She's Got Curves

Atkins Approved!

2012-01-27T10:47:00.008-06:00

(Induction friendly low-carb pizza I made January 18)

I must say that I’m loving the Atkins lifestyle change! I’ve slipped up here and there, but, for the most part I stick to the plan 90% of the time. Buuut, I’m trying to get to 100%. I don’t know how much weight I’ve shed, but I do know that it’s pounds AND inches based on how my pants are all saggy in the bootay area. My weight has fluctuated so much that I’m not 100% sure of the exact amount that I’ve lost. I’ll just wait until I’m 30 days in to confirm the numbers.

I just ordered the new book “The New Atkins for a New You” from Ebay. If there was one downfall that I want to overcome, it would be finding creative ways to cook the same foods so that they don’t bore me out. Hopefully the new book will assist me in that area. Other than that, I’m alright. I started Atkins on January 3 in the Induction phase. Because I haven’t been 100% like I should, I’ve extended the Induction phase through to February 7. At that point, I will move on to Phase 2 of Atkins. It’s my wish that I have continued success with Atkins and soon, I hope to reveal a new and better me.

Have a great weekend!

2012 Plan of Action

2012-01-06T17:01:00.006-06:00

Things to do in 2012

New blog design – I want something that’s more personable.

Clever post topics (i.e. Moody Monday) – Sometimes I have no clue what some of my topics should be; I’ve seen other bloggers use this style and me likey!

Post more consistently – Helps me to be accountable and I love writing.

Include other categories – I have a lot going on in my life besides trying to lose weight, why not share it?

Join the YMCA – They offer a wide selection of classes AND the biggest perk? They will watch your little one while you workout for free. Another incentive, my husband’s job will pay a portion of the cost. I’m so excited! Note - Joined Thursday January 5, 2012. Everyone in our household is on the plan and it’s such an affordable price.

Modify eating habits with Atkins - The jury is still out on if it helps me to lose weight. I'm still in Phase I, which is Induction. I will say that my appetite is suppressed and my cravings have decreased.

Start using apple cider vinegar again - My mom has been consuming it and having great total body results. Reminds me of the good it did me, when I would add it to my grapefruit juice.

Game.Face.ON!!

2012-01-06T16:42:00.007-06:00

Happy New Year!

With a New Year, comes a new attitude. I’m ready to see major loss in 2012. My long-term 2012 goal is to be out of the 200’s (YIKES!) by my wedding anniversary, October 25, 2012. My short-term goal is to lose 25 pounds by my birthday, April 2, 2012. To begin, I started the Atkins diet on Tuesday, January 3. In the past, I’ve tried lowering my calories and exercising as a weight loss method, to no avail. I’m thinking that as I get older, my body isn’t very carb friendly, so that’s why I want to give Atkins a try.

For fitness, I attempted to do Turbo Fire, but quickly had to stop. I am so NOT there right now. I will continue with Turbo Jam and start taking the classes and using the equipment at the Y until I’m ready. Hopefully I can start Turbo Fire in February.

Two is Company

2011-12-12T16:08:00.006-06:00

My sis will be graduating from college on Saturday and then moving back home over the weekend. Go BRITT! On that note, I am for sure, SURE going to start Turbo Fire next Monday (December 12). She will be my workout partner, as she was prior to college. Years ago when we were excercising together, it was much easier for me to stay on task because we were each other's cheerleader. I'm so happy she's coming back!

Sooo I haven't exercised, exercised but I have been active. I have been super busy with my precious baby boy, winter cleaning and shopping. I even started stair climbing while I'm at work since my time is so limited when I get home.

My eating hasn't been out of control, but I can do a lot better. My pants are fitting looser in the butt area, BUT (no pun intended), for some odd reason my stomach seems like it's poking out more. I'm hoping that my eyes are playing tricks on me....Or maybe the extra water I've been drinking....Whatever the reason, it HAS to go!

I still haven't started working out in the morning prior to going to work. That's something that I KNOW has to change. If I could ACTually do it, I'd be further in this weight loss journey. I have been going to bed earlier, so that's a start in the right direction.

Getting it Right

2011-11-23T12:24:00.001-06:00

Last week, I only exercised on Saturday. The good thing is that Saturday started a trend of consistency; I exercised Sunday and Monday as well. Go me, go me! I’ve been doing HIIT on my treadmill to get my cardio in, since I haven't been able to stick to the Turbo Jam calendar. I am hoping to get my hands on Turbo Fire over the Thanksgiving weekend. After ordering it on Ebay and the seller being a rip-off, I wasn’t motivated to try buying it again. Hopefully, I’ll be able to start it on Monday if everything goes as planned.

A few meals I've had:

Noodle stir-fry w/ veggies and chicken

Chopped chicken breast, baby spinach, shredded cheese, and mustard on Oroweat Thin

What a Time...

2011-11-23T12:14:00.004-06:00

When we finally have a plan and getting things on track, life has a way of knocking you back a few steps....My DS (dear son) was hospitalized on November 12 for an eyelid infection. Poor baby had to stay there for two days, that's how bad it was. Thankfully, with 10 days of antibiotics the swelling went down and he was back to his normal activities. As if that wasn't enough, the day we got home, he started coughing. SN: The nurse did say that his immune system was suppressed because of his eyelid infection. Now he has bronchitis, a virus. Apparently a lot of kids are getting it because of this crazy weather. We have to give him a puff of an inhaler every 4-6 hours to help with his coughing. Other than that, he's doing great. Hubby and I won't be doing a lot of traveling to Thanksgiving dinners on tomorrow. Doc said it’s best to only send DS to the babysitter and home. He will be going to his granny's and I MAY go to my mom's for dinner, since there won't be many people there.

Needless to say the week he came home, I didn't do one single exercise. However, my diet has been on point. That's the latest...

Finally...

2011-11-03T12:21:00.003-05:00

I started Turbo Jam last night! Since I'm so late in the week starting, I will let Sunday and Monday serve as rest days and Tuesday - Saturday will be my workout days. That being said, I have to makeup the 20 minute workout and Ab Jam that I didn't do on Wednesday, because I was busy making up the workout for Tuesday. I'm going to try to squeeze in one of the two missed workouts this evening.

Today got off to a slow and late start. *I knew there was a reason why my sleep felt so good. I didn't pack my lunch last night, so I have to figure out what I'm going to grab for lunch. I'm thinking maybe a grilled chicken salad. Hmmmm...

I didn't start Turbo Jam

2011-11-02T16:18:00.005-05:00

See what had happened was....This little guy kept me busy and then he had the nerve to go to sleep on me in MY bed!!

Seriously I didn't start Turbo Jam last night. BUT tonight is THE NIGHT!! To keep me accountable, I'm posting this. I will definitely update if when I complete it tonight!!

Back on the Grapefruit Juice!

2011-11-01T11:12:00.007-05:00

Last week was NOT a good week as far as exercising goes! I only exercised twice. My eating habits weren't out of control, so I guess that's a plus. All in all, could've been better, could've been worse.

On Sunday, I started back drinking unsweetened grapefruit juice. On one of my previous posts a couple of years ago, I talked about the success I had with it. Eventually, I plan on doing a juice fast once or twice a week to see some weight loss. Lord knows I could use it now; I ate more than my share of candy these last few days.

This week is the start of Turbo Jam. I'm already behind on 1 workout, but I'm still going to PUSH. I will be doing the 20 min workout and Ab Jam this evening. I will be happy to get to the point in my journey when I get my butt up and exercise in the morning. That way, anything extra that I do in the evening, will be an added bonus. To stay on track with my diet, a trip to the grocery is definitely needed!

Making up for lost time

2011-10-20T11:02:00.003-05:00

Last week I burned 710 calories. *Booooo! I have myself to blame, because I only exercised twice. This week I started out by making up a Couch-2-5k that I didn't get in last week. As of today, I am on track with my Couch-2-5k workouts. I decided that I am going to stick with the Week 3 protocal for the duration of the program. My knees can't handle what week 4 was trying to do.

So far for the week, I've exercised 3 days. * Go me! I stopped tracking calories burned on Tuesday because my HRM was tripping. However, on Monday I do know that I burned 610 calories because of the C25k workout that I had to makeup on top of my regular C25k workout. My focus now, is to workout at least 5 days a week. Anything more than that, is a bonus. Hopefully my HRM will cooperate with me today when I exercise.

I Did That!

2011-10-11T11:45:00.003-05:00

Last week, I managed to burn 1,311; just 189 calories shy of my goal. This week, I hope to reach my goal of burning 1500 calories.

This week also marks week 3 of Couch-2-5k. I’m starting to notice that my clothes are fitting looser. Yay me! After this week, I won't be increasing my running duration to the amount that is required of the program. However, I will continue to do the program for the number of required weeks and just run for a shorter amount of time. I totally love Couch-2-5k!

A Few Snacks and Meals I've had

2011-10-05T09:41:00.013-05:00

~Yoplait Whips Yogurt~

~Granny Smith Apple~

~Sharp String Cheese~

~Special K Cracker Chips~

~Sweet, juicy plum~

~Baked Rosemary chicken wings with baked sweet potato fries~

~Turkey club - Turkey, 1 slice turkey bacon, tablespoon sharp cheddar cheese, baby spinach and mustard on Orowheat Sandwich Thins~

Couch-2-5k

2011-10-03T09:33:00.000-05:00

Last week I exercised 3 days out of 7. Not toooo bad, but I’d like to at least get 4 days in from here on out. I also started Couch-2-5K on last week. I missed the last workout in the series and have to make it up at some point. But all in all, I must say that I like the program. I also incorporated Pilates Buns & Thigh dvd into rotation. It really gave my butt a good burn like it did when I first tried it years ago.

This week, I'm looking to get the Couch-2-5k workout in that I missed and trying to add Turbo Jam's Ab Jam into my rotation.

Workout Schedule wk of 9/26/11

Couch-2-5k – Burned 205 calories
20min Turbo Jam & Winsor Pilates Buns & Thighs – Burned 371 calories
Couch-2-5K – Burned 339

I burned a total of 915 calories for the week of 9/26/11. I would like to see that number increase to a minimum of 1500 weekly.

Just keeping it real....

2011-09-21T15:00:00.003-05:00

I’m tired of counting calories! I think I’m to a point in this journey where I can pick/eat close to goal w/o having to count, count. I have OFFICIALLY gotten bored with this aspect of losing weight. Maybe I’ll take a stab at taking pics of my food to see if that’s beneficial??? I would like to start exercising longer and more vigorously. I guess I'll be doing some interval training. From here on out (until I get bored), I won’t be posting my caloric consumption. However, I will continue to post my caloric burn but on a weekly basis. So far I've burned 435 and that's without exercising on Tuesday. We'll see how the rest of the week goes.

MEAL DIARY MONDAY 9/19/11

2011-09-19T14:28:00.000-05:00

Breakfast
Sharp string cheese - 60 cal

Snack
Brownie - 180 cal
Chex bold party mix- 120 cal

Lunch
Chicken n Dumplings - 270 cal

Snack

Dinner

Snack

TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED - 630 cal +++

TOTAL CALORIES BURNED -

Counting Calories

2011-09-19T12:35:00.003-05:00

Since I've started counting calories, I've lost two pounds. I know my weight loss could be greater if I'd eat more healthy foods and exercise more. When I see all the calories that certain meals cost, it shames me. Often times, I eat fast food out of convenience. I see why I've gained all this weight!! I really need to buy more Lean Cuisine type foods, when I'm running low on time.

Things to change
Shop Sunday for healthy lunch foods - My top 3 go-to foods for the week will be rotisserie chicken, baby spinach and Oroweat sandwich thins.

Exercise in the morning - I feel that I'm more likely to stick to exercising if I get it out of the way, prior to going to work.

Prepare breakfast and lunch at night - Along with getting myself ready for work, I have to feed my son and dress him which leaves little time in the morning to prepare food.

**If I can start by making these small changes, I should start seeing results consistently.

MEAL DIARY SUNDAY 9/18/11

2011-09-19T11:58:00.004-05:00

Breakfast
Cinnamon Toast Crunch w/2% milk - 468 cal

Snack
Nothing

Lunch
Nothing

Snack
Brownie - 180 cal

Dinner
Chicken n Dumplings - 540 cal

Cornbread muffin - 170 cal

Snack
White seedless grapes - 60 cal
Banana - 110 cal

TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED - 1,528

TOTAL CALORIES BURNED - 0 DIDN'T EXERCISE

MEAL DIARY SATURDAY 9/17/11

2011-09-17T23:27:00.000-05:00

Breakfast
Honeynut Cheerios w/ 2% milk - 282 cal

Snack
Nothing

Lunch
3 hotwings -150 cal
Rotel - 142 cal
Tortilla chips - 140 cal

Snack
Nothing

Dinner
POPEYE’s
Half Breast/Leg - 380 cal
Biscuit - 260 cal
Fries - 130 cal

Snack
Rainbow Sherbet Ice cream - 120 cal

TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED - 1,604

TOTAL CALORIES BURNED - 0 DIDN'T EXERCISE

MEAL DIARY - FRI. 9/16/11

2011-09-16T22:22:00.001-05:00

Breakfast
Nothing

Snacks
Nothing

Lunch
Chick-fil-A #1 Combo - 1,200 ***RED FLAG*** - Sooo out of order but I was having a lazy day, didn't wanna get out the car to go in Subway or Lenny's.

Snacks

Nothing

Dinner
3 slices of LC pepperoni pizza - 840 cal

Snacks
Nothing

TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED - 2,400 cal

TOTAL CALORIES BURNED - 0 - DIDN'T EXERCISE

MEAL DIARY - THURS. 9/15/11

2011-09-15T13:19:00.001-05:00

Breakfast
Nothing

Snacks
Ritz Crackerful - 130 cal

Lunch
Smothered pork chop – 410 cal
White rice – 205 cal

Dinner
Zatarin's Jambalaya Pasta - 420 cal

Snacks
Mini popcorn - 160 cal
3 oatmeal cookies - 180 cal

TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED - 1,505 cal

TOTAL CALORIES BURNED - 245 cal - 20 min Turbo Jam

MEAL DIARY - WED. 9/14/11

2011-09-14T12:16:00.005-05:00

Breakfast

2 hardboiled eggs – 156 cal
2 slices of turkey bacon – 50 cal
Sharp cheese – 54 cal

Snacks
3 oatmeal cookies – 180 cal

Lunch
Turkey and roast beef sandwich – 200 cal
Chili Cheese Fritos – 240 CAL

Snacks
Fun size Baby Ruth - 85 cal
Mini popcorn - 160

Dinner

Smothered pork chop - 410 cal

White Rice - 205 cal

Turnip greens – 100 cal

Dr. Pepper – 300 cal

**RED FLAG** This meal had too many calories, but hubby had this on his mind all day. And who am I to disappoint?! Plus, it was sooo good!

Snacks

TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED – 2,140

TOTAL CALORIES BURNED – 0 Didn't exercise :(

MEAL DIARY - TUESDAY 9/13/11

2011-09-13T10:12:00.005-05:00

Breakfast
Hard boiled egg – 78
3 slices turkey bacon – 75
Sharp cheddar cheese - 27

Snack
Ritz Classic Cheddar Crackerful – 130 cal

Lunch
2.5 baked chicken wings – 200 cal
Green beans – 40 cal

Snack
Whips Yogurt – 140 cal
2 Fun size Baby Ruth - 170 cal

Dinner
3 chicken wings – 240 cal
Green beans – 40 cal

Snack
2 serv. Kroger Rainbow Sherbet - 240 cal
3 oatmeal cookies – 180 cal

TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED – 1,560

TOTAL CALORIES BURNED – NO EXERCISE

MEAL DIARY - MON. 9/12/11

2011-09-12T13:14:00.004-05:00

Soooo actually, I’m starting over this week. Last week, I must’ve caught some type of virus, my throat was sore and I was congested. NOT a good feeling at all. I finally went to the doctor on Friday for some meds. Thank God it wasn’t anything serious. With that being said, I am going to start back posting my meal diaries and workouts daily.

Breakfast
Hardboiled egg w/ sharp cheese – 78 cal
3 slices of turkey bacon – 75 cal
Sharp cheddar cheese - 27

Snacks
Oreo cookies – 270 cal

Lunch
Turkey & roastbeef sandwich – 200 cal
1/2 serv. Sweet butter chips – 50 cal

Snacks
3 Chocolate chip cookies – 180 cal
Sharp cheese string wrapped in Turkey – 110 cal
Mini bag of popcorn – 160 cal

Dinner
Fit & Active Chicken Alfredo – 240 cal
Baked chicken wing drummie – 40 cal
Fried chicken wing drummie – 51 cal

Snacks
Smoothie – 120 cal

TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED – 1601
TOTAL CALORIES BURNED – 285 - 20 min Turbo Jam

* I went hard on Turbo Jam but I had to bring down the intensity when I started to cramp. I'm hoping to see that scale

MEAL DIARY - TUESDAY 9/6/11

2011-09-06T14:59:00.003-05:00

Breakfast
2 hard-boiled eggs w/sharp cheddar cheese cube - 173 cal

Snack
Peanuts - 140 cal
4 Oreo cookies - 180 cal

Lunch
BBQ shoulder sandwich - 300 cal

Snack

Dinner

TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED - 793 + cal

TOTAL CALORIES BURNED -

I WON'T EVEN SAY WHAT I ATE...

2011-09-06T14:49:00.005-05:00

I didn't eat anywhere close to my diet plans over the Labor Day weekend. I didn't exercise either. I guess my saving grace was that the food was grilled and not fried, right? Today, I'm going to start back exercising consistently and tracking/prepping my meals so that I can stay within the caloric alottment and stay focused on my goal to lose weight.

MEAL DIARY - FRI. 9/2/11

2011-09-02T23:53:00.001-05:00

Breakfast
Nothing - I made a mistake and put my turkey bacon in the microwave on defrost instead of cook. Didn't have time to cook it before leaving for work.

Snack
Peanuts - 140 cal
3 Nutter Butter Cookies - 180 cal

Lunch
3 slices of PH Chicken Pizza - 1,029 cal ***RED FLAG*** I was so out of order!

Snack
Special K Sour Cream & Onion Chps - 110 cal

Dinner
Zatarin's Jambalaya Pasta - 420 cal

TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED - 1,879 cal

TOTAL CALORIES BURNED - 0 - Didn't exercise

MEAL DIARY - THUR. 9/1/11

2011-09-01T16:15:00.003-05:00

Breakfast
Chick-fil-A biscuit 440 cal **RED FLAG** Too many calories!

Snack
Peanuts 140 cal

Lunch
Chicken Salad Sandwich 250 cal
Sweet Pickles – 100 cal
Special K Chips - 110 cal

Snack
3 Oreo cookies - 160 cal

Dinner
.5 serv. Chicken & Steak Fajita Nachos - 900 cal

TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED - 2100 cal

TOTAL CALORIES BURNED - 281 cal 20 min Turbo Jam

**Yesterday was hubby's birthday so we had Mexican food. I still managed to stay within limits.

MEAL DIARY - WED. AUGUST 31, 2011

2011-08-31T14:04:00.005-05:00

I didn't get a chance to exercise before work or eat breakfast, however, I do plan on working out this evening. Dinner is very simple, so I know I'll have to get it in.

Breakfast
Peanuts - 140 cal

Lunch
Chicken Salad Sandwich - 250 cal
1.5 serv. Fritos Scoops - 240 cal

Snack
3 Oatmeal cookies - 180 cal

Reese PB Cup - 80 cal

Dinner

3 serv. Voila Garlic Chicken - 720 cal **RED FLAG** Too many calories!

Snack
Oatmeal Cookies - 120 cal

TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED - 1730

TOTAL CALORIES BURNED - WATP 250 cal

*Although my caloric intake wasn't high, 720 calories at one meal is ridiculous!

MEAL DIARY TUES. AUGUST 30, 2011

2011-08-30T21:43:00.004-05:00

Breakfast
Boiled Egg – 78 cal
3 slices of turkey bacon – 45 cal

Snack
Peanuts – 140 cal
2 oatmeal cookies – 120 cal

Lunch
Turkey and roast beef sandwich – 180 cal
1.5 ser. Doritos – 225 cal
Sweet Pickles – 100 cal
Starbucks Caramel Macchiato – 180 cal

Snack
2 oatmeal cookies - 120 cal
Reese's PB Cup - 80 cal

Dinner
Meatball sub - 580 cal
French Fries - 150 cal

Total Calories - 1,998
Total Calories Burned - 0

***Didn't get to exercise today. Tomorrow will be better!

MY Fitness - MEAL DIARY MON. AUGUST 29, 2011

2011-08-29T14:07:00.011-05:00

As I stated earlier, I'm ready to try well-balanced structured meals to help me lose weight. The plan is to post my daily meals and workouts to help track my results. I'm aiming to stay within the 1800-2200 calorie range and exercise at least 4-5 days a week.

AM Workout before work
15 min -1 mile WATP & 5 min on treadmill = 20 min

Breakfast
Hard-boiled egg - 78 cal
3 slices turkey bacon - 45 cal

Snack
Snack Pack Peanuts - 150 cal
Ritz Crackers - 160 cal

Lunch
Turkey & RB sandwich - 180 cal
1.5 Serv. Cheese Doritos - 225 cal

Snack
Smart Pop Popcorn - 100 cal

Dinner
Dirty Rice - 260 cal
4 Fried Chicken Drummies - 248 cal

Snack
BlueBell Moo-llennium Crunch - 380 cal
.5 Serv. Cheese Doritos - 75 cal

Total Calories Consumed - 1,901
Total Calories Burned - Forgot to wear HRM

**My snacking and dinner was off the chain. I will do better!

I Was Trying, BUT NOW I'm......

2011-08-22T16:01:00.001-05:00

Prior to getting pregnant, I wanted to lose weight. Now, my struggle is to lose that weight and the weight I put on while pregnant. My long-term goal is to lose 100 pounds. I’m not quite sure, how much my short-term goal should be. Maybe 30????

To help conquer this issue, I started Intermittent Fasting in June; so far I’ve lost 7 pounds w/o consistently exercising. During the week, I would basically fast a minimum of 16 hours and have an eight-hour window in which I can eat. On the weekends, I would do 19 hours of fasting and have a 5-hour eating window. The weekends were sooo much easier for me, because I’m normally really busy and hardly have time to think about eating. It’s really up to each individual to set time limits based on what works for their lifestyle.

For a while, this way of eating was a perfect fit. I’ve never been the type that NEEDED to eat breakfast (except when I was pregnant), so skipping it, wasn't a big deal for me. The purpose of Intermittent Fasting is to give the digestive system a break. During the fasting time, your body eats stored fat. During my eating window, I'd tend to eat healthier so that I could make sure that I’m getting all the nutrients that my body needs for healthy weight loss. One can create a major calorie deficit by eating this way. I learned the foundation to my approach to Intermittent Fasting by going here.

After trying Intermittent Fasting, I'm ready to try well-balanced structured meals....

Long Time, No See

2011-08-15T16:43:00.005-05:00

A lot has taken place since the last time I posted. Most importantly, I am now a Mommy!! My son, Bryson Reece, was born on March 24, 2011 weighing 8lbs 6 oz. He is the sweetest baby EVER! I love my son sooo much. He is now my motivation to get in shape and stay in shape so that I can be around and active to take care of him.

Since having my son, I continue to take my iron and prenatal pills so that my post-partum shedding will calm down; so far, so good. I’m also taking a B-complex for energy, burdock root to purify the blood. I would like to begin taking coconut oil for my appetite and belly fat and garlic pills to combat post-partum shedding. Now that I've gotten used to being a new mommy, I'll be posting on a regular basis now. So happy to be back on the WWW!!

And Baby Makes Three!

2010-11-05T16:19:00.004-05:00

It has been forever since I posted to my blog. In the time that I haven’t posted, I’ve gotten married and I’m expecting my first baby! Needless to say, my mission to lose weight has been temporarily put on hold. I am so excited AND nervous! My due date is March 25, 2011 (a week before my birthday, April 2). I am looking forward to having a spring baby. I found out that we’re having a boy last week so I’m happy to start shopping for the little guy. And what better time to shop for baby than at Christmas! I haven't been as active as I should during my pregnancy but hey, I blame it on the hormones. I've been fortunate/blessed enough to not have any morning sickness. My biggest issues were nausea, fatigue and heart-burn during my first trimester. All of these problems are better except the heart-burn. I hear that means the baby will have lots of hair.

Today officially markes the half-way mark for me. I am 20 weeks today!

Body Inspiration - Kimberley Locke

2010-06-08T16:43:00.000-05:00

Once I lose my weight, I hope to have a shape similar to Kimberly Locke’s. Before poor eating and exercise habits came in to play, my shape was similar to hers. I think her shape/size would work well for me. I am not trying to be a size 6 or anything, I’d be happy with a size 12. I’ve lost a lot of weight in the past and let’s just say the bobble head with the little body didn’t look well on me.

I'm Still Here

2010-06-07T17:29:00.004-05:00

It’s been a minute since I’ve updated my blog…..Things are going good. I have made a few changes in my diet that I have to update ya on. In February I started a 3-month Weight Watchers online membership to lose weight. I was successful in losing (at this point, maintaining) 12 pounds. Yay me! I haven't continued my membership but instead have continued to use the principles that being on WW taught me. Also, I started back taking Apple cider vinegar but that quickly faded.

My 30th birthday came and went on April 2 and I couldn’t have felt better. 30 came with an unexpected gift that someone special enjoyed. *wink* I didn’t do what I had hoped to do for my birthday but I had a wonderful time. As a gift to myself I bought a treadmill to help with my weight loss efforts. I haven’t used it as much I would like but I use it often.

What am I doing now? As far as supplements go, I’m taking One A Day Women’s Active Metabolism to help curb my appetite and to boost my metabolism. I’ve also taken my green tea extract capsules here and there. I would like to start back getting my B12 shots to boost my energy but finding time is hard to do these days. On the exercise tip, I am using my treadmill and Walk Away the Pounds. If I could get up and get on my treadmill and do a little HIIT prior to going to work, my metabolism would be an ignition to increase my weight loss! I am on a mission to try this at least two times a week. I might even try this kickboxing dvd that I have, who knows.....Anywho, that's the latest.

New Plan of Action

2010-01-22T13:13:00.004-06:00

The workout DVDs that I have in rotation now are Punch Up Your Walk (Leslie Sansone), The Biggest Loser (Wii), and Turbo Jam. *Punch Up Your Walk has to be my fave right now!! I ordered this DVD over Christmas break from Amazon and it has been amazing! This DVD set came with a pair of weighted gloves that you use while walking to add an extra burn to your workout. The entire DVD totals 4 miles but so far I’ve only done 2 miles and burned 340 calories max. I will be happy when I know the routine well enough to listen to my I-Pod while working out. *Another newbie in rotation is The Biggest Loser (Wii). I like this workout because it gets your heart rate up while having fun at the same time. I plan on purchasing a balance board to get the best use of this workout and to track my weight loss for the 30-day challenge. *Turbo Jam - still love it! I might add Hip Hop Abs back once a week.

I modified my supplements recently so I am currently taking Chlorella, Biotin, Liver Essentials, Neem Leaf, and Olive Leaf Extract. They all play a vital role in my overall health.

Things to Incorporate

Incorporate more veggies into my diet
Get rid of the junk and eat fruit as my snack
Buy a rotisserie chicken from Sam’s once a week for easy meals
Eat a salad with dinner/lunch daily
Track calories burned during each workout

New Year = Better Habits

2010-01-04T23:02:00.001-06:00

Happy New Year!!

I must say that last year was filled with lots of ups and downs but through it all I made progress in my journey to lose weight. I learned/ am still learning about what works and what doesn’t work for my body. I know that this year, I must go to the next level in my efforts to get rid of this weight.

One of my weight loss mentors said that one doesn’t need to be motivated to lose weight, motivation is based on emotions and emotions are fickle. You should make weight loss a habit like your personal hygiene. You wouldn’t go a day without brushing your teeth or showering, you should think of exercising the same way. If I want to succeed in my efforts, I MUST, I MUST, I MUST be persistent with making exercise a priority and a daily habit. Will I lose ALLLLL the weight that I was aiming to lose by my birthday (April 2)? Definitely not, but I will be one step closer to making this weight loss a lifestyle change instead of a temporary fix.

End of the Year Wrap-Up

2009-12-26T17:03:00.001-06:00

Thanksgiving – I visited my sister in Murfreesboro TN for Thanksgiving because she wasn’t going to be able to come home. I didn’t go overboard with cooking because of limited space but I did manage to cook chicken spaghetti, fried cabbage, potatoes, baked turkey wings and dinner rolls. I ate that at dinner on Thanksgiving and didn’t eat it as leftovers at any other point during my visit. I was so proud of myself!

Christmas - I had a two week vacation at Christmas that I knew would put my commitment to eating better and exercising to the test. How did I do? Well, I passed! I didn’t cook too many dishes and I didn’t take home food from my visits with family. My sister was able to come home for Christmas so we worked out together on some days.

All in all, I managed to keep my healthy habits consistent through the 2 major holidays. For me, that is a major accomplishment!!

All I Want for Christmas....Is A Trainer!!

2009-11-18T12:12:00.003-06:00

If I had only one wish for Christmas, it would be to have a trainer for 12 months! It would be great to have a professional to assist me with healthier eating habits and someone that will push me to my limit with my workouts. I would be soooo happy. If I don't go overboard with my shopping next week, I might get a trainer for at least 2 months. For the first time in a long time, I'm not finding it difficult to eat right and diet w/o going overboard for the holidays. Maybe I should wait until after Thanksgiving before saying that, huh.

With my 30th birthday getting sooooo close I can't afford ANY setbacks. By February, I want to see a drastic change in my body and appearance by then. I still have people telling me that I'm losing but it's not drastic enough for ME to see, ya know? My eating habits are nowhere near where they were when I first set out on this weight loss journey but still so far from where I want to be. A trainer will give me that extra mmphhh that I need to finish off strong. I am contemplating these two trainers, http://www.balancingbeautifulbodies.com/ and http://www.jaylofitness.com/ to assist me in getting these pounds off.

Anyway, that's what's on my mind.

Have a fabulous day!

Try the Momentum™ program from Weight Watchers®. Learn how to lose weight and feel fuller longer.

I'm Turbo Jamming

2009-11-05T15:33:00.000-06:00

Soooo I started Turbo Jam about 2 weeks ago. I must say that I love it! I am so thankful to my sister for letting me borrow it. I burn close to 400 calories while doing the 20 minute workout. It's a total body workout that will have you sweating buckets. What I love about Turbo Jam is the great music that keeps you pumped and the great moves. I must admit that Chalean's cueing isn't the best but with practice, you will definitely get the moves down.

Anyway, just wanted to drop in to give Turbo Jam 2 thumbs up!

You Take What? Vitamins & Supplements

2009-10-21T15:02:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I placed an order for vitamins & supplements from Swansons to cleanse my body, assist me in my weight loss goals and for overall good health.

Vitamin/Purpose *Review*

Liver Essentials - cleanse and purify the blood *It works great and keeps me regular*

Green Tea Extract - appetite suppressant *I only take it once a day and I can tell a big difference in my appetite when I take it. I imagine it would work even better if I took it twice a day as suggested. It doesn't make you feel jittery at all!*

Neem Leaf - cleanse/purify and immune system support (Great because of the Swine Flu madness) *Works great with all the other immune system support supplements I'm taking. I haven't gotten sick, so that's a plus!*

Olive Leaf Extract - supports immune health and head-to-toe antioxidant *Works great with all the other immune system support supplements I'm taking. I haven't gotten sick, so that's a plus!*

Gymnema Sylvestre - reduces cravings for sweets *I absolutely love sweets! My sweet tooth cravings were drastically reduced with these pills.*

I love Swansons products because they are reasonably priced and they don't contain all that other junk . My total for my order was $24.17 and the Green Tea and Liver pills were "Buy One Get One Free" so that's 7 bottles for a great price. They also have a carb blocker that I want to try.

Anyway, that's the latest. Enjoy your day!

Lose 2.5 Pounds Weekly

2009-10-16T14:41:00.003-05:00

In order to stay on track and get to the weight loss goal I am trying to reach before April 2, 2010, that's what I gotta do; lose 2.5 pounds weekly. I am going to try out Turbo Jam by Beachbody to see if it keeps my attention starting Monday. My problem with many weight loss programs is that I find myself getting bored easily. I wish it wasn't getting cold so fast, so I could still walk around in the neighborhood. I started back doing Hip Hop Abs and it feels like I haven't missed a beat! I would like to start going to Zumba class next week on Thursdays. I've heard you can burn a ton of calories doing that workout.

This weekend, I am going grocery shopping for more healthy meal options to help with the 2.5 pounds I want to lose weekly. So far on my list, I have romaine lettuce, green beans, turnip greens, cabbage, squash, boneless skinless chicken breasts, veggie broth (to flavor veggies), Uncle Ben's brown rice, onions, eggs, grapes, turkey bacon and whole wheat bread & pita pockets. I need to get more veggies in but I figure this is an "ok" start. I am on the lookout for great vegetable recipes and ideas for meals.....I have a feeling next week is going to be a great week!

Anyway, that's the lastest. Have a great weekend!

How You Doohing?

2009-10-05T12:00:00.004-05:00

Hello all. I must say that I have been slacking in the exercise department, realllly bad! I've probably exercised 6 days the entire month of September! Yeah , I know that's pretty sad.... BUT my eating habits have been on point and I haven't gained weight so I guess that's a positive.

I relocated to a verrry busy department at my job in late August and I've been working on a side business venture, that keeps me on my toes. So when I get home blogging and exercising were the last 2 things on my mind. I was tired and just needed some quiet time. I have come to the realization that these 2 things, exercising and blogging are what motivates me to continue on my weight loss journey and relieve stress. Ahhhhh, it feels so good to write this.....

I started Jillian Michael's 30 day shred last month and it was wonderful. Once I get these ol' joints lubricated again, I will tackle that DVD. It made me feel the good kinda sore. Since it's getting too cold to walk outside, the plan is to utilize 100% DVD workouts to burn this fat.

Another discovery of mine is that a med that I've been taking for about a year could cause heart problems and SLOOOOwed metabolism. Both of which aren't good for overall health. I stopped taking the med last week, so I will see how much of a part it played in my slowed my weight gain over the past year.

I am soooo happy to be blogging again.

Signed,

Just trying to find a balance~

My Vision Board

2009-08-31T13:58:00.003-05:00

This is what the wall next to my bed looks like. I attached pics of things that I want manifested in my life. Weight loss has been the theme for my vision board for the pass 5 or 6 months. As you all know and the purpose of this blog is to document my weight loss journey so I thought I'd share it.

Have a great week!

I Guess I’m Losing

2009-08-27T14:13:00.000-05:00

To my surprise when visiting my mom, my 6-year old niece complimented me on my weight loss journey, “Nyssa, you look like you’re losing weight”, I just love my Amber Pooh to pieces. I have also had a few co-workers to tell me that they see a difference. I appreciate that, it is truly motivating. Sometimes we can’t see what others on the outside looking in see. I lost between 10-15 pounds since starting out on this journey.

My weight loss is a slow roll but I have no problem with that, it just means that I’ll keep it off. I have 8 months to go to lose 60 pounds. I know I can do it!

Still Loving The Belly Fat Cure

2009-08-20T22:39:00.000-05:00

I am still utilizing the Belly Fat Cure lifestyle change for my eating habits. This way of life is so easy to maintain. I have a total weight loss of 15 pounds since beginning this lifestyle change. This is a great diet, in that you don’t feel deprived of your favorite foods. If you watch your sugar intake and control those carbs, you will definitely lose weight!

Still Down

2009-08-14T09:25:00.000-05:00

I am still working on being consistent with my workout routine. It’s going better than it has been I must say. Right now, I’m working on getting my energy levels up. I’m pretty sure going to bed before 11:30 would help tremendously. I recently ran out of my fiber pills so that could be part of the problem also. Speaking of those pills, they are great! Everyday Fiber by Rainbow Light is an awesome fiber supplement that keeps things flowing smoothly.

I’m still loving my power walks. It helps to clear my mind and burn LOTS of calories. I’ve created a “Get Haute” play list on my I-pod that keeps me going while I’m exercising. It helps a lot!! I still do Hip Hop Abs, just not that often. I still haven’t tried Turbo Jam yet but I have to try it out before my sis goes back to college. *tear

Anyway, that’s the latest!

Down but not out

2009-08-07T10:43:00.003-05:00

This weight loss diet thingy has its ups and downs but I am still holding on. I haven't been exercising much at all! It's a shame because my body was responding positively. The rain off and on here, for the past 2 weeks has kept me from going walking to burn those calories. BUT that's no excuse as to why I didn't do my dvd workouts. Shame on me, Nyssa!!

Eventhough, I haven't exercised much, I have managed to maintain my weight and eat healthy. *mini toot-toot* That being said, I am on a mission to exercise everyday until my sister goes back to college on the 29th of this month. She has managed to keep her weight off that she dropped prior to coming back home for the summer but would still like to lose 5 more pounds, so we're going to this boot camp style! *Mental Note - post her before & after pics* I plan on doing at least 1 round of Tabatas daily to jumpstart my fatburning battery (metabolism), walking, Turbo Jam and Hip Hop Abs. You just gotta love Beachbody products!

Anywho, that's the latest, I'll be checking back to update my progress on this wonderful weight loss journey of mine sooner than later. ;-)

Have a great weekend!

Next Level Baby

2009-07-23T15:50:00.001-05:00

I think that my body has become acclimated to exercising. I don't feel tired or out of breath when I walk up staircases or do strenuous activities. Is that my body telling me it's time to kick up the intensity? Ideally, I would like to be more consistent with my workouts before doing so. Either way, I am determined to put more heart into it. I might add HHA Total Body Burn to my schedule once a week...Hmmmm.

Vent Part I - I hate my scale!!

2009-07-17T13:35:00.004-05:00

I'm not joking, I really do hate it! If I believed what I saw on that scale, I would be on depression medication and probably getting a crazy check!! How in the world does ones weight fluctuate that much?? Instead of depending on the scale to let me know if/how much I'm losing, I'm going to go based on the way that my clothes fit. If I continue to set myself up for disappointment i.e. looking at that scale, I'm gonna end up doing something really bad to it. I might go and purchase the "old-fashion" scale that doesn't do all that fat analyzing and digital crap.

I just had to let that out. *Wooo Sahhhh*

Apple Bottom Jeans

2009-07-16T11:43:00.002-05:00

Last week was a sluggish week for me. I only walked Monday and Tuesday and my eating habits weren't as great as they have been. I need to find more meal ideas I can do with chicken. Anybody have any ideas?

My sister and I made vows to one another *stomps foot* that for the next few weeks that she's here, we're gonna go at this weight loss boot camp style. Hellz yeah! She lost 20 pounds from February to May thanks to her trainer, Jessica. She helped her to modify her diet and taught her the importance of cardio workouts. She still has a few more pounds she wants to lose. I'll post her before and after pics later.

I forgot to mention that I did HHA Fat Burning Cardio last night and burned 403 calories. Wooo Hooo!

I Loooooove Walking!

2009-07-07T12:13:00.002-05:00

I have really enjoyed incorporating walking into my exercise routine to lose weight. I love how the wind blows the right amount of air to cool you off. I love how certain songs come on my IPod, motivating me to tackle the hills. I love the burn in my legs that I get from pushing myself to the limit. I love spending that quiet time focusing on absolutely nothing. I just love walking!

Tabatas Interval Training

2009-07-02T14:20:00.001-05:00

I'm not sure if I've already talked about my interest in Tabatas.... Not familiar with it? Tabata intervals consist of 20 seconds work, followed by 10 seconds of rest. You repeat this sequence 7 more times for a total of 8 rounds, or 4 minutes of pain! Tabata workouts are usually constructed with 3-6 exercises performed one after each other. Since I'm a beginner, I'm going to do Jumping Jacks (or running in place) to start out. There are many Youtube videos out with different exercises you can do. I am going to use an application from the App Store on my Ipod so that I don't miss my queue. The great thing about the app is that it plays over the music you're playing. I'll be sure to post if it's something I can stick with or something I need to work my way up to. I can't wait to try this out!

Bumps Along The Way

2009-06-29T16:30:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I add and get rid of so many things that it's hard for me to keep track. To combat that problem, I'm going to list what I'm no longer doing, what's new, my struggles, what I'm still doing and what I want to incorporate.

Still

Eating HEALTHY salads regularly

Limiting sugar intake

Doing Hip Hop Abs

Limiting salt intake

No Longer

Apple cider vinegar - I stopped because I wasn't consistent enough with it to see results.

Unsweetened grapefruit juice - I stopped drinking it because of the sugar content in it.

Vitamins and B12 shots - I started taking Chlorella and it was beneficial in both areas...Now that I've stopped taking Chlorella as my MAIN supplement, I will start back.

Struggling With

Consistent workout days

Working out prior to going to work

Going to bed early

New Additions

The Belly Fat Cure

Walking (around neighborhood) for cardio

Colon Hydrotherapy

Tabatas

Want To Try

Protein Shakes

Kickboxing

Does It Work

2009-06-25T14:23:00.005-05:00

Greetings, I am doing sooo much better with my eating habits and exercising. I am totally in love with The Belly Fat Cure (shout out to LHCF member, DogMD) it's been so helpful and motivating in my efforts to lose weight. To get the free download, go to this site http://www.jorgecruise.com/. I guarantee this diet is something that you can easily follow.

I went walking Monday and Tuesday but didn't go yesterday because I had to shampoo my hair and rollerset it. What?! I have the right to look good and get in shape at the same time. :) Today I'm back on the workout grind, I think I'll do Hip Hop Abs for the next couple days so that my curls will last until Sunday.

My First Colonic Experience

2009-06-18T17:48:00.000-05:00

I made an appointment about a month and a half ago (the place I went to has sooo much business that it took this long to get in). I couldn't eat 2 hours prior to the procedure so I ate my lunch around noon. I get to the office, then get called to the back where the nurse weighs me and explains the procedure. She tells me that I am to put on the gown, straddle the table and insert the lubricated tube "in there". She leaves to give me privacy to do my business. Confident that I can do it, I get undressed, put on the gown (open in the front) and lay down to insert the tube. That sucker wouldn't budge!! I tense up and have to wait on her to come back to help me. After she gets it "in there" and tells me that my gown is on wrong, she explains that I need to massage my stomach to "wake up" my colon. She shows me the mirror so that I can see when the water is flushing out my colon and what it is I'm getting rid of. She starts the water and tells me to hold it (kinda like holding gas) for 20-30 seconds. At this point, I'm thinking, "I can handle this, easy!". She leaves and it goes good for about 5 minutes...UNTIL

I feel a diarrhea-like urge come over my entire body that makes me feel weak. It gets extremely difficult each time I have to hold the water. When I look in the mirror I see little chunks of waste coming out. The longer the hold, the more you expel.

I manage to finish the procedure but afterwards I feel drained and completely out of energy. Not a good feeling but I go to the restroom to sit on the toilet because I'm still having those diarrhea-like urges and DON'T want to have an accident. After about 5 minutes nothing ever comes out so I get dressed and the nurse briefs me on what to eat and what not to eat in the days to follow. I am to drink plenty of juices, electrolyte restoring liquid, take acidophillus tablets and eat chicken, turkey and fish (no pork or beef for me lately anyway) .

Sooo would I do this again? Definitely!! Even after feelin exhausted through and after the procedure, I lost ounces. There's still water that my body is holding onto so I'm sure there will be poundage lost. I've been to the restroom so many times since making it home that I've lost track. Whether or not I lose weight isn't my biggest concern, I'm happy with getting rid of the debris that was trapped in my colon.

What's Happening

2009-06-17T12:00:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I REdiscovered an old love....WALKING!! My SO, my sister and I started walking around my neighborhood for cardio. It felt wonderful! We all brought along our I-Pods for motivation. The area was nice and quiet with little traffic. What I really enjoyed was the fact that the pavement was more challenging with the various inclines at different points. This will definitely become part of my routine. Yep!!

BBW losing weight

2009-06-09T13:38:00.004-05:00

After/ Before

Have you all seen pics of Monique lately?!? Check her out, she and her hubby are on the June 8 cover of Jet magazine talking about their marriage and her recent 40-pound weight loss. She’s down to 225 pounds and says her goal is 200 pounds. As the pounds melted away, speculation began that Mo’Nique had had gastric-bypass surgery, but she tells Jet no way.

I'm going to pick up this issue to see how she lost the weight.....I must say, she looks amazing!!

Eating Better

2009-06-08T16:31:00.000-05:00

As of late, I've been researching The Zone Diet and The Belly Fat Cure and incorporating principles of each within my diet. There's an LHCF member that lost 30 pounds in two months on The Belly Fat Cure and another member who has lost 5 pounds in 7 days so far on The Zone Diet. In researching both diets, I'm realizing the importance of protein, good carbs and limiting my sugar intake to feel fuller and to also eliminate certain food cravings.

The critical one key to The Belly Fat Cure is knowing how to eat the right quantity of sugar and carbs. The bottom line goal is to eat no more than 15 grams of sugar and 6 servings of carbs (one serving of carbs is anything that has 5-20 grams of carbs).

The Zone Diet is about balancing your hormones within a specific range to control hunger on fewer calories while still getting the proper nutrients your body needs for long-term health. With the right balance of protein, carbohydrates and fats, you can control three major hormones generated by the diet – insulin, glucagon and eicosanoids.

I'm not expecting great miracles, but within both diets, I've seen realistic approaches that I can utilize that will help me on this weight loss journey.

I Need A Motivacation

2009-06-05T11:26:00.005-05:00

Ok, I'm going to set my first deadline for September 1, 2009. I am going out of town for my SO's birthday that week and I plan on being at least 25 pounds lighter by that time. I know that I can do it if I continue to watch what I eat.

Star rewards - May

2009-06-01T09:40:00.005-05:00

I fell waaaaay short of my goal of 35 stars for the month of May....I contribute it to a lil foot injury I had on the 19th. I didn't let that stop me from trying to eat right. Anyway, I was able to lose 5 pounds after all was said and done. I am now back on track with my workouts, today will be my first time exercising since the lil foot mishap. I am also going to start journaling my food intake.....Anyway I'm back and ready to continue on this weight loss journey.

Get me bodied

2009-05-19T12:35:00.000-05:00

Last week I successfully got up and exercised 3 mornings before going to work. Yay me! I have experimented with different workouts that are giving me the best burn for my alotted workout time. That being said, I have narrowed it down to two DVD workous that I will stick with for this fat burning phase...Cardio Salsa and Hip Hop Abs Fat Burning Cardio. I burn a minimum of 400 calories with HHA and a minimum of 550 with Cardio Salsa.

Plan of action

On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays I will do both workout DVDS. Friday & Saturday mornings I will do Hip Hop Abs. Sundays and Mondays will be observed for Cardio Salsa. If I stick with this schedule, I could burn close to 5,000 calories! To prevent boredom, I'll add walk days and aerobic classes at Balancing Beautiful Bodies to the mix from time to time. Between exercising and taking Chlorella (shout out to the ladies of LHCF), I feel so energized and ready for the challenge of working out daily!!

You are what you eat

2009-05-15T10:16:00.005-05:00

For every 3500 extra calories that you consume that your body doesn’t burn, you will GAIN 1 pound of fat. At the same time, it also means that for every 3500 extra calories that your body does burn, you will LOSE 1 pound of fat.

My daily caloric needs:

Maintain weight: 2529 Calories/day
Slow loss: 2023 Calories/day
Extreme loss: 1960 Calories/day

By eliminating 500 calories a day, you will lose one pound in a week. So if your daily caloric need is 2529 to maintain your weight, subtract 500 from that, and you’ll have the number of calories you can consume each day and still lose a pound in one week. Subtract another 500 to lose 2 pounds per week. I'm shooting to do a combination of the two. Burn 3500 calories weekly and create a daily 500 calorie deficit.

Yeah baby, I'm gonna bring sexy back for real this time!

My Inspiration

2009-05-13T16:20:00.002-05:00

My motivation to exercise as much as possible has come from a workout calendar that I created...For every workout session that I complete, I get a star. My goal for the month of May is to get 35 stars. I also got up before going to work and exercised yesterday. Another toot for me! This week I will be adding Friday in as another "Workout before going to work" day.

To serve as visual aids, I put how many calories I need daily to maintain my weight, slowly lose weight and to lose weight fast as a daily reminder. I've also started counting calories. I didn't want to resort to doing this but after weeks of no weight loss, I see that creating a calorie deficit is the best way to go to see rapid results. Speaking of which, I bought some Lean Cuisines (chicken club panini was the best) for lunch at work because of the amount of calories but the downfall is they're high in sodium. So I'll take those when I don't have time to prepare a better lunch.

I'll keep you all posted. Enjoy the rest of this fabulous day!

Slowly but surely

2009-05-06T16:52:00.001-05:00

This has been a great week so far. My eating habits have changed. I was able to get up Tuesday morning and work out before going to work...I am soooo not a morning person. It was a very liberating feeling! I also created a calendar that is helping to keep me motivated and on track with my workouts.

If I can get into the habit of doing these things that have made this a great week, I will be able to reach my goal in no time. I’m so ready to be rewarded!

Blame it on the jajaja juice

2009-04-29T16:21:00.001-05:00

I contribute the weight loss I had 3 years ago to a stomach infection (yucky, not a good feeling.at.all.), interval training on my treadmill, and drinking unsweetened grapefruit juice as my beverage with all my meals. I lost the weight in about four months and kept it off by exercising to maintain. But then I started attending cosmetology school and wasn’t able go to the gym….Inevitably, that’s how I gained some of the weight back.

Fast forward to years and poundage later....Since I love the taste of grapefruit juice, I think I'll start back drinking it with my meals. Who knows....Maybe drinking the grapefruit juice helped me back then, maybe it didn't but I'm willing to find out.

Signed,

Just trying to find out what works

P.S. I might take a stab at interval training this week ;-)

When you know better, you do better

2009-04-23T11:25:00.004-05:00

I’m having a hard time staying consistent with my workout days. I think that maybe if I had a cutesy calendar dedicated to fitness ONLY, it would help…I dunno but I’m going to try it and see. What else do I want to do differently…..Oh yeah, I’d like to start going to bed earlier so I can workout before I go to work. I think that would work wonders for my energy level.

Anywho, this week I added 2 days of walking to my regimen. On the first day, I burned 300 calories in 25 minutes….We’ll see how many I’m able to burn on tomorrow. In addition to those changes, below you will find other changes that I’m implementing.

*Changes to implement*

*Kickboxing
*Switching to “No Salt” seasonings and using more herbs
*Limiting sugar intake
*Detox (colonic irrigation)
*Consistent workout days
*Workout prior to going to work

Burn Baby Burn

2009-04-15T10:03:00.004-05:00

Sunday I started doing Hip Hop Abs Fat Burning Cardio workout. Surprising to me, I burned a little over 400 calories in 30 minutes. Last year when I was doing this workout, I had no idea I was burning so many calories. I’m telling y’all heart rate monitors are the truth!!

I should also mention that part of the reason why I decided to start back doing Hip Hop Abs is because of ShaunT’s (the instructor) enthusiasm and technique. After watching The Secrets to Flat Abs, the moves are easy for a beginner to catch on w/o hesitation. Once I build up my endurance, I’m going to start doing the Total Body Burn workout. Anywho, I highly recommend this workout if you wanna burn, burn, burn those calories.

Oh Happy Day

2009-04-12T15:23:00.003-05:00

Happy Resurrection Sunday!

Something New

2009-04-09T14:10:00.003-05:00

Sooo Tuesday my cousin and I decided to try out an exercise class at a women's fitness club. I must say that I got quite a workout. Call me crazy but I like that sore feeling that you get after a good workout.... Sore abs and tight calf muscles, YEA BABY!! I'm bringing sexy back!

I also came to the realization that I need to step up my exercise instensity when I'm working out at home. While doing some exercises, I was breathing harder than I should have. I wasn't able to complete all the reps like I wanted to but hey, I tried. I think I'll wait until I build up my endurance before I attend Floor Exercise Tuesday again. BTW, that's what is so great about this fitness club, they have a different class each night. Can you say variety?! I think I'll go on Mondays and Thursdays when they have regular aerobics. After the energy boost that I was high on, it has to become part of my regime.

My 29th Birthday

2009-04-07T11:36:00.007-05:00

So the countdown has “officially, officially” began. I turned 29 years young on Thursday. To celebrate, I went on a weekend getaway with my sweetie to Atlanta to do a little shopping. I had a blast!! Anybody who knows me knows that I live for a sale. I packed my bottle of Apple Cider along with my other necessities and we hit the road.

I stayed on track as far as not going overboard with my eating. We had dinner at The Cheesecake Factory (which was a total let down) on Saturday night. The dish that I ordered had absolutely no flavor to it AT.ALL. So I didn't waste the calories on eating it. I guess that was a sign, huh. The Cheesecake? Erruh, that's another story. Anyway, I'm back home and anxious to continue my weight loss journey.

I'm Bitter

2009-04-01T01:23:00.001-05:00

I mean better....

I decided that I would incorporate the apple cider vinegar diet into my regimen. Based on what I'ved researched, this diet won't give you rapid results (which is the best way to keep the weight off long term), but you can lose 15 pounds a year without exercising. Imagine how much you could lose by adding exercise!! Sounds good to me....I also read that the apple cider vinegar suppresses your appetite and speeds up your metabolism...Now who couldn't appreciate that?!

This diet consists of adding 1-3 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar to water and drinking it before each meal. I tried the water and it was a no go for me, so I added it to my unsweetened grapefruit juice....It tastes so much better than the water. So it's ok to add it to the juice of your choosing.

Anyhow it's a little late and I must get my beauty rest....

Plan of Action

2009-03-27T10:23:00.001-05:00

It's the weekend baby!

I'd like to explain what I plan on doing to get this weight loss started....In a perfect world, I'd like to be able to get up early in the a.m. to exercise but I'm not a morning person. Soooo as for now, most of my exercise will be done in the pm, when I get off work. I need to learn some discipline y'all.

On to my plan of action, I am taking small steps so that I won't be overwhelmed...

Step 1 - Take my vitamins daily......Get my B12 shot every 2 weeks.

Step 2 - Eat a salad for at least 1 meal daily...A serving of fruit for at least 1 snack daily.

Step 3 - Workout to Hip Hop Abs Fat Burning Cardio DVD 3-4 days a week.

Step 4 - Go to bed by 11:00 p.m.

We'll see how my body adjusts to these changes and go from there.

Until next time, be safe and have a fabulous weekend!

Set It Off

2009-03-25T12:36:00.001-05:00

I'd like to welcome you to my blog.....

My reasons for starting this blog is to rededicate/motivate myself and others who are trying to reclaim their sex appeal. Specifically, I am in the process of trying to lose a nifty-fifty + five pounds to reach my weight loss goal. My timeframe in reaching my goal is by April 2, 2010 (my 30th birthday, *sigh*). I will be sharing my experiences with various diets, DVD workouts, recipes and throw in a little bit of this and a little bit of that, you just never know with me....Join me as I drop the pounds and keep it off while maintaining my fabulosity.

Signed,

I'm bring sexy back for real this time

P.S. You can check out my previous articles on this topic in older posts.

Slow Down

2009-02-17T09:46:00.001-06:00

The day started out very cloudy....I was running late for work ,which is now the norm for me these days. So to make up for the time loss, I got in a rush.

As soon as I turned out onto the street, this guy in front of me was going 4o mph in the left lane. That irritated me, so I decided I would get over in the right lane. FAIL!! This is guy is going the same speed as the ******* in the left lane. At this point, I was extra pissed. I drove a mile like that until I had the opportunity to pass both of those slow *******! Things are going smoothly and I make it half-way to work when I get behind another slow *******!

At this point I'm saying all kinds of bad words and wondering why this ******* won't go any faster!! I see a burgundy Dodge Ram speeding and making way through the traffic, at the same time I manage to get over in the other lane and pass the slow ******* and jump back in front of him. All is well, until a truck 3 cars ahead starts to spin out of control. I immediately put my foot on the brake and slowed down. He spins from the right median all the way over to the left lane hitting the burgundy Dodge Ram. I stop and wait until both trucks stop and gain control. My heart was beating so fast that I had to take a mintue to regain my composure.

Today's events have been a life lesson for me. Slow down and don't be so quick to get angry, for you don't know what lies ahead.

Patience is truly a virtue~

Monday Morning Ramblings

2009-02-09T09:56:00.002-06:00

Didn't get my mani & pedi....I might go Saturday with my bff ....My SO needs one too, maybe I can do his pedi when he gets off work....I need to get more active...I need to start getting to work on time... Maybe it's time for another b12 shot...Hair relaxed, CHECK...Lip waxed, CHECK...Bills paid, CHECK...I need to get home so I can do a "good clean".....Ready for this week to be over....

*Sigh*

It's On Like Donkey Kong

2009-02-02T11:07:00.001-06:00

It's been a minute since I've actually posted anything....Rather than post my ramblings that I have yet to post, I'll just catch you up on what's going on with my diet.

Operation Pop, Lock and Drop it was a FAIL!!! However, I am back on top of my game and ACTually following through. I committed myself to joining some friends in a team effort to lose weight by the end of March. Which is ideal, because I'm going to Vegas for my birthday on April 2. 29 is fast approaching and 30 ain't too far behind!! My personal goal is to lose 20 pounds by the end date. Will I succeed? Only time will tell....

Signed,

Team Thunda Thighs No More

To be or not to be?

2009-01-07T15:51:00.000-06:00

Have I exercised since being on vacation? Kinda sorta. If you include the many stores I've been to over the past few days, I'm sure I've burned a couple hundred calories. I know I can do better than I am but I need some down time. I would like to get back to the Nyssa that enjoyed exercising and was motivated to do better. Shoot, there are those days when I just plain ole don't feel like being active so I don't do it. That's not good this early in the process. Anyway, know that I'm trying to do better and act on my words.

Sweet Tooth

2009-01-07T15:26:00.001-06:00

December 26, 2008

As I set out on this journey to lose weight, I am realizing how difficult it is to do so around the holidays. I bought a caramel cake from a co-worker that I had to pick up Tuesday. Before I could get the cake in the car good, I was making plans to cut it instead of taking it to my grandmother's home for Christmas. That poor cake didn't stand a chance from the jump. Once I made it home and got settled, I cut a slice. This had to be the best caramel cake that I had ever tasted!! You know how you normally feel guilty about eating foods that you know you shouldn't? Not I....It felt sooo right, it couldn't be wrong. By the way, Brittany and Ronnie both our helping me eat it.

Signed,

Caramel cake is my frienemy

2008-12-16T09:33:00.001-06:00

Before Pic 12/15/08

So yesterday was the first day that I started my journey. I'm not gonna lie and say I followed ALL the rules but I followed most (read some) of them. Now I should probably be ashamed to post this pic but to hell with it, maybe this will serve as my motivation. I have a pooch and some fat thighs that I need to get rid of STAT! I have never had a pooch and I'm having a hard time understanding why I've been plagued with it for the last couple of years. Did birth control do it? Maybe a colonics will help it? Who knows. All I know is this lovely lady lump is no longer welcome on my body.

On to my second dilemma, I took my measurements yesterday and they are soooo out of proportion that I can't even post them. Yeah, they're that bad. What upsets me is, I've been wearing the wrong bra size for a good part of this year. I'm just glad my extra dough wasn't visible when I wore fitted shirts. I need help like 2 bra sizes ago y'all.

Anywho, we'll see how the rest of this week goes.

Signed,

Trying to hold on

Pop, Lock and Drop it

2008-12-12T13:27:00.001-06:00

Monday December 15, 2008 I am officially starting my journey to lose 64 pounds by June 2, 2008. I created a blog to keep me motivated and track my progress. I am kick starting my program with a boot camp while my sister, Brittany, is here on winter break from MTSU. Sit back, relax or join in as we Pop, Lock and Drop it like it's hot!!

*Rulez*

1. No eating after 8:00.

2. No fried foods.

3. At least 2 servings of fruit and/or vegetables daily.

4. Chicken, turkey and fish only are the only meats to be consumed.

5. Burn 1600 calories weekly.

6. Grapefruit juice and water are the only beverages to be consumed.

7. Exercise daily for 45 minutes - 1 hour.

8. 100 sit-ups daily.

9. Limit sugar intake.

10. Stay positive.