Thick like waffle batter!

Ok so I have a new idea for a TV show it will be called "Men Say the Darnest Things" instead of Kids! Bachelor #1 told me sincerely "You are thick like waffle batter!" I KNOW he meant it as a compliment lol buttttt it inspired me to stay on my workout track lol Ahhh men! What can ya do?!  It just made me think as women we pick ourselves apart and are always trying to lose weight or drop a size but really men like what they like lol now all men may not like the same things but shout out to the men who do! Nothing like a lil ego boost! But I still have my goals so off to the gym I went! My friend and I often talk about the true motives behind weight loss ie., health vs. vanity. I think its a fair dose of each in my case.


Speaking of which I found a new doctor and went to see her today and boy was she fast in and out in 30 minutes! It was amazing and refreshing! Anyway my blood pressure was 110/80 the nurse made a special note that my pressure was very good. That was good news since its been a little over one year since I have been off my blood pressure medication. No wink from across the room can trump that in my book! :-) Well maybe it depends on who is winking lol I was another half pound down in the new Doc's office! Nice!


So I did the Chizel It aerobics class its a combination of kickboxing, step aerobics, and weight lifting; yea all in one! I took my sister with me and she was not pleased at all! LOL She almost up-chucked! So good times! I ended up walking us through a personal training session since my trainer was not available and I did good! I think Charles would be proud!  You know what? I will eventually get certified as a personal trainer! I am fully aware I will never be in my proper height weight/BMI category. For the record that would be between 100-130 pounds. Not gonna happen and I am good with that. I swear I look at people that size and wonder where are their internal organs? Like we have FEETs (lol) of colon and stuff where does that go in a size double 0 exactly?! I dunno but healthy and happy that's a goal.




What's your BMI goal?



In other news...My friend had a game night and another friend said to me in a backhanded compliment (lol) said  "I am proud that you stuck with your weight loss...I didn't think you'd be able to do it....I am really proud of you..."  I simply replied "Well weight loss was really the last goal I had on my "list" and since I have done everything (on my timeline to date- yeah I got a timeline) I ever wanted to do up until that moment... it was time. But (s)thanks" Another friend over heard only part of the comment and asked me to repeat it. And I said deadpan "Well she said she was proud that I stuck with my weight loss journey because for SOME REASON *insert Kanye West shrug here* she *head tilt* thought I couldn't do it but she's proud." My other friend didn't touch it and just said "Oh."


Now was I offended? Yeah kinda sorta and I aint gonna pull my IQ and resume out BUT  I mean Come on son who says that? But I think my weight loss success gives me  peace of mind and I think that is one important lesson to learn on the journey- you have to build your own self image and not rely on outside compliments like being compared to waffle batter (lol) or doubters who you proved wrong to their surprise. You just cant internalize that outside clutter; you just have to keep pressin towards the mark!

Well bracing for a icy day tomorrow! *Fingers crossed* for my commute its a bad week for workouts so I am glad I got some good ones in. I'll check back! Stay safe! :-)

Dating & Dieting 2011

Well not that I took a huge "break" between the last break up and well today (lol) but I did I re-think my idea or logic about jumping right back into something with just some one realtionship wise. I think old, new guy was "safe" not because he actually was but because I already knew him. I ended that. I took some time with a few books and my journal and I feel like I am in a good space and I am content again with being single. Now my exs are coing out the wood works but that is to be expected but not looking to do any re-runs. Only fresh meat need apply! LOL

Its a new year now and I am getting back out there. I am so busy and I really don't enjoy "juggling" but I am a lil tired of being so serious about dating! I guess at my age one needs to be serious but there has got to be a happy medium. I tend to be a serious Type A person and well that works it seems everywhere but in matters of the heart. Why can't love just be practical? Linear? Predictable. If I burn 3,500 calories I am going to lose a pound. Period. If I give a guy my number he should call and call often...Right? Humm humans are just not so scientific! Dang!

A Soror sent me an article yearsss ago entitled Why The Smartest People Have The Toughest Time Dating (check it out)

Now I aint bragging... ok maybe I am... I am smart, very smart in fact I have a 187 IQ! Look that up; its up there people! The article really resonated with me but I'll be damned if I understood what to do next! Well  its 2011 and I am gonna switch the game up and have some fun and really date! I'm off to a great start by meeting a few new men and well I am just going to try and not take myself or dating too seriously and see what happens--scratch that... and enjoy the ride! :-)

The downside is dating involves a lot of eating out so I need help with that. I have read all the do outings vs dinner date ideas but men like to eat! Dinner and a movie is a classic date! Well Date #1 is coming up and I told him plan something "fun" & I am expecting something active!  He works out and seems pretty fun so we will see. I am a take charge kinda gal but I am really gonna sit back this year and let it flow. So I will need to find a way to ....(oh is that letting it flow? lol) encourage these men to do things like bowling, skating, heck I'll even try horseback riding! Oh ohh or rock climbing! Any suggestions on how to put that out there without being bossy?

Anyyywayyy....So I lost 10 pounds or I guess re-lost as I refer to it so its actually "recycled" weight.  The check in lady said I must tell my Leader and I said "Nah this is recycled I dont celebrate relosing the same weight!" She looked kinda disapproving but let me go about my business. Wise woman. Ok so I am only 26 pounds from my 100  pounds weight loss goal (again) lol good I can laugh! Then my WW leader Joann gave a good confession. Joann lost 80 pounds on Weight Watchers over 30 years ago. She looks amazing and she said she wanted to share that what keeps her on point is the fact that she sees "Josephine" who was Joann 80 pounds heavier. She said "I see her at the buffet line, I see when I go for a walk, and I see her even at the Weight Watchers meetings!" Her point was that she knows that the old Joann/Jospehine is right around the corner! Taunting her about counting points, exercising, and reminding her she eventually will "merge" back into Josephine! She was wary that that would freak us out but on the contrary we all understood. That's deep and I so related to her at that moment. I regained that weight like it was nothing! And let me tell you 30 pounds is not NOTHING! Pick up a 30 pound dumb bell and check it out! And the scary part was it felt like it happened in a blink of an eye! Because the old Cylia is always right around the corner! The Cylia who doesn't want to count points, or go to the gym, or weigh and measure my food, she doesn't want to journal, or even go to her Weight Watchers meetings. Now I just saw the movie Black Swan (sorry I am not a fan) HOWEVER that inner conflict and duality resonated with  me in terms of my weight loss efforts.

Moving ahead in 2011 I need to be more valiant and accountable. Old habits = weight gain. Period. One skipped meeting for me does equal 4 missed meetings, eating fries, drinking too much, and not exercising enough...Old Cylia... The Word says "So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth." I need to take on the Lord's attitude I am either in or out of this healthy lifestyle. I need to submit and that's just the truth. I fight being forced to count points, drink water, exercise, journal. But what am I fighting that for? Why am I lukewarm on this area of my life that always runs hot or cold on any subject from the color I wear on my nails to the way I write a legal motion. I am a black or white, on or off person but in this arena I am lukewarm. now there are other areas I can loosen up and that's what I'll work on but I am fully committed and happy about it!

Today was a good but somber day. I met with Charles out of privacy concerns I wont go into why but he is a trooper we had a good workout then I did Zumba. I can't dance a lick but Zumba was fun! Now I must say I enjoyed watching myself in the mirror but thats a post for another day! Zumba is good for the mind and body! A/w I ran on the treadmill a few times I went 3 minutes without stopping. Now that may not be impressive to you but I don't run but for some reason he cranked the treadmill to 4.5 and I was off. I did it again after Zumba to see if it was a fluke and it wasn't. I can run I just don't but I think from now on I will.

New things in 2011.

Anyway I came home and cooked some jerk chicken b/c we are having a girls game night tonight and I am looking forward letting my hair down.

2011 Best Life Ever!

Progress not Perfection!

Cabin feverrrrrr!!! Well I have been house bound for a minute now! Over the weekend I got very sick I thought it was the flu but I took some over the counter meds and I am ok. Then we got a mountian of snow so I was home yesterday and today.

I am actually down like 8 pounds lol I have been sick and not very hungry but I was feeling better today and my sister ordered Pizza Hut. I had to pause and pat myself of the back because I had 1 1/2 slices and that was a wrap. I can think back to a few years ago and being stuck in the house would mean an all day eating marathon! Instead I cleaned out my bedroom closet and I feel so good about that! Progress not perfection. That's a hard lesson for me since I am pretty Type A about everything in life. So was Pizza Hut the best choice when I had shrimp in the freezer? No it wasn't but am I gonna beat myself up? No!

My sister plans to get back on her A game so we will hopefully not have too many indulgences in the near future.

I am back to the Trainer on Saturday and I hope the weather behaves! Hope you are all doing well!

Rededicating

Hi there! How have you all been? Good I hope! I've had several great posts in mind but no time in which to write them out! lol How frustrating! Well quick recaps! I am up 4.4 pounds according to my last Weight Watchers weigh in. I know right? I haven't been to a meeting in 4 weeks so 1 pound a week? Ehhh I'll take it! I was still doing the hot yoga and back with my trainer twice a week. I, for some reason, can't get a handle on the food though so I am going to ride it out. Everyone has a vice but I am not beating myself up just got to get back into a weight loss groove. As long as my workouts are strong I can usually get my eating under control so it'll all work out!


I did have a quick out of town trip for work I packed with good intentions but didn't make it to the gym at all. The other thing is the trip came at the start of my 21 Day Yoga challenge. So that sucks that I didn't get to do that! Yoga is amazing I am really excited to do my own 21 or 30 challenge.



Pep talk with the Iron Moms~ Aspiring 2011 Iron Girls



On January 15th Alpha Kappa Alpha's Founders' Day I went to speak to a group of women who I found out were inspired to do the 2011 Iron Girl based on my story! How humbling is that? And kinda cool! The group is called "Iron Moms" and they meet every Saturday to workout and support each other on their journey to Iron Girl 2011! I had a great time!



He ain't heavy, he's my Trainer :-)



I talked to the group about everything from selecting a bike to how to navigate transitions. So I spent my Founders day being of service to all mankind in an important way :-)  My main message was that doing a triathlon is all mental. I explained once I made up my mind to do it there was no turning back. They would like me to come back again and I look forward to it!

On Founders' Day sorority members usually re-dedicate themselves to the sorority and its principles so I kinda felt like that was also a day to re-dedicate myself to my workouts so after the speaking engagement  I had 1 hour of personal training then 30 mins of Step, then 1 hour of Body Combat! And after all that I had a sorority meeting (in which I was elected to a Board of Director's position for the Foundation! Yeahhh me!) and then I headed out to a Skee-Phi Mixer to watch the Ravens vs. Steelers game!

Let me just say (despite the fact that the Giants are out) I had a BLAST! I knew most of the Sorors there and it was good to see them but the men were new to me and boyyyyyyyyyyyy did they know how to make a lady feel welcomed!!!!!! LOL Nothing wrong with some ego stroking on a Saturday evening that's for sure! Imma blame it on the Apple Bottom jeans ;-)



Skee Phi Mixer





Happy 103rd AKA!



What else?! I am journaling and reading a lot. I bought the paperback version of the Soulmate Secret! That book is so awesome. I am back to the drawing board and having lots of fun creating my treasure map & soulmate wish list! I have met a number of men and its been loads of fun. Nothing heavy but some good ole fashion flirting, fun, and good conversation just what I need! 

Well it Friday and I don't know where the week went but I am in an attitude of gratitude and back to using my journal to take a few minutes a day to write down what I am thankful for and it makes a world of difference. I am so fortunate and life is sooo good! 2011 is off to a fantastic start!!! I hope your's is too!!

:-)

Yoga Bliss

Whew its been a blah week! My mood hasn't been the best and I been trying to get back into exercise and eating right but its been a challenge. I was feeling particularly blue I guess yesterday and it came to me to go do yoga. Granted that was after a bunch of unnecessary calories on Tuesday and a random lemon pound cake yesterday but I pushed my way through to the Hot Yoga class and got there just in time. The traffic sucked! It too 3 hour to get from work to the Yoga Studio! But I told myself I know the devil is busy Imma ignore him and keep on pushing. The class was great, it was taught by Chris Leicht she was great! And flexible! LOL She was very hands on and helped the class with posture and the proper placement of our poses. At the end she sprayed some lavender mist or something on each of us. It was a great way to end the class. This was a more advanced class so it was a challenge but I still enjoyed it. Also it seemed a little hotter than the last class lol and these folks go hard because the teacher asked if it was too hot and no one spoke up so the heater stayed on. When it was over I felt 110% better. It was amazing. Yoga bliss is the real deal!

In researching there is a lot of evidence that Yoga is good for the mind and the body! Here are a few:

Yoga for Relieving Depression

Yoga for anxiety and depression (Harvard Health)

Living Well: Researcher documents the benefits of yoga in lifting depression

Yoga: Tap into the many health benefits (Mayo Clinic)

Now this is not to discount or suggest if you have been experiencing feelings of depression for an extended period of time that you should only turn to yoga & exercise of course see you Doctor if other things have not helped and you still feel badly! No shame in that!


I have a Bar Association meeting tonight at 6 pm and they are gonna get 1.5 hours then I am leaving to go to Hot Yoga again tonight. It begins at 8pm I am mad I can't do the 6pm class again but duty calls. Its about balance and while I could skip it I will go and help out and be disciplined enough to elave and do something good for me because I am still feeling a lil something today nothing like yesterday but something is lingering.

Self care 2011! Best Life Ever!


I'll check back in soon!

1/7/2011- Had a mental health day and made it back to the Friday morning class of Bikram/Hot Yoga with the teacher Steve. It was more difficult today but excellent! I am feeling soooo good my mood has just turned upside down. WOW Wonderful wonderful addititon to my 2011!

Cravings, boys, & other musings ~ Are You Ready for Change?

WOW! It is already January 4th 2011 really where did the time go? And not so much time but my gym time in particular. I have not worked out (aside from Hot Yoga) since Christmas eve! Now that maybe doesn't sound THAT bad but that is 11 days of no real workout 12 days if I ignore Yoga. Yikes! Speaking of which the Yoga Advisor called me to see how I was and see if I had any questions! That's nice!! I like their schedule it varies a great deal and I said to myself yesterday if I could make 7 pm Junior League meetings surely a 7pm Yoga class was not out of the question! Right?!

Last year I was mighty diligent about my exercise! In fact one night I came home and got right on the treadmill because I was scared I would skip if I dared to go upstairs and change lol Where did that chick go?!

I can't even lie and say I have a plan and it is Day 4 of the new year. I did do a "cleansing detox" yesterday but somehow I had bacon and eggs and a biscuit! Ok 2 biscuits...with butter and grape jelly! Note to self pack all the crap my Mother buys when she comes to visit in HER suitcase so she can take it home with her! I know my limits so I don't buy things like Grands biscuits, real butter, and real bacon! I just don't! But what's done is done.

I saw old, new guy and maybe I looked hungry and he asked what I had to eat and I told him bacon, eggs, "A" *blush* biscuit and some almonds! He asked if I was trying to starve myself...I was thinking no not likely to happen buddy. But I said well it can be effective lol 

Anyhhooo I really been feeling like its a new year and I want to usher in some new habits but I seem to be stuck on some old habits... for example old, new guy he's an old habit, overeating just because its there is yet another old habit, & falling off the wagon at random moments is again another old habit.

I need to make some changes.

As I was working on my Vision Boards I began to read the book The Law of Attraction and I get that there has to be a change or a shift in your mind in terms of what is possible. But getting from where you are to that point is not always a straight shot. Well Oprah being the all knowing, all seeing, wonder woman Oprah had a post today for a quiz entitled Are You Ready For Change. You can click the link to take the quiz. I took it and I must say it is pretty accurate. Here are my results based on the quiz...

Your Self-Awareness:
Although you may feel ready for change, you aren't as mentally prepared as you could be. Perhaps you aren't convinced it's really necessary to change at this point. Or maybe you underestimate the sacrifices that lie ahead. The goal (say, breaking up with a toxic friend) may seem fantastic, but the reality (you'll feel lonely for a while) may tempt you to retreat. It's important to carefully consider your expectations. One useful technique for developing greater self-awareness is "tracking." All you need to do is spend one minute a day jotting down notes about your current frustrations, level of motivation, and any new hopes, doubts, or fears. This exercise forces subconscious feelings to the surface, so you can process them.

*This was a great tip I have been struggling to journal and that is from someone who LOVES to journal. I been doing it since I was a child! I think my oldest journal was from age 10 or so when I was in Boarding School in Jamaica, WI! I am going to take this tip to heart. I already made up my mind to do daily affirmations again. I really got a great benefit from doing them last year so that's an old hait I need to bring back! it may seem silly and remind you of a funny Saturday Night Live skit (lol) but they really work! Here are a few websites I found! You can create your own but this is a good place to get some ideas.

http://www.daily-affirmations.com/

http://hubpages.com/hub/List-Of-Positive-Daily-Affirmations

http://healing.about.com/od/affirmations/tp/daily-affirmations.htm

Your Perspective
Fortunately, you have the wonderful ability to keep your efforts in context. Everyone who tries to alter a habit will experience times of doubt, anger, and desperation. But perspective allows you to see past those times to the rewards that will come later.

* I agree I have an overall positive outlook on life and the ability to reach my goals so I am going to ride this feeling out and focus on my long term goals and take steps towards them. And since I am a list person I plan to do that by getting back to my workout routine, adding yoga, mediating, listening to good music, reading good books, and journaling.

Your Strategic Approach

You tackle problems with a thought-out plan—which is great. Studies show that people who use strategies are most successful at behavior change. But as you know, even the best-laid plans can fall apart; be aware that you may need to revise your tactics along the way.

*This is dead on! I am a list monger lol and I do agree flexibility is the key. So I need to be mindful of finding alternatives when I can not make it to the gym or the trainer! I am also working on making better choices. Today was a good food day so far. I had my Chobani pineapple yogurt which was very good (my new fave flavor!), almonds, Maryland crab soup (not the creamy one), a few saltines crackers, 100 calorie popcorn (instead of the buttery madness from the cafe!), and 2 mini chocolates. I have 14 points left and I have had about half my water intake for the day. All good things! Also my job is starting the exercise classes again and I am signing up for the yoga and zumba classes this month. they are free and I recall last year these classes helped to get me where I needed to be energy wise to get back to the gym in the evenings and for the days I wasn't feeling it I already got something in already! So moving ahead we go!



:-) 

Have a good one!

  



Hot Yoga Part II

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!! Ok so I got an email or two asking for more details about the Hot Yoga class. I am sorry I was rushing a bit to get the post in and didn't give a play by play so here goes.

I arrived at the yoga studio about 20 minutes early figuring some other newbies like myself would be there especially since it was a holiday! Oh and to set the positive mood the parking was free and the message said "Free Party for the Holiday" lol I had to read it a few times to be sure lol Good karma!

I checked in and since I bought the 1 month pass on line the check in lady took me around and showed me the studio and the changing room. It was small and cute and colorful! I took my friend Tosha's advice and got a spot near the door anticpaticing the worst in terms of heat but I forgot I LOVE the heat! I wore a wicken top and a black cotton carpi's and a bandanna and that worked well. I had a few saltine crackers and sips of water.

Anyway the room was warm to me but not HOT HOT like I thought it was going to be. They put the heat up and also had space heaters to heat the place up. I left the room a few times before class began and the heat did kind of SLAP you in the face when you came back inside the room from the coolness of the hallway. But then it kinda felt just warm.

Most people brought at least 2 bottles of water, a yoga mat, a hand towel, and a beach towel they laid on top of the yoga mat. I did bring a bath towel and a hand towel. Pink & Green Martha Stewart set to be exact lol in my pink and green beach bag lol I noticed a few people had yoga blocks and straps. I don't usually use them but then it hit me I usually do Body Flow which is a mix of yoga, Pilate's,and tai chi! I didn't follow suit but I quickly grabbed primo spot near the door. I went out and came back again and this girl was parallel to me *humph* Why she had to line up exactly beside me I dunno! I moved my mat up a little bit so at least we weren't hitting each other during the moves!

When the teacher came in he told us to embrace the heat. I was like okaaaayyy what does that mean. He must have heard me or saw the confused look on my face and the face of a few others and he explained that when the heat begins to get too intense don't fight it welcome it in. He said keep working on the poses and if it became too difficult to do them then take a few breaths before you release them. He told us to get the block and strap so I did and he explained the heat is there to help you do the yoga poses more effectively since the heat makes the body more flexible.

There are 26 Poses in Bikram Yoga and they were somewhat familiar. Down-ward facing dog, tree pose, dancer, etc. It was more challenging to do it in the heat because you focus on your breathing so it was a challenge to focus and like the teacher said welcome the heat. I did stop a few times and re focus.
I did sweat a lot more than normal but I really enjoyed the challenge. I have not done yoga in almost a year since my workouts have been focused on cardio and strength training/lifting weights but yoga is excellent for flexibility and core work so its back in the rotation! But it really wasn't that hot to me which was a good thing in my opinion lol

Quick Tips:
 ☑ Try to come into class well hydrated
 ☑ Try not to eat anything heavy
 ☑ Stay hydrated during the class & try to bring a container with ice or that is half way frozen my water was cool and ended up but a little warmer than room temperature (yuck!)
 ☑ Bring a beach towel for your mat. The mat gets really sticky from the sweat and heat so its a good way to keep cool and not get stuck to the mat during the cool down
 ☑ Wear a sweatband or bandanna

I felt really energized after class and some may feel the complete opposite so keep that in mind but it was a great class and I be sure to report back on my next class! Here is a link to get more information. If you try it out please let me know~~> What To Expect