The Skinny on me

Who am I?

In a word, I can be described as passionate. Or sassy. Or driven. I believe in old friends and new shoes. I am both a lover and a fighter, because I don't stop pushing if I believe in something. I am a stay at home Mama Llama to actual baby Aylin Magnolia {10/14/17} and fur baby Princess Cecelia Jasmine aka "Sissy" {1/23/09}; I am also Wifey/arm candy/Queen to tt and clearly a wannabe blogger.

In my world, family and friends are everything. I am the epitome of a Scorpio, which according to Urban Dictionary means I'm "introspective, reflective, mysterious, vengeful, calculating, possessive, intuitive and pretty bad ass". I have a wickedly short temper and I have to get my way. I have/love/need tattoos and I am a complete and utter worry-wart. {See? Scorpio. I am convinced that I was totally a bad ass in a previous life, and am dealing with the aftermath now}. Two of the most random facts about me are that my favorite movie is The Princess Bride and I am mildly obsessed with Billy Joel. I also love SVU reruns and cry at literally everything yet hate being hugged. Figure that one out. I haven't seen my natural hair color since the age of twelve, and I have a shoe collection that would rival the likes of any female celebrity. My greatest guilty pleasure is a toss up between designer heels and a dirty Kettle martini (with extra, blue-cheese stuffed olives, of course). Oh, and I love-love-LOVE to cook. 

Why am I here?

Rewind too many years at this point to the Summer of 2012. My 30th birthday was quickly approaching and I looked in the mirror and noticed that not only was my age creeping up on me, my weight was too. I wanted to lose 30 pounds and I wanted to do it before my birthday. 30 by 30. Had a nice ring to it.

What did I do?

I threw myself into it, primarily focusing on a Paleo diet. This was an aggressive goal, I knew. I would have to really think about what I was putting into my body - which is kind of what prompted the start to this blog. I figured, if I was thinking that long and hard about the food I was eating, why not share it with the world wide web. All that being said, and very long story short, I reached my 30th birthday 17 pounds lighter, and feeling amazing. 100% worth it.

Now, as everyone knows, a fitness and weight loss journey is always a work in progress. People typically fall on and off the proverbial wagon often. Since 2012 I definitely have, and multiple times. The above progress was something I was so proud of. I gained weight back, lost it again. I progressively gained more and more until I again found myself at my heaviest.

I began 2016 with a melt down in Old Navy, where I dragged tt so I could buy "fat pants." After trying on pants in a size I never thought I'd wear, and then realizing they were tight, I lost it. Yes, I cried right there in Old Navy, to the pure dismay of my poor husband. We decided together that while I love cooking healthy food, I had fallen far from that, and to get back to where I wanted/needed to be it was time to also add in a real exercise program. No more playing. 

With the {not so gentle} encouragement of a few good friends, I signed up for a trial at a gym in town in February 2016. I got hooked. I lost weight (19lbs in 5 months, say WHAA) but more importantly I FELT good. I felt strong. I felt comfortable in my skin, which honestly was never a feeling I had felt before. I realized that when I put my mind to it, I really can accomplish these things! It comes with such a feeling of accomplishment. 

2016 was a phenomenal year, that brought great success, and was "all about Coleen" -- which some would say is how I live my life anyway, but I digress. 2016 ended with me gaining a little weight back, so tt and I opted to do a Whole30 in January of 2017 to kick start the year. And then in February... I found out I was pregnant. That began an entirely new adventure and rollercoaster for my body... both during pregnancy and post partum, which is what they don't tell you about. You can't always anticipate the challenges you will face that include a lot more than weight gain. My kid is almost two and I'm still dealing with the aftermath! I am happy to share my story, and will likely post about it. When I do, I will link it up for you.

Now that I have kinda sorta settled into #momlife {yes, two years later!}, I'm able to be much more focused on being healthy. I am back in the swing of things. I care a little less about the number on the scale and a little more about being my best self for both me and my daughter. I am finally back to ME and am working on improving my overall lifestyle including healthy eating, exercising, mental health, and then in turn sharing it with the world wide web :o) 

Why are we here?

The main point when I started, was to share my experiences as I continue on this journey, but it has resulted in a collaboration of recipes that I have created, collected, and/or perfected. As I am working to reinvent my site, I feel that I want to share more than just recipes. I know a lot about fashion, healthy living, hair/makeup, skincare; a little about parenting at this point... and I want to share so many things with you all, so stay tuned for more! I know very little about blogging, what's of interest and what's not, so my plan is just to let you know a little about me, and hopefully you are able to find something worth reading, sprinkled with a little of my charming wit along the way.

And while I am sure you find me ever so amusing, if you're a little more no-nonsense and would prefer to have an easily accessible list of recipes, you can bookmark this page. 

Thank you so much for visiting and I hope you continue to stop by to enjoy my little slice of the world wide web. XO

Questions? Comments? Want to send me some love?
Email me: skinnyinstilettos@gmail.com