How Low Can You Go

This Week's Goals

>> Sunday, January 31, 2010

Exercise:

Monday: Zumba and Muscle Flex and Burn
Tuesday: Step and Spinning
Wed: Body Bar Combat and Zumba
Thurs: Rest
Fri: Zumba and Weights
Sat: Bootcamp Chisel and Spinning
Sun: Weight? Zumba (Gotta be somewhere at 11 am so not sure about this...)

Eating:
-Clean eating everyday, there are no food obstacles this week (that I can think of)
-Try to drink 2 L of water a day or more
-One cup of green tea a day

Has anyone ever gone on vacation alone?

I have once before in my life, I was in Bali for 2 weeks. One week I was with a friend and the other I was alone, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but I really had to psych myself up for about 3 months. The funniest is when you go to the restaurant and they ask you how many and you say 1.
"ONE?"
"Yes."
"No friends?"
"No."
"No boyfriend?"
"No."
"Ahh *sigh*, you so pretty"
"Thanks?"
They come and sit with you and ask you if you are ok. I got used to after awhile, but I don't know why I found it funny. Now I am in a similar situation, I was suppose to go on a vacation with a friend, but then she went and got engaged and now she is going somewhere with her man. so should I
a) go visit a friend in D.C. or
b) head to an all inclusive where it is hot, I really feel like I need some sun, on Friday it was -30 degrees with the windchill THAT IS CELSIUS!!!!!!

Reading this over b) sounds so nice but I don't know if I can do it alone, something about a female on vacation alone....looks so desperate.

Alas, I guess I will reflect and see what to do....

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Up and Down

Now that I am playing close attention to the scale I have noticed something. I can lose weight rather quickly(down 4 pounds from one day to the next), but on the same note I can gain weight just as quickly. Does anyone else have this issue?

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Doing a Happy Dance!

>> Saturday, January 30, 2010

I weight in today at 224.4! I am ecstatic! That is a 7.8 lb loss since last week. Let's review what worked this week:

-Ate super clean
-Realized that starches are my enemy and I stay away from them as much as possible, because once I start I cannot stop
-Gym at least 5 days a week
-Water to the max
-Green tea at least one cup a day

I have reached goal 1, manicure hear I come!

My biggest challenge is the Haiti dinner tonight. Thank you so much to everyone who left me recipes, still not decided what I will bring.

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Good Stuff and a Question

>> Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Things are going well this week. I recently rediscovered edemame, better known to the rest of the western world as soy beans. In Japan they serve these babies when you go the the izakaya (Japanese bar) on the table. Kind of how they serve chips and salsa when you go to a Mexican restaurant. I saw a bag at the grocery and I decided to buy it. All you have to do is bring some water to boil throw in about half a cup and cook for 5 minutes and voila! Insta side dish. I like it plain, but you can add olive oil or a little salt. I have a friend that even makes a salad.

I am worried because my work is having a fund raiser for Haiti on Saturday and it is a dinner, we all have to bring something. Any ideas on what I can bring (dessert, salad or appetizer) that bring that is fun and healthy?

Feeling healthy and feeling good about yourself is not a luxury-- it's a necessity

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All You Have To Do Is...

>> Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Identify what you want and go for it!

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Shocked

>> Monday, January 25, 2010

I walk into the gym today and there is a letter for members.

Dear Members,
Blah di blah di blah...As of May 2 we will be cancelling all fitness classes.


WHAT!!??!! Cancelling all classes!? No more spinning, no more Zumba. What am I going to do? I love my gym, it is open 24/7 (yes it really is) everyday! Christmas-open, New Year's-open. I love that there are Juice Heads (Jersey Shore style) and girls that are half naked, these people motivate me to want to be a better me. I cannot even think of changing gyms, but I might have to come May because I really like classes.
I am going to write and email to the gym to at least give us an explanation. I do not understand how they can cut ALL of the classes. They could reduce the schedule, only have classes in the evening, only have classes in the morning, I don't know but they cannot cancel ALL the classes.

Your only limits are self-imposed

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Remember...

>> Sunday, January 24, 2010

Failure is only a fact when you give up.

Every gets knocked down, the question is: Will you get back up?


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Boo...

>> Saturday, January 23, 2010

Today's weigh was 232.2. Boo! That's is up 2.4 from last week. Now I have to ask myself why, here are the reasons that I have come up with:

-I went out to eat twice this week and had dessert one of those times
-Missed out on a gym session

Alas, all I can do it continue and aim to be down next week.

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Woot! Woot!



Another award! I got this the other day from Amberly. Thank you so much! I am suppose to tell you seven things about myself.

1. I lived in Japan for two years teaching English and I travelled extensively (at least I think it is extensively). I have been to Thailand, Bali, Singapore, Malaysia and South Korea
. This was the best experience of my life. I made alot of friends and even got to be on Japanese TV a few times.

2. I am outgoing and will try anything once. I have eaten some crazy things, snake, whale are the ones that come to mind. This is why I would LOVE to be on The Amazing Race.


3. I went to an all girl Catholic high school and I really liked it. Most of my current friends are from my high school days. I was a bit of a prankster in high school, I loved playing harmless jokes on my friends.


4. I was a cheerleader for a year.


5. I was in Thailand during the tsunami, but left a severely damaged area the morning of the tsunami to go to a party on the other side of the country that was not affected. A party saved my life.


6. I am not on Facebook! I really think that I am the only one. My mother is even there! People are always shocked because it is not in my nature.


7. I have auditioned to be a plus size model but didn't make the cut....Maybe one day....No maybe not because after I loss all this weight I won't be plus size!

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A Few Short Remarks

>> Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Our bakesale for Haiti raised 217$! Yeah! I also only had ONE item (a chocolate chip cookie) so double yeah! Things are looking good, sadly I could not go to the gym today because I had too much work to do.

Remember:

Never trade in what you want the most, for what you want at the moment.

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My First Blog Award!

>> Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Thank you! Today I got this from Eat To Live 2010! I am ecstatic, considering this is my first attempt at blogging, I feel honored.



The instructions that go along with this are as follows:

1. Copy this image and display it on your blog.
2. List 10 things that make you happy.
3. Try to do at least one of them today.
4. Pass this along to 10 bloggers that brighten your day.



10 Things That Make Me Happy (In no particular order)



1. Travelling
2. Hanging with my friends
3. Dancing
4. Working Out
5. Shopping
6. When a student who is having trouble does well
7. Giving compliments to others
8. Lying on the beach
9. Getting emails from old friends
10. Teaching



10 Blogs That Make My Day

(The next three have nothing to do with weight loss but they are my guilty pleasures)




I LOVE celebrity gossip and honestly if I would work for Perez if I could.

Have a great night!

Spinning was good and step is getting better.

Tomorrow is our bakesale for Haiti, I hope we can raise 200$


Remember--

It is not about how good you are,but how bad you want it!

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Then vs. Now

>> Monday, January 18, 2010

Old habits die hard, but new habits once drilled into your routine can be here forever.


Tonight, while I was making my lunch I realized how many things in my life have changed in the last year and a half. Before I get into that let me give you a little history. I finished by B.Sc. in 2002, I had no job and job applications were only answered with rejections. One day I read the paper and saw an article about a law student who went to teach in Japan. From that moment on I knew that was what I wanted to do next. I applied to the JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching Program) in 2003. I was accepted and had a few months to kill before I went to Japan. In this time I went to the gym daily (sometimes twice a day) and cut out soft drinks, only drinking iced tea. I dropped 20 pounds in 5 months. I was 203 when I left for Japan, the lowest that I can remember ever seeing on a scale. I admit that when I first got there I went to the gym and continued to work out. I walked everywhere and my car was now a bike. But life got busy and hey I was in Japan! After 2 years I cam back home and I was up to about 252! I went to Teacher's College got my B.Ed and started teaching; March 2008 I was 272. This had to stop, so I began to investigate what I had to do to lose the weight. I joined a weight lose clinic and started on my way.

Fast forward to today, 230 pounds with ALOT of new habits that have made me fitter and healthier than I have ever been. I look at portion sizes, I now know that I cannot fill my plate with pasta or rice (for this reason I do not have it at all). I try to have veggies with every meal. I eat 5 small meals a day (try to). Don't eat until your stuffed. When I go to the restaurant I do not HAVE TO finish my food, I can ask for dressing on the side. I can say no to baked goods that others offer me. I am strong. I do not just eat for the sake of eating, I actually think about what I put in my mouth. I used to pack my lunch in the morning and throw whatever in it, I ate frozen dinner all the time or food from the caf. Now I pack my lunch and there is not a Lean Cuisine in site. I buy a roasted chicken and use that for a few days. I make my lunch the night before making sure that it is balance with at least 2-3 veggies. I steam zucchini, asparagus, I drizzle olive oil, I press garlic, all so that I can have a healthy lunch. Others call it a diet, i call it "healthy living". No more salad dressing, I squeeze lemon on my salad instead. No cookies (ok maybe once in a while), fruit is what satisfies my sweet tooth, yet I do not eat 5 fruits a day because they have alot of sugar. I drink alot more water and almost no soft drinks, I have cut down on the alcohol to the point in which people have asked if I am Muslim or pregnant (Haha!). I go to the gym almost everyday, so that on the days when I can't go I do not feel so guilty. I pack my gym bag the night before and place it in the car so I can go to the gym go to the gym after work. My motto is, "A half ass workout is better than none at all" so even if I am at the gym for 10 minutes and do 5 sit ups, that is 5 sit ups that I would not have done at home. I write down what I eat (most of the time). My friends have noticed improvements but I still have a long way to go.

Starting this blog was the next step, if I am accountable to someone (I know that two people read this blog; thanks M and ETL for your support and comments, I REALLY appreciate it!) and I wish them the best on their journey. With all these efforts, I hope can get these last pounds off forever.
The artist Wolfgang Kals once said, "Learn from your failures, they can make you successful." This is so true, my mom always says Rome wasn't built in a day, but it was burnt in a day. Less than 2 years ago I was 272. Last August I was 221 and I know that, I can reach my goal, 170 hear I come. I am so driven and motivated and I really have my eyes on the prize.
P.S. Can you tell I love cheesy quotes :)

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The Gym and Dinner at a Friend's Place

>> Sunday, January 17, 2010

Today at the gym:

30 mins weights:
-squats
-romanian deadlift
-preacher curl
-tricep dips
-shoulder press
-lat pulldown

1 hour cardio:
30 min stairstepper aka suicide (this machine makes me feel like I am killing myself, why is it that the machines that are the best feel the worst?)
30 mins crosstrainer

Good workout! Worked up a sweat and felt great after.

Yesterday was another story, every Saturday I go to eat breakfast with my mom. I now ask for fruits instead of potatoes on the side (an extra 1.50$, but it is so worth it). I had an omelet with cheese, basil and red pepper.

Everything was fine until I went to a co-worker's house to eat dinner. I knew that we were having homemade pizza and I had told myself in advance that I would have one slice. Of course the pizza was so delicious I ended up having three! They had cheese, ground meat, mushrooms and green peppers on them. I said no to the wine and stuck to water to drink. For dessert there was peanut butter cookies, I thought that I could get away with one but I had three. When I was finished felt awful, but I can't get down on myself, what's done is done and cannot be undone. I just need to realize that because something taste good I do not need to eat everything.

We are having a bakesale at work to raise money for the Haiti Earthquake on Wed. I really need to control myself and only buy 1 thing.ONE THING! I will let you know if I stay true to this (But I swear I will!)

Have a great day and a great week!

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Down, But Not By Much

>> Saturday, January 16, 2010

229.8

That was today's weigh in. Down 0.7 from last week. Not so hot, but that just pushes me more for next week.

More later...

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Fat Yet Fit?

>> Tuesday, January 12, 2010

I went to the gym today and did a step class (which surprisingly went very well considering it was extremely choreographed). After that I did a spinning class, I love spinning; I can still remember the first class I went to and I thought that I was going to die, I was panting and nauseous, I had honestly never worked so hard in my life. Fast forward a year and a half... now I feel like a seasoned expert:) I especially love the classes done by a teacher named Hardip. He has the best music ever and he pushes you to the limit! Funny thing was back in Oct. I went to the Jay Z concert and I saw him and called out his name, I swear he looked at me like I was crazy, but after that he started to say hi to me, he even asks me what songs I want to hear in class! I feel so special. But the best thing happened to me after spin class, I was in the locker room getting ready and this girl walks up to me (note she is super skinny) and says, " I couldn't help watching you in class and you are in great shape." REALLY!?!!! AWWWWW! That made my day month! So my question is
Can you be fit and fat?

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Uggggghhhhh!

>> Monday, January 11, 2010

Eating Well....Check
Exercising regularly...Check
Drinking Lots of Water...Check
Period...Check?

Uggghhh, everything was going so well and then Mother Nature's "gift" arrives. Why do they call it a gift? A gift is a piece of jewelry or a gift certificate. "That" is NOT a gift! I hate how when you have your period you feel like crap and most importantly your weight goes up (2 lbs to be exact).

I need to breath and relax and NOT let this get to me.

On a more positive note; I love the gym, I know that there are so many people that hate it but I honestly really like working out. I love lifting weight, I feel so strong and I really do see improvements in my strength, I am sure that when these layers of fat are gone, I will expose a fit, toned body. Today I went to Zumba and I did a weight training class. Is it bad that people at the gym make comments like, "Oh you are here often..." What do I say to that? Ya, I am here! So are you if you see me here often!!! Tomorrow is step and spinning, woot woot!

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New Week...New Me

>> Sunday, January 10, 2010

One of my best friend's in this weight loss challenge is Oxygen Magazine, I discovered this magazine back in 2002, I love it because it has fantastic exercises that can be done at home or at the gym. Oxygen carries tips on diet also, along with healthy, clean recipes. It also caters to gym beginners and experts. Last month they had a Fat Loss Collector's Issue that has tons of inspiration as well as a plethora of tips to help you on your way to meeting your goals. Here are a few tips from the article Build a Fat-Loss Network:


1. Don't skip breakfast ---I used to do this all the time, I just wasn't hungry, i have not learned to have something small such as a fruit and yogurt because it gets your metabolism running


2. One can of soda has nearly 10 teaspoons of sugar--- Ewwww, I am such a Coke addict but I am really trying to not touch the stuff anymore



This week looks like it will be a good one, I do not see too many challengesfacing me, I can make it to the gym and I am going to pack my lunch each night so that I am not

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Weight In ....Woot! Woot!

>> Saturday, January 9, 2010

Today I did a Bootcamp class and Spinning ( I know I am on crack) and then I weight myself, drum roll please..............

230.6 !

Excellent!

I am so happy, 220's here I come!

To day I had

-3 tangerines with a piece of cheese ( I don't like to eat a lot before the gym)
-2 oz cashews
- Omelet made of 3 eggs and vegetables (onions, red and green pepper)
-2 slices of toast
-Mixed fruit (banana, cantaloupe, melon dew)

Have a great night!

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Uneventful

>> Friday, January 8, 2010

Today was uneventful, went out to eat with some coworkers and had a sirloin salad, asked for the dressing on the side but of course they put it on top (was not happy about that)...Tomorrow is the first weight in and I am sure that I am down, the question is by how much.

I will head to the gym in the morning for Body Blast (weights) and Spinning!

Tip of the day: Eat slower, put your fork down with each bit. I have been doing this and I have noticed that it is taking me longer to eat and thus I am fuller faster!

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Tired

>> Thursday, January 7, 2010

Today I was too tired to head to the gym, so I opted for a 4 hour nap. I am rejuvenated. The only down side is that I am going to be up for awhile. I am proud that I am so focused on my goals and I really hope that I can achieve them know that I can achieve them. One of my challenges is drinking water, I really need to try and incorporate more water into my diet.

I am pleased with how I ate today.

Breakfast:yogurt

Snack: carrots

Lunch: tuna, 11 wheat thin crackers, steamed zucchini, 3 tangerines, another yogurt

Dinner: shrimp and veggies

Snack: 1 oz cashews and pumpkin spiced tea with a half pack of Splenda

Tomorrow some people from work are going to Baton Rouge(family restaurant),I have already mapped out what I am going to have:

-a salad of some sort, probably the steak salad or chicken, dressing on the side

-one drink (maybe I will pass on the drink and have soda water with lemon....)

Will try and make it to the gym.

Weight in will be Saturday.

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Getting A Beating At The Gym...

>> Wednesday, January 6, 2010

By the two classes that I took this evening. Since it is a new year the gym has posted a new workout schedule. Tonight, I took Body Bar Combat and Zumba. Body Bar Combat is when you use a body bar during the whole class and you do various exercises, some of them are martial arts-esque, after the first 15 minutes I had to switch to a lighted bar, my arms were killing me and I know that my body is going to be in pain in the morning. I decided to do Zumba after that, I have done Zumba before but this was a different teacher. I really liked this class because she incorporated a lot of Indian music (Jai Ho from Slumdog Millionaire) it works up a great sweat. Definitely felt like a worked my body out today.
As for as healthy eating goes (I hate the word diet), things are going very well, I am sure that when this weeks weight in comes in I will have done a good job

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Gym Bunnies

>> Tuesday, January 5, 2010

What is a gym bunny you may ask? Gym bunny (scientific name Waitisonna Boyfriendish is the name denoted to a young lady who only comes to the gym to hang with her man. She watches him as he pumps and grunts away. If she is a good bunny, she will even dress in gym attire giving the illusion that she wants to work out, but alas she follows him like a puppy. Today I saw one at the gym and I almost wanted to shake her. She was dressed in jeans, high tops and a winter hat, and "spotted" her man as he bench pressed, she even helped him load the plates! I really wish that these women would at least pretend to work out, maybe hold a 3 lbs weight?

On another note cashews are the devil!

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Why Are There No Black Women At The Gym?

>> Monday, January 4, 2010

This is a question that I have posed to myself on a weekly basis. I walk into the gym and I see so many black men working out, yet the number of black women that I see can be counted on two hands with fingers left over. I always wish that I had someone to workout with.... I decided to come up with a list of the main reasons black women don't workout:

1. HAIR---This is probably the major issue why there are not more black women in the gym, many women do not want to sweat out that perm that they just paid 60$ for. black hair is already dry enough, who wants to wash their hair daily? I have had my hair perm free since 1999, I change up my hairstyle every few months but it ranges from braids to weaves to pieces. I find this the best way to look cute and be ready to workout. One a side note I also read that this is the reason that some black women do not get cancer treatments because they are afraid of losing their hair :(

2.BODY IMAGE---I have heard many of my friends say that they don't want to hit the gym too hard because they are afraid of "losing" their shape. Everyone wants a Beyonce body right? Well if you do squats, leg presses and deadlifts, your booty will be even MORE bootylicious

3. FEAR---I guess that this doesn't just apply to black women but women in general. Women are scared of the gym, they are afraid that they will look stupid once they step into that weight room. Don't be scared! If anything the men will be amazed that you want to get in the best shape of your life.


As far as these issues go, diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity are a a huge problem in the Black community, I really believe that black women need to integrate a healthy life style into their lives or they are going to cut their lives shorter than they desire.

Young black girls need to be better informed about the dangers of unhealthy eating and lack of exercise.

OK, enough of that ranting.....

I really wanted to share with you the TOP TEN workout songs that I am really feeling right now (in no particular order)

1. Clear--Kardinal Official
2. Tik Tok--Ke$ha
3. Beggin-Madcon
4. Money to Blow--Birdman feat. Drake and Lil Wayne
5. Empire State of Mind--Jay Z feat. Alicia Keys
6. Baby By Me--50 Cent
7. Throw It In The Bag--Fabulous feat. The Dream
8. Tusty--Blaxx
9. More Water--Zoelah
10.Out On de Road--Zan

The last three are soca songs from the Caribbean, my parents are from Trinidad and Tobago and the music is fantastic to workout to, especially card

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Welcome!

>> Sunday, January 3, 2010

Hello 2010! I have been thinking about this for a long time and I have finally decided to do it. This blog will explore my journey to get into the best shape of my life by my 30th birthday in August. I have already lost 40 lbs and I am hoping to lose another 60 by August.

I love to workout (especially spinning), but my downfall is my eating. With your help I hope to reach my goals.

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