It's just another Manic Monday

On Saturday I checked out the consignment shop dedicated to plus sized women.  it was decent.  I actually purchased 3 pieces.  A cute purple and black dress, cute blue jean  pencil skirt with a red hot tie in the back, and a really sexy black shirt with ruffles.  Each of these items were in a size I do not normally wear.  It feels good to buy in a smaller size, every when it is not your size.  Style blogger Savonne, says you should always try things own because you never know what is going to fit you.  She is right.

I still didn't work up the patience go thrifting...but there is always next weekend.

Have a wonderful week everyone!   My schedule is crazy this week.  Covering custody post so there will be a couple of midnight and mid-day shifts...as well as my regular shift.  It drives me insane.

Happy Friday!!!

I didn't make it to Body Pump or Zumba last night.  My mom wasn't feeling well (she stayed up the night before reading a book), so I had to stay home with the kiddos.  No biggie.  Tomorrow is another day. 

I received my ATT Letter informing me that I had been approved to retake the test.  Yup.  I'm scheduled to take the test on June 16th.  Seems like forever...but it is only 4 months.  I'm already mapping out my study schedule.

On the band front.  I have an appointment for a fill on February 14th...Valentine's day for most people...just another day in the month for me.  I know she is not going to want to give me a fill...but I need one.  Yes, I've almost lost 10 lbs since the last visit...but I'm HONGRY!!! 

Yesterday while reading the many fashion blogs I follow (all are about women with curves), I decided to give thrifting a try...again.  Keep in mind I have absolutely NO DAMN PATIENCE so this is a big deal.  In my research I found a consignment shop her in Austin exclusively for plus sized women.  What the what?!?!  Yup...I'm going this weekend.  It's not like I need any clothes...but I just want to see what they have to offer.  Other than a little shopping, working and bill paying...my weekend is going to be boring. 

What are you weekend plans?  I hope they are better than mine.

Turbo Kick SUCKED!!!

That's right.  The freaking Turbo Kick class I went to last night was a total waste of my time.  I could of had a V8!!

I own the Turbo Kick DVD's.  On occasion I break out the 20 minute workout and make it happen.  So I knew what to expect.  A great cardio workout that would leave me sweating buckets.  I WAS WRONG!!!  After 35 minutes in this class...my clothes were still dry...my pigtails (yes I wear pigtails for my workouts) were not dripping water.  I planned on finishing the class...even though I wasn't getting the workout I desired.  But I bent down to take a sip of water...instead of standing up and finishing.  I grabbed my keys and bounced.  Yup...I only completed 37 minutes of the class...because I couldn't believe that I was in Turbo Kick and not sweating.  Needless to say I will not go back to this class.  I will just stick with my DVDs.  I am however going to try kickboxing at this location.  I refuse to deal with the skinny attitude girl at the other location. 

Tonight I'm scheduled to try Body Pump...which is conveniently followed by Zumba.  I think I will stay for both.  I do miss Zumba.

Epic FAIL

Yes...I failed my test.  Don't freak out...it's okay.  I have already submitted my application to retest.  I should get a reply in the next couple of days.  I'm thinking I can retest in either March or April.  Either way...plenty of time to study.

Now that the test drama is over I'm working on the kids ability to recognize letters and words.  This week we are working on the letter A for the week.  We have our sight words ready to go.  I love learning...I hope my kiddos will too.  They both take a book to bed every night...even though they can't read.  I love it.

Charles has weekends off for the next 2 months!!!  Hell yeah I'm happy.  We have decided we will get up early every Saturday morning and go for a hike on the many trails that Austin has to offer.  I'm looking forward to it.

I'm also back on the tracking bandwagon.  Ugh...I hate it...but I promised I would give it a try...so I'm doing it.  My weight is still at my new low...which is an accomplishment after last week.  This is the third week I have missed Go-Go Cardio.  I miss it so.  I should be back on track next week.  Tonight is TurboKick (first time) and tomorrow is Bodypump.  I hope I like this.  I'm also going to the gym Friday night.  I love the gym on Friday and Saturday...nobody is there.  LOL 

Hope everyone is having a great week. 

Lean on Me

I needed to hear this today. Maybe someone else needs to hear it too. Listen to the words...realize there  importance.

I got a roommate....

...for B.O.O.B.S.!!!  Yup I already have my roomie.  Don't be jealous.  She is amazing!!!  And she bought me TONS of clothes to wear.  I am officially only shopping in her closet from this moment on.  Thanks Angela!!!

Here are a few pics from the night....unedited of course.  LOL

Me taking pictures before the girls picked me up.  LOL

Delicious fried pickles...and Beth's hand.  LOL

The group photo...those are some FINE chicks!!! Beth Anne, Angela, Debi, Me & Ronnie

That is Carlos...our waiter.  He was totally willing to go home with one of us.

Me after 3 Sassy Sara drinks!!!  OMG...that stuff was good. 

hey

Sorry I haven't been posting or commenting this week.  Training at work so I wasn't in front of the computer.  At home I was cleaning, exercising and cooking.  Sorry.  In Dallas this weekend for a photography workshop.  I'm super excited.  Going to dinner tomorrow night with some Texas B.O.O.B.S.  Hell yeah...gonna be a good time.  I might have a cocktail.

Bye the way...I hit a new low this week.  I'm in a new decade...and happy about it.

Be blessed and have a safe weekend!!

O Magainze Article

I was reading this article in the check out line yesterday.  What do you think of these "new rules"?

They're the imperatives for well-being that have been drilled into us forever—"Drink eight glasses of water a day!" "Eat nine servings of fruits and veggies!" "Stay away from red meat!" But it turns out that taking care of yourself isn't quite so black-and-white, says Harvard Medical School psychologist Alice Domar, PhD, coauthor of Live a Little! Breaking the Rules Won't Break Your Health. "Research is revealing that whoever wrote the old guidelines didn't have the whole picture, and that there are more paths to optimal health than we previously thought," Domar says. Happily, the new rules are more user-friendly than the old ones. Here, four tips to live by.

Old Rule: Drink eight glasses of water a day.
New Rule: Eat your water.

The recommendation to chug all that H2O was likely based on guidelines published in 1945. However, says Howard Murad, MD, author of The Water Secret, much of your daily requirement is contained in foods: Fruits, vegetables, beans, and cooked whole grains like oatmeal and quinoa (which soak up moisture in the pot) all deliver servings of water. And, as Murad points out, they offer the added bonus of nutrients: "Watermelon and cucumber are more than 90 percent water, but they also contain antioxidants. With a glass of water, all you get is water." You'll know you're hydrated when your urine is colorless or pale yellow and you're rarely thirsty.

Old Rule: Eat nine servings of fruits and vegetables.
New Rule: Fill half your plate with produce.

A serving of broccoli is about five florets. A serving of raw spinach, one cup. A serving of mango, roughly the size of a fist. "It's not surprising that people get confused over what, exactly, a serving is," says Washington, D.C., dietitian Rebecca Scritchfield. Her advice: Stop counting and instead make half of every meal produce. "You don't need a big mound on your plate. Six asparagus spears at dinner, a spinach salad at lunch, and a sliced banana and some berries at breakfast should do it." And quality counts: Even two or three daily servings of deeply hued fruits and veggies (like blueberries, bok choy, or red peppers) may help reduce your risk of cancer and heart disease, Scritchfield says. "It's like darts. The goal is to hit the bull's-eye. But hitting nearby is good, too."

Old Rule: Avoid red meat.
New Rule: Beef in moderation can be healthy.

Red meat was long considered a heart attack on a plate because it's high in saturated fat. But a 2010 study from the Harvard School of Public Health found that the cardiovascular risk comes from processed varieties, such as sausage, hot dogs, and cold cuts—not from steak, hamburgers, and other nonprocessed cuts. (The real culprits may be salt and preservatives). Red meat is a good source of iron and immunity-boosting zinc—two nutrients some women don't get enough of. Beef (especially grass-fed) also contains high concentrations of conjugated linoleic acid, a type of fat that may decrease cancer risk and help reduce body fat.

"But not all red meats are created equal," says Leslie J. Bonci, director of sports nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Sports Medicine. She recommends choosing very lean cuts and avoiding anything labeled "prime," as it will have more fat marbling. And try not to eat more than three 4- to 5-ounce servings (about the size of an iPhone) per week.

Old Rule: Keep your BMI between 18.5 and 24.9.
New Rule: Eat healthy, exercise, and let your weight settle naturally.

Physicians use BMI (body mass index)—a ratio of your weight to your height—as a tool to diagnose obesity. But critics say BMI ignores muscle mass, and a 2011 Obesity study notes that it also ignores a person's hip circumference. "People come in different sizes and shapes," says Joanne Ikeda, nutritionist emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley. "The idea that everyone should fall under 25 is ludicrous." A person can have a high BMI and still be healthy, Ikeda argues. Research supports the theory: A Journal of the American Medical Association study found that fit women—even if they were overweight according to their BMI—were less likely to suffer a heart attack than those who were out of shape. Ikeda advises her patients to stop obsessing over their BMI, eat a nutritious diet, and log 150 minutes of exercise per week. "A healthy lifestyle results in a healthy weight."
Read more: http://www.oprah.com/health/Health-Rules-to-Break-Healthy-Living-Guidelines/4#ixzz1kIOVDJHK

The one about the BMI was really interesting to me.  I know many of us are still using the BMI chart as a guide to determine if we are actually healthy enough.  My favorite line from the article is

"A healthy lifestyle results in a healthy weight." Well alrighty then.  Umm...like I didn't already know that.  But hey...it's important to start living it.

Here is a to a healthy week everyone!!

New week, new goals and my plate

Seriously, myplate on livestrong dot com is driving me batty.  It should not be this hard to create a damn recipe.  Ugh...so frustrating.  Moving on...

Last week I set out to workout 3 times.  It didn't happen.  I didn't work out once.  I felt like crap last wee and I am really just staring to feel better today.  No worries though.  Sometimes a girl just has an off week.  But I'm back.  I'm going to get my 3 workouts in or 180 minutes some way some how this week. 

My only goals for the week are to eat on plan, eat lots of protein and get my workouts in.  Since I wasn't feeling well last week I used that as an excuse to eat ice cream  And eat it I did.  Three days in a row...twice on one of those days.  Yup.  It was totally good.  Was it worth it.  Nope...but it was good.

Luckily today's weigh in did not reflect the ice cream fiasco.  Thank goodness.  My weight stayed the same as last week. 

But that's just it.  I don't want a weight that stays the same.  I want a weight that goes down.  Though I weigh in every week, I'm not married to the scale.  I use the fit of my clothes and the spring in my step to determine my success.  Yes, I have a number that I ultimately want to see on that scale...but I'm not going to let it determine how I proceed on this journey.

Well that's all for me.

I want to wish all of my ladies (Angela, Sandy, Stephanie) who are having surgery this week a speedy recovery...and I pray that God is in the room during your surgery. 

New Design

Check it out.  There has been more color brought into my blog.  Thanks to our resident blog fairy Jen.  Get a blog re-design by Just Foolin' Blog Designs.  You will love it...and so will your readers.

All I want...

...is to breathe out of my nose.  Ugh!!!  Being sick sucks!

Austin, TX is the allergy capital of the damn world.  But I think I'm beyond the allergies now...and I am not happy.

No exercise

Yup...the title says it all.  I didn't exercise on 2 of my scheduled exercise days this week.  Why...umm I could tell you, but it doesn't matter.  What matters is that it is so not acceptable. 

My girl Ro talked about it just yesterday in this post.  Actions speak louder than words.  I can say over and over that I want to do this or that...but unless I do it...it's just BS.  This is the funny thing.  Who am I fooling?  Nobody but me!!  So I promised myself 3 days of exercise this week.  I will get those 3 days in.  Gotta get 'er done!!!

Hope everyone is having an awesome week so far.  I have my bimonthly dinner with the girls tonight.  We are going to PF Chang's.  I'm already looking at the menu to minimize the damage. 

I love to shop

Seriously...I'm like the brokest broke person in the world...yet I love to shop.  I mean I can't stop shopping.  It's sad!!  Today I went to Nordstrom's Rack ( I love that store).  I went there because they always have shoes for my extra large feet (size 11).  OMG.  I found some of the cutest shoes.  Of course I tried them on to make sure they would look perfect.  But they were not perfect.  They were off a little.  I'm not sure why.  So I tried on a pair of flats in size 11...they were like damn flip flops.  Hot damn...my feet have gotten smaller.  I tried on the size 10's...to damn tight.  Are you kidding me.  I'm wearing a freaking size 10.5.  Do you know how hard it is to find a size 10.5...extremely.  Drives me insane.  Yet, they carry them at NR.  I found two cute pair.  I got the cutest pair of Cole Haan black pumps for $75.  That was pretty awesome for a pair of shoes that start at $248.  I'm one happy chica.

Oh yeah.  I am firmly in a size 18.  What?!?!  Yup...I can't believe it either.  I'm happy...but it's only the beginning.  There are more sizes to drop.  Many many more.

Healthy living is hard for someone who is addicted to sugar.  Yup...that would be me.  I can do great all day...and then after a great workout...all I want to do is consume cookies, cakes, anything with sugar. 

Please share with me some of your healthy sweet snacks.  I need all the help I can get.

On the weight loss front I was down 1.8 as of Wednesday last week.  Well do to my sugar infused binges those 1.8 came back.  I'm so glad they didn't bring any extra with them.  I'm still well on my way to losing the 5 lbs I need to lose for the month. 

Exercise this week will only consist of 3 days.  I need to study for my test.  So 3 days a week for the next two weeks until after I pass my test.  Meal planning is also on the menu.  Mostly fish and chicken.  I have a plan on trying some new veggies.  Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.  Thanks!!

Have a great week everybody.

P.S.  I'm going to try not to shop for one full month.  Wish me luck.

Kickboxing and PHR

Last night was kickboxing.  It was my first time trying it.  It was hilarious, because I was the only big girl in the room.  When the instructor started talking she looked dead at me and said, "If I need to come around and correct your form don't be offended."  I truly wanted to throw my water bottle at her.  Needless to say she did not have to correct my form at all.  However, she did need to correct others...several times.  Take that!!!  LOL

Overall the class was fun...but intense.  I had sweat coming out of my eyelashes people.  It was a great working and made me realize I truly need to invest in a heart rate monitor ASAP!! 

In other news...I didn't workout tonight.  It sucks because it is a workout night.  However, I truly needed to study and create more flashcards for my PHR certification.  I have 18 days until my test.  I'm really excited.  I'm prayerful that I will pass.  This is just one more step in the right direction to getting my dream job.  Also, I want to have this under my belt before I go to law school. 

What are your weekend plans.  Me...nothing much...trying a Body pump class on Saturday morning (if I can get out of bed).

Enjoy your weekend...remember that healthy living does not have weekends off!!

my life is boring

Everything is going well.  I started the week off right.  Monday and Tuesday were great days of exercise.  I went to the gym Monday night and spent some time with the treadmill and that evil bitch StairMaster.  You can ask Ronnie what my shirt looked like...it was not pretty.  LOL

Yesterday was Go-Go Cardio.  Let me just say I've been taking this class for over a month...once a week and I still lose a lung during the workouts.  I LOVE IT!!!  I even convinced a friend to join me.  She cracks me up every time.  She has no rhythm at all.

So my goals this week are to lose 3 lbs, work out 5 times and eat on plan.  So far so good!!  We shall see what happens. 

Other than that my life is the same boring.  Tonight I'm going to kickboxing.  Wish me luck!

BTW...I tried this delicious, quick recipe that Ebbs suggested.  Check it out.  You will enjoy it.