The Never Ending Weight Loss Attempt...

Is it me or does this weight loss thing seem to be one of the biggest challenges in life. It’s so hard for me to stick to my weight loss plans. I’ve tried dieting, Weight Watchers, and even joining a workout group, but to no avail, I always end up falling off the wagon.

The funniest part of it all is that you never really notice the weight gain, it’s like you just wake up fat one day, whats up with that! For a while I would say stuff like, man, having children sure does do a number on your body;  or,  this brand isn’t good quality-the clothes shrink everytime I put em in the dryer. It's time for me to get real-my youngest child just turned five years old. I've come up with more excuses than someone going to jail! The fact of the matter is-I CAN DO THIS!!! I can shed these pounds,  I just have to have the will to do it. Heck, I could have Meagan Good’s body by now!  I really believe that my biggest issue is consistency. I need to settle on a routine and STICK TO IT.  Another thing is-I have to be willing to change a few things-Okay, Okay, a lot of things.  For instance, those 2:00 trips to the vending machine have to STOP, I've got to stay away from those Famous Amos Cookies and 3 Musketeers. Why in the heck did they put the vending machine so close to my cubicle anyway!?!?

When I think back to my most successful period of weight loss, the thing that stands out most is my food journal, I truly believe that keeping a journal helped me stay on track, it actually made me conscious of the foods I ate from day-to-day. Another thing that helped me was eating every two hours. I’m not talking about devouring a double quarter pounder w/ cheese at twelve o'clock and then having  a three- piece chicken dinner at 2:00pm (who does that?). I'm talking about having a sensible snack every two hours between meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner). This said, I think I’m gonna start my “Never ending weight loss attempt” AGAIN, wish me luck !!! :-)

So how are you going about reaching your goal weight?

My Outfit Of The Day (OOTD)

Greetings, Fellow Perfectly Imperfekts! I hope you enjoy my OOTD (Outfit Of The Day)

Today’s feature outfit is from Wednesday, 27 Jun  12


27 Jun was a special day because that’s the day my bud, Mrs. Tiffany Malone, was born! In celebration of Tiff’s B-day, we decided to hang-out and have a few drinks at “Blu Martini”, by Mall of Millennia. Originally,  we planned to head out around 6p so we could  get home by 8:00p (it was Wednesday for crying out loud, besides I had a special someone to get home to...my Rue-baby!), but as it turned out, we didn’t actually get to the restaurant/lounge until around 7:30.

 We all know, when you get a few good women together, with a few good cocktails, 8:00p can turn into 2:30a in no time, and well, that’s what happened with us.  We had such a wonderful time at Blu Martini; that we decided to head over to “Touch”, which is a nightclub in downtown Orlando. To say the least, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I couldn’t believe how live the place was on a Wednesday. The DJ was holding it down!  He played all the hits-if you’re a hip-hop/R&B/Pop lover like me, you would’ve been in heaven!  I  always say your day or night will only  be as great as the company you keep, and  I must say, I was in good company-shout out to the “Crew” (Alana, Gabby, Jackie, and Tiffany), the two Brian's and Bruce… I enjoyed chatting with you all, thanks so much for the drinks and the laughs. Bruce, watching you do the  “Dougie”, was priceless! … I am always up for some good CLEAN fun, and you guys were PERFECT gentlemen! :-)

What I'm wearing:

Black Jumper- Purchased in Australia a few years ago
Necklace- Simply Vera (Kohls)
Bracelet- Simply Vera (Kohls)
Earrings-  Simple gold hoops (Claire's)
Watch- Michael Kors (Macy's)
Shoes- Jessica Simpson (Ross)

7 Valuable Lessons I've Learned

I). Never pay full price for clothing and fashion accessories, they will eventually go on sale

II). If you can find a duplicate product that works just as well as the name brand, stop buying the name brand… you could save some serious Cash. Besides, being a label whore doesn't earn you brownie points, especially to those of us that appreciate the mighty dollar. Please understand, I'm not saying I don't  purchase name brands-I mean, come on, this is me you're talking to. I'm saying if you can get the same QUALITY product for LESS money, WHY NOT!

III). Do not discuss politics or religion at work or social gatherings, this ALWAYS takes a turn for the worse, trust me, I am speaking from experience honey.

IV). Always remember the 7 P's in life… Proper,Prior, Planning, Prevents, Piss, Poor, Performance. It's that simple, if you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.  Now, I know this lesson all to well but I haven't quite mastered it yet. Hey! Don't turn your nose up, GOD ain't through with me yet *Rolls eyes and turns head*

V). Never say anything about someone that you aren't willing to say in front of them… PERIOD

VI). Never underestimate what your children will do when you're not looking. They aren't perfect; and nine times out of ten, if you think they are, then they've done a really good job of keeping secrets. I advise you to run to the nearest computer to conduct an Facebook/text message audit, you'll be amazed at some of the things children say and do when they feel their parents aren't listening. This was a hard lesson for me, but it certainly opened my eyes. The bottom line is nobody's PERFECT, That's right, your kid is no exception.  Weren't you a kid once?

VII). Lastly, put God first and you CANNOT go wrong, even when things seem as though they aren't going according to your plan, always remember that his plan for your life is FAR GREATER than any plan you can draft up for yourself. GOD has shown me this countless times, in every aspect of my life.  I'm proud to say I  believe in me BECAUSE I  BELIEVE IN HIM- TRUST ME ON THIS ONE, you will NOT regret it.



     
                      

Why 30 Is Better Than 20

The Twenties were indeed awesome; but on  the flip side, there are somethings to appreciate about being 30...
Here's MY take on thirty in comparison to twenty

30 has  been great! It took some getting use to  in the beginning, but when I fully  embraced it, I realized that being 30 wasn't so bad after all…..  These are my top SEVEN reasons "Why 30 is better than 20". Why seven you ask… well duh!  That's my favorite number…

I). I can finally say "I know what I want in life" and really mean it. See, when I was 20, I was just really figuring things out. I was still trying to find my way in the world.  If you would've asked me what I wanted at 20, I probably would've described a fairytale of a life, where everything would be perfect.  I would have a dream career, marry my high school sweetheart, and ride off into the sunset with out a care in the world (ok, this is a bit of a stretch, but you get the point). Today, I understand that  my Imperfekt life is what makes me human, we are all subject to mistakes-it's whether or not we learn from them that  matters most. 

II). I actually think before I speak… I know that sounds a little cliche' but it's the truth. Honey, when I was twenty, I was too busy "keeping it real" and "Telling it like it is".  Now, don't get it twisted, I'm not saying I turned 30 and decided to  lay down and take it, because thats just not my style-I wasn't raised that way.  What I am saying is-I say what needs to be said in a tactful manner, my thoughts and words are  calculated. I tend to analyze the situation and think with " The end in mind". in doing this, I  get better results. Instead of losing potential friends and missing out on opportunities, I seek resolutions to problems.  Let's face it, keeping it real can actually result in talking yourself out of what could be the opportunity of a life time. Furthermore, you could miss out on one of the best gifts in the world…. FRIENDSHIP! I am sure many of you (especially if  you have lived to be 30) can think of one moment in your life where you kept it real and it backfired.  If not, keep livin' and keep on keeping it real….

III). My finances are much better at 30 than they were at 20. Shoot, at twenty Ramen was my friend, heck it was considered a meal, now I have that Kobe beef money!

IV). Why settle for a boy when you can have a MAN. Chile, this is the real of the real right here. At twenty I didn't know the difference between a boy and a MAN.  At twenty I was madly in love with a boy, and no one could tell me that we weren't suppose to be together forever. I loved his dirty draws you hear me….. I went through the phase of checking his cell phone to see who he was calling, worrying about where he was spending his time when we weren't together, dealing with all of the rumor mill that poured in from the streets, you know, his friends and my friends. At thirty, I can say I am married to a MAN who appreciates me being a WOMAN. We have trust in our relationship and we can appreciate each other for who we are. We have this thing called communication on our side. When we have differences, we work it out.

V).  I have REAL FRIENDS in my circle. I'm talking genuine friends.  Not the kind of friends that talk to me and then run off  and talk about me…. I did away with those in my twenties. Now that I'm thirty, I'm more selective of the people I surround myself with.

VI).  I can't care less about someone else's opinion of how I live MY life…. key word people…. MY life! God granted us all a free will, ya dig?  The life he gave ME is MINE to live. When I was younger, I wasted a lot of time worrying about what other people thought of me. Not anymore, I do whats right for me, what benefits my family.  I no longer entertain the talk of "If I were you I would" because the fact is, YOU ARE NOT ME… I am me and you are you…. you do what works for you and let me do what works for me. This is not to say I am above a word from the wise, because we can all learn something from someone. I'm simply saying I don't let other peoples OPINIONS effect my life decisions, especially when the decisions they make in their life aren't benefiting them.

VII). My living arrangements have improved drastically. I own my home, and that's something I'm proud of. When I was twenty, I didn't own anything but my name.

Happiness Is......

Knowing the love of God

Waking up in the arms of the man I love

Three-day-weekends

Having three beautiful children to share my life with

Knowing and resting on God’s promise

The smell of my hubby’s cooking on Sunday mornings :-)

Watching the sunrise

Hearing the birds sing

Sweet morning kisses from my babies

The smell of freshly laundered  sheets after a nice-long-steamy-shower-bath

Waking up to the sound of Blu’s  (my pup) collar, and puppy kisses

Two scoops of vanilla bean ice cream on a waffle cone

Shopping trips with my favorite cousin

Hydrangeas

A chilled glass of wine and a good romance novel

A clean house after a long day at work

The sound of my best friends laughter ringing through the air

My childhood memories of singing Whitney Houston/Betty Wright songs with my mom

 The love I feel when I look into my husbands eyes

Dancing with my Dad

Random phone conversations with my friends about life and everything in between

1990’ hip-hop

Having sisters to grow old with

A hot cup of Blueberry & Pomegranate tea 

Picnics with my children

Margarita’s with the girls

Cuddling under a snugly blanket,  while watching a good movie

A simple thank you for a good deed

The Caramel Latte’

My iPhone and MacBook

Gods grace

Happiness can be found in so many non superficial things, what is happiness to you?