#GIRLBYE

Greetings! I'm still FAT. BYE. HA HA! 

I'm Baaaaaaaaaaaack Biiiiiiiitcheeeeees!

It took me almost two hours to log into this beeyotch. I thought my blog perished into the blog abyss with the rest of those absentee bloggers in my blog roll. My nerves right now... SHOT.TO. HELL. Let's catch up manana. I just can't right now. I can't even.... HAA HAA!

Just waiting...

...waiting to hit rock bottom.

Greetings Me So Hongry blog readers, those still hanging around (all 3 of you), at this time I come to you contrite, ready to confess & acknowledge my sins. I gained 11 lbs (probably more), and many many many many maaaaaaaaaaaaaaany days, weeks, months, etc. have transpired since, my last workout. Sigh.

I  firmly resolve to perform my penance, and amend my wicked unhealthy ways...

...starting tomorrow.

I see and feel the weight creeping back on. For the most part my clothes still fit, but some days my clothes feel like this...


Yes, some days, I feel as though I am going to bust out of my clothes like David Banner as he transforms into the Hulk.

Sigh...

Like I said, just waiting to hit rock bottom...

Grabbing the bull by the BALLS...

Since I failed to win the lottery or marry into money, tomorrow I return to work after a much deserved restful summer hiatus! YES, I plan to marry for wealth, not love. Pssshh...love is overrated. Been there, done that...got the shirt, the mug, the pen, the book, the hat, the bumper sticker, AND wrote the script for the Lifetime Movie. 

Thanks to my impending 40th birthday next year, I spent the majority of my summer internally wrestling with my demons. At the forefront...weight loss *heavy sigh*. After my MANY MANY episodes of Internal Dialogue Theater I came to a realization.

I am in the midst of a  MIDLIFE CRISIS, aka midlife transition. And I also just realized I do not know how to spell midst...thank you spell check.

I admit I spiraled out of control a few times this summer and engaged in some audacious behaviors like...well never mind that.  Anyway, in an attempt to rein in the madness I decided to turn this so called "crisis" into an opportunity. An opportunity to make some life-changing decisions and grab the bull by the balls. Or is it...grab the bull by the horns. Either way, I'm grabbing something...

So, life changing decision number #1, GET BACK IN THE WEIGHT LOSS GAME before I end up like THAT...AGAIN!

So, now what? 

First and foremost, I must stop succumbing to the F**k IT Fallout Effect! I falter one time, and say to myself, "F**k it! I quit. I'll pick up where I left off...tomorrow." And the fallout, one bad behavior snowballs into an avalanche of F**k its! And the next thing I know, I find myself eating sour gummy worms for dinner...true story.

Instead of falling prey to the F**k It Fallout Effect, I need to WORK ON the following:

• STOP. STOP and think. STOP criticizing myself.  STOP and realize I made a faux pas. It happens to everyone.

• ASK. Ask myself, what did I learn from my faux pas and what do I need to do differently to make my healthy lifestyle change WORK?

• FOCUS. This weight loss undertaking requires dedication and commitment. Consequently, I need to stay focused and not surrender at the first sign of trouble.

• EXONERATE. The most important aspect of any weight loss plan, forgiveness. I need to remember, in the event of a faux pas, I MUST exonerate myself, not dwell on my mistake(s), and KEEP IT MOVING.

Check it out I created my own acronym...SAFE. 

• STOP
• ASK
• FOCUS
• EXONERATE

O_o I just glanced at the clock and it read 1:48 AM. I wholeheartedly appreciate my summers off, but as summer progresses, I fall into a routine of languidness which drastically alters my schedule. As a result, I stay up until the break of dawn and sleep til noon or later. I wonder if any other teacher suffer from Summers-Off-Screwed-Up-Sleeping-Pattern Syndrome.

I digressed. Back to the subject at hand...

Damn grabbing the bull by the horns. BALLS. I choose BALLS...more aggressive. And I need to be MORE aggressive in my ATTACK this time. My 40th birthday approaches and I WILL BE...

FORTY, FIERCE & FABULOUS!

Did you read my last post? FYI, It's pretty cool.

Lesson learned the hard weigh...

And so the HAWMC continues...


Today's writing prompt: Learned the Hard Way...What's a lesson you learned the hard way? Write about it for 15 minutes.

Well one lesson I learned...After I finish viewing Redbox movies, I must remember to place the previously viewed movies in my line of sight. If not, I forget that I rented them, thus resulting in my ownership of a new movie. And let me tell you, I own quite an extensive collection of Redbox movies.

Seriously...a lesson, or THE lesson in life that I learned the hard way (and continue to learn on a daily basis)...

Friend Making Monday...

Yes, I am well aware of the fact that today is indeed Wednesday. And has been all day long. I spied Friend Making Monday on Miss Haneefa's blog, Black Girl Gets Fit a few Monday's ago. I finally stole found some time to participate. Friend Making Monday comes to you courtesy of Kenlie from All The Weigh! Well, here goes nothing!

HOUSTON HEALTHY LIFESTYLE MEET-UP!

The holiday season, my favorite time of year,  LOOMS just around the corner. And with it, comes the ONSLAUGHT  of food....FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD! 

 For me, the holidays consume and overwhelm me.  In the past, my hectic schedule filled with holiday soirees, shopping, and family functions served as the perfect excuse for me to forget about my personal health goals. What about you my friends? Do you find staying focused during the months of November and December challenging?

To the Winner Goes the Spoils...Weight Loss Rewards

So, let me first start by saying, the blogging community let me down a little bit. I blog for me, not for the comments. However, I asked for feedback a.k.a comments in my post titled, Did You Know There's a Weight Limit For Kayaking? I just wanted some ideas in regards to how you reward your weight loss efforts. 

The thing that chapped my hide...I received over 100 views for that particular post, but only 12 comments. Baffling. I took my comment temper-tantrum to Twitter and a few fellow tweeps responded with reasons why they do or do not comment. 

One response, which made total sense, blog readers comment when they can contribute positively to the conversation at hand. And I respect that. Like my momma always says, "If you don't have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all!" 

Well...a few people left some nice comments about weight loss rewards, which I found helpful:

• To cut cost, Mesha from Potter's Clay suggested that I  keep my rewards thrifty by visiting my local thrift store. Great Idea Mesha! Check out my new purse from a local thrift store.

You like? With these hard times, I am becoming a quite the recessionista.

• Krystal from Skinny Jeans Dreams gave me a novel idea:

"I am supposed to be doing this but due to some serious lack of funds, I haven't been. But I originally planned to reward myself with $10 for every week I stayed on track with weight watchers and put it away for a real treat."

A couple of other bloggers, Ro and Plum Petals also offered a similar idea of saving up for a big reward. 

I think in the mean time I will stick with the plan of rewarding myself with a small token for every 5 lbs lost, and I will save up for  a big reward when I accomplish huge milestones: reaching a certain size, 75 lb loss, 100 lb loss, etc. 

Speaking of big rewards...my mom and I went shopping for my 20th high school reunion dress. After hours of grueling shopping, we finally found a dress! And here it is!!

Awww come on...did you honestly thing I would revel my reunion dress? Really? In due time my friends...in due time. 

My mom purchased  the dress for me. While at the register, she says, "That's your reward." Reward for what you ask? For being the most fabulous daughter in the world...ummm...heeelllooo! 

Part 2...Pinky's Response

Before reading this post, click here to read part 1...Did you know there's a weight limit for kayaking?

Pinky's Kayak Rentals

Before I share my conversation with Pinky's, let me set the scenario for the email I sent. I pretended that I planned to bring a group of friends kayaking.  Going were two couples and my overweight friend. Not completely unheard of! That used to be me, the overweight friend...the 5th wheel! 

So, I emailed Pinky and the following conversation ensued:

Me:  

I'm curious, how do you handle the weight limit issue? Your website says if one exceeds the weight limit, you can set the person up with a partner and a tandem kayak?

What do you tell the person your setting the overweight patron up with? When do you make the arrangements? I want to bring a group a friends, and this could be a potentially embarrassing situation for one of them. Thanks for your time.

Pinky's: 

Good morning Trina :-)

Thanks for your interest in our services and a great question. We have two types of Kayaks available a single and a tandem both with weight limits due to safety and the structural integrity of the kayaks...Oops! I am sorry Trina, I did not mean to bore you with the details, but in a nutshell it comes down to safety and making sure the kayaker is comfortable.

So usually what occurs is the overweight kayaker is paired with a lighter weight one, this can be done at the launch site discreetly. Or what typically happens is the overweight kayaker comes to the launch already paired up with one of their friends or family members, so there is no mention of weight at all since everything is decided ahead of time. Hopefully, this answers your question, but if you need further clarification or have any other questions please feel free to ask away.

Have a fantastic week :-)

I DID INDEED NEED FURTHER CLARIFICATION...SORRY PINKY!

Me: 
I'm hoping that we can find a partner for my friend, but in the event that we don't...you mentioned that you pair the two discreetly. What exactly do you mean by discreetly? Do you just pull the two to the side? If we  don't find a partner can I email you ahead of time and let you know? Do we need to arrive ahead of time so the pairing can occur? Thanks on advance for your assistance! 

Pinky:

Hey there Trina,

What will likely occur is the following: Say we have a tour for 8 people. You guys show up with 5 people having reserved two tandems and a single and the other group of 3 reserved singles, well the overweight person will be paired with someone from your group since you guys reserved the tandems. So you will still have 2 tandems and 1 single. The others in the group of 3 people will not be affected, as they reserved 3 single kayaks. So if you are coming in as a group, we reserve the kayaks requested for that group. It would be much easier for you guys to figure it out ahead of time so that this will not be an issue. If we need to move people around we will, but it starts and stays mainly with your group, as it would be unfair to move someone expecting a single to a tandem. We hope this helps clarify the situation for you. Please let us know if we can help you out any further Trina.

Thanks again and have a great day!

He kinda answered my questions. BUT,  not really. What I want to know IS...

What if my hypothetical overweight friend shows up to the park without a partner? 

The moral to the story:
From me to you, I advise all overweight patrons to bring a partner or you may endure an unpleasant experience. 

You know what friends...2 years ago that weight loss restriction applied to ME! Fast forward two years later, I AM NOT THAT GIRL...not the 5th wheel...not the overweight mortified kayaker! 

My last statement reminded me of one of the best comments I have received in a while from Jane: 

Just found your blog and it's so funny! Love it. :) As for the kayak scenario...I was somewhere when i saw a "weight limit 200 lbs" sign (maybe a rickety old elevator in Paris?) and it felt SO good to say to myself "HA! I can ride this bitch now!!!" when I wouldn't have been able to a few months ago. :) 

So...to the kayak I say...
As Jane so eloquently put it, "HA! I can ride that bitch NOW!"

Did you know there's a weight limit for kayaking?

OH EM GEE Y'ALL! For the past few days I experienced   Internet connectivity problems. The Internet issues frustrated me to no end, AND now I MUST  tweak my blogging schedule in order to maintain posting consistency.  

Originally,  I planned to churn out 3 post this weekend for next week. And...as of right now, 3 post by the end of today...not gonna happen, especially with my self diagnosed ADD.

So...the other day I received a comment from C of The Evolution of Me. She basically put me on blast in regards to how I reward my weigh loss efforts:-)

Put on blast: to be called out for something, to put someone's personal business or secrets in the spotlight, to be told off in front of a lot of people.

Used in a sentence:
The Weight Watchers receptionist put me on blast. She told everyone my weigh in results! *not a true statement*

I appreciate C for putting me on blast. Her comment made me sit down and reevaluate my weight loss rewards system...or lack there of.

Weight Loss Motivation... 7 Reasons Why I'm Still Wearing a DAMN Size 14!

Alright already, I need to get this party started and stop dragging my dayum feet. At this point in the weight loss game, size 10s or 8s should be hanging in my closet! I know what I need to do, but my brain and my stomach continue to battle for control! To help myself get it together I composed the following list of reasons why the size 10s still elude ME:

I CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH...The Truth About Tracking!

NO...I CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH...the truth about the foods I eat, well the truth about the bad food choices I make. When I choose poorly, I conveniently forget to TRACK. Why do I conveniently forget to TRACK? I don't want to face the truth.

GOT MILF?

I would love to take credit for my witty post title, but...I ripped the title off from an email I received from Spark People. I originally planned to title this post " O NO SHE DI'INT!" Instead I opted for GOT MILF...get it?


Okay, so I rocked this ensemble last month at a quince I attended (BEST QUINCE EVER!). When I arrived on the scene the young men my kids dance with whipped their head around, and then proceeded to  hoot and holler about HOW HOT I LOOKED! And I quote: "DANG MS. GAINES WOOOO HOOOO! YOU LOOK HOT!  OOOOO MS. GAINES! GOOOOOO MS. GAINES!"


I let the dance crew carry on for several minutes and I loved every second of it! Check me out...MILF in da hizzy!

My boys participated in the quince and performed with their dance crew.

Okay, so back to me...check out the jacket. You like? Well let me tell you the back story.

OPERATION SEXY-FICATION!

Aside from feeding out bodies, we also need to feed our minds. So, I got a little brain food for ya. Stimulate your mind and solve this riddle:

Question: What has two thumbs AND is 5.4 lbs lighter?

Do you need a little think music to contemplate your answer (press play)?

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V

STILL THINKING?

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V

QUESTION: What has two thumbs AND is 5.4 lbs lighter?

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V

ANSWER: THIS GIRL!

My last two weigh-ins yielded a substantial loss:

1/29/11...-1.4

1/22/11...-4.2

For the last two weeks I followed the WW points plus program by tracking my daily food intake (part of my New Year's solutions). Several bloggers expressed interest in my opinion of the new Points Plus program. At this time, the verdict is still out since your truly fell of the wagon over the holidays. After my two week winter break I managed to find 10 of my lost lbs. And my stomach after two weeks of reckless eating...I looked about 3 months pregnant. But of course I KNEW, pregnancy WAS NOT the source of my bloated belly. The day I get pregnant, is the day I ice skate to work. And today's high...71 BALMY DEGREES!

In  addition to the tracking, I also squeezed in  3 workouts: Zumba, Boot Camp and my new favorite Wii video game...Just Dance 2. I recommend this game for anyone who loves to dance AND wants to lose weight! And ya'll know how I roll...expect a Wii Just Dance 2 vlog demonstration sometime in the near future.

On to other late breaking news...
So, last week I received a Facebook notification from our high school reunion planning committee! Believe it or not...this year marks our 20 year reunion! Do I look like I graduated from high school 20 years ago (rhetorical question...lol)?

20 YEARS! WOW! For my reunion, I want to saunter through the door looking my most FAB-U-LOUS! So...from now until October I plan to lose my last 40 lbs. So, that means I must transform into a BEAST and bust it out for the next 8 months. 

LET OPERATION SEXY-FICATION COMMENCE!

Forty lbs seems like a tall mountain to climb, BUT...if I arm myself with the right attitude, weight loss tools, and lean on my support system...no mountain is to tall to climb (corny...I feel like I should insert Miley Cyrus' video The Climb here...O_o)

OKAY PEEPS LET'S MAKE 2011 THE YEAR OF OPERATION SEXY-FICATION! WHO'S DOWN?! I think I need to make an OPERATION SEXY-FICATION badge. 

Just a heads up...I plan to bring back the "CUTE AS A BUNNY CHALLENGE." Stay tuned for details!

FYI...the Compusave guy saved my baby (laptop) and removed all of the viruses. For those of you out of the loop...aside from falling of the weight loss wagon, my laptop crashed during the holidays :-(

How are those New Year's resolutions working out for ya?

First and foremost, I want to thank all of you for your continued support:
My New Blog Buddies: Thanks for allowing my blog the opportunity to entertain and motivate you as we both struggle through our weight loss endeavor. Many many many times I wanted to surrender and just give up, but your blogs and comments encouraged me to persevere. 
Me So Hongry First-Timers:WELCOME! Sit back, strap on your seat belt and get ready for a roller coaster ride. Experience my ups and downs with me, and I hope you plan to return time and time again.
My Supportive Lurkers:You know who you are. Show me some love when stopping by my blog.

So, how are those New Year's Resolutions working out for ya? If you made resolutions and stuck with them, congratulations, you successfully made it through DAY 26! For those of you who floundered, shake it off! As of 2011, I resolve to never make another New Year's resolution...wait, I think I just inadvertently made a  resolution. Okay, starting now, no more resolutions.  As most of you know, I pride myself on keeping it real; so, let's get real!  For eons, millions of people start the New Year by resolving to lose weight, and by the end of January that resolution among others falls by the wayside.  Well, instead of making New Year's Resolutions,  how about making some New Year's Solutions! 

WEIGHT WATCHERS WORKS!

My laptop crashed, so I decided to republish one of my favorite post.

You know what pisses me off? People that say:

 "This time I am losing weight on my own. NO WEIGHT WATCHERS, NO JENNY CRAIG, NO SLIM FAST, NO DIET PILLS, NO SURGERY...NOTHING! I'M DOIN IT ON MY OWN!"

No Weight Watchers! So choosing WW means not losing weight on YOUR OWN?  Let me tell you something:

AND THE WINNER IS...

THE WINNER OF MY "$75 CSN Christmas Comes Early Giveaway IS...


DRUM ROLL PLEASE...

Heather over at Scoomer! CONGRATS HEATHER and HAPPY SPENDING!

Quick weigh-in update...

Last Saturday's weigh results, -.6, the equivalent to a tube of toothpaste. Not bad, I lost a tube of toothpaste.   A loss is a loss no matter how big or small. And you know what? All of those small losses add up!  

So what's in store for this week? MY BIRTHDAY!  AND I PLAN TO GET MY PARTY ON!

"EGG-cellent" Breakfast Cassarole

Weigh In Updates...
Okay...so week before last I weighed in, and nearly chucked the scale through the WW store-front when I saw the 4 lb. GAIN in my weigh in booklet! YES, 4 lbs!  I thank TOM and few skipped days of taking my blood pressure meds for the gain:-( Well this past Saturday, TOM vamoosed and I got back on track with my meds...and guess what?  I LOST 6.7 LBS. I KNOW...A WICKED AWESOME LOSS!!

Blogger Meet Up...
God's Favorite Shoes (my homie) suggested a Houston blogger meet up sometime during the month of November. Anyone game? If so, hit me up via email or leave a comment! 


Alright, on to the crux of my post. My big loss gave me the momentum I need to stay on track and focus this week. As a result, I planned my menu and I am actually executing it. You know planning is key, but planning only works when you FOLLOW the plan...DUH.  Many many weeks I sat myself down, made a menu and veered from the menu by eating random crap like frozen dinners. 


Well, as I thumbed through some recipe books, I found one of my breakfast favorites in the Body for Life Cookbook by Bill Phillips.

Girl Make that Booty POP!

DO YOU NEED SOME MOTIVATION? I just received a COLOSSAL dose of some much needed motivation via TJ's Test Kitchen...check out her journey in pictures. Make sure you grab a box of Kleenex. 

So...TODAY quite a few coworkers complimented me on my ensemble. In all honesty, I thought I looked jazzy everyday (LOL).  As well, yesterday many coworkers admired my new hairstyle, which thanks to tonight's ZUMBA class no longer exist.  

As soon as I arrived home I looked for one of my photographers.  Of course, my youngest rolled his eyes and called me weird for asking him to help me with my afternoon photo-shoot. My kids DO NOT understand the whole blogging thing. Anywho, I call this look...     

 TEACHER CHIC [sheek]

I borrowed the glasses from my son for an extra added touch...tres chic!

 A fellow first grade teacher looked at me and then announced, "I NEED TO GO SHOPPING!" I replied, "Girl, I shopped for these clothes in my closet." I wore both the skirt and the shirt during my chunkier days.  Last week I took the skirt to the alteration shop. And yes I escaped the shop unscathed! I rocked the belt to detract from the bagginess of the shirt.

On to the booty poppin! The ZUMBA instructor introduced some new routines, and one of them quickly became my favorite:

SHAZAAM! 5 LBS LOST!!

I started writing this post last Tuesday, but after I wrote a few paragraphs the post started to feel a bit FORCED, so I stepped away from the computer to let my loss and some other happenings marinate...without further adieu my "big loss post..."

I kid you not...5lbs lost last week. I try not to focus on numbers, but 5 lbs bares some mentioning! I tweeted my news and a fellow Tweep asked me what did I do differently last week. Well, for starters...

• After a strenuous workout, I drink an EAS protein drink or Muscle Milk to build muscle. In addition, drinking a protein beverage after working out helps your body recover.

•  A couple of weeks ago I decided to double up on my physical activity. I complete both a ZUMBA and kickboxing class on Wednesday nights...two hours of hardcore sweating to the MAX! Last week I burned around 1005 calories...SHAZAAM!

• I restricted the number of times I ate "bad" sugary cereal. Why do I own bad sugary cereal? Look folks, some things (like cereal) I know I must give up, but I refuse to. I am a work in progress. 

• Beans, beans, beans. I find when I eat beans I tend to lose. Unwanted side effects: GAS! My advice... I recommend you not standing downwind when the cannon fires!

• I stopped letting my new job stress me out. No more staying late...I still bring a little work home. I realized the importance of taking the time to take  care of ME!

So as promised in my last post my GLOWS & GROWS!

GROWS:

• I need to track more consistently. Rather,  I need to start tracking...PERIOD!  Every week I watch other WW participants accept awards for losing. And every time the leader asks, "What's working for you?" And every time the "loser" responds, "Tracking."  My iTouch makes tracking easy, but I never pick it up to track.  When I rock WW the program I track my food ahead of time at night. Sometimes, I jot the food I eat down and track at the end of the day. Since losing a little balance (thanks to my new job, which I love), my tracking fell by the wayside. 

• I MUST find time to plan meals and grocery shopping excursions. The key to weight loss, no the key to anything you want to accomplish...PLANNING!

GLOWS:

• Again, I try not to get caught up in numbers, BUT...I purchased a pair of size 12 pants this weekend. Sizes vary from store to store, so I remind myself not to "judge a book by it's cover" so to speak. I really wanted these pants for work, so I told myself, "Aww what the heck...I'm gonna try this size 12."  What's the worst that could happen? Worst case scenario I pull the pants over my hips, they get stuck, and then I'd call for back up from the dressing room attendants...no biggie.  
  

• I used some new strategies to curb my late night snacking:

I purchased Life Savers and popped one in my mouth when I felt like snacking.

I stayed busy by helping my mom wrap 75 candy bars for various functions:



The funny thing, I never wanted to eat one of these yummy chocolate bars.
My brain entered work mode...no eating allowed!

Since starting the post last Tuesday, I weighed in again and the scale tried to ruin my weekend with a +.6 gain. Not even a whole pound. Basically I gained a tube of toothpaste (whoop-de-doo).  This just means I must work harder this week.

But...
 I am already off to a bad start. Last Friday I went to the salon to get beautified for my grandmother's 95th birthday party this past weekend; so, now my hair looks FAB...to FAB to get sweaty. If my mom read this post she would say, "Either you're gonna be fat and cute with fabulous hair, or you're going to be fit and sexy with not so fabulous hair"  And in my defeated voice I would reply, "Okay...I choose fit and sexy."  So tomorrow...ZUMBA!