Low Tech Weight Loss Buddy...

Last week's weigh in was a happy one...2 more pounds gone.  Combined with getting compliments from co-workers saying that they can see that I'm losing weight, last week was awesome. This week strategy was letting go of stress any way possible.  What worked for me was doing a to-do list every day.  I had lists going for work, home and as President of the Prince George's Chapter of the International Association of Administrative Professionals.  Simultaneously, there were multiple balls in the air and I had no one to delegate to.  It was beginning to stress me out and I couldn't focus on where to get started.  One night I wrote down each area of responsibility on separate pages in my notebook and every night I would write down what needed to be done.  Not that I expected to get everything done the very next day but it released my mind from the pressure of how much had to get done.  You know what happened? I slept like a rock every single night which meant I woke up energized which meant I didn't crave sugary, carb-filled foods during the day.  No emotional eating, no eating to keep me awake.  The wonderful, incredible to do list was my weight loss buddy this week.  So low-tech but oh so very effective.  

It's Not A Fluke...

After being very disappointed by my weight gain during my birthday and the holiday, I stepped on the scale today at Weight Watchers and was very happy.  I lost what I gained and even though I'm basically broke even, I know what I did right in order to lose weight this week.

One of the things I did right, at the urging of a very good girlfriend, was purchase a FitBit (www.fitbit.com).  This little gizmo is about the size of a bluetooth earpiece and fits comfortably on the strap of my bra (and it stays there all day until I go to bed).

It tracks how many steps I've taken in a day and converts it to miles.  It also tracks how many flights of stairs I've climbed and what my activity level was throughout the day.  I've found myself checking the number of steps I've taken during the day and doing whatever it takes to get to the magic number of 10,000 steps.  It even tells you, based on your height and weight, how many calories you burn a day before you eat a thing.  This is an awesome device that helps you realize how much you are moving and how active you are.  You may not think that you are being very active by running around and playing with your kids, but if you check your activity levels throughout the day, you can jump from lightly active to very active while dancing around to the opening song to Yo Gabba Gabba.

If you thought all of that was cool, place it in a wristband and it also tracks how you sleep.  Yeah, you read right...how you sleep.  Did you know that how you sleep has a direct effect on your weight loss?  I found that out a month or two ago and makes perfect sense to me.  FitBit tracks what time you go to bed, how long it takes you to go to sleep and how many times you were awakened during the night.  What a HUGE revelation!  The nights that I fall asleep in 5 minutes and awakened once or twice resulted in mornings that I bounced out of bed, bright eyed and bushy-tailed. 

Okay, enough of me sounding like a commercial, I just get passionate about things that I love and I love FitBit.  You don't have to take just my word for it, check out the reviews on the FitBit website.

Always Ayanna

I'm No Jennifer Hudson...

But I'm singing it's a new day and I'm feeling good.....

Okay, before I get into that, let me first say that this blog as been neglected (kind of like how I've neglected myself) and its content is all over the place (kind of like how I say yes when I should be saying "no").  I love putting together beautiful personal parties in intimate settings, I love realizing that losing weight for a "special event" is for the birds (I need to do it for my health) and I love doing projects around my home and being crafty.  When I thought about what I loved, it became very clear about what I needed to write about: parties, weight loss, home projects and crafts.  Sounds like a lot?  It is, but it's who I am and it's what makes me happy.  If you aren't doing something that you love, what is the point?

Ok, back to the reason for the post...I joined Weight Watchers about 8 weeks ago and so far I've lost 5.8 pounds.  Doesn't seem like a lot over the course of 6 weeks but for me its a huge achievement because I'm losing weight and not gaining :-) Slow and steady wins the race (or at least that's how the saying goes).  This isn't my first time enrolling in Weight Watchers.  As a matter of fact, this is my 5th time.  You might be asking, "Why did you enroll for the 5th time??" The answer is simple, the program works but I wasn't putting the work in to see results.  Your next question is probably, "Well, what's so different now?"  That's a real easy answer...ME.  My goals are realistic and I'm running my own race.  I'm not comparing my journey with anyone else's journey.

Here I am at my 40th Birthday Celebration on 12/10/11 (5.8 pounds lost).  I'm a visual person, so seeing progression is important to me.  Hope you don't me mind me chronicling this journey.

Spring? Is that you??

I don't know about you, but I'm sick of winter.  Sick of the cold damp days.  Sick of the threat of ice and snow. I'm looking forward to spring and looking forward to warmer days.  Imagine my delight when when Pottery Barn Kids introduced their Easter decorations for this year.

Valentine's Day Crafts

I love Valentine's Day, it's a romantic day full of opportunity to show those who you love how much you love them.  So it's not just restricted to romantic couples, you can send Valentine wishes to your mom, dad, BFF, your sister, your hairstylist, your childcare provider..well you get the idea.  Here are some fabulous ideas from Ms. Martha herself that won't break the bank.

Martha Stewart's Valentine Treat Cups

Martha Stewart's Sweetheart Pops

Martha Stewart's Bath Fizzies

Ahola!

I know, I know it's January.  What do you mean Ahola!?  Quite frankly I'm sick of the snow and cold so I'm thinking warm and tropical!  Hawaiian Luau's are my favorite type of party.  It's fun and colorful and you don't always have to stick the "traditional" luau food to pull the theme together.

Case in point, these pineapple mango cupcakes.  Can you say delicious???  I might not have mentioned it before but I am a huge fan of Bakerella.  I mean HUGE!  Talented and creative beyond words, she churns out cute ideas like some women change their hairdo.

For instructions on how to make go to the Bakerella website

Terrific Thursday!

The very first Terrific Thursday product is.....Bedazzle My Bonbons!  The first thing that caught my attention about this fabulous product was the company's tag line: Bedazzle My Bonbons...Chocolates for the FABULOUS that are both Dessert AND Decor!  Don't you just love getting a two for one? The bonbons come in 24 awesome colors that are guaranteed to compliment any decor theme you can think of for a party.  

Here are some of the ideas that are shown on their website, all of which work for a smaller scale party and celebration: