Summer Swimsuit Shapeup: Update 3

Well....yeah. I have a big "FAIL" stamped on week 5 of my diet log-sheet. I whined cried met last night with my Health Coach, and today I feel somewhat jazzed to get back on-plan.

WARNING: Reading from this point on may trigger intense chocolate cravings!!!!

All through this diet so far I have had the mind-set that any delicious food that I can't have now, will be available later...and that has worked great until I was faced with my all-time fav treat that is only available around Easter each year. The Cadbury Mini-Egg.

I have joked in previous comments that I love Love LOVE Cadbury Mini Eggs. But it's no joke. Each year I look forward to Spring when the purple packages hit the store shelves. I actually remember clearly when my friend Tammy first introduced me to these yummy treats a good 20 years ago in Charlotte, North Carolina. Last week after running some errands for me, my son picked me up from work with a "Hey! Guess what's in the stores??"
"Only let me have six", I told him, thinking a small taste would be a nice treat and not affect my diet too much and... it wouldn't have, except that there is such a thing as not-enough-of-a-good-thing...Yea...I've been on a week-long Chocolate Splurge and enjoyed every second of it.

But all good things must come to an end. My Coach's idea last night was for me to hit the diet hard for the next 3-4 weeks until Easter, then reward myself on Easter with all the Easter trimmings including Mini-Eggs for that one day. Then back on-plan again the next day.

This, I can do. Onward and upward, right? Because out of all our new 2010 modest swimwear line I have finally picked out my favorite and I want it in a medium, not an x-large.

Summer Swimsuit Shape-Up-Update 2

The Swimsuit Shape-Up has been easier than I thought it would be. Of course I haven't added exercise yet, ha! But even so, eating better and healthier has been great for me and the whole family. One of the major perks of my diet has been my kids' new-found love of vegetables. I guess I never cooked vegetables enough for them to have had an opinion, but now that I have to eat 4 cups... CUPS! of vegetables each day, I am cooking them much more often. Here's my kids' favorite:

Roasted Cauliflower (I did not know you could roast cauliflower!)
1 Head cauliflower
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder

Preheat oven to 400. Cut cauliflower into flowerettes. Combine EVOO, salt, pepper and garlic together then sprinkle over cauliflower and arrange on a baking sheet. Bake about 10 minutes.



My kids swear these taste like french-fries. I don't think they do at all, but they are indeed yummy!

So...February 15...It is time to re-commit to the Shape-Up! Low carbing was very hard this past weekend. A neighbor brought over fresh-baked bread (curse her!), my son made ricekrispy treats...all sorts of powers conspired against me and I caved. But only for one day and only temporarily. Tomorrow it is Back On Plan. So far I have lost 15 lbs since starting the Swimsuit Shape-Up which I think is pretty good, I wore a skirt on Sunday that I haven't worn in a while. That made me happy. VERY happy. Ok...so it was a little snug. I still wore it! Go me!

Ready....Set....Swim!

The new 2010 Diviine Modestee swim line is HERE! We've been working hard in the warehouse the last week getting ready for this big day. Unloading the shipment, taking inventory, unpacking, etc, etc. Hard work... broke several nails down to the nub, dropped a box on my toe...just to have everything ready for our big launch. You can, of course, see it all on our website but here's a quick preview of a couple of my favs:

This is one of the new designs called Ruffle Square Halter and this particular fabric is called Purple Circles. For those of you who've loved our Square Halter, you will love this one as well. Same great coverage (especially for a halter), same great full support but with added cute ruffles. She's also wearing the Boy Brief which has a little lower cut on the leg, but still more flattering than the boyshort length.

This picture I already posted on Facebook yesterday as a preview, but I am showing it again because it's my absolute favorite. This is the suit that I am doing my Summer Swimsuit Shapeup for. The Ruffle Banded Halter, is another new style shown above in purple and available in several other colors and it is adorable. I will think I have died and gone to heaven if I can look like the model in mine! This is (I think) one of the only v-neck halters on the market that comes high enough to not show any cleavage. The ruffle at the neckline adds even more subtle coverage so that it is a modest swimsuit, but yet stylish and definitely not frumpy.

Ok...a couple more:

The classic Square Halter in Teal Waves. This is a suit style that by popular demand we have done for several years in a row but in different colors. An adorable modest swimsuit with great cleavage coverage and support.

Now for some fun prints...this one is the Purple Zigzag print. I really like this print: from far away it looks like zigzags as you can see, but up close it has a whole different pattern, almost like snakeskin only so much more beautiful. This is the Banded Halter with the Ruffle Swim Skirt.

I really like this pattern called Teal Starburst. These "starbursts" are the coolest design, not stars, not quite flowers, but not quite simply retro circles either. Just trust me...it's the BEST. I got to give this Square Halter and Banded Midrise a trial run last November in Hawaii and I got a lot of compliments on it at the pool. Funny thing was that amid all the ladies also in their swim attire, I was covered the most and yet (in my opinion) had the cutest suit there!

This is another pattern called Bubbles shown with the Banded Halter and Ruffle Skirt again. It's a fun, colorful, playful print that we've done on several styles including the Banded Halter and the Ruched Tankini with Sash. All are adorable done in this print!

These are only a handful of the new suits and colors that we have ready to go. So if you have a cruise planned, a winter trip to a warmer place or just think ahead to summer better than the average person, you need to either come by our store or head to Diviine Modestee's website.

Summer Swimsuit Shape-Up-Update 1

Almost two full weeks into my Summer Shape-up and I am happy to say that I am down 8 pounds! Go Me!

If you've dieted before, you know that one constant to all diets is massive water consumption and unfortunately I've discovered that I really don't like plain water. Inspiration hit remembering the beautiful glass water dispenser filled with ice, water and various fruits/vegetables at a hotel my family stayed at recently in Hawaii. Maybe it was because I was constantly outside in the sun that made that flavored water SO delicious. I don't know, but lucky me... I had some leftover cranberries, Clementines and Granny Smith apples from the Holidays wasting away in my refrigerator.

I sliced the Clementines and Granny Smiths, cut the cranberries in half and put all three in a pitcher. Next I poured hot water over the fruit until the pitcher was full and chilled it in the refrigerator. I found that pouring HOT water over the fruit brings out more flavor. This worked great for several days until I ran out of those fruits and simultaneously wanted a change-up of flavors. Google is my friend and I know how to use it, so I found the following recipe which I absolutely LOVE. I don't think I'll ever get tired of this flavored water:

Cucumber/Rosemary Water
Recipe courtesy of At Home with Kim Vallee

1. Cut 10 cucumber slices for one branch of fresh rosemary.
2. Put the cucumber and rosemary in a pitcher.
3. Fill the half of the pitcher with ice cubes. Fill with water.
4. Let it macerate in the fridge for 24 hours before serving.

One variation: switch the rosemary for mint leaves. Refreshing.

Flavored water is so simple and refreshing and really can't be made incorrectly. Just throw in what you love! For more inspiration Google "Spa Water" and all kinds of tried and true variations will come up...all guaranteed to quench that thirst.

Wish me luck on Week Three. Maybe one of these days I'll be brave enough to post before photos. Hmmmmmm?.........nah. Can't see that happening any time soon!

It's not a New Years Resolution.

I have had it with my weight!

I've had it up to *here* with not being able to cross my legs comfortably. With having both hips hit the sides of the movie-theatre chairs (that was a shock the first time it happened), of not being able to bend down to put tights on with out rolling forward off the bed and onto the floor. Of constantly holding my arms in front of my gut. As if that pose alone would hide the fact that over the past year I have put on way more weight than I want to mention.

So why am I mentioning it? I want the accountability this time. I have dieted in the past, but I was a "closet dieter". Not even my husband knew I was dieting. It was my secret shame, because to say you were dieting was to admit to being fat. Right? Well, yes...but. It was also easier to quit. This time around I have a Health Coach that I am meeting with weekly. She's new at it, so kind of counting on me to do well to promote her business.

So what-the-heck. The more accountability the better I'll do, right? I am officially starting my diet tomorrow and I am letting the world know! Today's weight: 185. Goal: 130.

Thus starts my Summer Swimsuit Shape-Up.