It's A New Year, and Here We Go.....

Happy New Year!

Every year on this day, we resolve to change something about ourselves.  

Usually it is to lose weight.

That's my resolution every damn year.

This year, I am SERIOUS!

(Wait, isn't that what I say every year???)

No, seriously!

Losing weight is a struggle for all of us.  I have been doing it though.  It's just been slower than I thought it would be.  It proves that I can do it when I set my mind to it.

Some of us girls here on the blog are looking forward to getting together in June for the Twi-Fic Meet Up and so we each have a weight loss goal that we would like to reach by then.  Hopefully we can use this blog as a place to support each other.  We already support each other in other ways, so knowing that, I think we can accomplish amazing things together.

Please feel free to post your progress, successes and failures.  Share your tips with the group.  Most of you know that anything goes with this group - so let it fly! LOL  I'm thinking maybe we can have a weekly post where we can check in on our progress.  You can tell us as much or as little as you want about where you are at in your journey.  I personally have no problem telling everyone my weight, but if you don't want to, you don't have to.

I have a few ideas for posts, but I think today just needs to be a kick off.
What are your weight loss goals?
Share in the comments......

In Memory of Gisela (Mad4Hugh)

It is a sad time for our Twilight community right now.  We lost one of our own.  Read the full story here. We did not know her well.  She was, however, a follower here at Inner Skinny Girl Trying to Get Out (formerly known as Fat Ass Bitches Getting Skinny) as well as our Twilight blog Twilight Junkies Anonymous and so we feel some connection.  And since she gave us the honor of becoming one of our early followers, we would like take a moment to honor her memory.


Thank you Gisela for being a follower on our little blog(s). We hope we made you smile or laugh, that you stopped by knowing we were here as women just like yourself who are just crazy for Twilight and looking for a place to express it. We truly wish we could have gotten to know you better because we know you were a wonderful person from all of the things your closest Twi-friends have said about you. You will truly be missed by everyone in the fandom.

We get to know the people in this community in the littlest ways, we all get to know something about each other, even if it is just our mutual love for Twilight. We don't have to talk all the time, or even at all to know this about one another. We belong to the same amazing group of women and knowing we had that connection is enough to feel the loss of one of our own. In honor of Gisela we are asking our readers to come and take the time to comment. Do you have a story about Gisela you would like to share? We want to get to know you all, not just as a follower or Twilight fan but as our friends. It is sad when someone is taken so soon, and with Gisela it is no different, our community shares in this loss. And we truly hope that Gisela's family can find some peace in all of the love and support they are receiving during this difficult time.


Love,
UABMarie & SassyKassie


Here are some messages from our nearest and dearest Twi-ladies......


While I did not personally know Gisella, TwiG to many, she was/is still one of us. A member of this Twilight Community who was loved and adored by many.  She will always be a Twi-Sister to all of us in this crazy fandom. My sincerest condolences to her family and friends.  Please be at peace, Gisella and know that you were a beloved part of our world, even to those who never met you.  ~ NaughtyHisbella

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

To those who knew and loved Gisela I offer you my deepest sympathies on your loss.  I did not know Gisela personally, but I know first hand what her love and interest with this fandom meant and will continue to mean. We share ourselves in good times and as a deeply caring community we also share in bad times. I may not have know Gisela, but I know she was someone's daughter, perhaps sister, wife, mother and surely friend to many. Her presence will be missed by many.
Respectfully,
BellaTesoro

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I didn't know Gisela personally but whenever a member of a family like ours is lost it is definitely a sad day.  She will be missed for sure and will forever remain a member of this family in our hearts. 
-Laureate04


Gisela's passing being acknowledged in the first few moments of the Breaking Dawn panel at Comic Con.

Please feel free to add your thoughts and memories  about Gisela (Mad4Hugh) in the comments.

Cleanse Update and Welcome Our Newest Blog Author

Well, the results of the Jillian Michael's cleanse are in and.........meh.

I lost 2.7 pounds this week......not the projected 5 pounds.

Here are my thoughts.
First, I think the cleanse really works for people who generally don't get enough fluids and end up retaining water.  I drink plenty of water on a regular basis and my body is constantly being flushed out.  Anyone who knows me well, knows that I am constantly having to pee!!!!  However, if you don't drink enough water on a regular basis and you suddenly were drinking a half gallon of fluid a day for 7 days, I could see how you could lose 5 pounds.


Other factors in my results include diet and exercise.  My diet this week was fine.  I stayed within my allotted Weight Watchers points.  I recently received a new shipment from Alli, so I was taking that regularly this entire week.  However, I did not exercise.  I was soooooo lazy this week and there is a layer of dust on the treadmill right now.  So the bottom line is, that I am happy with my 2.7 loss.  Would I have been happier losing 5 pounds??? Hell yeah I would!  Right now I am still trying to get back to my lowest weight so far which was 188 back in March, and I was up to 198 last week.  So the faster I can get back to that point the better, because then I will feel like I'm moving forward.  Right now it's the 3 steps forward, 2 steps back game.  Sucks!!!!!


Time to move on......


Okay, so on a completely different topic, I would like to welcome our newest Blog Author, Birdie!  Everyone make sure you say hi to Birdie in the comments!!!!
Birdie is a very dear old friend of mine who is joining us for moral support.
Hopefully we will be hearing from her in the near future so we can get to know her and where she is in her journey to be the best she can be!

Welcome Birdie!!!!

The Cleanse

I am addicted to Pinterest.

There, I said it.

I know I'm not the only one!!!

And if you're not following me yet.....well here ya go

UtterlyAbsurdBella on Pinterest

I know it's kind of counterproductive to sit in front of the computer/iPad and pin and repin and then pin some more, but there is so much good stuff out there!

Tons of motivational pins.

So, there is this one pin that I've been seeing lately......

Sounds great, right?

Well, I'm doing a little experiment this week, 

to see if this really works.

As the recipe says, you need.....

Tried to get the tea at Wal-Mart, but they didn't have it.
I found it at Jewel.

Mix it all up with 60 ounces of water and you get this.......

Keep in mind that my pitcher holds a gallon - so that is a half gallon that I'm in the process of drinking today......

 and everyday for the next week. 

The taste is not too bad.  I've been drinking it with crushed ice.

It is supposed to cleanse your body 

and get rid of some water weight.

So I was 198 when I got on the scale this morning.

I'll be back in a week with the results.

So has anyone else tried this?  

If so, how did it go for you?

The Truth is......

.....Painful

....Surprising

....Motivating?

I recently had an epiphany.  
And that is that I have been deluding myself.....
 for much longer than I realized.

Lately, when someone would say to me "You look great.  You're doing a great job" I would respond with, "Well, I haven't been so good the last week or so."  
And in my mind, it really was only the last week or so.  

I truly believed what I was saying.

The truth is.....I've been saying that for a lot longer than I thought.  


 Like since March.

I use several apps on my iPhone to track my food, weight loss, etc.  I use an app called iSkinny for tracking my weight loss week to week.  I've been using this app for over a year now.  That's a year's worth of weight loss data - that I really never looked at closely until recently.  As a teacher, I get that data speaks volumes about a student's progress.  Well, I finally really looked at the data - and it speaks volumes about me and my progress these last few months.

Here I thought I was doing so well, but the truth is.......

I've been slowly, steadily climbing back up.  
See all the red arrows?  
Those are bad.  And there are way too many of them!

So, the weaker part of me wants to just quit.  
Give up.  
Throw in the towel.  
It was so much easier before March, 
but for some reason it got harder.  
And summer is making it monumentally more difficult.  
I'm home all day, with easy access to snacks.

However, I am going to fight off the weakness, and salvage my progress.  Honestly, I'm still down more than 20 pounds, which is awesome.  I need to nip this in the bud.  I am home all day, with easy access to healthy food, and a treadmill.  It's summer and it's a perfect time to go for a walk.  I'm not going to let this setback let me continue with the tailspin I am in.

So, today is the day I stop lying to myself.

I know what I have to do.....I've done it for almost a year.

I just needed to get that out there.  

To motivate myself, if nothing else.

June Update

I haven't made too much more progress since my last post. :(

I haven't given up though!

Now that school is out, I'm getting back on track with renewed vigor.

That's tough for me because I can go either way during the summer.  I struggle so much being home all day and having easy access to snacks.  In the summer, I also find myself wanting to just sit around in the backyard enjoying some cocktails......which usually leads to overeating for me.

I'm trying to stay strong though.

I went through some old clothes and pulled out a bunch of stuff that hasn't seen the light of day in a few years.  Actually got dressed up for my sister's graduation and actually fit into some clothes that haven't fit me for sometime......

It was a good feeling!

I am continuing to participate in the Alli Communispace and getting on the treadmill a few times per week.

My goal this summer it work on tightening up a bit.....just not so sure how to go about it.

More on that later........

How Are You Coming Along?

I know this is quite a random post, but sometimes life is random.

How have you been progressing with your diet program? Your exercise program?

Me? I'm doing well. I wasn't the last few weeks. Taking too many cheat days vs following my path.

Easter is right around the corner. I want to be on a solid track by then because I plan on stuffing myself with peeps. What? I know, I know I shouldn't. But I will only eat them on Easter Sunday.

Please tell me you're keeping on better track than the one I have been on.