Love, Joleen Photography Blog

Week One | Check In

I was so thrilled with the response to my challenge last week to make your goals and follow them with me for 6 weeks! How did everyone do week one?! I had a great jumpstart! Today was my official weigh in and I've lost 2.6 lbs!

No alcohol. << Easy.

No coffee drinks. << Easy. BUT I will say I am kind of bummed I'm going to miss out on Starbuck's super cute Valentine's LOVE cup! ;) Plus, my gold card just came!! Haha 0_0

No fast food. << This has been surprisingly easy so far. I really just had my first craving today but it's my own fault for not eating on time. I've been packing my lunches for work (My lunch bag typically consists of soup, 2 baby apples, a cheese stick, 2 water bottles, and one other snack like snap pea crisps or crackers. I also keep hummus and baby carrots in the fridge. For nights I close I will eat a balance bar to tide me over until a late/light dinner).

Dessert 2x per week. << I ate dessert like 4 times but I'm not even sweating it. Once I ate a full cupcake my grandma made and the second time I ate HALF a cupcake from work. I bought these little raspberry creme bars from Trader Joes that are delicious! They're only two WW points so I'm thinking if I stick to those I can eat them a few times a week. Or maybe I should stick to the 2x per week goal and stop trying to justify it?

Cardio 3 hours per week. << Did it! Between walking outside and walk/jogging on the treadmill this was easy enough to accomplish. And I feel great!

Strength training 1 hour per week. << Epic FAIL. I only got in about 15 minutes. It was really hard for me to come up with things to do. When I was doing Jazzercise I loved the coregraphed stuff we did but on my own I find it difficult. This week I'm going to break it up to 10 minutes over 6 days. I think it'll be more achievable. Baby steps!

6 Week Jumpstart

If you've been reading for a while you know that several years ago I lost about 45 lbs on Weight Watchers (and Jazzercise). Slowly but surely about 30 lbs of it has crept back on. I absolutely refuse to buy new clothes because one, I'm broke, and two, I happen to like my clothes just fine. So, at the beginning of 2012 I decided to join WW again and gain back my healthier lifestyle. I forked over the $56.85 for 3 months and downloaded the App to my iPhone. But then, I let a few weeks go by like nothing changed. Ugh!

My best friend, Candice, finally convinced me to make a plan and DO IT! She's going to come for my birthday in March so we decided that for the 6 weeks leading up to my birthday we would be uber good! Our official plan is from Feb. 1 - Mar. 15 but even though she said I could finish that bag of chips if I really wanted to (ha!) I ended up starting a couple of days early. I'm still doing WW and counting my points but for six weeks I am adding my own little hardcore plan. It's as follows:

No alcohol.

No coffee drinks.

No fast food.

Dessert 2x per week.

Cardio 3 hours per week.

Strength training 1 hour per week.

I know with WW you can eat whatever you'd like if you count the points but I think having these kind of rules for myself in the short term will be good for me. At the end of the 6 weeks I can always reevaluate and see where I'm at. My grandma and I went for a walk this morning together. I can't believe how gorgeous the weather is here and I hope to be able to spend much more time outside as these nicer days continue! I'll check in with you with an update shortly. ;) If anyone wants to do this with me, let me know!! It's always great to have buddies to help hold each other accountable. ♥

healthy living

the title is ironic because i've been fighting something for the last three days (boo!!).. but i mean eating/exercising wise. ;)
the truth is, between livin' la vida loca and being a complete bum i've managed to let about 30 lbs. creep back on me. with PCOS it's very difficult to lose and maintain weightloss, so i was proud of myself for keeping off the original 45 lbs. i'd lost a few years back for as long as i had. i know that i can do it again. i wasn't about to get to my original high weight! candice introduced me to a very useful website called my fitness pal and i'm hooked. you use it along with whatever diet and exercise plan you're doing to track weightloss and calories, etc. there is also a forum to share stories, get inspiration, and ask questions. never really a fan of fad diets and crazy workouts - i've always been about making lifestyle changes in order to lose weight and keep it off. i've started by keeping a food diary. what a wake up call that alone has been! it's easy to lose track of what you're eating and how much!! after plugging in my current weight and my goal weight the site gave me a recommended calorie intake. between that and some light exercising i have already lost 6 lbs! i have 35 lbs. to lose in order to reach my goal weight.. i'll keep you posted!

in other news, like i mentioned, i've been a little sick. i have some sort of chest congestion and today my head is a little stuffy. i am trying to take it easy and rest when i can. please continue to pray for me and think good thoughts!! i have a 6o hour work week and a couple photo shoots session and i don't want to push myself too hard. thanks! xo 

ps - thanks heather for the new blog banner!

Here I am

Hi friends,

I hope everyone had a lovely Easter holiday last weekend. I just wanted to stop by and say hello. I'm still alive. :) I was sick and now I'm just really busy. This is an incredibly busy month for me. Today the 7th issue of Portals goes to the printer - yay!! If you haven't purchased your copy yet, go here. I also have that secret project I've been working on which I am just about ready to announce. I have a ton of commercial shoots this month. I am putting together a commercial portfolio to pitch to agents this Summer so I am really trying to focus on that. Also, I've made some new friends that I've been getting together with often. I got back into the swing of working out and am now down 36 lbs. (and counting). ;) I am having a great time right now. I'll  be back soon with photos. ;)

xo,
J

Good Things

I basically took all of last week off from "healthy living", consuming way too much food and alcohol and not exercising nearly enough. Yesterday I attempted to "reset", if you will, but it's been hard. I ate right and even entertained the idea of going to workout but an upset stomach and an hour long nap won that battle. I don't think my impulse control issues of last week were the best for me but it sure was fun. I wish right now, though, I could find the reset button and give myself some energy.

In an attempt to motivate myself I tried on swimsuits this weekend. I'm actually excited to buy a suit this year and trying them on did not induce tears (now that's a feat worth celebrating!) The last suit I bought a couple of years ago was Betsey Johnson and I am always attracted to her suits (clothes, jewelry, you name it!). This year I fell in love with a swim "dress".. it's super cute on and perfect for the beach (it can get wet!). I am really loving her bikinis, which actually support Real Boobs, so maybe next year? ;) That is, if I can get my butt movin'... 

Some Other Good Things:
♥  Tutorial by Kerry Lynn at Elle's Studio
♥  Tips for Spring Cleaning Your Closet
♥  50 Easy Ways to Be a Fantastic Parent
♥  These gorgeous Paper Flowers

Hip Hip Horray!

The last few days have been a cause for celebration! My sister, Aimee, had a birthday on Tuesday. Candice and I took her to dinner to celebrate last night at a fun little restaurant/martini bar near me called Infusion. It was good times all around.

Candice has been working in Hawaii (lucky her) the last few weeks so I've missed our weekly horrahs. I know she wanted to stay there but I'm at least glad she's home. ;)

So, back in November, Alex bought me a new website as a Christmas gift. We worked on a lot of the content back then and then life ran away with us. Finally, finally the new website is up! Go take a look and let us know what you think. :) To celebrate the new site and my upcoming birthday we'll be offering uber discounts in the coming months, so stayed tuned for that.

Last but definitely not least in my personal cause for celebration - I have officially lost 30 pounds! Yay! :) I can't say I recommend 3 martinis the night before a weigh in but I had lots of little things to celebrate, right? ;) xo

Hello Love

Hi. Hello. How are you? Me? I'm doing quite well thank you. :) It has been a busy but fun couple of weeks. I'm happy. Can you tell?

A quick flood update: Everything is still torn up but now dry. This week they'll come out and give a quote for the restoration. I'm really looking forward to this being over with. The end.

Alex and I had C + V last weekend while their parents went on a weekend holiday together. Interesting, challenging times to be sure. Saturday night we took a mini break from childcare (they were with a grandparent) to go see Chris Tomlin, my most favorite, favorite Christian artist. The concert was like a giant worship service and it was amazing and wonderful and Good. 

Off and on for the last 5 years I've attended Jazzercise classes. For the last few weeks I've been going once a week. This past Thursday I decided to try a new location. I had no clue where it was and was just following my navigation. I was so pleasantly surprised to find that the building we were in was on the ocean. It is in the Dana Point marina and the two large windows at the front of the room face out to the water. How awesome is that? Needless to say, I signed up for a membership then and there. If Jazzercise inspires images of Richard Simons and 80's music, I encourage you to check out a class. They're fun and current.

Besides Jazzercise I have been walking a lot. A couple of times I've been able to knock out a workout and a few errands by walking in a 6 (or so) mile loop. Friday I walked 3 miles to eat lunch then walked it off on the way home. ;) The biggest thing for me lately has been stretching. I find when I'm able to stretch a few times a day my body and mind feel great. I feel more energized and happy. Maybe it's creating better blood flow? I've lost another 1.5 lbs. bringing me to 28.5 total. :)

I hope you're enjoying your weekend. xo

Why, Hello

Well they say time flies when you're having fun. ;) It's been a busy and great couple of weeks. I've been off enjoying my life which is always nice. I had a wonderful visit with family while in Georgia. Tomorrow I'm going to a scrapbook crop so I'm sure I'll have some related layouts to share. ;) This is a mini book I made for my grandparent's anniversary which we celebrated while I was there:

{click any image to view larger}Here are some highlights since I've been home:
♥ We had some "weather" and then I left for work to see this above my home (wow!):

♥ We enjoyed a day at the beach:

♥ I took C + V to disneyland... which was interesting + challenging. ;) Here is a photo of me and miss C:

Can you believe how old she is already(4)?! It seems like yesterday we were taking these two photos.
♥ V turned 3 years old!

♥ I have officially passed the 25 lb. loss mark.. I have lost 27 lbs total.. and 19 of those since we moved here. :D 27 lbs. = 3 gallons of milk and 8 sticks of butter. Disgusting. I'm glad that's gone. Ha!

♥ I finished my 5th book (goal=30/year) of the year so far. Reviews / feedback coming soon.

Thirteen Point One

You may recall me telling you last Summer about my plans to participate in the Surf City Marathon (the half marathon = 13.1 miles). Candice and I have been training for months and months - it seemed so far away and then all of a sudden it was here. Our goal was not to "race" but to complete it.

Today was just gorgeous - 60 degrees, breezy and sunny, on the beach. What more can you ask for? The energy was electrifying! The people there came in all shapes and sizes and everyone just slightly insane if you ask me! ;) I mean who pays to get up at 5 am and run for goodness sake. ;) There were a couple times during the event the I was moved almost to tears. Taking in the inspiring atmosphere and feeling so grateful for a body and health that could move me so far- it was such a powerful experience and I can see why people get hooked on it.

I didn't win any awards by any means but I have achieved some serious personal goals and I couldn't be prouder with myself. My finish time was 3:08:35 (Pace 14:23). Not bad for a newbie, I reckon. xo

A Change In Luck

Good evening! After five days off I was not looking forward to gettin' back to business today but I've had a great day. It appears I've had a change in luck these last few days and nobody is more thrilled than me! :)

Friday I went to the doctor for a followup appointment and my test results. It turns out I do more than likely have PCOS. At this point it feels good to have some validation and a fertility plan set in motion. I feel very hopeful. I was also very pleased that I do not have diabetes and most of my levels (blood pressure, cholesterol, etc.) are good.

My doctor praised my weight loss efforts and encouraged me to keep it up. As of yesterday I have FINALLY crossed the mark that's been plaguing me and I'm at my lowest weight in 2 1/2 years!! Woohoo!!!I still have quite a ways to go but I'm feeling very motivated. It's less than a month until my half marathon so I'm definitely going to be stepping up the training.

Here are a couple new Wardrobe Remix pics.. I don't know what is up with my face in the bottom photo (ha!). I think I was thrown off by the flyby peanut in our first go. ;) In case you're wondering, that fabulous purple sweater is from Ruche. So great, right?

Ok, so talk about lucky! I rarely ever win anything and tonight I won two tickets to see the Broadway Musical, Annie. I'm soooo excited! I saw this on a smaller scale when I was little and remember really loving it. :)  xo

PS- Other typepad users.. is there a way to post your photos on the right and text on the left? I've done it this way in the HTML coding and it looks right in the preview but isn't publishing correctly. Hmm..