Look of the Day: Office Chic

Hello Lovelies!

After a month of doing basically nothing but  recuperating from my back injury, I finally had togo back to work. Here is the look I came up with. I bought many things one sale or by using store coupons.  I like to mix and match my clothing, colors, styles, or textures to create a look that is uniquely mine. Royal blue is trendy this Spring 2013 season and it looks great on anyone. I incorporated it into my look by wearing royal blue pants and a necklace. To make my look even more formal, I could have worn the same color jacket as the pants. However, I didn’t want to create a uniform look. Below is what I came up with :).

Black top: NewYork & Co, $25 (sale)
White Jacket: Marshalls, $24.99
Pants: NewYork & Co, $18 (sale from $39.99)
Scarf: Kohl’s, $24
Shoes: Nine West, $34.99 (sale)
Necklace: NewYork & Co, $24.99 
14K white gold hoop earring crushed diamond: JCP, around $100
 

 

10 pounds lighter

Hello Lovelies!

A quick update for you. I have lost another 5 pounds this week, which means I’ve lost 10 pounds over the last two weeks. I feel great! I’m not starving.. even though my daily caloric intake is about 800 cal. I will visit my doctor on Tuesday to have some blood drawn. This kind of low calorie diet has to be medically supervised. I also will ask my doc about any other supplements that I should take. I already started taking a B-vitamin complex each day, in addition to the medication given by my nutritionist. I will keep you posted about my progress. I need to loose 30 more pounds, maybe more (depending what the doctor says on Tuesday :)). Here is an updated photo for you. 

 

I know it’s mostly my face, but I will post more full length pictures tomorrow in my upcoming fashion/style post. 🙂

 

WEEK 1 Weight Loss Update

Hello Lovelies!

I’m happy to say that I’ve lost 5 pounds and 1.3% of body fat in a week. I didn’t exercise at all due to my back issue. I just ate what was prescribed by my nutritionist. I had 5 small meals each day, very litte carbs, and almost no sugar.  The calorie intake ranged between 700-900 cal a day. If you interested in learning more about my meal plan, please let me know.

Here is an updated picture of me (I just took it and Yes, im wearing a wig).

 

SPRING 2013 FASHION COLOR TRENDS

Spring is one of my most favorite seasons. I look forward to a nice warm weather, blooming flowers, and fun outdoor stuff. I also look forward to new fashion trends, especially color trends. This Spring season color palette is dominated by feminine pastel colors: mint, emerald, nectarine, violet, soft blue, linen, lemon, and lime. Also “sharp” colors such as poppy red and  monaco blue are in STYLE this spring.

 

Another Day, Another Challenge!

Hi There Lovelies!

I’m on Day 3 of my new meal plan. Day 2 was a little challenging. I felt nauseous and weak. I had a headache and almost no appetite. I read somewhere my symptoms could have been the result of a going through carb withdrawal and shouldn’t last longer than a week…A week too long, if you ask me. 😛

I’m happy to say that my “carb withdrawal symptoms” were gone today, on Day 3 of my “diet.” YAY! HURRAY! BYE BYE CARBS! I DON’T NEED YOU!!!:)

That’s enough of my blabber about carb withdrawal :). If you want to know more about it GOOGLE IT :P. Let me now go over my meal plan for DAY 2 and DAY 3.

DAY 2

• Meal 1: Oatmeal (1/2 cup dry) + 5 raisins: 180 cal
• Meal 2: Crunchy Slaw (cabbage, 1/2 red onion, radishes, rice vinegar, black papper, and stevia – do overnight): 40 cal
• Meal 3: Lean Cuisine: Steak Tips Portobello (although I don’t like beef I didn’t mid it): 160 cal
• Meal 4: 10 carrots, tbsp of hummus: 100-150 cal
• Meal 5: Rice cake, 1 oz mozzarella, and tomato: 120 cal (that’s wasn’t a planned meal but I didn’t feel like eating much). What is suppose to eat is Garlic Shrimp Stir-Fry :).
• TOTAL: 600-650 cal

DAY 3

• Meal 1: apple chunks (microwaved), 1/2 cup cottage cheese, cinnamon, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, danish mix or pie fill: 150 cal
• Meal 2: Ginger Vinaigrette Cucumber (cucumbers, red onion, tomatoes, ginger, rice vinegar, water, pepper, little salt; combine all and chill overnight): 30 cal
• Meal 3: Lean Cuisine: Garlic Herb Chicken: 210 cal
• Meal 4: Handful of rasberries and blueberries, celery 1.5 tbsp of 100% natural peanut butter: 170 cal
• Meal 5: Garlic Shrimp Stir-Fry: 130 cal
• TOTAL: 700 CAL

As you can see, my meal plans are calorie restricted. It is wise to consult a doctor before starting such a plan. Also, medical supervision is highly recommended.

 

Laying on my back, praying for change!

Hello Lovelies!

I have no exciting fashion or styling news. I only have HEALTH and DIET NEWS! Since December 26th, I have been pretty much inactive (mostly stayed in bed), due to a protruding (herniated) disc in my lower back. The problem is serious enough that I require disc decompression and therapy. Fortunately, the issue was caught early enough that I might not require surgery. Now, I’ve been going to the chiropractor 3 times a week to get treatment. I already had 7 or 8 visits and who knows how many more I would require. I hope and pray it would get better soon. So far it has been a bumpy 3 weeks. Some days my back feels better and some other days it hurts like HECK!  I’ve noticed that I have the most problems with sitting, so I try to avoid it. No driving for me…not yet.

Back pain is no fun. I can’t exercise yet! It hurts if I make certain moves! What helps  ease the pain is an ice pack and visits to the chiropractor. PLEASE DON’T FEEL SORRY FOR ME!!! NO NEED!!! This “involuntary grounding” makes me realize that health comes before beauty. I feel more peace and more able to reflect on life, faith, friendships, and, of course, my health.

I also saw a nutritionist to adjust my eating habits and to lower my caloric intake in order to promote weight loss. Due to my herniated disc and the pain associated with it, I’m pretty much inactive. My weight has increased over the year, even more so the last month, putting more pressure on my lower back and contributing to my disc protrusion.

The nutritionist put me on a very low carb and calorie “diet” (800-1000 cal/ day) and on weight loss supplements (NutriPex and Carb Blocker XR) to help me burn fat and speed up my metabolism. Since the meal plan is very restrictive, I’m under medical supervision. I don’t suggest this “diet” to anyone without a valid medical reason and without a medical supervision!

I just started this “diet” three days ago. I’m happy to share my meal plan with you. Before I do, let me give you a list of ‘NOT ALLOWED FOOD ITEMS’

• milk (plain or soy)
• sodas
• sugar
• trans fats (margarine or butter)
• simple carbohydrates (pasta, potato, rice)
• mayo
• alcohol, and caffeinated drinks

Below is a Meal Plan List for DAY 1 (I’m proud to say that I stuck to it :))

• Meal 1: Apple and 1 oz cheddar (150 cal)
• Meal 2: Broccoli Salad with Sweet Vinaigrette (~100 cal

• Meal 3: Lean Cuisine- Salomon with Basil (210 cal) – not my favorite 
• Meal 4: Apple and 1 hard-boiled egg (150 cal)
• Meal 5: Chicken sausage (135-150 cal)

TOTAL CALORIE CONSUMED: <800

I have so say that I felt pretty good on DAY 1. I ate constantly but very differently than ever before. I drunk plenty of water–about 3 liters. The supplements helped me control my appetite, so I didn’t feel like snacking. I will post Meal Plan for Day 2 (and my reflections) later today.

Thanks for reading :).