Versatile Style by Tracey

This picture thing is getting easier and I am feeling less self conscious.  So what if people are looking at me and wondering what I am doing?  Love that I am sharing this experience with my husband who is being so encouraging and helping me to smile more naturally, while reminding me to stick my neck out to make my face look thinner…. I even jumped up onto a brick wall and strutted for the camera right in front of a restaurant with an outside patio full of customers gawking at me. There is just something about an orange maxi that gives a woman confidence!

I absolutely love this skirt.  I wore this a lot this spring when I first got it and put it to the side for the summer.  Now is the perfect time to wear it again.. Surprised that the wind doesn’t show up as much in these photos.  My hair was going wild! The shirt is a recent clearance purchase for only $5 from Sears.  More to come from Sears Clearance Racks tomorrow.

I have to say that I can’t wait to get to my goal size so I can get some colored jeans.  I have been putting off spending money on these until I can try them on at my goal weight for an excellent fit.  Hoping to be at goal by end of the year.  In the meantime, sticking to colored skirts! I must say I love skirts and dresses and could wear them daily and completely give up pants.  Not going to do so since being a woman means versatility!

Denim Jacket: www. metrostyle.com

Skirt: www. chadwicks.com– no longer available,but lots of other things to love!

Shoes_ www.chadwicks.com

Shirt: Laura Scott- Sears on clearance this week

Purse- Reverse a purse- has reversible covers…

Navy Belt: Thrited

Tomorrow, can’t wait to share with you my latest purchases!  Shoes and dresses!

What’s that one piece in your wardrobe that gives you confidence?

The most important part of the weight loss journey is the WW meeting and facing the scale each week.  It does a lot to keep you honest and if things didn’t work out that week, drive to refocus.  Just a little about my journey.. I gained over 50 lbs in the last 7 years when I closed a business I loved.  For four years I struggled emotionally as I watched my mother suffer congestive heart failure and dementia.  It was a slow goodbye with lots of  pain along the way.  Three years ago she passed on and I can only describe the loss as pure heartache.  After talking to others, I believe that losing a same sex parent is extremely difficult.  Since my father died when I was just 13, the loss of my mother meant the loss of a role in my life as someone’s child. It’s now been over three years of mourning and I am ready to move onto a healthy and vibrant life!

I had great success with Weight Watchers from April to August, when I stalled by losing and gaining the same 2lbs over and over.  In September I did a complete refocus and commitment when my birthday came around and at 47 had to switch from mid 40’s to late 40’s.  A clear distinction in my mind and motivating factor to the last three weeks of kicking up the exercise.  I am going on the treadmill and I have to be honest I dreaded it.  When I first began I dragged myself each day. At week 3, I am craving it and pushing myself to go faster and longer.  This week I moved from 30 minutes to 45 minutes twice a day.  I listen to inspirational music by Fred Bogert  and feel like these workouts have become a spiritual,meditative time. Having that twice a day has had an amazing result and I am more energized, alive and inspired than I have been in 7 years.

I ate right an exercised like a woman on a mission and was looking forward to facing the scale this morning…. Well, wouldn’t you know it, I woke up with severe menstrual cramping and bloating.  The scale showed that I stayed the same.  It was a little hard to swallow, when my friend who drank wine this week and backed off the exercise lost 1.2 lbs.  Since, I know there was nothing for me to change, I will just keep on and see what the scale says next week.

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bogert –  You can take a listen to samples of the songs from the album that I use for my workouts and filling my spirit!

I would like to say the I still shared a celebration at my meeting and told them that I knew going into this journey that my success would depend on getting the MIND, BODY, SPIRIT all in alignment.  I thought I had done an ok job of that and really celebrated as my new friend from WW bloomed from getting all those in order.  I now realized that I didn’t have that right.  This week as I pushed my body and listened to the inspirational music, I felt my spirit soar.  Even my mind changed from, “I am doing Weight Watcher’s for my health”( a great reason that got me to the halfway point, but had lost momentum), to the new motivation of “I will not allow my mother’s legacy to be my weight gain!”  I know that  new mantra will carry me home to the goal weight.   Sharing my journey impacted so many people in the room and I proud of myself for doing so.  These meetings really do add the the success of it’s members.

8 WEEKS UNTIL THANKSGIVING!  HOW MUCH CAN I LOSE BY THEN????

Anyone else motivated to lose weight?  What keeps you going?

I decided to make my first outfit photo on the night of my birthday after going out to a movie with my husband. I know night time photos aren’t ideal, but here it is anyway.  I must say the movie we saw was awful.  I can usually find something redeeming in most movies I see and can not even remember the last time I felt so disappointed in the money I spent and even the wasted hours of my life that I will never get back.  A strong reaction, I know.  Now you must be wondering what movie am I speaking of?  You want to know what to avoid, right?  Well, it is “The Words” starring Bradley Cooper.   If anyone saw that movie and is a fan and can tell me why they like it, I would love to hear that perspective, so by all means please, comment.

Now, I do want to say that the movie theater I went to is my favorite local one and is unique in that it has a full bar where you can order a drink before or during the movie.  It also offers an assorted menu with basics, desserts and even the normal fare of popcorn and candy.  Every two seats has a small round table in front of it.  This theater is called Beach Movie Bistro and unlike a similar one called Cinema Cafe, this one offers stadium seating.  Also food must be ordered prior to the start of the movie and the servers do not come back during the movie.  If you want something else, you are welcome to go to the bar and place your order.  Cinema Cafe’s servers come into the theater throughout the entire movie and collect your money in the end.  Beach Movie Bistro servers all carry a hand held device that sends your order back immediately and serves as a credit card machine as well.  Can you tell I prefer Beach Movie Bistro.  Below is a picture of their logo which was designed by local artist Rick Romano.  Check out more of  his art on www.rickromano.com

Now back to my outfit photo and description.   Before I get into that I must note that taking photos you know you will be posting online feels quite intimidating.  Of course when I said that to my 21 year old daughter she pointed out that she changes online profile pictures all the time and has no issues with self consciousness.

Dress: Style & CO (purchased last year)

Sweater: Ann Taylor Loft (thrifted)

Belt: thrifted  / Shoes: Chadwicks of Boston

Tomorrow check back to see my Weight Watcher results as it’s weigh in day!

I am a 47 year old stay at home mother of four.  I have a son and daughter in college and sons 16 and 12 .  Last year I began homeschooling my youngest and am so proud of what we have accomplished and want to scream from the rooftops of our success after the school said he had a learning disability in reading and writing and he soon discovered that they had a “teaching disability.”   They never went back over phonetic work, which we did last year and miracles ensued.  If anyone is interested in a program for 3rd graders to adults, please e-mail and I will give you info on a program that is age appropriate.

In 2009 my mother passed away, after several years of illness where I was her caregiver.  I gained over 6o lbs due to the pain of watching her suffer dementia.  I am ready to live fully again,  embrace, life and my health.  I recenlty joined Weight Watchers and have reached the half way point in my weight loss.

I am a native of Virginia Beach,VA and have lived here all my lifeif if you don’t count the seven months my husband moved us to his home near Boston when he got out of the military in our first year of marriage. August to February was enough for me to know I wanted to be home with the sun and much milder winters.  Smart hubby agreed and brought me home and I often joke that the decision is the sole reason we are still married 22 years later..

I love fashion and am obsessed with creating an affordable wardrobe for my soon to be thinner body.  I hope to be braver in my fashion choices and burst out of my comfort zone and really experiment and have fun.   I plan to do some refashions to alter clothing I currently love as my body shrinks.  Stay tuned and share this exciting time of rebirth and growth as I embrace the final years of mothering minor children and seek a new found life for myself.