Before & After Pictures {3 weeks}!

I've promised updates and before and afters so here ya go!

The before picture was taken March 21- (I had started my diet and working out on March 1 so the before picture was actually taken after I had already lost 15 pounds!)
I didn't think to take any pics on March 1 :(
The 'after picture' was taken April 13!

It may not look like a significant before & after but considering the photos are only 3 weeks apart I'm pretty damn proud of myself :)

If you haven't already, you can read how I've been losing weight here.

I also wanted to list a few things I've found to be much easier with a few pounds shed:

Tanning. (yes, I already know the dangers of tanning) but Oh My Lanta! Laying in a tanning bed is so much easier with you have less weight and more room! I don't feel as squished as I used to.

My engagement ring is comfortable!  Before my fingers looked like cocktail weenies and now I've even noticed my fingers slimming down & my ring is so much more comfortable.  It was so tight before I thought I might literally have to have it cut off, now with just a little pushing it comes right off and on!

The obvious of feeling comfortable in clothes.  When I tried on a medium dress and it fit like a glove I thought I was going to cry tears of excitement!  I've been a borderline size 14 for the past few months so getting into those size 10 jeans and a medium top just sent me over the top!  It's really moments like those when your motivation kicks back in and you can really tell results.  I've always said- it's not the numbers on the scale that matter, it's how you feel.  If you feel great after losing 'only' 10 pounds or so then good for you! Keep rockin' on!  There was also this super cute coat I bought in November.  I couldn't fit into at the time (nowhere close to fitting in it, actually) but it was so cute I couldn't not have it, so I bought it.  Well, I tried that coat on a week ago and it fit perfect.  *SQUEAL* It made my month, really.  The best motivation is when you see results for yourself.

Now, I may have gotten a little overzealous but I bought a bikini top.  Not to wear now, oh hell no, but as a little more motivation.  It's hanging outside of my closet so I see it everyday and when I think I'm too tired to work out or don't have enough time, catching a glimpse of that bikini boosts my motivation and drive just enough to make me want to work out.

We had our engagement photos done in October and while the photographer was AMAZING I was so unhappy with how fat and bloated I looked.  I was still in so much denial at how much I had gained I hated the photos and only noticed my double chin, thick legs, fat arms, etc.  Since I'm feeling so much more confident about the way I looked we had another session of photos done and I am so anxious to see how those turned out, but I felt great while taking them so I'm sure they're noting but great.

I'm about half way to my goal weight so I am so excited for in a few months when I'm REALLY getting into shape.  After I lose the amount of weight I want I'll start focusing on really getting 'toned' so we'll have to see how that goes ;)

If you feel like you need or want to lose weight, just start.  Start somewhere.  Start taking small walks and build up to long ones, go for a bike ride, go paddle-boating, rollerblading. SOMETHING.  I can admit the only reason I didn't start working out before March 1 was because I was afraid.  I was afraid if I did start working out I wouldn't lose any weight, that it would be a waste of time and I would just be more upset. Well, I started and I couldn't be more happier.  I know I have a ways to go before I reach my goal weight but even the weight I've lost has boosted my confidence, self esteem, and just overall happiness. It sucks that weight gain can have such a hold on a person's emotions and esteem but the fact is that it does.  If you're not happy with how you look, it can will put you into crappy moods and feelings.  When you feel like you look good, you feel good overall.

As always, I hope this post has helped motivate some of you, get some of you started and has helped you see that your work WILL PAY OFF.

I Do.. Traditions?

(photo by Byerly Photography (me!) www.byerlyphotography.weebly.com)

I titled my entire blog "Bits & Pieces" because that's what I imagined it would be filled with: bits and pieces of advice, motivation, photos, stories, etc.  So here's a bit of advice from me, a bride, in regards to 'wedding tradition' that might help other brides out there.  

I've had my wedding planned since about 2 days before I was born so planning everything has been fairly easy because I knew exactly what I (we?) wanted.  I never realized I would have as traditional of a wedding that we currently have planned.  I don't consider myself much of a religious person but it was so important to have our ceremony in a church. I also never dreamed of seeing each other before actual wedding ceremony.. until I started making a timeline of the day and entertaining the thought for organization and time saving purposes.  I gave myself a cold sore from stressing about seeing each other before the ceremony or not.  

Well, I can't believe Im saying it but:  

We're Breaking Tradition And Seeing Each Other Before The Ceremony! :D 

I'm sure this is something a lot of brides consider over and over and probably stress about making that decision. So I thought I would lend my advice and the reasonings as to why we made the decision we did to hopefully help other brides out there.  I'm surprisingly at peace with our decision and already know it's the right choice for us.  I know it's not the right choice or even thought for a lot of couples but if you're considering it and can't decide here's what I think:

I was originally worried our ceremony wouldn't be the same if he didn't have some sweet, romantic reaction when I waked in, but I now really think his reaction to seeing me is such a personal, private moment that should be shared between the two of us.  In a way for me, kind of like the birth of a child- such a beautiful, unique moment that will only happen one time it should be shared between the parents. Hopefully that makes sense to you like it made sense and helped me.  

What's the only important part of the ceremony? To me, The Vows. Period. I could show up wearing jeans and a Helly Kitty Tshirt and it wouldn't matter as long as the vows were read.  I mean, it would kind of matter because I have a beautiful wedding dress I want to wear, but you get my point ;) Realizing that the ceremony should be about your commitment and your future together and a promise to never give up on your love is what made the decision for me.  It's not about the way he looks at me or if he's already seen me because I know him already seeing me is not taking away from the importance of the ceremony.  I wish I would have realized this sooner because it's absolutely what sealed the decision for me.  I know I'll never look back on our wedding and think 'damn, our ceremony was ruined because he saw me before it.' or 'damn, there was nothing special about the ceremony since he had already seen me.'  C'mon now.

The only reason I began to even entertained the thought of seeing each other before the ceremony was because of how much I thought it would help the day stay organized and efficient on time.  I'm positive it absolutely will.  Seeing each other before the ceremony will allow us to get our photos done early, which I think our photos will turn out even better than if we do them after because we'll be more relaxed and not rushed to get to the reception. We also plan to stop at our reception site together before the ceremony so we can see it all decked out before the guests are there and 'ruin' the linens and decor. 

Another point that really helped me decide: the entire day we will be surrounded by family and friends (which is fantastic!) but it's our wedding day and we should have some time during the day to just the two of us.  Everybody will be watching our vows, our first kiss as Mr & Mrs, our first dance, etc. that it was so important to have a few moments together, alone. And yes, even without our photographer in our face for just a bit.  

I went from 'oh hell no would I break tradition and see each other before the ceremony' to 'ohh our day is going to be so much more relaxed knowing we'll see each other beforehand.' and the points I listed above completely set my decision and helped me feel so relaxed knowing we're doing the right thing.  If you're a bride having a hard time deciding, I hope this helped you <3 

Oh the places you'll go in CHICAGO!

I'm in the mood to write and with an exciting trip planned to Chicago (Cubbies home opener!) later this week I thought I would share a few fun things to do around the city!

My fiance and I have been so lucky to have shared so many awesome experiences in Chicago and sometimes feel like we've done everything there is to do and search for something new and exciting!

SPORTS
DIE.HARD.CUBS.FAN. and SO proud of it! Don't hate on 1908! One of the best things we've done in Chicago involves The Cubs and sports in General!

Obviously, going to the game itself is an exciting experience.  We've been to about 15 games together in the 6 years we've been dating and every single time we've sat in The Bleachers. Yes, they're so important they get capitalized :).  Whyy The Bleachers?  Well, first off you can get tickets pretty cheap from StubHub.  We've found that the closer it is to the game, the cheaper the tickets on the site.  It's other people trying to sell their tickets so as it gets closer, they just want to get rid of their ticket rather than make a giant profit. We once scored Cub/Cardinal tickets from StubHub for $15 a person for Bleacher seats!  Another great thing about the beloved Bleachers is that the seating is first come first serve.  NO ASSIGNED SEATS AT ALL!!  We've always sat in the first 5 rows!  You simply get in line about 30-45 minutes before The Bleachers open (1 hour before the game) and then once you're in the stadium you pick where you want to sit! You can even decide if you want Left, Center or Right outfield!

I will say, most people who sit in The Bleachers are adults so I definitely don't recommend it for family seating.  Unless you like your children being exposed to drunk Bleacher Bums :)

Another must is a Wrigley Field Tour! 
For $25 a ticket we got to experience Wrigley Field in an unimaginable way.. we learned the history of the field while visiting the locker rooms (can I say Zambrano had a photo of Megan Fox in his locker?!) dugouts, broadcasting booths, Bleachers, and even got to STEP.FOOT.ON.THE.FIELD! It's really a must for any sports fan!

just hanging out on the field & in the dugout!

We've also seen The Bulls and Blackhawks at The United Center, The Sox vs Cubs at US Cellular Field and The Bears vs Vikings at Soldier Field.  We've also bought tickets to all these events from StubHub

If you are a sports lover be sure to check for charity events sponsored by pro sports teams or players.  We came across a Chicago Cub charity event and purchased tickets for $100 a piece to attend with all proceeds going to a Cubs charity.  At the event we had dinner, received autographs and were able to meet and get photos with Cubs players!  There was also a silent auction and autograph balls for purchase with proceeds again, going to charity.  We got to meet players, get autographs and pictures all while donating to charity!! Win-Win! 

Me with Derek Lee! I think he winked at me with both eyes.. or maybe that was just a blink but still! And my fiance and I with the legendary Ernie Banks the a ball he autographed! 

Another SUPER FUN thing we've experienced is a Segway Tour! 

You will feel like the biggest.dork.in.the.world. when zipping around on a Segway wearing those super cool helmets but it is so worth it! I can't remember how much it was but it couldn't have been too terribly expensive and whatever the cost, it was so fun! We glided (because that's what it feels like) by Lake Michigan and around Grant Park.  It was a little tricky at first learning how to ride on one but the instructors were super helpful and once you got used to it, it was fairly easy.  One of my more favorite things we've done! 

Museums! I wouldn't normally visit museums but since we were looking for new things to do we decided to visit the museums in Chicago.  We've been to the Field Museum, Science and Natural History Museum, Art History Museum and the Shedd Aquarium.  As far as I know, we only have the Planetarium left to visit! 

All had cool exhibits but we both like learning and seeing new things so deciding on which museum to visit depends on your personality :) The photo above is when we saw Sue the T-Rex at The Field Museum which was very cool! 

Dinner Cruise!

Ohh la la! Every once in a while it's nice to get all gussied up and enjoy a fancy, romantic night out so we treated ourselves to a wonderful dinner cruise aboard the Mystic Blue Cruise liner. We were entertained with a live band, a full dinner and dessert buffet, dancing and a firework show from Navy Pier while cruising on Lake Michigan for 3 hours.  I believe the price was a little over $100/person but since it was a treat and not a usual event it was worth it and a great memory! 

Dining. We have a rule that anytime we go anywhere for vacation or a weekend trip we do not eat at any place we could at home and boy oh boy does Chicago have some amazing restaurants!! My top two favorites are:  Pizano's and Gino's East.  Both are pizza/Italian restaurants and oh so good! I'm a sucker for Chicago style pizza so I can't leave the city without having some!  The Signature Room at the John Hancock Building is also a fabulous place to dine.  It's located on the 95th floor and has breath taking views of the city and delicious food.  We ate there for dinner which was 'fancy' dress code as I call it.  I wore a dress, the fiance wore a suit.  Our dinner was over $200 which we had planned for and expected after looking over the online menu.  We also ate there for a weekend brunch which was a normal business casual dress and much more affordable.  We ate the brunch buffet and the bill was about $30 for the two of us.  I actually liked the food from the brunch better but the dinner was a cool experience.  I don't think we'll ever have a dinner that fancy again :) 

View of the city from our brunch at The Signature Room! 

Other places we've eaten and enjoyed are: Ed Debevick's, House of Blues, Giordanos, Billy Goat Tavern, Harry Carey's Steak House, and Al's #1 Italian Beef.  

Chicago Chocolate Walking Tour! Nearly 3 hours of walking around Chicago taste testing chocolate from the finest bakeries and chocolatiers. Need I say more?  I scored the tickets off of Groupon for $40!  If you love chocolate then your life isn't complete until you experience this!

Annual Chicago Auto Show! I don't know a dang thing about cars other than some of them are so pretty and I like the way they look.  That's about it.  My fiance likes the Auto Show to see all the new cars and everything they come loaded with, I like just looking at the pretty cars!  There are so many cars and so many people it's almost overwhelming but it's pretty cheap (less than $15 a person- but I can't remember the exact price) that it makes a great day experience.  

Ice Skating & Carriage Rides<3.  Is there a more romantic combination?! The answer is no, there's not! Each winter Millennium Park transforms into a public ice skating rink! I had never ice skated in my life but it actually wasn't too bad! It does cost, but for the fun experience it was worth it and it wasn't very expensive that I can remember.  There are also horse and carriages rides available during certain days and times! Ice skating and then a carriage ride in downtown Chicago?! I think that's what makes movies.  

My fiance and I both love the city of Chicago and have scoped out so many fun things to do that hopefully you'll be able to experience some fun things as well!  Feel free to share the fun experiences you've had in Chicago! 

Here Comes The (Skinny!) Bride

Nothing lit a fire under my ass to lose weight until the 6 month mark to our wedding arrived.  I went from being 130 pounds to a solid 215 pounds in just 1 year.  I had gone from a size 4 to a 14 in that time &  I still had a hard, if not impossible, time believing the size I was. I'm 5'9 so I did have more room to spread the weight but it was taking a toll on my body.  I'm not embarrassed to admit my weight- I'd be more embarrassed to admit I did nothing about it. At first, I was constantly squeezing myself into clothes too small because that's what I was used to and I couldn't admit how much I had 'let myself go.'  I stopped going out as much as I used to because I felt I looked terrible, to me I was almost unrecognizable.  I started wearing my fiances over sized shirts and gym shorts because I didn't have any clothes that fit.  And, if I dared, I probably could have parked in the 'Expectant Mother' parking space.  Yet, I did nothing about my weight until March 1, 2012- 6 months on the dot to our September 1 wedding.

Let me be quite clear- I'm losing the weight because I WANT TO. Losing weight will not work if you're doing it for someone else.  You have to be motivated, focused and willing to work for it.  It will be hard to get motivated (it was for me for the longest time) because you just feel so bad about the way you look and the fact you let yourself get that way. To be quite honest, I never want to look back at our wedding pictures and think 'wow, who is that cookie monster in the white dress.'  Fearing that might happen, the motivation came easier than I thought.  I want to FEEL as beautiful and perfect as possible when I walk down the aisle, damnit!  And I capitalize feel because weight loss is all about how you feel.  If you only lose 10 pounds but feel fantastic about how you look and the progress you've made, then that's what matters most.  I decided I wanted my goal weight loss to be about 60 pounds which was about 10 pounds a month or about 2 and a half pounds a week (a healthy weight loss and a very manageable one with hard work). So far, I've exceeded my goal as I've lost an average of 5 pounds a week.  So, now that I've taken my weight loss seriously and have seen results, we're ready for the good part: what I've done to lose 15 pounds in 3 weeks!

My first piece of advice (and I'm not a doctor, nurse, dietitian, etc.  I'm simply a girl who wants to feel good in my wedding dress.) is don't make your weight loss goals unattainable.  You will be so disappointed if you expected to lose 30 lbs in a month and didn't.  It's not worth the disappointment.

Another thing I did that has kept me so motivated and inspired to work out is make a weight loss goal and reward chart.  Here's an example of mine:

The more weight that is lost, the more expensive or desired of a reward!  I think it's important to reward yourself in some way.  It is hard work to stay committed to a life change with working out and eating healthy consistently. That should be celebrated and rewarded!  It also gives you motivation.. I'm working so hard for that half hour massage! Sometimes when I'm working out and get tired and want to stop, I think of this chart and keep going so I can reach my reward! 

Now, I hate working out. HATE IT. Being hot, sweaty, and achy is not my thing.  But I couldn't expect to lose as much weight as I wanted without working out so I decided to take up swimming.. again.  I was on the swim team in high school but the thought of swimming again 5 years after I hadn't been near a pool made me nearly faint.  I assumed I would drown on my first attempt back in the pool, but it went surprisingly well.  If you don't consider yourself a swimmer, I urge you to still at least try.  To me, swimming feels amazing- you're knees and feet don't ache from pounding on the treadmill and you're not all hot and sweaty after.  I can really feel all my muscles working when I swim.  If you absolutely think you cannot swim, start with kick sets.  These will work your legs and abs almost effortlessly and you don't have to worry about having your face in the water, moving your arms or trying to breathe during the stroke.  I swim about an hour and a half, 5 or 6 days a week.  I used to think swimming was rather boring... until I discovered a Waterproof MP3 player!  <-- click the hi-lighted text to take you to Amazon to buy the product for $59.95!  My opinion of the product?  It's great! I really don't think I'll be able to swim without it anymore.  I think swimming is easier with it since it's not as boring.  The volume can actually get to be pretty loud and it was easy to load music onto: no CDs or software to install- I just dragged and dropped songs from itunes to the JLAB folder and that's it! If something makes working out easier for you, then I say it's worth every penny!   

You've probably heard a million times: breakfast is the most important part of the day.  Well, I used to think sleep was more important and I was never up for breakfast or in a mood to make breakfast.  Do yourself a favor and START EATING BREAKFAST!  Since I've always heard it's so important I made it a habit to start getting up and eating breakfast.  I usually drink a healthy fruit smoothie made with Almond Milk or cereal with Almond Milk.  I can't say I know for sure my new routine of eating breakfast has helped with my weight loss but I can say I feel so much better after eating breakfast.  I do feel more awake and focused.  Give it a try and see how you feel!

My next tip is make your goals visible:  put your weight loss and reward chart on the fridge so when you're tempted to go for that bowl of ice cream, you'll most likely think twice about it.  

Schedule your work outs.  I'm a college student and I work 30+ hours a week (as a nanny so I'm always tired!) so most nights I just want to go home and veg out.  But, being a type A personality girl I am obsessed with planning so, if I have planned to work out and cut out a time for it, I do it.  I almost feel guilty if I've planned it and don't do it.  And, if you can spend an hour between Pinterest and Facebook you can certainly go for a brisk walk or bike ride.  Here's what a typical day is for me: 

And why in the heck do I schedule my wake up time?! So I have an idea of how much time I have before I really 'start' my day.. and so I don't roll out of bed and skip that all important breakfast ;)  It might have something to do with that Type-A thing I mentioned, as well! :)

Don't cut out meals. It's only obvious to think that the easiest way to cut calories is to skip out on a meal. Don't. I use this analogy: imagine a fire burning. In order to keep the fire going you need to add wood every now and then. If you stop adding anything to it, it burns out.  The same with your body- when you add food to it, your body gets reenergized and can work better.  If you withhold nutrition and fuel, your body is going to burn out like the fire.  I will say, I am not a big calorie counter.  I know eating Hardees and McDonalds is not a healthy breakfast.  I prefer to use (what I think is) common sense and knowledge and eat healthy foods like fruit and whole grain and vegetables. Baked chicken over fried, smaller portions, skip the pop, etc. You get the point.

Diet/Workout Journal!  I started keeping a diet and work out log (journal) and it has really helped me realize what foods I'm eating and what I may need to cut out and just how much time I'm devoting to working out.  I keep it in my purse and anytime I eat anything I write it down.  I usually skip dessert too just so I don't have to write it down. I may want a double chocolate brownie at the time but when I write that down and read it later, I realize I could have down without those extra calories.  You'd be surprised at how much you probably snack and munch on junk food throughout the day without even realizing it.  A journal would make you realize and cut back (in my experience).

My final piece of advice for this post is just because you've worked out doesn't mean you can then eat a bunch of junk food afterwards.  You're not a dog- don't reward yourself with food.  Don't ruin your great workout!! Trust me, you'll regret it after you do!

I said before I've lost 15 pounds in about 3 weeks so I was compelled to write this post as an effort to help anyone trying to lose any amount of weight.  I know it's hard, I know it's not instant, and I know it's really an entire lifestyle change, but it can be done!  I'll be posting before and after pics as I progress so stay tuned for those and feel free to share any of your helpful weight loss tips!

You can follow me on Pinterest: here  where I'm always posting workouts and healthy meals or on Instagram where I occassionaly post photos of healthy foods I've made with the directions at: amanda_cervantez

:)

DIY STDs (If you're a bride you know that means Save The Dates!)

I'm the stereotypical girl that has dreamed about her wedding since before I was born, but now that I'm engaged and getting married in a little over 6 months I've been scouring ways to save money as our wedding is approaching the $20,000 price tag.

I love save the dates- I think they're cute, fun, and a nice heads up for people who don't follow you on facebook gushing about your upcoming wedding in every post.  But, I also think they're an unnecessary cost.  (An unnecessary cost that I wasn't willing to cut!) so I created my own cute, personalized to the max, save the date that only cost around $55 for 150.  (that $55 covers magnet save the dates, and personalized envelopes!) 

Homemade Save The Date:
I've searched all over the internet for cute, magnetic save the dates that wouldn't break the bank, but most I've found cost anywhere from $2-$3 and that times 150 would have equaled nearly $400 which I couldn't justify spending on a save the date, so I decided to make and print my own!  I have photoshop, but to make it accessible for everyone I decided to use picnik.com.  Now, picnik is closing in April so use it soon, if you're planning to!
First: I used the 'collage' tool and uploaded one photo to the collage and left the other side blank.  The blank side is where the text will go for the details on the save the date.

Next: Remember if you're going to have your save the date printed it will need to be cropped to fit the standard printing measurements so do not fill the entire blank side with text as it will cut off. Also, expect some of your picture to be cut off.  The pink lines are where my photo was cropped so it would be a 4x6.  I edited the photo to black and white using the basic editing tools.

Then: I added my own text and wording as well as a few 'stickers' that were faded to 88% so they were only slightly visible. My final product, cropped and designed is this: 

I then had my photo submitted to Walgreens for prints.  I ordered 150 prints for only .10 a piece so it only cost $15!! I also liked the quality of the photo, as well.  It was clear and not grainy at all.  It really looked professional!  Walgreens also supplied me with 150 envelopes to fit the prints so the envelopes were free! 

Since I wanted to do magnet save the dates and these are just basic photo prints I ordered 4x6 adhesive magnets where the sheet peels off and you stick your photo on! I found some at sears.com for $1 for a pack of 4.  There was also a free shipping code when I ordered mine. I just stuck the prints on and wa-la! A cheap, magnet save the date is made!! 

Next: cute, cheap, personalized envelope liner! 

Stay tuned for photos on how to create personalized envelope liners!