Sorry, that whole getting-the-kids-back-to-school completely kicked my ass. But now that the dust has settled somewhat, I'm incredibly excited and energetic--the way I am every fall.
I love summer, but fall--when the heat's not on yet, but the air conditioner is off? Is the best time of the year. And it doesn't hurt that my kids are in school and I can actually get things done.
So here are three ways I'm welcoming fall.
My Diet
I signed up for a free LiveStrong MyPlate account. This is a great site with fabulous free diet tools. As far as I'm concerned, this site leaves Weight Watchers's online tools (which ran really slowly and frequently crashed my laptop) sitting in the road.
LiveStrong offers a lot of important health information--so much that I feel sort of petty bothering them with being pudgy. I mean, hello, the first thing you see when you head to the site is a huge photograph of Lance Armstrong. Way to make me feel shallow, Lance.
But MyPlate has so many useful tools. It helped me figure out how many calories to eat every day in order to lose 1.5 pounds a week. (And mid-life ladies? Do we agree that a measly 1,375 calories a day is not very much food? I thought so.)
I track what I eat every day. I track my so-called workouts. And once or twice a week, I weigh myself and add that information, too.
I'm just geeky enough to sort of enjoy this kind of thing. This helps me tolerate a life of 1,375 calories a day. Which is good, because 1,375 calories = Not Enough Wine.
Also, I've lost six pounds. That helps, too.
My Complexion
Have any of you bought a Clarisonic? I've heard great things from a couple of friends, but I balk at spending $250 for a face scrubbing doo-hickey.
That's why I'm so delighted with the Sephora complexion brush I got in a party goodie bag.
A couple of my friends have popped for the Clarisonic, but I'm analog to their digital. I use a Sonicare on my teeth two or three times a day. At this point, I'm excited about using a tool that doesn't make an annoying high-pitched whining noise.
Believe it or not, this little $5 face brush does the job. I use it morning and night, and it helps bump up the cleansing power of my Murad cleanser. The cleanser rinses off better, too, probably because the brush distributes it more evenly.
I swear, I have a real glow, and my pores look smaller. Not bad for five dollars!
My Closet
I'm either bored with or sick of everything in my closet. On top of that, I have clothes that are size 10, 12, 14, and 16. It's time they went. I deserve to have a closet full of clothes that I like and that fit.
I am in serious purge mode.
This is way more than a change of seasons switch-up. It's like I walked into my bedroom and went all drill sergeant: Listen up, good-enough clothes. You're not. You're The Clothes Formerly Known as Good Enough. And your mama isn't here to help you out. It's time to shape up or ship out. Now drop and give me fifty!
I'm getting rid of an amazing amount of stuff.
I'm starting with the size 16 summer stuff. When I do laundry, I'm folding my summer clothes and putting them in donation bags.
By next summer, I'll be wearing significantly smaller clothes! Either that or I'll be wearing a barrel.
GO, POPPY, GO.
ReplyDeleteApparently, I need the Sephora Complexion Brush.
Good luck and now I am going to check out that site!
ReplyDelete6 pounds lost so far is GREAT!
Keep positive.
WTG Poppy. I'm in phase I of south beach, so we can do this together.
ReplyDeleteI must thank you for the recommendation of the Physician's Formula matte eyeshadow. Smoothes my eyelids out somehow. Good stuff.
I'm purging too, but I'll be darned if I start wearing barrels. Congrats on your weight loss! I may have to find me one of those brushes.
ReplyDeletePurging is good for the soul!
ReplyDeleteI didn't mean that as Bulimic as it sounds.
www.giftoffat.com
That complexion brush looks amazing.
ReplyDeleteI just did a big purge. It make me feel great. Except now I have nothing to wear.
I need to get to that site. I've upped the exercise. Well, not upped it. I just started to do it again. What do you know? It worked. 3 pounds lost in three weeks!
ReplyDeleteA big Woohoo for the 6 pounds!!
Hi Poppisima! does your sonic toothbrush also halt inbetween? ours does and it is so annoying. I think every 30 seconds it does.
ReplyDeleteI use the Shiseido face brush, quasi a cousin of your brush. Maybe I should consider myself being lucky, Clarisonic isn't available in Austria. Even though they started distributing it in the UK.
btw. I quoted your blog on 10 years younger in 30 days - on my blog and during lunch break. Only my boss did not get the point: we don't chose a 15 years-younger-rolemodel for style because we are needy and need to look younger but because it is such fun! That posting had massive impact on me!!
PS: tracking everything one eats helps enormously! It made me aware of what I actually ate. Especially AFTER DINNER, the worst time of the day when it comes to kcal-intake, imho. You surely will lose many more pounds :)
ReplyDeletePPS: Sorry for spamming your comments-section. :-/ But: I checked out the website by now and the calculator is amazing! It shows the fat-intake, compared to the recommended amount per day. thank you for mentioning this website. OVER and OUT
ReplyDeleteI've been using a complexion brush for years. My first one came from Shiseido, a brand I've been using since 1984. But, they are expensive and the Sephora ones work just as well. That extra bit of exfoliation works wonders on the complexion.
ReplyDeleteGreat that you're getting rid of the size 16 stuff. Keeping it just gives you that mental wriggle room. Getting rid of it means that you have no choice but to keep going.
ReplyDeleteAt 1375 calories I say forget the food and focus on the wine.
ReplyDeleteThe Clarisonic is in my Sephora shopping cart but I haven't pulled the trigger on it yet. I need to look into this Sephora Complexion Brush. Thanks for the recommendation.
ReplyDeleteI've been using the Calorie Count website for three months and it's also really cool - sounds similar to this one. I'm also recommended to eat around 1360 calories a day - sometimes it's fine & other times it's not. But I've lost 13 pounds and have also started getting rid of my size 12's & 14's and that feels AWESOME! I love Fall too so where most people get all excited and do Spring cleaning, I do it now so I can make room for all the favorite things I'll soon be able to wear again. You're an inspiration!
ReplyDeleteOh, now I feel silly for buying the Clarisonic when the $5 brush seems to work as well! But I have to say, I do love the Clarisonic. :) I purchased the small one though, so it was a *wee* bit cheaper.
ReplyDeleteYour post inspired me to hop on the food tracking band wagon again. I've been using Spark People off and on for years but I'll check out the site you mentioned as well.
Congrats on the 6 lbs.! :)
What about the white shoes? Are they going into the donation bags too?
ReplyDeleteT.
6 pounds!
ReplyDeleteFantastic.
I did some good old purging this morning.
Poppy- the Clarisonic is the ONE thing I recommend to every single person who I come in contact with working in cosmetics. It changed my skin and therefore changed my life. I actually bought a Sonicare based on what the Clarisonic did for my skin.
ReplyDelete@Paula- the Sonicare stops because you're supposed to spend 30 seconds on each section of your mouth, or so I've heard. Mine doesn't do it because, apparently, I've got the cheap model. :)
(catching up on my Reader, sorry so late)
ReplyDeleteI got the Clarisonic Mia ($150 one with only one speed) and it is PERFECT! Seriously, you have never felt a cleaner face. The $250 bigger one is two speeds and also can be used on the body, but the Sephora lady told me when I got mine that the Mia is perfect if you only need it for your face.
Don't wait a second longer! You will love it :)