Ten Things I've Learned on My Journey

Hey Everyone! It's been a while - I know, I know, I know! It really helps me blog when I know you all are reading. I love feeling like the world is watching (thanks Ray & Ray). Well, a quick update - I'm still winning! I am 9 pounds lighter - YYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYY! I'm not sure what my weight loss per week is but I know that this week I lost nothing. I can attribute that to two things 1) I didn't get to go to the gym at all and 2) sheer exhaustion. Contrary to popular belief sleep is related to weight loss (google it). Now, I've decided to do something a little different. Tonight, I'm going to give you ten things I've learned on my weight loss journey complete with examples. Sit back, relax, and read on!

1. Cheating is essential!
No one person can omit everything unhealthy from their diet - it's impossible. If you know someone who has done this they are lying to you - get rid of them!

2. You will never want to work out!
However if you don't you'll be saggy and flabby. You have two choices - 1)complain about working out while working out or 2) complain about being saggy and flabby because you didn't work out.

3. Saying "NO" becomes easy and starts to carry over to other parts of your life.
Ex: The other day one of my co-workers asked me if I wanted this chocolate thing and I said "No - Thank you" - simple. Shortly after that, a homeless man asked me for money and I said "No - Thank you" - I guess this is only a benefit if you have issues saying "no".

4.Every pound lost is instant therapy!
No matter what type of tangled mess your life may be in, the fact that you're losing weight makes it all better! You can walk away from every situation knowing that you are too cute to stress over your car being repossessed - lol!

5.Some people will try make you think you were cuter heavier.
It's a lie and the truth is not in them - get rid of them because they are trying to steal your shine - (or your man/woman)!

6.Random Facebook Checks
Please - as a public service - go through and take down/untag yourself (email and call people if you have to) in all the albums/pictures that you and/or other people put up of you while you were in your "thick" stage. You should replace the old photo's with current photo's. Trust me - it makes you feel good and is a constant reminder of your success!

7.Buy yourself something in 5 or 10 pound increments.
This is self-explanatory.

8.Track your progress.
You need to know what works and what doesn't.

9. Do NOT watch shows like "The Biggest Loser" and/or "Celebrity Fit Club".
If nothing else - the shows are at least an hour. You watching them work out doesn't in any way shape or form help you. Be smart and go to the gym or take a walk during that time.

10. Get an accountability system/plan.
Whether you are blogging, talking to friends, doing WW, or just sharing your thoughts on fb - find a way for other people (those who have your best interest at heart) to hold you accountable for your weight loss.

Thanks for reading and until next time - try to be healthy!

Thanksgreedy Day!

I am so fatfull right now! I can't eat another thing! The problem with going from house to house is that everyone expects you to eat/taste all ten dishes they made including dessert. Oh and just in case you were wondering (in the African American culture) a "No- thank you" is a blatant sign of disrespect to the chef and their family - you would NEVER be invited to that house again. As you can see above I was starving around 1:00 and decided to sneak two peanut butter Oreo cookies. I would love to give you a summary of what I ate on thanksgreedy day. My eating is as follows:

House #1 @ 3:55
Pre dinner - (you know that part of the meal when you've been waiting and you can smell the food but it's not ready! You keep thinking to yourself "if I could just get a biscuit, a cracker or two, something to hold me over for the next hour!")

Chedder Cheese Crackers
2 glasses of water
3 Jolly ranchers
2 oreo cookies

Dinner
Turkey Wing
Mashed Potatoes
Baked Beans
Macaroni n Cheese (small taste)
String Bean Casserole
Yams

Yummmmy. . .It was great! In my defense I did practice portion control and I ate until I was satisfied but not stuffed. I have no excuse for the Pre - Dinner meal other than I was starving. The real issue comes in at House #2. I went home to let Agape out and my friend (thanks) invited me over to her bootleg adopted family's house ( the family wasn't bootleg I'm just saying that my friend isn't really adopted and the fact that she refers to them as her adopted family is what is actually bootleg about the situation - excuse the fragment/run-on and you know I love you so calm down). Anyway, the family was lovely and I truly enjoyed myself. However, the chefs (the mom and pop) of the house were very adamant about me eating. Now, remember, I just ate less than two hours ago. I kept telling them that I would eat soon. . .in half an hour or so. I honestly thought that they would forget but NNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Let me tell you, they reminded me every half hour!!! The food was great but here is what I forced myself to eat at House #2 in the order listed:

House # 2 @ 7:00


Dessert (featured above)
Lemon pound cake with strawberries that I stole from the strawberry short cake

Dinner
Turkey
Candied yams
Salad
Macaroni n Cheese

I feel like a beach whale right now - I think I'm going to starve myself for the next three weeks. I'm going to leave you with this short poem.

Giving thanks is calorie free
but eating all you want
Is you being greedy
Thank your fam - tell them you care
Then wave goodbye and get out of there!

Lights, Camera, Action!

Hey Everybody! You guessed it - I lost 7 pounds!! Here it is. . .the moment you've all been waiting for. . .My first VIDEO UPLOAD!!!

Skinny & Scared

Greetings! It's been almost one week since my last blog entry. Do you see that picture - that represents how i feel!!! Why? Well, quite frankly I've been a little sick of all this weight loss stuff. Plus, I'm not losing weight as quickly as I would like (quick update - only four pounds lighter). On top of that I am very sick of working out! I just wanna cry! I feel like a fat crying baby! During the four days (geez-fine, six days) I've been away I've been daydreaming about what it must be like to be skinny! WOW! It must be nice to try on a dress and not have to envision what you'd look like once you put on Spanx! Or how about being able to squeeze through a small space without your hips knocking over something. Ahhhhhh - what it must be like not to have people accidentally hit your boobs as they walk by! I soooooooooooo want to be skinny right this second!! Skinnyness come to me now!!!!! Ok - enough of that - moving right along.

Confession: I haven't been on the scale in a week. I'm very afraid that I've lost nothing. I'm trying to convince myself tonight so that maybe in the morning - I'll be brave! I don't understand why this takes so long and I'm a little frustrated. I'm working out and I'm eating healthy. I'm also unsure of which diet approach to take (WW, count calories, portion control, just eating healthy, following the $300 plan I payed for from a nutritionist in August). I don't know! I feel like I need help (for free). Are there any takers??

P.S - If you're reading this - I'm downstairs in the basement working out and crying. I've decided to force myself to work out while crying about my weight loss journey - I hope I can see the Hip Hop Abs man through my tears!

Blame it on Me!!!

Today was a bad day. I didn't work out and I overdosed on Pepperidge Farm Flavor Blasted Goldfish (x-tra cheddar). In addition to that, I didn't do anything that could even be considered exercising. However, I must admit, the goldfish were pre-meditated. To be quite honest - I have no regrets (but I should)! In the words of Chrisette Michele (prepare to sing), "Blame in om me! Say it's my fault!" - Say that I ate all the goldfish in the bag without a second thought!

I Want Salt!

Have you ever had one of those day where all you want to do is eat something salty? Today was that day for me. I've been eating a ton of vegetables, fruits, raw almonds, yogurt, and other stuff that only whole foods sells. I really wanted something different. For the most part, today was a good day - I ate nothing out of the realm of health but I just couldn't satisfy my taste buds today. One of my co-workers (an excellent mathematician) had some gold fish pretzels. I know I was supposed to give those up but when I looked at the nutrition facts I realized that the sodium is only 18% and you can eat 3 handfuls (43 goldfish) for only 130 calories and/or 3 Weight Watchers points! So, I did what most people trying to lose weight would do - I ate the pretzels! To add insult to injury when my team met (the ones who were sooo supportive in the beginning) they were eating Keebler Shortbread cookies dipped in milk chocolate! I, however, managed to RESIST temptation by eating baby carrots instead of joining the cookie frenzy (the proof is in the pic above - those snacks are the real thing. I took that pic in the middle of the meeting just to show you). As I drove home I began to think about the consequences of my goldfish pretzels. I decided that there was only one major consequence - THE RETENTION OF WATER!!!!! If my body holds on to the salt, the scale will show that I have lost nothing! That is an achingly painful consequence! You would think that I learned my lesson BUT NOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Later on in the evening I still had a craving for salt! I ate a small handful of sunflower seeds (ok - two small handfuls of sunflower seeds)! What in the world!!!!! I must have been mad (excuse my expression - I've spent the last three days with teachers from England)! I immediately went downstairs to sweat it out - I spent an hour working out. I produced so much sweat that I could have quenched the thirst of a small toddler in the Mojave desert! So there you have it. Today was not my best day but still wasn't my worst. I'm just hoping and praying that when Saturday comes I'll have a good report for you all. Please, send me your well wishes. I need them.

P.S. - My team is still great and supportive even though they tried to play me with the cookies!!!

Packin' and Stackin' with my CFM

Ok. I'm thinking that I need a visual goal during my weight loss process. When people (who are self-disciplined) really want something they develop a plan of action which will explain and/or show the end result. I know that I still have 22 pounds left ( my goal) but I feel like I need a visual aide to assist me. I need a celebrity fit model! I'm thinking this will be a person (a celebrity) who is around the same height as me with the same body type. For example, Tyra Banks can't be my Celebrity Fit Model (CFM) because she's about ten inches taller than me and lacks my well endowed boobies. I need a celebrity who has t & a (if you know what that is great - if not see me personally for a detailed explanation). You see, I'm packin' and stackin' which means I'm blessed in multiple areas. I have a very curvy shape - especially 22 pounds lighter. Now, I feel like there aren't many celebs with natural curves. The first few people that come to mind are Kim Kardashian, Tocarra, J-Lo, Marlin Munroe, Betty Boop, and Jessica Rabbit. I'm having a little bit of trouble picking my CFM so do you all have any suggestions? Remember: the key words are SHORT and CURVY!! Oh and just in case you were wondering, I worked out today for an hour and I ate healthy meals!!! This is getting easier and easier!