Merry Christmas!!!

Well Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, & All that jazz! Can you believe 2009 is almost over? OMG where did the time go? I have no idea but its kinda scary but exciting. I am heading to The Bahamas (Nassau) with my Mom & Sister for Christmas. I am looking forward to the get-a-way! Last year we did a cruise and I had a blast but I did gain like 7 pounds in 5 days I don't know how I did that buttttttt you do the math. It can happen! Let's see two workouts, hot coco with ice cream (yeah I said it!!), 24 hour pizza bar, midnight buffet.. as my sister would say & all kinds of foolishness! It was fun however weight loss is a slippery slope to use a legal term (lol) once you give up an inch 5 pounds magically appears! No lie.

My Mom & sister already left and went on a 2 day cruise down to The Bahamas and I will just fly down and meet them there. I could have gone but thought nahhh not this year its too much temptation. I finally broke the plateau and hit 70 pounds loss on Monday. How? I dunno the body is weird! But there is scientific literature to suggest taking time off from working out and varying your training can help the body not feel so out of sorts and therefore you will drop weight. Even body builders have a "free" day and take time off during the off season to stay on their game.

So that's 70 pounds in 11 months. Which is 6.3 pounds a month. Respectable. My goal was 10 pounds a month with 2 pounds loss per week in 52 weeks that would be 104 in a year. I will be off by a few but I am not stressing it. I mean I am because I was promised a trip any where in the world if I lost 100 pounds in a year and I have Fiji or China on my mind. But my Daddy is a push over lol if I hit 85-90 I am sure he will come thru. A/w to be honest I am happy with my progress. I think people might say well duh why wouldn't you be but I am such a goal person. I set up strict deadlines and I make things happen when I say if not sooner but as I reflect and cut myself some slack I feel great, look great, and well I've worked hard. Still got work to do and I am ok with that. I am still not a die hard "nothing taste a good as thin feels" type of girl I love food lol but I can see how balance is the name of the game and I am going to keep striving to get there.

My goals are to workout every day the beach is right there, and I can swim like a fish. I found a Yoga retreat http://www.sivananda.org/nassau/ that does drop in classes for $10 or a whole day with meals for $45! I love the email it was entitled "Dear Blessed Self" Gotta experience that! Oh and they pick you up via boat so they must be on their own little island! I am excited! There is also a parade of sorts for a holiday called Boxing Day which is a Junknaoo (think carnival) event so floats and what not and apparently it BEGINS at midnight by gun shot...Sooo Caribbean! I love it!

Anyyyhowwww I am wishing you all a blessed holiday!!!

But before I go I will remind you all that Jesus and I share the same birthday! However since its become a tradition to celebrate His birth in December I won't trip HOWEVER June 17th yall need to get them trees back out! LOL No but for real we need a revolution! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1093053/Cancel-Christmas--Jesus-born-June-17-say-scientists.html

Dear Future Me

OK so I am an Oprah fan like everyone else!Even if you find her annoying, you have to respect her! I liked Oprah from way back though and as she has grown I am really amazed by her. I mean to become the richest woman in the world by helping people and being vulnerable yourself is such a win/win because when you help others you REALLY help yourself as well...and apparently you can get the President elected. That's based on public trust if you think about it; that's real power. I respect Oprah because she works hard to stay in shape. I am not saying I do not respect people who are naturally thin who workout to stay toned but there is a HUGE difference! If you are blessed *(and be sure it is a blessing) to have a fast/efficient metabolism and you workout hats off because skinny people drop dead of heart attacks too because the crap they eat still has an effect on the inside. But as someone who appreciates Oprah journey I really applaud her. I loved her book with Bob Green The Best Life Ever. Because her journey clearly illustrates that battling obesity is no joke. As she often says 1) She hates exercise by it is a necessary evil 2) If there was a magic pill she'd have it by now *re: she's the richest woman in the world!

So the best EVEN Oprah can do is wake up every day at 4am and get her workout on and watch her diet...Well then...we carry on...just without her billions. But that does go to show even with all that money, and a fab job, and great shoes this is her struggle and all the money, fame, and greatness does not trump achieving a lifelong goal like weight loss. I get that.

Anyway slightly off topic, the purpose of this blog entry was to talk about something I saw in the Oprah magazine. A website called Future Me. Its basically a website where you can send yourself an email sometime in the future. I love the idea. Although there are a ton I'd love to send to the Past me (lol) this Future Me activity I think is cool. Here are some of the ones I will do:

Congrats you are at goal!
Training for the Iron girl pep talks
Happy 35th Birthday!
Best wishes on the Iron Girl
Congrats you are AN IRON GIRL!
Several Affirmations

Try it out! You can make them public or private. I have enjoyed reading some of the public ones! With the New year approaching I can say I feel a sense of accomplishment that my 2009 weight loss resolutions became my end of 09/2010 results!

Workouts vs. An Active Social Life

These few weeks have been more challenging to my workouts than I anticipated! So many parties, so little time... to workout. I had plans to hit the gym 2 additional times this week but I had a meeting last night, I have another tonight, and Thursday was the workout day I planned and I just got invited to a Happy Hour that I want to go to, & Friday I have a dinner party and then we are back to Saturday and I have my Personal Trainer again! Where does time go!?

Excuses...but its the holidays and I am a busy person. I have been up and down the same 3 pounds so I will take that as a victory considering I have not been as faithful as I was in the fall.

My workout session on Monday was great but I was really dragging! I took a rest day Sunday and my body was in no mood for the foolishness with Charles! But my Trainer saw I was dragging and in and effort "to help" we did my strength training than cardio. Please*insert my rolling eyes here* He gave me some crazy exercises and they were hard and my body is now in pain. I am feeling muscles I didn't know existed. Good stuff! See that's the exercise crack talking...can barely stand talking about good stuff lol

I don't know what to say about this hectic holiday season except I will stick with my trainer and not beat myself up about missing the extra workouts and watch the extra calories all around the office.

I told myself I would make more of an effort to have a balanced life and I am working on that. I am busy but I really do not socialize much outside of AKA so I changed that this year got in involved with Monumental, doing more happy hours, and parties and meeting lots of new people and staying connected with others. I am enjoying it A LOT! I mean I met Doug E. Fresh how sweet is that for a girl from the Bronx!? Pretty sweet I would say! My sister has been a bit..annoyed with me she was wondering if I was passing up all these good parties for the last 9 years that I have been in Baltimore...I had to admit that I had...but no mas!

I am also an avid traveler I have been to Scotland, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Mexico, & a few islands but lately most of the traveling I do is for AKA so this year and next I am taking "just because" trips. I am going to The Bahamas for Christmas totally last minute but I am looking forward to spending Christmas on the beach again this year (last year I was in Mexico). I am going to Carnival in Trinidad in February and I worked it out to have two 1 day layovers in Panama!!! Whooo hooo!! I can't wait! Only to find out Panama has Carnival the same weekend! What fun! ****New motto for the New Year is "Getting it in, in 2010!" lol

Aside from that I have an AKA conference at home and one in NY and another in St. Louis in the summer. So 2010 will be busy as usual but I am keeping my trainer he has been soooooo worth the money! I am still pushing towards the last 35 pounds and I am giving myself permission to not go crazy to lose weight between now and New years. My size 16 dresses are getting loose and I fit into my sister's hand me down size 13/14 Apple Bottom jeans! Ok they are not ready for the world but they got on dang-nab-it and buttoned! I did not attempt to sit down however lol

I am still cleaning out the closet. Anything over a size 18 is just about gone. I donated 2 dresses I wore as Maid of Honor in two weddings I was in. The Soror in the Xi Tau chapter did a clothing drive and they were donated to an organization called The Priceless Gown Project that collects formal wear for under privileged young girls. I also have a friend who is collecting sorority paraphernalia or as we call it in the South "'nalia" and in the North "para" (lol) I have several 2x and 3x shirts, some I have never worn that I plan to give to him as well! The cleaning out is therapeutic kinda like getting rid of my old unhealthy self.

********When you lose weight DON'T keep the clothing let them go! I think its sends a single to your subconscious that the weight loss is temporary and you'll need them again. I've done that before. Not this time! Its all gotta go!

A/w I'll be checking in again soon!

Fit & Fab during the Holidays

The people in the know say that most Americans tend to gain an average of 10 pounds during the holiday eating vortex (the time between Thanksgiving & New Years).I said 10 POUNDS!!! Once upon a time I was included in that count, heck planned on it! This year I told myself I would not focus on food but on friends and family during this holiday season. I also made a sizable investment in 24 personal training sessions so I would have no excuses for missing workouts during this holiday season. My Monday workout was a killer! I mean all of my workouts are but Monday's was really a challenge its like Charles took every exercise I hate with a passion and but them all together! I walked out dizzy! Good stuff! I fused of course (I think he likes that) but I did notice I could move faster, push harder, and I was more flexible. That's a good thing. Think about it the most challenging moves merged into 1 workout... WOW!

Goals for the next 4 weeks:

1) Continue personal training 2x a week

2) Take at least 2 additional exercise classes or use treadmill (2 hours)

3) Go to Weight Watchers meetings (don't wanna look like a newbie in January lol)

4) Enjoy the holiday with friends and family not food!

5) Lose 10 pounds

*Notice I did not go on a rant about making low fat version of your favorite things etc. I will be honest low fat/low calories tends to mean I eat more so I indulge moderately of the real thing rather than going for the next best thing or I avoid it all together. This is not meant to discourage anyone from doing that in fact WW has some great alternatives but just practice portion control. A word to the wise is sufficient! Enjoy yourselves! Here's an article 5 Tips To Avoid Weight Gain ~ Some good tips! There's still time :-)

Trust Me Imm A Lawyer!

My Girls! The Old SAO Domestic Violence Crew there will never be another!

They are like family they laugh with me, encourage me, exercise with me, pray for me, tell me when I act a fool & when I look fly! What more can you ask for! :-)

Ok WOW the months are flying by! I mean really flying! Its already December 2010 the New Year is around the corner! Being in a pre-new years reflective mood & coming off of a high from partying last night and getting loads of compliments I am very grateful that I am taking this time to make myself a priority.

When January 2009 came around my mantra was "Fine in 2009" I set my S.M.A.R.T. Goals and I told myself that, that all or nothing, black or white, personality quirk I have that tends to serve me well in other areas of my life, was not going to work when it came to my weight loss and fitness goals. I would be modest and reasonable with myself and my workouts and my expectations. That did not mean I would take it "easy" I went and found the best Personal Trainer I could in the State! Charles is no joke! But in the past I would go overboard. For example a few years ago I lost a good bit of weight and rather than keeping that pace I amped up my workouts to 6 days a week 2-3 hours a day and I had no social life I was always running out of work or mad when i would get stuck in court my sole focus was going to the gym. I pushed myself harder and faster and well I just know now that that isn't how you live a healthier lifestyle. Ultimately that was/is my goal which is why I started this blog. The goal wasn't to see how much I could workout, I took on a "Work smarter, not harder" attitude. And its working I am slowly getting to my goal weight.

To be honest my goal was 10 pounds a month, I am at about 6 almost half but amazingly I am ok with that. I told myself not to get caught up in the weekly ups and downs (which is why i love WW but don't go every week) looking at the big picture, 6 pounds a month x 11 months is 66 pounds and that's nothing to be upset at. I am wavering between 65 and 70 pounds loss since January. Every day my scale says something different but that's okay I will wait that out too. I will just keep doing what I am doing get my workouts in and watch my intake.

Last night I wore another size 16 dress this was by Jones New York.... I love the dress (Thanks Mom!) and a lot of other people did too apparently lol

Last thought-Something I have realized is I can't live in the gym. I have too much to do. I do dedicate each Monday & Saturday to personal training and I usually do 2 hours and the rest of my exercise comes from a combination of taking maybe 2 more classes a week (socarobics & Chizel It) or being more active in general. So the challenge this weekend is:

1) Big Party last night (got in around 2am)
2) Gala tonight 8-12am
3)Alpha Kappa Alpha Chapter meeting @ 11am
4) Skating with Sorors @ 4pm

Harold Ford, Jr. & Me

So how does a busy woman on the move work in weight loss and exercise?

1) Well I'll be honest...I trade calories/points. Don't look at me like that! (lol) I know bad business but I have liquor so I eat less and I find more time to be social than worrying how much crab dip I can have depending on the made up point value in my head. I know that vodka has a set point value/calorie value crab dip does not! Keep in mind I had a sensible meal before I left for the party (baked potato with low fat sour cream and my premade Turkey meatball). So I am not advocating drinking instead of eating (the whole day anyway lol oh ok)

2) I keep my exercise appointment. My blackberry says 9:30 I am with Charles so there it is. I get a good hour in and this works well because I do not have to wake up early after partying tonight!

3) Chapter meeting is at 11am because we have a holiday celebration at a restaurant so while I'll be cutting it close I'll still make the meeting with a quick change artist impersonation.

4) I have ACTIVE events I am going to- I did some dancing last night even sweated my hair out! (I swear I need botox!) Tonight more dancing! Tomorrow its a skating event with the Sorors! Skating burns a lot of calories I will of course deduct the minutes I spend on the floor on my booty! lol

So I will report back with pictures of course! :-) I have a cute outfit in mind and the funny thing is the jeans (by Michael Kors) never fit me (I've had them for maybe 2 years now) I tried them this week and they are getting big! Glad I didn't miss my window!

Thanks again for all the pep talks, emails, and text messages and other forms of support! It is greatly appreciated and definitely helps to keep me inspired along this journey!