My Motivation

My Motivation

 

Well its Day 3 of the 8 week Extreme Brickover Challenge and I am doing great!!! Granted its only 3 days but I’m still gonna sangggg about it! :-)

Last night was a test! I went to work early but left late and those of you that have been around know I live in Maryland and work in DC and it is a hell of a commute. I was trying to employ the same mental tactic that I did on Tuesday morning! Well its more of a mantra but basically I keep saying get up and workout before your mind figures out what you are doing! So I was trying to drive fast to Chizel It and say get to the gym before your mind figures out what you are doing lol

I often talk about the mind…its tricky… it can be your greatest assets or your greatest liability. I often start my mornings out with positive quotes and some people think I am jumping up out of bed singing with the bird!

No ma’am! I am trying to pump myself up! Now I like the fact that when I do post something on Facebook or on twitter other people feel me but truth be told I do that for me!

The mind will tell you to sleep in when your pants are too tight to wear! The mind will say go have that double scoop of ice cream when you are busting out of a dress you just got a few months ago! The mind will tell you to skip the gym after you had Micky Ds and the very least you could do it burn off a few of those extra calories! That’s what the mind will do IF you don’t beat it into submission! Yeah I said it!

My WW leader often tells us stories about the little devil and the little angel that sits on her shoulder and will whisper in her ear. Same concept. She talked about that last week in fact; she was telling us about being up late on the computer and her husband came home with a bag of trail mix he bought by the dock in Baltimore (lol yeah I know!) She said it has nuts, (ok), raisins (alright), banana chip (welllll…ok I guess), then there’s M&Ms and peanut butter cups!! Ok so not the normal healthy trail mix one would think.

So Joann tells us she knew she didn’t have no business eating at 11pm at night and certainly not eating that but the little devil whispered in her ear “Psstt Joann…. You can have some of that…It has nuts!”

Then the angel came by and said “No no don’t you eat that!”

Lil Devil “Its healthy just eat around the chocolate!”  

Next thing she knew she ate the WHOLE bag and wasn’t even hungry! And had he husband looking at her sideways because she ate ALL of HIS snack! LOL

I been there! I still visit from time to time and that’s ok because I am not looking to be perfect! But I realized I need something more than that $100 to motivate me properly to stay on track for 8 weeks and it came to me!

When I was in Vegas I saw this and fell in loveeee! (see below) The picture doesn’t do it justice but trust me… Ok forget me trust Tiffany’s its beautiful! So if I win any of top 3 prizes its going in an account to buy this!!! The Return to Tiffany Diamond Heart Tag & Charm

Last night I took my tired butt to Chizel it and did Couch to 5 k, Zumba (a few minutes anyhow), the elliptical, and then lifted weight, AND THEN went back on the treadmill! I did 84 minutes on A HUMP DAY! YEAHHHHH BUDDY! Well they say diamonds are a girl’s best friend so I need my BFF!

Tonight-Couch to 5 K, Chizel It class, & some Sorors are doing Hot Yoga I plan to join them

Friday- Couch to 5 K

Saturday is a travel day I really don’t know if I can get anything in but I will be in a hotel maybe I can slip into the gym on lunch? We’ll see

Sunday- Spinning & Body Pump

Have a great weekend!

I'm tired!

Whew its only Tuesday and I am tired! To be fair its been a crazy busy time for me work wise, school/teaching wise, AKA, Junior League wise and oh yeah my ever busy life-wise as well lol oh and did I mention I started my own company? yeah well I did! I'll post more about that another time! :-)

Well last week I went to Vegas with my sister and some friends to celebrate her 30th Birthday! If you have ever been to Vegas I really don't need to go into details because well you know "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!" LOL Needless to say it was a rip roaring adventure with a lot of likka and very little sleep! Not a good combination with my recent condition! Oh yes I been MIA so I have not updated you guys! Well....sadly... I am now anemic :-(  I have been borderline since forever and in all honestly I don't take my vitamins and when I was low last year I was told to start taking iron supplements and I did not. Not to get all into the girlie issues but T.O.M has been horrible too so while I had that checked out and I am fine, it was just the perfect storm coupled with a family history of it (in fact every woman in my family over 30 is anemic) so now I am too. So what can I do? Well I guess I could take my vitamins lol but I have not been too "compliant" as my Doctor would say and I am really feeling it now. I think its the anemia plus Vegas though but I am getting on the right track because the alternative is a iron infusion! :-/ Last week it was sounding like a good plan since I hate pills but when I did some research YOU CAN DIE! I HAVE TOO MUCH TO DO TO DIE! So I am popping pills and I found a liquid supplement my co-worker suggested.  While I tend to be very busy I never feel tired. I do have abnormally high levels of B12 but I aint feeling the normal energy lately so I am gonna do the right thing! And just so I am not a liar I will take a pill now!


Anyway do like I say not like I do stay on top of your vitamins!

Anyway what else is new!? All in all life is good. I am super busy coordinating a women's internship program, I had some AKA awards stuff, started my own company on Leap year Day to symbolize the leap of faith I am taking, then trip to Vegas, and in the midst of it all I LOST 1.4 pounds after VEGAS! I am elated!

FACE! (lol OK fans of the show The New Adventures of Old Christine get that inside joke!)

Anyhoo I was happy I went to Weight Watchers and went on the scale not expecting great news but a swift kick in the pants to get me back on track! I mean its Vegas but lo and behold! I lost and it ws a good loss!

Saturday I went to my second gym and as I walked in they were advertising this new competition called Extreme Brickover an 8 week Biggest Loser type competition! So I signed up! I was just talking to my personal trainer Charles about doing something because as the New Years people fall off those of us still striving need a Spring pick me up and he was going to work on something but it seemed like kismet when I walked into my gym so I signed up. It was only $39.00 and I got tshirt, journal, mug, and got all my measurements done and most of all I'll have some accountability for the next 8 weeks~! I am excited. And to be clear I WANT TO WIN! Each gym gets three top winners. In my head I have already spent the $100 for 1st place!

Workout wise I went swimming Saturday nice change of pace haven't been in a pool since Iron in 2010! Yikes! Sunday I decided to join a Soror on the workout board who is doing Couch to 5 K  which is a cool running plan that I have never been able to complete despite the fact that I have done a few 5ks, a half marathon, and even a triathlon! LOL So its more of a way to keep me motivated and getting 30 minutes of exercise daily. In fact I got up this morning at 5am and did it at home since today is terrible Tuesday where I work then teach till 9:30pm! I am tired but I did it!

On to today's title.... Saturday my Weight Watcher Leader Joann hit a cord with me because I was really looking back at Jan 2009 to June/July 2010 time frame  and reflecting on the good things like the Fitness Magazine feature and asking myself why can't I re-lose all of this weight. Now I am no skinny mini so its not like I went down to my "proper" height weight category and now I am struggling in new territory as a skinny girl but it dawned on me... I'm tired.

I was tired of counting points and calories, tired of packing gym bags, tired of drinking water, tired of exercising, tired of the journey basically. Another thing I realized is that life long goal of weight loss? Guess what I did it! FACE! LOL

And I have a habit, I wont call it a bad habit but to quote Walt Disney "I don't like to repeat successes, I like to go on to other things."

People always ask me about doing another half marathon or the Iron Girl triathlon and I always ask why? I did it already! Check! Like why would I go back to college for another Poli Sci degree or to law school for another JD? I guess people do but I don't see the point. I know most people have a competitive spirit or they want to increase their PR (Personal Record) well that's fair that's just not me.

My goal is always to finish..oh and not be the last person lol so once I've done that I am done!

SO it hit me is that why the weight loss or recycled weight loss is a challenge because my head isn't in the game anymore because I been there and done that? I mean seriously have to told myself... Self you did it got the tshirt and the international magazine article (and accolades) so we good!

So of course I am tired; my mind isn't in the game. I have said it all along this is mental just like any other goal. But my WW leader made the point that she gets tired too and she's been at this 36 years! Ok so I am 36 years old so like my whole life she has been doing this? Counting points, exericisng, making good choices, preplanned meals, going to meetings, etc., etc., etc.,!? Ok so do I dare complain?! LOL

She summed it up in saying I hate to hear used "It is what it is!" Set realistic goals and make a lifetime committment to better choices! Period. And she is right!

Now I am only human so while it did re-enegize me to think of this as just something I must do. So I can be waery but must not faint... I know me...

That same attitude of been there done that is impacting my ability to lose the weight again. And to be honest that is a personality thing so I am trying to wrap my mind around how to fool my ego into getting into this game. And by George I think I've go it! I think this competition is the way! Here's why! Its a NEW weight loss challenge and its got cash and bragging right attached to it! LOL

The journal

Yup I'm that easy! Money and fame what can I say!? the last winner lost.... 38.4 pounds... damn I just read that lol so I got work to do! LOL

But I am off to a good start!
Saturday I swam for 30 minutes
Sunday I did the elliptical and the Couch to 5k (1hr)
Monday I did 30 minutes of the Couch to 5K, 30 mins spinning, 1 hour at the Chizel It class with my trainer (2 hours)
Tuesday/Today I did the Couch to 5 k workout (30 minutes) and its midday and I feel good!

I did peek on the scale this morning and I was down a few pounds but I am waiting until Monday for the official weigh in at the club and I may have to go Friday to Weight Watchers since I am going away all day Saturday! But fingers crossed it stays the same or goes lower! My goal is still 37 by my 37th birthday and as of this morning I am at 31 of 37 down!

Food wise I am Eating Clean! Eating clean is like Pilates though it works because it is... HARD  a challenge! But planning is key and I did a good bit of shopping for fresh fruits and veggies and lean protein like fish, turkey bacon, chicken, etc. this weekend and I took 2 bags to work with me full of food so I have no excuses! I am also using Atkins protein shakes because I am not a big breakfast person and so far so good! I am tracking everything everywhere my journal, Weigth Watchers.com, and My Fitness Pal! No excuses!

I'll check in soon!  Cheer me on! I want that top prize!!!! :-)

The 21 Day Detox Diet!

Well based on peer pressure from my personal trainer I finally decided to try this 21 Day Detox Diet he wrote about in his book "I'm Too Cute to Sweat"

The basics of the diet are you eat nothing but fruits and vegetables for 7 days take a day or two off and get back on for a total of 21 days so in total 3 weeks.

I have a Soror who posted about "detoxing" so I asked her for her version of a detox and she told me so I merged the two into the following:

Strictly fruits and veggies and fish- Feel free to boil, steam, or bake and use a juicer!
The goal is to:

1) Do at least 5-6 days on 1-2 days off! If this is your first detox like this do what works best for you

2) Remove all bad carbs from the diet-candy, soda, cake, chips, etc. for the entire 21 Days-use your days off for other things like nuts, milk products, etc. (or not)

3) Start everyday with a glass of warm water with lemon in the morning and end each night with a glass of the same.

Carrots, raspberries, and pineapple!

Well I can say I have spent more days off than on lol I really did not realize how many processed/carb snacks I rely on! Between protein bars, crackers, popcorn, etc it adds up so quickly! Its crazy! So the one thing I will say is this diet has helped me to refocus on my Weight Watcher Healthy Eating guidelines that do say you should take in between 5-9 fruits and vegges per day. As I was posting in my AKAs workout group I have not had an apple since like...last year! CRAZY! SHAMEFUL! Boasting about exercise and eating loads of crap! No wonder I can shake these regained 25-30 pounds!

But this isn't a pity party of a self bashing sessions its a great wake up call. I am down 3 pounds even though my detox has not been perfect but I can say I do feel lighter and feel better.

Let's get to the nitty gritty detoxing is gonna cost ya! As you all know I made up my mind to spend my money on things that will help me on this journey. So I don't see cost when it comes to my health.  My personal trainer twice a week, my 2 gym memberships (sometimes 3), my new $120 sneakers every 6-8 months, my Massage Envy membership..to me are all a part of the price to do business because for years (and to be honest now) I find plenty of money for my Sorority, Junior League, to travel, to eat out and party, and eat out and party some more so I dare not say a word about spending money to help me live my best life ever in regards to my healthy lifestyle. Be that as it may it will add to your grocery bill thats the bottom line.

FRESH FRUITS & VEGGIES

I do seek lower cost options when I can such as hitting up the local produce market instead of going to Giant or Safeway. I spent over $40.00 a week and a half ago and that is a lot for me but look at what I got! I typically spend less than $10.00 and leave with 4 bags so I did leave with like 8 bags. I bought apples, bananas, beets, carrots, celery, cucumbers, squash, zucchini, what Jamaicans call cho cho but also know choyate squash its like a water dense potato, oranges, grapes, kale, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and garlic. Whew! It was a big haul!

I also bought a juicer! This morning I finally jumped into the juicing portion and it was good! First off I bought a cheaper but decent juicer . Its a Black & Decker and it was abut $30 at Walmart! I was willing to spring for a $100 one but turns out I found this deal and it works fine.

Some pros and cons and general observations about juicing.

It can be messy! * You  need time to actually do it * You need to know what fruits & veggies work best. Carrots great, Raspberries not so much! (See below) LOL

I did get a lot of recommendations from people of combinations I should try but this morning I was in a  rush and I promised myself I was going to do this blog update. I made a carrot, pineapple, and raspberry mix. I used fresh carrots, canned crushed pineapple, and fresh raspberries. The pineapple and raspberries didn't seem to work too well. I felt like most of it ended up be trash. See pic!  

Cool lol

Would I recommend juicing? Sure! I am glad I didn't spend $200 for the machine because this $30 one works just fine! I am guessing the more expensiv machines may juice more difficult fruits better? But I think for my use this works. Its easy to clean up and pull apart and get to work. One warning! If you have acid reflux skip juicing. I get a touch of it from time to time and as I was drinking this morning on the way to work I felt it acting up. Maybe the canned pineapples were the problem. Here are some other recipes if you get a juicer and try them out let me know how you like it and share any tips you uncover! Juicer #1 & Zesty Cook

One product tip! Buying fruit in this quantity can be a challenge especially if you are going to a produce market or a farmers market. On the upside the food is a lot fresher the down side is the lack of preservatives means the fruits and veggies can go bad a lot quicker. So I use these Debbie Meyer Green bags to help keep all my produce fresh longer! I know I'll buy anything on an infomercial but really these work! I am sure I got these at Target but worst case you can get them online as well. It really does extend the life of your produce!

Good investment!

Ok end of my sales pitch! :-)

Aside from that all is well. I was off from the gym for a little over a week but went to my Personal Trainer yesterday. I was late so I only got in 45 minutes BUT I'll take it. It was a good workout. Ideally I'll go tonight to do something. My teaching gig at one schools is on break till next week so I have time to get to the gym vs getting home at almost 10pm! But we'll see!

In other news it was busy weekend. I went on a 3 mile walk in Columbia have not been to that park since Iron Girl! It was so much prettier than I remembered lol  I then had a Junior League of Baltimore meeting. It was not the traditional GMM instead it was a fireside chat at the incoming President's home! I had such a good time! It was nice to hear about her vision for the League and to meet some new members and reconnect with others and have some good food! On Sunday I went to my sorority's Founders' Day where our International President spoke and afterwards it was my line's AKAversary dinner! Talk about a weekend filled with some awesome women! I feel sooo blessed to be counted in the number!

I went to The MAC Store and had my face did and I am usually always rushing so I drop a few hundred and roll out but this time I said I am staying I waited an hour and a nice young lady Ashley did my makeup! Today I dug up the other times I have had it done professionally and I was surprised at the difference! Forgive the choppy side by side by side lol comparison but you get the point!

It inspired me to keep pushing I opted for grapes instead of chips today :-) Have a good week!



Upper left 2008, lower left 2009, right side 2012



A Vision Board Party!

Welllllll I blog about everything so makes sense to mention my upcoming event! I am hosting a Vision Board party! Its kind of a "soft launch" to my new business venture From Theory to Practice Consulting, LLC.

Its an exciting time! I have always talked about vision boards and I have shared many of mine on this blog and people began to ask me about them and how to create one! I would email pictures of mine, give advice, share books I've read, and I always talked about the good results I have experienced. Then as fate would have it last spring (out of the blue) I was offered an adjunct professor position at a local college and the class was about professional and personal development. When the Dean called me the Thursday before the class started the following Tuesday (!) she said "I know you are an attorney but looking over your resume it seems to me that you know a lot about developing personally and professionally and that's exactly what the students need."

I wasn't sold because up until that point I have only taught writing classes and when I sent my resume to that college (over a year ago and never even heard a don't call us we'll call you reply!)  I inquired about English, American Government, or Legal courses. But the idea of helping (mostly) first generation college students from the local community appealed to me so I accepted the position.

The book was already selected and the syllabus was set and part of the course work involved doing a collage. Well a light bulb when off in my mind and I told myself a collage aint nothing but a vision board!!! So as part of the tweaking I did to the class I talked about vision boards and the students ate it up! Most had never heard of vision boards but the concept was so appealing they threw themselves into it and it was so inspiring to watch them share their dreams, passion, and positive attitudes about their futures.

Fast forward to the holidays a soror of mine suggested I have a vision board party! I thought that sounded like a good idea especially with the new year coming! New Year, New Vision! Well time got away from me and next thing I knew it was after January 1st and I put a feeler out there on facebook about hosting a vision board party and I received a number of emails saying they would like to attend! A few days later another Soror texted me and said she saw a flyer in her gym for a Vision Board Party and the host was charging $150.00! I couldn't believe it! I don't knock any one's hustle BUT that's crazy! But the more research I did the more I found this is a viable business and I said well let's see.

I toyed around with the idea of starting a business because an online group I have been a member of for over 10 years had more than a few business owners! Everything from spa services for young girls, to shoes, to grant writing, and coaching for small business owners! I thought that was neat! But truth be told I couldn't think of anything that I like to do that I would charge for! LOL I explained if I did a business it it would have to be something I am passionate about and that list is small- traveling, teaching, goal setting, vision boards, and conflict resolution. Full stop!

Nothing fancy or earth shattering like their ideas but I got to thinking the things I am good at that other people struggle with. I am often criticized for my "lists" but in looking at my track record if I set a goal on one of my "lists" I hunt it down and make it happen by any means necessary and not everyone can do that. People get stuck. I specialize in results (LOL) to quote Toni Childs from Girlfriends!

People pay people to help them get results! Heck I pay a personal trainer to help me shape up, a house keeper to clean my home, a mechanic to fix my baby Justice, a chef/restaurant to give me good food, etc, etc, etc.,  I pay people GOOD MONEY help me to do things I want to get done but can't do alone or don't have the skills to do on my own. Same concept here!

So with that the idea of  From Theory to Practice Consulting, LLC was born!

My plan is to provide assistance on the journey toward living your best life ever! Hope Oprah doesn't sue me for that lol but the idea is to help people with life skills by providing coaching with identifying and achieving personal and professional goals. Another aspect of my consulting will be to provide conflict management and  resolution services and training. Although they seem disconnected living your best life is about learning and growing and I think both go hand in hand. Conflict is everywhere but learning how to resolve (at best) and manage conflict leads you to the same place as setting and achieving goals... The way I see it both provide win/win outcomes for everyone involved whether its getting a new job that helps you provide a better life for your family, losing weight to increase your self esteem and improve your health, or learning how to have better relationships by employing communication techniques such as active listening in your everyday interactions...they all lead you to the same place which is living your best life!

Well that's my pitch! :-) I will report back about Saturday! I am so excited! I have a little over 20 people who have pre-paid and 5 who contacted me later and I will add them! My goal was 15 so I am happy! Things just fell into place so effortlessly! Even the venue an art studio which is the PERFECT space for this activity! The artist just offered to co-host because she had it on her To Do List! How awesome is that?! Law of Attraction at work people!!!

Anyway I will promise to report back about my workouts *gulp* that I have not planned *blush* but I will get something in. Its been over a week and nada I been going home and sleeping mostly but I pinky swear I will get something in this weekend without fail!

On another positive note I have been so inspired by the new business that I finally did a new vision board! Check me out! :-)

2012 An Amazing Year!

Happy Valentine's Day

Well its already February 14, 2012! This makes me think of my Only One Pound Poem! I am down a bit but nothing to write home about and truth me told my weight keeps going up and down the same 5 pounds anyway so I can't keep track of when I am ahead or behind lol At this point my 37 by 37 goal is...well let me check humph I am 38 pounds away from my goal lol Oh snap how'd that happen?! Well I am 19 weeks away from my birthday so that's 1.9 pounds a week needed to make goal. Doable.

Well that brings me to my current situation! I am going on a crash diet! Yeahh yeahh I know crash diets are bad but I feel like I need to jolt my system! I will also start juicing since the machine is still just sitting there in my kitchen still unopened but here's the diet!

Only things you can drink – water and no more than one cup of decaf coffee or tea a day

One glass of warm water and freshly squeezed lemon first thing in the morning and last thing before you go to bed.

Restricted diet – only fresh fruits and raw vegetables. Fish cooked only in Olive oil with mild seasoning. I’ve added gluten free pasta and rice just to give me some variety.
...
No dairy (cheese, milk, butter, nada) and only egg whites.

The person who shared this with me said she dropped 3 inches of my waist that week. I'm game! I will start Monday!

I haven't worked out since sometime last week. I am in a funky mood Beres Fan and I called it quits. :-( In a way I am sad but on the other hand gotta "Bless and release" what isn't meant to be, to be open for what is. After the holidays I should not have re-opened the door. But you live and learn or something like that!

I had already planned an evening out with friends because I won free tickets to a comedy show tonight. I am looking forward to that but I swear whats a girl to do? Well I'll tell you what I am doing I emailed that Matchmaker I talked about (from last June who now has a show in the works with Oprah! Can't I pick 'em! Dang I hope his prices are the same lol) and I have resorted to consulting an online psychic a friend referred me to. Yup that's where we are with this lol Don't judge me! I know that is judgement worthy but its Valentine's Day so leave me be!

I will be honest I dunno when I am going to the gym again. I'mma keep it real! I made an executive decision to not do the boot camp the traffic afterwards is too heavy for me to deal with. Plus it just added unnecessary stress in terms of the commute. So I have plans tonight, tomorrow, and Thursday. Friday is the night before my big Vision Board party so I'll be taking care of last minutes things for that. I will probably workout Saturday morning with my trainer to put me in the right mood. Attitude is everything so I know exercise  is key!

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the death of Whitney Huston! So sad sooo very sad. I was not a huge Whitney fan I did see her once and I am glad I had that experience but man addiction is no joke. Of course everyone is saying let's not speculate but untimely we all watched her. I have a friend who said her client got offended when she compared her addiction to food to his addiction to drugs. But I disagree! There is a comparison to be made! I mean I can't tell anyone how to feel about their addiction but in a lot of ways a food addiction is worst because you have to eat! You don't have to smoke crack or drink likka to live but you do need to eat to survive! I told her studies showed that the same chemical reaction in the brain that is triggered from drugs happens in others with chocolate.  http://www.brainhealthandpuzzles.com/brain_effects_chocolate.html That being said I need to get back on my Weight Watchers grind. I know for me weight loss is a multi faceted approach and the meeting help me a lot.  So Saturday I'll face the scale before the gym!

Anyhoo Happy Valentine's Day and try not to eat too much chocolate! :-)

7 Days...540 minutes...and 4,685 calories later...

Well Week 1 of my 1,000 Calories Burned per day Exercise Challenge results are in! After 7 whole days I burned a total of 4,685 calories as a result of working out a total of 540 minutes which equals 9 hours! That's more than 1 hour a day! Not bad, not bad!  I had a lot of challenges last week workout wise but what I did was maximize the days I was able to workout. Tuesdays are my long days where I commute to DC, work 8 hours then commute to Baltimore, then teach. So that is my biggest challenge! Well that and my active social life :-)

I made up the time over the course of the week and got some really great workouts in. I also mixed it up a lot: two Personal training sessions, spin class, zumba, the treadmill at home, and even the Chizel It class! A nice mix! I need to build on this week's success so I signed up for Charles's Chizel It Boot camp! 5 weeks, 2 classes per week at 5:30am, for $70! You can't beat that!

Today was the first day and I made it! I talked my friend into going with me and she is SO not a morning person but she made it through! It was a nice mix of cardio and weights and I burned 500 calories and headed out. This is my longgg day but I want to keep the goal going. Depending on what I am doing, 1000 calories is about 2 hours of working out. Needless to say if I did straight cardio I would burn a lot more faster. For example last week I did 60 minutes on the treadmill and burned 700 calories! Meanwhile my personal training with mostly weights & some burst of cardio was about 600. But the benefits of weight training is I do see my clothing size go down rather quickly. I can't say it enough. Weight training and cardio is where its at!

I snapped a pic of the 1,908 calories I burned on my Heart rate Monitor b/c I thought it was cute and it just happened to be good timing LOL As you can tell from my heart rate 156 I was WORKING IT OUT!!! I love having a HRM its really reminds me how hard I have to work for say a snickers bar! So not worth it! Knowledge is power! Not that I haven't been tempted or fell into temptation over the past week but I have been way more mindful! As the saying goes progress not perfection!

In other news things are going well with AKA, Junior League, work, school, teaching, etc., etc., etc.! Beres Fan and I spent 1.5 hours on the phone last night to which he sent me a text to say that was a new record for him lol I actually like our short phone calls b/c I can think of so many guys who would talk for hours and hours and things would go nowhere! Like they just wanted a phone buddy! That was a bit frustrating and confusing lol but anyway all is well on that front! We had a good convo. We are SO different yet both so spoiled and hard headed. LOL but he makes me happy despite I need to control everything! I made a comment about "..its the thought that counts" then in the next breath I made a smart comment about some blackberry flower text he sent me. Welllll he was quick to say "Didn't you just say its the thought that counts?!" I told him "Clearly that is different..." and we moved on LOL Check and mate lol

A/w I saw a groupon for paintball and told him about it and he is game so we will check that out this spring lol he's cute! We had that dreading weight loss conversation where I am a girlie girl and say I want to lose weight and he says no I like you the way you are. I guess I should see it as a good thing. It could be the opposite with unwanted pressure and criticism to lose weight. So I guess I'll add that and him to my gratitude journal today! Anyhoo Valentine's Day is coming up and he is so not a planner whereas I plan everything! Like seriously I have lists upon lists of my plans but he sounded like he wanted to wing it but I guess my tone suggested a plan was mandatory so he suggested a sushi for dinner...I won free tickets to a comedy show so that'll be my gift to him lol   :-P

Anywayyyy! This week same ole madness!
Monday- Personal Training & Chizel It class-Done!
Tuesday- I did bootcamp! -Done!
Wed-Spinning
Thursday-Bootcamp & I have a friend's birthday happy hour that night
Friday-Part 2 of the same friend's birthday happy hour- not sure about working out at all
Saturday- Chapter meeting-- Gym maybe 8:30am spinning class
Sunday -2/3 hours at the gym
Monday- Trainer & Chizel it class!

With all this working out it is making me work harder on the diet side! After bootcamp I packed my food for the entire day! It took maybe 6 minutes and well I need to be more proactive and plan my meals more! I actually had a few grapes, blueberries, and nuts already at work. And I actually found a new snack I will post about in a few weeks but below find (aside from my huge case files lol)
sugar free jello, Chobani greek yogurt, pistachios, prepacked salad, Special K protein shake, a banana, orange, ready snack with grapes, pretzels, and cheese, two 100 calorie pop corn (one butter the other kettle corn), an orange, and my new (work inspired) southwest sausage and veggie soup!  (recipe below)

Southwest Turkey Sausage & Veggie Soup
1 box of chicken broth
1 can black beans
1 frozen pack of southwest veggies (black beans, corn, peppers, & onions)
1 can diced tomatoes with oregano and garlic
5-6 red potatoes
2 large links of Turkey sausage
5-6 cloves fresh garlic
mushrooms
black pepper, garlic powder, and fajita seasoning packet
*If you prefer extra spicy add additional peppers to your taste!

Place red potatoes in a pot to boil for 30 minutes. Combine everything in a crock pot for 40 minutes and serve! Hearty yet low cal meal!


I'll check in soon!

Set Some Goals. Then Demolish Them!

Its about to be February my good people! Where oh where did the time go!?! In January I set a few goals and I saw this sign and it spoke to me! My goal was to do a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise every day for 30 days! Granted going in I knew there may be some tricky days like Tuesdays when I work job #1, 2, & 3 but I said stick with it! In the end I missed 5 days!

JUST 5 FREAKING DAYS! Incredible! I mean even I am impressed! January was a hectic month plenty of time to make excuses and not get it done but I DID IT! On average I did 41.5 minutes per day for a total of 1,245 minutes of exercise for the month! What a way to kick in the door in the new year!!!! *Happy Dance*

So I am setting a new goal! And it is overly ambitious BUT why not? My goal is to burn 1,000 calories on average per day! That's right you heard me! Burn 1,000 calories! I got my new HRM! I love it! Granted during spinning it lost contact with my chest a few time so I think it low balled me on my calories burned but its giving me a better picture of what I am burning which can only help with the 37 pounds lost by my 37th Birthday Goal!

With all that being said please.... JOIN ME! Now if you seriously do not want to invest in a Heart Rate Monitor then check out this site Calories Burned Calculator they tend to be close to my HRM reading. You can also join me on My Fitness Pal I am LawyerGal1908 friend me! Its like Facebook for diet & exercise! It will calculate calories burned from exercise as well. Of course feel free to set your own goal. 1000 may not be realistic for you maybe aim for 300 or 500 and go from there! Either way

SET SOME GOALS. THEN DEMOLISH THEM!

In other goal setting and achieving news ... My personal trainer Charles "Chizel It" Harris's book is flying off the shelves like hot cakes and the ladies of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc hosted a "I'm Too Cute To Sweat" event and I was (as my trainer said) as bold as a Patriots fan walking up into a Raven's camp with my AKA tshirt lol Hey we all sisters!! And some of my best friends are Deltas! It was great! Afterwards we went back to his gym and did a quick workout with his PR person/my Soror and it was excellent! Pics below! Ignore the fact that my Soror looks like a diva and I am sweating like a runaway slave lol she has lost 12 pounds 9 from doing a cleanse Charles has in his book and *gulp* I am going to do it! Pray for me yall! I bought a juicer! Only $29.99 at Walmart by the way and its a Black & Decker!  I will be blogging about that! Yall know I love food!  In fact I promised yall some pics from Baltimore Restaurant Week see below, below I stuck to my salmon plan but if you want to ignore the food p*rn then keep scrolling to the end :-)

I'm Too Cute To Sweat Event! Charles's AKA & Delta crew from Chizel It!

AKAs Do Workout!

Me getting my iron on!

Mo's Salmon stuffed with crab, shrimp, and scallops with rosemary roasted red potatoes! Delish!

The Oceanaire Salmon with spinach and bacon goodness!

Well it was a good month and February here I come  with bigger and better goals! In fact I doing my very first Vision Board Party!

People kept asking me to do one so I finally said you know what its 2012 and I am gonna do it! I have sent out a few emails and the response has been great! It will be in Baltimore and local people and even folks from NY and Virgina are planning to attend! Its gonna be awesome! If you want to come here's the link to all the info! http://fromtheorytopracticevisionboardartyfeb2012.eventbrite.com/

If you have read my blog for any length of time you know I love doing vision board but it isn't as easy as throwing some pictures on a poster board. People seem to either forget, miss, or just don't understand that! There is work involved but having a vision in place is a key to reaching any goal! I can still see the vision board I made before my triathlon and I found a picture of a Black woman with her hands raised after crossing the finish line and sure nuff when my time came to be an Iron Girl that is the last image that was taken of me! All I can say is IT WORKS and if I have tapped into some information that can help someone else I feel obligated to share it! So we will see how it goes BUT...I already know its gonna be awesome!

Speaking of seeing how things go....things with Beres Fan are going well and I am happy. :-) I finally got my Christmas gift lol it was a nice sweater and scarf can't stay mad at a man who will buy you clothing lol We seem to be in a good place right now so we'll keep moving right along! :-) he says odd but nice things like I am so happy I met you. Ok so maybe odd is not the right word but he says things like that, that you may be thinking but don't ever say them. I am happy we met too and yesss I told him that LOL *end warm & fuzzy scene here* LOL

That's all (like yall need any more) for now! I am back to my 4 class teaching schedule but tonight I have a guest speaker so I will go to class #1 then head to the gym to catch Charles's class to get a jump start on my 1000 per day goal for February! Yesterday I did this new Dance cardio class. The teacher was cute but that is not a workout for me! I had to jump on the elliptical to burn 200 more calories :-/ did that in 10 minutes while her 60 minute class burned like 380. I stayed  for Tyrone's boxing class and it was good. I am not sore like I expected considering I did 3 hours at the gym on Sunday and then 2 hours yesterday! But that's a good thing! So anyhoo I'll check in soon!! Thanks gang!!!! :-)


P.S.Share your February goals with me!!!