How to use this Page

First of all, I'd like to say Happy Mommy's Day to all moms! Hope you all enjoy your day. I wish I were in the US to celebrate this day with my mom, but I'm here in Abu Dhabi, thousands of miles away. That's ok. I was able to text her. She knows that I love her. And I got to spoil her a bit about 5 weeks ago when she came to visit me.

So, I've been working on losing weight and getting in shape since May, 2011. This weight loss journey is more for health reasons than for looks (like I've said before, I love my curves). I have high blood pressure and I HATE taking meds. I'm trying to be done with it. Plus, my family has a history of other sicknesses like diabetes, stroke, etc. I'm not even trying to deal with that. And I just long to be in shape; to be able to walk up a flight of stairs without feeling like I'm going to die. I'd like to live to see the kids in my family as well as my future kids grow up. So, yeah. Losing weight is imperative.

I'd started losing weight. Got excited, then got stuck. I've been in the same range since February (250 - 255lbs). My weight's been going up, down, or the same. GRR! It's been frustrating to say the least. To make matters worse, I haven't been under 250lbs since....forever. Ok, not forever, but it sure feels like it. Since 2010. I kept thinking if I can get out this range, I'd be good. I'm glad to say that after two years, I'm FINALLY out of the range. WOOHOO! I'm at 249lbs (four pounds since last month's weigh in).

I've lost a total of 21 pounds so far. Would I like to be further along in my weight loss journey? Yes. I mean, it's been almost a year. But, am I happy with the 21 pounds so far? Yes. It could be worse. I could still be the same weight from last May. Or I could still be stuck. But I'm not, so I'm happy. I'm just a bit closer to my goal weight. Operation Fit and Fine/Operation Goodbye High Blood Pressure is in FULL effect!

21 pounds down...79 pounds to go!

Writing. I am a writer. I've been in love with writing, ever since the first time my parents put a pen in my hand and taught me to write. Journal entries, plays, stories, songs...you name it, I wrote it. I no longer write songs or plays, though, if I really wanted to, I can. I still journal and write stories.

Writing, for me, is therapeutic. Having a bad day? I write. Someone pissed me off? I write. Something awesome happened? I write. After I'm done, I usually feel so much better. It wasn't until about 6 years ago that I decided to write professionally. That was about when my first character started talking to me. SIDE NOTE: For all you non-writers, talking characters in my head doesn't mean I'm crazy, it just means I'm a writer. Anyway, when I sat down and listened to my character, I ended up with a book idea and my first page. Since then, I've never looked back.

Even after 6 years, I'm still not published, but I refuse to give up. I will become a published author. Of that I'm sure. Not only that, I'm sure kids/teens/adults will like my books. I don't say this out of arrogance; I say this out of confidence in God, who gave me this talent. I've asked Him to bless my writing...to let it give whoever reads it the same kind of enjoyment I got when I read as a child (and even now, as an adult). God gave me this talent and I know He wants me to share it, not keep it to myself.

We writers - or any creative person, for that matter - are a special breed and it takes special people to deal with us. My family is special. My parents; my brother; my sister; me; we're all a creative bunch, whether we're writing stories, drawing pictures, coming up with ways to make lessons fun, thinking of creative marketing strategies, or writing songs. My family so gets me! They're my biggest cheerleaders. They encourage my creativity. As a kid, I wrote plays for ever special occasion. They were long; very long (maybe a hint that novel-writing was in my future, perhaps?). And my parents, bless their hearts, sat through them all. I absolutely adore them for that. When I said I wanted to have a career in writing, my parents didn't shun it as an "unsuitable" career. In fact, they're cheering me on. When I do become published, and my books do as well as I'm praying they would, my family will be the first to benefit.

Weight Loss Journey. I am on a mission...a mission to lose weight. I've been going back and forth with my weight and I am tired. I'm ready to lose weight for good.

Now, don't get me wrong. I love being curvaceous. I love my hips. I love my big butt. I have no problem being "plus size." In fact, I don't want to lose my curves. My journey to lose weight has nothing to do with what society says I should look like. I could care less what others think of me. You may think I'm fat. So what? I'm trying to lose weight so I can lead a healthier life. I have high blood pressure and I HATE taking medicine. I hate how my ankles and feet swell up. I hate how I get so many HBP-inspired headaches. I hate having HBP period. Besides high blood pressure, my family also have history of diabetes, heart problems, cancer, etc. I'm not trying to check out of here earlier than I'm supposed to. Besides, I have little brothers and sisters, nephews and future nieces, future kids, and the youth that I work with. I want to be able to run around with them without having to feel like I'm hyperventila

50/50 Challenge. I had to restart my because I'd fallen off track. It's been seven weeks, and I've lost 5lbs so far. I'm doing pretty good, if I must say so myself!



Marathon Training. My marathon (walkathon) training starts Monday. I wanted to wait til I bought new walking shoes - the ones I have are about a year old - but alas, the show must go on. I'll get them soon. I don't know what I was thinking about starting the training during spring/summer. It gets crazy hot here in Houston. I have a little under a year to be ready for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, so I guess I'll go on. Don't wanna keep pushing it back. So, here I go!

So, I've decided instead of checking my progress every week during my 50/50 Challenge, I'm gonna check once every 5 weeks.

This is the end of week 5. I should've lost 5lbs...but, I didn't. I lost 3lbs, though, so I'm not complaining. I also lost a total of 4 inches, including 1.5 in in my waist!

Hopefully, the next 5 weeks, will be even more successful.

I know it's a day late. Yesterday was a rough day, so I didn't do ANYTHING...besides workout. So today marks the end of week 1 of my 50/50 challenge. It was a little difficult - boy did I want to guzzle down a Pepsi each day - but, I'm happy to say I've succeeded in losing one pound. It may not seem like a lot, but remember, this is a pound in a week...the safe way to lose weight.

Next week, the real challenge begins. I'll (hopefully) start substituting consistently. Teachers usually don't need subs til, like, the 3rd week of school and on, so I'll be busy soon. The challenge is whether or not I'd feel like working out. I'm not worried, though. I have God, who'll give me strength and my inspiration board, which will give me inspiration.

I can't see the difference (I mean, come on, it's only 1 pound) but I can feel the difference. I haven't checked the inches yet. I'm so excited and can't wait to get to weeks 5-50, where I know I will see the difference. Can't wait til my clothes start feeling loose. Ooh, can't wait to hear, "Your blood pressure's normal, Ms. Weakly." Oh the joy!

So, yeah, I'm a happy camper. Go me!

So, it's the end of summer vacation. Time to leave the days of lazin around behind and get back to work.


Um, right. Like I had those kind of days. I worked this summer and I worked hard.

Why, oh why must getting in shape/losing weight be so hard? Why can't there be, like an easy button or something that'll speed up the process? Can I please have a wand so I can wave this weight away? How bout the twinkle of my nose, like Samantha on Bewitched? Or a nod of my head like I Dream of Jeannie?

I'll be so glad when I've reached my goal weight. Oh to be able to actually run without feeling like I'm going to die! To be able to wear a swimsuit without self-consciously covering it with a t-shirt or wrap! To be able to hear the doctor say, "High blood pressure? What high blood pressure?"

But, alas, I must trudge on. My time will come. I'm working hard on this thing, so I'll see some results. I WILL SEE SOME RESULTS. Sorry, had to reassure myself, there. By this time, next year, I'll be screaming from the hilltops (or at least from the hilltops of blogland), "I did it! I got rid of those pesky little pounds!" I'll be able to run around with my extremely active nephews without needing to be resuscitated. I'll be able to run, period! OMG, maybe I'll be able to play basketball without hyperventilating.

So, yeah, this weight loss journey is long, tedious, and did I mention, long, but when I've reached that goal - when I've stepped out on that Hawaiian beach (that's where we might go next summer) in my tankini (you won't catch me in a bikini, no matter how much poundage I lose) - the pain...the tedious-ness...the 'oh-God-I-don't-think-I-can-do-it-anymore'...will only make my victory that much sweeter!

I did it! Well, God did it, but you get the gist of what I'm saying. On March 19th, I set out to lose 4 pounds by the 19th of April. I've lost the 4 pounds as well as a total of 5.5 inches. It's all about changing the way I'm thinking & including God in the mix. This weight loss journey is hard and I can't do it without Him. He's the one giving me the strength to exercise when I really don't feel like it. He's the one giving me the power to turn down whatever junk food I'm craving, but really don't need (now, of course I reward myself every once in a while). I'm going to keep focus on month-to-month weight loss...you know, take it slow. I'm so excited! 4 lbs down...71 more to go!

Overall Goal

This is my 100th post! Yay me!

iPods. I love music...alot. I listen to anything that makes me move - from Hip Hop to Pop, Gospel to Latin...if the beat is tight, I'm listening. I'm hardly ever in the mood to listen to just one type of music. My iPod playlist reflects that. I'm all about what makes my wanna dance (which is something I love doing). When I listen to my iPod, I usually put it on shuffle and let it play. Like now, I'm listening to 'I'm Gonna Live Til I Die' by Queen Latifah, which has a kind of Broadway feel to it. The next 4 songs are, 'I'd Like To' by Corinne Bailey Rae, 'What About Now' by Daughtry, 'Eres Para Mi' by Julieta Venegas, and 'Right Round' by Flo Rida. See what I'm talking about? Variety...that's what it's all about.

I have the 8GB Nano, which can hold up to 2000 songs. I'm in absolute musical heaven. Has anyone even reached 2000? I know it's possible, but sheesh. 2000 songs! 714. That's how many songs I have and the number is growing. I mean, as long as artists keep coming out with music, I'll have songs to download on my iPod.

Fitness Friday. I didn't lose another pound, but I'm okay with it. I still have one more week to reach my monthly goal...and even if I don't make it, I'll be happy.

MONTHLY GOAL


OVERALL GOAL

Another pound gone away! Yay me! My goal for my first month (March 19h - April 18th) was to lose at least 4 pounds (one pound/week). I am more than halfway there, with 2 weeks left. I've lost a total of 3 pounds in 2 weeks...the safe way, of course.

What did I do differently? Changed my way of thinking and put God into the equation. I've asked Him to help me with my weight loss journey. I know...shoulda did this earlier. *Sigh* Doesn't matter, I'm doing it now and He's doing just what I asked. I've had the will power to turn away unhealthy snacks (sometimes, but, hey, we're allowed ice cream every once in awhile). I've also had the strength to workout everyday this week. So yeah, I'm getting results...and I'm feeling good. YIPPEE!

MONTHLY GOAL


OVERALL GOAL

Last week, I said I was changing my focus with my weight loss journey - moving my focus from the weight to God. I started this approach last Thursday, where I have a daily scripture and affirmation to meditate on. I've changed my way of thinking (all positive; no negative). Apparently it's working because I've lost 2 lbs in one week, which isn't bad for that amount of time. I'm still watching what I eat and working out.

Speaking of workouts, my new neighborhood has a sand volleyball court. I'm soooooo happy about that, since I LOVE playing volleyball. When we lived with our parents, my sister and I would just volley the ball back and forth as a workout since they didn't have a court/net. But now...oh yeah, we're about to get our workout on! And playing volleyball in the sand is an even better workout than regular v-ball. Yeah, baby!

I finally did the Laila Ali/Sugar Ray Leonard boxing workout. It's not on the same level of, say the TaeBo vids as far as production is concerned (not bad, though), but, to me, it's still a good workout. I haven't done the advanced dvd yet. Sugar Ray motivates throughout, but Laila does most of the talking (maybe her name should go first...but then, Sugar Ray is a bigger name). I'm working my way up to the heavyweight dvd (gotta get through the lightweight dvd first).

Spring Break. Waaaah! Spring Break is over! *Tear* It went by way too fast! It's already Friday. Our next big vacation (summer) won't be for another 11 weeks. Oh, the horror! The pain! The agony of waiting...counting down the days. It's a good thing I love my job.

So, you wanna know what I did for spring break (you probably don't, but humor me, will you)? Ab-so-lute-ly NOTHING...and I loved it. Rest and relaxation - ain't that what it's all about? I mean, yeah, my sis and I were supposed to be in San Juan, Puerto Rico, lying on the beach, batting our hazels at the local cuties, BUT, we're in our own house! I'm in my roomy master bedroom with my equally roomy master bathroom. WE HAVE A HOUSE! I think Puerto Rico and the cuties can wait - besides, we're going in December. So, this spring break, we stayed home to bask in the awesome-ness of having our own house.

Mi Casa Nueva. So, I'm sure you can tell that I love my townhouse. I am so blessed! God is so good...He really is. The townhouse is roomier than we thought it would be. It's perfect for a first house. I have the master bedroom. It's not cuz my sister let me have it out of the goodness of her heart since I'm the oldest. No. I had to pay for it...literally. I bought her an iPod and promised to cook for a month just so I can have the master bedroom. It's worth it! I'm lovin the roomy-ness! We thought we'd be moving in with practically nothing, but when people - especially my wonderfully awesome parents - found out we were moving and needed furniture/dishes/food, they gave. Isn't that awesome? Here are pics. Our townhouse is the one with the cars in the drive.

Here is our little office nook:

Fitness Friday. After years of trying to lose weight using different methods, I've realized that the reason the weight keeps coming back is because my focus was on the weight, not on God. I take everything else to God, why not my weight/health issues? So, I bought a spiral. In this spiral, I have a scripture and affirmation to meditate on for each day. I exercise and eat right like normal, but I've just changed my focus. With this, I want to lose, not only unhealthy physical weight, but also unhealthy spiritual and mental weight. I want God to remove any access weight - both figuratively and literally speaking - that is keeping me from becoming the woman He intended me to be.

I've decided to stop taking the Alli. Not because it doesn't work, but because I'm terrible with taking any kinds of medicine. There have been several times when I'd forgotten to take it when I was supposed to. So, needless to say, it's a hassle that I don't need right now. As far as pills are concerned, I think I'm just going to stick with trying to take my blood pressure pills faithfully like I should. Unlike Alli, or any weight loss pill for that matter, the blood pressure pills are for my health...kind of like a matter of life and death, so, I'm thinking these are more important. I do need to find out about vitamins to take, though. I've been so tired lately (but I think I may be coming down with something). Gotta get vitamins.

I'm starting to train for half marathon (little steps first...26 miles is out of the question) next week. I'm going by Prevention's walking calendar, which I did at the beginning of last year (and loved it...actually lost 11 lbs in 2 months because of it). The key for me is sticking to it. Like I said, I've been so tired, so I'm praying that I can rev up some energy to actually follow the calendar like I should.

I'm still eating better. I've been eating breakfast (yay me), which is usually hard for me. I'm not a breakfast eater, but, every morning for the past 2 weeks, I've been faithfully taking the time to eat breakfast. I've also been eating a small snack (like yogurt) between meals so I won't get the munchies. I haven't been snacking on junk either. In my parents' house, there are 9 of us (3 children, 2 teens, and 4 adults), which makes it hard to buy ingredients for the healthy recipes. Starting next week, it'll only be my sister and I (we're moving into our new house), so it'll be much easier. That's one thing I'm looking forward to.

Can I see the fruits of my labor in pound loss? Not much. I only see a 5 lb weight loss. My clothes are fitting a little looser, which means inches are coming off, if not lbs. I'm still happy, though. I mean, it could be worse, right? I could've gained everything back and then some.

Well, this is my first post about my journey to physical wellness. My hope is to lose 65 pounds...if I could do it by the end of the year, that would be awesome! My main reason for the goal of weight loss isn't for looks. I could care less what society thinks of my body & my shape. I LOVE my curves and wouldn't trade them for anything. It took me a while to get to the point where I can say this and really mean it. As a teen, I had an issue with my weight - so much so, that, during my junior year in high school, I tried the whole "don't eat" deal...and got away with it until my parents got hip to my game. I am so grateful to God that they found out. If they hadn't, there's no telling what would've happened. I didn't start really love my body until after I
graduated from college. Now, I absolutely love the way I look. Yes, there are a few areas I'd like to change. What woman doesn't have those areas?

Anyway, I'm doing this more for my health. I have high blood pressure and diabetes runs through my family. Also, I want to be able to play with my nephews and young foster brothers without feeling like I'm about to die, lol. This week was my sister and my first week. I'd like to say we stuck to it. We did well with the strength training, but the cardio...yeah, not so much. Did I mention this is the first week of school? Yeah, so we both have been so tired by the end of the day. BUT, we're not giving up. She's agreed to participate in a walkathon with me this year, so we're gonna start training for it. I figured, since this will be our first walkathon, we'll start small. In October, the Susan G. Koman Foundation will be holding a 5K walk/run here in Houston.
Eventually, I want to work my way to the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, where they walk a marathon and a half during 2 days (13 miles on Sat + 13 miles on Sun or 26 miles on Sat + 13 miles on Sun).

So, we'll be doing cardio every other day and strength training. As far as eating is concerned, our problem isn't eating too much. It's not eating enough. I usually only eat dinner. I know, I know. Not good, especially since I find myself snacking. I'll be trying to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with healthy snacks in between. It sounds weird but it's harder for me to eat breakfast than it is for me to walk 4 miles. Weird, right?

For the next year, I'll be posting about my progress and anything that may benefit others in the area of fitness (by my experience, not cause I'm an expert...cause I'm not. An expert, I mean). So, here's to good health and weight loss for anyone who needs it. Will I succeed? I believe I will. Stay tuned... Read the rest of this post

Last week, I went to the doctor for my physical and well-woman exam (VERY uncomfortable, btw). I'd scheduled the appointment because both sides of my family have a history of cancer, high blood pressure, and diabetes. I wanted to make sure that all was right in my health world. The last time I went to the doctor, I was told that I had borderline high blood pressure. This summer, I came to the conclusion that I might've gone from borderline to actual high blood pressure. I'd been experiencing some of the same problems that my parents (who both have HPB) have: constant headaches (I don't just get headaches...I get migraines), swollen feet, etc.

It turns out that, unfortunately, I was right. I have HPB now. ARGH! So, now, I have medicine, thankfully just one, that I have to take everyday, which sucks 'cause I'm horrible at taking medicine. I had to write a note to myself on my dry erase board (yeah, I'm a nerd...I have a "to do" board in my room) to remind me to take the medicine. I've never liked taking medicine.

The good thing is, with exercise and good eating habits, I can lower my blood pressure. I've been exercising pretty faithfully since June. I've been watching what I eat since August. I have fallen off the wagon, so to speak, every once in a while, but I've gotten back on. Overall, I've lost 11 pounds. Yay me! My sister and I have really buckled down this month and have been doing well. We've either walked 2+ miles, played volleyball in front of the house, or had 45 minutes to an hour of Dance Dance Revolution, which, btw, is an awesome form of cardio. We've added strength training in between our workout days. My original goal was to lose a few pounds for our Puerto Rico trip, but, now I've added lower my blood pressure. As far as eating in concerned, the problem isn't that I eat too much, it's that I don't eat enough. I usually only eat dinner because I don't make the time to eat breakfast or lunch. This is bad because I usually get cravings and end up eating junk food. So, now, I'm working on eating 5 times a day - breakfast, lunch, dinner, and 2 snack times in between.

I guess if I blog about my journey, it'll hold me accountable. I'm supposed to have a checkup in November to see if my blood pressure has gone down. So, my BP was 155 over 113 (I know...horribly high). My prayer is that I can lower it some by my next appointment. Also, my goal in June was to lose at least 30 pounds by the end of this year (I'm not even going to say how much I weigh). I'm now at 11 pounds down and 19 to go. Can I do it? Will keep you updated!