Thanksgiving: Avoiding the holiday 15lbs!

So, one of my favorite holidays is Thanksgiving!! I love the fellowship with the family, but most of all I love the cakes and pies. In fact, I live for  Mom Montgomery's stuffing and her cakes and pies. Homemade carrot cake, poundcake, sweet potato cheesecake, sweet potato pie, cobblers, brownies, lemon bars....MY GOD!!  My mouth is watering right now just thinking about it! I know that desserts are my demise lol!!

But its Thanksgiving....shouldn't we be allowed to go all out and just eat until we can't anymore! Well that was my old way of thinking! In fact, that line of thinking had me gaining at least 15 lbs over the course of Thanksiving and Christmas!



(clappin like Sherman from the clumps *cakes and pies, cakes and pies)! Thereby, creating the cycle in January of the perpetual new resolution to lose weight! lol! Not this year!

 Am I going to eat cakes and pies! Yes! The difference is that I am going to plan to include them and I am not going to binge. I knew THanksgivng was coming so I 've been devising a plan as to how to enjoy what I love and yet stay on task:0)
 1. Getting in some extra work-outs (though I just recently sprained my ankle, I'll be creative)--im storing up some free calories with these extra workouts (calories for my cake lol)

2. preparing to eat 2 small meals before the thanksgiving feast (breakfast: like eggwhite little cheese,  and fruit), and  (lunch:soup, crackers, and fruit)....then thanksgiving
---don't starve yourself for thanksgiving..you end up overeating..and feeling uncomfortably stuffed.

3. make two plates- 1 with some of the stuff.  Then 2nd plate with the other stuff for the next day... that way you're splittin the calories and still eating everything lol.

Last thing, that I'm going to hold close to my mind is that I got a closet full of 4s...and I ain't buyin no other sizes lol!

Lets brainstorm and come up with other helpful suggestions:) Post em'!

Planning to Fail!!--Keepin Fear in the Closet!

I remember the first time I went shopping to get some jeans after I loss weight. I had continued to wear all of my 10s and 8s which were falling off of me. So I thought, okay, I can't belabor this any longer and I went to buy a couple of pair of jeans.  So I tried on the 8s (too big) and then I tried on the 6s (still too big). I was like what in the world is going on! I had on a size 4 and they worked and I still had room (OMG). No stomach rolling over and no suffocating from holding in the stomach. I couldn't believe it, I now wore a size 4. From a size 10 to a 4.

I didn't want to believe it at all. In fact that day, I bought several pairs of jeans courtesy of Macy's sale (tee hee). You'd think I would've bought all 4s, right, but I didn't. Instead  bought 1 size 6...just in case I gained weight (and I felt a lil uncomfortable with wearing a 4).  I was talking with one of my girlfriends when I realized that I was scared. I kept the 6 because of the fear that I would  gain weight or just fail at healthy living. In fact, I kept a lot of stuff in my closet, because I was scared of failing. I thought that if I gained weight at least I'd have those clothes for cushion. Then I realized that I control what is to be and not be-- I determine rather this is a permanent lifestyle or not. I'm controlling this.

So last month,  I decided that this is permanent lifestyle for me and actually went through my closet and packed things up to go.  As I packed up things that were too big, I decided that this is my life and I will not be ruled by fear in any manner and most of all I will not be planning to fail.  I feel free!

Think about the things we've done and how we have unconsciously and sometimes consciously planned to fail.  We let fear rob us of our ultimate super power, our ability to choose. What are you choosing today or is fear deciding for you!

B. E. (Being Empowered): The Tipping Point!

B. E. (Being Empowered): The Tipping Point!: "I was in a training with a group of ladies and they were sharing about their tipping point--the point where they declared enough was enough ..."

The Tipping Point!

I was in a training with a group of ladies and they were sharing about their tipping point--the point where they declared enough was enough before transitioning to healthy living. Some said it was their doctor telling them that their health was at stake, other said it was a glance in the mirror, pictures, etc.

I remember my tipping point ever so clearly. The day where I'd said enough was enough came the latter part of January of 2010.  It was January 22, 2010. I had a show and I released my 3rd album, Beautiful Weirdo, and I thought I looked good and sounded good.  However, good ole facebook pictures have a way of telling a story exactly how it is.  My good ole friend facebook had pictures of me performing at the show. I almost took a double take. I was like is that me?!! Thats not how I thought I looked.  I was shocked and embarrassed that in my opinion, I looked a hot mess! In this one picture there was an emergence of a double chin and that was my tipping point. My double chin and the realization that although cute, I was now a fat girl.  So that was it. I said ENOUGH!! I was tired of losing the war against healthy living and decided that instead of just doing nothing that I would do something about it. Also, another incentive was that I was embarking upon the milestone of turning 30 and I did not want to look like that entering another decade.

So that was my tipping point. Everyone has their own. What was yours? What is yours? When will you get to the point where you say enough is enough and do something about whatever it is, even if its just a small change. I started with just a small change. I added physical activity consistently for at least 3 times a week....and I just kept doing that. I wanted to master something and after I was able to master the activity of 3x a week I added small changes to my food. It's a process, but mine all started with reaching my tipping point and saying ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!

Post your comments about your tipping point!

There's A Fat Person INSIDE Me!!!!

I was reading an autobiography when a passage jumped out at me. It said that that within every fat person there is a skinny person waiting to unleash themselves; and on the flip side with every skinny person, there is a fat person inside waiting to eat up the land.

I laughed out loud when I read that, because I can relate wholeheartedly to it. At the top of February/March, I was 162 lbs (stackin and packin:) and now I waver between 123-124.6 which is cool. But, just because I lost that weight doesn't mean anything. I tell you there is a fat person inside of me who is just waiting for me to get lax so he can finagle his way back to the forefront.

In fact it happens to the best of us. We start seeing results...were losing and feeling great...then we celebrate with all the things that were our demise! Most of us call it cheating. It starts with I've been doing good, so I'm entitled to this or that. Its a viscous cycle that can go on and on if you let it. 

I've come to realize that you can never get too comfortable. I work hard to keep my fat person on lock. I still work out, plan and monitor what I eat, and use Mr. Scale as my friend. In fact you'd be amazed how many people look at me like I'm crazy when I ask the waiter/waitress for the menu and the nutrition facts. They often make comments like, you're skinny (I HATE BEING CALLED SKINNY), you don't need to watch what you eat. I beg to differ!!! Just because you may have accomplished a certain goal doesn't mean that temptation isn't still lurking around.  I call the temptations little monsters that are trying to help the fat man in you out! Be vigilant and have your guard up! Keep Mr. Fat man caged in. Our life literally and figuratively, depends on it:)

Share your thoughts! Share what are your monsters that try to let your inner fat man out!!

I'mma Have My Cake and Eat it Too!!

Have you ever wondered the meaning behind the proverb, " you can't have your cake and eat it too." Well its a figure of speech that means that you can't have it both ways  or you can't have the the best of both worlds....you have to choose one or the other. Well I was using the phrase one time and I thought...why can't I have my cake and eat it too. In fact, I want my cake and I'mma eat it too!! LOL!!

You see, I've realized that what has helped me to be consistent and stay on target as it concerns transitioning to a healthy life style is the fact that I can eat cake!! I can eat my favorites: McDonald's ice-cream cone, crabs, key lime pie, etc.  Yes, I eat all those things and I love them. I'm not on a restrictive diet...in fact, I hereby banish the word diet from my vocabulary. I think the word diet will be synonymous with a curse word from now on.

In my transition to healthy living, I include the things I like in moderation. I don't eat them 24-7, but I do eat them. This inclusion  of the things I like keeps me from going overboard.  I started including the things I like in my transition to healthy living, because I realized that when I constantly deny what I want....when I actually get it, I tend to make up for the lost time that I had been denying myself.  So I said enough with that! Instead of binging on sweets, I have one little sweet a day and that works for me:)

Its funny I remember telling one of my friends when she said I'm not doing any carbs right now and I've been losing. I was like thats good that you've been losing, but you will fail. I couldn't even grab the words to stuff them back in my mouth. I wasn't trying to be mean or anything although it sounded that way. I went on to share that we are living....we are not doing a temporary plan or fix to lose weight...can you live without carbs for the rest of your life? some probably can, but most people can't.  So why start something that's not realistic... lets find a plan that we can actually live with.

But we do that all the time. We try to do a quick fix to make it happen.  I know I have. A certain event will motivate us to lose weight or a certain outfit..and then we're back on the weight-o roller coaster.... well the ride stops here! I believe it is possible to have your cake and eat it too...may take some planning!! LOL but its possible, cuz I'm doing it now!

Thought of the week: When I have denied myself the things I really enjoy...what was the  end result? How can I have my cake and eat it too?
 Share your thoughts and Post your comments

The Fall!!

 I remember when I had first decided to be celibate. It had been two years and then I slipped up. I felt awful horrible and that I had let the world down. I remember telling my parents (yes I told them) and feeling so terrible. I felt so horrible that instead of quitting, I felt well hey I've already messed up, I might as well just keep on going. I remember when I came back to my father and told him it had happened again right after the first encounter...he told me, "Tekeah just stop." Simple words that registered.

How many times have we committed to doing something, but then we fall off the wagon. The fall we take can be so devastating at times that we quit and just give up. When I had fallen that time...I wanted to give up and quit and felt like I could never succeed at being celibate for more than 2 years...so why even try. But my father provided a simple solution just stop and try again.

As it concerns our eating, we may have a ruff day, but we don't have to stay off. We can just decide to try again, have a fresh slate at the next meal, or start again the next day. It takes much more energy to try again then it is to give up. Listen, even a dead fish can go with the flow. So I encourage you, that if you feel like you've gotten off...its cool.don't stay there...try again. It's simple: Just Stop and try again.

Post your comments...let me know your thoughts..and share some stories where you got back up:)