Updating My Weight Loss Goals

weight loss goal, nutrition goal, fitness goals, weekly weight loss goals

Image courtesy of chanpipat and FreeDigitalPhoto.net.

I needed to update my goals with an eye toward overall health and happiness. Sure weight loss is my main focus, but I’m in a completely different place mentally. It was time to I add some goals related to wellness and everyday beauty.

I’ve also experienced a shift in thinking when it comes to exercise. Overall fitness is way more important to me now. No need to set goals related to the number of days or hours for working out. Exercise is one habit that comes automatically. I want to focus on getting stronger and transforming my body.

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OMG…I Can Wear Skinny Jeans

In March my jeans were a size 20. I'm now down to size 16 and can wear kitty approved skinny jeans.

In April my jeans were a size 20. I’m now down to size 16 and can wear kitty-approved skinny jeans.

Last night it got a little chilly, so I decided to toss on a pair of jeans before heading out to the movies with the hubby. Now I haven’t worn jeans since April. I work out so much that I haven’t worn anything other than my exercise or cycling shorts this summer.

What a shock to discover my jeans no longer fit.  They were way too baggie around the waist and thighs.  When I reached for my belt, they fell off my butt. Woohoo!

Thankfully Old Navy is having a sale on jeans today ($19/pair plus $5 off for trying on jeans). I was a size 20 so I figured I’d save time and just grab a couple of pairs of  size 18 jeans before doing my other errands.

But a little voice in my head said to try them on first. I actually thought about ignoring that little voice — I mean, no way I went from a 20 to a 16, right? Read More


Out With The Old, In With The New Cross Trainers

Yes, I'm retiring my old sneakers (about time!). I picked out a pair of ASICS on Zappos.com and I'm loving them.

Yes, I’m retiring my old sneakers (about time!). I picked out a pair of ASICS on Zappos.com and I’m loving them.

My new sneakers finally arrived from that magical place called Zappos! It’s the first time I purchased sneakers online. I have to say all my research paid off. The shoes fit perfectly.

Matching The Shoe With The Workout
All my life I’ve had one pair of sneakers at a time. Which might explain my ankle and heel problems. Thanks to Nike, even sneakers are now built for specific workouts. Considering I lift weights, jog, walk, cycle and backpack, we’re talking a lot of shoes.

That’s just frustrating and murder on the bank account. Sigh…

But yes, I now own running shoes, hiking boots and cycling shoes (they clip to the pedals). I’ve postponed buying the walking shoes since I stopped my daily walks to do my Achilles injury. But that day of reckoning is close at hand. Also I’m toying with trying a Zumba class once I’m injury free, but even that requires special shoes. Ugh!

I do draw the line at buying different sneakers for the other activities I do — weight lifting/gym workouts, body sculpt class or shooting hoops. So to that end I needed a good cross trainer.

The issue with cross trainers is that they’re designed for you to do all activities, but not necessarily to do any of them very well. But that’s OK. For these activities, it’s not about mileage. It’s all about variety.

So, What Did I Get?
I settled on the ASICS GEL-Contend 2. It’s light-weight, the heel is pretty firm and provides the support I need. And they actually feel better than my tried and true Nikes. Strangely, it was the only ASICS cross trainer on Zappos. Hopefully they’ll get more ASICS options soon. But I’m happy with them.

Next up, the Saucony Progrid Integrity ST 2 walking shoe.

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Got Some Kick A$$ Running Shoes!

Thanks to two holes directly over my big toes, it's time to retire my Nikes.

Thanks to two holes directly over my big toes, it’s time to retire my Nikes.

Between the torn meniscus and my Achilles tendon acting up this week, it was time to retire my old Nikes and invest in some running and cross training shoes. On the advice of my running pals, I visited my local Pacers, a family owned running store in the DC area.

I was very impressed with the staff’s expertise in all things running and how darn friendly they were too!

When I walked in, most were shocked by the state of my current footwear. Both of my big toes were protruding from the top of the shoes. And both heels were worn down. I might as well walk in barefoot; it would have been more comfortable.

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Everyday Beauty: Unexpected Field Trip To Sephora!

One of my new favorite shops, Sephora called to me yesterday after I met my husband for lunch.

One of my new favorite shops, Sephora called to me yesterday after I met my husband for lunch.

I met my husband for lunch yesterday and as luck would have it, the restaurant was across the street from one of my favorite new stores, Sephora. I wasn’t planning on buying any make-up. But as I started to walking past Sephora, I swore I heard it calling to me.

It couldn’t hurt to take a quick look around, right? Plus I needed a new sharpener for my lip and eyeliner pencils. My current sharpener was crap and I desperately needed to replace it. Easy peasy and quick, right? Eh….not so much.

About one hour and $170 130 dollars (yea online coupons!) later I finally started heading towards my car.

Do I feel guilty about spending the money? Sure, but everything I got is so pretty and is perfect for summer (or so I tell myself).

I love Urban Decay's Naked 3 (top) pink tinted neutral colors. And I can't wait to play with Too Faced's cocoa scented chocolate bar palette (bottom).

I love Urban Decay’s Naked 3 (top) pink-tinted neutral colors. And I can’t wait to play with Too Faced’s cocoa scented chocolate bar palette (bottom).

Urban Decay & Too Faced Eyeshadows
I wanted some neutral colors and just love Urban Decay’s Naked 3 color palette. These neutrals have a rosy tint with great shades and finishes. Playing with it yesterday I found that the colors were real easy to blend and had a velvety feel. Of the 12 colors, I love Nooner, Mugshot and Darkside the best.

I also picked up Too Faced’s Chocolate Bar Eye Palette to add a little more color variety. I haven’t played with the palette yet, but it smells delicious! Why? It’s scented with real chocolate. Yep, you read that right. This palette’s infused with 100% cocoa powder. This is one you have to keep away from the kids as they will want to eat it. Trust me on this. My salivating husband couldn’t put it down.

NARS' blush bronzer duo was exactly what I needed for summer.

NARS’ blush/bronzer duo was exactly what I needed for summer.

NARS Orgasm-Laguna Blush-Bronzer Duo
This NARS Blush/Bronzer Duo is great. I love the blush’s coral color. I tried it on without wearing my Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer and it was a little too soft for my rosy cheeks. But lo and behold, when I put on the tinted moisturizer, then added the blush, it looked amazing.

The Laguna Bronzer is a little lighter than my current bronzer. But it’s perfect for the summer as I don’t actively go out and tan. Sure I’m outside hiking, running, walking and biking, but I always wear sunscreen and a hat now. I really don’t like looking overly tan so I keep my tanning to a minimum. The bronzer should be a nice complement to what the sun does naturally to my face. I will say that the shimmer is very subtle compared to my current bronzer. That’s a big plus.

These Sephora lip stains offer the perfect colors for summer fun.

These Sephora lip stains offer the perfect colors for summer fun.

Lips: Stains, Liners And Brushes, Oh My!
I needed more lipsticks in my arsenal. But my problem is finding something that got some staying power. So I went with two stains. The first is Sephora’s Rogue Infusion Lip Stain. Since it’s a stain, it should last longer than regular lipstick, right? Well, we’ll see. I just liked the color – Pink Essence. Perfect for summer.

I also picked up Sephora’s Cream Lip Stain. The Infinite Rose – Satin Golden Peach color is soooo pretty. I was wearing my coral dress when I tried out the golden peach. Wow, a perfect match.

In addition to the stains, I picked up some lip liner and a new lip brush.

Now I’m all set for summer. Sweet.


Time For New Running Shoes or Do I Go Bare?

Thanks to two holes directly over my big toes, it's time to retire my Nikes.

Thanks to two holes directly over my big toes, it’s time to retire my Nikes.

For the last 8 months, I’ve watched two tears in my shoes grow into rather large holes. On my run yesterday both of my big toes protruded out from each hole. Not a very comfortable feeling. Alas, it is time to replace my beloved Nikes.

After reading Born To Run, my husband encouraged me to pick up a pair of minimalist running shoes. Basically minimalist running shoes simulate barefoot running – there is little padding compared to traditional running shoes. The idea being that barefoot running is the natural way to run. Barefoot running is supposed to correct your form and changes how your foot strikes the ground, resulting in fewer injuries.

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Sometimes Your Diet Isn’t The Only Thing That Needs Shaking Up

No I didn't go for the pigtail look. I'm waiting for Jenny to apply the color to get rid of the grays.

No I didn’t go for the pigtail look. I’m waiting for Jenny to apply the color to get rid of the grays.

I’ve rededicated myself to making better food choices and cut my daily carb count to 20g. But when I woke up yesterday something else needed to change. I have a new attitude, but I wasn’t feeling it on the outside.  Maybe it was all that gray hair.

I headed over to the salon for some much-needed color. After my fab hairstylist Jenny got rid of my grays she asked if I wanted to trim up my hair just a little. I tilted my head, squinted my eyes as I looked in the mirror and slowly said “yeaaaaahhhhhh.”

Do’h! Clearly it wasn’t the gray hairs. I needed something else. Jenny could tell could tell it was time for a new do.

Problem was I really didn’t know what to do. I put absolutely no thought into it. I just needed something…sassy!

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Rack ’em Up — Finding The Perfect Bra Size

brasI did some emergency shopping today. My sports bras no longer give me the support I need during workouts. Just too much damn bouncing around. And frankly, my other bras’ cups seem to stand away from my breasts. Clearly it was time to resize the girls. Despite the lack of movement on the scale the last couple of weeks, I got a nice boost (pun intended) from the lady fitting me for a new bra – I dropped 2 band sizes!

Time to try on some new bras. The lady helping me suggested I try on a couple of sizes to see which styles fit the best.  Also, there was a question on my cup size. I went up a cup size the last time I was measured. This time I was on the fence.

The lady with the measuring tape gave me some helpful tips on what to look for when trying on bras.

Band Issues

  • Band Position – The band should sit level or low on your back. If it rises, go with a smaller band size.
  • Battle of the Back Bulge – Look at your back. Is there any skin bulging around the band? The band needs to fit snugly around the lest-fleshy part of the rib cage to reduce tissue spilling over the back and sides.
  • Bra Straps – If they dig into the shoulder, then the band is too loose. Nearly all the support comes from the band (who knew?). So no more loosening my straps to the max. That should stop those blasted things from falling off my shoulder.

Cup Issues

  • Flesh Spilling Out Under The Armpits – The cup is too shallow and is pushing tissue to the sides.
  • Space Between Bra & Breastbone – Bras shouldn’t lift away from your body. If it does, then the cup isn’t large enough.
  • Spillage – Tissue flowing over the top of the bra means either the band is not snug and low on your back and/or the cup is too small.

The tips worked great and I found a few bras that fit just right. Turns out the lower band size worked best and I’m still the same cup size…for now.


Everyday Beauty Alert: I’m Growing Talons!

Can you tell I have acrylics? How sad.

Can you tell I have acrylics? How sad.

Just before Christmas, I opted for acrylic nails and not my regular manicure. I’m very hard on my nails and it’s a challenge to grow them. I figured I’ll protect and grow my nails under the fake nails.

With acrylics you really need to get a fill every other week, or you’ll see a gap between the fake nail and your own nails.

Today I realize I’m more than three weeks overdue for getting a fill. Yikes! I don’t have a gap to fill, I have a crevasse.  Nearly 1/8 of an inch!

That’s just sad…and lazy!

While I’m amazed at how fast these suckers are growing, I’m more amazed that none of the acrylic nails have popped off.

Well, I’m off to the salon for a little nail TLC…and to think about amending my 2014 goals to include a little everyday beauty.


Weight Loss And Accessory Fashion Frets

In my 40+ years, I’ve never been big on accessorizing my look. Mostly because I’ve never really had a look I wanted to cultivate. But with great weight loss comes a whole new attitude.

So now I find myself thumbing through fashion magazines, doing a lot more window shopping and adding a line item for clothes in our monthly budget.

Paralysis By Analysis
While I’m excited about fashion, I find that I spend most of my time looking, not buying. I want to be fashionable, but I get obsessed reading all the different tips out there (and there are plenty) and I’m afraid of making a blunder.

I still think of myself as someone who weighs over 300 pounds, so I’m too cautious about attracting attention. No matter how great something looks on me and goes perfect with an outfit, I won’t buy it.  I just think I’m way too fat to try something new. Ugh! How annoying.

I thought I drop-kicked those bad thoughts after my fashion makeover. Nope, they still pop up now and again…and again. Usually when I’m not eating healthy.

Sam Moon – Accessory Heaven
While in Texas, my sister and mother took me to Sam Moon for a little shopping excursion.

I’ve written about the wonder that is Sam Moon before. At this Texas-based store you’ll find great handbags, jewelry, scarves, hats and shoes.

Thanks to a gift card from my brother, I had funds to spend on little ol’ me! Oh, and did I spend.

First up — purses! I decided I needed a red purse to help make a couple of my outfits pop. And I found this fun handbag. The gem at the top sealed the deal. The size of a doorknob, it turns to open and close the purse. Sweet!

red purse

Then my sister pointed out a snake skin handbag that matched my shoes.

Of course, I had to get it.

snake purse

One of my favorite outfits is a pair of blue jeans, black sweater, blue scarf and Softspot Maria snake print shoes. This purse was the punch the outfit needed.

From there, I strolled over to the scarves. I love scarves and only have two in my closet. It was time to add a few into my rotation.

scarvesI loved the prints and colors on these scarves. Two of the scarves go with nearly everything in my closet. The pink scarf, while I love it, really only goes with one outfit. But something tells me that will change come spring.

I do love pins and decided to pick up a few.

pinsI loved the color the mask provided and with Mardi Gras season coming up, I couldn’t resist. The pearl and silver grape pin is prefect for some upcoming wine tastings. The peacock pin goes well with my peacock earrings and the big chunky piece is just pretty.

There were so many necklaces, but my gift card had its limit. I ended up with three necklaces, two of which came with matching earrings (bonus!).

necklacesThe blue and silver necklace has some weight to it and I hate the feel of heavy necklaces. But trying it on, it felt great and didn’t pull on the back of my neck. The orange beaded necklace really pops and goes great with a lot of my outfits.

Of the three, I had the most doubts about the copper-colored necklace. I think I looked at it five different times before picking it up. It’s so pretty, but short. I don’t like anything tight-fitting around my neck. If it’s too snug, I’ll start tugging at it.

Oh um, did I mention the necklace is pretty? I tried it on and yes, I did pull on it a few times, but I liked how it looked so much I decided I needed to break my tugging habit. It took a few hours, wearing the necklace until I forgot about it, but it worked.

Finally the one item I never thought I would actually buy — a hat.  I’ve always loved hats, especially loved women’s hats from the 20s and 30s. But I never thought I looked good wearing them.  Mustering a courage I hardly knew I possessed, I tried on nearly every style of hat in the store. I liked many of the hats, but I kept on coming back to this brown cloche.

brown hat

Some good news: the cat liked it too!  I think more hats are on the horizon. They’re just too much fun not to wear.

cat hat

Thanks to my shopping excursion, my fear of accessories is gone.  It’s too much fun trying on each item and figuring out what goes best with which outfit. And if I make a mistake, oh well. That just means I need to try again.