Shame On Me

I'm not as cute as that little bunny rabbit but he's expressing how I feel! Shame on me for slacking off on this blog for so long! The time during the holidays flew by and here were are a month since I last updated you guys and gals! I'm planning on doing a much lengthier update this weekend but I wanted to give you all a mid week mini update. In my last post I said that I was determined to lose weight during the Christmas feasts. I wasn't near as disciplined I should have been thanks to the amazing cooking skills of my family. I wasn't in the gym often either. So how did I do over the last month? As of this past Saturday I'm down to 232 lbs! That's a grand total of 36 lbs lost and 4 lbs lost during the holidays. I still have 33 lbs to lose by my 30th birthday in June. As many of you saw on Facebook, I made the mistake of saying that I have a "big announcement" to make. I should have said that I have "exciting news" because holy cow, did the baby comments start rolling in! I'm trying to lose weight here peeps, and pregnancy isn't known to help with that mission. So, no, absolutely no baby! The exciting news is that I am over the halfway mark to my goal! I really wasn't sure when I started this journey that I would make it this far! I also wanted to add that my healthy cooking is paying off for Mr. Matt too. Together we have lost over 50 lbs! What what! 

Like I said, I will post a more thorough update this weekend so I apologize profusely for my recent absence. Thank you all so much for keeping me motivated and making me feel guilty when needed, haha! I love you guys! I felt so guilty that I felt like I owed you guys a selfie...in my pajamas...Yes, my pants are houndstooth and no, they do not reflect my loyalty to any SEC football team. Enjoy!

'Tis The Season

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the White house! No, Mom, that isn't an announcement from Obama...Can you believe I have actually have gifts wrapped under the tree?! Working in retail for many years meant that I dreaded Christmas shopping and would wait until Christmas Eve to tackle the wrapping. I'm so fortunate to now be in a job that doesn't bombard me with the commercialism of Christmas so I can actually look forward to the season! 'Tis the season to be jolly, am I right? When I think of the word jolly, I think of Saint Nick and his jelly belly. This is not jelly belly season, y'all! I like the sound of "'tis the season to be vivacious" ! Don't sing it, it doesn't sound right, trust me, I tried...Many people think that one might be crazy for trying to live a healthy lifestyle during the holidays. Think about it. Christmas is one day. A lot of you, like me, will have multiple family gatherings and parties to attend. Let's say you have 7 events on your calendar. There are 31 days in December. Am I going to turn down all of the delicious goodies that are presented to me at said events? NO! Christmas rolls around once a year! However, that leaves 24 days that I can make all of the right food choices and get my tail into the gym. I'm stating right here and now that I will prove some of the naysayers wrong and lose weight throughout the entire month of December!

We're already halfway through December and I am continuing to see results when I climb onto the scale on Saturday mornings. This week I weighed in at 236 lbs! That's down 3 lbs from last week, down 32 lbs total, and 37 lbs away from reaching my goal of weighing 199 lbs by June 18th. I'm almost halfway there! I can honestly say that I wouldn't have made it this far without your support. Without each one of you following my blog and giving me encouragement it would have been so easy to throw in the towel weeks ago. I cannot thank you all enough! 

And now, my weekly selfie, followed by a precious picture of my niece, Brianna, from her Christmas photo shoot!

Photo of Pootie Bug by Heidi Burks Photography

Rock Steady

No, your eyes do not deceive you (HA!), that's not me. That's Lzzy Hale, no "i", the lead singer of Halestorm. This. Chick. Rocks. HARD. When I listen to her music while pounding the elliptical machine or the treadmill I feel like she is my sister from another mister because we are both rocking steady! 

I feared for the worst this week. Let's see, there were 2 Thanksgiving dinners, Mexican food, and a big fat steak from Outback last week. Ah, yes, there was also the delicious Christmas brunch that we had at work this week. I tried making up for it at the gym, but there is only so much I can squeeze into one day. In fact, I was only able to make it to the gym 3 days this week. I did mix up my workout a little by cutting my time on the elliptical down from 30 minutes to 20 minutes and I hopped on the treadmill for 25 minutes before hitting the weights. I'm sure you all get tired of me saying "I didn't think I would have good results this time" every week, so I'll try not to say that in every post! Seriously though, considering all of the junk that I ate over the last 10 days, I really thought that I would gain weight or sit at 241 lbs. With one eye open, I peered at the scale this morning...

239 lbs. Um, WHAT?! Yes, 239 lbs! That's down 2 lbs from last week, down a total of 29 lbs, and 40 lbs away from my goal of weighing 199 lbs by June 18th! I honestly had to get on the scale 3 or 4 times and put my glasses on before my eyes would believe what they were seeing! I'm almost halfway there you guys! I did the math and in order for me to achieve my goal I need to lose 1.6 lbs each week until my birthday. That is totally doable and I've never felt more motivated! 

Hopefully I will continue to rock steady, just like my girl, Lzzy. Thank you all for you unfailing love and support! Enjoy my awkward selfie below!

Bad Girl

I'm baaaaaaack! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Man, have I been bad! For starters, I didn't post an update last week. I'm sorry for that. On Thanksgiving a few of my family members expressed how saddened they were by my lack of bloggage. Yes, I just said bloggage. Seeing the disappointment on their faces is forever burned into my brain, therefore I will never miss an update again! (Hi Kelly & Janice!) While they may have been bummed about the lack of bloggage (there it is again!), my family was quick to shower me with compliments in regards to my appearance and determination. Those that know me well know that I'm not the best at receiving compliments but it took a lot for me not to burst into happy tears while I was being hugged and tugged. My family means the world to me and their support and motivation is what will help me cross my finish line! They are the best cheerleaders I could ever ask for. 

Why the photo of the fat cat? Look closer...that's actually a photo of me after oinking out on Thanksgiving day. Not really, but that is how I felt. Turkey, ham, dressing, sweet taters, casseroles, bread, pies, oh my! This day rolls around once a year so there were absolutely no rules and no limits. Luckily, most of my pants are a little loosey-goosey so sweatpants weren't a requirement this holiday. After partaking in some of my Aunt Kim's amazing apple cobbler, Dad and I went for a quick walk through the neighborhood. I probably burned enough calories to make up for licking my spoon, but hey, it's something! I can't move on to the next topic without mentioning that my Great-Uncle Roger said that the broccoli casserole that I made was THE BEST recipe he has EVER had. This is quite a feat. I'm sorry, Mom, but I believe that torch has been passed. If you are feeling indulgent, you can find the recipe here: http://www.food.com/recipe/cheez-it-broccoli-casserole-443079. I prefer to use chopped broccoli and minced onions. Enjoy, in moderation!

Black Friday. For many, those two words bring excitement and joy. For me, for 8 years, they meant hell on earth. This year, thanks to my job at McKee, they meant sleeping in! Or so I thought. I've been off since Wednesday morning and I've been trying to sleep like a human instead of a vampire. The morning of Black Friday I was up at 6:30. So, what was I to do? Go shopping? No. Catch up on Netflix? No. Go to the gym? YOU BETCHA! That's right, I took my gluttonous fanny to the gym. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to make it a full 30 minutes on the elliptical but thanks to Saved by the Bell reruns playing on the TV in front of me, I made it! I also managed to hit all of the weight machines as well. I probably should have headed home after working out but Best Buy had too many good deals to pass up. I'm happy to say that I am finished with shopping for Matt! Once I got home I did a little bit of cleaning and got our Christmas decorations up. Don't you just love our initial ornaments?

So I was a bad girl for not posting last week's update, I pigged out on Thanksgiving, and then last night Matt and I chowed down on some Amigos. I thought surely, even with my steady workout regimen, that I would gain weight. Last week I had lost 3 lbs. I dropped from 245 lbs to 242 lbs. Dang, last week could have had a great update! I hopped on the scale this morning to see that I weigh 241 lbs! Somehow, in all of the Thanksgiving madness, I lost 1 lb! That's 4 lbs since the last entry, 27 lbs since I began my journey, and 42 lbs away from my goal of 199 lbs by June 18th. Finally, I'm bad because I don't have a selfie to post yet. Tomorrow I'm heading to Knoxville for Thanksgiving 2.0 with Dad's family and I'm planning on cleaning up for it so I guarantee that I will add a selfie to this post at some point on Sunday. Notice how I just slipped in that I've got another Thanksgiving dinner coming up? Oh my...I'll leave you with this precious pic of Brianna grubbing out on her first Thanksgiving! Again, I hope you all had an excellent Thanksgiving and know that I am so thankful for each and every one of you!

- So I was a day late, but here is the awkward selfie, as promised...

   

Gym Pinkie

I learned something new today. A baby mouse can have several names. They can be called pups, kittens, or pinkies. Seeing that we all know baby dogs as pups and baby cats as kittens, I like the term pinkies. I'm here to announce that I am a "gym pinkie". Give me a few months and I just might transform into a full fledged gym rat! I made 3 trips to the gym this week and on the days that I didn't go I was craving a go at the elliptical machine or the stair master! Last week I shared that I survived 30 minutes on the elliptical. The first time really wasn't that rough. I can't lie, this past Thursday morning I thought I wasn't going to make it the full 30 minutes! Thanks to Breaking Benjamin and the fact that I'm as stubborn as a bull and my own worst enemy, I made it! Strictly cardio workouts helped me drop the weight at the beginning of this journey, but I know that it's never too soon to start toning up my muscles. I know they're hiding somewhere under the mush and I can't wait to be able to see them again! I've been using the weight machines opposed to the free weights but I'm sure that I'll eventually mix them in to my workouts. I have to add that I ordered a few pieces of active wear from Old Navy last week and none of them are from the plus size department! Don't get me wrong, they're still big, but they came from the misses section! Less material = lower cost. Woot woot!

I can't believe how well I've stuck to my healthy eating habits. Last Saturday we had a pizza party at work. I always participate in our events, but I passed on this one! No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't convince myself that my turkey sandwich and apple tasted like Pizza Hut's pepperoni. A few days later we had a soup party. I did a have a small bowl of phenomenal chicken and dumplings and a smaller bowl of delicious broccoli and cheddar soup. My friend, Kim, made her tasty pumpkin cookies and I had one, just one! To make up for that indiscretion, I passed on my weekly Little Debbie last night. 

I managed to lose 1 lb this week, putting me at 245 lbs. That's down 23 lbs since I began and leaves me with 46 lbs to lose in order to reach my goal of 199 lbs by June 18th. I thought I would see better results after sticking to my diet and exercising more this past week. I just have to keep telling myself that baby steps have been working all along and that now is not the time to be expecting major leaps. Maybe next week! 

After taking my silly selfie, I realized that I may have cheated by wearing all black...but I'll be darned if it isn't slimming! 

Pardon my appearance...Today was cleaning/lay around and do a whole lotta nothing day...

Much love to all of you! 

Baby Steps

Can we just talk about how cute this picture is? I love baby rolls! Why can't being a chunky monkey when you're older be this adorable? I might have to start a movement...So, I've titled this entry Baby Steps because I've decided to approach quitting smoking the same way that I have did with eating and exercising. I need to take baby steps AND be okay with that. I haven't completely quit, but I have cut back. I did manage to go about 26 hours without smoking. I used to go through a pack about every other day. Now it takes me a few days to get through one. Popping my bubble gum to and from work is actually entertaining. It doesn't take much to amuse me! I do need to set a more realistic goal for myself. My current goal is to quit smoking by the time 2014 rolls around. It will be here before we know it! Sadly, I'm already over the Christmas commercials (Thanks, IHOP!) and someone that lives not too far away from me has had their decorations and lights up for at least a week now. What the heck?

I finally made it into the gym this week! Woo-hoo! I happened to get off from work early the other morning and I thought that 4:30AM would be the perfect time for me to pop in and get started. I was right. I love that Planet Fitness is open 24 hours and that they are staffed the entire time. I think I'm going to really enjoy being a member. I only made it in one day, but I can't wait to kill it next week! I did manage to hit the elliptical for 30 minutes. That's a new high time for me! I was so excited that I became that person that takes a picture of their progress...

Also, I thought this could be the last photo I would ever take...Longest 30 minutes of my life!

I thought for sure that I wouldn't lose any weight this week. I only exercised one day and somebody suggested that we needed a fast food breakfast on Friday morning. He was right, Hardee's biscuit and gravy hit the spot! I had Hardee's Friday morning and sushi for dinner. Of course, I had to indulge in my weekly Little Debbie as well. It's job security, y'all! So, I hopped on the scale this morning expecting to see the same number I saw last week, or worse, 250+. Well I must have done something right because I weighed in at 246 lbs! That's down 3 lbs from last week, down 22 lbs since I began my journey, and 47 lbs away from reaching my goal weight of 199 lbs by June 18th. It's all about the baby steps! I'm like my little niece, Brianna, who has started standing on her own but has yet to take off. Once she figures it out, there will be no slowing her down. The same can be said for me. Like the old Carpenter's song says, we've only just begun. And now, I give you my weekly selfie! Enjoy the face I'm making. I still feel ridiculous taking these so I figured why not express that via facial expressions...

I wanted to take a moment to once again thank each and every one of you for following this blog. I can't tell you how much it brightens my day and encourages me when you take the time out of your day to message me or reach out to me with your support. You guys and gals rock! Until next time...

Broken Records & Little Victories

You know that sound? The sound of an old record that just keeps skipping over and over and over and over? Insert that sound here. That is the sound that I hear every time I light a cigarette. I'm starting to feel like Bill Murray's character in Groundhog Day. I wake up every day thinking that it's a new day, but I end up repeating the same exact steps as I did the day before. Fortunately, I don't actually have Sonny & Cher's I Got You, Babe trapped in my noggin every time that I smoke. I promised from the get go that this blog would be blatantly honest, so here it is...I haven't tried that hard to quit smoking. I've tried to convince myself that I have, but it's not true. If I want a cigarette, I have one. I'm beginning to question if I even want to quit. "Um, yes, Lauren, you want to quit. It's a disgusting and expensive habit." "Then why am I smoking as I type this?" "Because you're a quitter." "Apparently not..." Now I've confused me, myself, and I, haha! Seriously though, I'm sick and tired of sounding like a broken record. As of right now I have 2 cigarettes left. I cannot promise that these will be my last 2, but I'm vowing to you all and myself that I will try my absolute hardest to kick the habit this time, cold turkey. If I say I'm going to do something, by golly I do it! It might take me a few weeks, but I WILL QUIT SMOKING! Everybody still with me? Great! Let's move on to something a little more positive...

I finally joined Planet Fitness last week! They were offering a fantastic deal that I couldn't pass up. For $20 per month I have access to both facilities, I can take a guest with me as often as I'd like, and I get unlimited tanning. I will take full advantage of 2 of those perks. I'll give you a hint. If you were to trace my family tree I'm almost positive that you'd discover that I am kin to Casper, the friendly ghost and I have no plans to look like we're not related. I'll also have access to some sweet massage chairs that I intend to use every dang visit! I signed up for my membership online and I have yet to actually step foot in the gym. It has been so long since I've been a gym member that I didn't own appropriate clothes or footwear. How sad! Today I took care of that issue and I'm so pumped to get in there and kick my own booty this week!

With the exception of Chinese Friday and a few naughty snacks at a birthday party today, I've been a good girl this week. I swear Grand China uses some sort of ancient Chinese secret in their food. I had my usual General Tso's, eggroll, and fried dumplings. One would think that eating all of that mess would totally ruin my Saturday morning weigh ins. Alas, this morning my scale told me that I weigh 249 lbs. I can't lie, I did a little victory dance immediately after I saw that number flash up. To know that I am finally closer to 200 lbs than I am to 300 lbs is my little victory! That's 2 lbs down from last week and 18 lbs since I began my journey. This puts me 50 lbs away from my goal of 199 lbs by June 18th. As you'll see below, I actually wasn't too unhappy to be taking my weekly selfie!

Photobomb brought to you by my flat iron...

I seriously need to buy a full length mirror. I just realized that this is the same outfit that I was wearing in my first awkward selfie. For the first time I can actually see a difference in my body! A friend of mine at work had told me that she could tell I was losing, especially in my neck and face. I sincerely told her that it was great to know that it didn't look like my neck was trying to eat my face anymore! No, really, that's what was happening. I also saw a friend of mine from high school that I haven't seen in years today. (Hi, Ashley!) She shared with me that she loves my blog and that she looks forward to it every week. Words just cannot express how much that touches my heart! I'm so honored and grateful to have such wonderful friends and family that keep me motivated every single day. Until next time...