Saturday, December 29, 2012

Transparency

 "I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."

~Michael Jordan

One of my Facebook fans sent this quote today and though I've read this quote countless times in my life, today it made me tear up quite a bit.

I'm going to share something with you all and it's not for a pity party or for 100 comments with the cure....it's because I am always transparent, always have been, always will be.

...*clears throat* ...

When I feel as though I have failed or am failing struggling significantly, I don't feel worthy of being Skinny Jeans Dreams or a Beachbody coach and I ask "Why would so many people want to be like me?" . I feel like the "Fit Police" are going to come arrest me for impersonating a fit person and take me back to "Fat Jail" . I know it sounds ridiculous. Even as I type it, I realize how silly it sounds....but...those are thoughts that run through my head.

# 2 - I am currently in counseling. I am not going to go into too much detail but when I mention the mental aspect being the hardest part - I am not just saying that. I am speaking with a counselor regularly to help with my deep rooted feelings of self worth, fear of failure, and anxiety issues. I just want to be the best me that I can be - inside and out.

So, I don't have any philosophical words of wisdom for this particular post and I am not seeking any type of pity party whatsoever - I am confident in knowing that I am working on bettering myself on the inside to match what's going on on the outside. If my longterm goal is to continue to help others, I need to first be right with myself.

Thank you all for being such a big part of my life and supporting me in all that I am and all that I do!

I want to be legendary.

Saturday, December 8, 2012

Making Some Changes


And then....

POOF! 


Which is why I am making some changes. 

Many of you can relate to the above without me having to say a thing. I watched my baby girl decorate the tree tonight and sing "If you're happy and you know it" and dance around the living room and I couldn't believe my baby had grown up so much SO fast!! Seems like just yesterday I was trying to get her to say "mama" and "dada" and here she is singing "Old McDonald had a Dora" and making up her own songs. 

Soo, though I could talk about my daughter and all that she does forever, the point of the blog is that I am going to be making some changes to Skinny Jeans Dreams so I can focus on being Krystle and being Elliana's mommy a bit more. My baby girl will only be a baby ONCE and I do not want to miss it wrapped up in my laptop!  While I love talking to so many of you every day one on one, answering emails and messages now that I have close to 10,000 fans has become QUITE time consuming, as I am sure you can imagine. 

I wish I could just be Skinny Jeans Dreams all day but I do have another job on top of being a mom, wife, and Beachbody coach..I have a house to maintain as well as my OWN health and fitness. I am also dealing with some personal things lately that I plan to touch on in the near future. Needless to say, life has been a little bit overwhelming and I feel as though I am missing out on the day-to-day with my daughter trying to catch up on things on the computer and around the house. 

Sooo....

New SJD Rules: 
-Every day I set a list of prioritized things that must get done. 
-I answer 5-7 messages or emails daily - I can no longer spend 3 hours of my day answering messages. 
-I will, however, scan messages and update my FAQ page accordingly! 
-I will also continue to post my general FB posts 
-After 4pm when I get my daughter from day care and until 8pm when she goes to bed is HER time. The computer and phone are put away except maybe a FB post here or there in the way of dinner time.
-After 8pm, I will spend a short amount of time checking emails and posts but as much as my daughter is important, so is her father and he deserves time too. A few nights this week he was asleep before I was done answering emails. :( 

My priority statement that I set in the beginning of Chalene Johnson's book is as follows: 

My #1 priority is to be physically, emotionally, and mentally present and attentive in my daughter and boyfriend's life DAILY. To be the best mother I can be and to raise a well rounded, educated, and healthy child that knows the importance of personal strength both inside and out and to be the best spouse that I can be, making sure that he knows his worth in my life.

I plan to continue to live in accordance with that priority statement. 

I love you guys and I love being Skinny Jeans Dreams and I hope that you all understand my decrease in the way of the personalized responses. I hope that I can continue to inspire and motivate you all through my day-to-day posts!! 

For questions pertaining to the "How" and "How much" and "Do you_____"? see my FAQ page! I answer a lot of questions on there! 

xoxo 

SJD

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

So thankful that "Thankful" isn't a good enough word!

man oh man.... 'thankful' is an understatement!! What am I thankful for?? This may be a long blog...

My God. I would be nothing without His unconditional love and guidance.

My guardian angel - my daddy. *sigh* Enough words can't be spoken about how much I miss that man. My first love.

My mother. My everything. Everything that I am I owe to her.

Elliana - my life and my breath. My daily reason for living. My heart and my soul.

Nick. My rock. My strength. My love. He makes my heart beat out of my chest. Aside from my mother, I've never met anyone who has supported my every decision.

Lexi. My sister. My best friend. My ride or die. My confidant.

The super important women in my life: My step mom, my sister Savana, Mom-mom, MMQ, Tierra, Tamara, my mother in law, Nanny, Aunt Cissy, Aunt Sandy.

The super important men in my life: My stepdad, Bo-Pop, my father in law, Uncle Jeff, Poppy, Nathifa's daddy!

My Fans. I would not be Skinny Jeans Dreams without you all!

My fans, turned friends: Aarin, Janet, Nathifa, Frank, Ivette, Kimberly, the list goes on..

Diane Jackson - the first person to suggest I start a blog to begin with. The person who essentially made me "Skinny Jeans Dreams" and didn't take "no" for an answer when I said "I have nothing to say".

Nicole. The person I will take over the world with.

My home.
My nourishment.
The clothes on my back.
My faith.
A warm bed to sleep in.

Daniell - for not only being a friend but for convincing me that Beachbody was for me and opening a door of opportunity that I had been so afraid of.

An able body, despite my injuries and setbacks.

The internet. A place to share my journey and help so many others.

My way with words.

My willingness to share myself.

Work. Income.
Downtime.

My appreciation for life.

*sigh*


I am so beyond THANKFUL that "Thankful" isn't even a good enough word.

Wishing you all a VERY VERY Happy Thanksgiving!!!!! I don't have any words of advice on what you should or shouldn't eat or how you should act on  Thanksigiving. My word of advice is ENJOY YOUR LIFE. It's the only one you have!!! Accept that you are more than just this fitness journey. You have so much to offer the world. Health is SO important but not just in the physical form - mind, body, and soul.

Give yourself a hug from Skinny Jeans Dreams and send one to your family too.

I love you all.

Friday, November 16, 2012

My Room

One day....when I have lots of money....I'll have a house.

And in that house I'll have a room.

My room. 

I'm writing this blog as a dream and a future plan so I can look back when I get to where I want to be and say "I DID IT" .

The room will be all MINE. There will be a flat screen TV and racks of my workout DVD's. There will be my babies aka my SelectTech dumbbells, a treadmill, a weight bench, barbell, and other workout goodies....

But more important than just the workout gear, there will be my "space" where I can go to unwind, think, set new goals, plan, and pray.

The walls will be covered. I will draw on them with words and doodles that inspire me, post workouts, inspirational quotes, progress pictures of me as well as people who inspire me, self affirmations, and anything else that makes me happy.

One thing there WON'T BE is a scale. 

On the door to "my room" there will be a reminder that in this room, there is only positive energy allowed.

The words don't really describe how I picture it....but it will be great.

I'll post pics when I get there!!

:) 

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

What Is Shakeology??

This is not a sales pitch.

Since starting as a Beachbody coach, I have been asked by many of you "What is Shakeology" so I decided the best way to go about answering that is in a blog!



That's what the doctors have to say about it.

Here's how it's working for me: 

I have been drinking Shakeology for a few weeks now on a daily basis and do you know what I have NOT been drinking??? COFFEE. I haven't needed it... okay well that's a bit of a lie....I've been drinking decaf. (I can't help it...I love a hot beverage.) But the point is that I haven't needed the caffeine - I'm getting SO much energy from Shakeology.

Also, after two weeks of drinking it, I found myself  able to sleep ALL the way through the night, which I haven't done since I was pregnant......unfortunately we decided 2 nights ago to switch from the crib to the toddler bed for the peanut so I've lost the luxury of being able to enjoy a full night's sleep for a while but before that, those straight 8 hours were glorious!!

Before Shakeology I had not been a fan of meal replacement shakes, as I like to eat my points/calories but in the months before I decided to become a coach, I was looking for a way to boost my vitamins and minerals and make sure I'm getting everything I need to stay healthy this winter and year 'round - Especially as I am working to tone up and really get in tip top shape. Since I was asking so many questions about Shakeology and asking so many questions about coaching, it only made sense that I did both at the same time and I am definitely happy with both decisions!!

I have seen some pretty amazing side effects in the past few weeks and I am definitely looking forward to the long term effects of my daily milkshake! :) (I mix it in the blender with almond milk, a banana, PB2, and ice and it's literally like a chocolate peanut butter milk shake! )


Common questions: 
-How many PointsPlus? ANSWER: 3  PP for the chocolate (not 100% sure about all flavors but at most, 4)

-But does it keep you full? ANSWER: Abso-freakin-lutely! Especially when you mix it with some milk and ice

-What is the difference between this and other shakes? ANSWER: Shakeology is chockful of 70+ super foods, all natural, high quality ingredients - nothing processed! Most other meal replacement shakes have fructose or some other kind of processed ingredient (Not ALL....don't jump down my throat if you love another shake!)

-Can I afford it?

For that answer, I will share with you this:

The cost of Shakeology on autoship (you get free shipping) is $119.99. Plus tax, say around $126, for one month’s supply (1 serving a day for 30 days). Each shake comes out to about $4.20. The coach price* for Shakeology on autoship is $89.99 or around $96 total. Each serving comes out to $3.20.

**** If you are interested in learning more about the coaching opportunity, I am looking to build my team! Serious inquiries only can email me at KrystleOnFire@gmail.com*** 

Subjects in a 90-Day study lost an average of 10lbs when they replaced just one meal per day with Shakeology.

The cost of an average lunch at a restaurant or take-out: $6 to $9. Plus, even Subway sandwiches which are reputably low-cal average 460 to 560 calories. Shakeology has 140 calories, less than 1 gram of fat per serving, annnnnnd it is truly nutrient rich.

The cost of an average take out or restaurant dinner: $10 & up to be sure.

The cost of a home-cooked lunch or dinner: 6-8 ounces of chicken = $2.00 (and we are talking low-grade chicken), veggies= $1 (frozen veggies are really okay! hurray!) and 1 sweet potato = from .5 to $1.00. Total= about $3.4.

ANSWER: Probably!

I'm just wishing I made the jump sooner!

So that's about it...feel free to email me with any questions!! If you would like to check out the website, you can do so by clicking this link .

Love and hugs,
SJD

Monday, November 5, 2012

These Legs...

Happy Fabulously FIT 25th Birthday to me!!!

This morning I knew I would wake up....

I knew I would workout....

I knew I would most likely run....

What I didn't know was that I was about to break a personal record...

What I didn't know was that a long time goal was about to get crossed off the list!

So,

I put on my favorite running pants...

Checked the weather....39 degrees.....I don't do weather that cold....

Treadmill it is.

Got on the treadmill...the legs felt fatigued from yesterday's workout...

Must do at least 2 miles....

By mile 3, the legs were cruising....I knew something was up....

3.1 ....5k....I still have more....

3.5mi - Damn cramp! Maybe I'll stop....slowed down....thought about it....caught my breath....

Kept going....

Decided I was going to break a personal record today....

Mile 4.....I made it this far, go for 5!

Mile 5 ...

What better day to cross something off your goal list than your BIRTHDAY??

November 5th, 2012...

I woke up. I laced up. I ran..........and I ran....and I ran.... and....

THESE LEGS ran their first 10K!!!!!!!!!
 
THESE LEGS ran for 65 minutes!!!!!!
 
THESE LEGS....
 
On the same treadmill that they ran their first 30 seconds...
 
The same treadmill that they ran their first minute....
 
The same treadmill that they ran their first mile and held me up as I cried...
 
These legs that once carried a 250+ pound woman, ran 6.2 miles today and took me across my imaginary finish line to cross a BIG goal off my goal list!!! 
 
 
 I dont have a medal to show for it or an official chip time. Just a SMILE, SWEAT, and PRIDE!! 
 
Believe. 

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Who wants to Skype with ME??

Soo tomorrow is my birthday and here's my birthday gift to you! Who wants to Skype with me???


30 minutes - ask me whatever you'd like, talk to me about whatever you want to talk to me about. I'm an open book and all yours for a half hour.

Here's how to enter to win: 

Come up with ONE thing you have learned from me since following my page, write it on a piece of paper (as creatively as you would like), snap a picture of yourself holding that piece of paper, email it to me!! You have until Tuesday to enter & I will choose a winner Wednesday!

NOTE: All entries will be placed in an album on the Skinny Jeans Dream Facebook page - Why? because I love you guys! That's why.

I may even pick two winners.

So hop to it!! I'm excited to talk to you!!

EMAIL: SkinnyJeansDreams@gmail.com

-SJD

Friday, November 2, 2012

Fake It Till You Make It

"It took me a year to lose the weight physically and 10 years to lose it mentally" - an old WW leader

My mom told me that quote from her former Weight Watchers leader and it rings so true for so many! I have people ask me all the time "How do you see yourself differently? I still look in the mirror and see 'a fat person' . I just can't get my mind to catch up with my body" 

That is a sad truth for so many of us who have lost a lot of weight. While most days, I am able to look in the mirror and see the hard work that I have put in, there are still some days when I don't and the "Picking apart" that I do now is worse than when I was overweight. THANKFULLY, I talk to enough people about this issue all the time and I am conscious enough to realize I am doing what I'm doing and stop the behavior but it's not always easy.

The mind can be your own worst enemy or your own best friend. 

Example: This morning I woke up and I felt fine....then I started thinking about if I worked out yesterday (Answer: No) , the day before? No. Day before that? Nope. And all of a sudden my mind started changing....my mind decided that I shouldn't feel "Fine"...I should feel bad about myself... I must be on a downward spiral if I am okay with missing 3 days of workouts and eating pizza and wings...I must have given up....I'm gonna gain my weight back.

^ This is not ME thinking this....this is my messed up mind that still has "Old Krystle tendencies" to think I am not worthy enough...I'm not doing enough....being enough....

Thankfully, I was able to snap out of this mindset rather quickly because I have PRACTICED doing so. My positive, conscious mind was able to jump in there and *scccreeeeeeecchhh* stop those negative thoughts by replacing them with positive ones. --"You woke up in your bed this morning, you have had a rough week, you worked out 6 days the past 4 weeks....stop worrying about a couple missed days....you're beautiful and strong and a couple "off days" doesn't change that...stop being critical and just love yourself!" 

The point is that I am not perfect.
The point is that this journey doesn't end when you reach goal and everything is peachy.
The point is that the physical part is easy. It's the mental part that is the challenge.
The point is that we have to be kind to ourselves!!

I was talking to my friend, Nicole, the other day and we were discussing how when couples go to theapy because they "Fell out of love", often the assignment is to pretend that they are in love and do things as if they were still in love and before you know it, that couple has fallen back in love with each other. In essence - FAKE IT 'TILL YOU MAKE IT.

The same goes for the "bad days" we all have....and we ALL have bad days.... if you don't have bad days, I would love to know your secret. But we can't let those bad days or moments define us. We have to step in there with are positive, conscious, loving minds and knock those negative thoughts out of the park.

This next statement is completely robbed from Nicole but the next time you are with a group of women who start talking about everything they don't like about themselves, start talking about what you DO like about yourself AND...what you like about your friends. Change the tone. Be the leader. It's practice for the days you will need that extra boost and nobody is around except YOU. 


POSITIVE THOUGHTS
+
POSITIVE ACTIONS
=
POSITIVE RESULTS

SJD

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Well, what is it?? - BB Coach Brief






It's official.

After over a year of contemplating this opportunity and countless coaches telling me I should consider it, I finally became friends with Daniell, who convinced me enough was enough - it's time. 

What does being a Beachbody coach entail?? 

Basically everything I am already doing as "Skinny Jeans Dreams" except it allows me to reach more people, help more people, change more lives, while also giving me the opportunity to essentially start a business.

There are no certifications or special requirements to be a coach - just a willingness to help people and the desire to get and stay in shape and live the healthiest life possible. It also helps if you enjoy and use and talk about the programs that Beachbody offers (Reference my constant pictures and posts about Turbo Fire and Insanity - both Beachbody programs) !!

^ ^ ^  After reading the above, and if you have been following my page for any period of time, you can see why this is a perfect fit for me!!

So what changes??

NOTHING.

Whether or not you are on TeamBeachBody.com, whether or not I am your assigned coach, I am still Krystle. I am still Skinny Jeans Dreams. And I am still here to help any and everybody who comes to me with questions, comments, needs advice, just wants to talk, whatever! I have done that since day 1 and will continue to do so.

Beachbody just gives me the opportunity to take what I am already doing and grow as an individual by working with thousands of people after the same goals, meet new people, and to grow a business at the same time.

How do I make money? 

When someone is interested in buying a Beachbody program and does so through my coach page (providing they do not already have an assigned coach), I will earn money and as I grow my team (i.e. bring new coaches on board with me) I will earn money as well.

This is a great opportunity for me grow and I thank you in advance for all your support!!! I am very much looking forward to what the future holds for me!

If you have any more questions regarding this or you would like to talk about Beachbody programs/coaching opportunities, please email me directly at KrystleOnFire@gmail.com 

In health and fitness,
Skinny Jeans Dreams 

Friday, October 12, 2012

Breakfast Goodness!

Every once in a blue, I post a recipe. My breakfast was exceptionally delicious this morning so I thought I'd share!!

A little hefty in the way of points for a breakfast but I was SO hungry! And I have 2 workouts planned for today so it's all good.

8PointsPlus
307 Calories

Ingredients: 
100% whole wheat English Muffin
1 Whole egg - Fried (I used smart balance pan spray though - not oil)
1/8 cup Sargento low fat mozzarella cheese
1oz Oscar Meyer carving board turkey breast
1tbsp Garlic artichoke hummus
1 BIG slice of tomato
1 slice red onion
Handful of baby spinach 

-Toast the muffin, cook the egg, heat the turkey and onion, melt the cheese, ASSEMBLE. Not too hard but way too tasty!

Don't skip out on breakfast!! If you don't have time to cook, there are plenty of easy, healthy options!! Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It sets you up for a successful day ahead. Happy Friday!

-SJD

Monday, October 8, 2012

My Honey

Prepare for some sentimental mushiness. 

One day when I write my book, this blog post will be entire chapter.
This post goes to one person: Nick. 


For those of you who don't know, Nick is my other half - most often referred to as "my honey".

Someone asked me tonight how I have time to do all that I do and still be a mommy and as I thought about the answer to that question, I looked around my living room and caught a glimpse of Nick lying on the couch - there is my answer. This man has been everything to me and more!

From D-Day when I decided to lose the weight, Nick was the one who told me to go after my goals and never look back. He told me "There is nothing to it but to do it babe. I support you". A lot of people can SAY they support you but Nick is the epitome of what it means to have someone in your corner 100% of the time. To be there through every up and down, both figuratively and literally.


 Allow me to note that Nick has never had a weight issue, never had a food issue, was always active and in shape. He put on a few pounds when I was pregnant but that's about it. He has no personal experience with this, cannot understand this journey from a personal perspective, yet has somehow managed to understand ME every step of the way. 

I remember my first gain. I cried my eyes out like a fool. Nick was there to talk to me. He reminded me that the weight didn't get there over night and that this wasn't something that was going to happen without hard work but that I could do anything and that he would support me along the way.

I remember our walks early on. I would always yell at him for walking too fast (and too far!) and he would always encourage me to keep pushing and "stop being lazy". I also remember the first day he had to work to keep up with ME several months later and pointed it out by saying something to the effect of "Look at how fast you're walking babe! Remember when....."

I remember the first time he really pointed out my weight loss as I was getting ready for Weight Watchers one morning at the crack of dawn and he said "Dang Krystle, you look like a different person these days" 

The comments over the past two years such as: 

"Wow, look at your arms"
"You're so ripped" (even when I was clearly NOT!)
"Don't give up babe"
"I know it must be hard but I am here for you. You can do this"
"I'd love you at any weight" 
"You have come SO far" - his response when I told him I wanted to be a fitness instructor

***Cue the tears***

He has eaten every meal I have ever put on the table and complimented it - some more than others but has never complained, not even once, about what kind of dinner is served or what is kept in the house. 

The mornings when I first fell in love with fitness and I was doing Zumba for the Wii. He would walk out the door to work and say "You're about it 'bout it. Good job!"

I remember the first time I did Turbo Fire and thought I might die. He watched me and told me how good I was doing then a few months later, as he was watching me again, told me "You look just like them. You could teach this DVD yourself" 

Every week, every pound lost, he would give me a modest "good job" as I reported my weight loss to him but it wasn't those moments that meant the most. It's the moments that I was down and out or thought about quitting that have always meant the most to me. He has always been there.

I've pursued a gazillion different workouts over the past 2 years - some involving leaving the house, others in the living room. Whenever I want to go to the gym, he has been there to take care of our daughter so I can take care of myself. When I want to run, he offers to run with me.


The other day, as I was leaving the house to go to the gym, I sent him a text that said "Thank you for supporting me in all that I do. I appreciate you" to which he responded "Baby, you're amazing. I love you" 



But the thing that I love most about Nick when it comes to my journey is that he loved me from day one. He saw me as the most beautiful woman in the world when I gave birth to his daughter at 270+ pounds. He never pushed me to lose weight, only encouraged me.

He has watched me transform and loved me through
  every calorie,  
every pound,  
every drop of sweat,  
every weigh in,  
every tear
every workout
every binge
every regret
every victory
and now he gets to love and enjoy the new Krystle both physically and mentally.

Someone once asked me to ask him if he loved the new Krystle or the old Krystle more. His response was "The new Krystle loves HERSELF more but I just love you".

I can't even begin to express how thankful I am for a man like Nick.
He is the wind beneath my wings.

To my honey, 

Thank you for ALL that you are - an incredible man, an incredible father, and an incredible friend. 

I love you.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

A track-less week

It's been a week and a half that I haven't tracked and other than my one Weight Watchers weigh in, it has been that long since I have weighed myself and I honestly could not be happier!!

Disclaimer: I swear by Weight Watchers and having a plan to follow in order to lose weight. 

But I do think that there comes a time when you can take everything you learned from a certain program and apply it to life. You go to college, you follow a program, you learn lessons, you make mistakes, you get good grades, bad grades, and when you're done you don't forget everything you learned while you were there just because you don't have homework anymore. Similarly, I think there comes a point in this journey that you can gather up all your lessons and APPLY them.

Which is what I am working on... 

I have not felt "full" all this time. I have been very aware of when I am hungry and when I'm not. I have also found that I have eaten way less junk that I would typically throw into my menu simply because "I have points for it". Since I don't know how many points I am using or not using, I am really focusing in on healthy foods and hunger signals as well as the importance of keeping up on my workouts - not because I know I need the activity points but because I know that working out is part of living a long term healthy lifestyle.

I can't say for sure if this is a success for the simple fact that I have not weighed myself either. All I know is that I FEEL good. My clothes are fitting wonderfully. I haven't felt bloated in over a week AT ALL. The less sugary desserts I indulge in, the less I want it and saying "no" is becoming easier and easier. I'm HAPPY....and not stressed!

Working on creating healthy habits for life. 


Sunday, September 30, 2012

Fit Bloggin' Roomie Challenge!!


So you know I freakin ADORE these ladies, right??! Above is a picture of Tasha and Jill - my Fit Bloggin' roommates. A few weeks before Fit Bloggin', I still didn't know where I was going to stay so I jumped on Twitter and started asking around and I am so glad I did! These two girls were my long lost friends that I just hadn't met yet. We also roomed with Sue, who is super cool as well and I don't want to leave her out - I am introducing Tasha and Jill for purposes of the rest of this post!

One weekend was not nearly long enough for us to meet, decide we liked each other - A LOT - and then spend time together. I was so sad when we had to leave each other!


When we all got home, we decided that we couldn't possibly wait until Fit Bloggin' 13 to hang out again and Tasha (who lives in TX) and Jill (who lives in AL) decided that they were going to set a challenge for themselves to lose 25-30lbs by January with the reward being a trip to NJ to see ME!

But if you know ME....You know I'm a team player and there was NO way that they were heading into this challenge alone! So I told them to count me in and I would tweak a few things to fit where I am at in my journey.

 Here are the rules:

1. Drink 100+oz of water a day
2. Track every day.**
3. Workout five times a week
4. Incorporate weight lifting or resistance training into at least
three of the five workouts
5. Blog three times a week
6. Post/email measurements monthly
7. Weigh in weekly (on Tuesdays) and report either via email or on your blog**
8. DO NOT QUIT
9. Take a picture every week and either post or email so we can see progression.

** The crossed out rules are the ones that I am tweaking and replacing with two of my own to fit where I am with my journey.

# 2: I am working on not tracking every day but using all my lessons and everything I know to make healthy decisions and maintain my weight. I haven't tracked in over a week and so far, it's going really well!!

#7: In my effort to break my crazy, obsessive addiction to the scale, I am weighing in every other week and only at Weight Watchers.

REPLACEMENT RULES: 
  • I gave up alcohol until I go to Vegas in January with the exception of my birthday (Nov. 5)
  • I also gave up sugary desserts even in small portions - the less I eat it, the less I crave it. 

Ready. Set. GO! 

I can't wait to see my girls again and their progress!


To follow their blogs:
Jill is at My Crazy Beautiful Life
Tasha is at Lettuce Makes me Fat

Both of their blogs are being revamped a little bit but will be up and running this week!

-SJD

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Somewhere in between

I'm at a weird place in life... somewhere between wanting to be better and being okay with where I'm at.

I can't really explain it....but I kinda like it. I guess because 99% of the time I am working so hard on being a better me, that it's a bit awkward feeling content and there is a fine line between being content and being complacent and may sound contradictory.

In my humble opinion:
Content is a happy feeling.
Complacent is a feeling of not caring.

I always care.

But this "content" thing is something that comes and goes. I like it when it's here. The alternative is stress and anxiety about THINGS, numbers, decisions, etc... You can be content and still want to be better though, if you ask me. I guess I just want to be better in different ways than I am used to.

I am so used to wanting to be better physically and suddenly I want to be better mentally. I want to really get in tune with Krystle and just BE!

I took a boot camp class at Fit Bloggin' and I became pretty good friends with the trainer who led the class. Her name is Erin. Erin's zest and energy for life was so inspiring. She is the epitome of being all you can be but being okay with where you are at at that day and time - every day is worth celebrating even if you are not exactly where you want to be in life. I'm so glad to be friends with someone to gives off 110% positive energy. It's refreshing!



 Can I just say that the freedom from the scale has been liberating???! I do, however, have to weigh in this week for the sake of working for Weight Watchers. Since being back from Fit Bloggin, I have been working on reading more blogs (which I tend to be pretty sucky at keeping up on!) but I was reading none other than Roni Noone's blog - the creator of Fit Bloggin - and I read a post that was titled "No judgement, just notice". (Click the link to read it). My plan when I weigh in this week, as Roni mentioned when posting that blog, is to just notice the number on the scale rather than let it define me or to base my mood around whatever it has to say. It's just a tool.

I like being me.
I like where I am at in life right here, right now. 
I'm not going to let anything change that for me. 



SJD

Monday, September 24, 2012

A Fit Bloggin' Self Realization

Several months ago I made the spur of the moment decision to attend a conference that I had never heard of 10 minutes prior. I was looking for a way to become a better blogger and possibly even start making money with blogging so I randomly signed up for Fit Bloggin' 2012. Little did I know that eight months later I would be experiencing a weekend that I will never forget. A weekend that, for me, I feel was a turning point in my journey.



I came out of this weekend learning a little about blogging and A LOT about myself. I thought I had this covered. I lost the weight...I have the page... I tell people daily how to overcome X, Y, and Z.

I must be 100% happy, I mean why wouldn't I be?

When I surrounded myself with 300 other people facing their own struggles and their own journeys, celebrating their own victories, crying their own tears, overcoming their own fears, I could feel all the pain...

the struggle,
the joy,
the success,
the fear,
the hope.

I let my guard down to a place where it's never been. I actually looked inside of myself and I asked myself a question to which I was surprised of the answer.

***Allow me to preface the following with: I do LOVE me. I know I am worthy and I love the person that I am becoming. But I have much more growing to do as I get to know the NEW me***

I asked myself, "Are you truly happy right here, right now at this point on your journey?"

My answer wasn't a flat out "Yes". It wasn't a simple "No" either. Hence, my surprise. I thought I was truly happy!!

This realization came in one of the sessions at Fit Bloggin'. It was a discussion on self acceptance. I was the first one to offer to speak.
 
I told them about my post a little while back about "Keeping up with the Jones's" . I talked about how I had learned to accept myself without comparing myself to others on this journey. I gave my speech and then one of the moderators asked me something to the tune of "So has this made a significant impact on your journey?" .

Which really made me think: DO I ACCEPT MYSELF FOR WHO I AM??! ......seriously???

I started to think about how many times a day I comment about the skin on my stomach, how big my thighs are, how big my calves are, how I preface my strong biceps by shaking and pointing out my flabby triceps, how I complain about 1-5 pounds, and the list goes on. I've stopped comparing myself to those around me but have I stopped comparing myself to.....myself?

And then it hit me - I have NOT fully accepted myself and at this point - right here, right now, I was not FULLY happy. I am more critical of myself NOW than before I lost the weight. I nit-pick - specifically when it comes to the scale!

.......HOWEVER........

and there is ALWAYS a "however".....

I don't plan to stay here. Which is why I mentioned yesterday on Facebook that changes ARE coming. I will introduce the changes as they come, as I always share my good times and bad (Not that this is a "bad time...just an "AHA" moment).

As I told my honey this last night, in his infinite wisdom, he made a good analogy. He said:

"It's like when your house is really junky and you clean it all up, fold the clothes, mop the floors, scrub the bathrooms, then all of a sudden you feel like you didn't do enough because the dust on top of the cabinets wasn't cleaned. Even though before you did ALL of the above, you never even noticed the dust." 

Truth? Truth.

Much more to come regarding Fit Bloggin' and all that I took home with me in lessons, goodies, and friendships.

I'm a work in progress. 

SJD.

Saturday, September 15, 2012

DRUM ROLL PLEASE!!!

The time has come. The Skinny Jeans Dreams shirts are ready for pre-ordering!

Here is how it's going to work: 

From today, 9/15/2012 through 9/30/12, I will be taking pre orders (with payment). After that time period, you will get your shirts in approximately two weeks. I appreciate your patience in advance for those who purchase right away. My reason for doing this is so that everybody can order exactly the style and the size that they want and so that I am not left with stock on sizes that weren't ordered.

I will be taking orders via PayPal. If you don't have an account, it's very simple to set one up if you go to paypal.com. I will walk you through the payment steps in one moment.

Shirt styles are available in men or women's, sizes XS-3XL.

Shirt Specs: 

Adult Softstyle 100% Cotton T-Shirt 
  • preshrunk 100% cotton jersey
  • 4.5-oz.
  • seamless double-needle 7/8" collar
  • taped neck and shoulders
  • rolled forward shoulders 
  • WOMEN'S Style: Same features as above with slightly adjusted feminine tapered fit with side-seamed construction 

 PRICE: $16.95/ea 
SHIPPING: 
 United States: $3.00 anywhere in the US. 
 International: Before placing your order, please email me with your location @ skinnyjeansdreams@gmail.com with the subject line "SJD SHIRT" 


Let's get down to the nitty gritty: 

 To place your order, go to PayPal.com. If you don't have an account, you can link your debit/credit card to PayPal so that you can pay that way. PayPal is the safest way to pay online. Once you're there follow these steps: 
  1. Log in 
  2. Click the tab that says "Send Money" 
  3. In the first box where it says "To", ENTER: skinnyjeansdreams@gmail.com 
  4. In the "Amount" box, if you live in the US you will enter $19.95 (shirt + Shipping). If you're outside of the US, enter whatever amount we discussed prior to you placing the order. 
  5. Click the circle titled "Goods" 
  6. On the next page, scroll down until you see "payment method" and "Shipping address" 
  7. Make sure both of these ^ are correct and that is the address you want me to ship to. 
  8. Scroll down
  9. In the "Subject Line" please enter either "MEN" or "WOMEN" as your choice of style shirt 
  10. In the "Message" section please enter your desired size. Options: XS-3XL 
*NOTE: If you are ordering more than one shirt:  Note both sizes in the message. Add another $16.95 for the shirt but only add $1 additional per shirt. Example: If you are ordering two shirts- $33.90 + $4.00 shipping. Three shirts - 50.85 + $5.00 shipping. Make sense? 

If you have any questions at all, email me at skinnyjeansdreams@gmail.com. 

I thank you all for being part of my life and part of my journey!!! Love you guys!!

 

Busy week ahead!

Busy, busy week coming up, ending with the most exciting part - FIT BLOGGIN'!!! I am hoping that this experience will help to reenergize my blog. Since I started my Facebook page, I have gotten pretty relaxed when it comes to blogging. 

My up coming week is going to be busy from Sunday to Sunday. Tomorrow I am hanging out with family and friends and heading to the Seafood Festival then celebrating with my fam for my sister's birthday.

Monday I have meetings all day, a work event at night, and going to buy my baby sister her first LEGAL drink!

Tuesday I have a work event all day.

Wednesday I am heading to Maryland for work.

Thursday night starts FitBloggin' !!!

Friday I get to try CrossFit followed by a 2nd workout later in the morning then a day packed with Blogging awesomeness!

Saturday I am trying out a trampoline fitness class followed by Zumba and another big blogging-fun day.

Sunday early morning 5K Fun run then finally heading home to relax!

If you want to see my whole FitBloggin schedule click here!

It's going to be busy. It's going to be fun. It's going to be AWESOME!


My challenge is going to come in the way of food but my plan is to stick to power foods, limit carbs where I can, and be MINDFUL!

I apologize ahead of time for the lack of FB posts but I hope to be back with lots of blogging goodness when I get home!! Stay tuned!

Thursday, September 6, 2012

It's that time of year again!! LOSE WEIGHT. FIGHT HUNGER!

It's that time of year again!!! Weight Watchers' LOSE FOR GOOD!! Check out last year's Lose For Good photo shoot of myself here. And read more about Lose For Good 2011 here. And you can't forget the tiny little fact that last year, I won $5,000 from Weight Watchers after winning the Lose for Good Story of You Contest - read HERE!

My collage I made last year :-)

Sooo 2012 is upon us and it's time for 2012 Lose For Good campaign. "Good for you. Good for all" Over the past four years, WW has donated $4 million through this campaign that works with organizations to make sure no kid grows up hungry either here in the states or internationally.

This year, Weight Watchers is doing things a little differently with a one day open house event at a center near you..

SEPTEMBER 15 - SAVE THE DATE!.. 

Now, I can't speak for everyone's open houses but I happen to be working the open house in my area - EHT, NJ if you're wondering!! If you're reading this and you're in the area - you better be there!!!!!

Our open house in Egg Harbor Twp will include the following and then some:
  • Every attendee, member or not, will be entered into a raffle for prizes 
  • Special offers for new members signing up on 9/15 
  • Prizes for members who bring a friend that decides to sign up 
  • Food station with WW samples, WW recipes, and demos 
  • Electronics demo 
  • Games and prizes! 
  • Guest speakers - and not just those who have lost a ton of weight but those who have had their lives changed thanks to WW 
  • Tilton Fitness will be offering a prize for a lucky guest 
  • Obstacle course that will challenge members to carry the weight that they lost 
  •  And last but CERTAINLY not least, a food drive! Bring nonperishable food to be donated to the local food bank. Less pounds for us - more pounds for them. 

***NOTE: You do not have to be a current WW member to be in attendance!

I am sooooo excited to be a part of this special day and I hope that 1) Those of you in this area will join me and 2) Those of you NOT in this area will log on to weightwatchers.com/openhouse and find an open house near you.

If you would like to join me and need directions to the EHT center, just email me at skinnyjeansdreams@gmail.com . I really hope to see you all there and to hear about your experiences elsewhere!

LOSE WEIGHT. 
FIGHT HUNGER. 
LOSE FOR GOOD! 

Monday, August 13, 2012

T-Shirt Design Contest!

Hey my lovely friends!!

Here's the deal:

You want Skinny Jeans Dreams shirts, you got 'em! But YOU have to be a part of the process. I am hosting a t-shirt design contest!

You have from now until August 24th to submit your designs for the t-shirt. Right before I leave for vacation that weekend, I will set it up so you will ALL get a chance to vote for your favorite design. When I get back from vacation in the first week of September, I will pick a winner and production will begin!

The winner will receive their shirt for FREE! 

I will be taking pre-payments for shirts, so that I can assure everyone gets the correct size. I don't want to order in bulk and not have enough of the right size for each individual. I will provide you with more details on the shirts once the contest is complete.

So hop to it!!

IMPORTANT: The only entries that will be considered are those sent to my email address!!! SKINNYJEANSDREAMS@GMAIL.COM

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Keeping Up With The Jones's

Everybody thinks they want to be special, but when someone finds out how special he or she really is, often he or she quickly discovers a great desire to be like everybody else.--Mark Mossa

Find out who you are and do it on purpose.--Dolly Parton  

I was once afraid of people saying, "Who does she think she is?" Now I have the courage to stand and say, "This is who I am."--Oprah Winfrey  



For a long time now, I have been trying to "keep up the Jones's" when it comes to health and fitness. I am a fan of tons of fitness pages, blogs, I subscribe to newsletters and magazines and my world is consumed with folks trying to be in better shape than the next person or telling others how they can be in better shape than the next person. Constant reminders of what to eat, what not to eat, when to workout, how to workout, where to workout, when to drink water, when to drink tea.......*AGH!!!!* 

While all those things are helpful....

when I DON'T follow plan to a T or I don't workout...I was finding myself depressed and angry at myself because if (insert name) can be up at 5:30am doing it, then I need to be up at 5:15am doing it too. And if (insert name) lost weight this week, I would feel bad if I didn't lose weight too. And if (insert name) wears a size 2 then despite me only wanting to originally be a size 10, I must have to be a size 2 too and wouldn't dare settle at the size 6 that I am. Stuck in the mentality that if so and so is doing it, then I can do it too. 

Well the fact of the matter is this: 
-I don't need a six pack. 
-I like sugar in my life and I won't cut it out completely.
-Sometimes I just don't feel like tracking.
-Sometimes I do.  
-I win some battles. 
-I lose some battles.
-I surpassed my weight loss goal
-I surpassed my size goal 
-I stay active whether or not I'm up at 5:30 am
-I don't workout as much as some of my friends 
-I like oreos 
-I LOVE wine. 
-I hate counting points for alcohol. So I don't. It's that simple. 
- Sometimes I make bad decisions 
-But most of the time I make good ones 
-It's all about balance

 At the end of the day - SURE....I could be in better shape than I am in. I could probably be thinner than I am. I could be the perfect Weight Watcher and only get off track once every six months or something but that's not ME.  

And today....today, I finally came to the realization that I am OKAY with that!! I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. This morning, I went back to bed for 45 minutes for the first time since I was pregnant in 2010 (other than the rare occasion that I am sick). I went back to bed and I didn't regret it! Normally, I would fight myself tooth and nail to go workout instead. I didn't feel like I had to be like (insert name) so I could be just as fit or just as great as them. What I felt was simple. "I am Krystle Bailey. I am not (insert name). and my mind and my body are TIRED!! and I am going back to BED". 

Obviously, the above will not become a routine for me because I know how habits can change very easily but just the fact that I was able to let go of the comparisons between myself and others and let go of having to "answer" to my fan page and just listen to my body and what KRYSTLE needed, felt GOOD. 

I also mentioned today about giving into a few bites, licks, and tastes after my daughter got home. For a moment I felt sorry about it. But later in the day when I very easily said "no thank you" to boardwalk ice cream, I realized that I am not PERFECT but I am definitely BETTER....better than I was and continuously working to be a better me day after day. 

I don't have the time to workout 2 hours in the gym every day. 2 hours spent with my daughter are more important to me than a six pack. If time with friends involves a glass or two or wine - that is more important to me than gaining 0.4 on the scale. 

I am finally finding comfort in the fact that I am not perfect but I'm good enough for me and I have more to offer the world than just a perfect image of health and fitness. I am way more than that. 

KJB

 

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Mirror Conversation

Looked myself dead in the eye this morning and this is how the conversation went: 

Krystle. Enough with the negative thoughts.
You. Are. Awesome.
Look at you. You worked for this.
You have to contiue to work for it...
Yea, it sucks.
But it's THIS....or it's THAT **glanced over at one of my fat pics**
Choose one.
If you can fight the battle to lose it,
you can fight the battle to keep it off.
You got this.
Now get it together.
and keep stepping.

Monday, July 16, 2012

A day for the record books!

Saturday goes down in the record books as one of my favorite days of my life!! Two major events took place that I never want to forget! 1st up: I ran my 1st (of many!) WARRIOR DASH! It was so much flippin' fun. For those who asked, Warrior Dash is a 5K but it's far from just a basic run! It's up steep hills, down hills, over rocks, through mud, through a lake, under barbed wire, over fire, over walls, cargo nets, and so on! FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN! I ran it with the most awesome people ever too, making it that much more fun. When all is said and done, they spray you down with a fire engine hose and hand you a free beer. Does it get any better than that?!!?

After I got back, I jumped right in the shower and headed back out for my baby sister's bachelorette party!! she is getting married in 2 weeks and I couldn't be more proud to be her maid of honor. My sister and I have been best friends since day 1. I laughed today as I called my daughter by my sister's name and I find myself calling my sister Elliana all the time but I realized today that it's because the love I have for my sister is allllmost as deep as the love a mother has for their child. I would go to the ends of the earth for my little sister!!! She is the best sister and friend a girl could ask for.

SO......with all that being said, see the pics below of my fantastic day:

practicing my warrior face in the car!

My crew crawling through the mud!

Clean up ....then out with my sis:













Fan-flipping-tastic day and night!! I work hard to play hard.

Here's a giggle:



Goodnight!
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