Motivation Monday: Vacation is over!

So if you follow me in Instagram you know that I spent last week in Cali for work (picture blog post to come).  I went into the trip with best of intentions but in the end came out with about 6 lbs of bloat to work off.

I started my first day off in Cali with a trip to the gym and a good high protein breakfast that I tracked in MFP.  I tried to stay within my calorie range at the very least but by the end of the trip temptation had a hold of me and my will power was non-existent.

To be honest I am not sure that I will ever be one of those people who travels and orders a salad.  I like to eat at local eateries or places that I don't have where I live and I like to order things that the restaurant is known for, etc.

But it is time to move on.  I know my goals and I know what I need to do to get to them.  I am planning on a very special anniversary present for Brent ( I can't say on here because he reads this occasionally)  and I am using that as my motivation to really stick to my meal plans and workouts.

I am going to continue tracking macros but I am going to clean up my food.  When I began IIFYM I was very particular about trying to eat certain food (unprocessed fresh foods) but as I have progressed I have become lazy about the types of foods I am eating.  Sure I can get it to fit my macros but the chemicals I think are hindering my progress.    So I am taking it back to the basics, if I can't grow it or slaughter it I shouldn't eat it.

What is motivating you today?

Makeup Tutorial- My Go-To Look

I finally filmed a makeup tutorial and I have many more to come (I will be doing a dedicated brow video).  I also included a few photos of how the makeup looked.  Hope you enjoy it!

Got caught taking selfies!

Hey there!

Hey there!  It's been a hot minute since I posted here, did ya miss me?  I have been super busy but I promise I have some really cool things coming in the next few weeks including a few videos and makeup tutorials.  Until then here is what I have been up to lately in pictures.

#WeAreThankful

This is a time of year that many of us stop and take the time to reflect on the past year.  It is also a great time to reflect on the things that we are thankful for.  I was contacted by Oscar Insurance, a health insurance company that services New York and New Jersey, to participate in their #WeAreThankful campaign and share a few things from this past year I am thankful for.

1.  I am thankful that I did not give up on myself like I have so many times before.  I spent the first six months of 2014 stuck at what I thought was a plateau that would last forever.  However, I didn't want to let myself down again nor all of you so I pushed and made it through it and lost another 20 lbs this year bringing my total weight loss to 50+ lbs.  Hard work and determination really pay off!

2.  I am thankful for all the wonderful people I have met this year via this blog and social media.  Although, I have not met these people face to face, I consider them friends because they encourage me day in and day out and have been so kind to me.  If any of you are reading this please know how dear to me you are.

3.   Last but not least I am eternally thankful for the love of a good man and the opportunity to be a mother to one spunky little girl.  They have loved me through my darkest times and have shown me the meaning of unconditional love.

What are you thankful for?

FOCUS!

So over the last two weeks I have really not been tracking or working out consistently and I really want to be 289.9 by Thanksgiving.  I am at 294.5 right now. So I am taking a page out of Dwayne Johnson's book.

and because he is just so damn sexy (that smile though) I added this one too.

I am going to really focus on tracking and weighing everything and hitting the gym EVERYDAY.   Brent has decided that he is going to join the gym, so we are going to start lifting together during lunch.  I am so excited that he is willing to take this step I will sacrifice anything, even if that means looking ratchet the remainder of the day at work.

I have a really bad habit of doing really well for a week or so and then hit a road bump and get off target.  So hopefully with these changes I will form some long lasting habits.

Balance is the key

I wanted to share a makeup look and outfit that I wore last week that I thought really balanced each other.

First let's examine the outfit.

The outfit is rather plain and neutral. I wore this outfit on a day that I knew I was going to be on my feet a lot at work.    The top and bottoms are both from Lane Bryant, the shoes are Payless.  I kept the accessories simple just my wedding rings, anniversary band, and pearl earrings.  Because the outfit was simple I knew I wanted to create a more dramatic look with my makeup.

Let's take a look at the makeup.

I pulled my hair back in a poofy half up do (because I do not have time for elaborate makeup and hair on the same day).  With my hair pulled back I wanted all the focus to be on my eyes.  So I kept the shadow neutral and rocked a heavy wing.  Lucky for me the wing gods smiled upon me and they came out crisp and even.  I finished the look off with a soft pink blush and a nude pink lip because it was all about the eyes.

For everyday wear your look should be balanced.  If your outfit is simple play up your features with your makeup.  If your outfit is bold I recommend keeping your makeup more neutral so the look isn't screaming "hey everybody look at me" in a negative way. You don't want to look excessive and over done, like you are desperate for attention.  Find a good balance and work it!

Would you wear this look?

Transformation Tuesday

I will let the pictures speak for themselves today.

Left - August 2013/Right - October 2014

Left - August 2013/Right - October 2014