NYC TRIP!!

 I have been looking forward to visiting my best friend in NYC even before I booked my flight sometime last year. I love NYC and I love my best friend so I was just looking forward to getting away to the city that never sleeps with one of my favorite people ever. I wanted to have 3 full days in the city so I left late on Thursday evening and planned to fly back early Monday morning.

Glad I had had a glass of wine BEFORE i got on the plane since it was so crazy getting to NYC! 

Was supposed to land at LaGuardia around 11:20pm and then had a car ready to pick me up at the airport. Well after being delayed almost 45 minutes and the having to attempt to land twice. (Scariest thing ever! It was foggy we were getting ready to land could see the ground pretty closely and then went right back in the air! Ekk. Was throwing up a few Hail Marys at this point!) I finally landed and got the car for my 45 minutes-hour drive (turned into a little bit longer because the driver didn't REALLY know where he was going. At one point asked if the building was on the left or right. Umm no clue dude. So after a few turn arounds and one way streets I finally made it to her apartment around 1:30am. I had been up since 5:15am that morning. So needless to say I was exhausted. Poor Danielle she had to work for a few hours Friday morning but was grateful that she stayed awake for me to get in! :)

Friday

SLEPT IN. It was glorious. Don't get that time very often. Got ready and then Danielle took the afternoon off. So we walked to brunch and had a pitcher of mimosas because that is what you do on a Friday afternoon with your best friend in the city.

Mimosas and Turkey, Bacon, and BBQ Sauce sandwich with delicious Mac & Cheese from Kitchenette. http://www.kitchenetterestaurant.com/home.html

Check them out if you ever go there! :)

 

Then we walked around the city and it starting pouring. Ugh. Thank goodness for moms that tell you, you should pack an umbrella. It saved the day. :) so we decided to go home to hang out and watch movies! So it was a nice and relaxing night in on the couch with wine, Chinese Food, movies, the Kardashians and sweats. Perfection.

I kept saying all weekend that it was so nice to not have set plans all weekend. I didn't have an agenda which made for a relaxing weekend. I have been to NYC many times before and have done all the touristy things. The only thing I did want to so was see a Broadway Show. Was really hoping to see Spider-Man but it stopped showing on January 4th of this year. Boo. Took me a while to get over that. :)

Saturday

So we woke up and cooked breakfast. Aka Danielle cooked breakfast and we started to plan our day. Starting looking at shows and ticket prices online and dang! They are expensive! But Danielle knew that her roomie went somewhere near where they lived to get discount tickets. So it was GORGEOUS OUTSIDE. Like jeans and a sweatshirt weather without a cloud in the sky!! So we stopped to get iced coffee and walked to get tickets. Walked down Wall Street which was really cool and got to the ticket place and we had settled on going to see Newsies so we got in line and were about to get 2 tickets in the front row of the Mezziene level for HALF PRICE. So we got them for that evening at 8pm. :) we were both so exited.

So then we walked back to her place and grabbed a book and walked down to the Hudson River and walked around there for a bit. Did I mention the weather was GLORIOUS? It was so great to sit and people watch with the Statue of Liberty in the background. So we sat there for a while read and took in Gods glorious creation.

Then we walked back to her place, grabbed a Panini at a corner restaurant and went home to take showers and get ready for our night out on the town!! So we got all dolled up and took the subway to Times Square for the show. To say Newsies was incredible is an understatement. It was fantastic! Once the show was over we went out in the Upper West side to a bar Danielle goes to. Got a couple drinks and are dinner at 11:30pm because that's what you do in the city and then went back on the subway to her apartment in the financial district and met up with a few of her friends at a beer garden underneath her apartment. Very convenient! We didn't end the night until like 4:30am because again that's what you do in the city.

Sunday

We slept in again! Haha because needless to say it was a late night! :) Woke up realizing that I am a little old for going out! :) so got up took a hot shower and then walked down a block for breakfast at a place called George's and it reminding me of a Waffle House which was exactly what we needed. So after a shower, food, a fountain diet coke we decided to take the subway to Central Park since it was my last day and it was beautiful again. It was still nice out. A little cooler but still sweatshirt and jeans weather! So we got out there and there was still a ton of snow. So we walked around and found a bench. Talked, read and people watched. A few times I was waiting for Benson and Stabler to jump out while taping Law and Order SVU. That didn't happen but I did hear and see a lot of NYPD Sirens! :)

After that adventure we headed home to watch more Kardashians and hang out in sweats for a bit. :) then her cousin Kelly called and was coming over to see me and we decided we would go out for dinner and drinks for my last night. So we walked down to this Mexican restaurant called Mad Dog & Beans. And it was delicious. :) then we walked home and got back in sweats and I packed and then watched Safe Haven.  :)

www.maddogandbeans.com/

It was a perfect end to a perfect weekend. I am so blessed that I was able to come visit my BFF in this amazing city. I am so proud of her and it was great to see where she lived and worked. She was such a great hostess!!! So thankful for her hospitality and just the intentional time we got to spend together. It was perfect. Can't wait to come back and visit soon! NYC you have my heart!

What a journey...

I knew this was going to be a journey. I knew that starting a weight loss journey would be challenging, hard, emotional, freeing, loving, encouraging and the list could go on and on. The one word that sticks out the most in this list is EMOTIONAL. Now most of you that know me that are reading this will probably laugh because if you could describe me in one word most people who chose EMOTIONAL. I used to get discouraged and frustrated that I was so emotional because I thought it was a sign of weakness. Well my friends being emotional is NOT a sign of weakness it is a sign of STRENGTH. This realization has taken me a long time to understand and figure out what that means for me.

So i have been one this particular journey for a few months- some months were good and i was dedicated to losing the weights and some months I was having bad months and would gain back the weight I have lost. I have done that PLENTY of times before but this time is different I AM DONE YO-YO DIETING FOR GOOD! I knew I needed to get to this point on my own and when my own heart was ready to change. I have been ready for a while but there was still something holding me back. I now want this weight loss for ME. I don't want to lose weight so others will like me, think I am attractive, help me find a spouse,etc. I want this FOR ME! I am not sure what exactly was holding me back, still working through that- I think I have an idea but my heart is still fragile to talk about that.

I had heard a quote before that says something like, "It's not about the destination, it is about the journey" and I used to think that quote was dumb because the only reason to go on a journey is because of the final destination-but in all actuality there is a lot of truth to this quote. This will be a journey and will continue to be a journey even when I meet my final goal (destination) of losing 100 pounds. Life is just not going to go back to normal it will be a new normal for me and I am so excited to be there. But I am excited about the journey and where it has brought me so far. It has brought me to a place of SELF LOVE and it has only taken me 26 years to get to this place. But I am learning that I am worthy of self love and need to love myself before someone else can really love me. I am working through this and know this till be a long journey but I am here in the midst of it and the Lord is guiding me and leading me through it and I know with his strength and grace I can work through this and come out on the other side.

Thank you for the continued love and support from all my friends and family! I could not do this without you all!

Do I really want to lose weight? YES!

I have joined weight watchers over 6 or 7 times throughout my life. I started back in high school and joined with my mom. She has been such a great influence on my life and has been one of my number 1 supporters. She has always called and given me tips, suggestions, recipes, success stories and encouragement!! I am thankful that she would go with me to weight watchers and would always celebrate with me when I have lost weight. She has also encouraged me when I have gained weight or not lost any weight or when I have decided to stop weight watchers for yet another time. I am very thankful for her and for introducing me to Weight Watchers so many years ago! I love you Mom!

I still am unsure as to why I ever stopped going to weight watchers because it works and helps me still have a life be successful in my weight loss. But for whatever reason I would lose some weight and feel good and then just quit going. However, the program has stuck with me and when I would get desperate I would join lose some weight and start feeling good but then something internally would just make me quit. My eating is very emotional, I have always been a stress and emotional eater. Whenever I am having a bad day or a bad moment I would always turn to food to try and feel better. It just turned into a vicious cycle of eating to feel better and then feeling bad because I ate so much or so bad. It has only taken me 26 years to realize this about myself but now that I do. I can make the changes necessary to lose this weight for good and feel GREAT about myself.

 

Once I realized that this is something that I really wanted and could achieve with hard work and dedication-it was on. Something inside of me was sparked and I realized I was done with excuses and reasons as to why I could not do it and am just going to do it. That is why I turned to Weight Watchers again last year- and was doing pretty well lost a lot of weight the first couple weeks was down about 10 pounds and feeling good and then I had a bad day or a bad meal and just fell right back into the cycle and stopped weighing in. With the combination of a lot of health problems, rising medical bills, and just feeling sorry for myself I started eating a lot of fast food and comfort food to help me feel better but when it started to make me feel worse I knew I needed to make a change and I needed to make it fast. 

 That brings us to the present day and I went to my first meeting in quite a few months last night and it was the best thing for me. I have always heard that you lose more weight when you actually attend the meetings but I would make every excuse in the book as to why I couldn't make a meeting when in all actuality that was really dumb. I am so glad I went last night- not only is it a great place to go I love that no matter what our sizes or struggles are we can come together and love and support each other through this process. Its a great place to throw ideas out that help people lose weight and make healthy choices. It is also a place to come and celebrate weight loss and meeting weight loss goals!! Last night I got a 5 pound sticker because I lost 5.4 pounds last week!! 

 

My next goal is to get to 10%  of my weight loss goal and then I can get a nifty 10% key chain. I have not received one through all my years of going to weight watchers and I am really determined to get there. 11 more pounds to lose to get there!! I know I can do it in the next couple of weeks and I am not going to stop until I get it! :) My mom has had one for years and I have always been really jealous but know I can do it! 

 

10% key chain! I am coming for you! :) 

I am going to share one item or food that is really helping me lose weight on each post. Last post I talked about the fit bit. It is AWESOME! :) If you are wanting to lose weight or are just trying to be more active this is something for you.

I bought a new Weight Watcher's Tumbler last night at the meeting and I love it. I don't LOVE drinking water so when I find something I really like and can use all the time and I know exactly how much water I am drinking I am all for it. I love the color too and the fact that it has a straw. They are brand new and awesome! They are $12.95

New Year, MY YEAR!

Hi friends,

I have been away from blogging for about 2 years now. But wanted to start again this year to tell you about the journey I am about to embark on. I know that this journey is going to be tough, beautiful, challenging, inspiring, difficult and life changing and I am determined to change my life for the better! Rome was not built in a day and my weight loss journey will not happen over night. I have come to terms with the fact that this is going to take a long time and there will be ups and downs but I am ready for the challenge.

I hope that my story can help others realize just how beautiful and worthy they are no matter what other people say or think. I have struggled for many many years with my weight, probably since middle school. That is also when the bullying and teasing started. That is a whole other issue that will probably be discussed later on. I have joined and quit Weight Watchers more times then I want to admit. I have joined and quit gyms more times than I ever set foot in them. But there is something that came over me a week or so ago and it was the longing and desire to change my life for the better and the only way to do that is to take control of my life and my health and make lifestyle changes.

So here I am the beginning of 2014 and I am declaring it MY year. I have started going back to Weight Watchers meetings and tracking my food each day. I also purchased a Fit Bit. I have the ONE and I am obsessed with it.

 

www.fitbit.com

Go there and purchase one. :) It is worth the investment and can change your whole life. 

Here are my goals for this year:

Overall Weight Loss Goal: 100 pounds

Would like to reach it by: October or November

To Date: I have already lost 10 (hopefully more like 15 by this evening! :) (weighing in tonight at WW)

Steps each day: 10,000-12,000 (even if it is just walking around my condo while catching up on TV!)

   Milestones to reach: 

50 pounds by my 27th Birthday (May 14th)

75 pounds by July 4th

100 pounds by Mid October/Early November

I feel like these goals are achievable but will only happen with dedication and hard work. I am so so thankful for the support I have been getting from friends and family. I seriously have the best friends and family in the whole world. I would not be able to do this without your continued support. I know I will continually need your support and encouragement. I also know writing this blog will help me get my thoughts and feelings down and help me as well!

Keep coming back to check in on how I am doing. Will try and post every few days. I am going to use this blog to be honest and open about my struggle and journey with my weight and losing weight and know that this will be more of a journal and diary for me to express myself in the best way I know how.

Thanks for stopping by! :)