New Inspiration and St. Louis

Hello everyone!  Its been a busy couple of weeks since I last blogged.  I went on a fabulous weekend trip to St. Louis, Missouri to see the Kansas City Royals play against the St. Louis Cardinals.  I also went to my first personal training session with my Boxing instructor, Franchesca Alcanter, got rear-ended while at a stop light after Jazzercise class and I have been fighting allergies and being sick. 

I went to St. Louis with a friend from work and we got to see the sights of St. Louis, go to the baseball game and see our beloved Royals WIN and do the Budweiser Beermaster Brewery Tour.  I drove out there in my awesome roadster Malibu :).  We stayed at the Hilton at the Ballpark less than one block from Busch Stadium.  Upon arrival there was live music playing, bratwurst cooking in carts along the street and massive people celebrating pre-game in the hotel.  We got ready for the game and had GREAT seats on the visitors side 12 rows from the dugout! The game was a good one, lots of back and forth.  The Royals fought hard then in the end Joakim Soria struck out the famous St. Louis Cardinal, Albert Pujols.  The fans around us were very nice and told us that a St. Louis tradition after going to a baseball game was to go to Ted Drewes Frozen Custard stand.  We decided to do that, I indulged, I mean hey, it was vacation!  I had a Strawberry Shortcake concrete that was to die for.  We met a St.Louis Detective doing security duty there named Strohmeyer who was comical and full of quirky jokes.  He was awesome.  We went back to our hotel, went to the hotel bar and had a couple of drinks to celebrate the big win then on to bed.  I hadn't slept in about 36 hours so I was ready.  We had left for St. Louis right after I had gotten off of work that morning and I had worked 10 hours already....

The Amazing Busch Stadium in Downtown St. Louis, Missouri



Me and Alicia enjoying the game

Saturday we went to hit the town.  We went to the Gateway Arch first and Alicia decided she wasn't up for going into the Arch but amazingly I was.  50-almost 100lbs ago I would never have considered such a thing but here I was getting ready to face my claustrophobia and get into this tiny pod and ride up 630 feet into the air to over look the city of St. Louis.  Once at the top my life literally changed.  I felt like if Eero Saarinen who designed the Arch could think big enough to see and create such a world wide recognized landmark, could overcome the scrutiny of its futuristic look and design back in the 1960's and ultimately for the arch to be the draw for millions of people that it has become I can do ANYTHING I desire in my life.  That includes this pesky 15 lbs that separates me from the beloved 199, or in my career to be the best dealer I can be, or just living an amazing, fun, rich life full of new experiences.  On the way to St. Louis we listened to the audio book by Jillian Michaels titled "Unlimited".  I highly suggest reading this book.  It isn't another fitness book.  This is a motivational and inspiring self discovery book.  Listening to Jillian Michaels narrate her own book to convey her awesome message of self acceptance, self discovery and positive thinking is even better.  The best thing for this long trip in the car and it is amazing how it fit in with my moment at the top of the world.  

Me at our hotel room before our Saturday adventure.  The pic quality is yuck because it was with my phone but look I have a waist!!!  Love it!  :)

Me and Alicia at the foot of the Arch- Don't we look AMAZING?!?



Me at the top of the world inside the Gateway Arch

My souvenir pic of me before entering the Arch- I feel like in this pic I look the best I have in my entire life!

  From the Arch and the Landing and seeing how swollen and high the Mississippi River is we went to the Budweiser Brewery for a great tour.  We got to taste 3 hour old Budweiser fresh from the finishing tank.  It was the best beer I have ever had and frankly I am not a beer drinker.  The tour was filled with history, the process of making Budweiser, we got a souvenir glass, a hat and during the tour we got to wear safety goggles and a radio to hear our tour guide, Kyle.  We saw the amazing and beautiful Clydesdales.  For those of you who don't know, I am a complete horse fanatic!  We walked so much on Saturday that Alicia's calves were sore the next day.  I have to admit, the rest of the week after my trip I got horribly sick with a nasty summer cold and my muscles ached.  So I don't feel too bad about my vacation eating since I got a lot of activity in.


Me and my fresh brewed Budweiser in a freezing 34 degree room!!!

  After the tour we hurried over to the St. Louis Zoo to check it out.  I got to pet stingrays!!! Never touched them before in my life!  They had an awesome exhibit and it was like I was a little kid all over again.  Walked and walked some more.  Went to see the big cats, penguins, zebras, to name a few.  We got ambushed on the way out by a HUGE wedding party getting off of a motorcoach and I am wondering if this has the same karma as catching a bouquet??? LOL!  Yeah RIGHT! 

Me at the end of our fast Zoo trip

Crazy but beautiful wedding party!

The final leg of our trip saw us going to check out the Little Italy section of town known as The Hill.  We had dinner at Zia's Italian Restaurant and then went on to walk around a small portion of the neighborhood before heading south of town to our hotel for the night.  We were hot, tired and ready for showers and ultimately bed so we could make the 4 hour trip home the next day.  All in all it was a fun time!  I can't wait to do it again.  I even have thoughts of a trip to Chicago for a ball game.... Alicia???

I did forget to mention that a couple of weeks ago I participated in a company contest walk/run for our annual Challenge event.  It was an awful 93 degrees out that day and I am SUPER sensitive to the heat but I decided I would do the mile and be timed.  Since I took it easy due to the heat it wasn't my very best time but I placed in my age division which I can't even believe!! I did the mile in 15.05 minutes which my best time is 14.49 but with the extreme heat, I was happy with my performance and that I placed, even better.  Which brings me to more work related news.  I got the call from our corporate office on the article that they wanted to do about my weight loss journey and I saw the draft this morning and it is awesome!!!  I am so excited about it.  I will post it here for all to see when it comes out!  WOO HOO!

I started last week with my boxing trainer for personal training sessions once a week.  I need that to push me over the two month plateau I have been on.  I am thinking that some adjustments also need to be made in my diet.  I think I am taking in too much fruit if you can believe that.  So we will see if these adjustments get the scale to moving again.

I am going to leave this blog with a little saying i have on a positive thinking card. 

KEEP BELIEVING IN YOURSELF

Every goal that has every been reached began with one step and the belief that it could be attained.  When the road becomes hard to travel and it feels as if you will never reach the end... look deep inside your heart and you will find strength you never knew you had.  Believe in yourself and remember that dreams really can come true!  BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE!  Have an awesome week and remember YOU GOT THIS!!!

It's Summer and Time To Celebrate and Live Life!

"Be Sexy.  Strut Sexy.  Live Sexy.  Think of yourself as a voluptuous glamour goddess and walk around letting others know your secret- that you are all that and more"- Stella Ellis

I don't remember the moment in time when I figured this out and began to live that quote from the book "Size Sexy" by Stella Ellis but it was exciting to hear someone say and write an entire book about how to do exactly that.  Long before I began down the weight loss path I had a terrible self-image and extremely poor self-esteem. My distorted body image probably began to be an issue around the time I was 13 years old.  I remember doing everything I could do to avoid a mirror and now I can't stay out of one!  Today I embrace the body I have and the changes it is going through because it is who I am; I exude my confidence and feelings of being sexy and happy in everything I do. I am proud of the hard work I am putting into my body.  Why shouldn't I be?  Even though the results are slow I am seeing results.  Should I continue hide myself behind big baggy clothes and be subdued because I am not the size of a "normal" woman or a media inspired idea of what a woman should look like?  NO WAY!  Not a minute longer.  I have wasted a very long time being miserable about how I look or how much I weigh.  Those days have come to an end.  Because of my time as a "Fat Girl" I am experiencing many things for the first time so I am learning that the saying "Life begins at 40" is true even though I am not quite 40 yet! :)

  Every night when I am getting ready for work, I go through an entire ritual from putting on my makeup to choosing which flower to wear in my hair and what accessories to go with my uniform, etc.  I make pouty lips in the mirror with different shades of lipstick until I find the one that looks right, I bat my eyes after putting on my eyeliner and if I am feeling really good about myself that night I might take a pic of myself in the mirror. Once I arrive at work there is a long walk from the back hallway to the work area and the whole way down the main walkway I strut in like its my own private catwalk.  It psyches me up for work and helps me put on the show.  Confidence is attractive.  Now I realize this sounds ridiculous to some and egomanical to others but really its a process of being the best me I can be.  Life is too short to live in a world that says because I am curvy and by some preposterous standard that says I am "overweight"  that I can't be seductive or sexy.  I celebrate my sexy self!  There is freedom in self-acceptance. Okay- enough sexy soapbox for one day! LOL

Tonight at Jazzercise there were 2 routines in the first hour class and 3 routines in the second hour class that I really get into because the music is dance music and fun. Having Latina blood and a dance background, the front row in my Jazzercise class gives me a forum to dance and show off. You could never convince me that the front row and Lady Gaga, JLo or Britney playing loudly is not center stage at Carnegie Hall.  I dance my heart out.  It makes my workout so much fun and I just love shaking it like I am in the club.  That is my time and I make the most of it.  My instructor in the second hour noticed that I was in the zone because she said "you do need to make a new Youtube video" :p   So my new project is to get some video of me done soon to post here.  My cousins just told me on Saturday that it is time for me to make a new Youtube video!  I did post a link to the video I did back in February of me at Jazzercise on the blog here so check it out if you like. 

Saturday I went to my cousin Katrina's High School Graduation party and had party time with my cousins.  It was a lot of fun and I am very happy for her because I know she will make a future for herself.  The food and the cake were wonderful as usual.  My cousin Baby Mike has a wonderful knack for cooking and everything he does is spicy HOT just like my Uncle Mike.  It was awesome to see my cousins again- summertime brings us together with lots of parties, picnics and get-togethers.

Me and my cousin Katrina the Graduate!

 

 

 

Me and my cousin J.J.- I have a special place in my heart for this little guy!

I stayed long enough for the fun at the party then I went on to work.  Sunday I got to experience something completely new and exciting to me.  My friend Terisa had Track Passes and Tickets for the STP 400 NASCAR race at the Kansas Speedway.  I have been somewhat of a closet NASCAR fan for some time now and I was excited to see this first hand up close and personal.  There were no worries that I wouldn't get my workout in after the first few minutes getting parked.  People from all over the country came to see the race.  We got to see all of the pre-race activities out on the track, we walked miles from the parking lot, to the track, around the entire fan walk and up a ton of stairs to our seats.  Once we left the race we walked what seemed like forever until the car was located LOL!  Drivers I like include Dale Jr., Tony Stewart and Casey Kahne just to name a few.  The National Guard presented the colors and the Star Spangled Banner started the race off then the roar of the engines and the speed of the cars all together was just amazing!  Best new and fun experience I have had in a long time.  

Me standing on the track at the Kansas Speedway being my hotter than the 95 degree weather self!!  Check out that pose!

Me with a display car on the Sprint Fan Walk

.  I had fun at the race but I only got 5 hours of sleep in before going into work that night. :(    I was pretty happy with myself today since I got in 2 hours at Jazzercise and a 3 mile walk with Terisa in.  I felt so much better after some sleep.  Tuesday plans are to Jazzercise this morning, swim this afternoon, boxing late afternoon and possibly a walk in the park again in the evening. I also have to make time to go by the cemeteries and pick up my flowers.   My mission and dedication to my new goal time are in full swing. 

Have a wonderful week everyone and have fun because it's summertime and life is too short not to celebrate every breath and every moment!

"Always say to yourself,  It's great to be me!  I am fierce and fabulous, big and beautiful, smart and sexy, feminine and fantastic, curvaceous and confident, sexy and sultry!"

- Stella Ellis

Spry Magazine- Adjusting to Weight Loss

The Site that I get this newsletter from did not have a share function for Blogger so I am going to post the link here.  Spry Magazine is edited by Lisa Delaney the author of "Secrets of a Former Fat Girl".  Enjoy! Adjusting to Weight Loss

Catch Up!!

"If a girl has curviness, exciting lips, and a certain breathlessness it helps.  And it won't do a bit of harm if she also has a kittenish soft and cuddly quality."-  Jayne Mansfield

Me at my park in Riverside on Memorial Day weekend in my size 18 capri pants :)

It has been a long two weeks since I have been on here!!! I love blogging so I have a TON to share today! This may seem like a journal because I kept notes so I wouldn't forget all the things I wanted to share with you- pretty clever, huh?

Mondays I don't do much but sleep but on Monday the 23rd I went to Jazzercise for two hours that evening and then that evening I went to the park to walk with my friend Terisa.  It turned out to be a very active day and it made me feel really good.  That night I cooked my eggplant I had bought on Saturday from the City Farmer's Market.  It came out so good!  I used a parmesan, basil and garlic mix I bought at the City Market also and used egg whites and coated the eggplant then dipped it in the mix and used extra light olive oil in the skillet to brown it and topped it with a basil/garlic sauce and light mozzarella cheese.  YUM!  I love getting in the kitchen and cooking- not all the time but on my days off it becomes a pleasurable activity.

The next day,  I went into work to trade a uniform blouse and get a button put on one and when I was finished an amazing thing happened to me!  Walking by the employee cafeteria, I saw people that I don't normally see because I work overnight and they work during the daytime.  Anyhow, I stopped to talk to two girls I know and at the table next to them was someone I worked with in my previous position.  She has not seen me since October of last year.  Her mouth dropped open- gaping literally!! :) She said, " I cannot believe it!  You look great!"  "I feel like I am talking to a stranger."  She really was genuinely awestruck and it was the absolute BEST feeling in the world!!!  That is the first time that someone didn't recognize me due to my weight loss and that their shock at my appearance was so drastic! That same day I had errands to run but still got some good reading time in.  I finished reading my Stella Ellis "Size Sexy" book and it was amazing and I also finished my Carnie Wilson book "Gut Feelings".  Terisa and I would have walked but we got some heavy duty rainstorms here so it was shelved for the day.  I did get to my boxing class and I felt like I did pretty well.  I was excited to finally get some burn on my arms- my nemesis spot!!!

On Wednesday, I went with my friend Jason to the local Corner Cafe and gave in and had fried chicken and mashed potatoes.  Ugh!  It went downhill from there for the week.  On May 28th, my cousin had a baby shower at her aunt's home in a nearby suburb. I got to go for a little bit and took some great pictures.  She is expecting a boy before the end of this month.  She ALWAYS closes her eyes in any pics I have with her.  It was fun but these types of occasions always have lots of snack food, cake, etc. and this one was no different.  So needless to say I wasn't too happy that I had indulged in too much cake. The very next day was our family Memorial Day picnic and of course there was everything you can imagine to eat.  My weakness at these events is a family recipe they call "green rice".  It is so yummy but nutritionally void.   My point in sharing this is that everyone including me has a bad week or a bad day where you feel like "hey I could have done better".  Last week was my week.  But I always have to remind myself of a quote used in the Weight Watchers meetings and that is "you can be off track at 12:00 p.m. and back on track at 12:01pm."  That means that the next minute is a new opportunity and to get back on track asap instead of beating yourself up over a few chips and chocolate cake!  So my days off rolled around again and that is what I did.  The holiday weekend was over and I took advantage of my time off to get back on track.

Me and my cousin Maria

Me and my adorable cousin Katrina on Memorial Day

Me and my cousin "Baby" Mike at the Rodriguez Family Picnic

Me and my cousin Miguel- he is a sweetheart!!

    Monday, Memorial Day proper, spent the day hiking in two of the cemeteries where my family is buried to get my flowers out and to get some walking in.  So, I parked my car in one spot and walked to the graves and paid my respects, took pictures and left flowers.  I truly love Memorial Day!  I am very tied to my ancestors so to me Memorial Day is better than Christmas.  I was late getting out there this year because of my work schedule but I was happy to see a lot of people doing the very same thing I was on Monday.  I did get some burn on in the cemeteries.  At the second one I visited I ran into my DiMarco cousins and that was a very pleasant and unexpected surprise.  For me, visiting the graves is my time to bond with my departed ancestors so bumping into live cousins was a great addition! :)  After going to the cemeteries, I met up with Terisa and we walked in Parkville at English Landing Park.  The entire trail is 3 miles so to switch it up we went there and walked.  So I felt accomplished that I at least got exercise in on Monday! :)

My grandparents grave at Mt. St. Mary's Cemetery

Me on the bridge that overlooks the river on the trail

 Tuesdays are usually my best exercise day because I can devote so much more time to it.  I started out Tuesday afternoon and got into my swimming pool and it was simply freezing but I braved it and got into it.  I got to swim for the first time this summer in my brand new $15.00 bargain swimsuit that was an amazing size 16/18!!  I do my own version of water aerobics and run laps in the pool.  I did this for an hour and came out with a beautiful golden brown color on my chest and back complete with my swimsuit tan lines.  I was happy to be enjoying such a wonderfully sunny day at my pool!!!  Then I went to my boxing class and had a hard, sweating, beat me to a pulp workout. But strangely I was energized after that and called Terisa and we met at the park in Riverside and went walking our 3 miles.  Tuesday workout day was awesome.  I am back.  That night I met up with a friend for dinner and we were talking and another mutual friend called on the phone and basically I was told how finding a man or a date for me presents a certain challenge due to the fact that I am a "hard sell" because of my age and my ego... really??? This made me so mad that I used my aggravation to motivate me and push me even harder.  Today I got up and went to a morning Jazzercise class and then met up in the park for a 3 miler this afternoon and then went back to Jazzercise tonight.  I have a new goal and deadline in mind for my next milestone so be sure to watch there will be lots of pics, and now I am going to video too.

I took my friend Jason to the grocery store today and I bought a fresh wild caught walleye fillet and that is what I had for dinner tonight and it was so good!  We had a great salad bar for lunch today too!  People are not perfect and life is constant so there will always be an occasion with cake or snacks.  I have learned that you don't deprive yourself of anything you just have to be accountable for it and do what is necessary to burn those calories.  I have also learned that you don't sabotage yourself by beating yourself up over that cake, or fried chicken or "green rice".  You get back on track asap and move forward.  Its not - oh well I blew it today so I will eat everything I want today and start tomorrow.  This mentality is what causes us to continue to be on the hamster wheel known as dieting and it does NOT work!! Accountability, Acceptance, Exercise and Positive Mental Attitude are a winning combination to keep going past a trouble spot in your new lifestyle.  I had to remind myself of all of these things this week and now its "up and on".

I will close with a quote from Carnie Wilson's book "Gut Feelings"-

"I am a work in progress with many issues to resolve.  But where I once felt cursed, now I feel blessed.  I've got a handle on my health, I've found the love of my life, and I am excited for what is ahead." 

So Meatloaf says "two out of three ain't bad"  :) 

Have a phenomenal week and until next time- get out there and enjoy your life and do something fabulous for your body today and everyday!  Thanks for reading!