How to lose weight! Video Post

I'm frequently asked about my weight loss journey and more often than not the question is about how I lost my weight. Today I've answered this question in my video and I plan on continuing the series to keep all of us motivated to stay on track. Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Turkey Trot

I think I might try to do video posts all this week. I'm not really feeling in the mood to write. Perhaps it is the blustery weather and rain. I don't know. But I did want to give you an update on my Turkey Trot - I ran 8k (5 miles) on Thanksgiving before the big feast. Like today, it was a cool and rainy day and I really wanted to just roll over in the bed but I didn't. I got up determined to run my race. And run I did! I completed the race in 50 minutes which is great but I know I can do better. I ran the first mile in 9 minutes! And I just need to stop being lazy during my runs and run the entire way. I take walk breaks for some reason. If I didn't walk at all my time would have been so much better. 

Anyway, I'm happy. I'm especially happy that my son ran in his first race the Tot Trot!

Here he is carb loading before the race! He needed that energy for the 26.2 tough yards that he had to run! LOL, I almost couldn't get him to run because he wanted to eat his Scooby Snacks (thanks Grandma!). In the end we ran together and he celebrated his personal victory at the finish line!

I'm so glad that fitness has become a family affair in my household. Mekhi is already asking about the next race. I'll have to look into it. Perhaps next time he will run without holding mommy's hand! 

Happy Thanksgiving!

This morning I ran the South Park Turkey Trot 5 mile race and my son ran his first tot trot! We started this day by giving thanks for the blessing of healthy bodies that can do extraordinary things and later this afternoon we will enjoy a Thanksgiving feast with family and friends.

I feel blessed to have the opportunity to travel to visit family and break bread and realize that not everyone is so blessed. That is why I was so excited to participate in the Walmart Feed the Hungry food drive!



I was sent a $50.00 gift card and challenged to purchase as much foes as possible for donation. Although I didn't have coupons in hand, I still made a pretty good showing. As a matter of fact, I went to checkout and had only spent $35.00 so I had to go back and shop some more!

I ended up purchasing 64 items for $51.52! I was so excited to place my items in the donation bin because I know families will really appreciate it. In my usual fashion I focused on as many healthy foods as possible tuna and salmon made my list as did veggie broth and pasta for homemade soup.

Although the Walmart food drive is over, I still think it is a great place to shop for items for donation. Walmart has a website that will help you locate volunteer opportunities in your local community. You can also go to Walmarts Fighting Hunger website and vote for the community that you believe deserves $1 million! The five runner up cities will receive $100,000 each! With just a vote you can make a tremendous impact on communities in dire need of support.

Once again, I encourage this holiday season to count your blessings and also bless others! Happy Thanksgiving!

Disclosure: I am a Walmart mom and I've been compensated for my time to create my video and write this post. As usual, all opinions are my own.

Fail!

I'm packing for a roadtrip (last minute as usual) so I am going to make it quick. This week was one great big FAIL! My scale has not read 160 in months, months I tell you. Soooo, I am back to Operation Weight Loss! It must happen. No more procrastination.

I was waiting for my new EA SPORTS Active 2 to arrive but I cannot. CANNOT! This is unacceptable.

Tomorrow I run the Turkey Trot.

And I plan to keep logging exercise minutes.

I have to because my health depends on it.

Decadence!

One of the things that I enjoy about being in Atlanta is that I'm surrounded by other women who I admire, can learn from and share life experiences with. One of those women is Shelley, the Food Relationship Coach of Naturi Beauty Concepts.

This talented lady is my Spelman sister  and the holder of an MA from Harvard (she is tight, ya'll)! She is also a talented chef and she has been leading workshops nationwide for women that want to bring some of her expertise into their own kitchens.  In Atlanta she held a chocolate  affair and in DC she featured honey, ginger and rosemary.  I love Shelley's focus on NATURAL. Clearly, during my journey I've been focused on eating healthy and sticking to natural ingredients (except when I get a bit off track, it happens, don't judge me, LOL). Shelley's classes show you that eating healthy does not have to be boring and actually can be a taste experience that your palate will not soon forget!

On December 4th, the next event will feature Coconut and Tumeric here in the Castleberry Hills neighborhood of Atlanta. I cannot wait! I am going to be one of Shelley's guests and I look forward to the event.






To register for this amazing event just visit - EventBrite. Not only will we be sampling Shelley's delicious food, we will also be leaving with natural body care products to make our own beauty products. 

Happy Anniversary to Me! (Video Post)

It is hard to believe I started my journey to healthy living a year ago. The time seems to have gone by in the blink of an eye. On this day last year I began Jenny Craig and put myself out there for the world to follow my journey. Doing this during Thanksgiving and the holidays was a challenge but not impossible and my 20 pound weight loss by the first week of January proved it can be done.

Today I am recommitted to staying fit and healthy. Although I slipped back into some of my bad habits - like not eating enough - today that stops. I am starting my #holiday shrink. Many of you have joined me but I hope I can recruit more.

Together we can do this - get healthy, lose or maintain weight and live a better life!

By the way, have you exercised today??????

The Holiday Challenge - Lose weight, keep it off! (video post)

A year ago I looked like this

I was obese.

Hard to believe, right?

Not really.

So often we let ourselves go and wake up wondering- what happened?

And even after a year of healthy living I still am challenged.

My scale has been slowly moving upward and if I’m not careful, I’ll gain too much weight.

So. Today. I’m getting it in check.

I’m celebrating where I’ve been and how far I’ve come.






Vowing never to go back.

And, starting a new challenge. I hope you join me. I’m keeping the weight off (and some) over the holidays.

Every day I’ll ask if you’ve exercised today.

I hope you answer affirmatively. Not everyday - cause that would be overdoing it - but at least three times a week.

Are you in???????

Gluten Free Ginger Bread - Cutie Booty Cakes

When people learn the name of my blog they always smile or laugh. I admit Cutie Booty Cakes is kinda catchy and folks get a kick out of trying to figure out what it means. When they learn about my weight loss journey they think I'm talking about my own booty (LOL) but when I explain I used to make "cakes" they immediately assume I am a baker.

Well, the funny thing is, I actually do love to bake but I've always just cooked out of love and given my confections away as gifts or served them at parties. This year I've decided to put a twist on a classic recipe for gingerbread and call them Cutie Booty Cakes! They are made with gluten free flour, splenda, molasses and of course ginger. Check out the video below.



Of course, if you are not interested in making these cakes gluten you can substitute whatever type of flour you like and they results will be the same.


Gluten-Free Ginger Bread (Cutie Booty Cakes)

• 2 1/3 cups Gluten-Free flour
• 1/4 cup Splenda
• 1 cup molasses
• 3/4 cup hot water
• 1/2 cup butter substitute (I used Earth Balance)
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation:

Grease 3 mini baking pans or spray with a baking spray. Heat oven to 325°.

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl; beat by hand or use electric mixer until ingredients are combined. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan3.

Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.

Disclosure: Walmart has provided me with compensation for my time and effort making this video and post. As usual all opinions are my own. 

Disney Dream Christening Cruise

(photo credit Disney Parks blog)

A week and a half ago my doorbell rang and a package was at my door. This was not unusual, deliveries are a common occurrence around these parts. But this time I checked the return label and noticed it was from Disney. My first thought was "it must have something to do with the Disney Princess Half Marathon" because I registered that week. But to my surprise when I opened the box I was greeted with this.






A treasure chest that says Disney Cruise line. My heart started beating quickly because my next thought was I won the contest to win a cruise on the Disney Dream that I'd entered online. When I opened the treasure chest I discovered this





An invitation to the inaugural christening cruise of the Disney Dream! The Disney Dream is the newest ship in the Disney cruise line boasting 14 decks, the Aqua Duck water coaster (that goes around the ship, over the edge and back) and a multitude of activities for children and adults alike!

I nearly fainted. I've always planned to take my son on a Disney Cruise. Before I ever became a parent good friends of mine told me a Disney Cruise must be experienced.

Today when I spoke to the event coordinator it all became a reality for me. In January my son, mom and I will be embarking on an adventure. My son will see the ocean and experience a beach for the first time. My mom and I can enjoy another mother/daughter trip (we haven't had one since 2003) and of course we will all enjoy the magic of Disney together!

In my usual style I'll be telling you all about the fitness facilities on board and of course all the activities for children. I know my mom and I will be indulging in spa services and I can't wait to report back to you - in my bikini of course!

I truly feel blessed to be among the first to experience the Disney Dream; I feel like I've won the lottery!

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Me, Venus Williams and EA SPORTS Active 2

It is no secret that I'm a fan of EA SPORTS Active. This virtual trainer literally started me on my journey to healthy living. It took a couple of times but by using EA SPORTS Active More Workouts I lost 20 plus pounds and have remained physically active to the tune of losing 30 additional pounds.

A new version of the game is being released tomorrow and to say I'm excited is an understatement. In early October I traveled to LA to try out the new game and I also had the opportunity to sit down with tennis phenom Venus Williams, the new brand ambassador for the game.

She is truly a sweetheart and I have to tell you that I feel especially accomplished because standing next to a professional athlete I still look fit! Check out our interview below.




Tomorrow you can join a live event on UStream featuring Venus and the EA trainer Gerard by clicking HERE

I'll be sure to let you know about my progress with EA SPORTS Active 2. It is available for the Wii, PS3 and Xbox360. The thing that I love about it is the game now includes a heart rate monitor and it is virtually hands free on the Wii! I can now use my own weights with the product. And if you have the other platforms you truly can go hands free and download updates from the Internet!

Can you tell I'm excited? With the weather becoming colder I will now return to using EA PORTS active as my main form of exercise as I prepare for my half marathon in February.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Friday night eats

Everyone who knows me understands that I love food. Obviously over the past year I've become mu h more mindful about the food that I eat and have certainly been focusing on preparing the majority of my meals at home.

HOWEVER, like everyone else there are times when I am simply too busy, tired, or uninspired to cook at home. Fast food really isn't an option (well it is but I try to stay far away from it) but I admit that convenience foods from the grocery store do find their way into my home and on my plate occasionally.

Last week I was sent some "convenience" foods from Walmart's Marketside line. These foods are convenient because they don't require a great deal of preparation. Offerings include pizza, salad, vegetables, pasta sauces, fresh pasta, bread, dips, and soups. These foods are found in the deli or produce section and they are "fresh".

I simply had to finish the cooking process with the breads, boil the pasta for five minutes, heat the sauces and soups and the salads were ready to go. My favorites are the low calorie Cesar salad, the tomato soup, and I really liked the cranberry walnut bread. Which is not gluten free but was so delicious(I'm paying for this indulgence with a mini breakout but honestly, it was worth it)!

I like the the soups, breads, pasta, sauces and dips were available in both family size and petite sizes. Especially the bread- since I'm not supposed to be eating it!

I enjoyed the cheese pizza and gave the three different meat varieties to a friend since I'm not a meat eater. Overall, I enjoyed the taste of all the foods I sampled but I especially liked the prices! To feed a family of four with pasta, sauce, salad and bread cost way below $20.00 and in my opinion the food was restaurant quality.

I highly recommend the marketside line, if you are looking for a quick affordable meal for your family and don't feel lie spending a lot of time in the kitchen, try marketside!

Disclosure: I'm a Walmart mom and was sent samples to review and I've been compensated to spread the word about the marketside line.






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Digitini

Today I will be returning to my Alma mater Spelman College to attend Digitini:Celebrating Atlanta's Diversity of Women in Social Media. But not only am I attending but I am one of the women being honored! If you are in Atlanta come join us and RSVP here.





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Vision

"Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see" -Hebrews 11:1


This Sunday at church we started a new series that promises to be life changing called 100 Life Goals. Goal setting is something that I believe we all need to do to be successful and lately I've realized that while I am meeting many of my health and fitness goals, my professional goals have been falling by the wayside.

I am so excited about this new series that is extremely interactive and when it is completed I will have my list of 100 life goals. In the past, I've done a vision board to help me reach my goals and my last one was all about physical goals.






Today at the Coca-Cola Living Positively social media conference I've created another vision board that focuses primarily on my professional goals. Our conversation about vision was led by the illustrious Lisa Stone of BlogHer and in a word she is simply amazing! This conference is arguably the best blogger gathering held by a company that I've ever attended.

Not only is Coca-Cola interested in telling us about their products but they are interested in helping us live our lives fully. Today has been all about introspection, action steps and moving forward. We actually haven't discussed Coke products at all. It is refreshing to dialogue with a company that encourages it's employees to Live Positively by developing their own plan of action to "live positively".

I love how this ties in to my spiritual life. Hebrews 11:1 basically says if you can dream it you can achieve it and this is the verse that is guiding the 100 life goals series. My experience today at Coca-Cola is helping me shape my life goals and keep me on track. I truly feel honored to be in the company of so many knowledgable women.


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Exercise Clothing Essentials-Underwear

Stride Sports Bikini

When I exercise one of the most important things is my comfort. I can't run for miles or workout for hours if my clothing is ill fitting, does not wick sweat or is simply wrong for my activity. In the past I've discussed my search for the best sports bras but one thing I haven't talked about are underwear. I personally like to wear sports underwear, especially on event day because they are light weight, wick sweat and are barely noticable. They also tend to be pricey, I have one pair of Nike Dry Fit that I wear on race days and are simply amazing.

I was recently sent a pair of Stride Everyday Sports Bikini underwear and I love them! These underwear are unique because not only do they have great wicking action - I don't feel clamy after heavy exercise - but they also have a built in panty liner. Although I don't suffer from incontinence, these work perfectly for those moments when I might sneeze and well, you know what can happen! They are even great for that extra protection if I am running during that TOM when the possibility of a leak is always on my mind.

They are really comfortable, so comfortable in fact that I completely forgot that I had them on. They wash extremely well - I hang mine to dry and I am quite pleased with them.  These underwear are available at Duane Read or you can purchase them online at the Stride website. They run about $25.00 so although I won't wear these on a daily basis I know they are in my stockpile when I need them - for racing or days when I need a little *extra* protection.




* Disclosure: I was sent a pair of Stride underwear for review but as usual all opinions are my own.

Several days of dress-up

Every year my mom sends my son a costume and this year he decided to once again be a dinosaur. Last year he was a T-Rex and this year he was a triceratops. He continues to be dino crazy and I love it. We had many opportunities for him to wear his costume and our first stop was the Pink Pig.





The former Rich's now Macy's Pink Pig is an annual tradition in Atlanta. Every year children line up to ride Pricilla the Pink Pig train and the proceeds benefit Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. This year I'm a CHOA Mom to Mom blogger and Mekhi and I we were invited for a VIP preview of the ride.





We had an amazing time, if you are in Atlanta and your child enjoys trains be sure to take a ride on top of Macy's at Lenox Square Mall. On the preview day every child dressed in costume received a pink piggy bank and Mekhi loves it.

Our next stop was the Fall carnival at our friend's school. Mekhi watched a singer entertain the crowd.


But his favorite activity was cookie decorating



and eating the cookie.





Although I didn't take photos after the carnival we all headed over to the Aquarium for the Spookarium. It was so much fun. I loved that there were treat stations featuring healthy treats from brands like Cascadia Farms and Enviro-Kids. A nice reprieve from the candy I knew we'd collect the following day.

Our final costume day was Halloween and we started the day at church. I joined in the fun and dressed as the Queen of Sheba.





The sermon was about not judging based on appearances and the adducts were invited to dress as their favorite biblical figure to bring the point home. I actually was one of the winners of the costume contest!



After church we hooked up with our BFFs again to trick or treat in the neighborhood.


We accompanied the entire bee family (mom and dad were dressed too) and had a wonderful time collecting candy.

Mekhi's costume certainly got a lot of wear this year and I can't wait to see what next year holds!


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Cold running!

This morning I woke up bright and early to run the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta annual Strong Legs 10k. This race benefitted CHOA and people did fundraising to support the cause. Having just completed fundraising for Nike I didn't fundraiser but after finishing the 10k I went back to the start line and ran a 5k with women from my church.

In the first race I ran with my girlfriend Chiquita- her first 10k. Way to go Chiquita! The weather was brutal. Even though I a native New Yorker cold running is not my thing. As you can see I was bundled up, had on gloves and I was still cold! Actually, just my hands were frosty once I got moving I warmed up. At the end of the race I had icicles in my hair!

The key for cold running is layers, I had on a dry fit tank, a wicking t-shirt and a wicking pullover in addition to my arm sleeves and gloves. For the 5k the sun was higher and things started warming up just in time for my run with Courageous.




I took my time and pretty much stayed with Sofie and Christine it was nice giving and receiving encouragement along the way.


Me and Sofie

We all finished the race and many were first timers! I can't wait until our next race in February, the Princess Half -Marathon.



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Healthy Eating!

photo credit: Inspire Me Now

One of the things that I’ve learned in my personal experiences with healthy living and eating is that sometimes it can be more expensive to buy healthy food. It takes a bit of savvy shopping to purchase food that is healthy but it can be done. Most of us have heard all about the benefits of purchasing organic produce but I can tell you that it is virtually impossible for me to buy everything organic. For instance, last month I visited one of my local grocery stores with the intention of purchasing red bell peppers for a recipe. Organics were available so I placed them in my cart. When I got to the check out line I was told by the cashier that ONE bell pepper was $7.00!

Needless to say, I did not purchase that pepper. I did however buy a different pepper - also organic for $2.50 (which is still ridiculous in my opinion). As an alternative to organic foods, I’ve decided to shop for locally grown food. In my non-scientific opinion this is a good alternative for several reasons. One, my food is not being transported from long distances causing excessive pollution in the environment. Two, I am not as concerned about any types of preservatives because it is locally grown. Three, I like the idea of supporting local farmers and having the knowledge of exactly where my food comes from.

To supplement my monthly trip to the Farmers Market, I’ve discovered that my Walmart has locally grown produce. This is great because it is closer to me and I can travel there more frequently. Obviously Walmart does not carry all of the produce that my Farmers Market does but it is a good place for me to go on off weeks. And  Walmart is gearing up efforts to provide local produce for consumers, a bonus for the environment! You can get more information about their efforts by watching this video.

Again, I know eating healthy can be pricey but by doing some savvy shopping you can do it!  


Disclosure: I am a Walmart mom and have been compensated to provide information about their sustainability program.  And as usual, all opinions are my own.

A Success Story!

Last year I started my journey to healthy living the week of Thanksgiving. Many people thought that I was crazy to embark on this adventure during the holiday season but by the time January rolled around I'd already lost 20 pounds. By June I'd lost an additional 30 pounds (give or take a few) and I'd run 2 5ks and started training for the Nike Women's Half Marathon. But running is not what got the weight off, using EA SPORTS Active on the Wii jumpstarted my weight loss and this month I'm proud to be featured in Southern Living, a year later highlighting my success! 

Get me bodied!

One of my favorite songs by Beyoncé is Get Me Bodied. It is on my running playlist constantly. But here is the thing. I haven't been doing anything recently to "get my body tight, get my body right" Halloween candy, McDonalds and just carbs have been in heavy rotation around here with no exercise or healthy eating to speak of.

It has been two weeks since the half marathon and I have a 10k + a 3k to run this weekend. I've decided I'll run the 10k and then go back and run the 5k with the rest of the folks from my church that I've motivated and encouraged to run too. Ambitious only if I try to get a personal best on Saturday but I think I'll just go for finishing in an hour so I can meet the girls at the start line.

From here forward I'm going to channel Ms. Sasha Fierce - as a matter of fact I have a shirt that reads "I Run To Be.... Renée Fierce" gotta live up to it. I can't get those abs and legs without exercising and I'd hate to let all of the work that I've done up until now go to waste.

Time to get back on track start training again and strengthen up these loose muscles.  A daily challenge until I get back in the groove but I know I'll get my rhythm back. Hopefully sooner than later. And the scale? Well, let's just say I'm up about 8 pounds or so. I am optimistic about it because it is that TOM and that should account for some of it....I hope!

Lose For Good!

One of the things that I greatly enjoy about blogging is the opportunities that arise to make a difference. Last month I was contacted by Weight Watchers to participate in the Lose For Good Program. The program consisted of two parts - the one day twitterthon when every tweet with #loseforgood money was donated to hunger fighting organizations. Isn’t that incredible? A program focused on losing weight donating to fight hunger, right up my alley!

I also held a food drive for Lose For Good. On October 23rd all over the country food drives were held for the campaign with the goal of collecting good food for those in need. On October 21st I held a drive in cooperation with my Courageous Church stay-at-home mom small group. Together we were able to collect 30 pounds of food!

Yesterday I took the food to the Atlanta Community Food Bank and was truly overwhelmed by the things I learned.

On an annual basis they provide 26 million pounds of food to the hungry in the greater Atlanta area and North Georgia. They are always in need of volunteers and kids as young as 8 can participate in food sorting. The holiday seasons are particularly busy, I’m going to suggest volunteering as an activity for the teen group at church.

Overall I am excited that our small church group was able to make a difference by participating in Lose For Good. I’ve decided that the 30 pounds donated are in the name of Jennifer Hudson - although I know she lost more than 30 pounds on Weight Watchers, she too is a mom and made great strides with the program.

I’ve been given the opportunity to try out Weight Watchers for three months and since I’ve been off track with my healthy living I think I’ll start soon. Wish me luck!

Disclosure: I am a Weight Watchers Blogger and received a flip camera, t-shirts and reusable bags for my participation in the program. I donated all of the items to my small group and the Food Bank. I also received a 3 month membership and giftcard.

Discipline

I need this guy standing over me

One question that I’ve had numerous people ask me is “how do you do it all?” I frequently look at the person asking the question quizzically and say “ I don’t feel like I do enough!” Seriously, most days I feel like I am flying by the seat of my pants and if anything productive gets done I sigh a breath of relieve and hope to be as successful the following day. Of course, I am hardest on myself and clearly there are people out there that see me as a busy bee.


But when I look at my master suite all I can think is “I wish whatever hurricane came through and destroyed this place would come back and just take everything with it!” I look at my blog posting and think - “I need to be more consistent” I look at my spiritual life and think “I need to read my bible daily and connect with God” I look at my professional life and think “I really could be doing so much more!”


In an effort to try and pull things together I am embarking on NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) again this year. I know that posting on a daily basis will help me get my mojo back. I also plan on enrolling my son in pre-school this week because he needs some discipline too and has been asking me about school. I’m quickly approaching the anniversary of my commitment to healthy living( admittedly the Halloween candy, McDonalds and a visit to my old haunt Brewsters Ice cream are not healthy!) and I need to get my diet back in order. After two weeks of taking off from running, it is time to get my butt back in gear. I’m running a 5k race this weekend and yesterday I officially registered for the Disney Princess Half-Marathon.


As you can see, I’ve made a plan to restore order in my life. November is all about discipline and I’ll keep you updated on my progress. This is my first NaBloPoMo entry and I have just 29 more to go!!

*Today's To-Do List
Food Bank Delivery
Take LapTop for repair
Fulfill Giveaway
Choir Rehearsal
New Member Class (these two are at the same time, don't know how I'll manage)
Visit new Preschool
Pick up Phone
Blog Posts for tomorrow
Bible Study