Recently I had an epiphany and decided that it was time to "do" better......time to "be" better whether it was physically, mentally, or spiritually. This blog details my journey as I aim to do just that. I've already reached the big 3-0, now I'm aiming to be THIRTY AND FABULOUS! Enjoy the ride :0)
It seems like ages ago I was bragging about leaving the 80's behind and welcoming the 70's. It wasn't ages but it was two months ago and now I find myself back in my 80's and waving at the 70's. I've had a lot to happen in the past two months. Let's see. I turned 30! Woo hoo! I'm officially in the 30 and above club and I love it. The week leading up to and following me turning 30 consisted of alcohol, alcohol and well.....more alcohol. I really celebrated and well we all know that fitness, weight loss and alcohol do not go together.
My birthday happens to be a few days before Thanksgiving. I went all out for Thanksgiving. We had a FEAST and everything was delicious. Every cook put their foot down and well anything related to fitness or eating right went right out of the window. It's the holidays....you're suppose to eat good right? *shrugs* Well I did and I just vowed that I would get it together after the holidays.
Well Thanksgiving is followed by Christmas and between holiday parties at my job, going out of town on vacation and Christmas dinner..... well lets just say I won't be making any more excuses. I'm pretty sure you see how this all went down. Just know that today when I weighed in, I was 7 lbs heavier :( It hurt my heart to have to type in 184 on myfitnesspal but I know that I will take it off. The most important thing to me is that I enjoyed myself, I had a fantastic holiday break, I'm HAPPY and I'm even more focused on taking it all off.
So I'm back on my grind. The holidays are over and I'm ready to give it all that I have. My son received a Kinect for Christmas and me and my girlfriends worked out on it today. 60 minutes, 563 calories burned, and TONS of fun. I see I'm going to enjoy this :) I also start the Black Girl's Guide to Weight Loss' Bootcamp tomorrow. I will be posting it on here. I'm excited. I've never done a boot camp before. It sounds fun but we shall see.
I've had a lot of people to contact me about weight loss, my blog and my journey. I had no idea so many people were interested :) So now I AM BACK! Lets get it!
Me and Shaun T are like Nettie and Celie ...... we may take a break but ultimately we find each other again. Me and him us never part lol. My last workout with Shaun was August 28th. Thats when I had my unfortunate knee injury. Other than walking around and "working" I have not worked out since. At first it was pretty cool but last week I noticed that while walking my students back up the stairs I was breathing heavy. No BUENO! I quickly got back on my exercise program. I started out by walking. After getting 2 miles under my belt with NO heavy breathing I decided to go back to Sean.
I cant lie. I didnt want to. When I've been away from Sean for a long period of time, going back scares me. I didnt know how my body was going to react. Chilllldddd I did 45 minutes NONSTOP. I was going just as hard as Sean was and I LOVED IT! My abs hurt sooo much. Everything hurts and right about now all I want is a hot shower and a nice comfy bed...bump a dinner. I really hope that I'm able to roll with Shaun again in the morning. We shall see *fingers crossed*
So I've been bummed out all week because I hurt my knee and was unable to work out. I've been eating like crazy ..... fyi the fajita rollup at Applebees is delicious ..... and wasnt really expecting anything major when I hit the scale. Boy was I wrong. I woke up this morning and stepped on the scale. The scale said 178.2 lbs. I instantly thought my scale was broken. There was no way in hell that I was in the 170's. So I stepped off and stepped on again .... again the scale said 178.2. I kicked the scale and went to find my tape measure. I measured my waist and found that I am now at a 34 inch waist. I screamed so loud. I'm sure my neighbors wondered what in the hell was wrong with me.
I've done it! I reached the 70s. I'm 3 lbs away from my goal. I'm 3 lbs away from losing 20 lbs! I'm 2 inches away from having a 32 inch waist! I'm so proud of me. What I'm proud of the most is that I did it the RIGHT way. I didnt diet. I didnt pay any outrageous gym fees. I didnt contribute to the billion dollar industry that is the weight-loss industry. That industry fails people every year. I worked hard but I also ate foods that I enjoyed eating. I didnt starve myself and I didnt deprive myself of rice, pasta or restaurants.
I'm really thankful for myfitnesspal. I should be a paid spokeswoman or something lol. Many people ask me how I am losing the weight. I guess they want some miraculous answer but my answer is always simple ... myfitnesspal. I eat 1200 calories a day and I am very conscience about how many calories I am eating, etc. I also like the fact that so many people on there cheer me on. Losing weight can be a struggle. A good support system is needed and that is what I have. By the way, if you sign up ... befriend me :) @ScorpioDiva81 ;)
Anyhoo my initial goal was to be 175 lbs. Now that I am 3 lbs away from meeting that goal I am anxious to set another one. I always said that I did not want to be skinny-skinny but now that I'm losing the weight I feel great. My second goal is 165. Hello 70's ...... 60's I'm coming for you :)
I've completed 30 days .... actually more than 30 days .... of Shaun T's hip hop abs. The first 30 days are what are considered blue days. The last 30 days are considered green days. I've been trying to avoid the green days but today I decided to go ahead and try them. Chillllllddddddddd.
First of all the green exercises are longer...much longer. Also the green workouts are more intense. Of course he gives you the option of being low impact with Tonya...which I am going to take full advantage of .... but its still a lot. Lord I'm going to need major motivation, hot music, extra energy and grace and mercy to complete these last 30 days. lol Pray for me
So this morning I woke up and went to the doctor. Boy I was ready. First and foremost, I knew nothing about this doctor. Because I was so afraid of doctors, I didnt have one. Well in order to complete the wellness requirements I HAD to have a doctor. So I picked one off of my insurance site. The first one was totally booked until August. The second one could see me today so I went with the second one. I knew nothing about her .... just her name.
I walked in the doctor's office all cheery and happy.... I was ready. I paused for a good 3 seconds when I got in there. Not only was she a primary care doctor, she was also some big time weight loss guru. O_O. Was this fate? I sat in the waiting room like "OMG". I start panicking a little bit because I know I'm PMS'ing and I know my numbers are going to be a little off....... I also know shes going to comment about me being obese. *bites nails*
I go back in the office and everything is cool. Everyone is nice, I'm talking, I'm calm .... and then the doctor comes in. She is very nice I will give her that .... but she is also very blunt. Before anything she took one glance and said YOU HAVE TO LOSE WEIGHT. Anyone who knows me knows what happened next .... I instantly went into "defense" mode. I KNOW I need to lose weight .... what do you think I've been doing for the past month? huh? huh? Losing weight! You think I'm bad now you should've seen me a month ago...I've lost 10 lbs lady! *pats self on the back*
I'm going to pause here to say that I dont care how bad you are, someone is always BADDER(is that a word? if not you know what I mean). I met my match today because the doctor was not trying to here ANY of that. She didnt care that I had lost 10 lbs. I was still obese(according to my BMI) and thats ALL she cared about. Needless to say I sat down and was quiet ....... and well, I just allowed the doctor to do her thing.
My first test was my weight. I was worried about my weight because like I said ... PMS messes with my numbers. I weighed in at 185 which was good for ME. I've had a funky period and have not exercised since my trip to Orlando. The fact that I've maintained my weight was a plus for me.... notice I keep saying for me .... the 185 was not good for the doctor lol Also I want to note if I'm 185 while pms'ing, I'm probably more like 180 without it. I'm just saying. ... I'm just saying.
My second test was my blood pressure. The nurse initially took my blood pressure on my left arm. Then she let out a big WHOA and said this cant be right....child stop worrying and sit still. I didnt know I was moving but oh well. I took a deep breath and she did it on my right arm. My blood pressure ended up being 118/80 which she said was pretty good.
The next test was my sugar. Once again the first time she pricked me, she pricked me on my right hand. she let a big WHOA and said child what did you have for breakfast. Ummm a protein shake. Does it have sugar in it? Yes. She keeps mumbling "this cant be right" and shows me the machine. It says 200. Seriously I'm sitting there with the dumb face. What does that mean? Her reply: You have diabetes.
I'm so serious when I tell you this. After she said that I literally yelled "Oh noooooooooo NOT THE SUGAR!!!!" I really wish I was being videotaped because now as I sit and write this post I see just how funny that ish was. Tears came to my eyes and I just kept repeating "nooooo not the sugar, not the sugar" So the nurse(who was also African American) said let me go and get the other machine...give me your finger. So I went through the entire process all over again .... this time with a new machine and with a different hand. The end results .... 116. High ..... but not like 200. Pre-diabetic ..... NOT diabetic! **insert praise dance** (see the video below)
The last part of the exam was the diet phase. I had several options. I could do a type of liposuction. Hmm sounds good but my bank account says no. I could do injections. Hmmm sounds good but my bank account says no. Or I could do diet, exercise(arent I already doing that????) and pills. Hmmm sounds good and my bank account says yes.
So I'm on 3 pills. I've researched all 3 for the side effects .... I'm no dummy. The first is gastrofill which shrinks your stomach and prevents you from eating a lot .... taken before lunch and dinner. The second is a thyroid pill which basically boosts your metabolism. And the third is diucap. The pills I can do .... the suggested diet is what is going to be difficult. Absolutely NO breads, cereals, potatoes, pasta, blah blah blah .... no bananas, no mangoes, no sugar at all. Just protein protein protein. Blah blah blah.
I went to my car and was really thinking "I'm not going to do this. I'm not giving up ALL carbs" but my mind kept going back to 200 and how I felt when I thought I had diabetes. I never want to feel that way again. If it takes not eating bread or rice or pasta to get to that point then that is just what I'll have to do. My appointment for my cholesterol is tomorrow. I'm ready for it. I have a weigh in next week already.....can you believe it? Dr Merey EXPECTS(her words not mine) to be at 180 by next Thursday. According ot her if I follow the plan I will be there. I'm not even going to point out the fact that if I do my hip hop abs and myfitnesspal and my plan that I can be at 180 by next week too WITH rice included. She is a pistol and its not worth going back and forth. Either way the goal for next week is 180. Lets get get get it!
Videoclip of my favorite obese comedian Lavell Crawford. I cannot think about "the sugar" without thinking about him. WARNING: There is cursing!
Well the moment that I've been preparing for all summer arrived today. I had to go to the doctor for a physical and bloodwork. YIKES!
First and foremost I hate going to the doctor. I know people who will go to the doctor at the slightest cough. Not me...I have to be damn near dead before I will go to the doctor's office. Why? I'm afraid. The doctor never gives you positive news....something is always wrong and I'm afraid to know what. Am I going to die? If so, I'd rather not know.
While I go faithfully to have my woman parts examined, I have never had bloodwork done. Diabetes and Cholesterol scare me. Diabetes is prominent within my culture(I'm African American). I've seen the effects that it has on people. I've seen people literally looking like a walking ghost, asked what was wrong thinking it was something major like cancer, and been told "I have the sugar" The dreadful sugar. I've come to fear the term. So a couple of months ago I started working out and eating right .... to avoid "the sugar". The doctor took one look at me, one look at my big belly and said check her sugar :/ Im no dummy Ive known for a time that having a big belly(a waist larger than 32 inches) is a dead ringer for diabetes BUT that never stopped me from eating...it never stopped me from drinking coke after coke after coke.....because for a long time I had the disease that so many Americans have today.... the "I'm Invincible Disease"
Dont pretend as if you dont know about the I'm Invincible Disease. This disease tells you that what happens to everyone else will NOT happen to you. Its very real lol I know people who partake in dangerous behaviors but refuse HIV tests because they are "invincible" and it just "wont happen to them". Now are you familiar with it. I never thought the sugar would happen to me although I was walking around sporting a cool 40 inch waist :/
The other test that I had to take dealt with cholesterol. My heart. I've written posts before about my heart. I have not been my heart's best friend. I've done major damage. How much? I dont know. I refused to go to the doctor to find out. Just scared out of my mind. I remember sitting in my biology class at Famu. My instructor had previously had open heart surgery. I remember her saying "pound that chest....pound it...you feel that? You feel that bone? Well when you have heart surgery they must get through that bone and it hurts!" YIKES! I don't know if she knows but she scared the hell out of me on that day ....... its just too bad that she didn't scare me enough for me to make the necessary life changes. Just like with the diabetes I was invincible.
So my school district put a wellness program into play. Glucose, Cholesterol, Weight and Blood Pressure ALL had to be checked ........ it started in January and I had until August 1st to complete the requirements. For the first time I would know my numbers. I would know my status. I would know just how good or *cough* how bad my health actually was ....... and I was AFRAID!
Theres always good in the bad. I look at my progress over the past few months and I am proud of me. I'm thankful for the school district implementing this program because had they not, I never would've taken the initiative to lose the weight. I am motivated by numbers. That 40 inch waist is gone. I am ready for my appointment
I dont know how many of you are familiar with Jillian Michaels. She is one of the trainers on The Biggest Loser. If you've been under a rock, The Biggest Loser is a reality show where severely obese individuals lose a ton of weight. When I use to watch the show I was always amazed by the weight loss. Now I see how they lost it
Man Jillian Michaels is NO joke. I was commenting on facebook that the workouts were only 20 minutes....how much damage can she do in 20 minutes????? I got my answer ...... A LOT! I started out with level 1 and even then I followed the young lady in green ..... the "easy" version .... yeah right.
Jillian has you doing 3 minutes of strength training, 2 minutes of cardio and 1 minute of ab work. I never imagined I'd enjoy doing crunches, sit ups and ab work the most LOL Within that time frame your body is really worked. I mean things were aching on me ..... and I had just completed 2 hip hop ab workouts.
My least favorite are the strength exercises. I'm not a strength girl. However I have been using 2 lb weights all summer so while these exercises were my least favorite, I did them better. The cardio was my weak area. While I loved jumping jacks as a kid, my size D breasts and jumping jacks do not get along. My favorite were the ab exercises. Not only were they quick(ONE minute) they were effective. My tummy still HURTS!
So day one of the 30 day shred is done. I can see myself being on level 1, green girl for the entire 30 days. I'm just being real. If level 1 is like this, imagine level 2..... and I dont even want to think about level 3. Child please.
I've been hearing good things about Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. I recall seeing it one day while looking for weighted gloves in Walmart. After hearing so many positive things about it I decided to add it to my fitness plan for the month of July.
So now I am doing hip hop abs(I'm about 2 days away from completing blue and going to green YAY!), 5 miles of walking and the 30 day shred. Seriously I'm in beast mode and I dont care. I actually laugh when I wake up(like this morning) and my body is aching. I have a goal and I know what I want to be and how I want to look before I return to work.
I never in a million years knew that this summer would be dedicated to fitness. I didnt plan it that way but some how this fitness thing has taken on a life of its own. Its all that I think about and I think I'm way more than a little obsessed with myfitnesspal and this blog. If I cant work out I'm sad and I'm disappointed if I can only get one workout in. Trust me, I dont know who this person is either but I like her. She's motivated and determined and I'm falling in love with her work ethic.
Of course being this determined has its set backs. You see that picture of me(look up) ... I look a hot mess dont I? lol Working out is like kryptonite to my hair. I dont even bother anymore .... my wardrobe lately consists of jeans, a tshirt, sneakers and a baseball cap .... thats IF I bother leaving the house. I get by knowing that this phase will not last long. In a month and some days I will return to work and then my workouts will dwindle down to two-a-days. Til then I'm beasting .... I'm getting everything in that I can get in!
Ha ha! I wonder how many people are going to click on this link thinking I'm talking about something freaky *giggles* C'mon peeps..... by now you should know that this is a FITNESS blog! Everything on here relates to my physical, mental and spiritual well being :)
Anyhoo I'm taking a break from working out because while doing my second hip hop ab workout today I had a major accomplishment. I wouldnt be me if i didnt share it :) You see that picture ... yeah that one up there ..... well I've been working out for a good month and while stretching I've NEVER been able to touch my toes :( I started out at my calf and worked my way down to my ankle. I tried several times to reach my toes and at some point I became like the two fleas that Dwayne Wayne preached about in A Different World. I kind of gave up and just said "Hey you're not flexible ... move on" Today I dont know what happened but I reached for my feet and I WAS ABLE TO TOUCH MY TOES! I bent alllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll the way down. I'm sure that's some type of great yoga position. I mean I was flat LOL
If you cant tell, I am so proud of me. Another accomplishment under my belt .... who cares if its minor. :)
By the way, if you've never seen the flea clip from A Different World here it is. Great clip :)
Today was my first day back exercising with Shaun T. On the calendar it said I was to do total body burn ..... ughhh one of my favorite work outs *insert saracasm* I was so surprised today while doing the workout. One I had tons of energy. I guess being on a couch for a few days does that to you. I really did not expect to have as much as energy as I had. I even did the up tempo exercises. The second surprise was my breathing. Why was I breathing so hard? I have not had hard breathing in a long time so I was surprised when today I actually had to stop once to catch my breath. Was it because I was doing everything up tempo? Who knows ... but that was a surprise. The last surprise was that I had to vomit. Part of being in a funk for the past couple of days was because my body felt like crap. I dont know if I ate something bad, drunk too much alcohol or a combination of both but I have felt horrible since Sunday. I've had the feeling that I wanted and needed to vomit since Sunday but I hate vomiting. Everyone has told me to simply put my finger down my throat and vomit so that I could feel better but I am hardheaded. I'd rather sit on the couch sick then to have my face in a toilet(I really hate vomiting). Well today I had no choice. Man I could feel the toxins exiting my body as I worked out and as soon as I was done .... the vomit came up. I can feel it in my stomach that I have a lot more to bring up .... ughhh I hate that!
I still have my 5 mile walk to do and I'm going to try and throw in an additional hip hop ab workout. I need to get in as much as I can before I leave for Orlando. 10 lbs in July is my goal. LETS GO!
I'm sitting on my couch with tears running down my face ..... thats how bad it hurts tonight. I knew it was going to hurt. My legs have been throbbing ALL day but I still did my hip hop ab workout tonight .... two of them as a matter of fact. 50 minutes of intense cardio .... I know .... I'm CRAZY.
I'm still rolling with my No Pain, No Gain theory. The only thing is this theory sounds good when I'm saying it or even typing it but its another thing when I'm LIVING IT!
Thankfully for me tomorrow is my last day of hip hop abs. I am going on vacation for five days and will not be able to do any of the workouts. I will be able to exercise, just not with Shaun T. *exhales* I am so happy to be taking a break. Shaun is kicking my azz! lol
My all time favorite song by Deborah Cox is Nobody's Suppose To Be Here? In the song, for those who are not familiar with Ms Cox, Deborah is asking love how did it find its way back into her heart. She was done with love and somehow it snuck back up on her. So the entire song consists of Ms Cox asking "How did you get here? Nobody's suppose to be here!"
Thats exactly how I feel right now LOL. When I finished my last blog post I was beat. I was so tired and I just knew that I'd be fast asleep by now. WRONG! As soon as I got up from the table a sudden burst of energy blew through me. It was weird. I figured I matter as well take advantage of it and get a little walking in. I thought about hitting the trail but was worried that by the time I got my son dressed, got in the car and drove to the trail, my energy may be gone :/ I didnt want to risk it so I popped in my Leslie Sansone's WALKING away the pounds, 5 mile walk dvd.
I said I'd only do 1 mile. Well as soon as the 1 mile was done a double energy boost hit me and before I knew it I was half way through mile 2. Thats when the burning started. My legs were on fire! I worked through the burn and before I knew it I was on mile 4. Then something crazy happened...the fire spread. My shins, thighs and buttocks were on fire. Now my shins and thighs have burned before(when I first started working out) but my butt has never burned. I so wanted to stop BUT I had come so far. What was the use in doing 4 miles if I wasnt going to see it out and do the entire 5 miles. I did stick it out and completed my 5 miles for the day! Woo hoo!
So thats 2 hip hop ab workouts done today and 5 miles too. I believe my total is at 58 miles done for the summer with 142 more to go! Yay me! Now its time for a shower, dinner and law and order :)
So today was my weigh in. The last time I weighed in was June 16th which was 5 days ago. I try to weigh in every 2-3 days but the past few days have been very difficult due to PMS issues. I really didnt want to weigh in because I was afraid of what the scale would say. Well today I did and I'm down another pound. Thats excellent considering the weekend that I had...lunch at Lee Roy Selmons(one of my favs) and dinner at Red Lobster. So that brings me almost to the midway point in the 80's and motivates me even more. My dream is right in front of me and all I have to do is snatch in. 6 more pounds and I'll be saying bye to the 80s and hello to the 70s. I'm about to cry just thinking about it.
As promised I have done two workouts per day this week in addition to my 5 mile walk. Yesterday was easy but today was killer. First of all I woke up and felt like crap .... sick crap + emotional crap. All I wanted to do was stay in the bed. I had NO appetite at all but I forced myself to eat a bowl of hot oatmeal and drink 8 oz of orange juice. I figured as long as I stayed in the house I'd stay being crappy so me and the kid went to the beach. Awwww it was so relaxing. I was under a pavillion reading a book while the wind blew. Had it not been for me having to workout I would've stayed out there forever. I was soooo relaxed ... maybe too relaxed because doing my hip hop abs today was a challenge. I had ZERO energy. I'm proud of me because I made it through both and 60 minutes of high impact cardio! :) Go me Go me!
Now I am just exhausted and have decided that my 5 miles just will not get done today :( It hurts me to make that decision but I am honestly about to fall asleep as I type this so imagine me after I've showered and eaten dinner. I'm going to be out like a baby. lol
This is my motto for this week ........................ No Pain, No Gain! I'm psyching myself out before Monday gets here because as I finished my 2nd hip hop abs workout of the day my legs started to give way .... my muscles ached and I wanted a hot bath and a bed. I need to be prepared and strong physically and mentally because in addition to my 5 miles a day, I also have two hip hop abs workouts everyday this week. Tough schedule but definitely capable of being done. I just cant have any excuses. I have to go for it .... with soreness and all. I have a goal and hard work is going to be needed to achieve it. No time for excuses :)
Isnt that picture disgusting? Doesnt it make you just wanna puke? Well thats how I felt when I discovered what was actually in fast food. I was minding my business on facebook one day when I came across a site called FoodFacts-Whats actually in your food. While this is the day that saved me I often joke that I wish I would have just put my phone down. My curiosity got the best of me that day and I clicked like. My life has not been the same since. When I discovered what was actually IN alot of the fast food that ate I was sick to my stomach. I havent touched the stuff since.
I'm no different then most of you. I work 8 hours a day in a very stressful field and I have a 9 year old son who happens to be autistic. Sometimes the LAST thing that I want to do after working all day is come home and cook. Wendys, Chick Fila, Pollo Tropical and Burger King were staples in our household. Dunkin Donuts and McDonalds for breakfast were an every day occurence. Pizza on Mondays, wings on Wednesdays.....sometimes I went a full two weeks without ever touching my stove :/ I dont type those things with pride....I type them to show you just how reckless I was living. I cant take back the last year....I cant take back the damage that endless trips to various fast food restaurants have done to my body but I could change.
They say the worst thing that anyone could ever do is to quit a habit cold turkey. Its true lol I gave up fast food cold turkey. No more Burger King, no more Pizza Hut......no more Dunkin Donuts. Shoot! And I was just starting to get addicted to coffee again :) At first it was easy....I simply thought about everything that I had read on foodfacts.com and that knowledge alone was enough to turn me away. However it got to be a lil difficult when I started taking road trips and/or being away from home for long periods of times. Difficult but still doable. I am happy to announce that I have been without fast food for a month. I dont miss it. Yesterday a guy next to me was eating a Popeyes meal .... it smelled delicious and my mouth watered but when I thought about what exactly was IN that meal, my saliva quickly dried up lol
So I happily say, bye bye fast food! It was good while it lasted but like so many other unhealthy relationships in my life, ours has come to an end :)
