunity for me out there, not only to support my family, but to have a gratifying life!  I am very VERY excited about what my future holds.  I'm looking forward to what lies ahead for me!

Wish me luck on my marathon!  Are you sprinting? Or are you taking it nice and slow? ;)

F-I-R-E UP! That's the Way We Spell FIRE UP!

I think summer time is my favorite time of the year.  I have enjoyed the kids being out of school and our schedules are a little less hectic.  It's nice to take a weekend getaway on a whim without having to worry about ball practices and dance recitals.  It is the laid back life that I've always loved.. with that, comes laid back meal plans.  There aren't "school nights" driving the family to eat at a specific hour so we can get homework done and get to bed at an early hour.  Instead you're planning vacations!  Weight loss, like vacations, takes much preparation and planning.  While on your travels there are ups and downs.  There are very exciting moments.. like the anticipation of what is to come and all the places you will visit.  There are a few lulls.. like the car ride down a long highway with nothing but trees or open land to look at.  There will be moments when you take a wrong turn and get lost and have to back track a couple of miles because you zigged when you should've zagged.  It's no secret that I have been going through ups and downs.. some really exciting moments, a few lulls, and even a couple of detours.  It's enough to make you CRAZY!  In my previous posts you have seen where I have been analyzing myself and why I'm not losing like I did in the beginning.  I've analyzed such factors like, adding more weight to my workouts, more cardio, changing my eating, plateaus.. you name it!  I've given myself excuses as to why I'm not losing, vowing that I'll analyze that and change.  I want nothing more than to reach my goal and lead a healthy happy lifestyle forever and ever amen.  But it takes WORK!  Constant work.  Just when I think I have it all under control, I am quickly reminded that I'm not invincible.  It's not an obsession, but it is something that HAS to stay at the forefront of your mind.  It may not be a HUGE battle every second of the day to stay away from the junk.. but all it takes it a few compliments and a pat on the back for all of your hard work and you start to think that one day of cheating won't hurt you.  Then before you know it, one day turns into a day and a half.. turns into Friday evening through Sunday at lunch and maybe dinner if you weren't TOO bad over the weekend. ;)  Sound familiar?  Yep.. it's the game.  We all play the game.  Well.. if this is a game.. I want to be the CHEERLEADER!


The Only Way to Not Go Back is to NOT GO BACK!

These are my mother's wise words.  I don't ever intend on going back to the way I was before.. overweight, miserable, and unhappy.  I have worked very hard and continue to work even harder.  Maybe I'm too tough on myself, but I'm afraid to let up.  It's not easy mentally or physically and I'm terrified to let it all go to waste.  If i have a lax attitude, it'll be too easy get back into old habits.  I'm not perfect and I will cheat, have emotional moments, have 'what the hell' moments, etc.. so by setting my expectations so high it gives me a little cushion before I get out of hand. So yeah.. I have my moments of letting loose and splurging (or over splurging in some cases) but I reign it in by being hard on me.   Is this making ANY sense?  Because it all does in my head. LOL! :D


The Devil Made Me Do It

Along with less hectic schedules and laid back meal plans, summer time brings back yard bbq's, gatherings, parties, and drinks on the patio.  In the beginning, I had realized how many empty calories alcohol had and that I was really wasting my "Points" on such crap.  I could handle a drink every now and then, but when I would go out and really party it up.. not only was I dealing with the empty calories and tons of sugar in the drinks, but I was also having to deal with the late night drive thru and let's not forget the day after.  Who doesn't eat crap when you have a hangover.  Jack in the Box has never tasted so good!  I was so focused on the effects of one night of drinking that I had quit drinking so much so often (and no.. I don't have a drinking problem).    Well.. since my favorite season has rolled back around and I'm gracing my presence at all these different social gatherings, I've let myself slip back into the drinking habit.  It doesn't have to be every weekend, but just a night/weekend here, there, and everywhere really starts to add up.  Over this past weekend there were two nights where I drank more than I should have and dealt with the day after effects.  No fun I tell you.  It effects my eating and my workouts.  I am sabotaging myself.  I'm fooling myself into thinking that just a "night out" won't hurt me.  In reality, a night out won't hurt you.. it's the repeated nights out.  That continuous accountability that I've talked about before really helps.  I may be trying to fool myself.. but once you step on the scale there is no more fooling.  Do you really know how fast junk and alcohol for a weekend can pack on the pounds?  LOL!  I mean.. really .. it's SICKENING!  So who was I really fooling?  LOL!  NO ONE!  I am ashamed to report that I packed on about 6 pounds over the weekend.  I don't enjoy sharing that information, but it is what it is and I've always said that I would be accountable for my actions.  Was this a vacation weekend?  No.  Was this a super exciting weekend that I'll never forget or regret?  Umm.. newp.  It was just another weekend with another gathering with some really great people.  Was it worth the added weight and added work I'll have to do?  Hell to tha NO! Damn you SATAN for putting that alcohol and hot links to my lips! BAH! 


I have stepped back, looked at myself, analyzed, re-analysed.. and now I'm just going to humble myself, keep my head down and work hard.  It is so hard to keep focus when life gets in the way.. but that's just another excuse.. and I'm FRESH OUT of excuses.  I'm still not giving up on my goals.  It may not happen in the time frame I've set for myself, but the point is to TRY and get there.  So here I go.. one step at a time! ;)


P.S.

This blog and weight loss journey is brought to you by the Good Lord himself, because without Him there would be no weight loss journey. :)

Lighting a Fire

We've just returned from a great weekend getaway in The Big Easy! We had so much fun that I think I might move there! LOL! We parked the truck when we got there and walked everywhere! The next time we saw our vehicle was when we were pulling out of the hotel. It was a great experience and I am already planning the next getaway there! Now.. let's get down to bidness. I'd love nothing more than to tell you how I was well prepared and stayed on target the entire time with only little splurges.. but that's not how it went down. Sure, I tried picking the healthier choices here and there, even split a few meals with my husband, and I'm happy to report that I didn't drink myself to the verge of death as I've done in the past; but the reality of it is that there was some pretty awesome food there! It was also very rich and it didn't take long for me to realize that my appetite isn't the same as it once was. We went to one restaurant where the waitress went on and on about how 'good the food was mainly because of all of the butter that it was cooked in'.. and boy was there some butter! As you can imagine, it was challenging to make healthier choices in a place known for their fine cuisine! I could also tell you how awful I feel and how I hate myself.. but I'm not! ;) Wanna know why? Because I enjoyed myself! I didn't hate it one single bit! I tried to be cautious and not over stuff myself, but I enjoyed my vacation and the food that went along with it. I didn't abandon all that I've learned, but I did live a little.. and that's okay. I don't do this everyday. I don't feel that I "deserved" it either.. food isn't my reward. My reward was having a wonderful vacation and being able to be comfortable in my own skin and loving the new me! That being said.. I am back to reality and it's time to get this mutha back on track!

Complacency is a BEAST!
A few short weeks ago, I had finally broken my plateau. I had a consistent loss for a few weeks in a row. But I see myself becoming complacent again. I know that I'm not yet where I want to be, but the thoughts of "you've come along way" or "you don't need to work SO hard" start to creep in. That is one of the scariest things YET! It's time to shake off those "you deserve a break" thoughts and get to work! I set a goal a looooong time ago to lose 100 pounds.. and even though I'm not there yet, I'm ready to set a new goal. I feel like a new person and should re-evaluate where I am and move forward. No more looking back! I'm gonna drive this baby home! This week I've started a new 'diet' (gawd I despise that word) plan. As I've said before, I thirst for knowledge. To be successful, you have to accept change. What worked for me 9 months ago doesn't work for me now in both my 'diet' and my workouts. If I don't grow how will I ever reach my goal? In this 'diet' I'm learning, not necessarily to change what I'm eating, but more a change in how I eat it. It has a direct effect on the hormones in my body.. a hormone called leptin that sends signals to the brain that there is fat on the body. When your leptin levels are high then your body recognizes that there is fat, but when your leptin levels are low then your body tends to think that there isn't fat to be lost. Needless to say.. after my vacation, my leptin levels are through the ROOF! LOL! But that's okay.. it's all apart of my plan! ;)

Embracing Who I Am
It seems that the closer I get to my goal and the more knowledge I gain, more people have asked me for advice, tips, motivation, etc. While I am far from being an expert on any of this, I do know what's worked for me. I know my own body. I know what my weaknesses are. I know what my strengths are. I know how to motivate myself. I KNOW ME! By being confident in myself, I think it draws people to want that same confidence. Not necessarily to be me.. but they want to know what it takes to know themselves! I'm always ready to give people ideas about what works for me regarding workouts and meal ideas.. but I've honestly always felt silly about it. I felt like "who am I to give anyone advice"... well, I've finally come to accept and embrace who I am. I am a woman who has worked very hard for a long time and over came a huge obstacle that many people find frustrating. I am a woman who works for a living and raises two children who has stopped making excuses for myself. I am a woman who is proud of what's been accomplished and enjoys so much more in life. I am a woman with perseverance and determination to get to the next level. I will no longer be embarrassed about what I've learned along the way. THAT is who I am!

Setting a New Goal
As I've said earlier, it is time to re-evaluate myself and set new goals. This is kinda skeerin' me.. but I have to make it public. I have to be accountable. My new goal is to lose 25 pounds by October 15th. It is a realistic goal.. but rest assured that it will be no easy feat. It will take continued hard work and constant awareness of what I am putting into my body. This will bring me to a 117lb weight loss. That is seriously an entire healthy grown adult. I WILL reach my goal. Wish me luck.. I'm on the road home with a LOAD of knowledge!

If You Want a Revolution..

This Gatorade song has become my new theme song! I have evolved in so many ways. It's not just a change in the way I look and feel, it's a change in my thinking. A REAL CHANGE. There is only one thing that hasn't truly changed yet and that is the way that I view myself. I've said it before and here I am again saying that I know I don't look like the old me and I don't feel like the old me. I can see it when I look in the mirror, but it aaalmost doesn't feel like me. I know it's hard to understand and just as difficult to put into words. I put on these great new clothes that I'd only dreamed of fitting into and I still find things to criticize myself about. After you get to a certain point in gaining weight you try to not look in the mirror too long! I would make sure from the neck up I was "RED CARPET READY", but from the neck down was a different story! So one fine day years ago, I got rid of the full length mirror thinking that I'd get a new one. Since I wasn't too interested in seeing all of me, it wasn't such a priority. About a week ago, I bought the first full length mirror in 5 years. I know that I've glanced at myself in the mirror at the gym or in the department store, but again I was afraid to look for too long. I hung my mirror up and stepped back and looked at myself.. REALLY LOOKED AT MYSELF for the first time in years! I swear to you, I almost didn't recognize me! It is fun.. but it is very weird to see myself in a body that I've never seen before. I didn't looked like this when I was younger. Unfortunately, I am still a woman who has issues. I still see so much that needs work, but the bottom line is that I have to learn to be comfortable in my own skin. That is a new goal for me. To learn to not nit pick every single thing about me, grow to love the me I've become. It's not as easy as you might think. The harder I work, the more critical I am of myself. I am learning throughout my journey that there is an evolution all the way around.. Mind, Body and Soul.

The heart and soul of my adventure.. EXERCISE!!!!

My workouts keep me on my toes! I am currently alternating a workout laid out for me, tabata, and weight training with my trainer. I LOVE challenging myself.. finding my limits and pushing them just a little more. Last week I did a max out dead lift of 205lbs! My personal best! I'm pretty excited about it! I love strength training! Who knows.. in a different life maybe I would've tried to compete, but for now I just want to keep pushing my limits.. Compete against myself. It helps that I have a couple of cheerleaders to workout with, too! I find that alot of the time I don't give myself enough credit and often under estimating myself, but it's good to have a good support line to help motivate me to keep pushing on. Everyone needs that support! I look forward to every single workout to see what boundaries I can push!

It's just food, right?

Um.. except for chocolate. Chocolate is the devil. This is another huge area where I've evolved. I started out with baby steps. I would make my portion healthier rather than changing up the whole family's dinner. Once it became a habit to choose the healthier foods, I was ready to try new things! Here's the deal.. if you can strip away everything you think about food.. realize that food truly is fuel.. get back to basics.. then you can really start enjoying your food! Who knew?? Sort of like a food detox. you clean out your life.. you clean out your closet.. so get rid of all the trash and clean out your cabinets! Get back to the basics. Eat for a purpose.. not just for pleasure. Once you get there.. you really will find pleasure in the fuel! I feel like for the first time in my life I have a clean pallet! I am beginning to enjoy things more and more in their whole and natural state. Almonds without all of the salt.. veggies that are still a little crisp and not cooked down to mush. It wasn't this way in the beginning.. It took time to get here. So if you're not here yet.. don't get discouraged.. YOU CAN EVOLVE!

I learn new and exciting things every single day! I feel like this wonderful adventure is a road of constant exploration and discovery! Good luck on your exploration! Let me know what you find! 'K? ;)

Remember.. You can't lead by force. You lead by example.

It's Not Just a Journey, It's an ADVENTURE!!

I suddenly feel like my life really began 18 months ago. I have had ups and down, losses and gains, plateaus and huge break throughs! But more importantly, I think I found my true self! I never imagined that by just changing this facet of my life, that it would allow me to have the confidence to open up more and realize what I want out of life. This has been more fun than stompin' baby chickens! I don't know where this road will end, but it has taken me through so much. I had a realization in the beginning that this wasn't a fad diet, nor was it a bid to get skinny by pulling my bun off of my cheeseburgers. This was something that was going to last. This adventure has allowed me to do things I'd forgotten I loved and things I didn't even KNOW I loved! This is too exciting to keep to myself and I love sharing what I've been through with anyone who will listen! Every now and then I get someone to change their way of thinking about exercise and food and that is the most AWESOME feeling! I truly believe that more and more people really want to be healthy! A junkie doesn't really wanna be a junkie and the same applies here!


The Fat Old Me is Gone FOREVAH!
This past weekend we bought a new dresser for our bedroom. I was so excited about it and immediately started going through our clothes and picking out what to trash and what to keep. I didn't realize how LIBERATING this would be! I pulled every single stitch of clothing I had out of tubs, drawers, and closets. I have culled my closet a couple of times since I've started my journey. When I'd get into a new size, I'd take the older clothes and set them aside only holding on to tshirts, undershirts, and just comfortable lounge clothes. After all was said and done I had given away 4 large garbage bags full of clothes and thrown away at least 2 bags worth of clothes! When I walked back into my closet, I had one single lonely shirt hanging in there. LOL! I had really cleaned out EVERYTHING this time! Not a shred of my "fat clothes" left! Now.. don't fret.. I'm not walking around nekkid. I did have my usual, but limited, wardrobe which couldn't fit into my closet for all the CRAP I had in there! While I was at this whole spring cleaning thing.. I was going through things that had to be put up into my memory boxes. I came across my engagement pictures from 2000. I once remember looking at those photos and wishing I could look like that again. The sad thing is.. I was still very heavy then, but before I'd started losing weight I had allowed myself to get so far gone that I wanted to look like a less fat version of myself! CRAZINESS I TELL YOU! I was showing my husband the pictures and was telling him how I couldn't BELIEVE that I had once longed to look like that again! I never really knew how heavy I was.. not even at my heaviest! I know NOW that I really wasn't as happy as I thought I was. I only thought that I felt great.. but that was a HUGE lie! I can't imagine spending a day in my old body ever ever ever again. I hadn't really planned on sharing before and after photos until I've reached my goal, but I just don't think you can appreciate my entire story until you see it with your own eyes. So.. I'm doing something I've never had the nerve to do before. TAKE A PICTURE! EEK! This is scary stuff! LOL!

Here are a couple of before pictures.. PROCEED WITH CAUTION!


This picture is Juuuuust before I began my crazy journey.
















This picture is me in January 2009 and was down 15 pounds. I thought I was one hawt momma!






















This is some of my most recent pictures. I may not be to my ideal weight or look like Twiggy.. but I have to admit that I'm pretty darn proud of me.. and THAT is what counts the MOSTEST!
























Okay.. I'm not all that brave to post anymore. But you can see the difference. Right?



Knowledge isn't just power, it's EMPOWERING!
I have recently been finding myself researching foods and what makes my body tick. I mean.. you can't do brain surgery without first knowing how the brain works. RIGHT? I have reached this new level in my adventure! I thirst for more knowledge! It helps me understand why I feel the way I feel. I am really in touch and aware of myself. I understand how foods effect me.. and IT's AMAZING what you can find out! PLUS!!! I can plan meals better! I've read a book called "The Mediterranean Diet". Now WAIT! Before you shut me down.. I've never in my entire life read a "DIET" book before. In fact, I despise them. Atkins didn't do it for me.. the whole eating a t-bone steak and bacon for every meal sounded good for like a day. The same with other books, like 'The South Beach Diet' and any of those others that claim they will be the last diet book you will ever read. In fact, I was so un-interested in reading "The South Beach Diet" book that I bought the Cliff's notes and skipped to the recipes! Then I was so disappointed in the so called recipes because it wasn't something that I could work into my families lifestyle. I have three children.. er.. I mean two children and a husband.. and I am still the cook in the family. This is MY lifestyle change and although my goal is for my family to be healthy, I can't shove it down their throats. In my quest for knowledge, I realized that I need to EAT TO LIVE NOT LIVE TO EAT! All of this information has opened my eyes about how to become a healthier person and use foods to fight against the very things that are have plagued my family (cancer, heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, etc) for generations! You don't have to study like a college student on finals night, but just look up some information.. you'd be surprised at what you THINK you know. LOL!


I was so excited about sharing the knowledge that I had with others who wanted more information that I had began my facebook group. I was ready to spill it! I didn't realize that by doing so that I would get so much more information and motivation! I am very very excited about finding the new me! My new life looks pretty exciting and I don't wanna stop anytime soon! Feel free to join me in finding the new you! ;)

The Best Laid Plans..

Well.. let's see.. I planned our camping trip for 3 weeks. I made list upon list to make sure we didn't leave out ANYTHING! I made meal plans in advance so that I could stay on track. I packed bug spray, bathing suits, PERFECT meals, first aid kit, coffee pot, YOU NAME IT! I would've packed the damn kitchen sink if I could've fit ONE MORE THING in that truck! Unfortunately, our vacation was ruined by the rain.. we made it to the campgrounds in the pouring rain and decided to stay in a hotel instead. We woke up this morning hoping for better weather only to find out that the clouds were only circling over us and that it will rain all weekend. We loaded the truck back up and and headed home. I am down, depressed, aggravated, grumpy.. I was SO needing and looking forward to some time away and playing in the sunshine. We are here at home.. my junk food junkie is DYING to come out. This is another one of my weaknesses.. EMOTIONAL EATING. BLEH! I was so well prepared for the camp and had all my meals laid out. I was set up for total success, but things don't always turn out the way we plan, right? All I want to do (and frankly.. have been doing all morning) is sit here and whine. I have caught myself so many times going into the kitchen to find stuff to graze on. Luckily, I come to my senses and have stuck to fruit and almonds. But even then, I have to consciously walk away from it. My husband is on HIGH ALERT and knows that I'm wanting to feed off the trash. I told him to ask me where I was going every time I walked into the kitchen. It's a thing we do! ATTENTION: He does this out of TOTAL support. He knows how hard I've worked and knows that if I were in my right mind I wouldn't want to throw it all away! LOL! While sitting at my computer cancelling the reservations for the remaining nights at the camp, it occurred to me that I should blog about it. I don't have any interest in eating healthy at this very moment.. in fact quite the opposite. Those Star Crunch and Dorito's are looking MIIIIIIGHTY appetizing right now. LOL! I know if I talk it out and tell myself that it WILL NOT make me feel better that I can regain my focus. TRYING. REALLY. HARD. :D Believe it or not.. I'm already feeling better! As I am typing this, my husband asks why I am blogging.. he doesn't understand this emotional eating. AZZ. My daughter overhears this conversation and she asked me about emotional eating. I told her that it was something that makes about as much sense as putting on mascara just because you're watching a baseball game. The two don't go hand in hand and make no sense at all. She gets it.. let's hope she's more like her daddy in that department!

Turning it Around
I will put on my game face. This isn't the vacation that I had hoped for, but I have to it for my own sanity! I will put my big girl panties on and deal with it. I will continue with the healthy meals and snacks I had planned. I will continue to be active by jumping on the elliptical in a bit.. also a GREAT stress reliever! ;) The rain should be cleared up by tomorrow, we are making plans to take the kids to the beach. I am going to try my very best to be flexible so that if things don't workout to my expectations then I can just roll with the punches. I AM going to make the best out of this! There is no sense in whining about it and hurting myself or sabotaging my diet.

Life's Not Always a Bowl of Beautiful Fresh Red Cherries
I could sit here and whine for the rest of the weekend about how things didn't go my way. I could quietly eat my junk while no one's looking and tell you all what an awesome job I did, but that would just be lying. Right? I can lie to you.. but I can't lie to myself. The truth is.. I'm sure I'm not the only one that goes through these struggles. And I may go through this type of thing for the rest of my life. What I have learned is that binging on junk food will not make my weekend ANY better.. not one single bit. I'll bet that it won't even taste as good as I think it will.. but I'd probably finish the bag of cookies or chips anyway. At the end of it all I will be upset with myself for losing control. I WILL win this war. This isn't just about losing 100+ pounds. This is about so much more! This is about being 100% healthy even when I don't want to. Sure.. we can all have our splurges on special days, but why "splurge" on the crappy one's too? This is the new me and I will overcome it and not give into my temptations!

Writing this blog at this very moment has helped me tremendously. It has put my focus back where it needs to be. I know that I have to be accountable for my actions. Those of you who read my blogs and ask for information or just how I am doing is what drives me! Thanks for 'listening' to me spill my guts. It helps more than you could imagine! Soooo.. here's to a great weekend! Good luck to you all this weekend with your own battles!

Let the Summer Games BEGIN!

Summer time is upon us, kids are out of school, and vacation plans are in the works! Our family takes mini vacations throughout the summer, so if I'm not careful this can be dangerous! The first of our mini vacations begins this weekend and not a moment too soon! We are leaving Thursday and taking the kids camping at the lake! If I stick to plan this can be a great success! I have made 565431651 lists to prepare myself. I've made a camp site list, a packing list, a grocery list, an activity list, and it should be no surprise.. a menu for the weekend. Since we're going to be one with nature an' stuff, this is the perfect time to be active. There is a 'hiking' trial (and I use that term loosely), swimming, and a road that circles through the park! I see some REAL opportunities to keep active! YAY! I am working on coming up with a few morning time activities that will help me burn some fat! Someone told me, "just remember you're on vacation, so just relax!". Well, to be totally honest, I find it very relaxing! A good early morning workout right on the lake sounds so refreshing to me, and I'll be back at the camp in time for breakfast and coffee, rip roaring ready to ROLL! We'll see how fabulous that sounds in 80 degree East Texas heat and humidity.. BUT I have to at least TRY, right?! LOL! If you don't hear from me by Wednesday of next week... SEND HALP!

I Scream, You Scream, We all scream for.. CHOCOLAAAAAATE!!!!!!
Okay.. so it doesn't rhyme.. in the gruffy words of my late Paw-paw LeBlanc.. "Big deal". If there's ever a time to splurge, it's on vacation. RIGHT?!?!? WRONG!!! I cannot take a 4 or 5 day vacation from eating right. REALITY CHECK.. I will not be putting tofu on the grill or putting bean sprouts on spinach leaves. I'm CAMPING for Christ's sake! LOL! I will tell you how excited I am about putting squash, asparagus and chicken on the grill; making cold avocado sandwiches; and eating fresh fruit right out of an ice cold cooler! What could sound more refreshing on a hot summer day? Besides, if I want to get in some morning exercises, Star Crunch and Dorito's just won't do. I am arming myself for battle! This is one of the toughest challenges faced when trying to change your lifestyle. There will be situations throughout my entire life where it is going to be a struggle with my will power. I've got to stay focused. I'm taking a vacation from work, stress, and chauffeuring children to dance recitals and baseball games.. NOT from my health! Fat does not take days off or cut you ANY slack. SWEET BABY JEEBUS JUST KEEP ME AWAY FROM THE SMORES!!! Lawd halp us all..

Confessions of a Recovering Overweight Drama Queen
This past weekend I celebrated my (8th Annual) 24th Birthday. :) My husband took me out for dinner and drinks. We split an order of some oh so delicious lamb chops and I had a side of grilled asparagus. It's a shame that the healthy food didn't cancel out the glass (or four) of wine that I had. :-/ BUT...... I DID make the waiter take back the chocolate cheesecake after I had two small bites! DID YOU HEAR THAT?????? Did you just HEAR what I SAID!? I GAVE BACK CHOCOLATE!! That's gotta count for SOMETHING, right?! :D /sigh.. Alas, sweets are still my down fall. This junk food junkie still exists somewhere inside of me. All I can do is smack her around every now and then and show her who's boss. Sometime that betch wins the battle, but I will win the WAR!


I am VERY EXCITED to report a 2 pound loss last week, bringing me to a total of 91 pounds gone! It is a struggle.. but I have to keep my mind right. Wish me luck on my vacation.. I will update you all next week on how well I stayed on target.. PRAY FOR ME!!! :D PLLLLEEEEEEEEZE! ..and good luck to you all in your weight loss journey this week.

A Turning Point

I have reached a turning point on my road to a healthier lifestyle. I have had an overwhelming response to my many posts of food pictures, blogs, healthy meal suggestions, etc. It is the coolest thing since Greek yogurt! ;) When I began this over a year ago.. I knew the weight had to come off. But I didn't really realize what an impact this would make on my life. I didn't get the whole picture right away. I just knew that I was not happy with myself.. no matter how much in denial I was. Throughout the last 18 or so months, I've hit some very important milestones. I've accomplished things I had never even dreamed of. I have gotten into sizes that I'd never gotten into my whole adult life! I have pushed myself more and more to reach my goal.. and the more results I see the more motivating it is! I have some really terrific friends and a great support group which has also helped motivate me along the way. My biggest support is here at home.. though it wasn't always that way. When I made the decision to lose weight.. I very quickly made a plan of action that started with joining the gym and having someone to be accountable to. The only way I knew to make myself accountable and to not give myself an "out" was to tell MANY people. I told a huge group of my "internet friends", I blogged about it on my myspace, I signed up at Weight Watchers, I got a trainer.. all for the sake of accountability. I know that you can tell a small group of your closest friends and if you don't lose any weight or decide to give up.. that they'll let you save face and never bring it up again. I had to get out of that "loop hole" thinking. I had to bind myself to my commitment. There is NO WAY that I could tell this many people that I gave up. I have too much pride for that.. we probably all do. The funny thing is.. I didn't tell my husband right away because he'd heard me so many times talk about how I was going to start eating right, losing weight, etc. He knew that I was full of crap.. that the thought would last about a day.. and then POOF! gone.. I knew the only way to keep him from doubting me, was by showing him. Like they say.. Actions speak louder than words. And so it began..

The Chocolate Incident
Some days I feel like a recovering drug addict. There are just somethings that I can't touch or it will send me into a downward spiral in a matter of one day. IT'S CRAZINESS I TELL YOU! Well.. like a pipe to a crackhead.. chocolate seems to be my drug of choice lately. There are some of you that will totally get what I'm saying here.. and then there are the rest of you. The people that we love to hate.. the people like my husband who can watch a piece of chocolate cake grow mold on it before he ever has the urge for another 'sliver' of it. To all of you.. I loathe you and hope you choke on your dry moldy cake! LOL! I kid.. I kid.. The people like me can't allow stuff like this into our homes to sabatoge what we've worked so hard for! My tastes and cravings are constantly changing! While I've always been a huge fan of chocolate, it wasn't really truly my weak spot until recently. Or let's put it this way.. I didn't KNOW it was my weak spot until I took my blinders off! LOL! I don't descriminate! I will binge on chocolate pudding, poptarts, cereal, cookies, cake.. whatever is at my finger tips. I know that I know that I KNOW I will feel like holy hell afterwards.. but it doesn't stop me. The only way around it is to not keep it in my cabinets. Now sure.. when there is a party or whatever.. I can try and keep myself restrained from gorging on it.. but once the party is ovah.. in the trash it shall go. I don't care if it hairlips the POPE! This HAS to be done! My hubs may not be too happy about it.. but he'll get over it. It'll be moldy anyway. :) ..bastard. Anyway.. moving on..


Continuous Accountibility
There are the ones that have been there to offer their support from the beginning. The people who have read my blogs and kept up with me all along.. who are probably all sick and tired of hearing me go on and on about how much fun working out is, how eating healthy CAN be exciting, and probably secretly hope I choke on my hummus. :) I thank you all anyway. ;) From time to time, I see someone I haven't seen in a while and they start inquiring on how I lost so much weight and start reading my blogs, etc. In the last two or so months, I have realized that there are more eyes on me than I thought! I am seeing people that I haven't seen since last spring's ball practices, dance recitals, or whatever activities that come around once a year. Since my last blog on my myspace (and yes I still use it, but only to blog really.. now I have this! So.. buh-bye myspace!) I have had so many people asking for suggestions for meals, asking how I did it, do I have any advice, etc. I LOVE IT! Not because of the compliments.. althought I admit.. it does make me feel good.. Who wouldn't! Right?! It is so exciting because more and more people want to be healthy and help their family be healthy! I am so excited when people realize that you don't have to have Oprah's chef on staff, cook meals from stuff you've never heard of, or eat tofu to be healthy! It's not rocket science, but sometimes we need little reminders or someone to give us a new perspective on things! The more recipes I share, the more workouts I do, the more information I gather the more I realize that I HAVE made a lifestyle change! ..AND IT IS VERY EXCITING! I have turned my life around from the old me! Of course I still have to battle my demons ((coughcough))CHOCOLATE((coughcough)) but I can work through this! This is something that I can do for the rest of my life! The payoff is a long healthy active life and leading by example for my own family! It may not be all gone.. YET.. but it will be and I will have gained a new outlook on life and an awesome attitude! I am very excited about my new lifestyle revolution! Here's to weight lost and knowledge and happiness gained!

If you're on facebook.. I'd love for you to join my page and share your knowledge! :D

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/Your-Lifestyle-Revolution/127576733921891

If you want to read past blogs.. go to http://blogs.myspace.com/luckyace7

ENJOY!