Turning 38

Yes, this past week, I turned 38. Seriously, where does the time go? This year I decided to keep things low key. I went to brunch with a few close friends and went home and enjoyed my little chocolate and raspberry mousse.

I finally got my new Bodybugg to help me track my calories in and calories out. I've used the device before and got great results (40lbs lost). I decided to update my device and got the new SP version. Thanks to the bluetooth in this device, I can sync it

up with my iPhone and track my results as I go. On the old version I had to wait till I got to my computer (which was usually the end of the day). So I'm excited about using it. I'll post my daily log and results on my blog like I did before, but probably not as often since it's hard for me to blog sometimes.

Along with the Bodybugg system, I am adding a little acupuncture to help me with my late night snacking and stress eating. I've never done it before, but I was expecting to lay down while the doctor sticks a bunch of needles in me... Wrong! For weight loss, I wear 3 tiny needles stuck to a band-aid like piece in each ear for a week. You can barely see them. I go in every week to get them changed out. Here's a close-up of what they look like...

The pressure points are suppose to help me with stress, hunger, and to slightly speed up my metabolism. So far I've worn them for a week and I noticed that it does help my hunger. The jury is still out on the stress eating. I did stress eat once during the week, but that is less than the previous week. When I get stressed, I am suppose to tap on the little needles to stimulate them. I'm not sure if it really works of if it just distracts me and reminds me not to eat. At the end of the week, I was down 2.5 lbs. The entire acupuncture treatment lasts 10 - 12 weeks. I'll report my results when I get to the end. Let me know if you've tried this and what you thought!

Shellac! I thought shellac was just for your average home project, now they are putting it on your nails. I went to go get a mani/pedi with my mother in law and the manicurist was telling me about the shellac gel they are now using. It's not suppose to harm my natural nails and the polish is suppose to last for 2 weeks without chipping. Since I am constantly washing bottle, dishes, and doing all the other household choses, I decided 2 weeks of a chip-free manicure may be worth it. It was! My nails were just as glossy and chip-free on day 14 as it was on day 1 and I even peeled 5 lbs of crawfish. The only thing you saw were the new nail growth below the polish. I took a pic of my day 14 so you can see it. I didn't think to take a day 1 pic of my first shellac manicure, so I took a pic of the day 1 of my 2nd shellac manicure. That's why you'll see 2 different colors on the pic.

The pros: high shine, lasts for 2 weeks, no chipping, completely dry when you leave the nail salon, great if you need your mani to last through a vacation

The cons: removal of the polish requires you to soak in nail polish remover for 10 minutes, longer process since you have to throughly dry after each coat

Of course I have to mention my little sweet pea. She got a beautiful hand knitted dress and bonnet from a good friend of mine. I can't believe she made this! Thank you Pat for the lovely dress. It's such a wonderful keepsake.

For Rachel!

Here is a little collage of my fav pics of Cora over the past 2 months.

I hope everyone has a happy and healthy day. I'll try to post up daily logs and results often.

Making Over Mom

I have a wonderful mother in law who is so sweet and loving. Recently she has been invited to her first Ball! She is so excited and nervous at the same time. For the most part, my mother in law has kept her look very simple. She has long, long hair that she usually keeps neatly in a bun/ponytail.and she doesn't wear make-up. With the grand ball coming up, she decided it was time to freshen up her look. She didn't know where to start, so she turned to me for help. This is my mother in law's transformation in 2 days....

She looks amazing and I am so excited for her. I know she is going to have an amazing time!

Something To Smile About

After 14 months, the braces are finally off! It was all done so quickly today. It took less than an hour to take them off and my retainer was ready for pick up by late afternoon. The retainer is so different than what I remember the first time around. When I got my braces off back in high school, I got a top retainer which was removable. My bottom teeth had a permanent retainer bonded to the inner part of my lower teeth. This time around, I have top and bottom removable retainers. The best part about them is that they are invisible! Can you tell I have them on?

CHEEEEESE!

Apparently I like to wear yellow on my orthodontist days :D

Have a fabulous day!

Before and After = MOTIVATION

For the past two years I have worked hard on getting back in shape. In 2007 I was at my absolute heaviest. I remember having to buy a wardrobe of summer clothes because nothing I had fit me. It's 2009 and I am still working hard. I look and feel so much better, but I know this is a lifestyle that I will probably always have to stay on top of. It has been a slow process, but it's been so rewarding in many ways and I have learned a lot!

The gym I workout at has seen me go through my ups and downs, but has watched me push through each challenge. They have asked me to do a little "Before and After" to help inspire others at the gym. So for the past few days I have been going through my pics for some full body "before" shots. Boy, I didn't realize how tough it would be. I either cropped a lot of myself off so all you see is my face, or I had Will take pics from a good distance so you couldn't see how much weight I gained over the year. I did manage to find some pics (most of them were in my friend's album, where I didn't have the freedom to crop my picture). In looking back at the pics, it seems so surreal. I was like, "Who is this person? It kind of looks like me, but it doesn't" I was showing Will and he said he just didn't remember me looking that big. How we forget... These pics have really motivated me to keep pushing!

BEFORE (2007)

The top from the first pic is now one of my favorite workout tops. I also kept the red tank top for working out. Everything else I wore in these pictures has been donated or sold at a garage sale.

AFTER (Today's pic)

Patience and hard work does pay off.

Even though I didn't hit my last mini goal, I am still fighting the good fight. I really want to thank everyone who has given me encouraging words and support. It means a lot. Thanks for stopping by. I hope you have a great day!