Let's Team Up!

HELP!!! I need help! YOU may need help! So let's team up! Anyone wanting or trying to lose weight? For me, it's a never-ending battle. It's ALWAYS on my to do list, always on my mind and always a failed attempt. If you're like me, we find some new "diet" or "program" that we get excited about and actually do well on... for a while. We even lose a little bit of weight too! But, in the end, I give up, make excuses and revert back to old ways.

I am TIRED OF IT! I am ready for a massive weight loss along with a complete lifestyle change that will last the rest of my life. Forest is right.... fat people have a higher risk of dying younger than those more fit. I don't know about you, but I don't want blubber to be what does me in.  So here's what I've concluded. I will continue to research all of the various plans, diets, programs, tips, etc. that are out there and try to combine things from lots of different programs to make it more realistic and easy for those of us who are emotional eaters or just love food! I'll be posting those tips & ideas for you soon.

In the meantime, will you join Team Holleywood? I need some accountability partners! I need some cheerleaders and a team of people who can help each other on this journey. I want us to be brutally honest about our weight and our eating habits. I know I will do better if I know that on a certain day every week that I will have to post my weight and admit to any cheating.  I need a group of friends who have my back (side) and will tell me like it is in order to get rid of the weight for good.

Are you willing to join this challenge with me?  If yes, you have to also be willing to post your exact weight and be completely honest on your progress each week. It's time to "get real" ladies. So are you up for the challenge?

Once we get a team going, I will start a group on facebook for easier tracking and commenting. But in the meantime,  post your comments below or email me at: holley4jody@aol.com to let me know you're joining my team! We can SO DO THIS TOGETHER!!!

Look on the Bright Side

Do you tend to focus on all of the things that went wrong during the day? The bad instead of the good? I think we all do that most days. Even if we try to maintain a happy, positive attitude, the things that go wrong simply dominate our thoughts on most days. With all of the heavy thinking and decision making I've been doing over the past few weeks, I decided that I would purposely point out to myself at least 3 things each day that went RIGHT! I have a lot on my plate and remaining focused and not letting the little stuff get me down is of utmost importance.

My 3 good things for today:
1) I was able to mark a few things off my to do list!
2) One of my favorite movies came on TV- Julie & Julia
3) I received several great emails for So.Belle mag that I am excited about!

There you have it! And you know, it's true- when you focus on the good things, the bad stuff isn't so easy to recall.  What 3 things went right for YOU today?

Guess I'm NOT Superwoman

I've been away from my blog for so long!!! Feels good to be back and hopefully I can get back into a routine with it! The past few months have been craaazy busy as usual with all of my ideas spewing from my brain. I think at one point I counted 19 little projects that I was either already involved with or had on my infamous "to-do" list. Yes, I know..... a bit ridiculous. SO, needless to say, it got a bit too much.... even for me- Superwoman. 

I guess I feel like I am SUPPOSED to be superwoman. Take care of the house, cook meals, run errands and still do my own "job(s)". Sound familiar all my super hero ladies? A lot of people THINK I'm superwoman because I am constantly juggling several things at once. I'm often told "I don't know how you do it all". Well, the honest answer is, I don't, not any of it very well anyway. Over the past few weeks, I've grown a bit tired of being so busy, especially with not a whole lot of progress actually being accomplished. So I've been trying to hone in on what I really want to do, what projects I really want to pursue and how to better balance my work time with my family time. 

Prayerfully seeking answers, the first thing was to narrow that list of 19 down to about 7-9, which is huge for me! This past week, that number had been whittled down to 5 1/2. And just today, I threw in the towel and finally admitted to myself that I am NOT Superwoman. Super powers are reserved for those way younger than me. At 42, it's time to just "be".  So now my real number of "jobs or projects" is at 3 1/2. Think that's about as low as I can get it. 

But let's keep this in perspective here. Those 3 1/2 consist of my blog and lots of new projects about to launch on this blog, my new job of being a Paparazzi $5 Jewelry consultant and my magazine work, which is a full-time job itself. Southern Belle Magazine has SO many new things going on and it's growing so fast I can hardly keep up. 

I realized today that if only I had listened to my hubby more along the "idea journey" that I wouldn't have made so many mistakes. There's a reason God put this dreamer with a realist. And as hard as it is to admit, hubby has been right about most things. 

Overall, as it always has been, it is my innermost dream to inspire women and be a friend to any who need one, so this blog will be my public forum to do just that. Please be sure to stop by often, join me on facebook (www.facebook.com/aehjustasoutherngirl) and get ready for all new projects coming your way. But just from Amy this time, not Superwoman. 

Animal Weekend

Well, this weekend was interesting. I shelled my first bucket of peas all by myself- lazy kids. That's ok. There will be plenty more buckets and they will be shellin'!


It's been raining a lot so it's been an inside kind of weekend. We did get little bit of rain free skies during which I tried to get in my daily walk (this fluffy girl's form of exercise). Our peek-a-poo, Marley, goes walking with me. Up the road a bit from our house is a large drainage pipe going underneath the road. So during our walk on Friday, as we approach that pipe, I hear something growling. Hmm, is that Thunder? Better walk faster Marley, rain is coming!


Then growling turns into a few barks. Sounds like it's off in the distance but it sure is loud. I turn and look behind us- no dog in sight. I look out across all of the fields that surround us- no dog. Yep, my heart is racing a bit. I have no stick to fiend off a big dog, I'm a bit of a big girl to try to outrun him and my poor little house dog would try to defend me to the death and my children would never forgive me if something happened to that dog. They would rather I pick him up and just try to run. 


I finally figure out that the barks are coming from inside that pipe as we walk over it. Ok, panicked now. We try to be quiet and speed up. I turn several times as we walk farther away from the pipe to make sure the dog that was behind that bark wasn't emerging and coming after us. He didn't. Whew. But guess what? We have to cross back over to go home. Uh-Oh. Could our luck hold out twice?


So, on the way back, I have my hubby's phone #  on my phone screen, ready to hit send, just in case he needed to come rescue us. And, I did manage to find a big stick along the roadside that I could use til my hero could rescue us. So, here we go... speeding over the pipe, trying to be quiet. Here comes the growls. I'm surprised I don't have whiplash as many times as I quickly turned my head back toward that pipe as we crossed over to make sure what I could only assume was a huge dog, wasn't chasing us. And it happened. He did emerge from the end of the pipe. A big, white and brown, German Shepard. 

I hit that send button on my phone so fast! Hubby! Get ready to save us!! No answer. You've got to be kidding me! He knows if I'm walking to be on standby with his phone in case some pyscho tries to kidnap me!!! Hero! Where are you? I look back again. Dog still sitting by the pipe entrance, just watching us. Yay! He's not foaming at the mouth ready to attack! 
Yep, that was a fast walk!


Then..... on Saturday, hubby was trimming limbs from the trees in our yard and came across one of our tree dwelling residents. Now, we have lots of squirrels that live in our trees. It's one of Marley's favorite things to do... chase squirrels. But that's not the resident that honey came across. He tugs at a limb and as it is falling to the ground, so does a white oak snake. Ewwwww! He says he likes them around because they help control our squirrel population, but lately we've seen bunches of squirrels so apparently this resident snake was a lazy one. So, hubby kills the snake. Finally, my hero again! I'd rather have a yard full of squirrels any day!

Later y'all!
amy

Getting Back to Farm Life

Hey y'all! Thought I'd give a re-cap of my week, but since it involves quite a bit of info, I decided I'd write it in list form.

1. Monday- deals day- Thanks to my hubby buying a Sunday paper for the 1st time in months I decided to buy a few groceries with coupons and the BOGO deals. (thanks hunny, I think) I had to split my transaction at Winn Dixie to utilize my coupons best. CONFUSING! Much Respect to you extreme couponers out there! But I did score some great deals! So maybe I'll get back into it just a little! ;)   

2. Also decided to buy myself a cowboy hat to wear to the BamaJam Music Fest next week. I've never been a hat girl. They just don't look cute on me. I brilliantly decided that the reason the cowgirl hats didn't look cute was because they are made small and I have a big head. (no, it's not from ego) So I bought a men's cowboy hat that looks just like the girl's version. I thought it looked pretty darn cute. My 16 yr old daughter laughed hysterically, my son said it looked pretty cute and my hubby said uh-uh. SO, I will carry on and get a few more opinions.... from OUTSIDE my family! 

3. If you've followed this blog or my many facebook pages, then you know that I am on a mission to get back to the "farm life". I miss it terribly and don't like that my children live in the South and haven't had as much experience with all things southern like I was able to while growing up. SO, we will be a pea picking, clothesline hanging, chicken raisin', gather our own eggs, crafting, cookin' southern recipes family before summer is over. I did go pick a bucket of peas by myself the other day. Boy, forgot what a job that was! But loved it! Kids get ready- goin pea-pickin and then shellin' em!

4.This week was also my 3rd week on the Visalus 90 Day Challenge. I must say, I am usually pretty skeptical about most things, especially when it involves having enough will power to stick to something long enough to lose any weight. I AM REALLY IMPRESSED with this stuff y'all. I am still loving my 2 shakes per day. I actually look forward to them! Can't wait to post some results for you in a week or so!! I feel amazing! You owe it to yourself to check this product out! www.amyeholley.bodybyvi.com

5. AND last but not least, will update you on my brain activity. I have been trying SO hard to just concentrate on 1 or 2 things, especially since I'm so far behind in EVERYTHING! But, I'm not having very much success with that. Just when I thought I may could just do 1 or 2 things, new ideas pop in. Someone please create a pill to fix that! So here's my new list of things I want to do... all at once of course: So.Belle Mag, bring jody mag back (website first, maybe print later), this blog of course (new site coming soon- going to be SO CUTE & have giveaways!), creating a "southern life" for my family (including some house improvements and redecorating projects), some crafts, my online shop (& maybe open a small store back up), write more (my book and a couple of e-booklets), read more, paint some furniture to re-sell and build my Visalus Challenge team! I know right- WHEW! Just can't seem to tear myself away from that Wonder Woman title. Even tho I know I'm not, still tryin' for it!

Yep, that's a fluffy Wonder Woman, cause I'm fluffy! 


Enjoy your weekend!
amy

Things are getting interesting......

Hey y'all, guess what? This past week had some pretty great surprises for me! And yep, I must share. It involves a concert, a photo shoot, a surprise phone call and a shift in moods. Let me explain. I have still been on an emotional roller coaster lately, still trying to figure out my ever pressing big question of "what I want to be when I grow up". My brain is tired of thinking. Do they make an idea shut off medicine? Anyway, I've pretty much decided and now to get to work...... on Southern Belle Magazine and this blog. 


You get to be the first to hear that Southern Belle Magazine has some exciting projects in the works. One of the new features will be giveaways & contests. Prizes for you!! Yay! We'll also be having our own you-tube channel!! It will feature videos that YOU will LOVE! Tutorials on fashion, beauty and recipes and all things southern videos such as home decor ideas and places to visit and/or shop. I am so stinkin' excited to play with this! Welllll, other than the fact that I've just recently started trying to lose weight so my 1st several hosting videos will be me in all my fluffy glory. But hey, guess you'll get to see my transformation first hand.

Next, as for this blog... I will be switching it over to a wordpress site and it is going to be SO CUTE! I'll also be adding giveaways to this site too! AND, IF you all are interested, we might just start up The Southern Wives Club. Whatcha think? 

As for my week's surprises.... my 16 yr. old daughter is a huge Justin Beiber fan. Ok, yes, I'll admit it, I like him too and so does my 24 year old daughter. His upcoming tour will bring him to two cities near us: Atlanta and Birmingham so of course she's been bugging me to get tickets. She thought they went on sale on Saturday but then realized around lunchtime on Friday that the tickets were already on sale. I just KNEW we had probably missed out since tickets went on sale at 10 a.m. and his concerts sell out pretty fast. But, good mama that I am, went online and luckily there were some nose bleed seats left in both cities. We chose Birmingham and so in January 2013, I'll be taking my girls to see the Beibs and listen to them and thousands of other screaming girls for 2 hours. Makin' Memories..... gotta love it.

Next news- I get to be in my first photo shoot!! It's for a plus size boutique in Panama City Beach, FL and I am super excited. I normally don't like to have my photo taken but this will be fun! Who knows, maybe I can even score a free outfit from it. When I told my hubby I was going to be in a photo shoot, he said "what? one you're putting on?" Very funny.

Surprise Phone Call.... well, I can't say much about that. I can say that it was from another magazine wanting to have me in their next issue!!!!! And no, I didn't solicit them. Bet that's what you were thinking. Nope, they actually contacted me! My youngest says, "wow, you're gonna be famous".  (insert huge LOL here) But it is very exciting! Forward motion toward the future. Soon to be a household name! lol, well, maybe not me but hopefully Southern Belle Mag.

I've talked yer ear off so I'll shut it up now. Will update tomorrow on my 90 day challenge!!!


Until then,
amy

The 90 Day Challenge-Week 1 Review

It's been a while, hasn't it? Sorry! Took some time to make a few beach trips before it got too hot here in South Alabama. Unfortunately that put me behind in more work than blogging. But never fear! Back on track so Southern Belle Mag will get a full update, BamaJam plans will proceed, blogging will commence and just maybe, I'll open my store.


In other news, I simply MUST tell you about my latest venture! Nine days ago I started the Body by Vi 90 day Challenge. What is that, you ask? Why, thanks for asking! Let me fill you in! This is a weight loss/fitness challenge via Visalus, the new company I just signed on with. It basically consists of replacing 1 to 2 meals per day with a shake made from their "shake mix that tastes like cake mix".  100's of shake recipes can be made with this shake mix base. And guess what? They really ARE yummy! 

I admit, I was very skeptical at first. My friend was signing up and had a challenge party in which we could taste the product. I am EXTREMELY picky with tastes so I didn't get my hopes up. But it delivered! I actually love them! Secondly, I was doubting that they would do the trick. I literally have no will power and munch a lot, especially late at night while I'm working. (I type that as I'm munching on popcorn.) I was told that if I didn't want to, I didn't have to change what I was eating OR exercise and I could still lose weight/inches. Excuse me? Ever heard of "if it's too good to be true, then it must not be true"? Apparently, this health shake whips your body back into shape by whipping your body's functions back in line with the way they are supposed to work. It is designed to burn fat while building lean muscle. It's supposed to help with suppressing your appetite and give more energy. I was told that once the product was in my system that I would no longer crave the bad foods such as sweets and would want to actually eat healthier. Too Good To Be TRUE, right?! 


So what's my verdict?
Well, IT DOES WORK! I am 42 years old and need to lose over 100 lbs. I love the taste of the shakes. 
During my first 3-4 days I was already noticing a difference- no not weight loss- a bit too soon to check that. But, I could tell that I wasn't craving my M&M's, I was snacking but not in the usual quantities and I seem to be getting full faster when I do eat. I have tried several flavors and now actually look forward to shake time. I have only exercised (walked) twice over the past 8 days, and even though I am adding more water, I have not altered my diet.
I did lose 2 lbs over the first 7 days but am waiting to do new measurements after the 2nd week. I do know that I'm feeling better and I don't feel like I'm depriving myself so it doesn't feel like a diet, which is awesome! 

The other things I need to mention are the ingredients needed for the shakes and the cost. Yes, the shake mix can be mixed in just water alone. It tastes perfectly fine that way- just not as yummy of course. You could also add fruit to the water based shake. Water based obviously is best if you have any problems with dairy products, because most people (including myself) prefer mixing it with a milk base. You can choose a low-fat or skim milk or the Silk brand milks. A lot of us are using the Silk Almond milk in original, vanilla or dark chocolate.  We also add in frozen/fresh fruit, cookies, peanut butter, pretty much anything you'd like to flavor. You can also use the jello pudding mixes and add in a spoonful. As for cost, it is $49 to do 2 shakes per day for 15 days or 1 shake per day for a month. Or you can do 2 shakes per day for a month for $99. I personally don't think that's too expensive. I'm replacing meals, so what I would have spent on eating lunch most days covers my 2 shakes. But, we all like to have friends lose weight with us to make it more fun and hold us accountable so if you get 3 friends to sign on with you, then you can get your shake kit for free. As long as you have 3, yours is free. Can't beat that! So yes, the kit and milk and ingredients add up, but well worth it. Especially when you do consider you're not paying a gym fee, you're not paying for lunch out every day and you can cut back on a portion of the groceries that you personally won't need. 


So, my review of my 1st week on Visalus is a double thumbs up! If you want an easy way to lose weight/inches/sizes.... then this is the way to go!
Here's one of the 100's of recipes you could try:

Want more information? You can go to my website and check out videos and read more. www.amyeholley.bodybyvi.com  or leave your email in the comment section and I'd be happy to send you some more info. My email is: holley4jody@aol.com if you prefer to contact me that way.
Let's do this!

Amy