My Secrets To Losing 30 Pounds This Year and 2012 Goal Setting

I'm really exciting to see what the new year brings for you and me.  I'm sure there will be challenges, but so much fun to experience it all! I'm ready to accomplish my goals. Are you?


Cat's Belly Fat Cure Facebook Page

Met a REALLY CUTE guy on the beach today!!!

My 4 year old took this picture...sorry no make up.



Time to work out like a GIRL!  No excuses baby.




The pier way, way, way off in the distance is my walking goal, then back again.



Part of my journey was by the sea and part on the boulevard.  I saw interesting people and things along the way:



...definitely under the category of interesting people.  Isn't people watching fun!



GGGGOOOOAAAALLLLL!



Anyone wondering about the cute guy?  Well, let me tell you, he was as sweet as he could be and charming too!  He approached me on the beach on my return from the pier, wearing a red & black rock-n-roll bathing suit, carrying a surf board.  OMG!!! I just LOVE a rock star!  He was excited about swimming and getting wet in the ocean.  Asked me if I wanted to come too.  I declined, saying "I hope he had fun, but I must be on my way."  He watched me walk away....     Did I mention he was 3?

Accidentally had the camera set on vivid, but you get the idea.  Time my family saw me they started freaking out saying, "YOU ARE SO RED!  ARE YOU O.K.?  I felt hot, but awesome & empowered.  Then I rounded off my workout with push ups, lunges, squats, ab work, and stretching.  A certain 4 year old followed my every move!

What a great workout and sight seeing adventure!  I won't forget the friends I met along the way. 

I heard this song on the beach today and haven't been able to get it off my mind, lyrics or music. 


"I knew I wouldn't forget you, and so I went and let you blow my mind.

Hey soul sister, I don't wanna miss a single thing you do tonight.
You give my life direction, a game show love connection we can't deny -i-i-i.

I'm always gonna wanna blow your mind.

Your so gangsta, I'm so thug, you're the only one I'm dreaming of.  You see, I can be myself now finally, in fact there's nothing I can't be.  I want the world to see you be with me."

One particular verse really spoke to me today: 

"You see, I can be myself now finally, in fact there's nothing I can't be."

What an amazing thought!  THERE'S NOTHING I CAN'T BE!  I really believe to be successful at this weight loss thing, I HAVE to BELIEVE with all of my heart there's nothing I can't be!  If I want to be a size 4/6, I can be a size 4/6.  I just have to believe it and follow through with my plans to get there, no matter how long it takes.  I was a size 2 in college, so I know a 4/6 is attainable.

We can all do this together.  Let's support each other along the way & we'll get there.  If anyone needs help with anything or just wants to chat privately please feel free to email at 4tylerbelle.gmail.com or facebook message me anytime.  I would love to help.

I hope everyone has a fabulous (rock star ;) weekend.

Take care.

Sexy Mall Haul Y'all, Disclaimer: If you find Victoria's Secret Offensive Don't Read This Post.

This shirt feels REALLY NICE.  Physical touch is my love language, so I just love silky feeling material.

This skirt is that it has just enough spandex to stretch and move with you and it's not TOO short! (Sorry these pics are so small, became blurry when enlarged.)

matching jewelry purchased at Express.

Believe it our not, these shoes are SO COMFY and cute!  Purchased at Rack Room Shoes.  I don't feel like I'm gonna fall flat on my face either.  ;)

From the Gorgeous Collection, this matching pair has a nice shimmer to it.  Panties are really silky.  I don't like lacy bras and panties.  Gives me visions of Grandma's bras.  Give me shimmery, silky!  Just for trying on the bra, VS will give you free Gorgeous perfume spray. 

Both bras are the demi cup.  I tried the push up version...talk about CLEAVAGE!!!!! No thanks.  I'm just fine with my regular cleavage.

Bra can be worn 5 ways!  Notice cute little keyhole in the back.  I like that the ruching makes my butt look better than it would otherwise. ;)

Purchased the black/animal print trim matching set as well.  Can you say, impulse buy.  Now I don't know which to wear first?  Decisions.  Decisions.

Close up of the back.

I had a nice afternoon at the mall with my girls.  O.K., so the bribe, ahem reward worked fairly well.  It was a rather lengthy shopping trip (4 hours), so 2 rewards seemed appropriate, a cookie, and a purchase from Claire's .  Purchases from Claire's were glitter body spray and a Hello Kitty sequin mask.  Did I mention I bought them Icees too!  (hiding my face in shame ;)

I tried several less expensive stores than Express, but I just don't have a cheap clothes kind of body.  Really.  Ashleigh said we went to seven clothing stores, but I really don't think it was that many.  Julia was super excited to go to Express & kept looking for a train.  At Victoria's Secret Ashleigh tried on panties as well, extra small.  I wouldn't have been surprised if they had fit her. 

Now I can get all dressed up, but I need somewhere to go. LOL.

Tonight I'm celebrating my 20 pound weight loss.  A month ago I don't think I would have even been able to wear anything from Express.  I didn't see a size larger than 12 while I was there!  Now even my panties are too big.  I need to go back to VS to just buy panties.  Maybe I'll go back during the Angel Club sale in October.

Do you ever feel like your life is about to change and all you can do is hold on tight & enjoy the ride?  Well, I'm enjoying the ride.

Have a joyful and healthy Wednesday.

Bye gorgeous,

Weight Loss Experiment!

I want to make this a quick post because it's 2 a.m.  I just get so excited about this stuff, I don't want to go to bed.  However, in doing so I'm not following through on my action plan that states my bedtime is midnight. Need to really work on that this week. 

As most of you know we've been on vacation all week.  I've been away from my normal routine, gym, food...everything that's been working for me.  I've allowed certain treats, while still keeping with my current food and exercise philosophy.  I've eaten some junk food, pizza, ice cream, french fries, fried seafood (twice), and a cheeseburger.  I've exercised 4 days, aerobic activity and strength training.  All without a gym or weights.  I really hope I've lost a little, yes even on vacation!  Yes, even with the treats.  There were certain exceptions I was not going to make and I held fast to those.  For example, the morning after I consumed pizza the night before, I made sure the next several meals were ultra healthy, right on plan. 

Hoping for at least a one pound weight loss.  See you in the a.m.!

Take care,

Goal Achieved and random thoughts, of course ;)

I obtained my 1st weight loss goal today.  I've lost the 1st 10 pounds!  I'm really excited because I've been trying to lose weight for years, as I was saying in a recent post.  What I'm doing is really working and I'm going to keep doing it.  I have a goal in sight and I will make my actions match the outcome I want to achieve.  The ultimate goal is to weigh between 115 to 120 pounds.  I really don't want to say at this point what I do weigh, but suffice it to say I have a way to go. My plan is to break down my goal into 5 pound mini goals. I've negotiated with my hubby to give me $100 for every 5 pounds lost, sort of as an incentive for me.  Really though, I think the main reason I asked him to give me $100 dollars was so I wouldn't feel guilty spending money on myself. 

I'm actually beginning to enjoy the journey and the pleasant surprises along the way.  Like last night when my husband came into the bedroom after eating corn chips, at first it smelled like "feet", but then I realized oh that's a corn chip smell.  I think my sense of smell is improving as well as my taste buds.  A month ago those chips would have smelled good to me & I probably would have munched on a few and I still would if I had really, really wanted some.  However, I didn't eat any because I have a goal insight that I want to achieve and to me that's more important than a few seconds of pleasure from the chip, that's surely not going to do me any favors.  However if it had been my favorite dessert, banana pudding southern style, I would have definitely had small amount & not felt guilty at all. 

I think my husband thinks I'm going through a midlife crisis of some sort.  I think he is too though, and I'm honestly not sure where it's going to take us.

Tonight I went to the gym while my oldest daughter was at gymnastics.  We came home immediately after her gymnastics practice & he was none to happy that I hadn't fried the eggplant & okra from our garden.   In his defense he was probably looking forward to it because I've definitely honed my okra frying skills.  After the 1st bite, almost everyone raves about them.  It took me about half a summer one year to get the recipe like his mama's, and the bad part was I couldn't ask her because she was deceased.  Am I planning to snack on any when I cook them?  Nope. 

I've had something else on my mind today too.  Last week a good friend of mine went back to work after being a stay-at-home mom like myself.  With our kids getting older, the youngest being 4 1/2, I plan to go back to work when the youngest enters elementary school.  So I've started thinking about what I want to do as far as a career.  I think the answer occurred to me today.  In every job I've ever had, I excelled in one area.  Management always put me in this area, I felt very comfortable doing it, and always received the very highest praise from senior management in this capacity.  Now I'm not saying I was a perfect employee, far from it.  What I am saying is this is one aspect of my job I enjoyed the most, found the easiest, and the most rewarding.   My main career before staying at home was as an assistant manager and senior loan officer in a bank and also a loan officer at a credit union.  Oh and I also was in sales at another bank.  People really trusted me, which I think was the main reason I was successful in sales because I'm not a pushy person at all.
This area that I had much success, fulfillment and joy was in a public relations/almost negotiator sort of role.  I loved going to Chamber of Commerce meetings and functions, speaking with local business owners, and being on the front line drumming up business or just talking with folks about their family, health & what's important to them.  Honestly though talking to people on a personal level made the business deals a piece of cake.  I also really enjoyed telling people no in a positive way.  Never tell them what you CAN'T do, tell them what you CAN do.  Now, what job that is in today's market, I have no idea?  Thanks for listening to me ramble like this. 

Anyway this is what I ate today:

breakfast:  O.K., I've been on a roll with this one lately & it just doesn't get old.  Old fashioned oats, (instead of cinnamon I used pumpkin spice & it was really good), peanut butter, Sun Crystals, apple,  & Garden of Life Super Seed.  Unless your spouse dislikes the smell of peanut butter, you'll love this.  My hubby fusses when he smells peanut butter in my oatmeal, so I try to eat it at a considerable distance away from him. 

lunch:  This was just heavenly.  Food For Life brown rice tortilla, hummus, lettuce, carrots.  I lightly toasted the tortilla, then folded it all up like a taco.  Yum-O!

dinner:  Salad (romaine, carrots, cucumbers, Bragg's healthy vinaigrette)  You may not see cucumbers on the salad...well, I actually ate those while making dinner ;) .  McDougall's black bean and lime soup (see below)

 

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I didn't cook much today, usually don't on Mondays, which are very busy for us, but I don't like to eat at fast food restaurants too often as well.  I didn't plan on it being a vegan day, oh well. 

my littlest pumpkin before taking her to dance class today.

 

 

Question of the day:  How has you spouse or significant other reacted to your weight loss, positively or negatively?

Thanks for listening everyone.  Hope you had a fabulous Monday.

Be healthy.  Be strong.

Take care,


 

Update

I know I've been absent far too long.  During my blogging absence nothing noteworthy has been happening in my weight loss endeavors, so I haven't felt like blogging anything.  I think if I had blogged the whole time I would have been back on track long before now.

Right now I'm doing a 21 day cleanse with Kris Carr, found here. I ordered a juicer, which came yesterday, a Breville compact model.  This cleanse seems a lot like Kathy Freston's cleanse, if you're familiar with her, with an alkaline twist.  I have to avoid eating all animal products, junk food, anything refined, gluten, & refined sugar.  She also recommends drinking (liquid sunshine)/ eating lots of green veggies.  That's where the juicer comes in...trying only to consume juices in the morning, then whole food gluten free vegan for the remainder of the day.

I've been so surprised at how difficult this has been emotionally, that is.  I expected I would crave meat/cheese/butter, really rich food.  I actually haven't at all...it's the junk (chips, crackers, etc.) causing serious cravings.  Anyway today is day 3...so I continue along. Kris Carr eats this way all of the time...have no idea how!

 Morning bug juice (cucumber, celery, romaine, apple, lemon)!

BLECH!  Actually it's not THAT terrible, but not really tasty either.  I did find a way that's pallatable for me though.  I poured some in a juice glass & added lots of ice.  

Gotta go fix lunch for the fam...will check in later tonight.

peace & veggies out,