Love being back on track!

This week has been awesome! I've been eating the right amount of calories, made up of the right foods...I got in 3 workouts, and I'm done from 208.6 on Sunday to 203.6...5 POUNDS!!! Can I get an Amen?! Now lets see if I can keep this up and get below 200lbs...for the first time since I was 15...be next week. How has your week been? Why?

Still here: Kinda sorta :/

I'm scared to even check how long it's been since I deserted my poor poor blog. All I know is it's been long, too long... I have been keeping up with all the blogs I follow, so many inspiring progress...but also so many people have fallen of the bandwagon...like me...

I weighed myself today after a little while.. I was expecting the worst, but I was 207.4lbs. The same exact weight I was in February...ugh. The up-side is I havent gained much. I was around 203lbs when I started slacking in May. But I am not trying to perfect the art of maintaining weight here, I want to LOSE!

Anyway, I'm here now. Nothing much to update. Work is still stressful, fiance is still awesome. I am planning on going to visit Zimbabwe in December (God-willing). My family will be there too, visiting from Australia. I havent seen Zimbabwe or them in over 6 YEARS. So of course I cant go there at 207lbs! I mean I was around 260lbs at one point, but they dont know that. I have to go down to at least 185lbs, lest they FREAK OUT...or think I am pregnant...which I might be anyway...haha...but that's news for another blog post.

So what now? In order to enjoy my vacation, I have to lose more weight. Sad, I know, but you dont know Zimbabweans. They will make my life miserable if I get there in size 14 pants :(.

Plan of action:

• Eat better. I have been tracking my calories, but I havent been keeping to my calorie limits.
• Restart my Turbofire regimen...and actually finish the workouts, not stopping 15 mins in. I know, I know
• Gym 3 times a week, once with the boo.

And no more deserting my blog!

Big Chop!!! Yes, I cut ALL my hair off...

I was ready.

All of a sudden my braids were itching me, getting in my face, irritating my neck..

So I took them out.

Decided to try a quick weave the next day...worst idea EVER!!!!!

It looked ridiculous, I got glue ALL OVER my bathroom, and the hair itched my neck!!

So I took it out at 1am, and just sat there.

What was I going to do with my hair in the morning? Monday morning!??

I was ready to stop hiding.

Monday morning I washed MY hair, picked it out and threw a band on:

I got so many (good) compliments, I was in shock.

So that night I decided to really do a big chop....

Again at 1am, scissors in hand, tears on my cheeks, I chopped if OFF!!

You should have seen my boyfriend's face the next morning...hehehe.

(I probably should have warned him first, right?):

I wish I was one of those super empowered, confident big-choppers....
I am SO NOT.

Some days, I cant keep my fingers out of my hair because it's so soft...and new

On those days, I dance in the mirror, and take pics of every angle,

I wonder why I didnt cut it any sooner, and swear never to relax again...

Then...on other days, I just want to scream, lol

I am terrified, I dont look like me,

I have to change my smile, and the way I angle my head to get those killer pics...

I feel depressed, and when I touch my head, my hair is dry and foreign.

So.

I am getting used to it, I know it was the right decision.

I know it will pay off.

But I have so so much to learn.

And y'all know I'll try to blog about every step :)

In a new day;

Daily morning workouts!!

Fitness-wise? The past week was awesome!! Ugh, it sucks to admit this but I dont think I cannot honestly say I worked super hard to lose the 32 lbs I've lost. Yes I count calories. Yes I walk too and from work daily. Yes I do a little Turbo a few times a week. But I haven't really 'worked hard'... I haven't gone out of my way to work out. I haven't sacrificed much or committed to anything... This past week I decided the next 30 lbs I lose will mostly be from blood, sweat, and tears. I decided to commit to something I couldn't just coast through... Something difficult and challenging, something I will be proud of when it becomes easy and second nature.

So I decided I was going to start working out on the gym. More like run in the gym. I decided on 2 miles (running) on the treadmill and a mile (long fast strides) on the elliptical. Not only that but I was going to do this 6 days a week, at 6 o'clock in the morning. Tall order right?

I did it. I got out of bed 6 times this week before dawn and walked half a mile to the gym, completed my miles and walked back home to get ready for work. I lost 3lbs. And boy am I period of those 3 lbs from my pain and sweat. Those were the sweetest 3 lbs ever...

Tomorrow starts another week. Another week I will be proud of. This journey... This weight loss journey, it's about much more than numbers on a scale, or looking good before graduation or your wedding... It's about doing something you've never done. About learning just how much you are worth or can do. My journey is about becoming proud of myself...failing in love with myself, so I can become healthier, more fit, more confident. True beauty comes from within and after this week; I am just a little closer...

What's your 'not-scale-related' reason for starting and staying on this journey??

Wishing you, and me, an awesome week!!

Love,

MystiQue

Long time no blog? Updates!

My poor blog, I have not deserted you!! Life has been a little hectic lately. Now that things are slowly getting under control, I can tell you ALL about it!!

I spent the first week of February in Alberta Canada. That was such an experience. I went with my boss and 3 other people from work, including my boyfriend. In case I hadnt mentioned, my boyfriend is fellow PhD student and we work in the same lab. Anyhoo, we went for a conference on viral genome replication, it was very informative. I also had to give a 20min presentation/talk on my results; I was a nervous wreck....but I think I rocked it, lol. After the conference, my boyfriend and I spent a day in Calgary with some of his family. It was awesome. They accepted me and treated me like family. I loved them all immediately.

Then we came back to the US, back to classes and work. Back to usual; only closer. The trip was really good for our relationship, it was like a breath of fresh air :)

Now weightloss-wise; I lost about 2lbs to 207.4lbs while we were away. Then AuntFlo came around so as usual I'm retaining water....but I know it will pass.

Goal for the week: more water I'm drinking about 64oz a day lately, I want to go back up to the 120oz I used to guzzle down!! Food: 1400cals. Work out 500cals (gym/Wii fit/TurboFire) a day.

Also added a recent pic to the bottom of the Progress Pics page!

Hair-wise: I should have mentioned this before, but I do my own hair. It's relaxing and rewarding!! So I added a pic of the braids I put in a week ago to the No Lye Page.

Ok, now to catch up with all the blogs I follow!!

Love you for reading,

MystiQue

I'm weightless....

The sky is the limit
And I just wanna flow
Free as a spirit on a journey of hope
Cut the strings and let me go
I'm weightless, I'm weightless
Millions of balloons heading to the ground
Weight of the world tries to hold us down
Cut the strings and let me go
I'm weightless, I'm weightless,
I'm weightless, I'm weightless...

That's from my current musical addiction Weightless by Natasha Beddingfield, vid here. Too many times we become obsessed with the numbers on a scale, but we never think about why. Why do you want to be 160lbs, why do you think you'd be happy if only you could get to 125 pounds?? If you're like me, you cant even remember the last time you were that weight, or that was your weight in middle school!! Why did you pick that number? Dont say because that's when you have a healthy BMI, we've been told for years that system is outdated, plus it's always a range, for example I'd be 'healthy' between 155 and 115. Why did I pick 150? and not 155 or 130??

Ok, where is this coming from... I have been sick for the past week, my wisdom teeth giving me problems again. So I couldnt work out much. It's funny that if I dont get my exercise in for a few days in a row, I can feel it. I mean I dont feel the definition of my abs or thigh muscles as much. In other words I feel out of shape, fat. Of all the weeks to move, my scale choses this one! I lost 3.4lbs this week. I was 209lbs yesterday, I cant remember ever being that small, but I dont feel that small.

Numbers on a scale are just that...numbers on a scale. They dont really mean much. My reason for embarking on this journey is to get more in shape, to feel more in shape, and that has nothing to do with what the scale says. I'm weightless really. So this week, be proud of how far you've come and how much you've accomplished. No, not in terms of numbers on that scale, but just how good you feel....

Love,

Plateau Broken!

I was seriously beginning to doubt my sanity over the last 2 weeks. I went from AuntFlo's 5lb gain straight into a plateau. I hate getting on the scale and seeing the same number all week. Yesterday I was just demoralized, didnt feel like working out, so I didnt. I didnt have much of an appetite either so in the end it balanced out...ate 1400cals, BodyMedia says I burnt 2500cals. Anyway, I wasnt optimistic at all when I hopped on the scale today, in fact I had a SlimFast shake in my hand while I was on the scale, lol... My scale blinks a few times before it shows a number. So blink, blink, blink...and 211.2...AAAAAAAH. Ok, I know it's 'just' 1.4lbs, but if you had been stuck at the same number for as long as I had, even 0.1oz is cause for celebration. So 28.6lbs gone, 30lbs...I can smell you just round the corner. Now I'm motivated to workout, Turbo Fire HIIT 20 and 30DS today

Happy Sunday pals :)

Progress Pics Page

As much as I love motivating others, it's really hard to get myself out of a funk when I fall into one. Weight moving...UP, for no reason I can think off. Work = hell. Mood = lower than...well just low.

Anyhoo, added a progress pics page, hoped it would motivate me...it didnt, haha. But I hope it motivates YOU! :)

Turbo Fire Week 1

So today marks the end of my first week of TurboFire. I must say I'm proud of myself because the only day I skipped a workout was when I was supposed to, lol. I love it so far. I am sweating and jumping and burning tons of calories...which are all my most favorite things to do. I wont check my measurements until week 3 or 4, because I dont want to get disappointed. We all know it takes a few weeks before the results start rolling in, but you're always tempted to check, this time I wont.

Starting measurements:

Upper arm: 14in

Bra band: 35in (I doubt that will change, I can see my ribcage now)

Over belly buttom: 38in

Waist: 38in

Upper Thighs: 27in

Lower Thighs: 22in

Calves: 17in

Weight: 212.4lbs or 96.5kg

My favorite so far is the 55 EZ class, burnt almost 800cals in an hour, how awesome is that?? I was sweating like a piglet and slept like a baby that night.

Weight-wise, Aunt Flo is here visiting, so... ladies you know how that goes. I'm up 6lbs....SIX. Dagnamit. Ready to get this over with. I miss my 212... But that is the price we pay to be women. Back next week with my weigh-in, and more on TurboFire.

Keep working, keep sweating!!

Love,

2011 Projects, yes not resolutions, Projects.

It's funny, I can't remember the last year I actually sat down and listed or thought about New Year's resolutions. At some point I realized that I never got any of those 'visions of grandeur' started let alone completed. I guess it was around the same time I decided that life was too short for planning, and detailing. I decided that to get the most out of my life, I had to live like there was no tomorrow and make sure I enjoyed everyday. Whether I got everything I was supposed to do done or not, as long as I enjoyed the year; I was happy.

Haha, I definitely do not follow THAT doctrine anymore. This year I still believe that life is short, but now I think this means I can not and should not waste any moments, and get things done! The only way you can do this successfully is to list (or at least think about) what I need/want to complete, and come up with a strategy how I'll do that. I hate the word 'resolutions'; it reminds me of the tens of resolutions I never touched. Soo...I'm going to call mine 'projects'. Yes, I like the sound of that, the things I want to do are not do-able overnight. They indeed are projects, and here they are:

1. Become more social and outgoing: I hate small talk, I hate going to places with people I do not know so this one will be a challenge, but I realize it needs to get done. Too many times I am in my own little world, I have so much love and fun to share. It's selfish of me to keep me to myself :D. Now how will I do this? Talk more, call people more, actually return phonecalls, more movie nights, and girly outings...and all the other things the rest of y'all socialites do.

2. Get more in shape!!: I wont label this one as 'lose weight'. I have already started on that one and I wont stop, so... instead I want to be stronger and build on my endurance. How will I get there? SWEATING, and JUMPING, and DANCING. I just started TurboFire...and Oh Man!! IT whooped my behind!! I will be writing more about TurboFire and the workouts, and how I'm doing, and my measurements and progress a lot from now on. After that I'll move to ChaLEAN Extreme :)

3. See my family: To ensure that I do not get emotional and boo hoo all over my keyboard and freak out my co-workers; I will not go into details of how much I miss them, how long it has been, how hard etc. The point is I want to make it a point this year to see them, even if I have to move heavens and high waters to do it. Period.

4. Love my Sweetheart more and more and more: Self explanatory.

5. Organize and go to my highschool reunion. It has been almost 7 years...it would be nice to see everyone again. Plus it would have to be in Zimbabwe (my home), so that's a plus.

Most resolutions or in my case projects (lol) fail because people start working on them in October. I'm starting now.

Love tons,

The girl in my dreams...

When I close my eyes, my dreams play out in front of me.

I see myself exactly as I should be.

I see the smile, I hear the laughter

I see myself dance, twirl.

Confidence, joy, poise, hope, grace

Loving the world in the palm of my hands...

I hug myself and giggle, I love this dream.

I slowly open my eyes and look at the mirror in front of me.

The smile vanishes

I drop my arms, my eyes water.

The girl I saw in my dreams is not the girl staring back at me....

But every time I dream she is there,

She wonders why I wont join her;

why I wont share in her joy, in her journey.

The control and freedom in her hands feels better than any food.

The chance to run like the wind, or swim in the ocean without fear

is worth the sweat and devotion...

I will not make her wait any longer.

The girl in my dreams was 90lbs away a few months ago, after

27lbs she's only 63lbs away. So close, so close. I'm coming to you MystiQue.

And I will not let you down.

Decided to suck it up and add some before and after pics for my blog and FB friends...

They wont be up for long though, so get ur fill fast :)

Smooches:

Day 1: Purpose and Poise

A moment of pain, or a minute of pleasure;

are nothing short of a drop in all the oceans combined.

That burning love, that burst of joy is nothing but

fine dust floating away on a breeze.

For too long we hold on to memories and dreams

For too long we hold on to nothingness

We spend years pursuing a desire a seemingly worthy need

We spend years pursuing dust...

Regrardless of how cliche-ish this sounds; a new year really is a chance for a new start. I am making that new beginning. For too many years I have held on to past hurts and turned them into excuses for living my present. For too long I have held on to past successes, and used them as absolution for procrastination. Yeah, um...not anymore. Life is too short.

Shorter than a sunrise, less than a sigh,

Less than the blink of His eye,

That is how long life truly is

This past year I have made a lot of changes, this new year I plan on moving on to a new level. This blog is my diary, my recording of the progress and failures I will no doubt make in 2011. This blog is advice for you, sometimes entertainment...either way you will learn a lot about me and about you....