Week 1 Down!

Week 1 of Medifast is done!

Yay!

I made it!

Yesterday marked my 1 week of the Medifast program. 

I have to say some days were easier then others, but overall I think I can do this for the next 9months. 

The hardest things was going to the grocery store. I will have to retrain myself, to not look at everything I used to eat, but only stick to the things I can eat, and focus on those items. 

So far this week I have lost 10 pounds. This is huge! 10 pounds in 1 week, is awesome!

It is so inspiring. It makes me not want to cheat! And if I do cheat I am only cheating myself!

Overall I think I am in this for the long hall. 

It isnt going to be easy, but the results will be life changing!

Day 1 of Medifast

Hello Friends & Family,

August 10, 2013 marks the first day of my weight loss journey.

I am excited to say that I have chosen to start the Medifast weight loss program.

This is a program that will help me loose over 78 pounds in the next 9 months.

My goal is to be 129 pounds by my 29^th birthday. (April 25, 2014)  (I really want to be in a bikini next summer)

The program is a simple 5 & 1 plan. This meaning I will have 5 of the Medifast meals per day and 1 of my own meals.

Yay! This is great news!

Today was the first day of my journey, and it was harder then I thought in some ways and easier then I thought in other ways. 

The morning routine was a little off as I am not allowed heaps of coffee creamer any more. A change that I am sure I will get used to. (They even have mocha mix that you can add to your coffee - I will be purchasing this for next week)

By mid morning I was hungry but not starving. I had the mixed berry shake and it was better then expected, but I know for next time I need to let it sit a little longer before I drink up. 

Lunch was chicken and wild rice. Surprisingly it was very good, but again I know that next time I need to let it sit a little longer. 

By 3pm I was hungry. It hit me like a rush. Weird I know but it was like I hadn't eaten anything, but I had. I had a major energy crash, and know that mid day is going to be the hardest for me. I will have to make sure and have a Medifast meal on hand when this happens to avoid making bad choices. 

Dinner came and went, and because I was at a birthday party, and wasn't able to eat exactly 2 hours after my last meal, by the time dinner did come, I scarfed it down in 30 seconds. (No Joke!)

How ever I learned from some amazing friends that I could be doing some things a little wrong. 

1. On the program I need to eat 3 cups of veggies per day. This is called my lean and green. What I didn't know is 3 cups of veggies is 24oz. 

Have you ever eaten in your life 24oz of veggies per day. I am willing to bet not. 

Just to put it into perspective (As my friend Jen did for me) 16oz is an entire family sized tub of lettuce, the ones you buy in the bulk section of Costco, that takes an entire family a week to eat. 

Haha, I have to eat that plus half of another one PER DAY. 

I am so excited. I get to eat veggies like a pig! I basically can have as much as I can get in my mouth all day long.  This is going to change things for sure. 

I know I am only on day one, but I am so excited to be here and have the support of amazing friends that have done or are doing this with me. (Well I guess technically I am doing it with them)

I am excited to see how my body changes over the next few months. 

With some new tricks and tips, I know I will be successful in my journey to loose weight. 

Before picture:

Rehab: Baggy Dark Circles

You look exhausted!

Are you sick?

I bet you could use a good nights rest!

Such flattering questions slash statements are almost surely inspired by one doggone thing:

Baggy, saggy, droopy, poopy, dark under eyes.

And those same bags inspire this question that I receive maybe every single day of my life:

How do I fix mine?

It’s time I address that.

First things first. We’d like to avoid having them at all. 

The way to do that is:

gulping some major aqua

getting your beauty sleep

taking your vitamins

being born that way

I am aware that some (if not all) of the things on that list cannot always be attained, especially with babies around. I am also aware that (due to genetics) some of us (yes I said us, as in me too) could sleep for the rest of 2013 with an IV pumping fluids and vitamins into our veins and still be baggin’

In that case we move to damage control:

Get yourself a de-puffer:

It took me a looong time to finally try this. I don’t know why, it just seemed gimmicky or something.  Finally I bought it and have never looked back. The de-puff and take the edge of those bags in no time. 

Now for the makeup:

Starting with:

Usually dark circles come with some form of puff. The problem comes when you cover just the dark circle under your eye.  Aside from the risk of looking like you’ve been wearing tanning bed goggles you have to deal with the concealer actually bringing out and drawing attention to your bags…but you don’t want the dark stuff to show either! What to do?!

Let me suggest applying the concealer in a pie piece under your eye instead. This way you cover the darkness and create a little arrow direction the attention right to your eyes and evening out your cheek in the meantime. Total life saver. Try it with a yellow based concealer.

A thin black line around your eye is going to reeaaallly accentuate those buggers. It will recede the skin closest to your eye and draw all the emphasis right where you don’t want it.

Instead, use a bronze or dark brown shadow to define your eye with a thicker smokey looking line. 

This will define your eye ad balance out the bags.

It will also make your eyes look BIG!

By wearing your brows a little thicker and more defined you’re drawing the eye upwards (away from the tiredness) 

I use an angled shadow brush and an ashy brown shadow  to fill mine.

I hope this helps to produce something more like:

“You look like a million bucks!”

“You are positively glowing!” or

“Are you related to Blake Lively, I could swear you girls are twins!”

Bronzing 101

I wanted to share a few tips on bronzing! The goal is to simplify it as much as I can but still help you see the impact. The three golden rules for bronzing are:

1. Pick a bronzer that isn’t orangey oompa loompa.
2. Always tap away excess on the counter and swirl the brush on the back of your hand first. Hear my voice in your head: you can’t ever go directly from the compact to your face! It has to go through the back of your hand first to grant access to your face. This ensures it will never get muddy.
3. And apply it where the sun would hit your face if you were lounging on a chaise in Tulum!

Here’s how:

TOOLS:

• Bronzing Powder — pick one that is shimmer free and is more brown than orange. I use Mac Bronzer in Bronze
• Bronzing Brush — there are many styles that you can choose from but my favorites is Sigma Tapered Face Brush because it is angled to fit the face perfectly. 

STEPS:

1. Tilt your head up and imagine where the sun’s rays would hit your features.
2. Dip your brush in the compact, tap off any excess on the counter, swirl the brush on the back of your hand to smooth it out, then start by sweeping the brush across the top of your hairline.
3. Next fill in your forehead and temples. Go back to reload, tap away excess, swirl a little on the back of your hand, then sweep across your cheekbones and down the bridge of your nose and tap a little on your chin.
4. Go back to reload, tap away excess, swirl a little on the back of your hand, then lift your chin. No, the sun wouldn’t reach your neck, but that’s why you have to go back and make sure to fill it in as well. Otherwise your chest and face will be a different color than your neck!

Credit to thebeautydepartment.com

Bright lipstick? You CAN do it!

lipstick shades

I have to admit that I’m somewhat of a lipstick-aholic. Whether it’s a bright shade of red or a subtle pink, I think everyone looks better (and more lively) with a little color on their lips. I know a lot of women are hesitant to wear lipstick because they don’t want to feel overdone, especially for an “everyday look”. I have found that the key to wearing lipstick during the day is to keep everything else very minimal. I keep my eye makeup very simple with just a few swipes of mascara and add a little bit of highlighter under my eyes and on my cheekbones. I’m always playing around with different shades of lipstick, but the ones above are definitely some shades you should try! 

How to get the perfect summer glow

1. Exfoliate Exfoliate Exfoliate! - I love Laura Mericer body scrub, but any will do. Make sure to exfoliate all areas of the body that you plan to tan. 

2. Tan - I love St. Tropez dark tanning moose. It goes on even and lasts for days.

3. Use a Mitt. - I highly recommend using a tanning mitt when applying self tanners. It helps to eliminate streaks and make the tan look more natural. 

4. Moisturize Moisturize Moisturize - I cant say this enough. The more you moisturize the longer your tan will last. I love Lush King of Skin that you use in the shower. 

5. Re apply - I like to use St. Tropez daily gradual self tanner to maintain my tan. When I use a gradual daily self tanner it helps my tan last longer and stay even. 

I hope these tips help you get and keep the perfect glow this summer!

Trend Report: Spring 2013

Matchy Matchy is 100% in this spring. Pick your favorite separates to create one solid look. 

Reach for your delicate whites this spring and you'll be sure to be a fashion diva!

Go BOLD with the cage print. Always an eye catcher!

We all have it in our closet somewhere... Pull out the wrap that grandma brought back from her travels and rock it!

Spring Beauty Must Have's

1. A BB Cream  - I love Smashbox BB Cream because it has great coverage, and SPF! I like to wear it as a natural foundation on days I don't want to wear alot of makeup. ( I also love Origins VitaZing) 

2. Nude Nail Color - I love butter londons polish because it is long wearing and doesn't chip. 

3. Floral Perfume - I am obsessed with Chloe in the Spring. It has a natural floral scent that is sophisticated and flirty. 

4. Gel Moisturizer - I love love love La Mer skin care products. I like a lighter moisturizer in the spring that isn't heavy or feels weighed down. 

5. Lush Lashes - I love the look of full natural lashes that are enhanced with a great mascara. I like Dior Show but any will do. 

6. Lip Butter - I love Fresh Sugar Lip Balms in spring because they have SPF 15 and a slight tint. They are easy to whip on and make my lips extra kissable.  

Happy First Day of Spring

10 Reasons Why I Love Spring

1. The over abundance of flowers

2. Green grass hills

3. Easter (it has always been my favorite holiday)

4. Perfect weather (not too cold & not too hot)

5. The annual family trip to Chico (it is always a memorable time)

6. My Birthday (April 25)

7. Hiking (it is the perfect time to go)

8. Sun roof is constantly open (perfect time to catch some rays in the car)

9. Spring Cleaning (in with the new & out with the old)

10. Fresh Fruit (I love spring season fruit)

Happy First Day of Spring!

Super Stressed Out

Have you ever been so stressed out that you don't know what to do.

Well I am there right now.

Work is crazy. Plain and simple just crazy.

It started with a huge case I was working on... I was the one who did all of the leg work, gathered all evidence, and did all of the prep work for the case. When it came time for the interview I was not included. I know this may sound lame, but being involved in the interview process is huge. I felt like I had earned the right to be apart of it. But I wasn't. I was not allowed to be part of it. I was so disappointed, and frustrated. It made me question why I was even doing what I am doing...

Now that the case is over, I have gotten the recognition I needed from my corporate boss. But never got the recognition from the people I work with on a daily basis. When I told my manager I needed that, she responded with "I have nothing to compair you to, so I don't know if you did a good job." Really? You have got to be kidding me right now! That alone made me so mad! All I want is for you to tell me I did a good job, (because I did!) and I would be happy doing all of your work for you.

So let me back up a little. My boss is new to this field and doesn't know anything about what I do. How she is my boss and not know what I do is beyond me, but she is. Ok I can deal with that. But I cant deal with her blaming me for things she didn't do. She is the manager, and she is responsible for deadlines, reports, etc. If she doesn't know to do them that is not my responsibility. I am not going to train up. That is not my job. My job is to train the people below me to get them to where I am. Right?

So now that she got in trouble with corporate for a big mistake she made, by not doing a report on time, it is all my fault. No its not, and its frustrating. Now she is out to get me fired. Well that's how I feel.

Every step I make she is watching, waiting for me to make a mistake. I can tell you that I will never get in trouble for the things I do, but I will get in trouble for the things I say.

This is an area of opportunity that I can clearly see and I know that I need to work on.

She knows this too, and is not following me around with a fine tooth comb looking for things that I say that she could get me fired for. Example: one of the guys that works for me cant count cash. Point blank, and simple, he cant count cash. I think he is dyslexic, but hasn't said that to me. But I am almost 99% sure that is what it is. So we obviously know that is not his strong quality. So when I make the schedule I make it 100% even, we all have the same amount of openings as we do closing. Now with rotation one person will have 8 openings and one with have 9 openings. That's totally normal. So when I made the schedule I gave the guy who cant count 8 openings and and the guy who can 9. Normal right. Not to her, she pulled me aside and asked me why I was singling out the guy who cant count. Why I was not being fair in the scheduling. Come on really? So ok I switched it so he has 9 and the other guy has 8, then she was happy.

I just really don't get it. I really don't. I am at a point where I am walking on eggshells everyday. I had my other boss (my boss's boss) come up to me and ask me why I am so quiet lately. I looked at him and asked him if he really wanted me to explain that to him. He knows what is going on, and is neutral on the subject, he isn't on my side or on her side. That's good I guess, he sees both sides. I just couldn't believe he would have the nerve to ask that. Why am I so quiet, well let me tell you, because my boss wants me fired, so now I am not going to say anything until I am spoken to and even when that happens I am not going to say anything other then yes or no.

All of this had made me question why I am still working there. I know my boss wants me out. I know this truly in my soul that she does. I just need to figure out what I am going to do now.

I feel like this is a test of life. And I don't know where to go.

Last week she put me on a performance plan. Saying the my performance in the ability to do my job was not good enough. This is the first step in getting me out. When she delivered the performance plan it took me by complete surprise. There was no previous conversations about it, nothing. I was just called into her office and told that I was being placed on a performance plan. With no warning. Obviously I was a little taken back and had thousands of questions. She told me to take some time write my questions down and then come back and she would answer them for me. By this time it was 4:25 and I still needed to take my last break. So I did, I took my break to calm down and to fully get a grip on what just happened. So when I came back I sat down and started to write out my questions. Not even 5 minutes later she called me back into her office and told me that I needed to sign the performance plan before I left at 5. WTF? If I didn't sign the document it would go in my file as refusing to sign the document. Really? You take me by complete surprise, tell me I am now on a plan to better my performance, and then tell me I have to sign it, without getting my questions answered, and without completely understanding why this is even happening in the first place. This is not fair.

Needless to say I didn't sign the document. I wrote on there that I am not refusing to sign the document, but was requesting more time to review the document and have my questions answered before I signed stating that I understood the document. At this point I still don't understand the document. So I made a formal complaint with our corporate HR (ethics point) because I truly believe it was unethical to give me  a performance plan with no notice, and not explain why I am now on a performance plan. She wouldn't explain why I was being put on a performance plan, or why she thought that I was unable to perform my job good enough. She just told me that is was outlined in the document. Really? This is completely unethical.

So now you can see why I am a little stressed out right? Am I in the wrong here? I just don't get it. I don't understand how you became a manager, and do this to people... This also happened to another manager. They put her on a performance review and fired her a month later... I have a feeling this is going to happen to me, and I don't know how to stop it. I truly don't know what to do. The are not explaining anything to me, and when I tell them I need more time to review what is happening they tell me that it is a refusal to sign the document. Which I am sure doesn't look good in my file. Right? Refusing to sign something probably looks really bad, and I am sure now that I didn't sign it they can fire me for that... That is why I made a complaint with corporate. They  cant out of the blue give me a performance plan, give me 15 minutes to review the document, not answer any of my questions and expect me to just go along with it and sign it. That's wrong right? I mean I totally feel like I am being ganged up on, but I don't know. Maybe they can do that, maybe it is totally legal to do that. I don't know.

Anyways, I don't know what is going to happen. I feel like I am going to go into work today and loose my job. It is not a good feeling.

I know and trust that God has a plan, but man at this point I have no idea what it is or where this is going...