Office Casual

We recently received a communication from our CEO that our firm is moving ALL day, every day office casual!  I can’t believe it – I work in a rather conservative industry so it’s tough to believe that they are going to allow their employees to wear jeans every day now (as long as you don’t have any client meetings).  That, coupled with my insanely warm office, drove me in search of stylish, yet lighter pieces for the office for winter.  I have warmer, thick sweaters and layers but I find myself stripped down to my base layer more often than not these days.  People keep telling me it will get cooler but while I wait, I decided I needed some options to not boil to death at my desk all day!

So, I hit up my go to spot, Charming Charlie’s, with my niece on Saturday and I was able to pick up these beautiful options for a ridiculous low price!

First up, this Mid V Neck Chevron shirt in a gorgeous blue. It fits. . .oddly but after playing around with it a little bit, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and give it a try.  It looks amazing on, blue is one of my favorite colors and after much searching, I found a scarf very similar to this one, to pair with it.

 

Then, I have a closet full of purple and burgundy but these 2 shirts were too cheap to just pass up.  The first one is a ribbed knit pullover and after searching the store 50 times, I just could not find a scarf to match.  Fortunately, in a flurry of Christmas shopping the other week, I picked up a scarf to gift to someone and lo and behold, it matches this shirt so Merry Christmas to ME!

The final shirt again, fits a little odd but is a beautiful layer and will look great with dress pants or jeans, for the office.

 

Total price for all of these items, with a $10 off coupon I had, was only $50, including TAX!  WOW!

So, I have some go to items to get me through the beginning part of winter then hoping for some cute blazers from Stitch Fix in my December 11^th shipment.  I saw this blazer in a recent Stitch Fix blog and this is exactly what I am looking for – bright colors, fitted, cropped and again, would look good with dress pants or dress up a pair of jeans.

Hope you all have a great Turkey Day and while you are hopefully, enjoying some time off, if you would like to try Stitch Fix for yourself, please consider using my referral link below.  I will receive a $25 credit on your first shipment!  Thanks so much for reading!

https://www.stitchfix.com/referral/5229780

Looking Forward to Fix #8!

I have a long way to go – my next shipment isn’t set to approve until Friday, December 11^th for a couple of reasons.  First, that  weekend of December is just nuts for me and second, I actually have December 11^th off so I will have a little longer to play with some looks once I get my Fix.  Thanksgiving is next week and we will have family in town, tons of get togethers then month end at work starts the week after that so figured I better start thinking about what I want next month NOW.  Here is my Stylist Note, so far:

“Looking for a pair of winter white pants to pair with colorful, festive sweaters for the holidays. Need casual and also more business appropriate light sweaters for pulled together, yet comfortable looks at the office and at home. Would love some fun looks with a top and scarf pairing to wear with leggings and boots for nights out. I would like to request Hannah as my stylist again. Loved her ideas, suggestions and fun attitude!”

I’ve been trying to sit down with Pinterest and get some ideas of specific items I’m looking for but has anyone else noticed that Stitch Fix hasn’t been updating their Pinterest page with specific items very much lately?  Its fine to pin general looks you find but I feel like if you can pin specific Stitch Fix items, it gives them a better idea of what to look for and send you.  I am going to keep at it though if anything, just to give me some ideas of looks I would like to put together myself this weekend.  I did a great job of updating my wardrobe for fall and have a lot of fun things but now it is time to start thinking about winter and the holidays.  I admit, I have some things I’ve bought that I haven’t even worn yet because believe it or not, it hasn’t gotten cold enough yet!  November 18^th in northern Indiana and I can’t wear my poncho cardigan because I would sweat to death in it.  It’s still 60 degrees and rain today, though it looks like this warm weather is finally on its way out tonight and tomorrow.

I need to comb the November Stitch Fix blogs and see what others have gotten and liked too.  The few I have seen, seem to always have some kind of draped/poncho sweater.  I almost put on my stylist note not to include these but I need to be a little more adventurous and see what they come up with.  They have to be learning by now, just how small I am and how certain styles can just drown me.   They look so good on other people so maybe if I could get one proportioned just right, I would love it.  I wear this super lightweight burgundy draped cardigan I got in Fix #6 all the time and get tons of compliments on it and I can honestly say if they hadn’t sent it, I would never have picked out something like it myself.

See?? That’s the most fun thing about Stitch Fix, isn’t it?  Trying new things and having someone else make suggestions, give you permission to get a little nutty?  I will admit, I got scolded and called out on the Stitch Fix Facebook page for giving someone the instructions on how to peek at their Fix before they received it but some of us are like kids on Christmas morning – we just cannot WAIT that long!

So, over 3 LONG weeks to go so I will have to get online and live vicariously through all of you as you get your end of November and beginning of December Fixes!

Would you like to try Stitch Fix for yourself?  Just go online and fill out a questionnaire about your size and style preferences then scheduled your shipment today.  Use my referral link below to sign up and I will get a $25 credit on your first shipment.  You only pay a $20 styling fee, will receive 5 items in the mail to try on at home and send back the items you don’t like.  You only need to buy one thing from your shipment and your styling fee is put towards the purchase of that item.  Get online, Google their clothes – they are beautiful and fun!

https://www.stitchfix.com/referral/5229780

Eat to Perform – Week 6

Week 6 has unceremoniously come and gone and again, it’s because I have no progress to report.  My husband keeps asking me if I feel any different yet and so far, the only good news I have to report is that I am sleeping better.  He says, that’s a step in the right direction so I can recover from my workouts and be better rested to push myself harder in my workouts.  OK – I am TRYING, I swear but I feel like I have a few things working against me.

First, something I haven’t really brought up because it’s the most ridiculous injury known to man but I have hurt both of my big toes.  I have no idea why but off and on, I get the worst ingrown toenails from my normal shoes that I have worn for years and years and never had any issues and they seem to hurt the worst after a really tough workout, particularly Crossfit.  This has been plaguing me for about a month now and I keep thinking, WOW, I feel old!  Washed up now at 42?  I have heard older people complain about various aches and pains and have thought to myself, those sound like a lot of excuses and now, I find myself saying the same thing.

I haven’t been that diligent in taking care of it.  I know there are things I can do like soak my feet, put hydrogen peroxide on it to keep it from getting infected (which I think it does slightly, from time to time, hence the off and on pain) but life keeps me pretty darn busy and I don’t take the time to do it.  I am bordering on going to the doctor to have him take a look, to make sure there is nothing else I should be doing but honestly, not sure what he could really do for me.

Next, I worry that some of these diet changes could be affecting my health adversely.  Things I have avoided for years – egg yolks, milk with fat in it, lots of cheese, higher fat meats, all because Eat to Perform says you need the optimum balance of protein, carbs and fat and I’m sorry, there is no good way to get it, get ENOUGH without adding all of these things.  Of course, I realistically understand I haven’t given myself high cholesterol or heart disease in a month and a half but is this way of eating really “healthier”?

I must point out – Eat to Perform hasn’t specifically said to eat these things.  In fact, like I mentioned in my last post, their main author says he eats mostly meat and veggies.  OK, unless you are eating nothing but fish and chicken, you are going to get some higher fat meats in there, especially if that is your total diet.  I just can’t eat like that – I need variety, I need choices every day to get the grams of protein, fat and carbs I need and I think I have found a lot of great, go to options.  It just includes all of the things I mentioned above and also more nuts, especially almonds, protein shakes, drinks and bars and I keep searching for ways to add healthier meats like fish – tuna, salmon, etc.

All of these changes – increasing my calories, a different mix of calories and again, my weight and body fat hasn’t increased but it hasn’t decreased either and lower body fat is my goal.  In all honesty, I haven’t changed my calories intake THAT much.  My goal before was 1,400 a day, which I was always slightly over, depending on my workout for that day and right now, I am shooting for around 1,800 so realistically, only about 200-300 more calories a day than before but like a lot of these Eat to Perform articles talk about, I have been trained over the years to think in order to lose weight, I need to eat less and less.  We all know that – you have to burn more calories than you take in, simple as that.  Well, Eat to Perform complicates that, blurs that line by telling you your body isn’t getting the fuel it needs if you are just relying on trackers like Fitbit to tell you how many calories you burn each day.  It doesn’t take into account step intensity, workout intensity, heart rate (though some trackers do offer this now), etc that can point to you burning more calories than you think.

I am trying to kick my workouts up a notch – pushing the mph on the treadmill, increasing the weight or reps in my free weight workout and even just increasing my weight workouts but so far – NOTHING.  Here is how my weight has tracked for the year and it is frustrating to see that line just steadily climb.  As we approach the holidays, I worry that this is just going to keep going higher.

SIGH.  I am going to keep at it.  3 months puts me at December 31^st, or there abouts and if nothing changes or I have gained more weight or body fat, this all goes out the window and go back to what I was doing before.  Maybe I will treat myself and invest in a Fitbit Charge HR so I get a more accurate calorie burning count.  I have had the Fitbit Flex for a year and a half now and it’s probably ready to be retired.  Technology improves and changes and I am ready to change with it.  I know, I know – I just need to keep telling myself do I feel fit, do I feel healthy, do I feel good and the answer to that right now is yes but I just have a tough time accepting this extra spare tire around my middle.  THAT does NOT feel like me at all.

So, I plug on.  On another note, for those waiting for a fashion update, my next Fix is set for Friday, December 11^th.  I will be posting an update on what I ask for and items I’ve seen that caught my eye soon!

Taking All the Fun Out of Dining Out

I dine out – a lot.  I don’t always make it a giant extravaganza, it may just be apps and a drink with friends, a sushi roll, a sandwich.  But, being the foodie I am, more often than not, I want to try a LOT of things and last night was no exception.

I watch what I eat every day – track my calories, my grams of fat, protein and carbs and I stay within the limits as directed by Eat to Perform.  I am usually a little low on my fat, a little high on my carbs or protein but very rarely by a lot.  I drink a lot . . .OK, I’m not alcoholic but I like a drink with my meal or to unwind at the end of a long day.  I have cut back to 4 or 5 nights a week and when I do, usually have just 1.  Sweets are my enemy #1 and if I were doing anything to sabotage my efforts, I would guess I still eat too much sugar.  I still stay within my carbs for the day when I have a little piece of cake, a couple of pieces of dark chocolate or that half a donut but I WILL eat it.

So, last night, I go out with a very good friend of mine, who hasn’t been out in a while and I want to really treat her (i.e. US).  I want to breakdown what I ate for you to show you how quickly it all can add up, even when you are really trying to be careful:

Appetizers:  I ordered the caprese salad, which is one of my favorite dishes. I could eat one every day.  I track all of my calories through fitbit.com and a middle of the road caprese salad is 320 calories and I ate half of it so starting with 160 calories.

Next, my dining companion got the always delicious spinach and artichoke dip, which I think we all can agree, ain’t the best for you and can be even worse depending on the ratio of cheese to veggies. . .and this one was very cheese heavy.  I only had 1 small piece of French bread (104 calories) with the dip on top, which I estimated at 197 calories and 17 grams of fat for a total of 300 calories for just one serving and this dish came with 8 pieces of bread and a giant bowl of dip.

Drink:  To wash all of this down and to relax with my friend at the end of a VERY long work day, I ordered a plain, vodka martini with 3 small blue cheese stuffed olives – a total of 150 calories.

Entrée:  I ordered the chicken marsala, to get my protein in and instead of pasta, got a side of red potatoes instead, which I would like to note – did NOT eat.  A giant platter of 2 large chicken breasts comes out with tons of sauce and the potatoes under it and I only have half of one chicken breast.  Looking up chicken marsala, I choose a 5 ounce serving, which may be a little high but I always err on the side of caution, for a total of 180 calories.

Dessert:  I adore the gelato from this restaurant so I asked them to bring me just one small scoop of their vanilla salted caramel gelato.  Only half a cup of this delicious stuff is 170 calories and I left a little in the bowl so giving myself a break and shaved a little off that to come up with 136 calories for my serving.

Anyone add all that up yet?  A salad with mozzerela, tomatoes and basil, one piece of bread with spinach and artichoke dip, a martini, half a chicken breast and a tiny little cup of gelato?  998 calories!!!  Almost 1,000 calories in one meal when I only get 1,800 calories in a day.

I was shocked when I got home and finally added it all up.  I knew it was a lot of items but I thought I had done really good on my portions.  How did I come in for the day on my food goals?  Only about 200 calories over, which was made up mostly of extra fat and carbs.

*sigh*  So, not a good day but you know what?  When you are SO careful every other day, you feel like you should be able to splurge a little like that every once in a while.  I think that’s the biggest problems with diets, eating plans, etc – the deprivation makes you feel like you are owed something you avoid because let’s face it, it just isn’t that good for you.

This guy who came up with Eat to Perform admits he almost exclusively eats meat and veggies.  Hmmmm, is that really a good diet for someone to have SO little variety?  Yet, I can’t help but keep wondering why this plan has been SO unsuccessful for me.  Am my workouts not intense enough?  Are my cheat days like this one I’ve described, too frequent?  Or is my body just changing and making it tougher to get and keep weight off than it did before? I hate using that last one as an excuse – I’m a women, my hormones are crazy, I’m short, I’m 42. . .SO WHAT!  That doesn’t mean I can’t keep at it, keep trying to stay as fit as possible, keep up my workouts and just do the best I can to put good things in my body.  I may not be a meat and veggie eating machine, I may have this extra 5 pounds on my gut and ass that flat out REFUSES to budge but I do feel like I am doing the best I can and still have the life I want to live.

What about you???

EDIT:  Ha ha – if you actually did the math above on my dinner, it doesn’t equal 1,000 calories because I forgot one item.  I also got soup with my meal and picked Italian Wedding Soup, which isn’t particular high calorie or fat but it was a giant bowl!  I only ate half of it, which added an additional 85 calories to my meal.  THERE, I think that about does it.

Eat To Perform – Week 5

Nope, nothing.  I feel like a broken record here and one magical day, I am going to wake up and whatever is supposed to be happening on this program will have started.  5 weeks and we aren’t there yet.  Here is the breakdown for ya:

Days on program:  35

Days tracking food:  29

Days ended low on protein goal:  7 (less than 95 grams, shooting for 100-110)

Weight change in 5 weeks:  +.3 pound

Body Fat change in 3 weeks:  0% change

And here are my workouts for the past week:

Monday, November 2nd– 40 minutes of Pilates

Tuesday, November 3rd:  Break day

Weds, November 4th:  40 minutes of Crossfit with personal trainer

Thurs, November 5th:  40 minutes on treadmill, 3.5 average mph

Friday, November 6th:  Break day

Saturday, November 7th:  3 hours of shopping with friend plus housework, Total Daily Steps = 10,885

Sunday, November 8^th – Day of house work plus 30 minutes on treadmill at 3.4 mph (I was tired and just couldn’t go any faster).  Total Daily Steps = 14,937

Should errands or house work count as exercise?  Probably not but when you have a desk job like me, anything that gets you up and moving is a good thing.  It isn’t specifically working on building any muscle but is still tiring, just the same.

I actually saw the scale hit the highest weight and the highest body fat I’ve had a in a long, long time so like I mentioned last week, I worry that this new program isn’t working.  Eat to Perform posts at least 3 articles a day on their Facebook page but look out!  Don’t try and ask them anything or tips from other users or people trying to same program because they want you to pay $9.95 a month for the training tips and meal plan.  Not a huge expense, especially when you can just pay $50 for the whole year, if you do it at one time but I am just not ready to make that commitment yet.

First, I don’t plan to make working out my career.  I am not looking to compete at Crossfit gyms, I don’t plan to run a marathon.  Or a half marathon.  Or even a 5K any time soon. I know I could do better on my eating (Halloween candy is ALMOST gone!) but compared to 90% of the population, I am guessing I do pretty damn good.  I refuse to give up nights out with my friends, I refuse to give up certain foods as bad forever and Eat to Perform says you don’t have to do that.  Hmmm…you definitely have to be doing SOMETHING different than what I am to get results or I would think I would have seen something by now.

I have been keeping my calories right around the target their calculator give me, working really hard to keep my protein grams up and even had a mini melt down in Costco when I ran out of my favorite protein shakes and the line was 6 people deep to get a membership with no end in sight.  The point is – I’m trying.

So, I plug on but feel like I need to make some adjustments to make this work – I’m just not sure exactly what.  I don’t feel like I have a tremendously more energy for my workouts than I did before, to push myself harder.  In fact, when I went to my first boot camp class in about a month on Weds, I was hobbling around like a 90 year old woman for THREE DAYS, my ass and legs hurt so bad.  The trainer said, oh the muscle soreness and fatigue just tells you it’s working.  So, I’m supposed to feel like crap in order to be stronger in the long run?  And what happens if I don’t keep this up?  Does it all go to hell in a hand basket and I basically go right back to where I started if I am side lined with an illness or injury for a few weeks?

I don’t know – I will always work out regularly, I will always watch what I eat and try to make good choices but it is all about how far you are willing to go, how many changes you are willing to permanently make in your life to be as healthy as possible.   Should I give up drinking alcohol altogether?  Is that what’s holding me back – my 1 drink a day average? I wish I knew the magic formula but all I can do is keep at it and hope this body gets in gear soon.

I pulled out a pair of pants I hadn’t wore in a good 3 weeks this morning for work and I tell you what, I had a tough time buttoning them.  They are on but definitely tighter than they were when I bought them a month or 2 ago.  I guess that’s what frustrating me most of all?  Am I actually hurting myself right now, rather than helping?

Stitch Fix #7 – October 2015!

I feel like I am getting pretty seasoned at this Stitch Fix thing so I have to admit, after numerous disappointments over my last Fixes, I try not to get my hopes too high and just take it with a grain of salt.  Get some good things – great, if not, no big deal, just send them back.  I think going into it with that kind of attitude really helps.  Oh, and getting a FABULOUS Fix like this one!

First off, I have to say, I LOVED this stylist note!  I appreciate the fact she specifically mentioned how to wear the pieces and how to pair 2 items together.  That is exactly what I need and have wanted.  After trying all of these items on, I think Hannah is a keeper!  She is happy, she is upbeat and she made me excited to check out what was inside the box.

So, what did I get?  Here we go!  First off, please excuse my pictures – you only get the outfit tonight because I had a tough 40 minute Crossfit workout right before this so I am kind of sweaty and am pretty much a mess.  But, it was still fun snapping my pictures for you!

I am going to start with my favorite and work my way down.  It also is the order I happened to try everything on too.

First up, this Papermoon Etsie Dress in size XSP.  Did you hear that?? PETITE!  Regular price of $78.

I have to say, I adore this dress.  It fits perfectly, the color is gorgeous (which might not be obvious from my pictures) and the material is so soft and comfortable, yet it still looks dressy.  Perfect for work.  I paired it quickly with some black heels but I can totally see wearing this with black tights, a black layering shirt underneath and boots.  LOVE so this is definitely a KEEPER.

However – Hannah suggested pairing this dress with the blazer included, which I will talk about a little later.  I’m sorry, I just don’t see these 2 colors going together and seem totally different styles.  One is dressy and the other is more casual.

So, we will NOT be wearing the blazer with the dress but let’s move on.

Next up, this Loveappella Kayla dress in size SP, regular price of $78.

First off, kudos to Hannah for recognizing this dress runs smaller than the first one and sending a small instead of an extra small.  Next, I adore the pattern of this dress!  It is so fun and I am a big sucker for pockets too.  It fits like a glove and I totally could see pairing it with tights and booties for winter, just like my stylist suggested.  HOWEVER, the material of this dress is SO thin.  I just don’t know if I would be warm enough in the fall and winter to keep it.  I will probably kick myself for doing this but I think I will be SENDING this one BACK.  If it were summertime, I would totally keep it.

Then, we have the Market and Spruce Avah Knit Top in size XS, regular price of $58.

I was most excited about this shirt when I saw it online but unfortunately, my fears were confirmed – it is just too darn big for me.  This dolman sleeve style is tough to pull off when you are so short because the dip of the neckline is SO deep and the shirt is so long, I think it makes my legs look stubby.  Here is another picture that shows it better.

I really wanted pieces to wear to work and unfortunately, I definitely wouldn’t be comfortable wearing a shirt this low cut to work.  I tried pairing it with the scarf, like the stylist suggested but that is a whole lot of pattern and color going on.

Speaking of the scarf, this is piece #4, the Mangrove Sidney Colorblock Wrap Scarf, regular price of $44.

The colors are gorgeous and it is kind of a plaid pattern, really cute so I tried again to make it work with this shirt.  Why, I’m not sure since I know I’m not keeping it.

So, I decided to try and put it all together with the final item I received, the 41Hawthorne Teegan Draped Blazer in size XS, regular price of $78.

I didn’t think I would like the blazer as much as I did because it didn’t get many rave reviews in other SF blogs I read.  However, I love the polka dot lining and it actually fit me quite well.  You can roll up the sleeves and button them or you can leave them long, like I did here.  It also have nice pockets and fits really well.

However, I am not wild about the color.  I liked the scarf and blazer so much, I went through my whole closet and tried to find other things to pair them with and just couldn’t come up with anything.  Also, both of these items seem pretty casual to me – I could wear the blazer with jeans and stuff but again, I was really looking for items to wear into the office.  I just don’t think this quite fits the bill.

So, right now, my initial reaction is to keep the first dress and send the rest back.  What do YOU think?  I think a dress for $78 is a good deal, especially when I love it so much.  It will be great for work and I will still feel cute yet professional and warm at the same time.

I am excited for my December Fix now and when I check out, I will definitely be asking for Hannah again for next month.  Not sure exactly what I will ask for, since I still haven’t had much luck getting shirts and sweaters, which is what I need most.  Maybe I will try for some dress pants and see what they come up.  I would like some fun colors I could wear with sweaters or cardigans for work.   Something different than the plain Jane black or gray dress pants and shirt with black boots.  Let’s mix it up a little bit and I think Stitch Fix can help me do it!

Want to try Stitch Fix for yourself?  If so, please use my referral link below and I will get a $25 credit  when you get your first shipment!  Thanks so much for reading!

https://www.stitchfix.com/referral/5229780

Eat to Perform – Week 4

Well, no progress yet.  Here is the breakdown for ya:

Days on program:  28

Days tracking food:  22

Days ended low on protein goal:  4

Weight change in 3 weeks:  +.2 pound

Body Fat change in 3 weeks:  +.4%

As I mentioned in my previous post, I have committed to trying this program for 3 full months.  My husband is very health conscious, very physically fit and he claims that any big changes like this don’t happen overnight and it takes a while for your body to get used to it.  OK, so 3 months will take me right until the end of 2015.  A great place to make a new beginning if I need to.

Here are my workouts for the week, for those who are curious:

Monday, October 26^th – 40 minutes of Pilates

Tuesday, October 27th:  Break day

Weds, October 28th:  Break day

Thurs, October 29th:  40 minutes on treadmill, 3.5 average mph

Friday, October 30th:  30 minutes on treadmill, 5% incline, 3.4 average mph

Saturday, October 31st:  5K charity walk, finished in the blistering time of 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Sunday, Nov 1^st – ANOTHER Break day

So, you can see – I only worked out 4 out of the last 7 days and didn’t get any weight workouts in, so not good.  I did walk with weights on the treadmill, to try and add a little more resistance and increase the intensity but I have to be very careful doing that.  If I push myself too hard, I find myself getting a little unsteady as I walk and the last thing I want to do is slip, fall and kill myself, a la Yahoo CEO’s husband.  Not good.

I will keep posting my results once a week throughout this whole experience and as I come across new food ideas, I will share them too.  As I also mentioned before, I am getting burned out on eggs and meat for my protein and am almost out of my protein shakes.  I have been doing a little bit of research online to find some options with more natural ingredients and it is tough.  I do not like the powder forms of shakes and smoothies, it has to be prepackaged and mixed for me to drink it, end of story.  Hubby has already tried to sell me on mixing my own because then you have control over what ingredients go into it but I’m sorry, it just isn’t practical for me because I know I won’t do it.  I need something I can just grab and go.

As soon as I get through this work week, I am going to try really hard to research meal recipes with the right mix of carb, fat and protein grams ahead of time so each week, all I have to do is go to my list and pick one to make each week.  I know the holidays will be tough but luckily, most of the meals focus on meat and as long as you don’t overindulge on the sweets, there actually are a lot of things you can eat and see meet your goals.

Finally, I know one of my biggest downfalls will be alcohol.  I love a glass of wine, a cocktail, a martini when hanging with friends and family and that just adds empty calories.  As Eat to Perform maintains, you shouldn’t have to give up ANYTHING, just keep it in moderation but since you are only tracking fat, protein and carb grams and not necessarily calories, it is very easy to forget about those pesky alcohol calories.  I am tracking everything on a spreadsheet, which includes a calorie overage or deficiency daily.  I am shooting to be slightly under, if at all possible so I can still have a glass of wine and not feel guilty.  However, I can’t do that at the expense of giving my body the fuel it needs for this to work.  But, when will it work?  What will be the magical tipping point when the body fat starts going down and I get stronger in my workouts?  I honestly don’t know but I’m not there yet.  I don’t feel like I have made too many compromises yet – I go out and dine with friends, I don’t work out every day but man, that protein goal is TOUGH.

We will see how the next 2 months go!

Stitch Fix #7 Sneak Peek

My Fix has shipped and so of course, once again, I had to take a little peek at what was to come.  I think the thing I liked the best is while I can usually find the pictures online somewhere, you still have no idea what color is coming to you – so you aren’t totally ruining the surprise.

MANGROVE Sidney Colorblock Wrap Scarf – looks like it comes in 3 different colors online.  Looks a little lightweight for winter but we will give it a go.

MARKET & SPRUCE Avah Knit Top – I like this one and if it fits me right, I think I would keep it.

41HAWTHORN Teegan Draped Blazer – the reviews I have read on this quickly don’t sound too positive.  Most say it is ill fitting and an usual style.  Tough to pull off unless it fits you just so.

LOVEAPPELLA Kayla Dress – I am not exactly sure why they are still sending me sleeveless dresses for fall and winter, especially when I pinned a handful of ones with sleeves as examples.  Sure, I can wear a cardigan with it but would be nice to have more fall/winter looking pieces.

PAPERMOON Etsie Dress – again, another sleeveless and I feel like they have already sent me styles similar to this a few times.  Kind of plain Jane but again, I don’t know what color they went me.

So, there you have it!  Again, the pictures above are NOT the ones I received but ones I found on the Internet when I Googled the items above.  I have no idea what size or color they are sending, only the prices, which seem very reasonable for this Fix, so that’s nice.  My box is set to arrive on Friday, November 6th so stay tuned for my pictures, trying everything on!