New beginnings

Hello. I hope you all are having a very happy Holiday season. Want to know what I got for Christmas? Oh it's a good one... (I'm being sarcastic). I found out last Monday that the company I've been working for has decided to end operations and close up shop! I have to admit that it wasn't a shock to me. You know when you see an accident getting ready to happen but you just dont know what to do or where to begin to prevent it. Yep, that in a nutshell is how I feel about the company shut down.

I feel like it is a blessing that God has given me the opportunity for me to live the life I've been longing to have. I've been journaling since I was 7 years and that Monday morning was no different. I wrote in my journal how I longed to work from home and be there for my family and have a bit more sanity in my life. I have to admit my work environment was a bit toxic. I had a boss who liked to make most of our lives miserable...maybe because he was suffering inside who knows. All I know is that I don't work well when my hard work and efforts aren't appreciated.

With that being said I will be able to devote more time to my blog and come up with a consistent schedule and plan for my blog. It will also allow me to visit more blogs and be more interactive with my readers which makes me really happy. I finally have the opportunity to do what I want to do (hoping that my husband gets the job out west). If not then I will accept that this is not the right time and that my right time will come. I am staying positive and looking forward to the great things to come!

Have you been faced with "on the surface" a less than favorable situation that you felt was actually best for you and that you were happy about? What did you do? Please share it with me. Post your comments below.

Happy New Year!

Fashionable Friday: New Year's Sparkle

New Year's Sparkle by mylifeinflats featuring post earrings

Jenny Packham pink dress
€1.789 - jades24.com

Kate Spade glitter pumps
$2,720 - jildorshoes.com

Kate Spade high heel sandals
$325 - endless.com

Kate Spade bridal necklace
$295 - katespade.com

Kate Spade pearl bangle
$178 - couture.zappos.com

Kate Spade glitter ring
$148 - lordandtaylor.com

Kate Spade south sea pearl necklace
$128 - katespade.com

Kate spade bangle
$88 - nordstrom.com

Kate Spade post earrings
$58 - nordstrom.com

kate spade new york twirl eau de parfum, 3.4 oz.
$80 - neimanmarcus.com

Sparkler Coin Purse
$33 - katespade.com

Fashionable Friday: Christmas Shopping

Christmas Shopping by mylifeinflats featuring a leather vest

Moschino Cheap Chic long sleeve shirt
$277 - net-a-porter.com

Leather vest
$54 - wilsonsleather.com

True Religion straight leg jeans
$215 - stylebop.com

Repetto ballet flat
$265 - net-a-porter.com

Kate Spade patent leather handbag
$95 - lordandtaylor.com

Diamond stud earrings
$19 - fantasyjewelrybox.com

Wellesley Animal Quinn
$165 - katespade.com

Who inspires you?

Hello all.
Cavalier blogger here wondering who inspires you? I'm still having a time with motivation that I am going to look for inspiration to trigger the motivation. Does that make sense?

Well the tonight they showed the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show and I watched it again. Did you watch it? Oddly enough I felt motivated and proud to be a woman. Is that crazy? Hey listen I'm trying to grab my inspiration anywhere I can. The choice of music was incredible. Why? Because I was compelled to get up and dance and join the party. Jay-Z, Kanye West, Maroon 5, and Nicki Minaj was the music line-up...how can you resist? Well I know I couldn't I had to bust a move! ;-)

{via}

So when the fashion show ended I thought...hey I'm up might as well start my new workout regime. I found this workout last night so I figured I would do it because it is basic and quick! I have to start really slow since I've been out of the workout loop for over a month probably two come to think of it. If you're looking to start a simple to do workout check out Downtownn on tumblr.

{via}

Finally, after months of feeling down and less than I'm starting to see a spark again. Have you seen your spark? Let me know. Happy Holidays!!!

Diet Pills: Is it a cry for help or weight loss booster?

Hello all.

Yeah it's me the occasional blogger. My apologies but this journey gets tougher and tougher for me. So I thought I would let you know I've been struggling. So much that I am seriously considering diet pills. Here is why I feel like I need "assistance."

1. I can barely stick to a program...remember my 10 week challenge? Yeah well I failed miserably. I think when the goal is weight loss, weight GAIN isn't suppose to occur.
2. I make the effort to "stick" to a program and the results are less than stellar.

So I think I want to try Sensa. Have you heard of it? Well in one of my many insomnia-tic (is that a word? If not you get the idea) nights I saw an infomercial for Sensa. It's a seasoning/powder you sprinkle on your food and it's suppose to give you a feeling of satiety quicker so you eat less. Average person lost about 30 pounds in 6 months according to their claim. Here's the problem, the first month is $90 bucks! Each following month is like $50!!!! And you basically stay on the program until you reach your goal weight. I am honestly not ready to part with that much money for a diet aid that may or may not work for me.

My other alternatives are a drug store diet pills (dexatrim, hydroxycut, xendrine, and the like) these are more affordable but will they really work for me is the question. I tell you trying to lose weight at 40 has been like climbing up a frozen hill with an icy patch while wearing new shoes...you know when the sole is really slippery? I can't even say its like walking up and down escalator because you eventually make it to the top. This frozen hill doesn't even allow me to regain my footing! Ugh!

So let me know your thoughts on diet pills or aids. Would you do it? Are you doing it? Did you do it? What were your results? Please post below. I plan on visiting my local drugstore this weekend to take the plunge!

Here's to you and your journey, that it's not as treacherous as mine! :-)

Notes from an insomniac

Hello night owls.

I'm here typing on my laptop and watching Roseanne and its almost 2am. I have nights like this from time to time. I know its been a while since I've written anything...my apologies. I've been battling some major asthma attacks and panic attacks. Life has been pretty tough for me. I feel like I've been in survival mode for the last month and a half. I've been living life moment to moment. It has been tough to say the least. Well I'm laying here nursing an abscess tooth, stressing over finances, and dreading going to work in the morning. Welcome to my everyday well except for the abscess tooth dilemma.

I've manage to maintain my weight loss for the most part. I'm only about 1.2 pounds over my lowest weight recorded. So I'm approximately 222.0. and that is commendable because I wasn't going to say anything but let's say that I've eaten my weight in Reese's Peanut Butter cups in the past 2 weeks! Yeah I said it. Well it's only 24 days till my Black Friday shopping day. It was the day that I wanted to be about 199 pounds and roughly a size 12/14. Well I'm 23 pounds away from that goal. All I can say is UGH! My new goal is to lose about 15 pounds in the next 24 days. I don't want to go overboard and try and lose 23 pounds in 24 days but hey if it happens it will be a great day!!!

So starting tomorrow I am going to visit the gym directly after work. I have to find a way to unwind and alleviate stress and the only way I can see doing that is hitting the gym directly after work. I'm tired of coming home from work too tired to spend quality time with my family. It really breaks my heart when I've devoted my energy to a boss that doesn't appreciate me instead of utilizing that energy for my daughter who wants her mommy to play dolls with her. My priorities are out of whack. It's time to get them back on track.

What do you do to alleviate stress? How do you prevent from getting worn out at work so you can utilize your energy for your loved ones? Please post below. Thanks!

Out of control: Cheating to the extreme

Oy vey! I don't even know where to begin but I've been in a downward spiral. I've been binging on sugar and carbs for most of this month. I have to say this past month at work has been unbelievably stressful. I found myself going to my happy place. You're going to laugh when I tell you how I go to my happy place while at work. First I pray. I learned a while back (while I was in the ICU for severe asthma) the power of prayer. I still believe to this day that prayer was the reason why I got better.

Back to my happy place. I will google Park City, Utah because I felt my best there. I will just scroll through Google images of downtown and that puts a smile on my face. That's how I get happy. Another way is to comfort myself with food. I've found myself making very poor food choices. Choices that have included refined white carbs...sugar, white flour, and white potatoes.

It's time for me to re-group. I have only 5 weeks until my Black Friday shopping excursion and I'm not remotely close to being at a goal size of 12 or 14. So I have to make a serious effort at my workout plan and my meal plan...yeah that non-existent plan I keep talking about. On a brighter note I went shopping last weekend with my husband and I tried on a pair of size 18 jeans at old navy and THEY WERE TOO BIG!!! Yay!!! I guess I may be closer than I thought.

Tell me how do you stick to a plan or goal? Please post below. Thanks!

At the end of the day isn't it really about inches lost?

Hi everyone. I know it's been a long while since I've posted anything. I hope you're lives are going well. Mine has been a series of uphill and downhill struggles. But I cope...I guess like most of us do. Lately, well honestly for the last few months I've been pretty discouraged with my weight loss progress.

I'm discouraged because while I've lost weight the inches haven't gone anywhere.Then I thought to myself...If I could just lose the inches I don't think losing the weight is that important.  I made a half hearted attempt at isometric resistance training and didn't stick with it. I find it very hard to stick with a weight loss program or regime.

How about you? Have you been successful with an exercise regime? What do you do to stick to a regime? I am having an unbelievably hard time sticking to something because I don't see results fast enough.

What's a girl to do? I hope you have a great week.

Another facet of me

Hello all. I hope you had a great weekend! I have to say visiting Magic Kingdom on it's 40th birthday didn't disappoint. The fireworks were amazing and we were able to score a commemorative park map only given out on that day! Would you believe I did an ebay search for the 40 anniversary guide map and found this auction listing! Holy Smokes! Can you believe that? Um we got our map for FREE from the cast member at the front gate. I never found my bracelet and I looked and looked. Oh well.

So I wanted to talk about another facet of becoming the Me I want to Be. While my blog up until this point primarily focused on my weight loss journey, the road to becoming the person I want to be is more than just weight loss. The next big challenge for me are my finances. It's a part of my life that keeps me up or prevents me from going to sleep because just like weight loss I can't seem to control myself. So I'm putting myself out there letting you know that I am a hot mess when it comes to my finances. My journey to improve my finances will begin with my attempt to save a portion of my paycheck. I am working on a long term plan. Can you say...Challenging? Well we'll see how things go.

Happy Monday!!!

Happy Birthday Magic Kingdom!!!

Today marks the 40th anniversary the grand opening of the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida!! To celebrate MK's birthday my high school bestie, hubby, and mini ME are headed down for the festivities! This is a special trip for my bestie and me because we share the same birth year as our favorite place on the planet!


I'm on a mission to find this piece of arm candy while I'm there!

I think the saying renews my motivation..."Have faith in your dreams."

Disney Couture

What are you doing this weekend? Post below...Have a great weekend!!

Fashionable Friday: Refined with a Wild Side

When it comes to fashion I love style but what's most important for me is comfort. Flats and a knit dress are my speed. I would finish off the look with something monogrammed, I think this necklace would do the trick!

{1. Old Navy knit Dress/2. West Avenue Necklace /3. Michael Kors Charm Driver}

Happy Friday!!!

Taking the holistic approach

Today I was working on that albatross I call a menu plan. While working on my menu plan I was reflecting on my food choices. I thought to myself it would be ideal to use foods in my plan that "look good on paper" you know the vegetables, white meats and minimally processed foods. But what I've found is that I have processed foods and larger portions. You know, sausage and pork rinds and "stuff" I'm not suppose to eat. I'm starting to realize that these foods are counter-productive to my weight loss plan. DUH! Like alcohol (yeah I had a wine-cooler last night, so what? ;-/ ) these foods stall my weight loss progress which frustrates then discourages me. So I'm working on re-vamping my diet which is a constant work in progress by the way.

Here are my revelations about processed foods and portion control.

Processed Foods:
Especially meats since that seems to be my downfall but applies to anything processed. It is filled with "stuff" that I can barely spell let alone pronounce. So if it is that difficult for me to say it then more than likely it is difficult for my body to digest it, so I shouldn't be eating it. I am going to make a better attempt of eating foods that are close to their natural state as possible

Portion control:
"Superskinny vs Supersized" have you seen this show? It is where a super skinny person trades their meals with someone who is super sized. Watching that show has really opened my eyes. My over all observation...and I'm generalizing to the utmost but at the end of the day its all about portion control. So going forward I am going to start eating about 75% of what I eat now and once I am used to that portion then I will cut it back to about 50% of what I eat now.

Minimizing processed foods and my portions are my focuses for the next 9 weeks as I am still working on my 10 week challenge. How are you with portion control and processed foods?  Post your comment below.

Motionless Exercise

You read that right folks. Motionless exercise. It may seem like a gimmick to separate you from your money but I am here to tell you that it works. Well I did it years ago and it worked for me back then and I am hoping it works for me now. I announced the other day that I was doing a 10 week challenge. It was just a way for me to challenge myself to lose approximately 20 pounds and/or go down to a size 14 but hopefully a 12.

{shapely secrets}

Well I want the odds in my favor...I want to ensure I get to a size 12/14 in 10 weeks. The other day I found a fitness system I purchased about 5 years ago. Its called 7 Shapely secrets. It is a 7 minute motionless exercise video.

It's basically tensing your muscles for 25 seconds per rep and there are 2-4 reps per set.  Think the strong man pose with your arms at a 90 degree angle. That is one of the advanced poses.

So I started today, here are my current measurements:

Size: 18
Weight: 221.8
Neck:14.75"
Bust: 48.5"
Waist: 43.5"
Stomach (you know the "mother's apron" or lovingly known as the "pooch":48"
Hips: 47"
Right thigh: 27.5"
Right Arm: 13.75"

I will take my measurements in 14 days to see how many inches I lose and if I lose a dress size too. If it works I will do two more 14 day rounds to see if I'm able to get to a size 12 in less than my 10 week goal. Wish me luck!

Fashionable Friday: Cocktail Dress

Hello all!!

I hope you are doing well. For the past few months I've been trying to decide what I would like to do for my mom for her 75th birthday. BTW if you ever meet her please don't let her know you know her age. According to her she is 26.

Anyway, I want to take her out to a really nice restaurant. Not sure where yet. She loves Caribbean and Hispanic food so rice and pork will have to be on the menu. Well I'm still in search of that place. I would like to wear a cocktail dress to the dinner so I thought this dress would be nice to wear.

{antonio melani}

What do you think? Post your comment below. Have a great weekend!!!

My 10 week challenge

Wow! I can't believe I've gone so long without blogging. I have to admit I had a couple of blog posts I was going to publish but I really sounded like a "Debbie Downer" so I didn't publish them. The past week plus have been a challenge for me. I had basically no weight loss progress and I had some challenges in my personal life that basically gave me writers block. Note to self: Writer's block occurs when I'm angry, so let's work towards being content regardless of what life throws in my direction.

I hope your weight loss journey has been a positive one this past week and a half. I promise to check out your blogs and see how things are going for you.

I was reading an article the other day that stated 10 weeks from last Monday, September 19th  is BLACK FRIDAY! OMgosh! Where has the time gone? 10 weeks until Thanksgiving? It can't be!!!! Well that gave me an idea. The idea to create the 10 week challenge. In 10 weeks I plan to lose enough weight and or inches to get into a size 14 but preferably a 12! "They" say that a dress size is equivalent to 12 pounds. So I hope to lose approximately 20-24 pounds within that time frame.

Since a size 12 or 14 is a transitional size for me I thought I would need to purchase clothing in those sizes for the least amount possible. Any of you bargain hunters will know that the night of Thanksgiving to the next Friday morning offers some of the best pricing of the season. I've already invited a couple of my friends to join me and I am working on a game plan and strategy. I'm fortunate to live in a town that has a pretty decent outlet mall. Not to mention I worked in the outlet mall for many years so I know where to park and where to go during the "Midnight Madness" events. Planning this shopping trip has re-ignited my motivation. Let's just say that I had no motivation this time last week. I am keeping an online daily journal tracking my progress and journey. I may post it here on the blog but I really don't want to sound too bitchy or whiney so I will refrain from torturing you! :-)

I originally wanted this blog to focus on my weight loss journey but there are more facets to me than just weight loss and fashion. There are many things I would like to do to become the "ME" I've wanted to be. One thing is to become a web designer. I've been contemplating the idea for over 5 years. So I feel its time to spread my wings and fly towards that goal. I've enrolled in a class and I'm two weeks into it and I am so excited to be starting a new chapter in my life. I will post more as it comes but I wanted to update you on all that has been happening to me.

It's been a long day and I'm going to head to bed. I hope you all are doing well and I thank you for stopping by. Tell me what have you desired to become but were too scared pursue?...post it below I would love to find out!!! Toodles!

We will resume to our regularly scheduled programming shortly...

Hello all. I know I've been MIA for a week. It's been quite busy in my world and I just need to play catch up. I hope your weight loss journey is going well. I hope to be back on track by Wednesday.

Hugs and Misses!!
e.

Cheat Day

I am curious to know what is your opinion on cheat days? Does your diet allow it? Or have you elected to take it and accept slower weight loss?

I've been faced with a cheat day here and there. It seems like I have a cheat day once a week. Typically Friday or Saturday. I'm on the fence regarding whether or not it is worth taking one. The Atkins diet doesn't allow for a "cheat" day. But it seems like "life" gets in the way and I give in to a cheat day.

Yesterday my houseguest told me she wanted to treat me to dinner by ordering some pizza and wings. I have to admit that I really didn't take the right approach to ordering my meal. I was mesmerized by the fact that I was going to have pizza. Needless to say according to Dr Atkins my approach was all wrong. The only good thing was that the next meal (which was actually the next day) I got right back on track. Isn't that what it's all about? Getting back on track at your next meal?

Lately I've been quite frustrated with my slow weight loss progress. But having skimmed through my trusty Atkins book I find that my mindset of "sneaking" in carbs here and there is truly a big no no. It is basically telling my body "May day, may day carbs have invaded our sacred territory" and basically I need to go back to square one and "wean" my body off of those carbs that somehow "snuck" in (hey don't look at me! alright look at me). <<< The previous sentence was meant to be a run-on just to let you know. ;-)

So here I am stuck at 225.6. :-(

{via}

Feeling a bit like the cat in this image. Don't mess with me right now! I'm having a moment!

How is your journey going? Did you cheat today? Post a comment it will be our secret! ;-)

Fashionable Friday: Missoni for Target

The day is almost here my fashionistas! Mark your calendars...The Missoni brand hits the Target on September 13th!! I've been an admirer of the brand for many years but don't have the disposable income let alone the size to wear one of their famous sweater dresses. But that may change now that Target will be featuring their goods for about a month!

Here is what I would like:

{via}

The look is different from my typical preppy classic look but I would completely give it a whirl. Be sure to check out the entire collection featured on Fashionista.com

Have a great weekend!!!

I'm obsessed...

...with weighing myself! I find myself jumping on the scale several times a day to see how my weight fluctuates. Well this has officially driven me bonkers! The good news to report is that my weigh in this morning was the lowest to date...223.6!! Woo hoo! So with that being said I am going try and weigh in once a week. I can tell you that will be a difficult challenge.

I am still struggling with meal planning and sticking to the diet. I find myself taking the easy way out and ordering fast food chicken nuggets because its cheap and easy. I haven't had green veggies in a few days. My water consumption is better than it was a few days ago. I tell you this weight loss thing is baby steps and bruised knees and ALOT of mind over matter.

So how have you been doing with your weight loss journey? Are you obsessed with anything? Post below.

Getting bored

Today during my lunch break my coworker mentioned that I shouldn't have gotten off the Atkins diet since it has help me shed almost 15 pounds. She also mentioned the reason why I'm not sticking to my diet is because I haven't mastered the art of menu planning. Oh how I hate that word! I am not sure why. Under normal circumstances I love to plan. I just feel like a complete idiot coming up with a meal plan. Seems like when I attempt to make a meal plan something changes...circumstances, spontaneous combustion of the brain events that force me off my meal plan, or just plain lack of funds because our food budget is primarily for the family not just for me. So I have alot going against me with this whole "meal planning" business.

So here I am again about to make another attempt at menu planning...please if you are reading this, please post your advise below. I need ALL THE HELP I can get!!!  Planning based on the things I CAN'T have seems easier than planning for the things that I can have. I know menu planning is crucial because the  "I-think-I-know-how-many-carbs-guess-timation" strategy of daily net carbs is way off, hence the slow weight loss progress.

Anyway, I am getting bored with the limited food choices that are available to me. I seem to have gotten myself into a rut with the foods I eat. I tend to eat the same things over and over again. And making the investment to change my pantry foods to Atkins friendly foods is a very big investment that I can't do at the moment. I guess I must take baby steps. I am challenging myself for the next two weeks to look for low-carb recipes and create a meal plan with those recipes. Wish me luck because I am going to need it. I really thought this journey would be alot easier, guess I was wrong. Here's to staying focused without getting bored.

No more "White" after today.

Happy Labor Day!!!! First I want to thank Jane from Running to Shed the Fat Suit for nominating me for a Liebster award. It is truly an honor to be nominated and I thank you so much for thinking of me Jane.

You can read about the criteria on her blog. So today is officially the LAST day a fashionista can wear white without the fashion police coming out and accosting her for such a fatal mistake. I feel like living in Florida we have clearance to wear white all year long.

{white fashion}

I am not particularly concerned about wearing white after today, I'm particularly concerned about consuming "white" foods. Not sure what I'm talking about?

You know the culprits:

• white flour
• white sugar 
• white rice 
• white potatoes 

Those foods are major culprits for spiking your blood sugar to epic levels. I've been having a particularly difficult time eliminating these "white" demons out of my life.

My goal is to eventually eliminate them from our home but it will be a challenge getting the hubby and mini ME to join in. Have you eliminated the "whites" out of your diet? How did you do it? Was it cold turkey or gradual? I need a bit of help because I find myself back sliding often and it is sabotaging my weight loss progress.

I am considering changing diet plans and doing the PCOS diet. It is still low carb high protein diet like Atkins but it allows me to have whole grain sooner than Atkins will. It is a bit more lenient and I feel like I will be more than likely to stick to the plan because there are more choices to choose from than Atkins. I think I gave Atkins a fair shot for the past 6 plus weeks and it is time for me to move on. At least for now...I may return Dr. Atkins.

I am off to work on a meal plan (yeah the bane of my existence) for the week. And you might be thinking... Did she complete last week's meal plan? That would be a NO. Here's to refocusing and moving forward! Have a great week!!!

Something New: Nutritional Yeast

Happy Sunday!!!

I hope your Labor Day Eve is going well. The family and I attended church in the morning and ran errands in the afternoon. I have to say I scored big time at my local CVS. I saved more than I spent and I love trips to the store that saves me money!

I am going to try hard not to write too much, but I had to ask you a question. Have you ever heard of nutritional yeast? Well I found out about nutritional yeast when we had a going away lunch for a co-worker. We went to a local restaurant and I had a blackened salmon wrap with a garden salad.

{via}

The garden salad I had was your typical lettuce leaf, shredded carrots, shredded cabbage, and cucumber. What made this salad different was the nutritional yeast dressing. At first I thought the dressing was a type of mustard dressing. But the flavor wasn't exactly mustard...it almost had a meaty flavor sort of. All I know was that it was DELISH! That is when my co-worker made the comment "it's nutritional yeast!"

I almost choked. What in the world is nutritional yeast? Well apparently in the vegan world that is what is used as a salad dressing and who knows how many other things. Apparently nutritional yeast is rich in B vitamins! All I know is that I am going to have to invest in a jar. I was surfing the web for a recipe and I found this one. I haven't tried it but I plan on it. Maybe that will be a tasty Tuesday blog post.

So have you had nutritional yeast dressing on your salad before? What did you think? I would love to get your opinion. Post your comment below! Here's to a 3 day weekend!!!

Fashionable Friday: Welcome Fall...er sort of!

Being a blog junkie I frequent quite a few blogs. I've been so inspired by all the fall looks being published that I had to jump in and participate!

Living in Florida we don't experience fall weather until about December...maybe. I miss living up north and going for drives to see the leaves change. I would give anything to take a deep breath of cool, crisp, clean air. Kicking piles of leaves, apple picking, and hay rides, that's my idea of fall.

Source: polyvore.com via Leeann on Pinterest

.

Source: polyvore.com via Erika on Pinterest

What are you most looking forward to now that fall is almost upon us? Post below.

Have a Happy Labor Day!!!

I over did it!

I was a bit adventurous to say the least when I planned on alternating my Couch to 5K program with Chalean Extreme. If you are not familiar with either programs here are brief descriptions of both.

Couch to 5k (c25k): Helps sedentary folks train to compete in a 5k race (and live to see the finish line without passing out) in 9 weeks.

Chalean Extreme: Creator of Turbo Jam/Turbo Fire is an intense weight training circuit that is 3 months of alternative weight training, ab training, and cardio all rolled into one. It is produced by the folks who make P90x.

I love Chalene more than Jillian Michaels because she is much more uplifting without being too syrupy like a stepford wife. To me Jillian is like a military drill sargeant and I don't like that type of motivation because if I wanted to be treated like I was in the military I would have joined the military. Chill Jill! LOL

On Tuesday I did Chalene's Burn circuit 1 day 1 (she changes up the routine each day and week to prevent plateauing). I used the same weights and did all the exercises I normally do, but something was different this time. My left knee felt a little weak when I was doing the lunges and squats (you do A LOT of them BTW). I kept on and I completed the exercise. This morning after dry brushing (yep still doing it!) and then taking a shower I noticed that my left knee was a bit swollen. By mid-morning it seemed to cut off the circulation to my lower leg so I took Tylenol. That was a waste of time. At lunch I went home and took 2 Aleve and that doesn't seem to be helping any either. Oh I hope I'm not dying or having a heart attack...but aren't you suppose to smell toast burning or something? Ugh!

Well needless to say I didn't workout last night nor will I workout tonight. I am going to take it easy and use an ice pack to see if the swelling goes down a bit. We are going to Disney this weekend since we signed our souls to the devil are annual pass holders. You know what that means...walking, standing, and sweltering in the heat, not good for these 40 year old knees!


Here's to being an over achiever!

Progress: First 6 weeks check in

I've been trudging along doing the Atkins diet and I have fallen off the wagon many many times. Well this Saturday is my first "check in" with me. Back in July when I started my weight loss journey with the Atkins diet I developed a 6 week check in plan. The 6 week check in plan occurs every 6 weeks, duh.

Instead of looking at my weight loss goal in one big 100 pound chunk I thought I would break it down in 6 week increments. In 6 weeks my goal is to lose 12 pounds. I think a goal of losing an average of 2 pounds per week is a good goal without being too unrealistic. So this Saturday I should be 213 pounds. Ask me what my current weight is...wait for it...wait for it...224.4. I am 12 pounds away from my goal. I hope to be 220-222 by the end of the week. We will see.

My SWOT for the past 6 weeks was the following
Strengths:
Continuously being mindful of sticking to the plan.
Even when I fell off the wagon I got back on at my next meal instead of throwing my hands up and giving up all together.
Keeping the end in mind.
Knowing that I want to be a size 4/6 before I turn 41 next year and knowing I will feel better physically really keeps me motivated. Not to mention the diminishing love handles helps with motivation too!

Weakness:
Giving in to cravings.
Not drinking enough water (although I am much better than I was).
Not having a meal plan to help stay on eating plan.
Not having a food journal

Opportunities:
Create a 1 week meal plan and graduate to a 2 week meal plan.

Threats:
Carb loaded snacks at the office.
Carb loaded sides at dinner time.
Not having convenience foods available.

Next 6 week's goal date:
Plan:
To develop a week to week meal plan and post it on the fridge and my google calendar
To drink one 24 ounce bottle before lunch time drink a second 24 ounces of water after lunch but before the end of my work day.
Eat more veggies at every meal
Create a work out plan; AND STICK TO IT!
Re-read Atkin's book (take notes this time)

We will see how things go this next 6 weeks. I would like to fit into a J. Crew size 14 by October 15th. I've calculated and it would require me to lose approximately 21.5" from my bust, waist, and hips collectively. You know what that means...time to start doing weight/resistance training. Remember while muscle is heavier than fat it takes up less space. So I'm off to get my hand weights. I see tricep curls in my future. Here's to your next successful weigh in!

Office makeover wanted

I must confess,  I love reading blogs! They provide information, inspiration and some much more. With that being said I love the interior design blogs that showcase the latest looks for the home. Looking at the blog photos makes me want to re do my office. Back in 2006 my hubby and I went to my Shangrila to purchase office furniture. My little home based business was growing rapidly and I needed a better storage system. I had to outfit a small 10 x 10 ft bedroom. It was a challenge. I had no floor space but I was fortunate enough to have vertical space. So we he (my hubby) put up shelves and kitchen cabinets in the small little space.

Fast forward to present day, I still don't know how I managed to get all my inventory and craft supplies in that one small room in our old house. In this new house my crafts are in one room and my office (desk, computer is in the dining room). The furniture is a light birch color, yawn. I certainly don't mind it but after looking at these blogs I want an all white office. So I am in the process of saving up to redo my office. Since my office is in the dining room it has to be presentable for when guests come over.

I would like my new desk to have a glass desktop with white enamel legs . And I would like a white wall unit for books and what nots. I would add hot pink peonies for a splash of color! And accent it with my tall silver desk lamps.

{hot pink peonies}

 

{desk, Ikea}

{expedit wall unit, ikea}

 

{mirrored door insert}

I will post my current office pictures once I sprinkle holy water and get the mail & magazine demons off my desk tidy up a bit. This will be a slow design project so the after picture may take a while to get posted. What does your office look like? What decor inspires you? Post below.

Meal Planning Challenge

Happy Sunday all!

I am sitting here on the sofa just lounging and enjoying my last day off before the start of the new week. I have had a challenging few weeks with my weight loss journey. I've fallen off many times because I had food items with many carbs or I've had items that are not allowed on my diet, bread especially.

This week I am going to tackle creating a meal plan. I love planning other aspects of my life but I despise coming up with a meal plan. I'm not sure why I don't enjoy planning my meals. I guess it requires too much thought. Or maybe it reminds me that I have to have a completely different set of meals than my family. I am not sure, all I know is that I don't enjoy it. I was reading Amy's blog and she published her meal plan. It inspired me to challenge myself to create my own meal plan. So I will begin with things that I know will be a constant for me.

Here I go:

Week of 8-29-11 to 9-4-11
Monday:
breakfast: HB egg with sausage patty
snack 1: Atkin's bar
Lunch: Slice of leftover meatloaf with garden salad
snack 2: 1/2 cup of pistachios
Dinner: Tuna salad alternative with garden salad

Tuesday:
breakfast: Egg and sausage omelet
Lunch: Chicken nugget 8pcs
snack 2: pork rinds
Dinner: open

Planning my dinners at times will be a challenge since my hubby makes dinner. I typically "Atkinize" it by adding a salad to the meat portion of his meals and forgo the carb-laden sides.

Okay I've lost interest in completing the rest of this week. I really don't like this challenge. I will complete Tuesday and Wednesday plans tomorrow. I'm spent. Do you have any ideas for creating a meal plan? If you enjoy creating one please share your thoughts below because I am really at a loss for creating one for myself. Thanks in advance! Here's to a great week ahead!!!

Shopping: One word... Ugh!

I've never mentioned this but I earned a bachelor's degree in fashion merchandising. I was quite fashionable back in the day. I love fashionable clothing. Some how I've managed to not look so fashionable at my size. I look...presentable at best.


Way back when I looked forward to getting dressed and pairing accessories with my outfit of the moment. Now you're lucky if my clothes are pressed let alone coordinate. Where did my love for shopping for clothing go? Oh yeah, out the window like my waist size. I have to say I LOATHE shopping for clothes now. I don't like trying on clothes in anyone's dressing room. I rather spend the extra gas and try it on at home with the possibility of having to take the item back to the store.


Today my husband, mini Me and I went to this "Shi Shi Foo Foo" area of town that has really upscale "Hoity Toity" type shops. You know the shopping centers where shops are spelled "Shoppes" or "Shop-Pees" like my husband so lovingly calls it. We went there so I could specifically visit the J. McLaughlin store. Much to my chagrin they were closed because of a wedding. Okay so did everyone have to go to the wedding? I'm just saying. Alright I won't be so bitter about it. But I was going there to pick out my "motivating" outfit...preferrably a dress. But they were closed! Ugh.

Anyway, we continued to walk down the shopping "Centre" you know those fancy places rearrange letters because they're "Fanci." Wink wink. We went into a couple shops and store after store I didn't see a size larger than a TWELVE! Yes you read that right folks. A TWELVE! Wow so fat chicks just don't exist in their world whatsoever. How nice.

I am going to restrain myself from going off about fashion and how women over the size of 12 are the forgotten ones yet we make up the majority of the female population. Hmm...why such a disconnect? Is it because they can cash in on more money making us feel "less than" than to actually make clothes *gasp* in our size...the horror!

What do you think? Hop up on the soapbox and express your feelings! I'll start...What is so hard in making a line of preppy clothing for women sizes 14-26? I would like a shift dress to fit over my 42 DDD bra cups! Hell they make spandex pants to fit us, why not a classic shift, shirt, skort? Hmm? Okay I'm going to the gym to burn off the half a hot dog bun I had at Costco. I know, I know I shouldn't of had it...too late. Off to break a sweat!! Don't forget to rant below! ;-)

Motivation: Towards or away from?

You're plugging along with your diet and you hit a plateau...BAM! Or your weight loss journey is not going as "planned" and you lose momentum. What do you do to stay motivated? Or do you completely throw in the towel because you're fed up? We won't talk about giving up just yet. That is another blog post. Let's talk about motivation. A while back I discovered a podcast called "Inside Out Weight Loss" it approached weight loss thru self reflection. It has had a profound impact on my weight loss journey. It set the foundation for me that has helped me adopt and stick to my diet and new way of life.

{image, Personal life media}

In this particular episode Renee talks about towards or away from motivation. What is that you ask? In simple terms it states that towards is the motivation you want to strive to become, like a smaller size. Away from motivation is what you don't want to become, obese, larger than a size 14.

Depending on the day my motivation can be away from or towards. For example, the other evening I was laying in bed watching tv and all of a sudden I started having cravings for something to eat. I knew that I wasn't hungry but it was the after effects of having a dish with pasta. Boy Dr. Atkins wasn't kidding when he said to stay away from carbs like pasta and bread.


Anyway, the cravings to have something to eat were really strong. I went to the kitchen and had a glass of water. That didn't help so I went back to lay down. Laying there I thought to myself, "you're going to go and eat something you shouldn't eat that will satisfy you for 10 minutes. Or you can regain control and not have anything to eat go to bed then have a feast in the morning. What is more important? Eating some type of garbage now and look like the picture in the race car? Or watch the digital scale go down a digit or two in the morning?"

 {my AWAY from motivator}

Needless to say I opted for the second. It was tough. I can't say I overcome the cravings every time because I don't. But the fact that I think about what motivates me really makes a difference. And when I am faced with challenges I always think of what will motivate me more, looking like I do in the race car or finally fitting into the size 6 that I've dreamed of being for over 15 years!

{My TOWARDS motivator, to look like that in a cardi and boatneck}

So what is your motivation strategy? Away from or Towards? Have you thought about it? If so let me know I would love to know what motivates you. I may help me too! Here's to achieving our next goal!!!

Dry Brushing

Have you heard of it? Do you know what it is? Well I am here to tell you what it is. First let me start by saying how terrified I was to think that my skin would be loose and flabby as I lost my weight.

{earth therapeutic far reaching back brush}

I know you are probably saying...Erika lose the weight first THEN worry about flabby skin. Well my answer is um NO. I want to ensure that my skin shrinks as my body does and I did some extensive research and I found out about dry brushing. 

Dry brushing is brushing your skin with a natural bristle brush or loofah to promote circulation and lymphatic stimulation in the body. Brushing the entire body with long firm not hard strokes will promote circulation and elimination of toxins in the body. Your skin is the LARGEST organ in the body and a portal for elimination by way of skin sloughing and perspiration. We often overlook taking care of our skin. I mean slapping on some lotion after your shower is not enough. 

Exfoliating the skin by way of dry brushing from what I've read is one of the most effective ways to accomplish the following:

1. Exfoliating the skin

2. Reducing the signs of stretch marks

3. Reducing or eliminating areas where cellulite is present

4. Tightening loose or excess skin.

So I am going to take it upon myself and play human guinea pig to see if I accomplish the same results. I will take some before photos tomorrow and post them next week and I will post each week my results so you can see for yourself if it works or not. I've read that you can begin to see results within 3 weeks. What steps are you taking to ensure you don't have flabby excess skin when you lose the weight? Are you even worried about having loose skin? Post your comment below! Here's to a youthful glow!

I'm moving on...

...to the next phase of the Atkins diet plan. I was surfing the web and found an article about 7 mistakes you may be making on your low carb diet. Well I was guilty of 4 of the 7 mistakes! Yikes!!! My original plan was to remain in the Induction phase until I reached 199 pounds. After reading the article I am really doing myself an injustice by staying so long in the initial phase.


I have to admit it was my fear of choosing the wrong foods and slowing down my weight loss progress that prevented me from moving on to the next phase. But I eventually have to figure out what foods I will be able to eat and what foods I must avoid. The sooner I start that phase the better. I have to learn what my carb limit will be...that is what I fear, the trial and error process. Ugh! I don't want to do it. I must if I am going to reach my weight loss goal I guess.


Anyhoo, I'm off to bed. What are your thoughts about being on a diet but your fears are preventing you from moving to the next phase of your diet plan? How are you going to approach the challenge you face? If you have any suggestions please feel free to leave them below. Biting my nails right now. I'm a big girl. I'm a big girl. (Oh yeah I am a big girl...whole reason why I'm here, LOL) I can do this...right?

Fashionable Friday: Boatnecks & Cardis & Animal Prints...Oh My!

Happy Friday Fashionistas!!!

{all images, jcrew}

I love classic preppy looks and as always J Crew delivers. I am a very casual dresser. Jeans, boatneck tee shirt or blouse and a cardigan or sweater set. Since I have quite a large chest I typically opt for the twinset as opposed to a shirt and blazer. I always feel like a linebacker in women's clothing when i wear a blazer. So I choose the twinset and top it with my signature pearls. One thing I look forward to when I achieve my goal weight is wearing a blazer.

{steve madden shoes, scout bag}

My go to staple shoe is a loafer or ballet flat. I love flats. Whether they're boring or unique I just love em! Heels...I'll pass. Now when I get to my goal weight maybe that will change...but for now gimme FLATS!

So what is your casual style? Post your comments below. Thanks for stopping by. Happy weekend!!!

What is more important? Part Two

In my last post I spoke about priorities and choosing what is more important, losing the weight or eating your favorite foods. While on YOUR journey, have you ever noticed foods that may make you feel a bit off center? Warning! This post requires quite a bit of self reflection. You may find this challenge a bit tough, you are going to have to look at your favorite food from a non bias perspective. You may have to do this exercise more than once but it was an exercise that helped me make wiser food choices. It may help you too.

{Hmm, let me think...}

First think about what you feel like when you feel your best? Do you feel like you can conquer the world? Do you feel like you want to give everyone a hug? What do you feel like? Now think about what you feel like when you’ve over indulged on your favorite foods. Outside of feeling like you are about to pop or throw up, how do you feel otherwise? Do you feel jittery, intoxicated, disoriented, euphoric, lethargic, hungry, thirsty? Is your heart racing? Do you feel out of breath? What are some physical symptoms you are experiencing? Next time you sit down to enjoy your favorite foods jot down how you feel. Physically and emotionally. Taking note on how you feel will be an eye-opening experience. 

Once you’ve taken into account how you feel, now think about how important losing weight is for you? Ask yourself, is it more important to lose the weight and feel better? Or is it more important to satisfy your craving of the moment despite the fact that it may make you feel less than stellar physically? It may sound silly to reflect on how the foods you eat affect you but knowing how your body reacts will help you to achieve and maintain your weight loss. So how do you feel about this post? Too much self reflection? Not enough? Let me know, post below. 

What’s more important? Part One

Hello my fellow 2b’ers! My post today is a “Two Parter” folks... I really want to talk about setting your priorities during your weight loss journey. 

Priorities you ask? Yes! Priorities. And I’m not talking about your overall weight loss goal as a priority. I am talking about the little day to day “forks in the road” so to speak  or challenges you will face during your weight loss journey. For example, what is more important for you? Reaching your short term or mini goal weight? Or chowing down on something you really shouldn’t be eating because you inner child feels deprived on your new way of eating. Let me tell you that this will be something you will continue to face, and it is best to face it head on before you more forward with your weight loss journey.

Here is an example of one of the things I’m faced with. I LOVE pizza. Well, being on the Atkins diet that is like fatal death! That’s like telling your uber religious mom...”Hi mom, by the way, I’m a devil worshiper!”...okay that is a bit extreme but you get where Im coming from.  So the challenge is this...accepting the fact that in reality I can no longer eat these foods. Long ago I learned that pizza wreaks havoc on my body when I would eat it. My heart would race, I would feel almost intoxicated, and I just wouldn’t feel quite right. So it started back when I was a teen and pizza from Lil Caesars jump-started my bout with asthma. I know It sounds crazy but to this day I feel there was something in that pizza that set off my new (at the time) chronic illness. So from that point on I chose to no longer eat Lil Caesar’s pizza. Shortly after that I learned that Pizza Hut “Meat-lovers” pizza force me to drink water uncontrollably. I couldn’t get enough and then after that I would pee on controllably. So then Pizza Hut was crossed off my pizza eating list. Eventually all pizza’s including my favorite, Papa Johns was on the ban list. At this point I’ve realized that it is more important for me to feel better than to eat pizza. So my priority is to feel better than to satisfy my inner child for about 10 mins and eat a slice of pizza. Don’t get me wrong I’m still human and on occasion I eat pizza. I mean really who doesn’t love a pizza party? That just screams “Calling all inner children come chow down!” But instead of inhaling 1/2 to 3/4 of a pie of meat lovers pizza I now eat a slice, maybe two of cheese pizza. While on the induction phase its just the cheese no crust. And I gotta admit the cheese is my favorite part anyway. 

My journey to thin has been very educational and enlightening. I’ve chosen to listen to my body more than to please my inner child with foolish life shortening indulgences. I’ve realized that I must make priorities when it comes to my health and my weight loss goals. Part two of this post continues with exploration of foods you may have to “give up” to achieve and maintain your goal weight. Also we'll explore tasty alternatives to avoid feelings of deprivation. Come back to explore and don’t forget to post your comments!

I haven't been completely honest...

Ooh did that title grab you? Well I was thinking about my posts regarding my weight loss progress and I've been a bit one-sided. I haven't documented the times when my weight has gone up even if it's 2/10th of a pound. This blog serves as my online documentation of my struggles and triumphs while getting to my goal weight, so that is what I need to provide my readers. Well it isn't fair if you're reading a blog and the author only documents the actual weight loss not her struggles when the weight creeps back on again. So going forward I will also document when my weight goes up and my moments of weakness.

{photo}

With that being said I have had some major cravings lately, I haven't been drinking enough water, nor taken my multi-vitamins. There I said it! I had pasta yesterday and I shouldn't have. I feel it set off a massive craving campaign that I don't rendered me helpless. One thing I have enjoyed so far on the Atkins diet is that I've had no cravings. In the book Dr Atkins warned his readers to steer clear of eating refined carbs. Even the "its just one bite" thought is a fatal mistake for the Atkins dieter. I should have heeded his advise. I am going to take being on induction more seriously. I've accepted that this is my new way of life since it has allowed me to see the most progress than any other diet I've attempted. So I'm moving forward and staying focused! How do you regain focus when you've gone off your diet? Please leave a comment below. Happy Sunday!

Overcoming sabotaging thoughts and a video

I don't know about you but from time to time I have sabotaging thoughts. Sabotaging thoughts are thoughts that sneakily creep up on you when you are progressing along smoothly with positive thoughts and actions. When on a diet or a weight loss regime it's the voice that says "Come on you can have a piece of cake, you've been so good" or "Who are you fooling you're not going to reach your goal weight, give up now this is too much work." Well you CAN overcome and conquer those thoughts.

I love this song and the 80's look La Roux is rocking in the video! My little "Me" told me about this song when we were out bowling in Utah. I love the lyrics. "I'm Bulletproof" I'm not going to let those sabotaging thoughts take over. I'll play this song when I feel like the thoughts are trying to move in and mess me up. What's your strategy for overcoming sabotaging thoughts?


Remember you are who you THINK you are! You are AMAZING!

See Banana Republic’s Complete Mad Men Collection

Hello you Fashionistas!

Monday I received this month's Lucky Magazine and there it was, an ad for the MadMen collection at Banana Republic!!!! I don't watch the tv show but I do LOVE fashions from the 50's and 60's! Unfortunately when I went to Banana Republic's website for images there were none. Here are a few images I found on StyleCaster.

The link below will take you to a slideshow of the new collection as well.

See Banana Republic’s Complete Mad Men Collection

Fashion silhouettes from the 50's to about the mid-60's are by far my favorite. Ladies were dressed like ladies and not hookers. I know that statement is a bit harsh but I'm about tired of the skinny jeans, sequin tops, and 6 inch platform hooker stiletos look. I think women can wear clothing that enhances their figure without having to wear something skimpy or too revealing. Let's leave something to the imagination ladies.

I also love 80's preppy...argyle sweaters, Lacoste shirts, Sperry topsider shoes, and Tretorn sneakers, there isn't anything like it!!! What era do your favorite fashions come from? Do you wear them now or will your wear them when you get closer to your goal weight? Post your comments below, I can't wait to see what you post!