Tropical Paradise!

As I posted yesterday, I went on a trip with the hubby!  The hubby told me that, once I lost 40 lbs that he was going to take me on a trip....so we went to Florida:)  Fort Meyers beach, Florida and it was well deserved and needed!!!  I loved every bit of it.  It was very relaxing, and fun!  We actually got a pretty good deal through Allegiant and the resort was very nice!  I think it would be a great spot for families because it's in a quite neighborhood and it seems to be very safe.  We went jet skiing with dolphins and even got the jet skis up to 55 mph...which was exhilarating:)

Cruising in our car!

View from our room!

Our resort and the jet skis we went on!

Poor little guy had a sinker stuck to him:(

10 More Pounds, Gone!!!

Hey Everyone!!!  Sorry I have been MIA for SO long...I have been really busy between: the holidays, school, staying healthy, and spending time with family and friends!  It's crazy that the time has gone by this quickly already.  I can't believe it's almost Christmas!!!!  I have lots to share with you all:)  First, about a little over a week ago, I hopped on the scale and couldn't believe what the scale was telling me.....well I could because I have been working my booty off!  I was down another 10+ lbs:):):)  That puts my total weight loss at 41 lbs!!  I'm super duper excited and am happy to tell you I am down to 156 lbs.  The last time I saw this number was when I first started teaching 6 YEARS ago!  It's just nuts!

I wanted to show you all my before and after pictures, so you can see what 30 lbs looks like.  Just a reminder for everyone, I started out at 197 lbs, but I didn't start taking pics until 188 lbs.  I was just too ashamed to take my pic, but I got enough courage to do it eventually:)

Here is the side view:

I can't believe that this is only 30 lbs, I'm wishing now that I would have taken a pic when I was 197 lbs.  Then it would be a true comparison of what I really lost!  Oh...well...shoulda. coulda. woulda!  I used to wear a size 15/16 in misses and now I can wear a 9/10 in misses!

I know that 40 lbs really isn't a HUGE amount of weight compared to others who have lost weight, but for me it is HUGE!  6 months ago, I thought that I could not lose any weight and that it was impossible. Well, I definitely proved myself wrong and it just makes me feel so great, like I can do just about anything:)

 I still thank my lucky stars to have such a wonderful support system that has been there for me throughout this whole journey! Thank you SO, SO much for always being there for me and you know who your are:)

Well,I hope you all have a great night!!!

Thanks for stopping by:):):)

Until next time!!!!

 

 I've linked up to:

Black Sparkly French Manicure!

Hey All!!!  A couple of weeks ago, I did my nails all up!  Lately, I have been trying different ways to paint my nails.   Some have been a success, while others, quite frankly, a disaster!  Like they say, you learn from making mistakes!  Here is my fabulous Black Sparkly French Mani:

Isn't it pur-teee???

This was pretty simple and quick to do!  All you need to do is first put a coat of clear nail polish on, paint black on the tips and follow that up with silver sparkly nail polish!  Quick, easy, and cute!

Not quite finished!

Just need to add the rest of my silver sparkly nail polish!

Thanks for stopping by:):):)

Until next time!!!!

Day 28-31 : Loving Yourself!

Hey everyone!  Sorry again for not posting hardly anything at all lately!  I just started with Zumba again and I have lots to do at school, on top of all of that I'm taking another Master's class....so I haven't had much time!

I wanted to get in a full 31 Days for :

Most of your journey is about learning to love yourself for who you are and excepting where you are now!  Celebrate the small goals or huge goals that you have accomplished, relish in what you have done everyday, and never forget where you started!

It's really easy to get caught up in the, " If only I could loose 10 more pounds" or "Man, I wish that my stomach was flatter.  So, I'll just do this and that to help it out."

Remember that you have come so far and already lost X amount of pounds. 

 Remember what type of exercise that you couldn't do before and what you can do now!

Remember all of the sweat, tears, and time that you put into this weight loss.

Remember the size that you started out in and the size that you dropped down to!

Remember the great feeling you had when you lost those first 10, 20, 30, 40, or X amount of weight!

Remember that feeling and never forget it!

Because you truly have come a LONG ways and you deserve to celebrate!!

Celebrate the weight you have lost and how far you have come.

Celebrate how good your life is and how much confidence you have in yourself now, to do just about anything!

Celebrate the love you have from your family, friends, and co-workers!

AND most of all

Celebrate to a Happier, and Healthier You!!!

Cheers to a new lifestyle and a different way of looking at life:):):)

Always remember, you can do this, all it takes is the first step and no looking back!!!!

Thanks for stopping by:):):)

Until next time!!!!

Day 27: The Ultimate Question!

In order to have a successful weight loss journey, you need to ask yourself "Why?"  Why have I put myself in this situation?  Why do I turn to food for comfort?  Why, is a very powerful question and one you must figure out in order to keep the weight off.

Via

I have asked myself this many times and I think that I have figured it out, at least for now!  I want to help others out the best that I can and I worry too much(or at least about things that I can't change or control.)  The first thing that has to be done is YOU need to help yourself before you can help others!  YOU need to be happy with your life and happy where you are in it.

This might include a lot of soul searching to figure out how you can change this and how you can go about this.  I believe the "Why" is something that will continue to be a constant question.  It will have to be something that you will need to work on throughout your life time.  It's definitely not easy, but once you come to terms with why you are turning to food then you can change the situation, the way you think about something, or try different things to help you.

So, what are you waiting for?!?!  Get started and ask yourself one question, "Why?"

Thanks for stopping by:):):):)

Until next time!!!!

~Halloween Bash 2012~

Hey there everyone!!!  I hope you had an amazing weekend!  I couldn't of asked for a better weekend...I had my Halloween party and it was a hit:)  There was great food, friends, family, and games!  I can't wait until next year.  Here are some pics that were taken throughout the night, I hope you enjoy them:)

My cupcakes that I made:)

Snookie and Snookie Jr.

 Yes, I was Snookie for Halloween and so was Lucy:)

80's Rocker and Black Angel!

Can never leave without my pickles and spray tan!!

I was pregnant Snookie:)

The hubs and I!

 For one of our other Halloween parties, he was the convict and I was the cop!  Not for ours though!

Buffet!!!

Living Room all decked out:)

J-Wow and Snooki!!!

This is my BFF, Dana, and partner in crime!  We planned  on dressing up as Jersey Shore girls together:)

Buzz Light Year to the rescue!

Costume Twins!

Scavenger Hunt Winners

Best Costume Winner...my lil' sis, Mandy:)

The Incredible Buzz Light Year:)

Some of the prizes were glow sticks!

Strike a Pose!

Sis and I!

Don't you just LOVE her eye shadow??  She wanted bright eyeshadow to go with her 80's costume and I found a Pin on Pinterest that I thought would look great with her outfit.  I did her eye shadow and I think it turned out pretty neato:)

 Fun was had by alll!!!  I'm looking forward to next year:)

Thanks for stopping by:):):)

Until next time!!!!

Day 25: Running Frees Your Mind!

There's no doubt about it, they don't say you get a "Runner's High" for nothing!  Running is one of my favorite exercises because it gives me the feeling like I can do just about anything!  That's probably one of the reasons why I love it so much:)  There are so many benefits from running such as: reducing the chances of stroke and breast cancer, helps with preventing bone and muscle loss, helps with general health, gives you confidence, releives stress, "Runner's High", helps to train your mind, and improves coordination!  Running offers many benefits, but you need to start off on the right foot and learn what is the best way to train yourself to acheive success!

Are you new to running and just want to find out the best tips to keep in mind?  Then here is the article for you!  It gives you all sorts of tips to help when you are starting:)

Beginning Running Tips

 Have you been running for a little while and want some new and more advanced tips then check out this next article!  You will be glad that you did:)

25 Rules to Running!

Day 26: It's All In the ABs!!!

It is always a good idea to workout out your core to get the perfect abs that you are looking for!  You could try cardio that targets the ab area such as Zumba!  Or you could try different exercises that target your core!  I have collected some different types of AB Exercises that you could try out and use on a daily basis!

A-mazing core workout!

Via

Day 24: Out With the Old and in With the New!

One of the most important things to make sure you do after you have lost weight is to buy and invest in some new clothes that will fit your new figure!  You won't truly know how much you've lost until you go through your "old" clothes and see what fits and what needs to be sent to Goodwill:)

I had to go through my old clothes and try them on to see how much weight I actually lost because in my mind I didn't realize how much I'd lost!  It feels very cleansing when you are able to go through your things and pitch the ones that no longer fit you!  Here are some things that I had to get rid of:

Organize your dresser

Get rid of the old

Donate to Goodwill!

Organize your closet!

That's better:)

Day 23: Sign Up!

I'm sorry I'm behind with our:

I have been really busy lately planning for our Halloween party and everything else that comes along with work!  I might be a couple days late with finishing before October is over with!

Another bit of advice to keep you going is to sign up for some type of race whether it be a: 5K, 10K, triathlon, bike race or whatever you're interested.  This is  a great way to start a goal and it will keep you motivated to get to your goal weight.

I did a 2 5K's this year: The Color Run and a 5K that raised money to help out those who are victims of domestic violence.  Here are some pictures that were taken on the day of my 2nd 5K:

Before the race! 

It was a chilly one!  My sis and I did a 5K to raise money for victims of domestic violence.

My best time for a 5K yet!

Day 22: Feel Good!

Whenever you are ready to workout, make sure you have some fabulous workout clothes to do it in!  If you think and know that you look good when you're working out then you will have the extra confidence that you can push through the tough exercise and you will try you're best!

Via

These are definitely cute and would make me want to exercise!  LOVE:)

Via

How about some Zumba clothes?!?!  I think so:):):)  Someday, I'll be able to wear that outfit!

Via

Day 21: Motivation to Keep You Going!

If you're just joining me for my :

Then make sure you check out this post to read about all of the posts that I have put together for this series!

I have already talked about finding motivation, but trying to keep it is always difficult, especially when it comes to long-term weight loss!  I'm the kind of person who wants to see the results right away and continue to see those results!  If you're anything like me then this post is for you:)  I have been sharing with you all some motivational exercise or eating habit quotes and here are some for you all to think about!

Via

Throughout your weight loss, you will push yourself to do things that you never once thought that you could accomplish!  That's one of the best parts of weight loss is overcoming the "impossible" or so you thought!

Via