16 September 2011

One Day Bathrooms

One day, I will have a bathroom with a clawfoot tub.

I don't know when, but one day I will.

Source: None via Catie on Pinterest





What home item do you dream of having one day?

15 September 2011

Starting Turbo Fire on Monday...

So to add in a little more oomph to my daily routine, I'm starting Turbo Fire on Monday. I joined a group started by a friend of mine to keep each other accountable and to encourage each other. And not let each other quit.

I'm both excited and slightly terrified.

Seriously. But I'm DETERMINED.

I'm determined to make a difference. I hope to continue on this streak of losing pounds, and now also building more muscle. I lost another pound last week, even with my family in town and throwing my eating habits out of whack. Thankfully, it's really all about being conscious of what I eat, so when we went to Chick-Fil-A, I had determined what I could eat and did not go over that.

Self control is HUGE.

And for the the next 90 days, WILL POWER will also be HUGE.

This program is going to take commitment.
This program is going to take determination.
This program is going to take pure will.


And to help track my progress, I took BEFORE photos. Let me just say, that is definitely a special kind of torture. And a definite reality check. I don't think I have the traditional body dysmorphic disorder, where the person is usually really skinny and they think they are overweight. I am overweight, but I don't think I know how big I really am. Taking these photos let me see that undeniable truth.

The program is set to end right before Christmas, where I hope to be able to buy a new pair of jeans in a smaller size. That's the goal! By my birthday in February, I hope to have a new outfit!

In fact, I started a whole new pinboard on Pinterest to pick out looks I'd one day like to be able to wear. When I have my waist back. You can check out the board here.

And if you have any interest in doing Turbo Fire, let me know! It's not available in stores, but I am a Beachbody Coach and can order it for you. 

05 September 2011

Weight Watchers: The First Month

Every time that I step on the scale and the number has gone down, I kind of can't believe my eyes.

And I just get SO excited.

 I'm at the one month mark, and so far, I have lost 6lbs.

 6 POUNDS! And while that might not seem like a lot, it is a huge stride for me. It's the first time that I've weighed what I do since I put the weight on about eighteen months ago.

Through all the things I've tried, P90X, 4 Hour Body, and counting calories, I've never lost weight consistently, and I've never stuck to it.

So I'm excited.

It all started like this. I lost a few pounds prior to our wedding. We were in the honeymoon phase, eating out all the time, eating whatever we wanted, and unlike my husband, who seems to have the metabolism of a bumble bee, I do not. And the weight started to creep up. And up. AND UP, to the point of the highest weight I've ever seen. It was horrifying.

And I said "Enough is enough." Seriously.

Of course, it took me almost two years to gain all this weight and because it was gradual, I guess I didn't really notice it. Or I ignored it. Probably a perfectly mixed concoction of the two. That was probably the kicker.

So I finally decided that I couldn't just be complacent anymore. I couldn't continue to make excuses because I'd never lose the weight that way. Last month I saw the promotion to join Weight Watchers online for free with a prepaid 3-month membership. And I figured that if Jennifer Hudson could do it, so could I.

I was a little skeptical at first, but when after the first week a pound came off, I thought, "Well maybe this is working." Then the following week another two pounds came off, and by the third week another pound!

Just by tracking my food and doing some exercise has been great in enabling the pounds to come off slowly and safely. I plan to continue steady with this, and the best thing is that I haven't had to sacrifice anything, I haven't had to eat only certain foods, I just have to keep track of what I'm eating. Obviously, I can't eat a quart of ice cream, but I can have the allotted serving size of 1/2 a cup. Which, when I'm craving something sweet is just perfect.

If I'm on track with my weightloss, I'm hoping to hit 10lbs lost by the end of the month. Which is just SO EXCITING! Thank you Weight Watchers.

And eventually, I'll have a waist again. Goodbye muffin top!

31 August 2011

Office, please.

Oh the office.

Okay, so I have an office, but it's just not living up to it's potential. Of course, that's entirely on me, and sometimes I wish that I had that innate interior decorating talent and could just whip up an amazing space in no time. But I'm no Jane-of-all-trades, so I digress.

I found some of these pretty office spaces and I'm just dreaming about what I could turn my space into. The thing is that I don't have a whole bedroom to work with. Instead, it's more of a small space that's like a large walk in closet. I'm not really sure what it used to be...I believe the previous owners of our house remodeled, which included my office being created.

So I've been looking for examples of great small office spaces. I really want to get a cubby-bookshelf, the Expedit from Ikea, and just finish painting the walls. Yes, I've been complacent with half painted walls.

Source: bhg.com via Catie on Pinterest


Source: houzz.com via Catie on Pinterest


Source: flickr.com via Catie on Pinterest



What does your ideal office look like?

26 August 2011

Weight Watchers: Week 3

I signed up for Weight Watchers the day before their "Sign up for $1" promo ended. This is what I told myself, "If Jennifer Hudson can do it, so can I." Granted she also has access to personal trainers and probably a nutritionist, but still I thought I would give Weight Watchers a shot. I joined the online only program and have been tracking my points for the last three weeks.

Well, I'm ecstatic to report that I've lost 4.5 pounds so far! All without depriving myself and eating foods I like. This is the most weight I've lost on a program, in a slow and steady manner, which is great. I know that it's not much different from just counting calories, but there's something about paying for a program that makes you stick to it.

I'm a member of SparkPeople.com which is a great website for tracking your nutrition and workouts and it has so many amazing resources and articles for losing weight. Every which way you browse there's a great success story. And it's FREE! That's probably the best incentive. However, for me, I think because it is free and I know that it'll always be there, I took it for granted. Actually, the when I first joined SparkPeople, I followed the meal and calorie plans and tracked all my food. I think I lost about 10lbs. Awesome, right?! Then I became complacent and lazy...

Now I'm at a point where changes must happen. We're starting to think about having kids and I don't want to have any complications due to my weight. So I'm taking the steps to change it. And since I've paid for three months up front, I know that I'll stick with it for at least that long. Longer, really. If I'm being totally honest, I have about 60lbs to lose to get to my first goal weight. This is just the beginning.


22 August 2011

Someday. A Dog.

Oh, I have totally been thinking about dogs lately. I really want to get one. But there's a partial commito-phobe in me that is worried about getting a dog! But Having grown up with two dachshunds, I know that it would be awesome. I'd love to have a little companion to hang out with all day!

I'm thinking about a dachshund or a corgi or a maltese. I've only ever had dachshunds, so they are definitely the front runner. I've been looking into rescuing a dachshund from one of the Dachshund Rescue Organizations in Dallas. There are tons!

And there are so many dogs that need good forever homes. I'm hoping that sometime next year we can get a dog. I found a few adorable photos of cute pooches on Pinterest. My heart melts.


Source: etsy.com via Catie on Pinterest
Source: weheartit.com via Catie on Pinterest

15 August 2011

All Good Cowboys

I'm so excited for my cousin who just released her first album, All Good Cowboys.

You can listen online and purchase from the same website.


Happy Monday!