Obsessed

Wanted to share a few things I am a little obsessed with. We'll call this the Obsessed: Fashion Edition blog post. All the things I have been wearing to death.

Short in Front/Long in Back Dress (skirt)

Crazy about these. They're fun, funky, and functional. It's like a mullet... in dress form. Party in the front and business in the back. I love getting to show off some leg while still covering my butt, literally. Super comfortable. I can move around with ease and still look cute. I want more! I have to refrain myself from overstocking my closet with these. Don't want people to think they are all I am capable of wearing. 

[sidenote: There are some bad versions of this style of dress, so it is important to be picky.]

Scarves

Super original, I know. But, it's winter and these are my go-to pop of fun. Some do necklaces... I do scarves. I'm picky about my scarves though. I like them big and full. No need to bother with the wimpy ones. A great color, pattern, or just something that makes it pop a little more is always nice as well.

Leather Jacket

Everyday. Everywhere. Throw on jeans, boots, T, leather jacket - done! I have been wearing mine to death, but I can't help it. Maybe it's because I've always wanted to wear jackets like this and couldn't, so now I'm making up for lost time or deep down inside me there's a member of Hell's Angels... either way... obsessed.

Boots

I know, I know, just like the scarves, this is nothing original, but I can't write about the things I've been obsessed with this season and not at least mention my boots. They go with everything. Over or under the jeans, with a dress, with my skinnies... whatever, throw on some boots for a good look and yet very comfortable. And that's that.

Fun Nails

I usually never paint my nails because I am horrible at keeping them up and then I end up looking like a pre-teen at work. However, this is a trend I had to jump on. Granted my nails are currently naked as I type this, but I do have an appointment with my private nail technician extraordinaire (my sister) to have them done again. I just love all the experimenting and fun people are having with their nails. Add the glitter! Mix the colors! Make the patterns! I love putting a neutral color on the majority of my nails and then picking a fun pop for the ring finger... with some glitter.

High Sock Bun

I blame my sister for getting me hooked on this one. I tried it for the first time in the pic above and found that it was super easy to do and I like the look. Nothing like having another option with my hair that takes very little effort and looks like I actually tried. I've probably overused this one like everything else listed on this post, but when you are obsessed you just can't help yourself. 

Stacked Jewelry

Layer it on! Stack your bracelets. Stack your rings. I can't get enough! We'll know I've gone too far when I look like I did when I was 8 or 9 and decided it necessary to wear all my silver rings on all of my fingers... hmmm. But stacking, I love. With the bracelets it may be like the jackets where I used to not be able to wear them because my wrists were too big and now that I can, I love it. And I really love the leather straps wrapped around several times and some of the ones with words. This one says, "TOUGH" and my other one says, "FIERCE"... obviously. We all knew I wouldn't go for the ones that say "LOVE" or "SWEET." Ha!

The image that sums it ALL up for me!

Mix &Match

Hard & Soft

Dress Up/Dress Down

Layers

I totally want this outfit. I just love the juxtaposition of it all. Mixing and matching styles. Soft flowing skirt with a ball cap! Layer it on with that great pop of color and we are good. It says, "I'm fun, quirky, and I don't take myself too seriously."

Made with love, and oh so Yummy!

After Christmas I bought Jackie Warner's book "This is Why You're Fat (And how to get thin forever)." I had resolved with myself that this was the time to change my life and all the bad habits I had learned growing up. I knew that if I didn't do it now, it may never happen, and as they say, "There's no time like the present." I've tried to diet and exercise and lose weight before, but the problem was that I had no idea what I was doing. I didn't have the knowledge to succeed. Without the right information it always became a thing of "How long can I deprive myself before breaking down and giving up and becoming worse off than before." I have watched Jackie Warner on TV and I always thought she did a good job of explaining things and I believed what she was say. No gimmicks. So, when I went to go look at different health books hers was the first one I looked at. I started reading it there at the store and couldn't put it down. The title really says what the book is all about "This is Why You're Fat." She explains the chemistry going on inside our bodies and the three organs that make a person fat or skinny. She has a quote on her book that says, "Being fat isn't your fault; staying fat is." This resonated with me because you see these people that get away with eating anything and yet they can't put on a pound. Those are not my genes. I was able to stop blaming myself and hating myself for being fat and move on to doing something about it. Needless to say, I bought the book. Brought it home and got reading.

Some key points I leaned were these:
-Add to lose: It's not about depriving yourself but rather eating more of the right things. In fact you would think that eating more would be the easy part but for me it's probably the hardest part.
-Fat is not the enemy: Fat doesn't make you fat; SUGAR does!!! We're all sugar addicts. It's in so much of what we eat. So, read the labels and watch your portions.
-You can cut your cardio down to twenty minutes: With your workouts, it's not how long, but how strong. You can actually expend more calories in less time by doing shorter, harder cardio workouts. You'll not only burn calories but also boost your metabolic rate, so your body continues burning extra calories for up to several hours after your workout is over.

I started this life-style change at the beginning of January (it wasn't a new years resolution, I just happened to get started around that time). Needless to say, it's been quite the journey. I've lost about 25lbs so far. It's a struggle every day as I continue to work on changing habits and keep the right/positive mind set. I'd say the hardest parts so far have been staying motivated to work out, and getting my daily servings of vegetables.

I've never liked vegetables. Never! But, I'm working hard at integrating them into my daily diet as much as possible. When I make a protein shake with fruit, I'll add in some carrots and spinach and a couple times broccoli (when the others weren't available) and it tastes pretty good. I'm loving fresh pico which is really great with a grilled chicken breast and maybe some avocados. Another way I've snuck in the veggies... pizza! If you do it right, it's a good thing. Satisfies the cravings and helps get the veggies in. When you make it yourself you are in control of what goes in and that is really great. It's all about watching the nutrition and getting the right portions.

So, here is the Chicken and Spinach pizza I made the other day:

Ingredients: Crust (Boboli crust was used on this pizza, but you can use other), pizza sauce, tomatoes, spinach, chicken breast, red onion, peppers, black olives, and skim mozzarella. You can subtract and add ingredients that you prefer. I also like to use garlic but did not have it when I made this pizza. Think of what you like and add it.

It tastes so good and is so satisfying that I can't even imagine eating those old crappy pizzas I used to have.

[click on below picture to see larger]

Well, I didn't plan on this post being this long, but I hope you still enjoyed it. Originally I was just going to share the pizza with you and spare you of the life style change, but it seemed relevant. Wish me luck on my journey. Hope to report back to you with even more weight loss and life gain.