Skinny Fat Weight Loss Update

Yesterday I joined a new weight loss challenge. This one with my church. The good news is that my starting weight for this challenge is a whole whopping 3lbs less than where I started with the other challenge 4 weeks ago! Clearly, I'm doing something right this time as compared to the last 3 challenges I participated in over the last 2 yeras and I'm sure increasing the intensity of my frequent workouts had helped tremendously.

Wish me luck in keeping up the good work. I've got a good 20 more to go in the long run and a satisfactory 5-7 more in the next 2wks.

Check ya later!
SkinnyFat

Follow me on Twitter @skinnyfat

Happy New Year

Of course, everyone follows suit with their New Year's resolution on the first day of the new year. And the first week, for that matter. I'm no different. Still I can't help reporting my success on this first day. Gotta celebrate the small successes, right? Right. So here we go...

We woke up late this morning and after dancing for two hours straight at the New Edition concert, I was hardly planning to cook breakfast. Off to brunch we went. Kerby Coney Island. Whereas my usual meal would have been a Belgian waffle, scrambled eggs, and turkey sausage, this morning--afternoon, actually--I opted for an egg white omelet, with 1/2 an order of hash browns, and only a few squares of my son's pancakes. A couple of hours later I was at my mom's for her traditional New Year's dinner of black eyed peas, greens, and baked chicken. Delicious & healthy!

If I keep this up, I'll be skinny-fat no more!

Happy New Year

Call it Quits or Not?

Now that I'm on the other side of 35, I find myself, more often than not, considering calling it quits on my dream of having flat abs-- or anything close to it. After all, isnt it at about this age that everything starts working against me as a woman? Metabolism decreasing. Bone density decreasing, etc. But that doesn't stop me from always chastising myself for bad eating or not exercising enough. From my research and personal experience it can take years of consistently doing the right things to achieve the results that I desire. That being the case, that means I could be near forty before I have the body that I want. And what's the likelihood of me doing the right thing to make that happen? So far today all I've eaten has been carbs! Pancakes for breakfast, breadsticks for lunch. What chance does the grapefruit I plan to eat this evening have against that?

That brings me to the question I seem to always be asking myself. Should I just give up the dream? Call it quits on having a slamming body? Is it even possible to do this? After 16 years of tweaking my diet and trying to make exercise apart of my regular routine, is it even possible to call it quits?

LaCharmine (L.A.) Jefferson,

Author of Unfinished Business, the story of one woman's addiction to the wrong man for the wrong reason & what she risks to get him out of her system for good.

Available at www.amazon.com & www.createspace.com/3370359

Website: www.lajefferson.com

My Blogs:
A Day in the Life of L.A. Jefferson @ http://lajefferson.blogspot.com
All Things Love @ http://all-things-love.blogspot.com
Follow me on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/lajefferson

Can You Handle the Truth?

Leslie Sansone has a great body! Not too big, not too small. As I pump my arms and lift my legs to feverently to the beat of the music in her video, I couldn't help wondering if she achieved that body from simply power walking??? What does she do personally to keep her body so nicely sculpted? Inquiring minds want to know. Seriously. I used to wonder the same thing about Denise Austin--another woman who's physical body I stand in great admiration of. When I would be drenched in sweat doing one of her many exercise programs, I would skeptically wonder if I was on the road to transforming my body into something remotely close to hers. Or do I, like Denise Austin and Leslie Sansone, need to commit my life FOR YEARS ON END to reap such benefits.

I just want the truth. I want the numbers. Fitness experts should tell folks that it will surely take more than a few months of dedication to exercise and an healthier diet to have bodies similar to theirs. Most of them have been at it ALL of their lives. Health and fitness is their life! It's not something they, like us, pick up and put down depending on which way the wind blows.

Know the truth and live the truth!

Where's the Beef?

Why does it seem like whenever I buy some cubed steak or beef pot roast,that's when I hear something that I already know--we should as little beef as possible due to how long it takes to digest in our bodies. Knowing that is precisely why I only buy beef every so often HOWEVER that doesn't stop the guilt from hovering all over me while I'm cutting a steak knife through my steak or pot roast. Naturally, I recommitt myself to no beef for awhile after that, then it's back to boring chicken,chicken,chicken. Time to break out the cookbooks.

Fitness Accomplishment

I'm pretty proud of myself! Just a few minutes ago I completed Leslie Sansone's 5 mile walking video--the entire video, which equates to an hour long power walk! This is an accomplishment for more than one reason. Number one, exercising on a Saturday afternoon is NOT something I normally do. Number two, so far this week I've only managed to complete four miles throughout the course of the day and yesterday I only made it to two miles because a few other obligations that got in the way--woke up late, had errands to run over lunch, then my son's cub scout meeting in the evening. Nothing out of the ordinary for a single, working, single mom. Anyway, the fact that I still fit in the workout this afternoon after the morning activities AND the upcoming evening activities that I have, I deserve a pat on the back. Thank you very much! I'm prayerful that the momentum continues!

Overcoming Today's Exercise Obstacle

So far I'm behind schedule for this Friday afternoon. It's one thirty in the afternoon and I've only completed one mile of my walking video. In the words of my high school history teacher, "This is not good. Not good at all." According to my new workout regimen, I should be at three miles by now! Problem started this morning with waking up late and having to leave early due to the weather. But as soon as I got to work, I popped in my DVD--at my desk, no less--and knocked down the first mile of the day. Yep, that's how committed I am to this program! On my next break, I'll sneak in another mile, then the last two at home--prayerfully! I'm also glad to report that I've been eating pretty good, too, and drinking lots of water. No wonder I feel a little thinner today!

LaCharmine Jefferson,

Author of Unfinished Business, the story of one woman's addiction to the wrong man for the wrong reason & what she risks to get him out of her system for good.
Available at http://www.amazon.com/ & www.createspace.com/3370359
Website: http://www.lajefferson.com/
My Blogs:
A Day in the Life of L.A. Jefferson @ http://lajefferson.blogspot.com/
All Things Love @ http://all-things-love.blogspot.com/
Follow me on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/lajefferson

My New Doable Exercise Plan

Yesterday I spent my lunch period at work working out. Since our building managers have finally refurnished our fitness center with a working television with DVD & VHS player, I was excited to get back to working out AT WORK. For my particular circumstances, it's the best way for me to achieve some sort of consistency with my exercise regimen, which we all know is one of the keys to success.

Although I purchased and have received the 10lb Slimdown program by Chris Freytag, that program is entirely too intense for me to do at work. I'd be too sweaty and would definitely need to take a shower, which would prolong my lunch time, thus my time at work. Who wants to do that, right? Therefore, right now I'm working out with Leslie Sansone Walk at Home video. It's perfect for the workout regimen I'm creating for myself.

The program is 5 mile walking program broken down in individual 1 mile walks. My plan, which I devised yesterday, is to do one mile in the morning before work, 2-3 miles at work between my lunch & two breaks, and the last mile in the evening when I get home. If I keep that up, plus eating more vegetables & drinking more water--the other part of my weight loss plan--I should be able to see noticeable results by the end of the year.

Oh yeah, speaking of weight loss, I plan to do this without getting on the scale if that's possible. Those darn numbers can be so discouraging when they don't budge after you put in considerable effort! I figure I can pick out a pair of pants that fit too tight right now and measure my progress with those. After all, it is my waistline that's my primary concern. The jury's still out on that one. I might weigh myself this Sunday. We'll see.

I'll keep you posted.

Improvision & Rewards: A Fit Life Must Have

I'd planned to hit Zumba class today, but that didn't happen for reasons I won't get into. However, that didn't stop my quest for exercise. Improvising, I call it. I pulled out my Just Dance Wii game and got busy for some about thirty minutes of intense dancing. It was great! I even broke a bit of a sweat, although nothing close to what would've happened at Zumba. Still. Then I rewarded myself with a scoop and a half of Tripple Chocolate brownie ice cream left over from my boyfriend's birthday weekend. Terrible? I'd say NOT. Everything in moderation, right? Right.

LaCharmine Jefferson,

Author of Unfinished Business, the story of one woman's addiction to the wrong man for the wrong reason & what she risks to get him out of her system for good!

Available at www.amazon.com & www.createspace.com/3370359
Website: www.lajefferson.com

My Blogs:

A Day in the Life of L.A. Jefferson @ http://lajefferson.blogspot.com
All Things Love @ http://all-things-love.blogspot.com
Follow me on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/lajefferson

Small, Effective Changes Work!

Sooo....I got on the scale this morning. Something I haven't done in quite a few months. BUT it was good news. Although I still have a little ways to go before I get to where I want to be--about 20lbs smaller--I was glad to see that I've come down from that scary place in which I was heading towards...fast. That wasn't a place that I wanted to be. What's really good about what the scale declared to me this morning was that I don't have to run myself CRAZY to lose weight! It only takes small, yet, consistent changes. For example, since the latter part of August, I've been feeding myself and my family home cooked meals. Why haven't I always been doing that? I'm not sure...Actually, I am. I allowed life to get the better of me. Between my personal interest, church activities, writing demands, children's activities--cooking fell down to the bottom of the priority list. Then I found myself wondering how in the world I was allowing myself and my children to eat so much processed foods when I know it doesn't have a good thing for us! I had to remind myself of the "SUPERWOMAN" that I am. While I may not be able to or desire to cook EVERYDAY I can, at least, make sure we have something HEALTHY to eat at home (i.e salads, chicken sandwiches, soup), or I can prepare meals in advance like I used to. Back in the day, I would bake chicken in the morning as we got ready for the day. I may be a bit older but I still have that in me.

Exercising is the other small change I've implemented.  Like I mentioned in my previous post, it's so easy to exercise multiple times during the week. Crunches, leg lifts, dumbbell curls, push ups--all while watching your favorite T.V. program. Yep, it's that easy. And with the fitness center at my apartment complex, I've been hitting the treadmill approximately three days a week.

The combination of the two is working "small" wonders!

Another Ab Product Temptation

How many products have there been? All advertising to be the BEST THING since sliced bread!

I was so close. I almost did the unthinkable--at least in my book. I mean, I was literally minutes away from putting the box in my shopping cart when a rationale voice on the other end of my phone unknowingly brought me back to my senses. It was after my son's soccer practice and I had made a stop at Target before picking my daughter up from drivers training. Let's see...I needed some dish detergent, sandwich bags, and a few other household products BUT my main objective was to purchase the Ab Lounger. Remember the Ab Lounger? Yes, I know this particular product is old news, however, I know too many people who swear by the results it produces--if you use it, of course. Anyway, as the product is old, it was no where to be found in the store BUT the Perfect SitUp was! Backstory: I was mildly interested in this fitness equipment when I first saw the infomercial but I always reminded myself of my firm rule against buying into the endless advertisements for abdominal exercise equipment. They all advertise the same thing, don't they? Providing money back guarantees, and everything to suck you in further. The key is--you have to use the equipment ALONG WITH A PROPER DIET in order to get the desired results and that's where most of us--okay, where I fail.


As my friend was advising me to check out the product reviews before I purchased the equipment, I was reminding myself of the Bender ball and the 8lb medicine ball for abdominal exercises that I had at home and had not been not using. "What makes you think you're going to use this?" I admonished myself. "Do you really want to spend $100 on something that's going to eventually end up taking up space in your house?" NO!

So, after about an hour browsing the fitness aisle I settled on a new jump rope. I figure I can use that while my son is at soccer practice before I walk the track and most importantly, it won't take up any space in my house.

Fat Loss Secret Hoarders

Why can't folks just tell the truth??? Don't they know the truth always comes to light. Eventually. A "friend" of mine who maintains her weight very well WITHOUT exercising, so she says, claims watching her food intake is all she does. Hmph! Now I finally find out the truth! Water pills! And I would have never found out if I hadn't been eating lunch with her the other day. Anyway, this girl comes into our dining area and asks in a whisper, "Anybody have any water pills?" And without so much as second thought, my friend was like, "I do!" It was then that the light bulb went off in my head and I knew she was a fake! I lost respect for her. I mean, seriously, what would have been the harm in admitting to taking a daily water pill for weight maintenance? Was she afraid she'd look like the cheater that she turned out to be, in my eyes at least? I just wish folks would just keep it real. Whether you take a daily water pill, rub some kind of magic potion on your fat zones to keep them toned, have a standard bi-annual appointment with your plastic surgeon, or you only eat one meal a day--whatever it is--don't keep it secret from your girlfriends! We're all in this fat battle together. Let's share and share alike!

It's no secret that it's plenty more out of shape people walking around than it is in shape people. Think that makes me feel better? Absolutely not! In fact, it makes me feel worse to be in such company! I'm supposed to be among the exceptions to the rule. Unfortunately this fact has not metriculated to my physical self, but someday it will. I'm hoping it's before the end of my time on this planet.

Wrong Side of the FitnessTrack

While my daughter and sister are heading to the gym, I'm pretty sure that I'll be heading to the store to buy a  pack of Oreo cookies--not the BIG pack but not the snack size either-- to enjoy while I have a couple of hours to myself--my son is outside playing. I know that's about as wrong as two left feet but that is soooo where my head is this evening after a day of rest & relaxation from work. And one thing I've learned on this journey to living a healthy lifestyle is, "If you're having a craving for something in particular, grant yourself permission to indulge." If you don't, as I have learned too, the craving will just keep knawing at you like a dog knawing on a bone. Sometimes trying to deny yourself the craving causes more harm than good, mentally and physically! Guess you figured where I'm going with this, right? Right! I bought the cookies! But, oh, how times have changed! For the better!!I couldn't even polish off the entire pack! Not that I was trying to, but I do remember when...Midway through, I put the remaining cookies away then pulled out my iPod and got to dancing those calories off!

 No, I don't feel the best about the two small slices of pizza I just ate at 11pm as I lay in the bed about to go to sleep, I do feel good about my committment to move more during this week. May even be renewing my gym membership. We'll see.

Good Company Reaps Better Choices

From time to time--okay, A LOT--I feel like eating something that I really want to eat. Pancakes or a glazed donut for breakfast, chicken tenders and fries for lunch, and pizza for dinner. Most recently when I've had those kinds of desires I happen to be in the company of some health conscience coworkers who helped me make better decisions. For example, on Friday I planned to buy a donut from our cafeteria to go along with this delicous flavored coffee that I brought into work with me.  As I shared this with her she encouraged me to only eat half of the donut. At first I was like "whatever", but after some thoughtful consideration her advice made perfect sense. Another time I went to the cafeteria with a coworker. While I was intending on getting a grilled chicken quesedia, she was intending on a lighter alternative. Walking and talking with her I ended up purchasing some soup and I felt much better.

Yes, it can get frustrating always talking about diet and fitness, but having other like-minded persons in your company, making good choices is a bit easier.

Oatmeal for breakfast is a good start to this morning. Hopefully, the rest of my meals for the day follow suit. Might be a good idea to get to the grocery store.

****UPDATE****

Didn't make it to the grocery store. Didn't cook any dinner. Me and the kids have been over my mom's house all day as we prepare for the homegoing of my grandmother. For dinner, we had Pizza Hut pizza for dinner. Personally, I had three slices in the course of 4 hours. Not bad, huh? Not to mention, before I left home this afternoon I did do some crunches and pushups. Yay me!

Wrong Place, Wrong Time, BUT...

Gosh, I haven't seen my cousins in a month of Sundays or more. It's sad that a death in our family had to occur for our more recent gathering. Of course the occasion was sad but that didn't stop me from noticing the physical differences between my sister and I and my two of my cousins--my aunt's daughters. From the looks of things, something was definitely wrong with the picture. "Okay, our side obviously got the fat gene?' I declared.

Clearly that was the case because my mother, my sister, and myself were definitely carrying more weight--especially around the middle--than my aunt and her two daughters. WTF!. And what's worse is that my aunts children are the ones who supposedly LOVE to eat ALL THE TIME. So why, then, was it my sister and I who were carrying all of the fat??? I just want to know!

I mean if they LOVE to eat, what exactly are they eating: fruits, vegetables, beans, multigrains?  That's what I want to know.

Or are they eating and EXERCISING? Could that be it? I know back in our school days my cousins were involved in more athletics than my sister and I. One cousin played softball. The other ran track. When my sister and I talked about playing sports with our mother she would say stuff like, "Y'all don't need to be out playing and sweating in that hot sun. You'll coming home all stink and stuff." SMH. However, no need in dwelling on the past. I'm sure what athletics I didn't play in middle school and high school have very little to do with my current battle of the belly bulge. It's about the here and now.

I can't speak for my sister, but I'm not going to keep being one of the "fat" ones at family gatherings.

Stress--A Fat Burner?

Surely it borders on some level of insanity for a person to wish for a stressful situation to plaque their life simply for the hope of a little weight loss.I wonder who would do something like that?  ALRIGHT ALREADY! I admit it. IT'S ME!  I'm the crazy one. But, WAIT! Before you pounce on me, let me explain. During a rare and random house cleaning moment, I came across a picture of myself --actually, a picture of me and my son--from a few years ago and guess what? Easily, I was at least 20-25lbs smaller thanwhat  I am today. At the time of the picture my son was 2yrs old. As a matter of fact, the picture was taken at his 2yr old birthday party. Without close inspection, a person could have easily thought the picture was taken some 10yrs ago. My face was thin, my usual shapely legs looked as thin as toothpicks. And the killer part is that I wasn't even exercising during that time! When that fact dawned on me, that's when I remembered what was going on in my life at the time. My husband was on the NUT, really showing his a$$ at that time during our marriage, taking me through some serious DRAMA--hence, the divorce shortly thereafter. LOL! But that's why I was so darn skinny! And without any effort! So just for a minute, one little minute, a quick thought entered my head, "Hmmm, maybe a little stress wouldn't hurt." BUT, I came quickly to my senses. Guess it's back to my exercise & diet efforts.

Food vs Sweets

7:45 P.M.

Me and the kids indulged in Olive Garden for dinner this evening. A much appreciated change from our usual burgers & fries or pizza. After salad and breadsticks I didn't have much room left for the actual meal so takeout it became.A couple of hours later I started craving those fudge striped cookies--no, I never got around to throwing them out. But I figured eating a bit more spaghetti was better for me than eating the cookies. From my personal assessment, foods high in sugar are more damaging to ones belly than actual food. At least most foods contain some nutritional benefit.