Last week was incredibly busy for me, and I’m looking forward to being back in class today so I can get back into my routine (at least until I’m gone again next week.)  A few of you asked how I could travel so much while taking classes so I figured I’d answer your questions today.  I am not doing online classes this semester.  I sit in a classroom (in a regular desk which is victory, by the way,) but I only go two days a week.  And last week was Mardi Gras (and in New Orleans that means no classes for the first part of the week) so I didn’t have to miss class to be gone.  The rest of my travels typically take place in the later half of the week though I will miss one class next week when I head back to New York for a while.

Now let’s talk about FMM.  If you’ve taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section here at: www.alltheweigh.com so we can all see your FMM questions and answers. Please invite your blog readers to add their links here too so everyone has to opportunity to be seen. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a moment to post your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other posts. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!

Last Summer I met a talented, young girl named Dorian and her mother while shopping for groceries in Los Angeles, and we talked a few times before parting ways.  And last week, she shared a link on my Facebook wall that had a profound effect on me when I finally took the time to watch it.

The 5 minute video that can be seen here, shared a simple message: You are beautiful.  And in the video, people took a moment to write something beautiful about themselves which has inspired me to ask this question…What makes you beautiful?

Take a few minutes to share what makes you beautiful, and don’t be shy!  I know we’re often our own worse critics, but there’s something beautiful about every single person reading this.  And today seems like a good day to reflect on what makes us beautiful so let’s do it together.  (Come on…this will be good for all of us!)

Fmm: What makes YOU beautiful?

Leave out all of the negative stuff, and concentrate on the beauty that’s within you – seen and unseen.

• I have beautiful lips and teeth.
• I’m easy to talk to.
• I also have pretty hands and nails (maybe that’s why I’m obsessed with nail polish?)
• I have a nice voice too.
• My eyes are bright and animated.
• My hair is healthy and shiny.
• I push myself even when it’s scary.
• I like my thin ankles.

Now it’s your turn to share what makes you beautiful! Don’t forget to come back and post your link in the comments! Happy Monday friends….

I’ve had the pleasure of meeting some incredible people through my blog, and at this point, I can’t imagine life without it.  And from time to time, I wonder who I’m missing. Who’s blog do you read every morning?  Who should I know that I don’t know yet?

If you’re reading this then I want to hear from you….Tell me about the blogs that inspire and/or interest you. Maybe they’re health and fitness related, or maybe they’re about fashion, DYI or travel or food, etc.

I just want to hear about what interests you so please take a moment to share a few (or several) of your favorite blogs!

Living in New York and traveling regularly has allowed me to sample some of the best cupcakes on earth!  Cupcakes and I have a long, complicated (well, not really so complicated) past that has usually involved me indulging in too many calories.

But during my last trip to NY I realized that my love for cupcakes has taken a serious turn.  I’d be lying if I said that these photos didn’t make me smile, but they no longer perpetuate cravings that feel nearly impossible to control, and that is so cool!

You can click on the picture to make it bigger if you feel like torturing yourself....

I think it’s okay to love cupcakes, and I think it’s okay that my heart flutters at the thought of having a 44 calorie red velvet from Baked by Melissa next week.   But it’s nice to feel like I can take it or leave it.

Has your taste changed over time?  Have you had any life-long cravings that subsided over time?  If so, will you tell me about them?

Last week someone who ran across my blog felt compelled to send me an email calling me a fat, ugly c- – -.  Of course, I hit delete and reminded myself  that those hateful adjectives don’t define me.

A few days ago  someone who befriended me on Facebook after discovering my blog wrote a long post on my wall expressing her disgust and disappointment in me because of my political affiliations.  Her angry, hate-filled post was only on my wall for a few minutes before it was deleted and she was blocked.

Here’s the thing.  I share my life online, and I know that I’ll be criticized as a result of that from time to time.  And I’ve learned the hard way that some people will go out of their way to spew hatred and inflict their angry, psychotic and nonsensical ideas and/or judgments on me.   I don’t like it, but I’ve learned to send those comments to spam,  to hit delete without even reading their garbage and to simply ignore their rubbish.

I’ve grown to care about so many of you, and I know that I don’t have to tell you these things.  This message is for those of you who hide behind the wall of the internet with hateful intent.  It doesn’t matter to me if our views are different, and I’m not going to try to convince you that I’m right.  But I do deserve and expect the kind of respect that I offer every time I write a post or share a comment on someone else’s blog.  Respect is the standard here, and it will always be the standard here.

So if you have a problem with me, I can’t change that for you, and I won’t waste my efforts trying to.  Instead, I’ll continue to focus on improving myself and celebrating the person that I am.  If that doesn’t work for you, feel free to click the back button in the top left corner.

I talk a lot about how far I have to go, but sometimes it’s important to reflect on how far I’ve come….

You can click on the picture to make it bigger if you want to...

If you read my blog much, you may have noticed that I travel pretty often so you probably aren’t surprised that today’s topic is travel.

If you’ve taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section here at: www.alltheweigh.com so we can all see your FMM questions and answers. Please invite your blog readers to add their links here too so everyone has to opportunity to be seen. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a moment to post your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other posts. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!

FMM: Travel

1. Where did your most recent trip take you?  My last was NY.
2. Is there a place that you’d like to visit that you haven’t yet?  If so, where?  There are so many places I’d like to visit!  I’d love to go to Egypt, and I’d also like to go on a cruise.  I tend to be a destination traveler so a cruise would be different and interesting.
3. Do you travel lightly, or do you cram as much into your luggage as possible?  Uh, I am pretty good at estimating the weight of my bag, and it’s usually at about 47 pounds.  ;)
4. Do your eating and exercise habits change when you travel? If so, how?  Well, my routine changes so yes, but I usually make time to exercise.  And this year, I’ve been focusing more on eating well (even on the road.)  I’ve been tracking my food religiously lately…even when I’m away.
5. Tell us about a place you’ve been that you’d like to go back to.  Atlantis in the Bahamas….best. place. ever.  I’d love to go there again to experience it as someone who is no longer over 400 pounds.
6. Do you prefer to travel at a certain time of year?  Nah, I’m used to it.
7. If you had to choose, would you go to the beach or the mountains?  I’d choose the beach unless I could go skiing with my niece and family.  (Hint, hint…Hey Sis, Ski trip soon?!)  Generally speaking though, I love the beach…love love love it.
8. Have you ever needed a passport to travel?  Yep…Europe, the Netherlands, Aruba, etc.  It’s probably just smart to have one anyway.
9. Do you collect anything in your travels?  I’ve started collecting Christmas ornaments, yep.
10. Where do you plan to go next?  Next up (after this trip) is New York again then Colorado then DC…

Now it’s your turn! Don’t forget to come back to share a link in the comments!  Happy Monday friends!

Check out the lovely gifts I got from my Healthy Valentine Swap partner, Emily.  She nailed it with the cozy socks and nail polish, didn’t she? =)

Don't worry...I just had to try out the colors....

Thank you Emily…for the gifts and your friendship!  =)

It’s finally the weekend, and I’m traveling…again.  I’ll be hitting a couple of states over the next week or so, and I’ll be doing it with a new hairstyle.  It has been a long time since my hair was this short, but I hope that will make it pretty easy to maintain.  Does this mean I’m getting old?

]]> http://www.alltheweigh.com/2012/02/does-this-mean-im-getting-old/feed/ 15 http://www.alltheweigh.com/2012/02/thursdays-matter-too/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=thursdays-matter-too http://www.alltheweigh.com/2012/02/thursdays-matter-too/#comments Fri, 17 Feb 2012 05:00:13 +0000 Kenlie http://www.alltheweigh.com/?p=3437

I’ve been doing things differently over the last couple of weeks, and I’ve been feeling healthy and strong as a result!   Earlier this week I shared my decision to eat with more regularity on Thursdays, and I did.  I also decided to workout before attending my meeting, another thing that I have never been comfortable doing before stepping on the scale.  And I was down 0.6 pounds.

Since I started my weight-loss journey, I’ve heard all kinds of advice from folks who have similar goals and interests.  My first trainer told me not to workout just before stepping on the scale because I’d weigh a few pounds more.  Several fellow weight-loss friends shared that they don’t drink as much or eat as much before the step on the scale….Some don’t eat foods that are high in sodium the day before weigh-in, etc.  You get the idea, and I’ve done all of these things too.

But I threw all of that out of the window yesterday, and I’m glad I did.  I am no longer afraid to be active or to fuel my body because it’s Thursday.  It was ridiculous to ever feel that way, but hey…I can admit it when I need to change.  And I’ve admitted it.

So instead of spending the majority of my day being sedentary (which is really unnatural and uncomfortable) I opted to hit the gym to do another 10 miles on the elliptical before I headed to my meeting.  Next time I’ll try to allow enough time to shower, dry my hair and change into my weigh-in outfit because I’d rather not show up drenched in sweat again.  (Sorry WW friends….Thanks for understanding!)  Seriously, I was soaked from head to toe when I arrived, but I felt good about doing what I needed to do for myself.

When the machine made me start over I did what I did last time. During the last mile, I did as much as I could going backwards...It's slower, but it works different muscles.

So…..I wish I had shown a bigger loss this week. (Don’t we always wish for that?)  But I’m satisfied with the loss and with my efforts.  I really can’t tell you how hard it has been to change these habits knowing that the scale wouldn’t reflect the work I’ve done all week.  But now it’s done, and I’m proud of myself which is really the most important part anyway.  I probably won’t drink a gallon of water or do 10 miles before every weigh-in, but I won’t be afraid to anymore either because if I’m eating well and exercising the scale will reflect that eventually.

Cooling off, but my hair was soaked, and my clothes were too...

What are your thoughts on exercising right before weighing in?  Do you do it, or do you believe it’s smarter to wait?  And if waiting is your answer, then how long do you wait?

It has been a long day, and I don’t feel 100%.  I woke up and faced the day feeling congested and lethargic, but I accomplished what I needed to accomplish which included a 50-minute evening workout.  Sometimes I choose to workout late as opposed to not at all, but now I want to sleep.  And I hope to wake up feeling healthy and rested.

Sometimes getting through a workout is a victory in itself...

Do you exercise when you don’t feel well?  How do you decide when to fight through it and when to rest?