Again?!

Up .4 (point four) this week.
*hides head in shame*
Oy.

A Review Or Two

Several months ago I was contacted by a lovely gentleman at America's Nutrition (Hi Zach!)  He asked if I would be interested in reviewing some products on my blog and since I love products and since they were the first company to contact me about a review I jumped at the chance.  Flash forward three months later and I finally have the downtime to do a few.  Here are the first two and as I test out the last two I will let you know:

The 30 Day Beauty Secret
Okay, I am not much on vitamin supplements that don't come from whole foods.  I once heard someone refer to vitamins as really expensive urine since all one seems to do is pee them out (something to do with how much the body can actually absorb.)  Well you will definitely notice a color change with this supplement.  The ingredients list is really awesome and I did notice that my hair and nails have been growing like crazy about a week after I started taking the supplement.  As far as improving my skin, it could have, but I have also been eating more fruits and veggies, drinking more water, getting regular facials and using lovely skin care products.  I used to suffer from an annoying case of adult onset acne but that has seemed to calm down.  As stated earlier I did notice an improvement in the growth of my hair and nails but I couldn't say if it helped with my skin since I already do many things to help in that department.

Emu Oil by Thunder Ridge

Wow!  This stuff is amazing and harvested in the near by county of Manassas.  I have a patch of eczema on the back of my neck where my hair line is that has been the bane of my existence for almost 10 years.  I have read that emu oil has been known to help if not heal inflamed skin but always resisted trying it out.  Partly due to the fact that I wasn't sure how they harvested the oil (turns out they do kill the bird for it's meat and the oil is a bonus.)  There is no gross odor, the bottle is actually a pretty blue one not the bottle that is pictured on the website and feels like any other oil.  I put it on at night before I go to bed and wake up sans the itchy scalp.  YAY!  You can read all the other uses for emu oil in the above link.  I can see this becoming a great healer of chapped skin in the upcoming winter months.


There you have it.  I still have the last two products and a book review coming up so stay tuned.....

Embarrassed

I weigh in on Tuesdays, which has it's plus and minuses.  If I have a social weekend it usually shows up on the scale.  Well, last weekend I had a VERY social weekend and it showed.  Up 3.4 lbs.... again.  What is up with 3.4?  That's the second time I have gained exactly that much weight in the past three weigh ins.  Needless to say I am embarrassed and a little ashamed after coming off such a great loss the week before.  I'm feeling pretty down on myself about it but I haven't been able to dwell too much since work is so busy right now.  However, I do have another very social weekend coming up.  A bachelorette / bachelor party up in D.C.  We are talking the works:  limo, cocktails, strip club and I am sure plenty of opportunities to eat. 

I'm nervous. I can't help it.  I just keep thinking that if I can just get through to November 1st then I can really focus before the holidays.  Here is a rundown of all the things I have to do (on top of working two jobs) that are potential land mines:

• Our German visitors are here until the 7th and there are at least three food related functions that I will be attending with them
• I have a wedding to go to on the 15th
• I will be in Colorado for a week at the end of October
• Halloween
• Then the beginning of  November I move.

GAAAAAHHHHH! 

Whew!  I really needed to get that out. 

M'kay, I'm off to take some deep breaths and a Valium.

P.S  I love you guys.  Thanks for listening/reading.  :)

HIYAAA!!! *Karate Kick*

That's right, down 5.8 lbs this week!  I got my Mr. Miyagi on ALL over those pounds.  Even if you don't count the 3.4 lbs that I gained  last week that is still a very respectable 2.4 lb lost.  I am reeeedaunkulously happy with this.

I know that my posts have been rather short of late but that is because I am trying to keep busy.  I am trying to do more social things to keep my spirits up.  In fact, I have a date with Mr. Anthony Bourdain tonight.  Yes, that's right ladies.... a live and in person date.  He is speaking at the university in my town and I am on my way to dinner and then to silently stalk him as he pontificates on life, food and rock n roll.

Check ya on the flip side!

Well.....crap.

Aunt flow did come to town, just in time for me to have a few days of mindless eating and bloating before the weigh in.  Up 3.4 lbs this week.  :(  I guess this means I will have to give my purse back.  No, not really... it just means I don't get another purse when I lose the 3.4.  And I will lose it.  Oh yes, you can rest assured that I will lose that annoying number of gained pounds!

If I look at it in a positive light this has helped me get back to a few basics that I shirked along the way:

• Tracking everything that goes into my mouth (this is a big challenge for me)
• Exercise ( I started walking again since it's not jungle hot here anymore in Virginia)
• Positive affirmations (got out of this habit for the past two months because I was waaay to busy feeling sorry for myself)

Only 32 days until I fly out to Denver.  I would really rather not wear the airplane seat as a skirt.

No Time and Not Much To Say

There she is... my new bag and I just love her.  I feel bad in a Joan Jett kinda way now that I am sporting this lovely.  Well, okay....maybe the bag could use some spikes to really make it bad ass but spikes aren't really me.

I am down 1.2 lbs this week which really shocked the stuffing out of me.  I just *knew* that I had gained walking into WW.  My reason for this knowing is that I did not track or count points all week.  I was mindful about stopping when I was full and about eating good food (except the Chinese I had on Sunday) but I didn't go to the gym and ate what I pleased.  I had already decided to give myself some down time since I knew last week and this week were gonna be a little unsettling.  More on that later.

I am back on track for this week with tracking but feel as if aunt flo will make an appearance and that always messes with my head and the scale.  Fingers crossed!

Have a great weekend folks!

Oy.

Hello my lovelies.

I have not had internetz at my house since Monday, hence the longer than normal time lapse between posts.  Well, not surprisingly I am only down .6 (point six) this week but I really wasn't expecting much more after a 4lb loss last week.

I did purchase a new handbag (squeeeee!) and I lurve it.  I can't find a pic of it so I'll have to take one to show you guys.  It's a slightly metallic dark gray Nine West bag from Ross.  From what I understand...gray is very in this season.  I have seen a lot of gray/white/yellow combinations out there.  Me likey!

I wish I had more interesting things to report but I have just been kinda "checking in" to my days lately.  I am purging and packing for my move in November.  Stressful. This is my last full month membership to the far far away gym that I belong to.  To be honest I really haven't been much in the past few months so I don't think that I will miss it.  I have decided to give up on the yoga DVDs.  Most of the ones available on Netflix are not really conducive to actually trying to learn the poses.  I have done classes before and will have to go back to learning in a classroom setting. 

I belong to a German Sister City program in lovely Fredericksburg,VA.  It's one that just started in May and at the end of September we have about 30 German folks staying in our fair hamlet.  They will be here a week and I have no idea how I will have any time left for myself once work, packing, socializing and transporting this folks gets underway.  After they leave I have a wedding and then I am off to Colorado for a week at the end of October and then I move.  Phew!  I am exhausted just thinking about it. 

I am going to try to stay focused and inspired so that the weight continues to wave bye bye.  I have a goal.... to fit more comfortably in the airplane seat this time around.  I am even flying the same airline and type of aircraft as I did this time last year.  I hope there is a noted difference.  Colorado is my light in the murk right now.  I can't wait to breathe that amazing mountain air, hike those trails and lust after those handsome rugged outdoors men.

I really wanted to thank you all for your amazing suggestions for combating emotional eating.  It's good to know I am not alone.

Till next time!

P.s. I have some reviews coming up on several natural products and a book.  Stay tuned.