Special Ops. Mission #1: What's standing in my way?

That's right.....ME!

I believe I unintentionally stand in the way of my weight loss success. My weight loss endeavor focuses on learning to change...PERMANENTLY CHANGE...my bad behaviors. And throughout this process of change, I tend to get in the way of ME with negative self-talk. When the negative self-talk takes over I ask myself:

"If you talked to your friends the way you talk to yourself, how many friends would you have?"

I recently wrote a post on negative self talk...check it out. In short, one negative thought snowballs into an avalanche of negative thoughts which leads to the bad behavior that landed me here in this predicament. Sooooo...to combat those destructive thoughts I do the following:

1. Look in the mirror.
2. Smile.
3. Say something positive.
   

I devoted a week's worth of post to completing the above mentioned exercise daily. Try it!

I realized two basic choices exist:

1. I can sit here and whine like a little biyotch about being fat and do nothing (I know that sounds harsh)!
2. OR I can CHANGE and do something about it.

DAYUM THE ELECTRICITY JUST WENT OUT...OKAY IT'S BACK. I lost my train of thought!

O yeah...I choose option #2. I CHOOSE TO:

• generate the power within myself to turn my intentions into reality AND make the CHANGES I want in MY LIFE!
  
  
• Be proactive and not wait for things to happen...MAKE THEM HAPPEN!!!

• BY THE POWER OF GRAYSKULL, I HAVE THE POWER (Who remembers He-Man and the Masters of the Universe...the origin of this quote?)! I refuse to relinquish my power! No one can make me feel bad about myself unless I give up MY POWER.
  

For continued success I must continuously determine what I must do MORE of or LESS of or DIFFERENTLY to create a different outcome. I must go now, but I leave you with this:

"CHANGE will NOT occur until the PAIN of staying the way we are exceeds the PAIN OF CHANGE."~Churchill

Operation Fat Blaster: 5K Kommando

Long time no blog. Lots and lots of blog post ideas fill my brain on a daily basis and the challenge I face...determine which posts see the light of day. In the mean time I jot down my ideas on the nearest available piece of paper. Once the summers semester ends, I plan to blog daily UNTIL I return to work sometime in August. I guess you could say I'm back blogged...like back logged...never mind.

My kids MADE me play Harry Potter SCENE IT! twice last night into the wee hours of the morning. So now, like my gas tank, I sit here running on fumes. Just kidding...my gas tank stays full during this time of year due to Hurricane season.

So I joined OPERATION FAT BLASTER (OFB) last week! Curios????? Michelle over at Secrets of a Former Fat Girl faces the challenge of losing her last 45 pounds, so she created Operation Fat Blaster (OFB). For more information or to join click the OFB link or the OFB box located in my sidebar.


My reason for joining OFB...I plan to run my first 5K in October, The Susan B. Koman Race for the Cure. Just call me the 5K Kommando.* With the help and support of the OFB members, I plan to set goals, as well as follow through with these goals to help prepare for for my first 5K run. So far I find the support beneficial to my weight loss and 5K endeavor. I just hope I stick with it...by it I mean OFB.

Why did I join you ask? No rules. Like Michelle said, "The more rules there are, the more likely I'm not going to follow them."Michelle went on to say that you know what works for you and the bottom line: THIS IS YOUR CHALLENGE, YOUR LIFE, YOUR RULES!

Real quick my goals at a glance:

Nutrition:

• No grains at dinner.


• Increase water intake.


• Eat out 2 monthly and kids eat out once a week (2 out of 4 a healthy choice, which they make on their own. They love Schlotsky's)


• Try new products weekly.


• Try new recipe weekly.

Exercise:

• Bottom line: 5 to 6 times weekly.


• Muscle confusion weekly


• Weights at least 3 times a week


• Continue and COMPLETE Couch to 5K (C25K)

Take care of me:

• GO TO BED AT A DECENT TIME! I need to figure out what decent means. Perhaps 10:00 PM or maybe 10:30 PM.


• Massage once a month.


• Pedi once a month(I would prefer twice monthly...dayum recession)


• Mani once a month (Again, I would prefer twice a month but......)

OOOOOOOOO...I forgot to mention each week you must complete a Special Ops. mission. This week I needed to determine what 1 thing or things stand in the way of my weight loss success. Stay tuned for tomorrow's post to discover my one thing.

*Side note: I know how to spell commando...C and not a K. I enjoy a little play of words every now and then.

Damn, Daamn, Daaamn (...remember that Good Times episode)!

Damn, Daamn, Daaamn, described my sentiments exactly at yesterday's weigh in. Well, first let me preface by saying (or writing) I experienced a loss of 1.4, but that's not the point. Once again, ONDERLAND still evades me! Curses, foiled AGAIN! Last week I lost .6 and weighed in at 201.4. So do the math...this week I lost 1.4 and weighed in at 200 ON THE DOT! I wanted to drop kick the scale through the window. I hear you saying, "BUT IT'S A LOSS! YOU LOST!" I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know I lost, but my small goal this week....weigh in under 200 pounds.

This week, GAME ON and I already purchased a one-way ticket to ONEDERLAND! O and you best believe that scale WILL show me what I want to see or it will be flying through the WW window followed by a few chairs. GAME ON! So what am going to do different to ensure success:

• Last week I stopped eating grains (pasta, bread, etc.) with dinner. So, I plan to continue eating protein and veggies for dinner.
• Up water consumption. I drink the required amounts of water daily. So, I plan to add an additional 2 cups each day. As an example, Sunday drink 10-8oz. glasses, Monday 12-8oz. glasses, Tuesday 14-8oz glasses, etc.
• Continue Couch to 5K (C25K) by repeating week 2 ON PAVEMENT 3 days this week. On off days, Biggest Loser (BL) Cardio Max and BL Power Sculpt.

Off Topic
So yesterday I re-realized TIMES ARE HARD! What made me come to that realization? A month and a half has lapsed since my last pedicure. Some people receive pedicures as weight loss rewards, not me. Pedicures for me represent bi-monthly me time (not anymore...recession). My pedicure spot rocks and the whole process takes around an hour to complete...yes for a pedicure. Most pedicure places operate on quantity vs. quality, not my spot.

So...yesterday I looked down at my toes, now closely resembling talons and decided things had gone to far.

In addition to the talons, my eyebrows resembled that of:

Yes, Bert from Sesame Street.

I am happy to report that Pro Vogue Nails took care of my talons and monobrow, and I can now rejoin society and roam freely with flip-flops on my feet.

O...since your here, check out Hater-Aid: #1 Drink of Haters.

HATER-AID: #1 Drink of Haters!

Hater: Someone who makes themselves feel good by knocking others down. Haters fail to recognize the accomplishment of others. Put simply, haters will not be happy for you.

An example of conversing with a hater:
Mimi: Every since the promotion, Martin has stepped up his wardrobe.
Lisa (hater): If he's stepped up his wardrobe then why does he still wear that 1985 Member's Only jacket?

Hater-Aid: The drink of haters.
Used in a sentence:
Dang, why are you hating on Martin? Have you been drinking hater-aid?

Unfortunately haters live among us. Some work with us. They arrive at work with their boxes of kolaches and donuts coercing us to gobble them up. "Go ahead....eat one. You can eat just one." I call them THE PUSHERS. Drug dealers more like it...pushing my drug of choice...FOOD! The pushers push and push and push and push until you cave. AND THEY KNOW...they know your trying your bestest (not a real word, but it is now) to lead a healthy lifestyle. They know. In my opinion haters thrive on your failure. In the mind of a hater your failure confirms what they think they know about you...that you will fail to succeed at losing weight.

At my previous job (Head Start, no names), my colleagues sometimes made comments dripping with sarcasm, "Oh look at you eating all healthy. Hmmm...good for you. Whatever hater! I so badly wanted to respond, "The grocery store sells healthy food to everyone, not just me." Fortunately the ladies at my current job respect my weight loss efforts and offer food just once. AND A few of them provide encouragement and cheer me on...THANKS LADIES! But for those of you, not so fortunate I offer a few ways to avoid the THE PUSHERS a.k.a workplace HATERS:

• Bring snacks or store snacks at work in case of hater emergencies.
• Lead by example...bring healthy alternatives for breakfast like bagels from Einstein Bros. (yummers!)
• STAY OUT OF THE LOUNGE or whatever "corner" the pushers hang out on.
• Eat a hearty breakfast.

The same rules apply for potlucks:

• Bring your own lunch and only serve yourself the healthier potluck options: fruit, salad, low-fat dishes, etc.
• Lead by example..bring a healthy dish to the potluck and only eat your food and some of the healthier options.

• STAY OUT OF THE LOUNGE!

Refrain from falling victim to haters at work. Simply tell them no and keep it moving. If they can't take no for an answer then simply high-five their face with your hand. Keep in mind, not all pushers at work are haters. Just explain to unintentional pushers that you tend to move in a healthier direction when making food choices.

Now, the next type of hater (the most devastating type of hater) which I tend to lump into one category...THE FRIENDS AND FAMILY HATER! I deemed this hater the most devastating BECAUSE you expect friends and family to support whatever decisions you make regarding your healthy lifestyle changes. Sometimes your friends and family take on the role of the saboteur by making you feel bad about wanting to better your life and by discrediting weight loss progress made. O...you can count on them all right...you can count on them to point out ALL of the mistakes your making during your weight loss endeavor. Fortunately I have an awesome support system composed of my MOM and the SC (shout out to the Sista Circle). You know your friends and family better than I do, but when faced with a FRIENDS AND FAMILY HATER I offer the following advice:

• You can't pick your family, but you can pick your friends. I've HAD friends who made me feel like I needed to hide my successes. The operative word in the previous sentence ...HAD!
  
  
• Try to refrain from forcing your new lifestyle on other people. This is a hard one. I enjoy sharing new products, successes, tips and recipes. Just make sure you share with people who ummm actually care. I decided a "safe" place to talk about my journey is here in this blogosphere chocked full of encouragement!
  
  
• DO NOT RELINQUISH YOUR POWER TO HATERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Haters can't make you feel bad about yourself UNLESS you give them the power...YOUR POWER!
  

Well, I decided to STOP handing over my power to haters, and I resigned to stop associating with them as well. Hanging out with haters produces too much negative energy. I rather surround myself with positivity and enjoy life's little moments like the intellectual conversation my boy's and engaged in regarding the age of SpongeBob SquarePants . As a homeowner of a 2 story pineapple, and a Krusty Krab employee, I guessed SpongeBob's age to be around 23...give or take. What do you think?

In closing...I leave you with this:

BEHIND EVERY SUCCESSFUL PERSON IS A PACK OF HATERS!

How do you deal with the haters in your life?

TAGGED! YOU'RE NEXT!

Halleluyer, class ended early! Despite the dismal subject (research design & analysis), the professor keeps the class in stitches with his quick wit.

SO...TJ at TJ's Test Kitchen chose me to share my ONE WORD Answers with you. TJ's blog inspires me to try exciting new foods and recipes...CHECK IT OUT!

Here’s how it works: USE ONLY ONE WORD! It’s not as easy as you might think. Copy and change the answers to suit you and pass it on. It’s really hard to use only one-word answers. I love a challenge so heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere goes:

1. Where is your cell phone?BRA
2. Your hair? TANGLED
3. Your mother? FIT
4. Your father? DONOR
5. Your favorite food? ALL
6. Your dream last night? SPOOKTACULAR
7. Your favorite drink? HOTSCOTCH
8. Your dream/goal? PH.D
9. What room are you in? DINING
10. Your hobby? PARENTING
11. Your fear? FATNESS
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? RUNWAY
13. Where were you last night?HIDING
14. Something that you aren’t? MALE
15. Muffins? YES!!!!!!
16. Wish list item? HUSBAND
17. Where did you grow up? FRIENDSWOOD
18. Last thing you did? ROBOT
19. What are you wearing? EARPHONES
20. Your TV? ON
21. Your pets? KIDS
22. Friends? SUPPORTIVE
23. Your life? INSANE
24. Your mood? CANTANKEROUS
25. Missing someone?NO
26. Vehicle? DIRTY
27. Something you’re not wearing? SMILE
28. Your favorite store? UNDECIDED
29. Your favorite color? PINK
30. When was the last time you laughed? NOW
31. Last time you cried? YESTERDAY
32. Your best friend? DEPENDABLE
33. One place that I go to over and over? INSANE
34. One person who emails me regularly? REIKO
35. Favorite place to eat? EVERYWHERE

I'm supposed to pick a few peeps to complete the ONE WORD answers, but everyone is welcome to join in the fun:

Marisa at Trim the Fat
Reiko at GOD'S FAVORITE SHOES
Laura at Hey what's for dinner Mom?
Jen at Prior Fat Girl
EbonyRenee at Project Hot Mommy
Stormy at Wonder Woman

Double Barrel Slingshot: Mission Monday!

I dubbed last Monday Make Me Laugh Monday. This Monday...Mission Monday! My mission if I choose to accept it...find a high quality supportive sports bra or double barrel slingshot according to my children. When I think about the many sports bras I purchased in the past, I might as well drive down the street while throwing money out the window.

Since I decided to run the Susan B. Koman 5K in October, the girls NEED support. Anyone with information on where to find a supportive sports bra...PLEASE SHARE! Until then I shall push forth on my quest to find the ultimate double barrel slingshot!

Clean Up in Aisle #5!

As I Tokyo drifted (reference from the movie Fast and Furious Tokyo Drift) through the a sea of tables displaying decadent pastries at HEB, I lost control of my grocery cart and careened into a table knocking three angel food cakes to the floor. I thought to myself, "Self. Where's the camera? Where's the camera?"

Me So Hongryism #1: ALWAYS carry your camera (and I usually carry my camera in my purse)!

I thought about a hit and run, but as the cakes hit the floor many shoppers directed their attention towards me. Before I could flee the scene of the crime an HEB employee came running and shouted, "Don't worry. I got it." I smile, thanked him, and swiftly rolled away.

As I continued to shop, bizarre BOGO sales (Buy One Get One Free) commanded my attention. I wondered aloud, "Who decides what products to feature for BOGO offers? " Actually I said, "Who puts this crap together (hopefully no one heard me talking to myself)?" Anywho...how bout an example to illustrate my point: buy one HEB creamy creations churn style ice cream and receive an HEB dip and bag of kettle chips for free. Okay the chips and dip compliment each other, but the ice cream? How about buy one HEB brand ice cream and receive a bottle of chocolate syrup and whipped topping for free?

Unfortunately tonight, I fell victim to the Combo Loco Deal: buy one rotisserie chicken and receive a box of HEB creamy shells and 1 liter of Dr. Pepper for free. Call me loco for purchasing the processed, sodium and sugar laden combo. They don't call it the Combo Loco for nothing. Why you ask would I commit such a cardinal sin? LACK OF TIME! Writing that stupid introduction to my research proposal sucked up all of my time this weekend. I spent 3 hours in the library Saturday, stayed up until 12:30 AM writing, and spent the majority of today finishing and polishing my intro. Oh...and my Mom and I went shopping. I considered the shopping excursion a treat after the many torturous hours spent reading educational journals.

So my weekend time constraints started my wheels a turning. If I'm worried about time constraints now,what about next month when I return to work, another semester of school, and the Duke boys (yes as in Bo and Luke Duke) return to school as well? One thing is for sure, I NEED A PLAN...A plan that excludes Combo Loco deals. So far my plan consists of the following:

• Plan a weekly menu (not a habit yet, but working on it)
  
• Cook breakfast on Sunday for Monday-Wednesday and then Wednesday cook breakfast for Thursday and Friday
• Grocery shop on Saturday after WW
• On Saturday cut up and wash produce (e.g. lettuce) for convenience.
• On Saturday or Sunday cook 2 or 3 freezer friendly meals for lunch.
• At night make a to-do list for the following day.
• Plan meals ahead of time so that I can track ahead of time as well.
  
• Plan
• Plan
• Plan
• Plan
• Workout in the evening???
  
• Cooking everyday ain't gonna happen...institute a sandwich night and/or a TV dinner night
• I grant my kids 2 eat out days a month if I plan accordingly
• Keep with our tradition of Brinner...breakfast+dinner=brinner. For some reason breakfast is fun, quick, and easy to cook.
  

The beginnings of my plan sound great, but easier said than done.

Christmas in July...YET AGAIN!

Ho! Ho! Ho! Santa ( well more like my Mom) arrived this morning bearing gifts:

Anxious to try them all!!!!!

Contest alert...visitAmanda, another priorfatgirl to win a 16 oz. Camelbak water bottle. Good luck!

Shameless Plug

This is a shameless plug for my other blog: The Good, The Bad, and The Hongry. Check out my latest food creations: Chicken Charm-esan, Flat bread Pizza, Lettuce Wraps, Sauteed Swiss Chard, and MORE...

So today I completed day 2 of Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred and tomorrow will be day 2 of my Couch to 5K training. I think I may run my first 5K in October...I said (wrote) I think. The Koman Houston Race for the Cure takes place October 3rd. So....................................my goal is to prepare myself to race for the cure!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Christmas in July

Christmas has come early! So I was perusing the blogs of new Me So Hongy followers and several clicks later I discovered some podcasts for the Couch to 5K training. Merry Christmas to me! For months I sat toying with the idea of running a 5K, but where to begin overwhelmed me. A big shout out goes to FROM 5K to MARATHON for the podcast discovery. Needless to say I downloaded the podcast to my ipod and hit the pavement, well the treadmill running. Thursday I plan to take this show on the road.

Side note: Thanks new followers for joining me on this weight loss roller coaster ride. Keep the comments and the support flowing.

Christmas gift #2, AT&T's FREE Exercise TV on demand. Comcast also offers free on demand exercise TV...check it out. IT'S FREE! I cannot begin to tell you how much I enjoyed the Bollywood workout! Namaste! I also found Jillian Michael's Shred #1 and 2, as well as a variety of other Biggest Loser videos. I even saw one of my all time favs, Carmen Electra's Aerobic Striptease. Well...I hope my post brings Christmas to you too! Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

t(26)=1.42, p>.05, d=.19

What can you tell me about the post title? Well....EXACTLY! That's what I said! I started summer school today and the teacher wrote t(26)=1.42, p>.05, d=.19 on the board. WELCOME TO RESEARCH DESIGN & ANALYSIS (the 2nd half to the statistics class I took last Summer)! Holy dog doo doo Batman...what did I get my self into? When class ended, I walked to my car and sat in the seat staring straight ahead for an insurmountable amount of time.

Silver lining...I came home and worked through my statistics frustrations with Jillian Micheal's 30 Day Shred. My kids heard me grunting and walked in to find me lying face down on the floor. O...well...I'm off to read chapter 1.

Make Me Laugh Monday!

I think I watched Pineapple Express about 6 times this weekend. Each time I watched I laughed as though it were my first time viewing. The frequent viewings inspired me to give back to the world...give back the gift of laughter that is. In this weight loss journey sometimes you have too laugh to keep from crying. So... on Make Me Laugh Mondays I plan to share videos, pictures, etc, that make me laugh, giggle, or ROTFLMAO.

My first gift of laughter...the car chase clip from Pineapple Express.

If you don't mind the potty humor and many explicative littered throughout the movie, then Pineapple Express is a must see. I believe the sole intent of a movie of this magnitude is to make ya laugh, and Pineapple Express leaves me in stitches every time. The actual car chase in the movie lasts a bit longer than this clip, and the funniest part...Sal's foot through the windshield. Enjoy.

"An optimist laughs to forget, a pessimist forgets to laugh."

In honor of my 50th post...

Wow...my 50th post. I tend to start things and unfortunately never finish: losing weight, hobbies, books, starting businesses, etc. I started blogging in February and and I am surprised to see my blogging didn't fall by the wayside. So in honor of my 50th post I present...

50 Reason Why I WILL Remove This Weight...FOR GOOD!

1. Perform my Beyonce "Crazy in Love" karaoke routine, not missing one booty bounce from start to finish.
   


2. Sing or play " That's What You Get" by Paramore on Rock Band with my kids, complete with mosh jumping without sounding like I'm grasping for air.
   


3. Stop the buttons on my shirt from screaming, "Unbutton me...the shirt is to TIGHT!"
   


4. Jog without warning fellow joggers that I'm coming up from the rear. You know... when you wear those swish swish workout pants and your thighs rub together...your pants make that swish, swish, swish sound.


5. Go parasailing.
   
   
6. Shop on one side of the store...the misses side. Not plus, not women's, not plus size...just misses.
   


7. Run a mile without stopping.
   


8. Stop shirts from disappearing in my back fat.
   


9. Paint toenails with becoming a contortionist (stomach gets in the way).


10. Live a healthier life.


11. Stop feeling like someone is following me. No one is following me...it's just my butt!


12. Wear shorts without my crotch eating them. You know when your thighs rub together, your shorts magically ride up your legs and disappear, therefore causing you to dig them out. FYI...that ain't cute.
    


13. Rub my success in the face of my haters and doubters both past and present. No...I plan not to be the bigger person.


14. Go hang gliding.


15. Wear a bathing suit. I cannot recall the last time I wore a bathing suit.
    


16. Dance the Michael Jackson's Thriller choreography with my kids EVERY TIME the video airs. And "Beat It" too.
    
    
17. Become a WEIGHT WATCHERS LEADER!
    
    
18. Appear on one of those 1/2 their size magazine covers.
    
19. Feel comfortable wearing sleeveless clothing.
    
    
20. Wear timeless clothing pieces I kept...like my lil black dress...that no longer fit.
    
    
21. Go whitewater rafting.
    
    
22. Reduce 2 stomachs to 1.
    
    
23. Reveal my new body on Oprah.
    
    
24. Write and publish a This-Is-How-I-Did-It-Y'all book.
    
    
25. Drop it like it's hot without killing my knees.
    
    
26. Run up the 72 steps in Philly like Rocky Balboa...ADRIENNE!
    
27. Take a ballet or contemporary dance class.
    
    
28. Look good naked! Anyone ever watched the British version of this show?
    
    
29. STOP shopping at Layne Bryant! One time a sales clerk convinced me to purchase a halter which I only wore once. WHICH brings me to #30.
    
    
30. Wear a halter top without fat spilling over the top and side of the shirt.
    
    
31. MORE ENERGY!
    
    
32. Completely wrap a regular bath size towel around my body without body parts playing peek-a-boo.
    
    
33. Bring SEXY BACK!
    
    
34. Stop asking my children to buckle my shoe (the ole stomach gets in the way). That's what kids are for...shoe bucklers.
    
35. Run a 5K.
    
    
36. Walk up the stairs without emulating the big bad woof...huffing and puffing.
    
    
37. INSPIRE OTHERS!
    
    
38. Find a shallow mate who like me for my H-O-T rocking bod.
    
39. Enjoy life more.
    
    
40. More choices of stores when shopping.
    
    
41. Feel more comfortable in my own body.
    
    
42. When I shake my arm and then stop, I want the entire arm to STOP at the same time!
    
    
43. I want to stand with both legs inside one leg of a pair of pants at my highest weight.
    
    
44. Look down and see my entire foot not just my toes (blame it on the st-st-st- the stomach).
    
    
45. Lose the stomach flap. It reminds me of those pop up books you read children. You know...you pull the flap and BAM...surprise!
    
    
46. Be happy!
    
    
47. Lower blood pressure.
    
    
48. Zip my sexy 2 1/2 inch, maybe 3 high heel burnt sienna boots. I tend to struggle with the zipper around my big calf.
    
    
49. I LOVE the feeling of successful when I achieve my mini weight loss goals.
    
    
50. BEFORE and NOW pics.
    

PROVE IT...with your sweat!

Prior Fat Girl challenged readers to "prove it with your sweat!" I take this weight loss endeavor seriously and now I'm putting my photo where my mouth is: BAM!

My kids said this sweat pattern resembles a face. Can you see the two eyes, nose, and the big mouth?





Even my shoulder was sweaty...gross.


Dang look at my unearthed collarbone. Remember my collarbone post?

Harvest Extravaganza and I WON!

First and foremost, I won the Amazing Grass Giveaway hosted by Hey what's for dinner Mom? I emailed my address yesterday, and now I await the arrival of my goodies. Woo Hoo!

So, on to the harvest extravaganza. I recently visited the free farmers market a.k.a. my mom's backyard and yielded a bountiful harvest my friends:

I made some tasty stuffed peppers with babies. YUM-MY!

Zucchini

Swiss Chard

Arugula...an acquired taste.

Me & Dexter...or is it Dexter & I?

I usually like to post daily, but I fell behind on my blogging thanks to my new AT&T U-Verse! I got 2 words for you...LOVE IT! Comcast or as a friend of mine put it"Comcrap" can suck it!

So...while checking out the on-demand options, I discovered Dexter seasons 1-3. As a result, yesterday and today, I found myself caught up in season 1. I previously viewed a few episodes when CBS aired Dexter during the writer's strike, and I liked it! Tomorrow...two words...season 2.

Any who, I made it through the July 4th weekend unscathed. I DECLARED MY INDEPENDENCE! I declared my Independence from the food repressing my inner sexy! People, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all FOOD is NOT created equal, and it is my right as a people (intentional bad grammar) to alter or abolish it!" I WILL NOT GO DOWN WITHOUT A FIGHT!

I must say, I fared rather well with my 4th of July food options. Basically, I refrained from going overboard with the buffet. I went to the festivities with the mindset to use my extra weekly points on prepared seasonal favorites, meaning foods available or prepared only on special occasions. For example, during Christmas my mom makes pecan candy a.k.a. pralines, and that is worth all 35 of my weekly bonus points.

My 4th of July temptations:

Cream Cheese Pound Cake





Italian Cream Cake





Homemade " I don't-know-what-to-call-it-mix"





Homemade Ginger Snaps...YUM!

How did I get here?

This pic was taken in February of 2008.


This picture was taken May 31, 2009 at the NoDoubt concert.

What a difference 25 pounds make! My signature pose...
hand on the hip and let the backbone slip.

While putting together a photo montage on the One True Media website, I ran across some pictures of myself self taken throughout 2008 and 2009. As I browsed through my memories, a thought occurred to me, what happened?

Fellow bloggers and blogees, do you ever wonder..."How did I get here?" Here meaning, this weight loss tug-o-war, this battle of the budge. Do you wonder how you became a statistics? Me, I wonder no more. I know. I KNOW what bad choices earned my seat on the chunky butt train:

• I am HERE because...I took the suggested serving size as just that...a suggestion. I no longer negotiate the suggested serving size listed on products. Now, I measure everything, and when I can't measure, I eye my food. Did you know the palm of your hand is equivalent to 3 oz of chicken breast?

• I am HERE because...The gentleman that answers the phone at the Chinese takeout knows my name and what I order before I finish telling him (Call Me Miranda. Remember that episode of Sex and the City?). When I walk through the door he tells the same joke, "Hey Trina! You like your food like your men...huh? SPICY!" I laugh, pay and leave.

• I am HERE because...I could write all day as to why I am HERE. BUT...

Do you know why you are HERE?

Everybody Dance Now!

Sooooooooo, I watched my favorite show tonight...SYTYCD. I shall make this recap, short, but sweet:

Barandon and Jeanette:
For me, this week, the tide has turned. I actually respect the effort put forth by the dynomite duo. I caught my self shimmying and shaking as I watched Brandon and Jeanette cha cha across the stage. Muy bien!

Kupono and Kayla:
Okay, First let me start by saying, the song Eyes on Fire by Blue Foundation...LOVE IT! Loved that song the first time I heard while watching Twilight. My bias kicked in when I discovered Sonya choreographed this number. I previously mentioned I love Sonya's style, so it was no surprise that this piece commanded my attention. Kupono is slowly starting to grow on me, and he reminds me of Mark from last season.

Evan and Randi:
As a Broadway fanatic, I thoroughly appreciated the couple's Fosse influenced performance. Evan and Randi danced to a number inspired by the musical Sweet Charity. The choreographer, Joey, apeared a tad bit scary and intimidating. I hate to say it, but these two may face the bottom 3 tomorrow. Not because the number failed to rock, but someone has to fall in the bottom 3. Did the compact couple dance their way into safety?

Jason and Caitlin:
Huh???? Okay, as an outside the box thinker...I got it, you know the whole alien impregnating the last man on Earth thing? Did you get it? Later on in the program Mia stated, that a choreographer makes or breaks a couple. Brian Friedman...BROKE Jason and Caitlin. I appreciate Friedman's initiative to choreograph innovative, bizarre , quirky numbers, but in my opinion his ego got in the way of this piece. If Jason and Caitlin find their way into the bottom three, a brick should find its way into Friedman's windshield.

Phillip and Jeanine:
Nappytabs (Napoleon and Tabitha) did again y'all...another bangin' routine! Jeanine held her own with Phillip as the hip-hop duo courageously danced with that chain. I nervously sat on the couch as I watched the chain intertwine between the couple's legs and ankles. Phillip and Jeanine persevered and hit every move (BOOM KACK) with reckless abandonment! Now you didn't think I would write this entire post without adding a BOOM KACK did you (see my previous SYTYCD recap for an explanation)?

Vitolio and Karla:
These two quick stepped their way into my heart. Not a real big fan of Vitolio or Karla; however, I picked up the phone and actually voted for them. From beginning to finish, this routine MADE the couple. Choreographers Jean Marc Genereux succeeded , where Friedman failed. My favorite moment, the quick wardrobe change. Both Vitolio and Karla may dodge the bottom three bullet this time

Ade and Melissa:
I saved the best for last. One word...magnificent! The Romeo and Juliet pas de deux performed by Ade and Melissa actually brought tears to my eyes. For those of you who fail to appreciate dance, this number exemplified why shows like SYTYCD exist, why humanitarians fight to keep arts alive in public shcool... Words cannot explain the beauty of the Romeo and Juliet piece. You either possess the love of dance in your heart or you don't. May God have mercy on your soul if you don't.

My bottom 3 predictions this week:

• Jason and Caitlin

• Evan and Randi

• Maybe Kupono and Kayla ????????????????

Oops...my bad...not so short and sweet.

Thursday Night Recap
I decided to add the results show recap to this post, rather than start a whole new post.
Well, I was way off base with last nights predictions. I wanted to put Vitolio and Karla in my bottom 3 prediction, but deep down inside I wanted the newly formed couple to stay. So, tonight we bid adieu to Vitolio and Karla:

Shocking moments for me:

• Cat's dress. Her dress looked like a costume leftover from the movie Flashdance. For just one week, I want Cat to get it right two days in a row. Week after week it's hit or miss with her wardrobe. Tuesday Cat looks fab, and the Wednesday she's a hot mess or Vice versa. Cat needs to fire the SYTYCD stylist and the individual who created Caitlyn's alien costume.

• Kupono and Kayla in the bottom three. What?!? But like I stated last night, somebody has to fall in the bottom three.
  

• Phillip and Jeanine in the bottom three. Come on America. And yes I voted, but to each his own. Different strokes for different folks.
  

Okay...enough said. Tonight's recap was short and sweet....for real this time.

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