Greatest Compliment EVER!

You all know that I'm not cool with aging and getting older. I hate the entire process. I know it's a part of life blah, blah, blah. But it doesn't mean that I have to like it! I just celebrated by 38th birthday and luckily, I haven't dwelled on it too much. I think it's due to being occupied by my shiny, new iPad. Is it possible to fall in love with an electronic gadget? Because I think I have. The iPad is the Best. Invention. Ever! Anyway, I digress......

Friday night was Darrius' basketball practice. I hate that his practice is on a Friday night. Who does that? Some parents do have a social life!

So while the boys were taking a water break, Coach G walked over to me to chat. I didn't feel like being bothered because I was engrossed in watching one of my favorite episodes of  Sex and the City on my iPad. He started talking to me and I reluctantly took my earbuds out of my ears.

Coach G: Are you going to scrimmage with us?
Me: Ummm...no. Don't think so.
Coach G: Your husband scrimmaged with us last week.
Me: Good for him (insert sarcastic tone)
Coach G: Oh come on!
Me: I'm not dressed for it. I'm wearing jeans.
Coach G: If I can run up and down the court with those boys, so can you. You're like, 30, right? I got more years on you. I'm 41.
Me: No I'm not 30 (laughing and preening inside)
Coach G: You're not?
Me: Nope.

So yeah, Coach G thinks I had Darrius when I was 18. LOL! I told him my real age and he was surprised. On the way home, I told Darrius the story. He laughed. I told Darrius that I'm going to start telling everyone that I'm 30 and that I had him when I was 18. Then Darrius added to the story saying I should say that my parents took care of him while I was away at school. Haha!

That's my story. And I'm sticking to it! :D

Happy Birthday to ME!

Today is my birthday. Woo hoo (sarcasm). Another year older *sigh*. I guess eventually I'm going to have to stop fighting this getting older thing as much as I don't like it. I still look great; well at least my skin does. It's the one thing I take care of religiously. Now I just need to take care of my body and I'll be good to go.

My goal going forward is to celebrate each and every birthday instead of bitching about getting older. Yeah okay. I'm such a drama queen about my birthday and I need to stop it. I am blessed to be healthy and alive to see another birthday. It is a cause for celebration. Am I right or am I right? Anyway so here's to a new attitude about birthdays.

I'm going to say it loud and say it proud *clears throat*

HAPPY 38TH BIRTHDAY TO MEEEEEEE!!!!!

I just have one wish. Can I have him for my birthday. Pretty please with icing on top?

So what's next?

Now that I'm all about a New Me for 2011, what exactly do I want for the "New Me"? Obviously the major goal is to lose weight. But what else? There are a lot of things that I want to improve upon and they are not all physical. Back in 2008, I wrote a post titled "9 Goals for 2009". This list included 9 things that I wanted to cross off my to-do list. Out of the 9, I think I accomplished two. LOL! Some of the items on the list are still things that I want to accomplish, like run in a 5k race.

I am a pessimist at heart and that is one thing that I really want to change. I am quick to be negative or see the negative side of things. My justification? I don't want to be disappointed. So the best thing to do is to think that something's not going to happen so that if it doesn't, the let down is easier. I need to stop doing that. For the next 4 weeks I am going to make a conscious effort to stop being a Debbie Downer. It's not going to be easy. Old habits die hard. But I'm going to try my best.

We've all experienced that point in our lives where we feel like we looked our best. For me, that time was the summer/fall before I got pregnant with D. I was the smallest I'd been in a long time. I weighed 123 lbs and was wearing a size 6. I was working out twice a day and eating healthy. I loved the way my body looked and I was working hard for it. Is it my goal to get back down to 120lbs? No. It would be nice but I know my body has completely changed since having a child and being over 30. My metabolism is on an extended vacation. My goal weight is 130/135. Why that? When I was in college, I had gained the college 15. So when I left college, I weighed around 140-145 lbs. At that weight, I had the one thing that I can't stand - back fat. I abhor it! Can't stand it! Don't want it! May seem petty but that's how I feel. Thanks to my weight gain I have more back fat than I can handle and I'm sick and tired of it. So I know I won't be happy until the back fat is gone!

The pictures below is when I felt my best, 1997 (wow that's a long time ago). Vacationing in the Bahamas, I wore a string bikini for the first time EVER! I haven't worn one since.

I don't know if you can see it clearly in the pic, but I had awesome muscle definition in my thighs. I got that through hours upon hours of spinning.

Halloween (obviously). These jeans were tight as hell! But I had no muffin top, no spill-over. Nothing. I felt good in them.

Those were the good old days or as I like to call them, B.D (before Darrius). I'm going to use these pictures to keep me motivated. These pictures were taken at a time where I was at my healthiest and at my physical best.

The plan is to get back to that place again.

New Year, New Me.

Happy New Year! I know, I know! We're 15 days into the New Year already. Better late than never right? So far 2011 has been good to me. Can't complain. It's only been 15 days, right?  Sorry I haven't been posting here often. My book blog has absolutely consumed what little free time that I have. I'm going to try to post more frequently this year. I promise.

For 2011, I've decided that this will be the year of ME! Last year, I seriously slacked off on taking care of myself - physically, mentally, emotionally. With Alfred being busy with his new business, I was pretty much a single parent last year. Everything was on my shoulders and I felt the full effects of it. Now that he sold his business (believe me that is a good thing) and is no longer working 14+ hours a day, I have the time to focus my energy on the most important person - ME. I had a doctor's appointment last month that made me take a hard look at myself. I'd gained 17 lbs in a year! That's a lot considering I'm only 5'1" and was already carrying around extra weight. I did not need another 17 lbs to add to it. I decided right then and there that this needs to stop. I'm about to turn 38 (yikes!) and my metabolism isn't getting any faster. This weight-gaining crap needs to be stopped in its tracks. So fast forward 3 1/2 weeks and I am finally at a place where I'm ready to stop talking and start doing.

I decided to track my progress on my personal blog. I plan on continuing to blog about family and random stuff (even though I haven't done much of that lately). I am quick to say that I am famous for starting things and not following through. I am the Queen of Not Following Through. Ask me if I've run a 5k yet. Guess what the answer is. A big fat NO. *sigh* So the 5k thing is back on my list also. I don't know what my problem is. I'm lazy, I get discouraged easily, I procrastinate like a mofo and I expect the weight to fall off after 1 week of exercising. I need to stop beating myself up and be realistic. It didn't take a month for this weight to appear and it's not going to take a month to lose it (unfortunately). There's no magic pill; only through exercise and diet will it finally come off.

So here's to a start of a new ME. Know this for sure, I plan on being selfish this year. I've neglected myself for far too long.

Join me on my journey to a new me!

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HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Happy Birthday D!

I can't believe my baby is 12! I know I always say this but I'm going to say it again - Time flies! He's becoming a little man. He's starting Middle School in September. Soon he'll be going through the dreaded puberty and start thinking about girls! I just hope that as he gets older, he'll still want hugs and kisses from his mom. 

THEN

NOW

Back on the wagon

Hey folks! This is my first post since I deleted my 5k training blog and merged it with this one. Woo hoo?

I can't believe it's August already. Summer is practically over. Yeah, I'm a glass half empty kinda person. Summer has been pretty uneventful for us. No Caribbean vacation for us this summer which totally sucks. I haven't even made it to the pool but one time. I would blame it on being too busy but I'd be lying. The reason why I haven't gone to the pool is because going to the pool would require that I wear a swim suit. And I definitely don't want to do that! Why, you ask? Because I'm probably the only idiot on the planet who has managed to gain weight DURING THE SUMMER! I feel disgusted and disgusting. There is no excuse. I've just been lazy. And when I don't workout at all, my body rebels. It's not like I'm eating tons of food. But ever since I hit 35, my metabolism has shut down. I could eat the daily recommended calories or less, not workout and STILL gain weight. But if I eat the same way and exercise, I maintain my weight. So what the hell do I need to do to lose? Starve? I'm starting to think that's the case.

I started working out again last week after my unplanned hiatus. I was super out of shape and when I was done, I was super sore. I attempted to workout to the week 1 5k running podcast and I thought I was going to have a heart attack I was breathing so hard. That's not good. Not good at all. I'm going to keep working out, eating healthy, drinking my H2O and hope that the scale starts budging. I'm also going to schedule an appointment with my doctor. I need to get a physical just to make sure there's not something else going on with my body that's got it acting all weird. Oh! Forgot to mention - my migraines are BACK! after not having regular migraines for 2 years! I now have one every two to three weeks. Not normal. Not appreciated. I'm having sleeping issues and my skin is breaking out. I'm wondering if I'm experiencing menopause? Isn't everything tied to our hormones? All I know is my body is a mess and I need somebody to fix it.

I know - TMI. But that's how I roll (sometimes).

I'm back to square one with the 5k running. Boo! I'm still all about The Chubby Jones podcast to workout to. It's fun and the music is great.

Anyway, I will try to post more often. I know it's been mad sporadic on this side of the world but my goal is to remedy that.

I still have pics from the 4th of July I need to upload. Yep, I suck.

Catch y'all on the flip side!