Sometimes when I’m blogging, I wonder if anybody’s out there reading it. And I found out that there is…yay me! One of my international listeners from the U.K., Chris Turner, thought the food pictures on my blog looked so yummy that he decided to make them himself! So he copied the guacamole & chips recipe from my blog a couple of weeks ago and here are the results!
Here’s what Chris had to say: ‘Saturday saw me try out the Guacamole and corn chips! Errm, YUM!!! I added the tomato into the guacamole mix. Now, I dont normally like raw tomato – however it was good in this. The best guacamole I’ve ever had. The chips turned out good too! It wasn’t all healthy though as plenty of cheese topped off my beef enchiladas – but it was all lovely! Thanks for the tip!’
Well you are quite welcome Chris! Thanks for always listening and checking out my Weight Loss Blog. Here are more pictures of some of the foods I’ve been eating lately. Maybe they’ll influence more people to try the recipes!
Those were actually leftovers from dinner with my best friends last weekend…baked chicken with mac & cheese and creamed spinach.
More leftovers from my best friends’ visit. Store bought chicken salad with pita chips.
My co-worker Wendy hipped me to those 100 calorie bars of chocolate. Of course, I can never eat just one
I believe those ice cream bars are also only 100 calories and they’re from Weight Watchers. I bought them at the grocery store.
I’m a big fan of omelettes, so it’s one of my favorite breakfasts. That one’s filled with onions, green bell peppers, cheese and topped with avocado.
I don’t normally buy orange juice, but it was left over from my best friends’ visit. Can’t let it go to waste! I mean, I like it…I just don’t buy it.
That’s an organic spinach pizza. The day I ate it, I had a couple of slices for lunch, then a couple more for dinner.
And that’s more of the soft tacos that you’ve seen on here before…chicken, cilantro, onions, cheese & avocado. I look at those meals and don’t see unhealthy meals, but I also don’t see enough green leafy veggies. And I really need those…not only because they’re healthy, but because they help with my anemia. I really have to work harder to incorporate them into my eating.
I’ve still been working out with my trainer twice a week. In fact, tomorrow he’s gonna measure my body fat. Can’t wait to find out if I’ve made improvements! I haven’t been weighing myself. I just wanna get to the point where I feel my body’s at it’s healthiest. Whatever weight and size that is, that’ll be my goal. And I know it seems that I’m obsessed with losing weight, but I’m not. I just have to make this one of my top priorities until I’m at my healthiest. So bare with me and stick with me! Bookmark this blog and check back daily on my journey to get into a bikini by the 4th of July! Love ya…
I have to send a big shout to my friend J. Travis, Zach Hyman and everyone at New York Health & Racquet Club! They found out about my goal of getting into a bikini by the 4th of July and wanted to help me reach that goal! So this past Thursday, I paid them a visit to get the ball rolling.
The 1st step was to talk to Zach about my goals, assess my current health situation and get me on a workout plan. In the picture above, I’m holding a machine that measures body fat percentage. I’ve never seen a machine like this, so I was blown away that it could measure my body fat just by me holding it!
And there’s the truth right there…although I lost 30 pounds on my weight loss journey last year, I still have a long way to go in getting my health to it’s optimal level. My current body fat percentage is double what it should be. And although my goal is to get into a bikini by the 4th of July, the true reason for my weight loss journey is to become as healthy as I possibly can. But setting a goal like getting into a bikini by a certain time helps keep me focused on weight loss in a certain time frame…just another way to keep me motivated. Zach figures that if I work out at least 4 times a week, I could lose around 81 pounds of fat in 170 days. He says that he’s more focused on fat loss for me than actual pounds. He also says that by the end of the 170 days, I could lose around 27.5 % of body fat.
Next up, I took a BEFORE picture. As you can see, I’ve lost weight since last year, but I’ve still got lots of work ahead of me. You’ll be seeing this picture quite a bit over the next 6 months or so because I’ll be posting it next to pictures of my weight loss progress. I’ll probably take a new picture once a month or so. I’ll be working out with a trainer twice a week.
Aside from training, I’ll also be taking part in New York Health & Racquet Club’s numerous group classes like spinning, Pilates, boot camp and yoga. I’m also super excited to learn how to play racquetball!
For more info on New York Health & Racquet Club, click below…
Since I work out there almost every weekday, I strongly recommend the New York Health & Racquet Club! With my goal being to get into and look good in a bikini by the 4th of July, New York Health & Racquet Club is playing a big part in me working towards that goal. But more importantly, New York Health & Racquet Club is playing a big part in improving my health. Here’s a little from the About section of their website:
The New York Health & Racquet Club (NYHRC) is ready to fuel your energy, feed your need to break a sweat, get your heart racing, and your blood pumping. Bring out the competitor in you. Find the athlete in you. This is a place that urges you to do your best while embracing who you already are.
Jump in the ring and master your boxing skills. Imagine you’re swimming laps at the Olympics. Take up martial arts. Work out with tri-athletes and fitness professionals. Or kayak in the Hudson River. At NYHRC, it’s all about what you want. After all, your workout should reflect your interests, goals and lifestyle. We’re not here to count repetitions and sets, our goal is to educate and guide you. Our trainers will keep you motivated. They’ll ensure that your workouts are safe, fun, interesting and challenging.
As a NYHRC member, you get to enjoy over 500 weekly exercise classes, 12 types of yoga and 13 kinds of massages. Not to mention strength training and Pilates as well as personal training and nutrition guidance. Into volleyball? Our summer beach club is the perfect place to play in the sand. You can even play on the tennis court or just relax while sun bathing out on the sundeck. How about letting loose aboard our 75-foot yacht?
Whether you’re looking for a tough workout or you want to relax in the sauna, we understand that everyone’s unique. That’s why our “total approach” to health and fitness will empower you to decide what tools are best for you to achieve the results you seek. After all, one size doesn’t fit all. So feel free to pick and choose.
They’ve got 11 locations located on Manhattan and Long Island. Click below for their website and more details!
That’s the profile pic I have up right now on my Facebook page. One of my FB friends recently commented that he thought my skin looked really pretty. I was so excited that he noticed because I take special care to make sure that my skin is healthy & smooth! Now don’t get me wrong, I have my acne moments. Sometimes it’s because I don’t properly remove my makeup and other times it’s hormonal. But I do my best to fight the acne. I’m on a serious budget right now, so I haven’t been getting my normal facials every couple of months or so. But I use something that’s almost just as good…
The Clarisonic Brush. My Esthetician first recommended this brush to me a couple of years ago and I’ve been using it ever since. I swear by this thing! I use it on my face everyday and it’s made my skin fabulous! I’m not getting paid to endorse this product or anything, but I wanted to share it with you because it’s made such a wonderful difference in my skin’s health. My best friends have even discovered it. When I was in Houston over the Holidays, one of my best friends brought her brush out to show us. I told her that I’ve been using it for a couple of years already. And since we both ranted about the brush, my other best friend went out and bought her own! I even gave one to my sister as a birthday gift. This brush does wonders for the skin! It cleans much deeper than just washing your face regularly and it helps close the pores to make your skin look and feel much smoother. You should use it twice a day, but it does wonders even if you use it just once a day. That’s part of my facial skincare regimen. This next product is part of my skincare regimen for the rest of my body…
Vaseline Cocoa Butter Vitalizing Gel Body Oil. When I use it, I don’t towel off the water. I put this gel body oil on immediately after a shower or bath to lock in the moisture. I’ll often follow that up with cocoa butter lotion or cocoa body butter. There are so many gels and oils that will also do the trick, but this is one I’ve been using for the last few months and really like a lot. Again, another product that I’m not getting paid to endorse…but I love the difference in how much softer my skin feels when I use it. You have to also keep in mind a product’s ingredients. You don’t want to use a product that may have ingredients you’re allergic to or that may have ingredients that you don’t deem natural enough to put on or in your body. In which case, you’ll want to consult a doctor or use a natural product with similar results from a health store. Using this body gel is a fairly easy way of helping your skin look and feel healthier. If you really want to do some serious work, here’s another tip…
Another Esthetician I used years ago gave me some good advice. She told me to…
(1) Start with a loofah sponge and rub it all over my body to get rid of dead skin cells.
(2) Then use a body brush to smooth it all away.
(3) Run a really hot bath…as hot as you can stand it. (This is important because hot water opens up the skin’s pores.)
(4) Soak in the hot water for a while to open your pores, then clean your skin as you would normally do while taking a bath. Because the really hot water opens your pores, your skin gets a deeper cleanse.
(5) Let the bath water empty out.
(6) Then turn the shower on and wash off with extremely cold water…as cold as you can stand. (This is important because cold water closes the skin’s pores, making the skin feel and look smoother.)
(7) Once you’ve finished showering in cold water, don’t towel dry. Use the body oil or gel of your choice on your skin to lock in the moisture.
(8) Finish up the regimen by applying some sort of lotion, body butter or moisturizer of your choice to your skin.
And that’s it! If you do this on a regular basis, your skin will be beautiful! The skin is the largest organ on our bodies, and many of us don’t give it the care that it deserves. Healthy skin is so important to not only good health, but to looking youthful and vibrant. You know my goal is to get into (and look good) in a bikini by the 4th of July, so healthy-looking skin is an absolute must for me where that goal is concerned. If you have any great skincare regimens, please share them with me in the comments section. And remember 2010 is OUR year!
I’ve blogged about & reported on American Idol for years on Z100 New York’s website under the name “The American Idol Diva”. In fact, you can probably still find some of my “Idol Diva Chats” on iTunes podcasts. Now I’m bringing my Idol reporting & blogging to The Shelley Wade Treatment website. Just as I did before, I’ll be blogging my thoughts on the latest American Idol episodes and happenings. I’ll also be bringing my American Idol chats to the Treatment…getting together with various Idol addicts and debating about our fav Idol contestants! I relate to American Idol so much because I grew up singing and performing in talent shows, so the experience is familiar to me. So be sure to bookmark this blog and check back daily for the latest Idol news, the “American Idol Gets The Shelley Wade Treatment” blog, “The Shelley Wade Treatment American Idol Chats” and everything else Idol! Let’s get started with last night’s season premiere…
And there you have it, the new lineup of American Idol’s key players. Ellen Degeneres looks good with the crew and fits right in. However, we won’t get to see her on the show until after the auditions when the contestants get to Hollywood Week around the 2nd week of February. Speaking of the auditions…
Day 1
Season 9 kicked of in Boston on a rainy day with a crowd of 9,000!
Victoria Beckham was this season’s 1st guest judge. She joined Simon, Randy & Kara for Days 1 & 2 in Boston. We’ll also get to see Posh later on during the Denver auditions February 2nd. As usual, Victoria was impeccably dressed. As a former Spice Girl, I think she was a good choice as guest judge. After all, she went through her fair share of auditions before becoming famous. But she was a bit quiet at some points during the auditions, then outspoken at other points. And she and Kara DioGuardi struck a nice girlie bond…even more so than Kara and Paula did. Btw, I did miss seeing Paula Abdul on Idol last night and waiting at the edge of my seat for what whacky, incomprehensible nonsense would come out of her mouth! Lol. But I’m super-excited that she’s coming back to be by Simon Cowell’s side next year as a judge on his new American version of “X Factor”!
Of course, the show consisted of more non-talented, delusional jokesters than actual talented singers. I’ll highlight a couple of them, but I’ll give more time to the ones who actually scored the Golden Ticket to Hollywood. Be on the lookout for…
Maddy Curtis, A 16-year-old high school student from Bluemont, Virginia. As usual, Idol always highlights a few contestants with sob stories. One of 9 kids, Maddy was the 1st of the contestants with sob stories. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think that having Down Syndrome is a sob story…but pointing out that Maddy has several siblings with Down Syndrome was definitely meant to tug at the heartstrings. Maddy sang “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen. She was a little nervous, but had a beautiful, strong, adult-like voice…perfect for singing folk music in my opinion. She seems like a sweet girl. She got the golden ticket and she’s going to Hollywood!
Jennifer Hirsh is a 22-year-old Receptionist from Manhattan. She sang a jazzy, scatty rendition of “Ding Dong The Wicked Witch Is Dead”. She got the golden ticket and she’s going to Hollywood!
Claire Fuller is a 23-year-old college student from Philadelphia. She sang “To Be With You” by Mr. Big. She got the golden ticket and she’s going to Hollywood!
Jess Wolfe is a 24-year old Booking Agent from Brooklyn. She sang “People Get Ready” by The Impressions…covered by countless artists, including Curtis Mayfield and Jeff Beck & Rod Stewart. She got the golden ticket and she’s going to Hollywood!
Amadeo Diricco is a 28-year-old married guy from Johnston, Rhode Island. They showed his big family that gets together every week for huge Italian feasts…The food looked so good! He sang “Oochie Coochie Man” by Muddy Waters. I was not expecting that bluesy voice from him! Good voice though. He was a little shaky with some notes, but has potential. He stands out with a personality that’s brighter than his voice. He got the golden ticket and he’s going to Hollywood…the 1st guy to get through during the Boston auditions!
Luke Shaffer is a 24-year-old Waiter from NYC. He did a great job singing “Fall For You” by Secondhand Seranade. He’s kinda cute and I’m sure will be a hit with the ladies this season! He got the golden ticket and he’s going to Hollywood!
Benjamin Bright is a 25-year-old Elementary School Music Teacher from Rome, New York. I’m so happy that he did well because normally when Music Teachers or Vocal Coaches audition on Idol, they’re just terrible! I’m so happy he redeemed the profession, lol! He has a nice, naturally lovely voice. He got the golden ticket and he’s going to Hollywood!
Andrew Fenlon Is a 25-year-old unemployed musician from Boston. He didn’t get a golden ticket, but because of his bad attitude, I thought I’d share his audition with you just for more laughs! Funny thing about it, he actually didn’t sound like he had a bad voice…he just didn’t put enough effort into the audition. Kara hated him and told him she didn’t like him or his attitude. To me, he was just being rude to make himself stand out. Simon called it bad energy, but of course Simon liked him because they have similar personalities, lol! Anyway, Kara seemed like she hated him more than she hated Bikini Girl last season! Here’s the audition:
Ashley Rodriguez is a 21-year-old college student from Boston. She sang “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys. She’s got a really nice voice with lots of soul. She’s also really pretty. Simon said to her, ‘Some people have got it and I think you may have it.’ She was the 1st contestant that I thought could actually win the title of American Idol at that very moment. Needless to say, she got the golden ticket and is going to Hollywood!
Tyler Grady is a 19-year-old Drummer from Nazareth, Pennsylvania. Right away, Tyler seemed like a complete hot mess to me, lol! The fact that he climbed a tree, fell out, shattered both wrists AND he’s a drummer…made me feel like dude is just high on drugs and his audition is gonna be a nightmare! But that’s why you shouldn’t judge someone from appearance alone. He sang “Let’s Get It On” by Marvin Gaye and just had the ladies swooning! He wasn’t that bad! I mean, his voice wasn’t amazing, but he could hold a note and he’s got something about him that stands out. He wants to move from behind the drum set and become a frontman. Well he’s on his way because he got the golden ticket and his headed to Hollywood!
Day 2
Lisa Olivero is a 24-year-old Waitress from Billerica, Massachusetts. She had so much confidence and said she thinks she’s better than most of the people on Idol when she watches, so I just knew this girl was gonna be sangin’! Not so much! Lol. She sounded terrible! She had a shaky voice and hit some really bad notes when she sang “Vision Of Love” by Mariah Carey. Needless to say, she did not get the golden ticket to Hollywood. But when she walked out with that sexy walk, tight outfit and hot body, Randy Jackson’s mouth flew wide open! He said, ‘On second thought!’ Victoria and Simon’s mouths were wide open too! It was waaaaay too hilarious! But sexy or not, she did not have talent.
Mike Davis is an 18-year-old Actor from Boston. He’s currently an actor on a speedboat called Codzilla, Lol! He sang “Yesterday” by The Beatles. He’s got a really pretty voice and he’s likeable. Simon commented that he’s confident without being obnoxious. Kara loved him, Simon said yes, but Randy surprisingly said no. After Simon and Randy rudely got up and left because they wanted a break, the ladies said yes and Mike is going to Hollywood!
Katy Stevens is a 16-year-old high school student from Middlebury, Connecticut. She’s from a big Portuguese family and hers was the second sob story of the night because her Grandmother has Alzheimer’s. Katy did the obligatory performance of “At Last” during her audition. The difference? She sounded better than most people we’ve heard do it! Her voice is very strong for a 16-year-old. She definitely has a gift. Needless to say, she got the golden ticket and his headed to Hollywood!
Joshua Blaylock is a 28-year-old Business Development Manager from NYC. He, like Amadeo, is at the last chance age to audition for Idol. He came across as the obligatory Country Music star of the bunch. He’s got a really nice voice, but the judges thought he was too nice and should be more assertive. Because of that and because Simon thought his voice sounded younger than his age, Simon said no at first, but then changed his mind. In fact, all of the judges ended up saying yes and Joshua’s going to Hollywood! Btw, I think it’s just awful when nice people are shunned for being nice. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being nice. In fact, it’s the ways we all should be. I hate that our society rewards people for being mean, rude and nasty. Alright, off my soapbox now
Justin Williams is a 27-year-old Vocal Coach from Sandy, Utah. He had the 3rd sob story of the night because he got cancer. To be clear, I say sob story because these stories highlight these contestants and make us feel closer to them than other contestants we don’t know much about. Justin is very goodlooking. He did a nice rendition of “Feeling Good”. He’s got a nice, smooth, soothing voice. Kara said that she’s gonna remember him…he’s going to Hollywood!
Norberto Guerrero is an 18-year-old Actor/Retail worker from Reading, Pennsylvania. He sang “Everytime We Touch” by Cascada. His voice was extremely weak. At first I thought it was weak because he was nervous, but more likely it’s because he really can’t sing and shouldn’t have been allowed to audition! Lol! His hair is extremely bad…So 80s hair band! And he had the nerve to say that he’s gonna be the next American Idol and is gonna inspire people like Michael Jackson inspired him! Simon put it best when he hilariously said that Norberto sings like a 3-year-old girl, dresses like Letoya Jackson and has a beard…the whole thing was just too weird. Needless to say, he did not get the golden ticket.
Bosa Mora is a 22-year-old College Graduate from Columbus, Ohio. His parents are from Nigeria, but met here in the States while attending school. Bosa is part of a big family and has 6 sisters and 1 brother. He has talent, but the judges didn’t think he was charismatic enough. Simon thought he was good, but boring. Victoria gave Simon a tongue lashing for being rude and then said yes to Bosa’s audition. Kara and Randy also said yes, so he’s going to Hollywood! As far as his charisma, I personally feel that Bosa could have that Seal appeal with an image and style upgrade. Btw, I mean the singer Seal, not the animal
And finally, Leah Laurenti Is a 22-year-old from Medford, Long Island, who’s unemployed. Leah had strict parents and a sheltered childhood. She couldn’t listen to secular music. She sang “Blue Skies” and was a little nervous at first, but eventually got her confidence and sounded strong and beautiful. She was soulful and jazzy at the same time. She’s going to Hollywood!
In all, 32 hopefuls from the Boston auditions are going to Hollywood. Wish I would have seen Antoine’s audition at the end where all judges but Simon said yes. He sounded like he had a powerful voice, but they only showed the part of the audition where the judges spoke. He’s going to Hollywood though, so I’ll get to hear him there. On tap for tonight’s Idol? The Atlanta auditions featuring Mary J. Blige! Remember, be sure to bookmark my blog and check back daily for all things Idol on The Shelley Wade Treatment!
I was stopped at a red light late last night when all of a sudden, a taxi SLAMMED into the back of my car! I spent two hours standing outside dealing with that drama…taking pictures of the accident scene, talking to the idiot driver, getting all of his info, calling 911 & filing a police report. Needless to say, I’m pretty irritated that much of my day will be spent getting my car towed to the dealership, getting a rental car & calling the insurance company. So anyway, wanted to blog to you before I got caught up in all that.
I’m on Day 2 of the detox/cleanse that I told you about yesterday. Here’s what my day of eating looked like yesterday…
Had a bowl of high fiber cereal with raisins & sweetened with organic cane sugar, which is healthier for you than regular white sugar.
For a snack, I had half a grapefruit.
Lunch was really yummy. I browned some ground turkey meat, sauteed some onions, red peppers & mushrooms, then ate it all in lettuce wraps.
Dinner was also yummy. I made a 3-egg omelette filled with the leftover ground turkey, pepper/onion/mushroom mixture and reduced fat shredded cheese.
Of course, I drank lots of water all day. Will I get into a Bikini By The 4th (Of July)? That’s my goal. Be sure to check back with me tomorrow to follow my weight loss journey. Lots of love…
