Snatching it back!!!

Who is snatching it back?? Me…YASS HUNTY! #werk

Like many people, January 1^st I made all kinds of promises to get healthy. I said I would eat right. I would work out 4 times a week. I would get enough sleep.  By February 1^st, I only manage to log back into my Weight Watchers account.  NO, I didn’t track any points. I had no motivation. And my clothes were getting tired.

March while scrolling through my Instagram (IG) I came across FitnessasaLifestyle. He is a local Atlanta guy who specialized in boot camp style training. He had meal and workout plans posted on his website.  I thought this is what I need but closer to home rather than downtown. I tried the meal plan for a week and lost 5 pounds. I immediately gained it back because I did not adopt the lifestyle. 

Prayers were answered! My son’s football coach wife (yep, just like that) was starting a boot camp style workout class. It was outside though. I quickly dismissed the thoughts because I don’t mind being outdoors. I dragged myself to the first official class. I brought my 3 pounds weights (total 6, turn up). She tossed them to side and gave two 15 pound weights. She asked that I pressed while I squatted. Ummm Ma’am! Excuse ma’am!  I cannot. Well she pushed and I did.

I decide to give her 3 days out the week. Now I heard all the stories and sayings: Takes 7 days to make a habit. You will notice after 30. Keep pushing. It takes time.

 My body and health did not change.

The reality is that fitness and health had to become a lifestyle.  I had to change my eating habits so I started logging into Weight Watchers every day. I tracked everything that I ate. I chose water over every other beverage. I dedicated 4 days a week to working on me and snatching it back.

Yes, this is a very slow process. I know you see pictures of woman all over the internet transform in 30 days.  It just isn’t true for every woman. It took me 4 weeks to lose 7 pounds. It took me 2 months to lose 7 inches. I have good days, bad days and days from hell. I don’t want to workout every other day. I don’t want to miss out on good food.  I am tired.

The results are worth it!!!! See pics below:

January 2013                                                                                      May 2013

May 2013                                                                                             June 2013

I don’t care about the rate I am losing weight and getting healthy. It may take 3 more months or until the end of the year.  I don’t care. I care about

“Snatching it Back”.

Starting Weight (01/13): 193 lbs

Current Weight (06/13): 182 lbs

Height: 5’1

Goal:  160 lbs

Enjoy and Smooches

Purple Cocoa.

Are You Standing in Your Own Way?

The Write or Die Chick: Are You Standing in Your Own Way?

By Janelle Harris

Share your thoughts!

Smooches

When I was a kid, I had a Baby Skates doll. I can still see her vividly in my mind... she had a little Condoleezza Rice-ish bob and a neon pink and yellow outfit. Her shorts might’ve even qualified as hot pants, now that I think about it. I was none the wiser back then. All I knew is I pressed her button and she would whirl into action, rolling all robotic across the kitchen floor. Then, if I didn’t have her trajectory lined up just so, she would hit a wall and skate against that ugly wood paneling until her batteries were drained. 


Sometimes I feel just like Baby Skates.

As much of a big dreamer as I am and as many times as I’ve written out my goals and pasted additions to my vision board, I have had to recognize that sometimes it ain’t the wall standing in my way. Sometimes it’s me. I indulge in more than my fair share of self-sabotage, and I’ve discovered that I’m pretty good at it. I procrastinate like nobody’s business. That right there is my special hidden talent. You need some time wasted, honey? I’m your woman. Thing is, I always look busy. That’s because I’m also easily distracted. While I’m flitting all around, I’m not getting too much of anything done. It drives me crazy about myself, and ultimately it’s blocked me from scratching as many things off my to-do list of accomplishments.

Several years back, my pastor — the amazing Rev. Harold B. Hayes, Jr. at Hunter Memorial AME Church in Suitland, MD, in case you’re wondering — preached a New Year’s Eve sermon telling us that we already have access to the things God has for us. We just need to tap into it. He encouraged us to activate it in the physical by shaking our keys at things we were praying to manifest in our lives, the keys representing access.

My friends and I hopped in the car the next day and shook ourselves silly. We shook our keys at beautiful houses. We shook our keys at the BMW dealership. We shook our keys at the airport because we wanted to be world travelers, at banks because we wanted to be philanthropists, and at schools because we all want advanced degrees minus the burden of student loans. And of course, we shook our keys at David’s Bridal. I mean, it couldn’t hurt.

After that exercise in faith, I was all prepped and ready for my breakthrough. God was going to do something powerful after all that naming and claiming and key-shaking. Then I struggled through three of the most terrible years of my life. I landed in eviction court -- three times -- because I was too broke to pay my rent. My car got repossessed. My daughter was having emotional problems and failing out of a school that, unbeknownst to her, I was thisclose to having to pull her from because I couldn’t afford the tuition. My relationship with my man was on the fritz. Life wasn’t looking anything like the wonderland of blessings that I was expecting after I jingled those keys. I was more than a little discouraged. Some days I was insulted. Others I was flat-out pissed. What was the use of being a big dreamer and having these elaborate visions if God wasn’t going to set them off?

It’s easy to get in a habit of blaming circumstances, situations and people for what’s not going on in our lives when in actuality, it’s us. Just regular ol’ everyday, look-at-ourselves-in-the-mirror us. Life happens to everybody and being here and being good and even, if you’re a person of faith, being a dedicated follower doesn’t absolve anybody from trouble. That was a hard pill for my broke tail to swallow, but I went on ahead, considering I didn’t have health insurance. While I was waiting for my personal storms to pass, I also had to get clear about things Janelle was doing to slow down Janelle’s own progress.

I started calling myself out on being a time-waster and scatterbrain. I could only log onto Facebook or answer emails from my bestie if I worked for a half-hour straight, uninterrupted. That was my reward. If I didn’t send a new story idea to one of my editors for the day, I couldn’t watch TV. That was my consequence. Instituting a system of checks and balances for myself held me accountable for the things I could control in the progress toward my dreams. God was ultimately in charge, yes. But I played a part in how swiftly -- and gracefully -- I came out.

I’m still learning how to get out of my own way. Lord knows I am. Unlike Baby Skates, I’m more flexible. I had to learn how to stick and move, even against myself.

(Source www.essence.com)

Read more: http://www.essence.com/2011/10/06/the-write-or-die-chick-are-you-standing-in-your-own-way/#ixzz1b9JC92H6

Back to School

I am back in school. So the posts may slow down a bit but I will try to keep bringing the thoughts that come to my mind. I have a few posts that are in my head. I just need a little time to sort them all out. I also found some interesting posts on some of my favorite blogs.

Remember you can always let me know what you would like to see!

Smooches

8 Mistakes to Avoid on LinkedIn - ASAP, American Society of Administrative Professionals

I think I am in HR overload...

I found this article or it found me, which ever! I thought it would be useful to those using Linkedin or not.

8 Mistakes to Avoid on LinkedIn - ASAP, American Society of Administrative Professionals


As always share your thoughts or share with a friend!

Smooches

Curly Nikki | Natural Hair Styles and Curly Hair Care: Are We Making Obesity Sexy in the Black Community?...

Please check this post out over at Curly Nikki. One of my friends just mentioned this very topic in a post on Facebook. It's not about being skinny. It's about your health. It's time we stop making excuses and take better care of ourselves. I rather be a size 10 (yay me, finally) than a size 4 abut can't walk a mile. I took a vow to myself to particpate in more physical activities besides shopping and running after the kids. If I don't take care of the inner me than my kids won't have the outer me to run from. Stop and think about the fries and burger that you are about to eat. It's ok to ask for a salad and burger instead ( gots to keep it real! ).

Curly Nikki Natural Hair Styles and Curly Hair Care: Are We Making Obesity Sexy in the Black Community?...: by Sherrell Dorsey of Organic Beauty Vixen Screw what’s politically correct on overweight children and adults. Diabetes is at an all-time...

Assume your position?

How much does your position at work say about you?  Does your position dictate how your co-workers treat you? Does your personality play a role in staying in your position?

           

Many of my friends have no clue what my position is at my company. I don’t think I ever really told them. Am I ashamed? Sort of, I guess you could call it that. It has nothing to do with the company. I personally don’t feel like I am operating in my gifts. I have a few associates who like to undermine my position and my education. Thank God, I am working. I also understand the economic climate. This right here what I am doing is just not good enough for me. I am not satisfied. I believe it shows on my face. My co-workers don’t make it any easier as they press their minute demands upon me. Wait what am I? I am an Administrative Assistant in Learning and Development for a large company.  I never would have thought after all my degrees I would be here. Did I say THANK GOD FOR A JOB?  This is not a post to complain. I just wonder what my co-workers assume of me.  Do they think I am lazy?  Do they think this is all I set out to do because I walk around with a big goofy smile on my face?  No, we don’t have coffee chats about my future, but I am curious to know. The one thing that I do know is they think I am some “Coffee Replenishing- PO Pushing- Delivery Making- Birthday Cake Buying- Lunch Providing” woman.  Oh, I forget to mention “Soul Sista”. I have to chat about that later. Cocoa (my afro)  and I get all kinds of assumptions

            So after all my ramblings, do you let you position determine your fate at work?  I do like to think of myself as an integral part of the department. I will have 10 grumpy old men stomping about the building if I don’t order coffee. I would hate to think what would happen if we celebrate June birthdays and not Julys.  Personally I have never seen a bunch of people get worked up over a birthday card. They were so worked up that it was in my performance review this past month. Really!?! What category does that fall under on a resume?  Heck yeah, I laughed at that foolishness too. This proves my point! They don’t think of me past the title of my position.

So weigh in ~

All the education in the world can’t earn you respect.

Smooches!

What it do!! Hey

Update

Can I say that life has been CHAOTIC? I don’t know whether I am coming or going. I have tons of post ready to go but no time to edit.  It is so much going on with me and the world And you must get the best from me. I will update today so look out for them later on .

Smooches

a Disclaimer of sorts...

Note to all readers: Please do not hold my blog to be bible. Please do not take any opinions personally. If I post something that offends you, use the blog as a medium and express your thoughts. I try my best not to post anything that will be degrading or discriminating to any women, man, group or affiliation.  I just see things and have conversations that may be of interest to others.  I started this blog in fun to express myself and I will keep it as such. As the old saying goes: Charge my head and not my heart!

I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I am not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant – Robert McCloskey

Smooches