Sooo... I deviated a little bit today. Long story. lol

Just an update from today....

Breakfast:

• Egg McMuffin
• 16 oz. of water

Snack:

• apple
• 12 oz water

Lunch:

• yellow rice with sausage
•  2 servings of fruit
• half/half sweet tea 

Snack:

• apple
• granola bar

Dinner:

• spaghetti and salad
• sweet tea

Okay... so today was a "so-so" day. Will do better tomorrow! And one of my biggest mishaps today was the fact that I had two heavy meals-- yellow rice and spaghetti.

Day 2: A Little Bit Won't Hurt, Right?

Okay so....

Just a quick update as to what I ate today:

Breakfast:

• 1/2 cup of dry Cheerios
• small whole grain biscuit with jelly

Morning Snack:

• 1 lg banana

Lunch:

• deli sandwich (same as yesterday, except with 100- calorie bread)
• Quaker Oats Granola Bar
• small apple
• 12 oz of water

Afternoon Snack:

• 1 pack of Quaker Oats Kids Snack Mix (so yummy!)

Dinner:

• 2 narrow slices of thin crust pepperoni pizza (I know, I know!)

But ooooh wait for it...(Fitness Routine): I danced the night away in Zumba for a whopping 1h 15 mins! 

Evening Snack:

• handful of Pepperidge Farm chips
• apple

So... as you can see, my choices were a little better than yesterday's; but of course, there are still some things that could have been substituted with healthier items. 

My dish for now. Watching the Finals, I'm sure you are, too. 

"My" 30-Day Shred

Guys, I have had it. I've gained a total of 18 pounds in the last few months!!! Why? Certainly there's a simple answer to this: UNCONTROLLABLE EATING. It's been a mess. I've never been this size, and the more I think of it, the more I eat. And when I do attempt to start a day off eating healthy, the day ends with stuffing my face with extra snacks.

So, here goes-- today starts Day 1 of my 30-day shred. I have 30 days to lose between 8-10 pounds (by July 13th).  Keeping track on this blog will (*fingers crossed*) help me meet this goal. Currently, I am 165, 5ft. 3in tall (and there goes the evil villain music in the background!).

So, tonight, I'm drinking water. And I'm going to bed. I ate too many fatty stuff once again today. Here's the list:

Breakfast:

• Cheerios (not measured)
• Lactaid fat-free milk
• 1 large banana
• 8 oz. grapefruit juice

Lunch:

• Deli sandwich (2 slices of turkey,1/3 c lettuce, 1slice Swiss cheese, 1 slice tomato, 2 pickles, 1 tbsp mustard, whole grain bread)
• Granola bar
• Apple
• water

Dinner:

• Fresh tossed salad with grilled chicken
• 1 serving of tortilla chips and salsa
• water

Doesn't sound to bad, right? 

And wait for it-- the bad part of snacking/eating in between these meals:

• 3 small bowls of Fruit Loops with 2% milk
• 6 chocolate chip cookies
• handful of tortilla chips 

If I can eliminate the "bad" stuff, and replace it with fruits and veggies, I should be one step closer to my goal. So tomorrow, I'll have to change out the "bad" with the "good."  

Catch you guys up tomorrow! 

He's Back Ya'll: Carl Thomas

If you don't like this new piece by R&B artist Carl Thomas, you're not a real fan of the "soul" genre:

Don't Kiss Me. This is too cute. Please request this song on your favorite R&B Stations!

If It Wasn't for the Beat

... I wouldn't have fallen in love with this song.  I'm not a big Kem fan, but he's truly growing on me.  His music is so romantic.  It seems his songs make me want to slow dance in a dim lit room, surrounded by candles, and sipping on the finest wine (that I can afford!).

Check it out:

Are you a Kem fan?

Happy Sunday! #HotWorshipDay

Solo recording gospel artist Isaac Carree came back home today to GreaterTravelers Rest Baptist in Decatur.  I'm so glad that a friend of mine introduced me to this place.  In addition to Pastor Smith's sermon, fuel was added to the worship flame when Carree sang two of his songs from his solo album, Uncommon Me.  I had to purchase the album today. And I would hear this song all the time on the radio (catch it right in the middle, too) but never knew who it was:

Love it!

Happy Sunday, folks!

Aaliyah: Let Memories and Music Live

I can remember the day it happened.  I had fallen asleep in my dad's recliner, and the phone rung.  And i wasn't prepared for what my friend was about to tell me.

"Aaliyah died in a plane crash."

I was in complete denial.

Not my favorite singer. Not Aaliyah.

And when I turned to BET, sure enough, it was confirmed.

If I had to compare the moment to the hurt of any other star's death, it would be similar to the shocking surprise of Michael Jackson's. I cried and cried.  I just couldn't believe it.  So gentle, so peaceful, so beautiful...one of our angels was gone.

It took me a while to come to terms with this.  But as an adoring fan, I will always remember her beauty and youthfulness, cherish the memories of her gracefulness, and listen to her music.

So many of her songs were honored with the "That's my jam!" title, which included "Back and Forth," "At Your Best," "One in a Million."  She was truly talented and delivered music that will forever have an indefinite shelf life in the world of music.

We Love You Much, Aaliyah!

(image courtesy of  The Place 2)