I Messed Up...

Okay - you caught me. I'll admit it. I got off track this weekend. And it was a loooooong weekend of being off track, if I do say so myself.

In the past, this is the weekend that would have spent me on my downward spiral back to unhealthy eating & a loss in focus of my ultimate goals. This time, not so much. It's taken a long time for me to understand this - BUT EVERYBODY HAS BAD DAYS!!

Whether it's emotionally bad, mentally bad, or "food bad," we all have days where we just can't get it together. This is okay! There is nothing wrong with taking a few days to realign, as long as you jump right back on the wagon.

That's what I've done. I recognize I had a bad eating weekend, but I didn't let it stop me come Monday morning. I instantly woke up & made my egg breakfast - which always leads me to remain on track the remainder of the day. I reminded myself of what I'm doing in this process & moved forward.

Yes - I had a fantastic weekend! I greatly enjoyed myself with friends and really let myself let loose. But that doesn't mean it has to be the endall to my health journey.

Yes - I'm expecting a small gain this week (reminder: weigh-ins are on Fridays!!). But that's okay. I know that with my commitment & effort towards a healthier me, I will still hit my ultimate goal.

So this post is a reminder that it's okay to mess up sometimes. It doesn't mean your entire life is ruined. It just means you get back on track & keep chugging along on the train to a healthy you!

Weigh In 09.02.16

Weekly Loss: -1.1 pounds
Total Loss: 15.4 pounds

I know I'm a day late this week (the post for that reason is coming...), but weigh in happened yesterday & it's time to dive in.

This was not my strongest week. I lost 1.1 pounds, which is good - but just felt like I could do more. It was an off week because I just had so much going on that it became hard to wrap my head around what I was doing and really focus on the nutrition in my meals.

That being said, this weekend is a big one. My journey began the day after the 4th of July weekend, so now that we are at Labor Day, I feel like we have hit a landmark date to look at progress. In those 2 months, I am down 15 pounds with stronger goals in front of me. This is one of the first times I've embarked on a journey like this where I have kept my head in line and my eyes on the prize. I am feeling better and better about myself by the day - and continuously looking for additional ways I can really embrace this journey of health that I'm on.

One thing I'm starting to feel ready for again is working out. When I began my journey this time, my relationship with food felt to be such a toxic thing that I needed to take 100% of my energy to focus on changing it. I had to get in the right mindset to teach myself to resist those temptations that are out there and gain the willpower that I've never been able to fully control before.

Now that I'm feeling more confident in my approach towards nutrition and food as a whole, I'm ready to take on the moving more portion of my journey. I've taken some time to consider gyms and what workouts I want to pursue and am still in debate of that matter - so in the next few months, expect some review posts of different workouts and programs that I'm excited to test out.

Happy Birthday, Chesney!

Had a different post planned, but with Chesney's birthday today - I HAD to change it up for her!!

Chesney is 5 today!! She is such an amazing part of my life & I don't know where I would be without her. There is nothing quite like the unconditional love of a dog & I'm so grateful I get to call this little booger my own!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHESNEY!! 🎁🎂🎉 I LOVE YOU!!

Here's to Us

About Me

What better way to quick off this new blog than with an About Me tag!! Keep on reading and learn a bit more about yours truly :-)

Make sure to comment your answers too!

~*~About Me~*~

What is your middle name? Alexa. Love my middle name. I think Lyndsay Alexa has the most beautiful ring to it.

What was favorite subject at school? English. I've always enjoyed reading & writing - so a course that focused on it was always the most fun & intriguing to me.

What is your favorite drink? Iced Coffee & Water. I really don't drink anything else. Alcoholic drink though? Do I even have to tell ya'll the answer??

What is your favorite song at the moment? Oh man! It probably changes daily. Right now, I've been listening to a few songs on repeat - "I Like the Sound of That" by Rascal Flatts; "Think of You" by Chris Young with Cassadee Pope); "Fix" by Chris Lane. Can you tell I like country??

What is your favorite food? Sushi. I could eat it any & every day. I also have an ongoing passionate love affair going on with Sriracha. I literally put it on EVERYTHING.

What is the last thing you bought? MY T-FAL POTS & PANS!! I AM ABSOLUTELY HEAD OVER HEELS IN LOVE WITH THEM! It has been a long time coming for me to get a very good set of pots & pans. I have never been so happy with a purchase before.

Favorite book of all time? Growing up, it was always Number the Stars. But I realized recently that Fault in Our Stars may be closing in on it. Both stories are just so beautiful & well told (and yes, I see the irony about them both have the word star in the title. Haha).

Favorite Color? Pink & Red

Do you have any pets? The love of my life, my silly boxer mix, Chesney

Favorite Perfume? Currently, Pink Sugar by Aquolina and Our Moment by One Direction (DON'T JUDGE ME!)

Favorite Holiday? It has always been Halloween, but in recent years, I've realized how much I love Thanksgiving. The family, the food, the fall weather. It's easily my favorite day of the year.

Are you married? No

Have you ever been out of the country, if so how many times? Just a handful of times - Israel, Mexico, the Bahamas. I would LOVE to travel more.

Do you speak any other language? In school, I took Hebrew, French and Spanish. I can honestly say that I can barely speak any of the 3 today.

How many siblings do you have? A younger sister, Abbey

We're super cool, we know :-P

What is your favorite shop? Ulta is my life! I also have a soft spot for Homegoods. I am not permitted into these 2 stores alone for I will buy...EVERYTHING.

Favorite restaurant? I don't know that I have one - probably one of the many sushi restaurants I've been to

When was the last time you cried? Don't laugh at me - but I teared up this past week when I watched a certain contestant get eliminated from MasterChef. HE HAD SUCH A CHANCE TO WIN!!

Favorite Blog? It's been awhile since I've been a part of the blog community, so I need some time to consider this. How about favorite YouTubers instead?? Grace Helbig & Liza Koshy. No question - they can have me rolling for hours.

Favorite Movie? The Phantom of the Opera. It gets to me EVERY time I watch it & I own multiple copies on DVD.

Favorite TV show? Friends has ALWAYS been my favorite. I still do an entire series binge AT LEAST once a year (usually more). And I have never lost a game of Friends Scene It. Park & Recreation is a VERY VERY close second with Bob's Burgers right on it's tail.

PC or Mac? PC - thought I do have an iPhone

What phone do you have? iPhone 6s in Rose Gold

How tall are you? 5'7"

Can you cook? I LOVE to cook & do it almost daily. It's a very relaxing hobby for me and I LOVE finding new recipes and ending up with meals that practically look gourmet. 

Where It All Began...

I am on a journey. A life changing journey.

No - I'm not traveling around the world, or even across the country for that matter. I am on a journey of mind, body & soul. I am on a journey towards building confidence & finding a love for who I am. I am on a journey towards feeling amazing about myself. I am on a journey of health.

About a month ago, after my millionth failed attempt to lose weight, I decided it was probably time to take a step back. It was time for me to take a deep breath & really look at what I was doing wrong. Like many others, I was a yo yo dieter that constantly followed the latest fad in weight loss - and then couldn't understand why I didn't like look Lauren Conrad overnight. My goals were always so set on an image that I saw on TV & in magazines, that all I could ever think about was why do I not look like that and what am I doing wrong in trying to??

This is where everything changed. That step back & deep breath was one of the most key moments in my life. It's the moment where things began to click & puzzle pieces began to fall into place. I decided to try my hand at weight loss once again - but with a completely different approach.

I began to evaluate my relationship with food & look at how every morsel that goes near my mouth can effect my goals. Unfortunately, I am the kind of girl that can look at a cookie & gain 20 pounds on the spot. I asked myself - what am I going to do to change this? What do I really want to gain from this experience?

I became more focused on my overall health, rather than just my weight loss, and began understanding how to truly manage what I was putting into my body. I began looking at things from a different perspective and thinking about my feelings when each meal or snack came around. I began to really take the time to think about what I was looking to do and understand that this is more than just about how I want to look. This is about becoming a healthier version of myself.

So here we are! Ready to start blogging the process & really experiencing the overall journey. I'm excited to share my story and can't wait to see what's still to come!