Thrift Shopping: What I Bought For $22.50

Made in Spain (Brand?) $2.50

Just really love the color ($5)

Banana Republic ($2.50)

H&M ($2.50)

Not sure the brand
but really liked this for fall (only $2.50!)

Mint Condition Tailored Trench  ($4.50)

Wool Scarf from Japan ($2)

I'm a mama on a budget and after losing 18 lbs. I needed a few Fall essentials to wear for my current dress size. I just could not bear the thought of buying full price on clothing I would hope to pass on once I hit my weight goal. So, I turned to Thrift Shopping; There are a wealth of information on line (especially on Pinterest) on how to Thrift Shop. Tips like: Go right when the store opens or right before closing, this way you get first dibs on everything. Next, go there with an idea of what you are looking for (a jacket? a skirt? a wall accent?) Finally, search for quality brand pieces that would be too expensive to buy brand new.

I had a great time since the Goodwill I went to seemed to be well stocked ( and organized too). I think I did pretty good with what I walked out with, what do you think? Ever found something so cool at a thrift shop? Do share! =)

INSANITY ROUND 1 RESULTS

I lost a total of 18 lbs.
I started this weight loss journey on June 3rd. I had some schedule changes that affected my consistency which extended my 2nd month to this week of August. Otherwise, I would've been done August 3rd.  I will be starting Round 2 this Tuesday, September 4th. I hope to lose 1.5-2lbs week. Thank you for letting me share my journey. I FEEL GREAT :) I feel healthy and definitely a great sense of accomplishment. I am not the same over-weight mom as I was 3 months ago. I thank the Lord for lighting a fire in me to really make some changes.

My once over-weight body...

173 lbs. 

Current Weight:

155lbs.

Do You Buy Used?

I had a great find the other day at ebay.com There was a lot of clothes (15) for $42, the clothes were from Rampage, Loft, and Old Navy. I needed a new wardrobe since my current clothes are too big so I decided to sell my size 12's and buy my smaller size clothing from either consignment stores or ebay.  I am so thrilled! The clothes came in today and I have 4 dresses, 3 shorts, 3 Chinos, 3 Tees, and 2 dressy tops. This will hold me over till the cold weather. Hopefully, by then I will have dropped another size or two so I can sell this set and buy another lot. I guess you could say I'm being frugal, it's just there is no way I can spend extra $ on clothing especially if I am not at my goal weight yet.

Getting Back to A 6Day Work Out

I've take a little break this past week doing only 2 out of 6 Insanity work outs. Our family's daily routine changed quite a bit and adjusting to the schedule plus VBS (Vacation Bible School) has led to putting work out in the back seat =( . Anyway, I realize that there has to be some way I can  accommodate my exercise schedule and look forward to picking up Month 2 of Insanity in full force. I will update at the end of Month 2 during Labor Day Weekend, which is the first week of September. I really am hoping to drop down a few more inches and fit loosely on a size 8. Looking forward to my next update! Until then, thanks for reading. Here we go .. MONTH OF INSANITY..  =o)

New Jeans!

So excited to finally wear my new jeans and the fit is just perfect! Bye bye size 12 ! lol Hello to smaller sizes.. long time no wear .. =)
I'm also doubly excited since it was on clearance for $10 and I had a -$5 off coupon, making it a steal!

About 15 lbs.heavier (last July 2011)

I'm Still Here!

I haven't posted in a while since life has been a bit busy lately. I did some remodeling of our bedrooms and I also had to begin a new schedule/routine for my two younger kids, which needless to say is taxing.
I'm in my second month of Insanity and this past week I have been quite inconsistent, but I got 3 out of the 6 work outs. I hope to get back to my normal routine this week. I did notice that I have dropped down 4 sizes, from a size 12 to a size 8. This is pretty exciting! Shopping was so fun knowing that I could fit into some smaller sizes, giving me more choices from the clearance rack lol. 
I've had to put my regular work out schedule on hold in order to accommodate the changes in our household, but I've stayed active doing other activities even though they are not  quite as intense as Insanity. My diet has also stayed within the 1500 calorie limit that I've imposed, so even though I haven't followed Insanity everyday I feel great! I also lost -5lbs. since last month's weigh in.

JUNE 2012

JULY 2012 

Size 12

Size 8

My goal is to reach a healthy BMI of 18... I need to lose around 30 more lbs. to get there. By then, I hope to fit into a size 4-6. 

Before & After Week 4

Since I started this blog I've referred to my goal of getting healthy/fit as climbing a mountain. So, where am I in this proverbial mountain? Let's just say that I've gotten far enough to say I am not ever turning back and I'm getting closer to the top. The day I decided to start a work out routine, and the time I decided to change my eating habits I was really saying "I'm ready for change." That change required one thing I was sorely lacking, and that is DISCIPLINE.

Discipline will push you to work out no matter how long the excuses are in your mind, discipline will also help you eat the right kinds of food at all times regardless of company. There are soooo many times that I wanted to just quit in the middle of a work out but I ignored that feeling and kept pushing through until the long awaited cool down. Finishing one month of Insanity is a great accomplishment for me, and that's all by God's grace.

This week is recovery week for Insanity, and it's not a relaxing week. This week is to prepare my body for what is to come and that is a step up to the work outs I've done the previous 4 weeks. Its going to be longer, and harder! I can't believe I'm saying this but "Bring it on, Shaun T.!

I can't wait to record my progress after the end of my first round of Insanity. I hope to do a second round of Insanity for the month of August and September. I want to be in fat burning mode and I will probably incorporate weights sometime towards the end of Round 2. Thanks for reading!