Well against everything that all my friends told me, I decided to cut my hair shorter in the back.  Everyone loves me with long hair.  Right now it is just too hot.  I am working out alot more and my hair was in the way.  Tonight in my funk dance class, I was so happy that I cut it off.  No more ponytails for me. 

My August has been busy.  On the wall in the room where I keep my treadmill, I put up a calendar.  On the calendar I write down my workouts in red.  What I did and for how long.  I am so glad that August is mostly red.  For someone who complained day in and day out about exercise, I did great for August.  I also posted a picture of myself.  It is a picture when I was at my heaviest.  I looked so huge in that picture.  I keep it on my fridge too.  I am going to find a picture of myself when I actually felt good about myself.  I want to put those pictures next to each.  A picture of what I never want to look like again and a picture of what I strive to be. August is a red month on my wall.  I need to make more red months. 

Pick you color and go to work!!

Be good!!

  Ranetta

Today we have been blessed with some rain in Atlanta.  Every summer is dry here so it is good to have the rain because we need it.  I wanted to get up this morning and cut my grass before my 12 cardio dance class.  That did not happen, I completely overslept.  I normally get up around 8am, today I got up around 9:30.  So I didn't get my grass cut, I was planning on getting it done when I got home.  However, it was raining when I got home. 

Anywho, I had a non-scale success.  I have this suit that I bought a few years ago before I gained this new weight (LOL).  It is a size smaller than I wear now.  I tried it on to see how much weight I need to lose in order to fit into it.  Well I tried on the skirt first and I could fit it but it was tight.  Next was the jacket, I knew there was no way that I would be able to button this jacket.  To my surprise I could button all the way.  Now if anyone wants to give me a hug in it, I will split it down the back (LOL).  This is great news.  I need a suit for my reunion.  So I still have time to get into the suit. 

Have a great week!!

Last night was the last night for my cleansing product.  This morning I woke up to TOM.  I planned to do all my measurements and weight today.  I went ahead and did them.  I was down 3 lbs from last week.  I lost about 8 lbs in the 10 days!!!!  Yay!!!  I did my measurements, which I shouldn't. everything was down except my waist which was up.  Of course I believe that I was bloated .  I will retake them next weekend, that is when my health challenge is over.  The super good news is that I am now at my lowest weight since starting and re-started extrapounds.    I am completely motivated to push on!!!

This morning I got up to go walking.  It was nice outside.  We are getting the benefits of the Hurricane Fay winds without the rain.  I was very prepared today.  I took two water bottles and my travel dog bowl.  At my halfway point I stopped and gave Reese some water.  It was like giving her a B-12 shot.  She was ready to go, too bad I wasn't.  TOM had me down I was tired.  One the next street I was in a full out stroll, not a good heart challenging walk.  I ended up heading home.  I walked about 2 miles and it took me as long as it normally takes me to do 3.  Tomorrow I am going to try to get up and do my normal route.  But I already feel the stomach cramps coming on, so don't keep your finger crossed.

Personal, so why is it that do the right thing can feel so wrong?  Recently me and a guy friend started back talking again, just talking nothing more.  I feel like with us I am stuck in the past.  Stuck with the coulda, shoulda, woulda.  I couldn't see the present or the future and I told him that.  We are trying to be friends now.  It was the right thing to do, or at least I hope.

Have a great weekend!!

Today was the polar opposite of yesterday.  It was so hot yesterday and so nice today.  I got up early just in case.  I hit the street at 9:10am and there was a nice breeze blowing and it was cloudy.  We were able to finish our 60 minutes without having a heat stroke.  Reese was still tired but I wasn't too worried about her being too hot.  As always she came home and acted like she had just woke up from a good nights rest.  She was running, jumping and acting crazy.  I am getting ready to head to water aerobics tonight. 

Oh did I mention that I ordered The Biggest Loser diet book.  I am getting ready for my next health challenge.  I found the book on Amazon.com for $0.68 new.  Which is great compared to $12.95 that NBC was charging for it on their website. 

Sending you skinny vibes!!!

  Ranetta

It was hot today in the ATL.  Recently it has been cool in the morning even up to mid morning.  Wednesday is my day away from the gym, however I go walking, I do about 3 miles and it takes me an hour.  This morning when I went outside I knew it was going to be bad.  It was hot, I mean smoking at the door.  I went ahead an started walking anyway.  Close to 2 miles into our walk, Reese pretty much stopped.  She was tired.  I told her, come on and she was too hot.  She almost lost her balance.  It scared me to death.  I took a quick break and then we headed home.  It is crazy because this morning I almost took me some water with me and Reese's carry bowl.  I didn't do it which was crazy.  Reese is fine by the way.  She even went out and played later this evening.  We will take it easy tomorrow.  I will get up earlier and if it is hot, I will get on the treadmill or do a video.  I am going to water aerobics tomorrow. 

Tomorrow is my last day of my cleanse.  Praise the Lord!!!  I will post my results on Friday or Saturday. 

If you have a sweet tooth and are looking for a dessert that won't kill your goals try this peach pie recipe (if you like peaches).  Top it with some fat free cool whip and it is two thumbs fresh.

Easy Low Fat Individual Peach Cobblers

1/4c Heart Smart Bisquick

1 large egg

1/2 c skim milk

2 packets of Splenda

8 oz Del Monte Diced Peaches (drained)

Drain and seperate peaches into 4 individual dessert cups that are oven save.  Mix egg, bisquick, skim milk and Splenda together in a small bowl until well mixed then pour 1/4 of mixture over top of each cup of peaches.  Bake at 400 degrees for approx. 15 minutes or until topping is brown.

Nutritional Info

Calories 81, Fat 2g, Carbs 13.5g, Protein 3.2 g

When I made this, I did not have any individual oven safe bowls.  I cooked it all together.  I added some nutmeg and cinnamon in the crust.  When you cook it in one pan, it will need to cook almost 30 mins (at least it did for me).  I also didn't have any splenda and I used equal.

I am in the final days of cleanse and I couldn't be happier.  It has been a good thing and I am glad I did it.  But this crap that you have to drink is gross.  I am not going to miss that.  The lady at the health food store told me that since I had never did one that I should do another one a week after finishing.  I am not sure that I will be able to do that, at least not this brand.  I am getting use to that crap but I am not thinking that I could do another 10 days of it.  It is a bit much. 

Today I went to the gym.  It was my dance class.  I love this class!!!  At first I was like she is not working us hard enough, then she never let up.  We worked out hard and she did not give us alot of breaks.  It was a good workout. 

Today is day four of my 10-day cleanse and it has been going pretty well.  I have not had any bad side effects.  Some people complained of a headache and I have been fine.  Because of the bloating, I am not taking my measurement and weight until I am done.  I am excited about next week.

Today is also my water aerobics class.  Last week it was pretty easy, this week she put it on us (which is great).  I workout hard all week so today is my rebound day.  Water aerobics is easy to get a good stretch in the water.  I am getting my hair cut tomorrow, so I am going to take this cardio kickboxing class in the morning.  I will take Saturday off because I don't want to mess my hair up as soon as I get it done. 

Have a happy Friday!!!

  Ranetta

Wednesday is my day away from the gym, there is not a class I want to take.  So Wednesday is the day I am supposed to do stuff around the house.  Last week I worked in my yard for 4 hours and almost died (lol).  Today I am supposed to be cleaning my house from top to bottom.  I absolutely hate cleaning, if I could afford to pay someone to come in and do it for I would.  So I have been talking myself out of getting started.  I decided that I needed to do something, it was either the treadmill, Taebo tape, or walking.  I decided to pick walking.  I got my Ipod, 2 plastic bags and my dog and hit the streets.  When I started I was talking myself out of it.  It is hot, Reese is pulling on the leash, my shoe is rubbing, anything that I could think of.  But I pushed on.  I normally only walk 20 mins, today I walked 50 mins and did 2.25 miles.  I could have did more but the trash truck was coming and I didn't have my trash to the curb.  What is crazy is that I could have did more, because the way the truck comes it was probably 30 mins before it got to my house.  The success in this story is that I doubled my walk time and my distance.  I silenced my inner doubts and demons and pushed on.  Reese normally pulls me all the way in the end, I was pulling her.  She was tired, which is great!!!

When your inner demons tell you, you can't do this.  Tell them to go to hell!!

Be good to yourself!!

  Ranetta

I started my 10-day cleanse yesterday.  I am doing the Perfect Cleanse.  You start off with taking 3 pills 30 mins before dinner.  I am not a big pill person by the time I got to the last one, I didn't think I was going to get it down.  30 mins after you eat, you mix this powder in a glass of water to drink.  It is the nastiest thing that I have ever had.  The lady at the health food store told me to drink it all at once, don't take a break.  That was the best advice that anyone has ever given me, because it was so nasty that I almost threw up.  There is no way that I could have taken a break and started over.  After I started this cleanse, I decided to find some more reviews about it on the internet.  Some people love it, some people hate it.  It really wasn't a middle ground.  What I found (and it scared me) people that hated it all complained about constipation.  Okay we are taking this to clear us out, not stop us up (LOL).  But I also found that people who had a bad reaction to it, didn't change there eating habits and probably were not getting enough water in.  This morning I got up and I had my regular BM, so I am not constipated.  I am feeling bloated, but I was told this would happen.  Well I have already got the before dinner and the nasty after dinner stuff down today.  Last, you take 3 pills at bedtime. 

I hit the gym today.  I took at pilates class and then my regular funk dance class.  Okay pilates is hard.  I was sweating like I was doing a step class.  It was tough.  I am not flexible at all.  The teacher is my Monday dance instructor.  She had to come and tell me all about pilates and how it would be good for me.  She is sweet.  When I start back to work, I am going to miss her Monday class.  It is a noon class.  After 2 hours in the gym, I was tired.  The funny thing is that when I got in the car I felt these small stomach cramps.  It was like I could feel something moving down in my stomach.  I am hoping it this crap in my body breaking away and getting ready to move on out. 

I will keep you posted on my progress.  Have a great week.

  Ranetta

Life is made up of numbers.  Everything involves it.  When it come to weight loss, numbers are everything.  The number on the scales, the numbers on the tape measure, how many calories you eat in one day, how many points can I have, how many glasses of water you drink, how many minutes you workout.  All about the numbers.  I said in another blog that I am eating better to become healthy.  This is partly true.  I want to be healthy.  I don't want to be on blood pressure medicine and I don't want to have another health related problem.  However, I can't stop looking at the scales.  I weigh-in on one day and take my measurements on another day.  I might hit the scales a few times a week.  The numbers they rule the world.  The problem is that normally if the number don't tell us what we want to know we give up and throw in the towel.  I do it all the time.  I get frustrated and quit.  I will never forget one time I got some frustrated at WWers.  I got on the scale and I gained weight.  It was like 1 lb.  I ran out of there crying.  I think I quit the next week.  Now I am not seeing what I want to see on the scales.  I am determined this time to stick with it.   When I give myself a short goal and will try to finish it.  That is what I am doing now.  I have a 5 week goal and I am not going to let the numbers get me down.  Eventhough I have not seen the numbers on the scale that I want to see, I am seeing the numbers going down on the measuring tape.  I am loosing inches so that is plus.

In this numbers game, don't let the numbers get you down. Stick with it, it will work out.

  Ranetta