I have a weight loss deadline

Is getting your REAL nails done at a nail salon a rip off?

I went today and I had my nails done. I took the majority of the tips off myself, but two I just couldn't remove. My nails were at a length that I was comfortable with so I knew it was time to maintain mine and not tips.

The nail technician had a hard time removing the two of them as well, so I ended up being in there longer than expected, making me late to pick my son up from school. Anyway.

She does all the normal stuff, but now all of a sudden you want to turn my nails into a square shape. Where did that come from? They don't grow that way so why would I want them to look like that? I don't get the concept behind square nails so anyone who gets their nails done in a square shape (tips or natural) please explain why?

Well she fixes it to the way that I like it and I am loving it. So you ask where does the rip off part come in at?

When getting tips, they file, put on the acrylic, and as the nail grows there is a gap and it needs to be filled. So yes please go and get it done professionally. But when you get your own nails done you can avoid having to FILL that gap if you know how to do everything else. Acrylic comes off of your nail so easily (or it is just me)that you can just start new every time you get your nails done. The shape of the nail is still there so there won't be lots of filing.

I plan on trying this. I am going to buy everything that I deem necessary to get my own nails done, and the next time they need to be done I will be doing it myself.

Now don't get me wrong, if I don't like the way that they turn out I will be right in the nail salon having them fix my mess up. Just to remember what they looked like before I get a hold of them here is a pic.

Burn more with bi-weekly exercise swaps

Well the title is pretty self explanatory, but what I am doing is 2 week exercise swaps. Last week I did a hard core ST routine. Although I did cardio everyday I kept the cardio very minimal.
This week I am doing a heavy cardio routine and I will keep my ST very minimal. Why?

I know that I have weight to lose and I know that cardio helps you lose weight, but the past has taught me that lack of ST makes a flabby FabDelka and I can't be flabby and fabulous-in my opinion- because these two don't mix.

So every 2 weeks I will keep everyone updated on my progress and how I am doing. For example these past 2 weeks I lost 2 lbs. So that's probably 1 lb lost a week. That's fine with me because this time around for some odd reason I am not in a rush to lose the weight. I gave myself until the end of the year to lose this 17 lbs (27 if I plan on having a baby).

I went to the gym today to kick the plan into motion. I started at home with Tae-bo, which everyone who knows me knows that Monday mornings are Kim Kardashian mornings.

She was my warm up, but I was short on time and kind of not in the mood for step aerobics. so Tae-bo fit my time constraints and my something new.

After dropping my son off at school , I proceeded to the gym and I first tried the elliptical. That doesn't work for me and my knee and I started feeling that at 5 minutes in so I stepped off the machine.

I then went to a machine that is something like an elliptical, but more like a Gazelle. I don't know the main of it, but I gave that machine 25 minutes and it felt really good. The calorie burn was great, but I eventually started feeling something different in my knee.

I then proceed to the...... yeah you guessed it. I hit the treadmill. Why would I do that when I know for a fact it messed with my knee last time?

I went to it, because I learned that I have to treat cardio the same way I treat weights- know when I hit my limit. So me breaking up the machines the way that I did was beneficial to me because no machine actual HURT my knee, I only started feeling a slight pain in it.

I was told to try it that way and see how I feel after that. So I will let it be known tomorrow. Hopefully I don't have any pain.

Am I that critical?

I went to the gym today and I was getting it in feeling really good. I was listening to my hot girl music and letting the uptempo beat really get me going. ANYWAY I noticed this one man in particular looking in my direction. So I said he is not looking at me because I don't feel sexy when I am at a fat point in my life so if I don't feel that way no one should be looking at me as though I am. THIS IS MY OPINION.
Anyway long story short, he tried to talk to me and I let him know that I am married and we both kept it moving in opposite directions. So my question is he (and others I felt no need to discuss) find me attractive at this weight, why is it that I don't see it? Am I that critical.

Back at it....with Planet Fitness

I went to the gym this morning. Can we say A-mazing. Literally. I know I am going to be sore tomorrow, but the feeling that I felt after and the feeling that I feel now as I type this is A-mazing.
I had to ask myself what was the hesitation before when it came to joining the gym. I don't know/remember what the reason was for not joining before but I am glad that I moved beyond it.
I know that this is the missing piece to the maintenance phase of weight loss that I never seem to achieve for whatever reason.
I lose the same 15 lbs over and over and for the first time in my life it is more than 15. It is now 25. Unreal but real.
I want to see what I can achieve in these few months before 2010 ends. I put myself on a 90 day gym challenge, because they say it takes 90 days to see the difference so I am giving myself that and if achieved I have to reward myself for the new year. I haven't figured out what the reward should be. Does anyone have any ideas.

Slacking

So I haven't exercised in almost a month and my body is feeling it now.

When I walk up the stairs it feels like I am carrying my son as well (he's almost 50 lbs). Is that even normal?

I'm so mad at this knee ish. And the nerve of my insurance company to deny my MRI. Now I have to go see the orthopedic surgeon to over ride that decision, well if he says that I need it. But DAMN IT I DO!

I'm aggravated beyond belief. My body feels like it was beaten up and that is not a good feeling at all.

So what should I do?

Should I go back to moderate exercise, taking it easy? Like walking? I can't take this at all. Just a rant especially since the scale isn't being nice.

This is a shame. Something needs to be done ASAP!

I heard about this situation on my hair care forum. BHM
http://talk.blackhairmedia.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=264214&PN=1
here's the site
http://avoiceforneli.com/
here's the petition
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/autism-and-racial-injustice
and there is some additional info
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ken-reibel/teen-with-aspergers-arres_b_610530.html
a youtube video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEXVuQKVIjM
an update on a blog radio
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/aut_toknow
just press play.
I wanted to pass this on. I know my non posting audience would want to know about this. I hope everything works out. This is heart felt and sad and something got to give.

YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO CALL HER A SLUT!

So I am over hearing a phone conversation and this chick is saying "how could she do that? She is such a slut. Why she gotta put it out there like that?" Now me being me, the first thing that I think is you don't have the right to call her a slut.
She gets off the phone and I let her know what time it was and how I thought she was being very judgemental. SHE SAYS "It's different. Nobody knows 'how I get down'. She got her ish on front street for everybody to see."
That makes me wonder is there a level to sluttish behavior? Because hers is out in the open that makes her the bigger slut? I don't get it? Am I missing something.

What makes one woman faithful?

I was just speaking to the hubby and we touched on a topic that I am sure many couples have touched on. What separates women when being faithful? What makes one woman faithful and another not?
For instance: Your b/f or husband is overseas, incarcerated, working out of state, hustler, etc and you have a lot of free time to yourself. What makes one woman stay true to her man and the other turn into a "smut"?
I said that a woman is going to do what SHE wants to do basing her actions on characteristics. Meaning that regardless of the circumstances if she doesn't have smut tendencies, no amount of cooch thumping can make her screw the next man. It is not in her character trait.
On the other hand, if a woman has a tendency of being a cheater or "answering every time the cooch thumps" then she will do HER and screw America because that is her character. No amount of love can make her faithful.
The conclusion that hubby and I came to was to ask others their opinion. In your opinion what makes one woman faithful and another not?

Trying something new for the weight

I am still continuing my calorie shifting and certain aspects of the fat flush, but while on my hair care forum I stepped into the exercise section and then I went into the diet section and they were talking about CLA/GLA combination so I decided to give it a try along with my green tea pills that I never got around to using. I have used everything before INDIVIDUALLY with success so I figured why not use them together?
I know some people are probably thinking if you did it before how did you gain the weight back? or why am I looking for a quick fix? For anyone thinking these things let me explain my problem. I have been slim before. Maintained it for years until I got pregnant. Blew up 80 lbs and I haven't been able to get down to where I want to be again why? Because I don't continue exercising after I have obtained my goal. Why? Because I always got bored with the monotmy (sp) of what I was doing. Now that I have so much different types of exercises and equipment that isn't the case so I look forward to it now. I'll keep y'all posted. Wish me luck.

IF A MAN WANTS YOU

I saw this on blackhairmedia and decided to pull it because this holds truth.

If a man wants you, nothing can keep him away.



If he doesn't want you, nothing can make him stay.



Stop making excuses for a man and his behavior.



Allow your intuition (or spirit) to save you from heartache.



Stop trying to change yourselves for a relationship that's not meant

to be.



Slower is better.



Never live your life for a man before you find what makes you truly

happy.



If a relationship ends because the man was not treating you as you

deserve then heck no, you can't "be friends." A friend wouldn't

mistreat a friend.



Don't settle. If you feel like he is stringing you along, then he

probably is.



Don't stay because you think "it will get better."



You'll be mad at yourself

a year later for staying when things are not better.



The only person you can control in a relationship is you.



Avoid men who've got a bunch of children by a bunch of different

women.



He didn't marry them when he got them pregnant, Why would he treat you

any differently?


Always have your own set of friends separate from his.



Maintain boundaries in how a guy treats you.



If something bothers you, speak up.



Never let a man know everything. He will use it against you later.



You cannot change a man's behavior. Change comes from within.



Don't EVER make him feel he is more important than you are...even if

he has more education or in a better job. Do not make him into a

quasi-god.



He is a man, nothing more nothing less.



Never let a man define who you are.



Never borrow someone else's man.



Oh Lord! If he cheated with you, he'll cheat on you.



A man will only treat you the way you ALLOW him to treat you.



All men are NOT dogs.



You should not be the one doing all the bending...compromise is a

two-way street.



You need time to heal between relationships...there is nothing cute

about baggage... deal with your issues before pursuing a new

relationship You should never look for someone to COMPLETE you...a

relationship consists of two WHOLE individuals...look for someone

complimentary...not supplementary.



Dating is fun...even if he doesn't turn out to be Mr.

Right.



Make him miss you sometimes...when a man always know where you are,

and your always readily available to him- he takes it for granted.



Don't fully commit to a man who doesn't give you everything that you

need.



Keep him in your radar but get to know others as well.

Building Life Confidence

I'm reading this book by Susie Castillo (she was Miss USA before and an MTV VJ) and it is all about bringing that interior beauty out for all to see. It gives four steps based on how to be beautiful on the inside and out through being grounded, relationships (family and friends), body image and putting it all into practice.

I mention this because I got a similar book before and it was written by a man and I just couldn't get into it because he failed to write about his before fame humbling experiences as Castillo did.

He spoke about every experience he encountered since famous and in my opinion that doesn't count because you are already there and in your "zone". That might do it for some people, but for me I need to know where you came from, what you started with, and how did you make it to where you are.

Funny how I got both books from Dollar Tree, but only one made it into my daily reading and allowed me to start implementing some practices into my day. There isn't one thing that I don't like about this book all down to her vocabulary. In my opinion, it is a good read for young women (I put myself in the category seeing as though I am only 26). Also because from teens to 30, we as women tend to have bad friend choices, we pick the wrong men to date, we dress all wrong to fit into a category, we don't know how to do make-up (It has only been 2 months since I started wearing and I got the face down pact but I suck as eye shadow application), we style our hair all wrong, we don't exercise or we keep it minimal, we eat greasy food that is no good for us, and the list goes on and on and on.

For me I dissected everything one by one and I don't have bad friend choices because I keep it to a minimal. Did I when I was younger: of course. Wrong men to date? Yes but I felt I got it right this time (6 years dating) and we are now married almost 2 years. dressing all wrong? Of course. to hide my fatness I used to dress like a tomboy growing up, until I was 15 and then I embraced a more fitted clothes aspect except that I was a sneaker freak. LOL. I already explained my makeup. Styling the hair wrong? I can't say yes because I have never looked at an older pic of me (minus CHILD pics) where I wasn't content with the way my hair looked. Exercising was always minimal for me until I turned 18 and it became important and along the way I learned HOW to really do it. I haven't drank soda in years. I keep the junk to a minimal, and if I can tell it is greasy I won't eat it anyway.

I also bring this up because something happened in my family yesterday that has never occurred in the 26 years that I have been alive and ever beyond that: A cousin of mine was jumped after school. Let me describe my cousin: Sexy body for her age well developed, pretty face, and she dresses very well. Would that make other girls jealous? Of course if you have no confidence in yourself. What are we teaching our children now-a-days? That starts in the home. I believe that we have to start teaching our young girls how to boost their own confidence (you the mother need to be confident in order to teach your child confidence. You are the first teacher of female character). tearing another human being down doesn't not boost you up. It makes you even more ugly. MY mom taught me that and it doesn't matter if I can visibly say "she is ugly" I will quicker point out something exceptional about her.

Some mothers mistakenly think that they teach their kids self confidence but they are doing it in the negative. For example: "I don't know why you wasting your time arguing with her. You don't need friends anyway." Wrong. It should go more like this, "You should talk to her later, when you are more calm and had some time to think. If she is really your friend you shouldn't talk to her like that. You wouldn't want anyone talking to you like that."

I don't have a daughter nor do I have female siblings and I don't have a lot of female friends, but I was raised by an exceptional woman who taught me good policies in life that helped me build my confidence to its peak. If you have daughter(s), take a moment today and see if you speak in ways you want them to speak. See if you exude characteristics that you want them to inherit. See if you are the kind of woman you want them to become. See if your child has the potential of being a low self esteem victim. Take the time to build her up to a beautiful young woman internally and externally.

Is it that serious?

I went to a wedding yesterday. I went to one last month, and I am going to one next month.I was saying to myself damn everybody going OD on this wedding stuff, huh? Which made me wonder if I was cheap or something.

I don't classify myself as cheap, so I was feeling some kind of way when my niece's sister said that. The wedding I went to in April, you can tell money was spent. The wedding I went to yesterday, same thing, just way more lavish. We shall see what happens next month. My whole point is I am married and we did it in city/town hall. Why? Because that made sense. Not saying that the spending of money for them didn't make sense BUT if priorities get put on the back burner so that you can have a lavish wedding, people need to do some thinking.

Right now, my husband and I are both wearing PLAIN gold wedding bands. Will we upgrade? Of course, but right now that is not important. WE KNOW WE ARE MARRIED. In 7-10 years, and my husband and I are still married, he do intend on having a lavish wedding. I say he because I don't see the point in a wedding. NOBODY IS EATING MY MONEY EXCEPT FOR ME AND MINE! POINT. BLANK. PERIOD. The wedding would basically be to renew our vows, but also because then we will have the money to do it AND our priorities will be taken care of.

What I'm basically asking is does it prove something when you have a lavish wedding, and a BIG rock on your finger or is it a fantasy fulfillment? Do these things prove that you are married? When did the ceremony move beyond "before God" to before the family and friends? When did the ring become move from JUST a visual reminder to others and yourself of the SPIRITUAL commitment made, to a status symbol? Either way is it that serious?

Almost a year later and.....

Nothing to show for it. What I can say though is that I look damn good and I don't care what anyone has to say about it. I set two goals every year and I never accomplish them but I did accomplish one this year. This 2010 is the first year since battling my weight, that I wore sleeveless clothing. I loved it. I looked good felt good and I can't even comprehend why I never did it before. My arm size (measurement wise) has change but not so drastically that it looks different.
Nonetheless I show my arms with pride. This has allowed me to realize that I never once truly embraced my body because I never let the negative fat girl image go (hence the title of the blog) and it followed me into many areas of my life. I'm removing the shell this year. Hopefully this will be the year that I get myself to the utmost physical peak so that those can be two resolutions that I never have to write again.