The Julie/Julia Effect

About a month ago, the movie Julie & Julia came on.  The movie is about a girl who takes Julia Child’s cookbook and gave herself one year to master the recipes and wrote a blog about it.

I guess the same can be applied to weight loss.  Each day is a new day, a new chance to workout and change your life.  New day, new recipe.

Well, some days are gonna be better than others.  Some will be great and others will be disasters.

I admire Amy Adams’s character in the movie.  She has a determination, a passion to master the cookbook and try to make every recipe.  She does it because it gives her a new focus for her life.

Again…same thing with weight loss.

My problem is doing the same thing every day and not having that passion, that drive to get healthy.  It’s not so much getting thin, but losing the weight I need to be healthy.

So here it goes….

Day 1….

Started Power 90 Sweat 1-2.  I know this workout inside & out and I love it.  It’s a great beginner’s workout and a good one to get back into a routine.

I will get my body back.  It will be done.  #determination

Some pics we took near Brenham, TX

So…fun stuff!!!

One of the things I love about being a photographer is that you get to find some fun and awesome places to do photo shoots.  There is a town near Brenham called Independence.  It’s one of those “blink and you miss it” towns.  Not big at all and really doesn’t have a population.

Well, this is where Old Baylor was located before they moved to Waco and it was one college before it split into Mary Hardin-Baylor and Baylor.  Chase and I had stumbled upon this place back in 2009 and it is one of the best places for a photo shoot.

On Thanksgiving, Chase and I decided to go back up there and I did get some really good pics but my card didn’t cooperate with my computer and the pictures were corrupted.  Yeah…big fat bummer.

So, we went up there on Sunday and got some of the best pics ever.

The first 2 pics are from 2009 and the rest are from Sunday’s shoot.

It’s that time of year again…

Yeah…

When did the holidays creep up on us?  It seems like yesterday that we were celebrating Christmas 2013.

Not that I’m complaining.  I happen to love Christmas.  It’s my favorite holiday.

A couple of years ago, I will admit.  I had a shitty Christmas season.  Black Friday came and I got my Christmas ornaments out, only to find that most of them were ruined by mold in the storage room.  Yeah…not a great start.  Then Mom got pneumonia and my truck got vandalized.

I didn’t have a proper Christmas in 2012.  So, last year, I swore that I was going to have a great Christmas season.  And I did.

Same thing this year.  Despite the fact that my mom is getting married (a sore, sore subject for me and my sister), I will have a wonderful Christmas season.

So…the moral of the story is, don’t let small circumstances get to you.  Remember what Christmas is all about.

Luke 2:1 – 21

One of the best workout regimens ever!!!

One of the best workout regimens ever!!!

Let’s face it, I don’t always have time to do P90X.  As much as I love Tony and the workout system, I feel like I can’t make the time for it.  So, I set out to find a workout system that I can do in 10 minutes.  This is perfect.  The 30 Day Fat Burn Series is a high-intensity, calorie shredding workout that takes 10 minutes a day.  The 4 week boot camp series can help you attain your goals in half the time.  Great you say?  You bet. 

Revelations….

The more and more I look at myself in the mirror, the more and more I KNOW I have to do something about this weight.  Sucks.  Sucks big ones.  I’m just tired of seeing fat and I remember 2-3 years ago when I worked SO hard to lose it. 

Why did I gain it back?

Because I simply stopped caring.

I know…I know.  I hear all the time, you’re not fat.  You look so pretty.  Well, why don’t I feel it? 

Problem is me.  My choices, my habits are literally sabotaging me.

SO….

With that being said…

Time to get cracking.  It’s time for a new me!!! 

Contemplations

This weekend, it became more apparent than ever that I really need to watch what I eat.  I felt like a bloated fat pig and I have to admit, that was not a great feeling.  So…

Goes back to what my New Year’s resolution was…to lose weight and be healthy. 

Problem is I fell back into bad habits and it definitely got the better of me.  I have to face it.  While yes, 33 is still a young age to many, I don’t want to feel 20 years older than that.  And I don’t want my body to reflect that.  I want my BODY BACK!!!!

I have to put many bad habits aside and get back on track.  I hate to work out, but once I’m doing it and once it’s over, I admit, I feel better.  Just tell that to my legs after a few days…

I don’t want to feel bad anymore.  I want to be healthy.

What to do if a celebrity does something to make you lose respect….

READER DISCRETION ADVISED (Contains foul language)

Let’s face it…

Some celebrities do some stupid, retarded stuff.  And it makes you wonder why the you like them in the first place. 

My friend sent me a link to TMZ and what I saw appalled me.  To the point where if you are going to be that much of an attention whore, you don’t deserve my respect.  While I like this “celebrity” still, I just wonder what the hell is going through his brain, being married to someone who just uses you for your celebrity status, money and your notoriety, which let’s face it, pretty much is anyone in Hollyweird.  And then you cater to her by providing this “phony” audition tape and TMZ gets a hold of it.  First off, did you purposely do that to get attention for yourself or did the “footage” get into the wrong hands by mistake?  I seriously would like to know.

While I’m not going to name this person (although two of my friends know who I’m talking about), he knows who he is and I just have to get my rant out.

First off, if you are going to keep the respect of your fans, don’t pull stupid publicity stunts like this.  Second off, obviously she didn’t want you in the video so she could be the glory hog.  Third, you need to drop her ass like a bad habit and have some respect for YOURSELF!!!!  You can do much better.  I don’t know you and I don’t know her but I know what I see and I don’t like it one bit.  Call me judgmental, whatever.  My opinion. 

 

There are some times when you need some motivation…

There are points in your life when you need that swift kick in the ass.  The one where you know that you can do better but you choose not to because you’re being lazy.  Well…I’ve gotten to that point. 

I don’t want to be a glamorous model, who is rail thin.  Because good Lord knows, that would take me being anorexic and THAT AIN’T GONNA HAPPEN!!!!  I want to be at a good, healthy weight.  One where I’m comfortable in my own skin, and be happy to go out and rock the beach with a kickass body.  I want to eat healthy foods that I know are good for me and not slack off on junk food.  I WANT TO BE HEALTHY!!!

So, here I go back on the fitness train and this time, I need the motivation to stay on it.  That means…

NO JUNK FOOD…if I feel the urge for candy or Fried chips, substitute it for fruit or nuts. 

NO FRIED FOOD…sorry Chick Fil A, but your delicious chicken will have to go grilled from now on and I will be getting a salad or fruit instead of fries.  Whataburger, I love you too, but no more.  It’s been fun but I can’t have you.

MORE WATER!!!! 

Let’s face it, seeing the scale at the doctor’s freaked me out today and it’s definitely enough to get my ass back into gear.  And having my thyroid meds check is gonna help, too.  I think that has something to do with the lethargy and weight gain.  It’s time for the Synthroid to be upped and weight to be dropped.

 

The Way We Were

Ahhhhh…..sigh.

Memories…like the corners of my mind…c’mon sing.  You know you want to…

Tonight, I was reminded of a wonderful thing in our lives last year, and somehow it was taken for granted. 

The band Chase is in now, played at a place in Pearland tonight called the Broken Spoke.  Well, I was only going to go for one set and take pics.  I had been at the salon all day and I was super tired.  We had a busy Saturday, which don’t get me wrong.  I am SO THANKFUL for that, especially since it’s dead during the week.  Okay, getting back onto the subject at hand, I just wasn’t in the mood to go but I promised Chase, so I went.  Well…

I’m not gonna say that it was all bad…but…they were not good.  Some songs were so super rough and these are some of the same songs I heard Chase play with Turner Country Band with ease and perfection. 

So, I got there at the end of the first set and just in time for their first break.  You would think that these yahoo’s would come up and introduce themselves.  No.  Not one introduction until they were ready to go on for the second set.  Now, I’m the type of person to sit back and observe.  And I’m not the type to go up to someone and get up all in their business just to introduce myself.  I’m not rude like that.  So, I just waited. 

Two of the band members didn’t even SPEAK to me, which is so rude and one of them had already come over to our house to practice with Chase and then proceeded to get stuck in our ditch (his dumbass move).  So, you would think he’d say hello.  No.  Acted like he had a stick up his butt and didn’t give us the time of day.  Asshole. 

Anyway, when the second set started, I was like, okay…a little better.  And then Troubadour hit and oh my God, did it BOMB!!!!  It was not good.  Nor was Wave on Wave and I was REALLY disappointed.  Which goes to say, when I was listening to Derek sing it, I couldn’t hear him over the other dude who was singing back up and was louder than him.  Such a let down.

So, goes back to my original title…the Way We Were. 

Let’s face it, TCB was the shit!!!!  They were awesome.  Everyone of us, from bandmates to band wives to extended family members, we were a family.  And not only that, when you were at an event with Turner Country, no matter if they weren’t the best that night or if they were, they still put on one hell of a show.  Their music was addictive and the blending of Mike and Lindsay’s vocals with Chase’s and Hunter’s guitar playing, Wes’s drumming and Bart’s bass was just right on.  Well, most of the time, lol.  Their songs were stuck in your brain for a long time after a show and you left a show, satisfied and happy. 

Turner Country Band got so far and I still think it’s a shame that it all went down the way it did.  I’m glad that everyone has moved on but at the same time, you can’t help but be sad about what it could’ve been.  Yes, people screwed up and egos and pride were hurt, but eventually…I hope, one of these days, we can all come back together.  I know it won’t be easy and I know it won’t be for a LONG time, but…hey.  One can hope, right?

So, with saying all this…I really hope that this new band can pull it together and sound decent.  Because at the rate they are going, not even Chase’s playing or Dennis’s drumming is going to help them.  Just my opinion.

Toto – Gypsy Train

Again, I know a few of you are like, “ANOTHER DAMN TOTO VIDEO?”

Yes, it’s another DAMN TOTO VIDEO!!!!

This one is from the Kingdom of Desire (1992). This was the last album that Jeff Porcaro played on before his death.

I absolutely LOVE THIS SONG!!! It’s rock at its best. Steve Lukather plays those riffs like no one’s business and I have to say, he’s pretty hot in this song (yes, I know, I’m such a sucker for a man who plays a rockin’ guitar ie: Paul Stanley, my husband, etc).

Word of warning: I’ve been known to jam out and make a fool out of myself in the parking lot at Wally World while the car next to me is looking at me like I’ve lost my mind. HAHAHAHA…no seriously, this did happen.

Take a listen and hope you likes it!! 🙂 ❤