A Size NINE????

Well, I've been MIA for the last couple of months. I must admit, my entire weight loss challenge was a bust! Dieting is hard. Really hard. I was losing a little bit, but not like I wanted to lose. Something was terribly wrong, and I couldn't figure out what it was.

HOWEVER, after I attended the Largo High School Alum Black Party, I had a revelation. MY FAT ASS NEEDED TO LOSE WEIGHT! It was just that simple. As much as I love to be in the center of photographs, when I saw those images posted on my Facebook page, I nearly passed out. I wanted to cry. I looked like a beached whale. At least, that's how I felt, although I was told otherwise, that I looked nice, blah, blah, blah. Of course, that's what people are going to say. I mean, really, I did not think anyone would say: "Girl, you've gotten huge, back your ass away from the table!" But, I didn't need anyone to say that to me. I already knew I was overweight.

There's only one person in my life who is not afraid to tell me exactly how it is; she doesn't sugar-coat anything with me, and that's how I prefer it. Her name is Leslie, and she's my sister. She told me as direct as she could: "You need to lose weight, and I do, too."

So, three weeks ago we started the RN's Choice Rapid HCG Fat Loss Program. It is, by far, the EASIEST program I've ever done. Six drops of HCG under the tongue, six times per day, every single day for 23 days. Prior to starting the program, we had to binge for two days. Then, on Day 3, start the program with the drops. And, we decided to use the African Mango dietary supplements as well. We were instructed to step on a scale every single day, right after we empty our bladders. By day 5, we were dropping 1 to 2 pounds a day. Was it the drops or was it the 500 to 800 daily caloric intake and 2 liters of water per day? I don't know, but every single morning Leslie and I are calling each other like giggly schoolgirls, excited about the weight loss. My daily routine was to play dress up in my closet, trying on clothes that I have not been able to wear since 2004. Honey, let me tell you...woooooooooooo!!  For the first time in years, I can wear a size NINE!!!

My mother was one helluva seamstress. Hell, my mother could pin a dress on you in a matter of minutes, and you could walk in that dress all day, and not feel nor see one single pin. My mother was always sewing, and she had a love for suede suits. So, when she died, I kept all of her suede suits--in every single color of the rainbow. LOL  I kept those suits knowing darn well I could not fit them. But, today...yes'sir, I can get into those suits without holding my breath and holding in the stomach!

So, today I am 17 pounds lighter. I don't dare tell anyone how much I weighed when I started, but let's just say I still about 20 to 30 more pounds to go to reach my healthy weight. The only drawback to dieting is you lose everything. I never had any backside to begin with, but now I have absolutely none. I have to buy jeans with pockets with flaps in order to appear that I have a little bootie. I'm the only black woman I know with no ass. BUT, thanks to my daddy, I have dynomite legs. Purchased a really short dress over the weekend. I don't dare bend over...what little tail I have will be exposed. But, I was so excited about my weight loss...oh, and I purchased platform heels. I think they're like 4 or 5 inches. No, I can't walk in them, but I sure can put them on and pose in front of the mirror, in my new dress, which is exactly what I did. See below. Ignore the hair and lack of makeup. I work from home, so I wasn't getting dolled up to take this photo... :-)

Check out the shoes...they are HOT!!

So, now I'm taking a break from the HCG program, and am doing the Six Week Body Makeover, where I'm eating very healthy, every 3 hours. I'm sick and tired of eating! I never thought I'd ever say that, but it's true. I have to make myself go into the kitchen to eat. But, I'll tell you this:

1. I have more energy.
2. I sleep like a baby at night, and through the night.
3. I no longer take naps during the day like a toddler.
4. I've learned how to eat healthy.
5. I miss McDonald's, but I make my own hamburgers using taco mix, and eat them with onions and tomatoes--no bread--and it's delicious.
6. I no longer get winded going from the front door to the mailbox.
7. I simply feel good.
8. I've stopped drinking alcohol. I've learned that when I'm out partying, as long as I have a glass in my hand, even if it's only water, I'm okay! Maybe I'll follow my girlfriend Shari and drink O'Douls.

On January 1, I'll start the HCG again for three weeks. Then, I'll take a break again, and start up again.

Does it work? ABSO-FREAKING-LUTELY!

Chow!

Days 6 and 7...Woohoo!

Hot damn, I did it! I lost weight, y'all! Now, I refuse to get on a scale or else I'll be obsessed with standing on that doggone thing every single day. So, instead, I'm focusing on my clothes. My clothes are a little bit looser. Yeah!

Because of the weight loss, I treated mysefl to a Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich, and boy was it some kind of good, too!

I'm going to keep it going though.

I want to thank you all for your well wishes and words of motivation. For the first time in 7 years, I'm doing something for Jessica, and it is truly a wonderful feeling!

Also, this month I am celebrating my birthday, which will be September 20th. So...

In celebration of my birthday this month, I am offering my novel, "Loving Simone" on Amazon Kindle for $0.99, as my birthday gift to you! Download now and enjoy this five-star read!! You don't have to have a Kindle. You can download the PDF and read it on your computer, too!
http://www.amazon.com/Loving-Simone-ebook/dp/B00318DA00/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1315452814&sr=1-1

Have a wonderful Thursday, and keep eating healthy!

Healthily yours,

Jessica

Days 4 and 5...Just never mind!

In the words of my dear friend Glenda Barlow, JUST NEVER MIND!

Ugh! I'm so disgusted with myself. If my foot could reach back that far, I'd kick my own ass! Okay, so I messed up. See, what had happened was, I was eating crabs (yes, again) and they were so bland without the Old Bay seasoning...so, I simply couldn't enjoy them. I made my mayo concoction. All that doggone mayo and ketchup and hot sauce and vinegar. Oh well...it is what it is...what's done is done...and all that good stuff we say to make ourselves feel better about what we did when we knew we should not have done it in the first place. Yet, I paid the price, dearly, for eating so much of that concoction (oh, it was so good). Let's just say that if I had a twenty-dollar-bill for every trip I made to the bathroom last night, I could pay my electric bill!

I digress...

Today is a new day. As Kirk Franklin puts it: "Even though I hurt, I smile!" Aside from my tiny lapse in judgement, I'm still on track. Today, I will flush with lots of water and veggies. By the way, Happy Labor Day! I plan to barbecue chicken and veggies on the grill today.

But, I must admit. Since I've changed my eating habits, drinking tons of water, and have incorporated a little exercise into my day, I have more energy. I climb into bed at a decent hour—by 11:00 pm—every night, and I'm up by 8:00 a.m. every morning. I can actually feel a change in my body. I feel good.

As I continue on my journey of weight loss, I'm reminded of something my main apple scrapple, Paula Tilghman, is always telling me: "Okay, maintain your focus and you will not fail."

Thanks for following me, and until next time...

Jessica

P.S.  I've added the Please follow me? option, and I would love to see, and would love for everyone else to see, the beautiful faces of those following my crazy self. So, please follow me? Thanks, and much love!

Day 3 of Weight Challenge -- I'm tired of eating!

I am so ready to throw the eggs in the trash. I'm sick of sausage and scrambled eggs. So, this morning, I scrambled eggs with onions, stewed tomatoes and green peppers. A dish my mother used to prepare quite often. It was quite tasty, I must admit.

Lunch--grilled chicken salad.

Exercise--not today. I have to cut the lawn--front, back and sides of the house. That's enough exercise to me!

Dinner--Don't know yet. I had crabs last night--withouth Old Bay Seasoning, which wasn't so bad. But, what was REALLY bad was my not having my concoction of mayo, ketchup, hot sauce and vinegar. It was just plain old crab. Well, at least I know it isn't the crab that sends me to the bathroom, but instead it's my concoction. :-(

I'm hanging in there...

Day 2 of Weight Challenge -- So Far So Good...

Well, not exactly... Okay, I broke down last night. Damn it! See, what had happened was... I went to Shoppers Food Warehouse because I wanted to buy chicken breast, more ground turkey and shrimp and someone put that doggone huge bin of sunflower seeds in my way. I simply could not force myself to walk around or even away from it, so I snatched up a bag of sunflower seeds. Last night, around 10 pm, I ate one handful of seeds. Oh they were so doggone good. But, one handful was good for me. Really good, in fact. I would normally eat the entire bag (and this is no small bag) in one sitting.

Nonetheless, I am back on my grind this morning. I had my breakfast: scrambled eggs and two pieces of sausage. Eventually, I'll get sick of eating that too, so I'll have to find more recipes for breakfast.

Here's the kicker though. I'm meeting my friend Gary for lunch today. I'm so excited because I haven't seen Gary since Shep was a pup, and we have so much to catch up on. Yet, I don't want to eff up again, like I did last night. So, I'll have a salad with grilled chicken and I'll take in my own salad dressing. The best thing about a salad is that I can eat the whole thing and be fine because according to Weight Watchers, veggies/salads (without the croutons) are a big fat ZERO. You can eat as much of that stuff as you want. I know, I'm doing the Six Week Body Makeover, but all of it works the same to me.

Anyway, technically I didn't eat any real food past 7 pm last night, and I felt great. I did not feel hungry at all. In fact, I was tired of eating, but I stuck to the schedule. Lots of water. I drank lots and lots of water. However, though, out of habit the craving to chew kicked in and that's where the sunflower seeds came in. I had a good night's sleep and woke up feeling like I could run a marathon. Um, okay, that's stretching it...

My sister Leslie emailed me a "smack talking" email yesterday. She waged a bet--$5 for every pound I lose, but I have to lose 20 lbs first. Oh boy did she talk some serious smack!

Looking forward to getting back into my clothes again, and also looking forward to no longer feeling my belly on my thighs when I'm sitting down. There, I said it!

Have a great day and remember to eat healthy!

Day 1 - Weight Loss Challenge

Today starts Day 1 of my 20-Day-20-Pound Weight Loss Challenge, and the first day of my no longer being sick and tired of being overweight, because I'm finally doing something about it. The key for me is to STICK WITH IT! You see, I've been down this road before--several times, actually. In 2009, I followed the Six Week Body Makeover for one week and lost 10 pounds. So, this program does work. BUT, once I lost the 10 lbs, I was done putting in the work. A week later, those lost 10 lbs returned, and with it came a new friend—5 lbs.

This time, I'm sticking with it and this is how it all works!

Step 1: Figure out your unique body type. After completing a series of questions that came with the Six Week Body Makeover kit, I learned that I have a Type B body. Learning my body type tells me the kinds of food I can and can't eat. So, here is what it says about my body type:

"As a Body Type B, your body builds and maintains lean muscle tissue relatively easily which is good because muscle is one of the keys to accelerating metabolism and causing weight loss. Unfortunately, your metabolism is still too slow to burn all the calories you eat. So, like a Body Type A, you also need to be very careful to stick to very complex carbs (potatoes, yams, rice, etc.) and stay away from sweet fruits and processed grains and breads.

When it comes to proteins, the best choice for you is lean chicken or turkey breast, shrimp, crab and other seafood. As a Body Type B you would do best to stay away from red meat as it has components which tend to increase muscle sizer and bulk you up. And you are trying to get smaller--not bigger. If you eat the right foods for your body, you'll be able to stop starving, start eating more and lose weight faster than you ever thought possible."

So, with that said, a typical dinner for me could be: Baked Turkey Breast, Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans, and I could lose up to 30 lbs in 6 weeks...guaranteed!

BUT, the key is to consistently feed my metabolism to keep it burning by eating every 2 to 3 hours. This I can do since I work from home. Along with eating so much, the Six Week Body Makeover does give you easy exercises to do. Exercises that I can do, because I hate exercising. I don't even like to walk. But, these exercises I can do as they are strengthening and toning exercises. But, I do have an elliptical machine, so I'll pop in a movie and do my thing on it for a little bit. I do plan to get into a Zumba class though. May even look into a pole dancing class! Hot dang, my new boyfriend (whomever he may be) better watch out, 'cause there will be a pole in the bedroom. (LOL)

So, this morning, I had breakfast at 10:00 am. Yes, I started late. I felt like sleeping in this morning; had a long night working. For breakfast, I ate one scrambled egg (seasoned with pepper only--NO SALT...retains water) and 2 pieces of turkey sausages, followed by gulping down a bottle of water. I feel full and satisfied. I have to eat again at 12:00 pm. I have the turkey thawing. I'm going to have a turkey burger (without the bun) topped with spicy mustard and a tossed salad. I've decided to only eat on a small plate since I have to eat so many meals. The last time I did this program, by 4:00 pm, I was sick and tired of eating!  So, I think the same will happen today. I'll be tired of food by 4:00 pm, but you're suppose to eat up until 7:00 p.m. Do not eat after 7:00 pm, but who in the hell will feel like chewing after eating every 2 to 3 hours? Whew...

Well, the one good thing about this program is that I can still eat my CRABS every Friday. I just can't eat them with my mayo and ketchup concoction. But it's cool...I'll find fat free mayo :-)

Also, as promised, here's my before picture. It's not a good one, as I'm still learning how to take pictures with my phone. Every Friday, I will post a new photo. I'm really excited. Ooh, I feel like dancing!

Stay tuned....

Jessica Tilles, Author, Publisher, Speaker
http://www.jessicatilles.com/
http://www.xpressyourselfpublishing.com/
http://www.twasolutions.com/

Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired

I am so sick and tired of being sick and tired of being overweight. Last Saturday, I boarded the Odyssey Cruise Ship with Peace in Pages Book Club. I had a blast on the boat ride. I drank 20 Mimosas (no, it's not a typo—I had 20). I joined in on the line dances—I love doing the Wobble, and I ate great food!

However, prior to the boat ride, I spent days trying to find something to wear. The theme for the event was Books and Hats. My sister, Leslie, loaned me her cute hot pink polka dotted sundress, with the BIGGEST hot pink straw hat I'd ever seen! Well, somehow, I'd gained weight and Leslie and I are no longer the same size. It must've been from the 4 dozen steamed crabs I would binge on every Friday night. Crabs and a good movie hits the spot!

I was forced to wear the same black dress I wore to my father's funeral on March 1, 2011. It was the ONLY outfit that would fit me. I wasn't too happen about wearing that dress, but Ronlyn, a member of Peace in Pages Book Club, was picking me up in less than 10 minutes. So, I was set...not happy, but I was set to enjoy the boat ride.

Actually, I was not happy at all. I felt HUGE. I only ate one plate of food (a small plate), because I was already feeling fat. Yet, I guzzled down 20 glasses of orange juice and champagne. *deep sigh*

That night, I watched Tyler Perry's "Why Did I Get Married?" The scene with Jill Scott and Lammond Rucker struck a cord with me. Jill's character, Sheila, was complaining about her weight and Lammond's character, Troy, said, "If you don't like how you look, then do something about it." I felt like he was talking to me. I hear you loud and clear, Lammond, with your fine self (had to slip that in there just in case someone forwards him this email).

Tomorrow is September 1, which marks the 20-day countdown to my turning 45. Beginning tomorrow, I will start the 20-Day-20-Pound Weight Loss Challenge using the SixWeekBody Makeover, and I would love for you to experience it with me. Better yet, join in with me! The more weight loss, the merrier!!

I will do something I HAVE NEVER DONE BEFORE. I will post an image, tomorrow, exposing all of my FAT! Each week I will post a new pic showing my progress. My goal is to lose 20 lbs by September 20, my birthday. I'm excited! I will also blog daily about my progress, and all the other good stuff.

So, will you join me?

20-Day-20-Pound Weight Loss Challenge

Tomorrow is September 1, which marks the 20-day countdown to my turning 45. Beginning tomorrow, I will start the SixWeekBody Makeover, and I would love for you to experience it with me. I will do something I HAVE NEVER DONE BEFORE. I will post an image, tomorrow, exposing all of my FAT! Each week I will post a new pic showing my progress. My goal is to have lost 20 lbs by September 20, my birthday. I'm excited!

Every day I will blog on my progress, and would love your support! I still can't believe I'm going to post an image of all my fat, but if this is the only way I will drop the weight, then so be it. Right?

Stay tuned...

The Howard Sisters are Back and Feistier than Ever!

Although it has been 6 years since I published In My Sisters' Corner, the Howard sisters are stepping back on the scene as if it were yesterday, and they haven't missed a beat!

Crossing Sisters is the spin-off of my 2005 best-selling novel, In My Sisters' Corner, and picks up where the original story left off. So, if you're reading me for the first time, and you have not read In My Sisters' Corner, then please read In My Sisters' Corner before you read Crossing Sisters. When writing sequels, I always begin where the last chapter of the previous book left off. And, it isn't often that I'll venture back down memory lane. So, I don't want you to be lost...read In My Sisters' Corner before you read Crossing Sisters.

Book Description:

Although China’s life shattered into a million pieces when her husband of twenty years committed suicide, she continues to annoy Maya, criticizing and indulging in monumental arguments, and spewing her hateful venom. However, when ugly secrets are revealed, China and Maya begin to question their relationship and love for each other.

Free is madly in love with Sam, and is elated to accept his proposal of marriage, despite a devastating loss, and Jade is happily in love with Jon.

The sisters are still at each others’ throats, but will an unexpected trip to Montego Bay and a tragic accident change their lives, their love and their attitude toward each other?

Crossing Sisters is a highly entertaining page-turner from acclaimed author Jessica Tilles that explores the meaning of love and sisterhood through tragic life-changing events.

* * *

I am so ready to speak to the readers about my new book, Crossing Sisters. I am available for book club meetings, events, afternoon tea, or whatever it may be. Feel free to reach out to me directly at jessica@jessicatilles.com. Let's set something up. Let's do this. Let's enjoy the Howard sisters, once again!