FINALLY!

First of all, I'd like to say Happy Mommy's Day to all moms! Hope you all enjoy your day. I wish I were in the US to celebrate this day with my mom, but I'm here in Abu Dhabi, thousands of miles away. That's ok. I was able to text her. She knows that I love her. And I got to spoil her a bit about 5 weeks ago when she came to visit me.

So, I've been working on losing weight and getting in shape since May, 2011. This weight loss journey is more for health reasons than for looks (like I've said before, I love my curves). I have high blood pressure and I HATE taking meds. I'm trying to be done with it. Plus, my family has a history of other sicknesses like diabetes, stroke, etc. I'm not even trying to deal with that. And I just long to be in shape; to be able to walk up a flight of stairs without feeling like I'm going to die. I'd like to live to see the kids in my family as well as my future kids grow up. So, yeah. Losing weight is imperative.

I'd started losing weight. Got excited, then got stuck. I've been in the same range since February (250 - 255lbs). My weight's been going up, down, or the same. GRR! It's been frustrating to say the least. To make matters worse, I haven't been under 250lbs since....forever. Ok, not forever, but it sure feels like it. Since 2010. I kept thinking if I can get out this range, I'd be good. I'm glad to say that after two years, I'm FINALLY out of the range. WOOHOO! I'm at 249lbs (four pounds since last month's weigh in).

I've lost a total of 21 pounds so far. Would I like to be further along in my weight loss journey? Yes. I mean, it's been almost a year. But, am I happy with the 21 pounds so far? Yes. It could be worse. I could still be the same weight from last May. Or I could still be stuck. But I'm not, so I'm happy. I'm just a bit closer to my goal weight. Operation Fit and Fine/Operation Goodbye High Blood Pressure is in FULL effect!

21 pounds down...79 pounds to go!

W is for Writing and Weight Loss Journey

Writing. I am a writer. I've been in love with writing, ever since the first time my parents put a pen in my hand and taught me to write. Journal entries, plays, stories, songs...you name it, I wrote it. I no longer write songs or plays, though, if I really wanted to, I can. I still journal and write stories.

Writing, for me, is therapeutic. Having a bad day? I write. Someone pissed me off? I write. Something awesome happened? I write. After I'm done, I usually feel so much better. It wasn't until about 6 years ago that I decided to write professionally. That was about when my first character started talking to me. SIDE NOTE: For all you non-writers, talking characters in my head doesn't mean I'm crazy, it just means I'm a writer. Anyway, when I sat down and listened to my character, I ended up with a book idea and my first page. Since then, I've never looked back.

Even after 6 years, I'm still not published, but I refuse to give up. I will become a published author. Of that I'm sure. Not only that, I'm sure kids/teens/adults will like my books. I don't say this out of arrogance; I say this out of confidence in God, who gave me this talent. I've asked Him to bless my writing...to let it give whoever reads it the same kind of enjoyment I got when I read as a child (and even now, as an adult). God gave me this talent and I know He wants me to share it, not keep it to myself.

We writers - or any creative person, for that matter - are a special breed and it takes special people to deal with us. My family is special. My parents; my brother; my sister; me; we're all a creative bunch, whether we're writing stories, drawing pictures, coming up with ways to make lessons fun, thinking of creative marketing strategies, or writing songs. My family so gets me! They're my biggest cheerleaders. They encourage my creativity. As a kid, I wrote plays for ever special occasion. They were long; very long (maybe a hint that novel-writing was in my future, perhaps?). And my parents, bless their hearts, sat through them all. I absolutely adore them for that. When I said I wanted to have a career in writing, my parents didn't shun it as an "unsuitable" career. In fact, they're cheering me on. When I do become published, and my books do as well as I'm praying they would, my family will be the first to benefit.

Weight Loss Journey. I am on a mission...a mission to lose weight. I've been going back and forth with my weight and I am tired. I'm ready to lose weight for good.

Now, don't get me wrong. I love being curvaceous. I love my hips. I love my big butt. I have no problem being "plus size." In fact, I don't want to lose my curves. My journey to lose weight has nothing to do with what society says I should look like. I could care less what others think of me. You may think I'm fat. So what? I'm trying to lose weight so I can lead a healthier life. I have high blood pressure and I HATE taking medicine. I hate how my ankles and feet swell up. I hate how I get so many HBP-inspired headaches. I hate having HBP period. Besides high blood pressure, my family also have history of diabetes, heart problems, cancer, etc. I'm not trying to check out of here earlier than I'm supposed to. Besides, I have little brothers and sisters, nephews and future nieces, future kids, and the youth that I work with. I want to be able to run around with them without having to feel like I'm hyperventilating.

I want to be in shape. I want to be in the best shape of my life, for the rest of my life. Though I do feel better now, at almost 35, than I did 20 years ago, there's still more work to be done. Therefore, I must do what I gotta do. I love working out...walking, Zumba, strength training, volleyball, I love it. Suprisingly, my problem is not eating too much. It's not eating enough. I tend to only eat once a day, which actually starves my body. That's no bueno at all. So, I'm slowly learning to eat 4 - 5 times a day. Old habits die hard, though, and I sometimes go back to the one-a-day meals. I'm a work in progress, though. I joined Weight Watchers about 7 weeks ago. I don't always count points like I should, but it has helped me with portion control.

So, here's the deal: I'm trying to lose 85 pounds. I'm not trying to lose my curvaceousness, so after the 85, I'll see if I want to lose more. So far, I've lost 5 pounds. I'll post updates here, just to hold me accountable. Think I can do it? I know I can.

Fitness Friday

50/50 Challenge. I had to restart my because I'd fallen off track. It's been seven weeks, and I've lost 5lbs so far. I'm doing pretty good, if I must say so myself!



Marathon Training. My marathon (walkathon) training starts Monday. I wanted to wait til I bought new walking shoes - the ones I have are about a year old - but alas, the show must go on. I'll get them soon. I don't know what I was thinking about starting the training during spring/summer. It gets crazy hot here in Houston. I have a little under a year to be ready for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, so I guess I'll go on. Don't wanna keep pushing it back. So, here I go!

Random Thoughts Thursday

RIP Corey Haim. So tragic about his death! As a kid, I didn't have a huge crush on him, but I did think he was cute...especially that dimple. *sigh* Sad...

Another Death. But this is the death of one of my all time favorite TV shows: Ugly Betty. Only 5 more episodes left. I keep hoping that another station would pick UB up, but it doesn't look like it's happening. No more Betty? No more Wilhemina? I loved all the characters. And I loved the fact that the cast was diverse - lots of people of color. Not happy about this. I am happy America Ferrera will be in a movie (Our Family Wedding), tho. I'm definitely going to watch it...maybe this weekend. Lucky her, she gets to have cutie pie, Lance Gross, as her love interest!

50/50 Challenge. Clearly I haven't been doing a good job on my 50/50 challenge. This would be week 26 or 27, I think. Soooo, I'm starting over. Yep, all over. My motivation? My Gramps. He was rushed to the hospital last week...had a mild heart attack. He's doing well now, it's just that the scare was a wake-up call. Plus, I'm having problems with my high blood pressure again (constant headaches, swollen ankles, etc). Gotta take better care of my health. So, I guess my blogland peeps, along with my fam, will be my accountability partners; keep me on my feet.

Fitness Friday

So, I've decided instead of checking my progress every week during my 50/50 Challenge, I'm gonna check once every 5 weeks.

This is the end of week 5. I should've lost 5lbs...but, I didn't. I lost 3lbs, though, so I'm not complaining. I also lost a total of 4 inches, including 1.5 in in my waist!

Hopefully, the next 5 weeks, will be even more successful.

Fitness Friday

I know it's a day late. Yesterday was a rough day, so I didn't do ANYTHING...besides workout. So today marks the end of week 1 of my 50/50 challenge. It was a little difficult - boy did I want to guzzle down a Pepsi each day - but, I'm happy to say I've succeeded in losing one pound. It may not seem like a lot, but remember, this is a pound in a week...the safe way to lose weight.

Next week, the real challenge begins. I'll (hopefully) start substituting consistently. Teachers usually don't need subs til, like, the 3rd week of school and on, so I'll be busy soon. The challenge is whether or not I'd feel like working out. I'm not worried, though. I have God, who'll give me strength and my inspiration board, which will give me inspiration.

I can't see the difference (I mean, come on, it's only 1 pound) but I can feel the difference. I haven't checked the inches yet. I'm so excited and can't wait to get to weeks 5-50, where I know I will see the difference. Can't wait til my clothes start feeling loose. Ooh, can't wait to hear, "Your blood pressure's normal, Ms. Weakly." Oh the joy!

So, yeah, I'm a happy camper. Go me!

It's Baaaack! Fitness Friday

So, it's the end of summer vacation. Time to leave the days of lazin around behind and get back to work.


Um, right. Like I had those kind of days. I worked this summer and I worked hard.

Which is why I'm so excited about next summer. God willing, I'll be a travelista next summer, traveling both in the US and out. I plan to work my @$$ off this school year so I can afford to chill next summer instead of work...so I can, you know, actually vacation during my summer vacation.

This brings me to my plan I'd like to call my 50/50 challenge. What is the 50/50 challenge? I'm so glad you asked! :) Starting Sunday, I'm gonna attempt to lose 50lbs in 50 weeks (hence 50/50). This means, I'm trying to lose one pound per week. Can this be done? Sure it can! This is actually the safer way to lose weight - 1 to 2 lbs/week as opposed to say, like 20 lbs/month. Besides, earlier this year, for a blissful month and a half, I was successful at losing a pound a week. Then I hit a wall. I've been this weight for the last 4 months. I guess it's good cos I haven't gained any weight. *shrugs*

So, how will 50/50 work?

Of course there's making healthier eating choices. For me, this means eating more than once a day. The surprising thing is, it's easier for me to exercise than it is for me to eat 3 meals a day. Weird, right? I don't plan on totally eliminating certain things (junk food, pop, chips). Eliminating them never works for me...I only end up eating more after a while. So, instead of getting rid of my weaknesses, I plan on eating less, maybe even using them as rewards when I've had a good week. I'm all for rewards, you know.

Exercising isn't really a problem for me...unless it's on a day where I'm just too tired to do anything. Even then, I have a plethora of exercise DVDs or I'd just do DDR, which is a fun way of working out. My top choices of workouts: walking, Tae Bo, DDR, volleyball, and dancing. 5 days/week - 6 if I'm feeling ambitious - of cardio/strength training.

The last, and most important, component to the 50/50 challenge is God. Earlier this year, I'd asked God to take control of my weight-loss journey...and He did. He talked me out of many unhealthy decisions, especially when it came to Pepsi, which is my number one weakness. Seriously, I can do some damage with Pepsi - like at least a bottle/day. My mouth is watering now to feel the burn... Anyway, whenever I feel like piggin out on junk food, guzzling down an extra bottle of Pepsi, or skipping a workout, I'll have to remember to ask God for help. And you know what the cool thing is? HE'LL ACTUALLY HELP! I honestly don't know why I hadn't thought of asking God to take control of my weight-loss/get-in-shape journey in the first place. It's like, duh! I ask Him to help me in everything else, why not this, right?

I'm SO ready for this challenge! I even have a special journal, complete with a special pen (did I mention I'm obsessed with stationary stuff) to track my progress. I have my inspiration board up on my bedroom wall with pics of beaches, swimsuits I'd like to wear, words, etc. My main reason for this is NOT looks. Of course, I always like to look good, but I'm more concerned with my health. I'm not trying to have high blood pressure and have to take pills for the rest of my life. No thank you! And, not only do I work with kids, but I also have 2 VERY ACTIVE nephews that I'd like to run around and play with without, you know, feeling like I'm gonna die from extreme exertion. Also, I believe God is about to take me places and I need to be physically, as well as spiritually and mentally prepared.

Fitness Friday blog posts will be dedicated to keeping up with my progress. I figure, the more people know about this, the more accountable I'll be held. And you can join me, too, whether you want to lose more than, less than, or exactly 50 lbs. I'd love the company.

So, Rae's 50/50 challenge: from Sunday, August 30, 2009 - Saturday, August 14, 2010. Ready. Set. GO!

Fitness Friday

Why, oh why must getting in shape/losing weight be so hard? Why can't there be, like an easy button or something that'll speed up the process? Can I please have a wand so I can wave this weight away? How bout the twinkle of my nose, like Samantha on Bewitched? Or a nod of my head like I Dream of Jeannie?

I'll be so glad when I've reached my goal weight. Oh to be able to actually run without feeling like I'm going to die! To be able to wear a swimsuit without self-consciously covering it with a t-shirt or wrap! To be able to hear the doctor say, "High blood pressure? What high blood pressure?"

But, alas, I must trudge on. My time will come. I'm working hard on this thing, so I'll see some results. I WILL SEE SOME RESULTS. Sorry, had to reassure myself, there. By this time, next year, I'll be screaming from the hilltops (or at least from the hilltops of blogland), "I did it! I got rid of those pesky little pounds!" I'll be able to run around with my extremely active nephews without needing to be resuscitated. I'll be able to run, period! OMG, maybe I'll be able to play basketball without hyperventilating.

So, yeah, this weight loss journey is long, tedious, and did I mention, long, but when I've reached that goal - when I've stepped out on that Hawaiian beach (that's where we might go next summer) in my tankini (you won't catch me in a bikini, no matter how much poundage I lose) - the pain...the tedious-ness...the 'oh-God-I-don't-think-I-can-do-it-anymore'...will only make my victory that much sweeter!

Fitness Friday

I did it! Well, God did it, but you get the gist of what I'm saying. On March 19th, I set out to lose 4 pounds by the 19th of April. I've lost the 4 pounds as well as a total of 5.5 inches. It's all about changing the way I'm thinking & including God in the mix. This weight loss journey is hard and I can't do it without Him. He's the one giving me the strength to exercise when I really don't feel like it. He's the one giving me the power to turn down whatever junk food I'm craving, but really don't need (now, of course I reward myself every once in a while). I'm going to keep focus on month-to-month weight loss...you know, take it slow. I'm so excited! 4 lbs down...71 more to go!

Overall Goal

Random Thoughts/Fitness Friday

This is my 100th post! Yay me!

iPods. I love music...a lot. I listen to anything that makes me move - from Hip Hop to Pop, Gospel to Latin...if the beat is tight, I'm listening to it. I'm hardly ever in the mood to listen to just one type of music. My iPod playlist reflects that. I'm all about what makes my wanna dance (which is something I love doing). When I listen to my iPod, I usually put it on shuffle and let it play. Like now, I'm listening to 'I'm Gonna Live Til I Die' by Queen Latifah, which has a kind of Broadway feel to it. The next 4 songs are, 'I'd Like To' by Corinne Bailey Rae, 'What About Now' by Daughtry, 'Eres Para Mi' by Julieta Venegas, and 'Right Round' by Flo Rida. See what I'm talking about? Variety...that's what it's all about.

I have the 8GB Nano, which can hold up to 2000 songs. I'm in absolute musical heaven. Has anyone even reached 2000? I know it's possible, but sheesh. 2000 songs! 714. That's how many songs I have and the number is growing. I mean, as long as artists keep coming out with music, I'll have songs to download on my iPod.

Random Fun. I am a BIG fan of wordles/plexers, which are word riddles that make you think. You have to look at the riddle and try to figure out what it's trying to say. For example:

1. The word 'I' is written under the word 'Stand' which gives you the saying, 'I understand'.

2. The word 'deal' is written in big letters, so you get...'big deal'.

3. Can you guess this one?

4. What about this one?

Lenten Season. Today is the last day of Lenten season for me. Technically, Christians fast for 40 days (Ash Wednesday, February 25th - Palm Sunday, April 5th), but my family have always gone the extra week to Easter Sunday. I've been blessed these past 40 days, spending time with Jesus, falling more and more in love with Him. My sacrifice was not food. Giving up eating wouldn't have been a sacrifice for me since I actually don't eat enough in the first place. So, I sacrificed time, pop, and reading. No soda for me. I got up 15 minutes earlier in the morning for devotional time. I don't like getting up earlier than I have to, BUT I needed to start my day off right. The funny thing is, I'm sure I'll continue getting up. My day just isn't right if I don't start off with Jesus. And the reading? Oh boy was that a hard one. I gave up reading my fiction novels for 40 days, which is why my 'Books I've Read in 2009' list has shown the same books for the past month and a half. I think this was the hardest sacrifice because of how much I love reading. Yeah, I'm a nerd, I know (and proud of it). I did it because it got to a point where I was reading my novels more than I was reading my Bible or devotional books. So, anyway, I'm looking forward to reading a good fiction book, but not letting it get more important than reading the ultimate book.

Fitness Friday. I didn't lose another pound, but I'm okay with it. I still have one more week to reach my monthly goal...and even if I don't make it, I'll be happy.

MONTHLY GOAL


OVERALL GOAL

Wordles Answers: 1) I understand; 2) big deal; 3) just between you and me; 4) sitting on top of the world. Wordles taken from: http://pages.minot.k12.nd.us/wordles/set1/; http://http//pages.minot.k12.nd.us/wordles/set2/

Fitness Friday

Another pound gone away! Yay me! My goal for my first month (March 19h - April 18th) was to lose at least 4 pounds (one pound/week). I am more than halfway there, with 2 weeks left. I've lost a total of 3 pounds in 2 weeks...the safe way, of course.

What did I do differently? Changed my way of thinking and put God into the equation. I've asked Him to help me with my weight loss journey. I know...shoulda did this earlier. *Sigh* Doesn't matter, I'm doing it now and He's doing just what I asked. I've had the will power to turn away unhealthy snacks (sometimes, but, hey, we're allowed ice cream every once in awhile). I've also had the strength to workout everyday this week. So yeah, I'm getting results...and I'm feeling good. YIPPEE!

MONTHLY GOAL


OVERALL GOAL

Fitness Friday

Last week, I said I was changing my focus with my weight loss journey - moving my focus from the weight to God. I started this approach last Thursday, where I have a daily scripture and affirmation to meditate on. I've changed my way of thinking (all positive; no negative). Apparently it's working because I've lost 2 lbs in one week, which isn't bad for that amount of time. I'm still watching what I eat and working out.

Speaking of workouts, my new neighborhood has a sand volleyball court. I'm soooooo happy about that, since I LOVE playing volleyball. When we lived with our parents, my sister and I would just volley the ball back and forth as a workout since they didn't have a court/net. But now...oh yeah, we're about to get our workout on! And playing volleyball in the sand is an even better workout than regular v-ball. Yeah, baby!

I finally did the Laila Ali/Sugar Ray Leonard boxing workout. It's not on the same level of, say the TaeBo vids as far as production is concerned (not bad, though), but, to me, it's still a good workout. I haven't done the advanced dvd yet. Sugar Ray motivates throughout, but Laila does most of the talking (maybe her name should go first...but then, Sugar Ray is a bigger name). I'm working my way up to the heavyweight dvd (gotta get through the lightweight dvd first).

Random Thoughts Thursday/Fitness Friday

Spring Break. Waaaah! Spring Break is over! *Tear* It went by way too fast! It's already Friday. Our next big vacation (summer) won't be for another 11 weeks. Oh, the horror! The pain! The agony of waiting...counting down the days. It's a good thing I love my job.

So, you wanna know what I did for spring break (you probably don't, but humor me, will you)? Ab-so-lute-ly NOTHING...and I loved it. Rest and relaxation - ain't that what it's all about? I mean, yeah, my sis and I were supposed to be in San Juan, Puerto Rico, lying on the beach, batting our hazels at the local cuties, BUT, we're in our own house! I'm in my roomy master bedroom with my equally roomy master bathroom. WE HAVE A HOUSE! I think Puerto Rico and the cuties can wait - besides, we're going in December. So, this spring break, we stayed home to bask in the awesome-ness of having our own house.

Mi Casa Nueva. So, I'm sure you can tell that I love my townhouse. I am so blessed! God is so good...He really is. The townhouse is roomier than we thought it would be. It's perfect for a first house. I have the master bedroom. It's not cuz my sister let me have it out of the goodness of her heart since I'm the oldest. No. I had to pay for it...literally. I bought her an iPod and promised to cook for a month just so I can have the master bedroom. It's worth it! I'm lovin the roomy-ness! We thought we'd be moving in with practically nothing, but when people - especially my wonderfully awesome parents - found out we were moving and needed furniture/dishes/food, they gave. Isn't that awesome? Here are pics. Our townhouse is the one with the cars in the drive.

This is a little issue we have to deal with...big, fat, slimy slugs. Ugh!

Here is our little office nook:

Fitness Friday. After years of trying to lose weight using different methods, I've realized that the reason the weight keeps coming back is because my focus was on the weight, not on God. I take everything else to God, why not my weight/health issues? So, I bought a spiral. In this spiral, I have a scripture and affirmation to meditate on for each day. I exercise and eat right like normal, but I've just changed my focus. With this, I want to lose, not only unhealthy physical weight, but also unhealthy spiritual and mental weight. I want God to remove any access weight - both figuratively and literally speaking - that is keeping me from becoming the woman He intended me to be.

Fitness Friday

I've decided to stop taking the Alli. Not because it doesn't work, but because I'm terrible with taking any kinds of medicine. There have been several times when I'd forgotten to take it when I was supposed to. So, needless to say, it's a hassle that I don't need right now. As far as pills are concerned, I think I'm just going to stick with trying to take my blood pressure pills faithfully like I should. Unlike Alli, or any weight loss pill for that matter, the blood pressure pills are for my health...kind of like a matter of life and death, so, I'm thinking these are more important. I do need to find out about vitamins to take, though. I've been so tired lately (but I think I may be coming down with something). Gotta get vitamins.

I'm starting to train for half marathon (little steps first...26 miles is out of the question) next week. I'm going by Prevention's walking calendar, which I did at the beginning of last year (and loved it...actually lost 11 lbs in 2 months because of it). The key for me is sticking to it. Like I said, I've been so tired, so I'm praying that I can rev up some energy to actually follow the calendar like I should.

I'm still eating better. I've been eating breakfast (yay me), which is usually hard for me. I'm not a breakfast eater, but, every morning for the past 2 weeks, I've been faithfully taking the time to eat breakfast. I've also been eating a small snack (like yogurt) between meals so I won't get the munchies. I haven't been snacking on junk either. In my parents' house, there are 9 of us (3 children, 2 teens, and 4 adults), which makes it hard to buy ingredients for the healthy recipes. Starting next week, it'll only be my sister and I (we're moving into our new house), so it'll be much easier. That's one thing I'm looking forward to.

Can I see the fruits of my labor in pound loss? Not much. I only see a 5 lb weight loss. My clothes are fitting a little looser, which means inches are coming off, if not lbs. I'm still happy, though. I mean, it could be worse, right? I could've gained everything back and then some.

Fitness Friday

Still hanging in there. We didn't get a chance to do the Knockout workout, but we did do DDR...my legs are still feeling that workout.

So, I started using Alli this week. I've heard both good (weight loss) and bad things (side effects & no weight loss) about it and was curious to see what it was about. The main thing I've heard is about the gross side effects (gas w/oily spotting, loose stools, more frequent stools that may be hard to control...um, ew), which I haven't experienced, thank God. You usually experience these side effects if you eat fatty foods while taking Alli. Basically, eat right and you'll have little or no side effects; don't eat right and, well, things could get a little messy for you. Yuck! I don't want the side effects, so that's motivation enough for me to eat healthier.

The deal is, Alli is supposed to help you lose up to 50% more weight than dieting alone. It's not a rapid weight loss pill, so you won't be losing 10 pounds in one week. You'll lose the weight over time, like you're supposed to (10 pounds on a week = so not healthy). The good thing for me is, I've been eating breakfast faithfully, which is normally difficult for me. For the most part, I've been eating 3 meals/day when, usually, I only eat once/day. So, my eating habits are changing. Also, I haven't been snacking as much. Because I only ate once a day, I'd snack on chips or something. My snacks have basically been fruit cups, yogurt, or grapes. If I do get chips, I'd get like the baked chips or something less fattening than regular chips. So, I'm getting there. Is Alli worth the money? Only time will tell for me. If not, I'll just put the experience in my "Lessons Learned" pile and go on with life. Anyone experienced Alli? Did it work for you?

Goal: Lose 65 pounds; 2.4 down; 62.6 to go

Fitness Friday

2.4 pounds...that's how much I've lost since January 1st! 2.4 pounds! Yay me!

My sister and I did a pretty good job this week with keeping up with our workouts. We've played volleyball (with no net, but still got a workout), walked 2 miles, and strength trained. *sigh* I felt so good, which is weird cause, it's...you know...exercise. Next week, we're going to try out Sugar Ray Leonard & Laila Ali's Knockout workout. Clearly, we'll be doing the lightweight first. Will it be worth the dinero I spent? Only time will tell...

Another good workout? Dance Dance Revolution. I am NOT playing when I say it's a good cardio workout as well as good for your legs & butt. That's if you do the songs that are like 130 & above (the higher the number, the faster the song is) and you do it on the basic, challenge, and expert levels, as oppose to the beginner level. My sis and I are still on basic, which is like level 2. I hurt just looking at the challenge and expert level, so it'll be a minute before I get there. I'm thinking of buying the most recent DDR game (the one we have is about 3 years old). It's a workout and it's fun. What more can you ask for?

Goal: Lose 65 pounds; 2.4 pounds down...62.6 pounds to go.

Fitness Friday

Well, this is my first post about my journey to physical wellness. My hope is to lose 65 pounds...if I could do it by the end of the year, that would be awesome! My main reason for the goal of weight loss isn't for looks. I could care less what society thinks of my body & my shape. I LOVE my curves and wouldn't trade them for anything. It took me a while to get to the point where I can say this and really mean it. As a teen, I had an issue with my weight - so much so, that, during my junior year in high school, I tried the whole "don't eat" deal...and got away with it until my parents got hip to my game. I am so grateful to God that they found out. If they hadn't, there's no telling what would've happened. I didn't start really love my body until after I
graduated from college. Now, I absolutely love the way I look. Yes, there are a few areas I'd like to change. What woman doesn't have those areas?

Anyway, I'm doing this more for my health. I have high blood pressure and diabetes runs through my family. Also, I want to be able to play with my nephews and young foster brothers without feeling like I'm about to die, lol. This week was my sister and my first week. I'd like to say we stuck to it. We did well with the strength training, but the cardio...yeah, not so much. Did I mention this is the first week of school? Yeah, so we both have been so tired by the end of the day. BUT, we're not giving up. She's agreed to participate in a walkathon with me this year, so we're gonna start training for it. I figured, since this will be our first walkathon, we'll start small. In October, the Susan G. Koman Foundation will be holding a 5K walk/run here in Houston.
Eventually, I want to work my way to the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, where they walk a marathon and a half during 2 days (13 miles on Sat + 13 miles on Sun or 26 miles on Sat + 13 miles on Sun).

So, we'll be doing cardio every other day and strength training. As far as eating is concerned, our problem isn't eating too much. It's not eating enough. I usually only eat dinner. I know, I know. Not good, especially since I find myself snacking. I'll be trying to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with healthy snacks in between. It sounds weird but it's harder for me to eat breakfast than it is for me to walk 4 miles. Weird, right?

For the next year, I'll be posting about my progress and anything that may benefit others in the area of fitness (by my experience, not cause I'm an expert...cause I'm not. An expert, I mean). So, here's to good health and weight loss for anyone who needs it. Will I succeed? I believe I will. Stay tuned...

Random Thoughts Thursday

My Agent Search.

When, oh when, will I get an agent? So far, I've received 22 rejections out of the 35 agents I've sent queries to since May. Five other agents have never responded, so I can add that to my rejections. I'm still waiting on answers from my 2nd round agents (who I sent queries to at the beginning of this month). It's hard not to get discouraged, but I'm not giving up. I know, with no doubt, that God gave me a talent to write. I also know He gave me this talent to share with others. And I have to stand on those beliefs. I will become a published author of children/teen books. It's just that, patience has never been a virtue of mine...

My Dissertation.

I am SO ready to be done with my doctorate program! July 25, 2009 can't come soon enough for me! Enough said.

Sarah Palin.

http://www.slate.com/id/2202658/?GT1=38001 and http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/news/politics/story/aa55049aa6a3a6bf862574ea00136ad6?OpenDocument. I mean, really?

Medicine Side Effects.

Don't you just love hearing/reading the about the side effects of the same medicine that's supposed to help you? The medicine commercials are hilarious to me. It'll help you sleep at night. Oh, and there's the little issue of it causing a stroke. So, because I have HBP, I have to take a pill everday. It's basically a water pill whose name I won't even attempt to say. Anyway, it helps lower my blood pressure BUT, the side effects are: dizziness, lightheadedness, headache, blurred vision, loss of appetitite, stomach upset, diarrhea, or constipation. I may also experience: decreased sexual activity or sensitivity to the sun. This medication may cause dehydration, dry mouth, thirst, muscle cramps, weakness, fast/irregular heartbeat, nausea, vomiting, severe dizziness, unusual drowsiness, unusual decrease in the amount of urine, fainting, confusion, seizures. These are unlikely, but serious side effects: numbness/tingling of the arms/legs, and joint pain. These are rare, but serious side effects: signs of infection (like fever, persistent sore throat), easy bruising/bleeding, stomach/abdominal pain, persistent nausea/vomiting, unusual/persistent tiredness, yellowing eyes/skin, dark urine, unusual change in the amount of urine. They were nice enough to warn: This is not a complete list of possible side effects. Are you serious? Thankfully, I'm not experiencing many of the side effects, except sensitivity to the sun (and I've always been sensitive to the sun). One annoying side effect I've been experiencing is, after I take my pill, I seem to have to go to the bathroom EVERY HOUR. I'm told that's a normal side effect (it's a water pill and supposed to help your body get rid of excess water, blah blah). Whatever. I feel like a little kid who can't hold her water.

The DDR Phenomenon.

In my previous post, I mentioned that my sis and I have been working out. One of our workouts include playing Dance Dance Revolution (something we became addicted to while working at our church summer camp 3 years ago). Now, don't laugh...DDR ain't no joke! There are 4 levels: Beginner, Basic, Expert, and Challenge. We're only on the Basic level - Expert and Challenge are too scary...all those arrows *shudder*. We only do slower songs for warmup/cooldown, which means, most of the time, we're jumping up and down and moving our feet to songs in the 170 - 225 range (225 is the highest).Yesterday, we did DDR for an hour. Can we say, "workout"? Today, my legs are feeling my efforts. It was a MAJOR workout, but we had fun. I wonder what we're doing tomorrow (today is strength training). Oh, by the way, I lost 2 more pounds. So, I have 13 pounds down and 17 to go. Yay, me! In honor of DDR, I'm posting a vid of my 4 year-old nephew playing DDR this summer. Too cute!

My Health

Last week, I went to the doctor for my physical and well-woman exam (VERY uncomfortable, btw). I'd scheduled the appointment because both sides of my family have a history of cancer, high blood pressure, and diabetes. I wanted to make sure that all was right in my health world. The last time I went to the doctor, I was told that I had borderline high blood pressure. This summer, I came to the conclusion that I might've gone from borderline to actual high blood pressure. I'd been experiencing some of the same problems that my parents (who both have HPB) have: constant headaches (I don't just get headaches...I get migraines), swollen feet, etc.

It turns out that, unfortunately, I was right. I have HPB now. ARGH! So, now, I have medicine, thankfully just one, that I have to take everyday, which sucks 'cause I'm horrible at taking medicine. I had to write a note to myself on my dry erase board (yeah, I'm a nerd...I have a "to do" board in my room) to remind me to take the medicine. I've never liked taking medicine.

The good thing is, with exercise and good eating habits, I can lower my blood pressure. I've been exercising pretty faithfully since June. I've been watching what I eat since August. I have fallen off the wagon, so to speak, every once in a while, but I've gotten back on. Overall, I've lost 11 pounds. Yay me! My sister and I have really buckled down this month and have been doing well. We've either walked 2+ miles, played volleyball in front of the house, or had 45 minutes to an hour of Dance Dance Revolution, which, btw, is an awesome form of cardio. We've added strength training in between our workout days. My original goal was to lose a few pounds for our Puerto Rico trip, but, now I've added lower my blood pressure. As far as eating in concerned, the problem isn't that I eat too much, it's that I don't eat enough. I usually only eat dinner because I don't make the time to eat breakfast or lunch. This is bad because I usually get cravings and end up eating junk food. So, now, I'm working on eating 5 times a day - breakfast, lunch, dinner, and 2 snack times in between.

I guess if I blog about my journey, it'll hold me accountable. I'm supposed to have a checkup in November to see if my blood pressure has gone down. So, my BP was 155 over 113 (I know...horribly high). My prayer is that I can lower it some by my next appointment. Also, my goal in June was to lose at least 30 pounds by the end of this year (I'm not even going to say how much I weigh). I'm now at 11 pounds down and 19 to go. Can I do it? Will keep you updated!

Random Thoughts Thursday

In a moment of pure brilliance, I decided that Thursdays will be the days I post my 'random thoughts' blog. Why? Alliteration. Thoughts. Thursday. I know. Brilliant. Way to play on words, Rae.

Vibe's Best Rapper Alive

Vibe Magazine held a 'Best Rapper Alive' contest for its November issue (http://www.vibe.com/news/online_exclusives/2008/10/the_best_rapper_alive_is/). The winner was Eminem. I will say Eminem is definitely in my top 5, but the best? I know this is a matter of opinion. Personally, I think Jay Z (who came in 2nd place) is the best, but, whatever. My problem with the contest came more with some of the other nominees. To me - and this is my opinion, which I'm entitled to - some of the rappers named shouldn't have even been on the list. Soulja Boy? Flo Rida? I mean, having Soulja Boy on the list with the likes of Jay Z and Eminem would be like...let's see...having a 'best basketball player alive' contest and having some junior high/middle school players on the same list as NBA players. Some of these 'rappers' aren't even in the same league.

The Cheryl Burke Weight Gain Issue

Apparently, Cheryl Burke, a professional dancer on Dancing With The Stars, has gained some weight since last season (http://omg.yahoo.com/news/dancing-cast-defend-cheryl-burke-over-weight-criticisms/14164;_ylt=AoBZxP6lBGrQFQjiiDorqKvWn414) This is Cheryl last year: and this is a pic of her this year:
This is fat? My goodness, I guess I'm elephantine then! What is is with America and its obsession over weight? A celeb gains a few pounds and, OMG! Call the fat police! They're starting to resemble the Pillsbury Doughboy (or girl)! I mean, really? And we wonder why so many young girls (and guys) have eating disorders. So, what...Paris Hilton, in all her boniness, is the epitome of beauty? I think not! I think Cheryl looks good. Can I look that good in a bikini, Lord? Please? And she's an awesome dancer too? I think I've found a new role model. You know what I say? Leave her the h*ll alone! She looks good. And she feels good about her body...and she should. She should be a role model to both women and girls. I love the fact that her and Lacey Schwimmer are on DWTS, representing the more curvier women (although there are women with more curves than them both). When will we ever stop letting society dictate what real beauty is?

Barack and Michelle Obama

I noticed something last night at the end of last night's debate. When the wives were on stage, there was a difference in body language between the couples. While the audience was clapping, the McCains stood apart. Every once in a while, Cindy would reach over and touch John. The Obamas, on the other hand, stood close together. Barack had an arm around Michelle and she had an arm around him. Every once in a while, they'd whisper something to each other. I've been observing them throughout his campaign and, I must say, I love what I see. There's nothing like seeing a couple show so much love and admiration for each other. I see that in my own parents who have been married for 31 years and together for even longer. My parents are high school sweethearts. I love seeing them hold hands. Every morning, they call each other (Daddy works at home, but Mama doesn't) to say 'I love you' and 'Have a good day'. I LOVE that! When I get married, I want that myself. And I love the way Barack protects his family. Earlier in the campaign, when people tried to get on Michelle, he immediately squashed it, basically saying, 'You can talk about me, but leave my wife and daughters alone.' My dad's like that. He's protective of his whole family, but he's more protective of his girls (Mama, my sis, Meechie, and I). All the males in the family (extended family as well) know not to mess with the Weakly women. Growing up, my brother was not allowed to hit my sis or I. If a male were to disrespect Daddy's girls... well, let's just say the guilty one wouldn't be happy. So, yeah, my future husband (whoever he may be) will have a lot to live up to. Anyway, on youtube, there's a wonderful vid of Michelle and Barack: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPYMaF2vAmg.