My Top 5 Fall Favorites

Tracy's Top 5 Fall Faves

Anyone who knows me well can tell you that my FAVORITE time of the year is fall (autumn for you fancy types). I love fall and all of the wonderful things it brings to life. Just makes my heart sing!

#1 Football

One guess who my favorite team is... Just as long as we don't talk about the shameful season they're having so far, you and I can still remain friends. *side-eye*

#2 Fabulous Fall Mornings

Even though it has to get well into the season for us to enjoy this perk in Houston, there's nothing like walking out into a cool, crisp fall morning to get you in the mood for a productive day!

#3 Soups On!

This is a new fave for me. Although I've always enjoyed eating soup, certain ones, like this lovely potato soup (Courtesy of hungry-girl.com) are fast becoming a part of my personal fall diet. I just have to make more effort to lighten up those good ole creamy ones, lest those pesky calories derail me and all my efforts.

#4 All Things Apple

I know that pumpkin is the new "IT" flavor for fall, but my allegiance goes to the awesome apple. I'm having a ball exploring all the amazing fall apple recipes on Pinterest. It's my number one hangout right now. As much as I love this juicy, delicious fruit, you can best believe I'll be trying my hand at almost all of 'em. Can't you just smell that sweet, cinnamony goodness right now? (picture courtesy of liveinthenow.com)

#5 Starbucks Fall Flavors

Yes, please! Mug me with one of those wonderful, hot, delicious Starbucks fall-flavored lattes, mochas, or macchiatos any day and we'll be fast friends. Sipping one of these babies on a crisp fall morning just makes me smile all over. But if I had to choose my star player, it would be... SALTED CARAMEL MOCHA. Yumminess squared!

*Fitness Journey Update*

It's been a while since I posted any updates about how I'm coming along on my journey toward a more fit me, so here's a quick report. I've reached a personal milestone - sticking to my new exercise regimen of working out 30 minutes/day, five days/week. I've been going strong for two months straight, and I'm so proud of myself! My stamina, energy, and strength are steadily improving and I'm sleeping like a champ all night. 

Since I last reported, I've lost 3 1/2 pounds (now at 258.5). So now I'm taking baby steps toward tweaking my portion control and consuming more water. This is my biggest hurdle, but with some practice and mindful planning, I know I'll start to see even greater progress. I've been so encouraged by reading the e-newsletters I get from BWLW: Black Women Losing Weight. They always feature amazingly inspiring success stories from sisters who are winning in the war on obesity. If you're trying to get your weight under control, I recommend them for their healthy tips and inspirational stories.

By the way, I've set a new target - to be FOXY & FIT by FIFTY! My 50th birthday will be 11/21/16 and this will be my present to myself. So keep me lifted, ladies. I can use the support!

Make use of the comment section and share YOUR fall faves with me, and update me on your own personal journey. We can get better together. :)

Happy Autumn!

Staying the Course

Okay. So last week, I let you in on my non-scale victories. I still feel very accomplished about those. One reason is because I'm seeing the results of consistency in the area of exercise. I'm almost at three full weeks of five 30-minute workouts/week. That's huge for me!

Now my weight... That's another matter.

I'm at 259.8 lbs and have been holding there for about two weeks. I haven't decreased, but more importantly, I haven't increased. I know that my commitment to working out consistently is to be credited for me not actually gaining more weight.

I have to admit, when I peered down at the number on my scale, I was tempted to beat myself up about it. But then I remembered that it's not about perfection, it's about progress. The path I've chosen is to master one fitness area at a time. So once I'm satisfied that my exercise is steady, then I'll focus more on my eating habits.

Because I'm doing it this way, the extra pounds won't fade as quickly, but that's okay. I feel better just knowing that I'm building better habits by taking it one step at a time. Plus, I'm feeling stronger and sleeping better than I have in months and I'm very happy about that!

Here's my encouragement to you this week:

If you're getting discouraged because either you don't see any progress at all or just not enough, don't check out! Staying the course can sometimes seem fruitless while you're doing it, but one thing is for sure. If you stick to the plan God has given you, YOU WILL WIN! Remember, the blessing is not in the steps you take; it's in your obedience to keep taking them.

"And I'm sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."

Philippians 1:6 ESV 

Until next week, stay on the path, my victorious sisters!

Don't Let a Setback Send You Back

Hi There Victorious Sisters!

In this, my latest update on my fitness journey, I talk about the progress I've made so far since BEGINNING AGAIN. Also, I briefly talk about setbacks and what to do when you encounter one. If you're pressing your way toward a change you need to make in your life, expect that there will definitely be times when you may miss the mark. Listen to what happened to me...

Are you on the journey towards a better YOU? Leave me a comment and share your ups, downs, and lessons learned along the way. We'll all get better together!

Beginning Again

Well, I'm back on the trail to better health and fitness. To kick off my NEW beginning today, I was inspired to post this short video. It's a means of accountability for me as I set my efforts and intentions toward achieving my goal weight of 135 pounds before my 50th birthday on November 21, 2016. I've got 17 months to get it done. With the help of the Holy Spirit, I'll get there!

If you've got some "extra baggage" of your own, be it pounds, negativity, bad habits, etc., I invite you to join me on the journey toward being our BEST selves.