Dinner is Served

I am no chef! Not by any stretch of my very vivid and fantastical imagination! However, there are about 6 meals that I can cook very well (ummm I can figure some things out)!  Lately, I've acquired a taste for steak. I'm generally not a fan of red meat.    I very seldomly eat it, but thanks to Shan talking about steak 24/7 I decided to give it a try and take cooking directions straight from the horses mouth.  Before I get into it, let me digress a little.  Shan is a master chef and can cook any and everything and makes cooking seem effortless and fun (it never feels that way when I start cooking though but she'll trick you into believing that).  She's in the process of working her baby, FourHeavensSake, a catering company into fruition so you honeeyz will have a chance to experience a little slice of food heaven!!!  Trust me, I freeload and give it a try all the time and I feel sorry for you honeeyz that have not been blessed yet, so I suggest you keep your eyes and ears open for when FourHeavensSake officially launches!  Now back to the matter at hand...my inability to cook like Shan, therefore taking careful direction from her in making my steak.  For the second evening in the past 2 weeks I've had a taste for steak and I decided to cook 2 pieces tonight.  I had one for dinner and will have the other tomorrow.  I cooked the steak with sauteed asparagus.  I would've added a baked potato but since I was cutting up this weekend with my eating habits and I lost an additional 2lbs (yaaaayyyy), I've decided to forgo the baked potato, reluctantly.  All turned out well and I'm full and happy! Here's a step by step (well sort of) summary with some quoted commentary from Shan as to how this all went down....

STEP #1: The evening before I cooked the steak I marinated it in seasoning and soy sauce.  Shan said that soy sauce (despite the fact that I absolutely detest it...she remembered that and pointed it out) is an excellent marinade for steak.  It helps to season it, tenderize it and keep it nice and juicy... just the way we all like it!! In the past, I've used (with her approval) italian dressing, A-1 steak sauce and teriyaki marinade to marinade my steak.  After I work the marinade in and add the seasonings of choice I seal the steak up in a freezer lock back and stick it back in the fridge.

This seasoning was highly recommended by Shan and I love it!! Great taste and great mix of salt and pepper.  Rather inexpensive as well and very easy to use with the grinder top.  Love it.

For the next few steps and the finished product click below! 

7 Down; 5 To Go - Slim Down Check

Me and my target body, Circa 2005. Just 8lbs to go, well 

sort of!! And yea, I did a test photo shoot before.  Shut up! 

I've been on my healthy living/weight loss kick for a good 3 months or so now and I figured I check in and let you honeeyz know how I'm doing.  I'm proud to announce that I'm totally kicking major @sssss!!! That's how I'm doing! But I also have a some ways to go, but I'm up for it!!

As of today, I've lost a total of 7lbs!!! Yaaayyy me! There are several pair of jeans that actually opened their zipper and spoke to me.  I know, it's crazy right?  Some of them said to me, "we have missed you tremendously and are so thankful you can get in without the song and dance!"  Yes, of course I'm being dramatic but you get it.  Not only am I looking much better and getting into pants and zipping them up without the pliers, I'm also feeling a lot better! 

However, with all the progress there is still work to be done.  I noticed that with the weight loss my skin is a little flabby in some areas and can definitely use some toning and tightening, which means more working out and being committed to it. With the holidays and my busy, demanding slave work schedule, I have dropped back on my workout program but I plan to get right back in gear next week.  I have to just be a little more disciplined and make it a priority like I have many other things, even if it's just 20-30 mins at a time versus the targeted hour to hour and 15 minutes.  Also, you honeeyz should know by now or now know that strength training and varied circuit training exercises can not only tone, but can also assist in rapid weight loss, more so than cardio!!! Yuppers.  And because I still have  5 more pounds to gorgeous and 8 more pounds to perfection, there is nothing left to do but get on the ball! Yoga is already scheduled for next week and I've diverted $150 from my shopping budget (what in the!!!!) towards a new month of kickboxing.  On my way!

Another area that I HAVE to get together is my sleeping habit, patterns, time and all of the above.  I have insomnia and it sucks. I commit to too many things at a time.  I hate mornings so I get my day started late and stay up even later.  I have to do better.  There are studies that have been tested and repeated time and time again that indicate that lack of sleep not only is just unhealthy all the way around both mentally and physically, but is directly tied to two important things: 1) weight gain and 2) an inability to lose weight!! Oh heck NO!! I gots to get my sleep together. In the past, I've used sleep aids but I'm always straight up cracked out while on them and find myself completely dependent in order to get any sleep.  I really don't need to be a crackhead anymore.  I need more out of life so ummm no.  I have enough information and insight to know what I need to do to better my sleeping life so I just have to implement them.  

Lastly, I'm doing really well with my eating habits. Lots of veggies, fruits, water and lean meats.  Little sugar, fats, and no processed foods!  Unfortunately, carbs are still something I have to keep in check.  I'm definitely better and when it's an option, I opt for brown/wheat/grain carbs instead of the bad whites.  However, there are times that I'm white rice and bread crazy!  I gotta continue to watch this and work on more tactics to keep this from becoming more of a problem. I'll keep you posted.

Well there you have it...I'm progressing, seeing awesome results, and planning to make ways for bringing it all the way home! Have a great weekend Honeeyz! I'm going out of town this weekend to see my Princess (my son, Brycen has some track things to attend to so he won't be joining us... ), get my hair done, celebrate my BFF's birthday and check my momma and family out!! Ya know, the usual bi-weekly fun.  Unfortunately, I won't be posting again until Sunday night or early next week.  In the interim, you honeeyz should enjoy some older posts, share the blog with others, and comment on what you see!! 

My New Get it Right & Tight Tool

I love, love, love getting new items in the mail and today is no different!  I recently ordered a digital, glass, weight scale from overstock.com and it arrived today!!  Please don't sleep on overstock honeeyz!! I've ordered quite a few things from them for the home over the past few years and they are some of my favorite items to date. They have great prices, quick delivery, little to no shipping costs, and a variety of items to choose from. Ok, enough of the free advertisement ...  I know I recently mentioned in a prior post on healthy lifestyle habits that one of the things to avoid is becoming a slave to the scale, meaning not weighing yourself every 5 seconds or relying exclusively on the scale during your weight loss and healthy living journey.  However, it is important to be aware of your general weight and even check your progress during your journey.  With that said, a good scale is definitely useful.  Self control and discipline with it is even more useful (remember no relying and obsessing over weight)!

I haven't had a scale in years because I haven't been lucky enough to find one that is not only reliable but cute enough to be out on display in the bathroom. I certainly can't be having no ugly looking scale wrecking my bathroom decor!!  Unfortunately, the fancy, cute ones I did come across cost way too much money.  However, I could no longer endure the occasional, yet persistent, traumatization of my mother's scale that is so inaccurate it should be criminal!  Thankfully, one of my coworkers who has been doing an excellent job getting in shape and developing a healthier lifestyle let me know about this scale she ordered from overstock.  I immediately went online, checked out the reviews, admired the look and made the purchase! It was only $29.95, free shipping, and was delivered in 2 days! Doesn't get much better!

more ranting and raving after the break.....

Survival of the Fittest Chick...in 10 Steps

April 2011

I mentioned in my reintroduction post that I'm in pursuit of losing weight but allow me to elaborate and clarify.  A better description of this pursuit is one of a well rounded and healthy LIFESTYLE.  It's not just about losing weight, although that is definitely part of the goal.  In the past two years I've yo yo up and down by 5-10lbs pretty consistently and last year (see the attached bathing suit shots) I decided to make some real hardcore changes. I lost 9lbs and kept it off for 6 months but then I started back with some reckless habits and it slowly creeped back on.  However, I learned a lot about my body and myself in doing losing the weight, keeping it off, and then foolishly packing it back on.  I've committed to myself that that experience will be my first and last going thru something so ridiculous.  I'm not interested in spending my life doing a Janet Jackson, yo yo-ing up and down, crash diets, excessive eating, jumping from anorexic to plus sized! I'm lucky that despite having 2 children and hitting the big 3-0 a few years ago that I'd managed to stay relatively the same size give or take the usual 5-10lbs here and there, but more recently I found myself at a place I'd never been (clothes not fitting, feeling all sluggish and insecure about how I was looking).  I decided to kick into gear and I have really resolved to develop long lasting changes that create a better lifestyle for me with the benefit of losing weight, creating healthy habits, disposing of unhealthy habits, trying new things and meeting new people while doing so.  Here is a list of effective things I've incorporated over the past month that I plan to take with me forever (lifestyle vs. fad) and you can use them too:

1) I stopped talking about the issue and just started doing it.  I did some research, dug into my basic common sense, wrote out a plan, and committed myself. I stopped complaining about the gym, I haven't discussed my results or goals, and I made this new resolve strictly about me and what I needed to do. Honestly, some of my friends want me to shut up anyway b/c  they don't see any difference or realize I've gained any weight to begin with. So I'm doing us all a favor.
2) Increase, diversify, maximize and record my daily activity.  I committed myself to start out with 3-4 days per week of varied exercise, which include circuit and strength training, cardio, and new activities (kickboxing, yoga, pilates included....which I absolutely love).  I keep a calendar of what I do daily which keeps me motivated and disciplined.  At the end of the month I'm able to see where I could've been and what I need to do differently the next month. I don't allow stupid irrelevant things deter me... EX: what my hair looks like will not dictate if and when I work out.  I wrap, pincurl or pull up my hair with a satin scarf protecting it and keep it moving.  Hopefully, it survives (which it usually does), but if it doesn't that's not my priority. I do crunches, lunges, squats, arm curls, leg lifts, pushups, dips and whatever activity I can while in front of the TV watching toxic reality shows.  Every little bit helps and once you get the momentum you find yourself in a full workout just as intense as you would be in a gym setting.  I take the stairs instead of the elevator, I walk instead of drive and all those simplistic things that really do count!
3) Calorie counting. It is sooooo helpful!!  I know how much of what is going in my mouth and if it's worth it.  When you start to realize a coffee cake for a light snack is the equivalent of a full course steak dinner then it's easy to say "I don't need that!" When you start to realize an 800 calorie slice of cheesecake is the same as 2 grueling hours in the gym on the elliptical machine then it makes that decision less difficult.  You actually end up running from that cake!  If the difference between a Chipotle chicken bowl and a Chipotle chicken burrito with the exact same ingredients is 300 calories then it's easier to choose the bowl. Pay attention to what you eat and it's caloric value ...