An Anchor and a Goal

It has been 3 months since my baby boy was born and I am nowhere near where I thought I would be with my weight. I guess I underestimated how challenging it would be to get back to my goal weight after my pregnancy. I think I was looking at my weight-loss this time the way I looked at it prior to having a child. That is a HUGE No No. I forgot about the fact that my time isn't "MY" time anymore. I also forgot how important getting enough sleep each night is for weight-loss. Let's just say, I've had to make LOTS of adjustments. It's ok. I made a promise to myself that I will accept change (as hard as that is for a control freak planner like me.)

I am a mother who works outside the home so I have to make the most of MY time, when I have it. My schedule used to be a lot more flexible before becoming a mother. I could literally decide on a whim when I would exercise. Now, I have to have a Plan A, Plan B and C and they all have to be approved by my partner (husband) and my boss (my son). Very rarely does my boss approve. So how have I combatted this? I listen to my INNER SKINNY CHICK when she says to include your family in your fitness efforts. Go on walks/runs together. It's much more fun that way and the whole family is likely to approve.

Another thing that keeps me focused is the fact that I have an "anchor" and a "goal." These are two things that my INNER SKINNY CHICK will tell you is absolutely necessary for you to be successful at losing weight and keeping it off. An anchor is something that represents a time in your life that was positive. Maybe you accomplished something amazing or completed an impossible task. You may have even beaten the odds and overcame an illness. Whatever that positive experience is, find a symbol that represents that time, that's your anchor. Place your anchor somewhere that's visible to you. That way when you are challenged and times get rough, and believe me they will, you will have a reminder of just how awesome you are! My anchor is right here on this page to the right if you scroll down just a little bit. It's the picture of me in that "hot" grey dress that I wore in the commercial and print ads for Weight Watchers. The dress itself is my anchor because it represents a time for me when I was at my goal-weight and feeling FABULOUS! It also represents me sharing my story of how I was able to start somewhere and finish somewhere else. I may not have started out as healthy, but I finished as the healthiest version of me.

To make your anchor even more effective, my INNER SKINNY CHICK says to have a goal. Goals are so important. If you were to interview some of the most successful people, they all would say that they have one thing in common...they had a goal and sometimes more than one. Goals are so important because they provide a way for you to measure your success. You can say you want to be successful at living a healthier lifestyle and losing weight, but how can you do that if you have no metrics in place to measure that success? My goal just so happens to be tied to my anchor. My goal is to be able to wear my "commercial" dress again. (How "fitting!" HA HA HA) So, you know what I have done, I have hung my dress on the doorknob of my hall closet in my house. Every time I leave my bedroom, the first thing I see is my dress. This keeps my mind "anchored" to my "goal." (See what I did there?)

What's your anchor? Have you set a goal? Do it TODAY! I can't wait until I can share a photo of myself in that dress holding my baby boy on my hip. I think I will feel even more accomplished than I did the first time around.

Back for the Second Time

Hello everyone! I'm back! I know, I can't stay away this long. How long has it been? Well, about 10 or 11 months. You know what's happened in that time? I had a baby!!! Yup, that's right a beautiful baby boy. My first baby. What a blessing! I am so excited to be a mom and I am so ready for the journey.



 My baby, EJ, all dressed to go on a run with Mommy

(If you want to read more about my adventures with EJ visit The Mommy Diaries: Book of EJ)

 



Some of you may be thinking, "Wow, that's so awesome, but what about her weight-loss?' Or maybe, "Is she still a "skinny chick?" Ok so maybe you aren't thinking that and those are just the voices inside of my head. But, I still feel obligated to answer those questions. What about my weight-loss, well let's see...I gained about 35 pounds during my pregnancy which was within the healthy amount of weight-gain for pregnancy according to doctors.



 

Here I am at 39 weeks and 3 days (about ready to pop)

 



I can honestly say that I am pleasantly surprised about how great I looked and felt during my pregnancy. You always hear those horror stories about women who have gained an obscene amount of weight during their pregnancies and are virtually unrecognizable. I was prepared for that to be me. As someone who has struggled with her weight, I always tend to think the worst in that area. But, like I said, thankfully that was not the case. I made sure of it too, because when I first learned that I was pregnant I listened to my INNER SKINNY CHICK and she told me to continue with my normal habits and routines. Do not use pregnancy as a pass to forget all that you have learned and the lifestyle that you have grown accustomed to. So that's exactly what I did. I continued to remain active. (As active as I could later in the pregnancy.) But, most importantly, I made the decision that I would NOT STOP journaling all of the food that I ate daily. When people found out that I was doing this, they thought that I was crazy. "What?," they would say. "But, you're eating for two. You can have what ever you want." I quickly reminded them that I was eating for two, but not two adults! They had no choice but to agree with that. I worked really hard to keep journaling throughout my entire pregnancy. I am proud to say that I accomplished that.

 

So where am I now? Am I still a "skinny chick?" Well, it has been almost 10 weeks since I had my adorable little man and I still have about 10-15 pounds to lose. I have to admit, it has been a lot harder this time around to lose the weight. I knew that it wouldn't just "fall off," but I thought, given how careful I had been with my eating, that I wouldn't have to work this hard. I started going back to Weight Watchers meetings 3 weeks after my baby was born. I knew that Weight Watchers was the only thing that was going to work for me, since it worked so well for me before. I had to go back to basics. This time around my weight-loss journey has been a lot slower. Granted, I didn't have as much weight to lose this time, but it seems to be taking FOREVER. I lose weight one week and gain a little the next. This seems to be a pattern for me. Although, overall I am losing weight, it is just a very frustrating process. It's even more frustrating when you know you have lost this weight before and NONE of your old clothes fit and you are left with wearing maternity pants until the weight comes off.

 

I knew that once I got clearance from my doctor to begin activity, that would surely ramp up my weight-loss efforts. Not so much. Still very, very slow. I made a commitment to myself that I would register for the Peachtree Road Race (an annual 10K race in Atlanta that happens on July 4th). I have done that and begun my training. I knew this, too, was going to be challenging. I hadn't run in almost a year and in a couple of months my goal was to able to run 6.2 miles. Am I insane?? I guess I thought that since I ran a 1/2 marathon for the first time in 2012 and I did that in the same year that I ran my first 10K that this would be no different. I am on my way in my training, but not without my challenges and bumps in the road. There have been days where I have wanted to give up and say there is no way I will be ready in July. The great thing is I have an accountability partner, my husband, who is training with me. We trained together for the 1/2 marathon so it seemed only right for us to do this together as well. He keeps me focused and helps me keep everything in perspective. I am a new mom, it's only been 10 weeks since the birth of my son, and I just started back at work. I have to listen to my INNER SKINNY CHICK when she says to be patient with myself. This weight took 9 months to gain, it will not come off overnight.

 

 My husband and I at the finish line of the Atlanta Half Marathon on Thanksgiving Day 2012

 







Skinny Chick Quote of the Day

"It's not about being the best. It's about being better than you were yesterday." 

-Unknown 

Skinny Chick Quote of the Day

"Life begins at the end of your comfort zone."
-Neale Donald Walsch

Skinny Chick Quote of the Day

"Be yourself: No one can ever tell you you're doing it wrong." 

-James Leo Herlihy 

Skinny Chick Quote of the Day

"Don't let yesterday use up too much of today." 

-Will Rogers

Skinny Chick Quote of the Day

"What you do every day matters more than what you do once in awhile." 

-Gretchen Rubin

The Scale: Friend or Foe

Over the past couple of weeks I have been having a personal battle with my scale. It just doesn't seem to be saying what I would like it to say. And I have to confess, this is the first time in over 2 years that this has happened. So you can imagine my surprise when I found myself questioning the numbers that I saw on the scale. "What in the world did I do?" "I seem to be doing the same things." "How was my activity this week?" "How many times did I eat out?" These are just a few of the questions that I ask myself to evaluate my week. But, when all the answers to these questions are in line with what you normally do to be successful...then WHAT?

MY INNER SKINNY CHICK says: Sometimes the number on the scale has nothing to do with how successful you have been in your journey to healthy living. As much as this doesn't make sense to most of us, including myself at times, there are lots of other reasons that the number on the scale may not match our efforts. For instance, in my case, I am dealing with some health issues that caused my weight to be up a couple of pounds. Although, I know this to be true, it still seemed to discourage me. There are many other reasons that the scale could be up. For example, did you consume a meal with lots of sodium recently? How about activity; did you try something new that's got you really sore? Maybe your doctor has got you on a different medication. It might even be a hormonal issue. All these reasons could result in water retention which could show as weight gain on the scale.

So how do we stay positive during these times and keep ourselves from spiraling out of control? Here's what works for me. MY INNER SKINNY CHICK says: Establish a non-scale related goal for yourself each week. That way if the scale doesn't say what you would like it to, you are still successful if you achieved your goal. It also helps to think about the things that you have been doing well and what you are proud of. For me, I tried Zumba for the first time last week and it was AMAZING. I have also been doing yoga every morning and have deepened my practice. I have increased my intake of vegetables, which has always been a struggle for me. And even though the scale is up, my clothes are still fitting nicely. See, I found a way to reframe my situation to accentuate the positive things that I have accomplished. This really works and keeps me motivated to keep on going. Remember, this is your journey; no one else's. You are in control of how you react to situations that arise in your life. You can either let them keep you down or fight until the end.

Skinny Chick Quote of the Day

"Today's opportunities erase yesterday's failures." 

-Gene Brown 

Skinny Chick Quote of the Day

"Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." 

-Howard Thurman 

Skinny Chick Quote of the Day

"I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it." 

-Pablo Picasso 

Translated: Practice makes perfect! 

Skinny Chick Quote of the Day

"Cherish your friends, stay true to your principles, live passionately and fully and well." 

-David Nicholls 

Moving Forward: One Tiny Step at a Time

It seems like we're all in a rush, especially when it comes to weight-loss. We've got this mindset of, "Let's see how much weight I can lose in the shortest amount of time." Is it really fair to expect this of ourselves when, in most cases, we didn't put the weight on in a short amount of time? When people find out that I have lost 40 pounds, the first thing they ask me is, "How long did it take for you to lose the weight?" I always find this question interesting because I wonder if it will make a difference for them how I answer the question. If I said it took me 10 years, would those inquiring change their mind about the importance for them to adopt a healthy lifestyle? Would it make me less credible? I really don't know.

What I do know is that we are focusing on the wrong thing. My INNER SKINNY CHICK says: Instead of stressing over how long it is taking you to LOSE weight, why not focus on how LONG you are going to keep the weight OFF.  If this is our mindset from day one, I think that most of us would have a whole different approach to our weight-loss. Instead of trying the latest fad that promises quick results with minimal effort, we would try a plan that makes sense for us in everyday living and incorporates flexibility for our ever-changing lives. I think (and this is just my opinion) that the reason why most of us don't adopt this mindset is because it implies that we will be making a commitment to live healthy for an extended period of time, maybe even for life. This concept may seem daunting for the vast majority of us. How can we possibly go from "couch potato" to "health nut?" Well, I will tell you that if you go into it expecting for this transformation to happen over night, you will just be shooting yourself in the foot. Change--real life-change--takes TIME. If you are looking to lose weight and keep it off, time is going to be your best friend. 

I know this is probably not what you want to hear. Hey, I didn't want to hear it either when I first started out. But, in order to make changes that stick, time is definitely on your side. So, how do we go about this time-consuming change? Well, I'm so glad you asked. My INNER SKINNY CHICK says: Setting manageable goals throughout your journey will get you one step closer to a total lifestyle change. Ah, yes; GOAL-SETTING. This is probably the most powerful skill that you can learn. I will share with you the 3 things that I consider when setting goals for myself. These are characteristics for effective goals no matter what area of life you wish to use them.

1. Make sure your goals are SIMPLE. 

Simplicity is the key. The smaller the goal the better. Small goals are more attainable and are things that you can actually do or achieve. Have you ever made a New Year's resolution? How many times did you actually keep it? More often then not, these resolutions are broken, sometimes even before the end of January. This is typically due to the grand nature of the goal. It's so HUGE that you can't possibly keep it. Stack the deck in your favor. Set yourself up to succeed. A goal met is a WIN no matter how small it is. The small things add up over time to true life-change. 

2. Keep your goals SPECIFIC. 

It's nice to say that you want to run or walk. But, how far? How long? How often? Answering these questions will make your goal more specific, therefore measurable. How will we know if we have actually met our goal if there are no specifics? It's a lot easier to know if I've met my goal if I say, "I want to walk 3 times a week for 30 minutes" then if I just say, "I want to walk." 

3. Be REALISTIC. 

Going back to our goal of walking, do you think it's realistic for me to set a goal to walk 5 miles if I have never even walked 1 mile? Probably not. If we set goals that are unrealistic for ourselves, we may not be able to meet them and this will do nothing but discourage us. When you are setting goals ask yourself this question, "Is this doable for me?"  It's so important to add the "for me" part. The goal may be doable, but for someone else. What good will that do you? It must be realistic and doable for YOU. 

So there you have it. SIMPLE, SPECIFIC and REALISTIC. If your goals have these characteristics, you're on your way to behavioral changes with staying power. Again, I want to reiterate, this will take TIME. But, what happens when you set a goal and achieve it? Most of us feel excited, proud and empowered to go further. You may even set another goal. Before you know it, you will notice a change in yourself and you'll wonder, "Hey, when did that happen?"

What's the BPM?

Music is such an important part of my workout routine. Research has shown that songs with a tempo of 120 bpm (beats per minute) or higher are great for cardio exercise. This is because your heart rate will naturally want to sync to the tempo of the music. MY INNER SKINNY CHICK says: Everything is better with a soundtrack. So find yours and get MOVING.

Here a list of my favorite songs to listen to while running. Most of these songs have a tempo of 120 bpm or higher. Feel free to steal these and add them to your playlist.

Note: Some of these songs my contain explicit lyrics

PUSHER LOVE GIRL-JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE

MY LOVE-JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE/T.I.

I CAN TRANSFORM YA-CHRIS BROWN

BEEZ IN THE TRAP-NICKI MINAJ

STARSHIPS-NICKI MINAJ

POUND THE ALARM-NICKI MINAJ

HARD-RIHANNA

RUDE BOY-RIHANNA

WANNA BE STARTIN SOMETHIN-MICHAEL JACKSON

GET ME BODIED-BEYONCE

UPGRADE U-BEYONCE/JAY-Z

DEJA VU-BEYONCE/JAY-Z

RUN THIS TOWN-JAY-Z

ON TO THE NEXT ONE-JAY-Z

REMINDER-JAY-Z

THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL-MICHAEL JACKSON

ANOTHER PART OF ME-MICHAEL JACKSON

DIRTY DIANA-MICHAEL JACKSON

CRAZY IN LOVE-BEYONCE/JAY-Z

BOOM BOOM POW-BLACK EYED PEAS

SUIT & TIE-JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE

DON'T HOLD THE WALL-JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE

MIRRORS-JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE

COUNTDOWN-BEYONCE

END OF TIME-BEYONCE

RUN THE WORLD (GIRLS)-BEYONCE

PON DE REPLAY-RIHANNA

DON'T STOP THE MUSIC-RIHANNA

ADDICTION-RYAN LESLIE

SUNDAY MORNING-MAROON 5

MOVES LIKE JAGGER-MAROON 5

MAKES ME WONDER-MAROON 5

ONE MORE NIGHT-MAROON 5 

You can also find more 120 bpm songs by doing a google search or use this link:

More 120 BPM Songs

Cupcake WARS

A cupcake. You would not believe how much of an impact this simple treat has had on my weight-loss journey. It's quite interesting because before I began losing weight, I really was never moved or tempted by cupcakes. I would much rather have indulged in a piece of cake, preferably Carrot, Red Velvet or a refreshing piece of Key Lime Pie. Cupcakes were a tease to me. Little did I know, this was all about to change. 

I can remember the day my battle began with cupcakes. It was a battle that I would ultimately win, however it doesn't seem that way in the beginning. It was in February of 2011. I was about 3 months into my weight-loss journey with Weight Watchers and I had been doing rather well. I had begun to figure out a way to stick to my daily target of points and not feel particularly deprived, all while losing weight at a healthy rate each week. It was my employee's birthday and I decided, as a treat, I would bring her cupcakes to celebrate her day. Keep in mind, this was MY decision to buy the cupcakes. 

When the time came to open the box, everyone dove right in and grabbed their treat while I retreated to my office and indulged in my 2 point WW mini bar. I smiled to myself as I celebrated my victory of passing on the cupcakes. Then, out of nowhere my employee, who's birthday it was, came into my office with something in her hand. I could smell it as soon as she entered my space. What was she doing? How could she enter my sacred space with such a sinful indulgence? Is she really trying to see me fail? I couldn't think straight. And then it happened; the perfectly frosted cake of deliciousness was placed on my desk with a loud thud. Okay, so it really didn't make a thud, but it sure felt like it. 

Panic began to surge through my body. I could feel my will power beginning to melt away with every passing moment. I heard her say the words, "You forgot your cupcake." Then the battle began. "Oh, I'm not going to have a cupcake," I said. "I really don't want one." As I heard the lie come out my mouth, my desire begin to increase and I could feel myself beginning to salivate. "Do it for me," she said. "It's my birthday. It's not like you eat like this ALL the time." We began to go back and forth arguing our cases to the death. Finally she said, "Fine. I'm leaving this here for you." As she turned and walked out of my office and shut the door, I believe my heart stopped at that moment.

I sat there just staring at the cupcake. I started to take deep breaths, thinking to myself, "I don't really want this cupcake. If I just sit here long enough, it will pass." I began to tap my fingers on my desk and bite my pen. All the while the cupcake seemed to grow larger by the second.Then it happened...I tore into that cake like I hadn't eaten in at least a month. When my employee came back to check on me, the only evidence that was left of my battle with the cupcake was a few crumbs on my desk. She smiled at me with a knowing look and left.

I was thinking about the decision that I had made. I felt so guilty and pathetic. I felt as if I had set myself back and all the progress that I had made on my weight-loss journey up until this moment didn't mean a thing. Then I remembered something that I heard at my Weight Watchers meeting that week. Some members had mentioned that they were using their 49 extra points allowance to have treats throughout the week. I had prided myself in the fact that I had NEVER used any of my extra points. I had been able stay within my daily points without ever having to use any extra. I decided to figure out how many points my cupcake cost me. After determining that I had spent 14 points, I knew that if I wanted to eat for the rest of the week I was going to have to use some of those extra points. So I accounted for my cupcake. Believe it or not, I actually felt better. I had acknowledged what I had eaten.

That week when I attended my Weight Watchers meeting, I was extremely nervous about stepping on the scale because I knew about my battle with the cupcake. I held my breath, "Here goes." To my surprise...I had lost weight! I couldn't believe it. I was so shocked. I shared my cupcake story with my leader and the other members in the group. As I was describing what happened, I realized that what I was feeling was a result of deprivation. MY INNER SKINNY CHICK says: The way you lose your weight is the way that you will have to maintain your weight-loss. If you lose weight by deprivation, and not treating yourself along the way, you will have to maintain your loss by doing the same.

From that point on, I have used my extra allowance to treat myself every week, even with CUPCAKES! I actually celebrated my birthday a few weeks ago and I planned to treat myself to a gourmet cupcake that was AMAZING!

The key to losing weight and keeping it off is not a life of deprivation or eliminating the foods that you love. It's about managing those foods and enjoying them in moderation.

Do you have your own story like my cupcake story? What are some of the foods that you love to treat yourself with?

 

ME AT CAMI CAKES (GOURMET CUPCAKE SHOP) 

http://camicakes.com/

 

THE SWEET POTATO CUPCAKE THAT I CHOSE

Skinny Chick Quote of the Day

"To be a great champion, you must believe you are the best. If not, pretend you are." 

-Muhammad Ali

Skinny Chick Quote of the Day

"The only justification for looking down on someone is if we're going to stop and pick them up." 

-Jesse Jackson 

I'm Back!!!

It has been several months since my last blog post. I had taken a break because I honestly was feeling like no one was really interested in what I had to say. When I started this blog about a year and a half ago, I really had no idea what the outcome would be. I thought that what I had to say would be relevant to some people, and they may even be inspired by it. I also thought it may serve as an outlet for me to express what I was really feeling, somewhat like a journal or diary.

I was posting pretty consistently for a while and then I started to feel like I was wasting my time. Were people really interested in what I had to say?? Or, was it just a collection of my close friends and family members stopping by to see what I had written? So, I thought, "to heck with it." I just stopped posting. I felt like blogs that were accentuating negative feelings and emotions were getting more readership. My blog was "too positive." No one wants to hear from someone who is actually being successful at weight-loss. Where's the drama in that? This made me think my blog was like the people who are replaced on reality TV shows because they are "boring." (Whatever that means...)

Well, guess what....I'm not going to let any of that stop me. I'M BACK! With all of my positive, happy, inspirational glory. If you need to feel good about yourself, feel encouraged or inspired, this is the place for you. I may even make you laugh a time or two. So get ready, MORE POSTS TO COME!

Skinny Chick Quote of the Day

"The greatest pleasure in life is doing what others say you cannot do."
-Walter Bagehot

Skinny Chick Quote of the Day

"I'm not telling you it's going to be EASY, I'm telling you it's going to be WORTH it!"
-Judy Garland