Me by Cortney

I struggled with writing the post but after reading Zayle's post I wanted to tell my story. First, I would like to say that I do not know what I feels like to be more than 10-15 pounds overweight but being 5'1" 5 pounds looks like 15!!! I was a very active child I played soccer, basketball, gymnastics, jazz, tap, and ballet, I was always the shortest person. I remember in the 3rd grade a friend suggested that I start dieting, and telling me to never go back for seconds and to always pick the smallest cupcake. This is where it all began, at 8 years old I started worrying about my weight. In high school I did powerlifting and track, even though I was very active I can still remember thinking I was fat, and since I thought this way, others would use it against me and call me fat. My freshman year I watched a documentary on E! about the Barbie Twins, this is where I learned how to skip meals and to abuse laxatives. By sophomore year I was eating less than 750 calories a day, going to track practice after school, and powerlifting before school, as well as working out during athletics. For a period in high school I was eating no carbs at all and skipping lunch everyday, soon people stopped focusing on my weight, and started asking if I had an eating disorder because I wasn't eating lunch. These questions and rumors were not any better than being called fat. By junior year I was using a box of laxatives a week and still eating eating less than 750 calories. These unhealthy habits put me in the hospital the first work out of senior year, I woke up at 3am with the worst headache of my life and tunnel vision. I was severely dehydrated and had suffered a minor heat stroke, even this didn't change my ways and at my last powerlifting meet I weighed 118, now that seems like a normal weight for someone my height but with how much I was lifting it was very unhealthy. This just motivated me to try harder to get under 110, by unhealthy means. Sometimes I would look at myself and didn't see a "fat" girl like people were saying I was. After high school I taught spin, legs and abs, and step classes. At one point I was teaching 7 one hours classes per week and would pick up any class I could which would put me at 10 classes per week sometimes. When I wasn't teaching classes and working out, I was sleeping because I have no energy. I knew something had to change but I didn't know how to change because I had been stuck in my unhealthy habits for so long. Today I still see myself as a short, stubby, fat girl, it took me a long time to realize that even though I'm short I have a larger frame then other girls my height, I have a booty and hips, my bust and weight measurement are the same and are 10 inches less than my waist, which might seem idea for some people wanting an hourglass figure but I still struggle with falling into old habits everyday. I have learned to listen to my body, and although I'll probably always be weight conscience I have learned to go about this in healthier ways. 

Me at 17

Me at 18

Me at 16.

Now

Medium-Carb Day and New Hair! By: Zayle

It's Friday, finally!!! I've almost made it through my first week of carb cycling. This week has been tough. The last two days I have been wiped out-- feeling like limp spaghetti. My bootcamp instructor said I was 'carb bonking', but once my body gets used to this type of eating, I'll feel fine. Thank goodness! I'm positive nobody has ever been as excited as I am about eating sweet potatoes! I get two meals with a complex carb today... Yay!!! So far today I've had my think thin bar with coffee and a protein shake, with some herbalife tea to get my energy up... My next meal will finally be a carb meal! As well as my dinner-- AND tomorrow is my cheat meal, I'm overly excited!

I've also been incorporating Slique from Young Living into my water, to help with getting rid of extra tummy fat from any excess water weight...and I've still been doing my turbo fire and bootcamp, although the last two days my energy was so low, I'm sure I looked like a sloth trying to workout. 

Other than working out and carb cycling this week, I've also been working on my hair. I change my hair ALL the time, it's been every color from red to turquoise. I'm always changing the length too-- I can never make up my mind with how I like it. It's been short and brunette for a while, so it's time for a change! If I'm getting married on the beach, then I need beach hair-- & since we'll be getting engagement pics done soon, I've been working on getting my hair to beach level this week. I've lightened my hair twice and it is now a dark blonde...

Today we are getting it a little lighter and putting in dreamcatcher extensions. I can't wait to see the finishing look and to share with you guys how it turns out! 

Meal Plan, Working~Out, and Waist-Training, By: Zayle

After teasing you guys, it's finally time for me to let you into my world of all things fitness. I have on several occasions been a great "worker-outer" and then I'll fall on the wayside. I would do so good for a while, miss a few days and quit working out for a month or two...this last time, however, I quit for a little too long! I'd say I went without working out for a good year or two. AND I probably would still not be working out, if I didn't start feeling so awful all the time. My energy was so low, all I wanted to do was sleep (not saying it's still not one of my favorite things to do), but getting up and walking from place to place became a struggle. I'm only 27...this was obviously a problem. I decided it was time for a change, and knowing that I could never start working out with one of my millions of beachbody dvds (not saying I don't love them, I just knew in the beginning I would need that extra push); I decided to join a bootcamp, "Diva's Bootcamp" to be precise, here in the small town I live. I have to be there by 5...which is HARD--I'm usually always late--but I'm there, and if I'm not I get a friendly wake up text from the instructor. I started out going three days a week to bootcamp and not really changing the way I ate, but I still saw results! I lost 3 lbs. and a ton of inches. This got me really motivated! I now go 5 days a week, and even, have just began to be able to push myself to do a little cardio, with Turbo Fire (one of the millions of beachbody dvds). 

As for what bootcamp consists of, it's a mix of heavy lifting and full body workouts. The workouts change daily and keep me on my toes. Everyday there's a new part of my body that's sore and it feels GOOD. I am beginning to get into amazing shape, accomplishing things I've never been able to--like running nonstop for up to 30 minutes...which ok you marathoners, I know this isn't an astronomical feat, but to me it is! I have gotten so much stronger and my body is changing all the time. I finally am getting to the point where I like the way I look out of clothes, where before, since I was "skinny fat", I really only looked good IN them.

It wasn't until a few weeks ago, well after I was proposed to, that I thought I should probably eat better. I'm going to be on the beach 24/7 and I want to be a hot wife! So looking on instagram I found vadim_Miami...I inquired about his carb cycling eating plan and it seemed legit! Seeing the results on his page, and knowing I would get carbs and even a cheat meal planned in--I was sold!!! As you know, I just started the plan this week, and I'm already seeing results. Although, I will admit, it has been hard for my body to adjust to. The low carb days have been the hardest, but the medium carb day I had yesterday, came just in time. I may have given up if I didn't have it sooner. I know once my body has detoxed all of the nastiness I have consumed, I will be feeling amazing! I eat 6-7 meals a day...usually 2 of them being protein shakes, I'm not the biggest fan of meat--unless of course, it's a big juicy steak, or hamburger. Below is a look of what a Low Carb day looks for me...and yes there's coffee, it's not on my plan BUT it's my favorite and I have to allow myself a few things. AND, don't mind Sophia, she was being a camera hog and needed her picture taken too. 

Another thing I have been into lately, is waist training, I've always been straight up and down and I want a shape! Now I know that there are extremes, and that these are not healthy--I'm not looking to go that far with myself. I ordered my waist trainer from, dream girl curves, and at first it was awful! I could only wear it a few hours a day, but now I wear it all day long--it helps my posture, helps me feel full faster and hopefully is helping me get those curves I want. I'll know next week exactly the results I have had with it, when we have our bootcamp weigh-ins. My last waist measurement was 25 inches.

Now, if I may make a suggestion, invest in some sort of accessory, like a FitBit. I am obsessed with getting my steps in and making sure I get close to the number of calories I need to burn a day. Even my students love it, they question me all the time--"how many steps have you walked Ms. Griffin?!" Plus it's super fun to have competitions with Cortney, like the weekend warrior, or workweek hustle--it definitely pushes you a little harder!

3 days until my cheat day!

Coming Clean, By: Zayle

I sat down this morning, expecting to write about my meals yesterday, working out, and waist training--but when I sat down at the computer, I decided it was time to come clean. The story I'm about to tell is not one many know about--it has been a dark secret of mine and something that I still struggle with daily. You would think something from over ten years ago, would be gone and buried--but this ghost haunts me everyday. My fiancé knows nothing about this, most of my friends don't...it embarrasses me and honestly it shouldn't. This is something that to others may not seem like a big deal, and many may look down upon me for thinking the way I do...but if you're going to read my blog and I'm going to tell you what I'm doing to "look fab" and to "be fit", then I'm going to be honest about my background.

In high school I was a lot like the girl I am now, I took fashion risks and wore heels almost everyday to school. I was a cheerleader and lettered in powerlifting my freshman year. I worked out and I looked, what I thought, fabulous. My first two years of high school, I was tiny. I never got close to weighing over 100 pounds. My freshman year I weighed around 87 pounds, and my sophomore year it was around 95 pounds. I'm 5'1", so it's natural to be that little...but then something changed. I decided to focus just on cheerleading and theatre after my sophomore year...and when I came back to school after summer break, I was no longer the little girl who was underdeveloped, I was a "butterball". Or so this is what I was called. I had gained up to 115 pounds. It doesn't sound like a lot, but all my friends seemed to think so. I lost almost all of them. They were suddenly "too cool" to hang out with me. At cheerleading games I stood alone, because the two girls who had been my best friends since elementary, didn't want to be seen with the "fat ass". I still hung with a lot of the same crowd, and still was considered by some people's standards as "popular", but I also dealt with constant scrutiny daily. As I would walk across the cafeteria, my old friends, would yell at me calling me names.  When we would do plays in front of the school, I would hear those same friends, yelling up at the stage--"BUTTERBALL!". As a young girl, this did some major damage.

I ended up becoming bulimic. I would binge on food and then throw it up and when that didn't work, I turned to eating only strawberries. I finally lost a little weight with that and got down to 110. I felt better about myself, and when I went to acting school that fall in NYC, I almost felt confident. Nobody knew about my "fat" days, I could start over anew. This only lasted for a while, because like so many college kids, I packed on the pounds. Once I came back to Texas, after deciding living with mice and never having any money, wasn't for me--I weighed in at 122 pounds. I was devastated. I was back to being the butterball. I refused to go anywhere or be seen by anyone. I was the girl who couldn't make it in New York and was back to her old "fatty" days. I finally found a diet program at a center that seemed feasible. I weighed in three times a week and was very strict. I never cheated once on this plan. When I started back at a junior college that fall, I was a tiny 102 pounds. I stayed this weight for a few years; however, I was back to my old bulimia and anorexia ways. This way of life finally got the better of me, and by the time I got married (for the first time) in 2009 I was 119 pounds. 

I tried diet after diet, but nothing worked because I couldn't stop binging and purging...and the weight--it kept creeping up. I think a lot of this had to do with how miserable I was in this marriage--I grew up around people who stayed married and were happy--but I was always alone and incredibly unhappy. Bulimia seemed to be the only thing that made me feel better. I saw counselors and nutritionists, but they didn't help, because I guess I wasn't ready for that yet--I wasn't ready to change myself. I wanted out of my marriage and out of the body I had. In 2011 after finding my husband in the midst of something no married man should be doing, I finally saw my way out. I was ecstatic to finally be back home with my family and no longer spending my entire days and nights alone. BUT I was now over 130 pounds. For a short girl this is a heavy burden on a little body, plus the past still haunted me. It wasn't until a bad breakup that I went from 127 to 112...AND then I finally learned how to love myself and how to be as healthy as possible...AND it wasn't until I met my fiancé and found true love, that I let the reigns of the scale let go of me. 

I am now 110 pounds and will always struggle with an eating disorder, because that is a sort of addiction that never goes away--it's just being able to ignore those bad thoughts and knowing I'm worth it, that keeps me going. Now that I'm getting married, I want to set a good example for my future children. I want them to know what it is like to look and feel healthy--and that is the true reason why I am on this journey to get healthy and fit. I wish more than anything I had pictures to share from the 'dark days' but the only pics I could find were from my friend's facebook pages (all after pics are recent pictures compared to photos from years past--after my divorce and before the breakup, all are around 130-127ish) Any pictures I had before, I destroyed, so that I could hide and pretend like those "butterball" days never happened...but they did, and it is something that will never go away--it is something that has shaped me and made me who I am today.

Skin Care Products By: Cortney

One thing I am particularly anal about is make skin care products. I have very sensitive fair skin, and when I say fair I mean the not even the sun tans or burns me. However, I never never never leave the house without SPF. I also suggest that everyone wear BB cream with SPF. Maybeline Dream Fresh is my favorite, and its coverage is flawless, and it's very light weight, the days when I don't wear makeup I at least throw this on for coverage and to even out my skin tone. When removing my make up I use a Dove unscented bar, I use this because my skin is so sensitive that most facial cleanser makes me have a blotchy complexion. At night I use, yes more suncreen even at night, Eucerin face moisturizer with SPF 30. Once I week I would suggest a light microdermabrasion, Dr Brandt carries the best at home microdermabrasion I have found, this product is a bit pricey but totally with it. I also suggest Dr Brandt 's no more pores or pore-fessional for minimizing pores. Next, Hey Honey Take It Off Mask, is my newest obession, you'll be amazed what all this clear mask gets out of your pores. Now, remember I'm a bargain shopper, ELF makes the best lip exfoliator for... $1.00!!!!!! Most of these items I received in my ipsy bag, and have became obsessed with. None of these products irritate my skin or leave my skin blotchy, I highly suggest trying them all!

Pore-fessional: http://ulta.com/

Dr Brandt products: http://drbrandtskincare.com/

Dove, Eucerin, ELF: http://www.walmart.com/

Hey Honey Take It Off: 

http://heyhoney.com/

Before Pics! By: Zayle

Because I promised, here are my before pictures! I'll be back later to tell about my eating, workouts, and what I'm doing to get into the absolute best Bridal Shape, for my Jamaica Nuptials...and to,

of course, become a much healthier human! 

Sunday Funday by Cortney

Remember how I said sometimes I only make it to the gym twice per week, well this was one of those weeks. Between work and completing my last annotated bibliography ever in my life, I just didn't have a lot of free time this week. I'm sure my fitbit is wondering if I'm still alive, from as little as I moved this week. However, this was my first week of carb cycling, although I haven't stepped on a scale I can already tell and difference. 

And these little treasures helped me tremendously through the week. I was bummed when I couldn't find the BBQ flavor at Walmart, but this new Tuscan flavor did not fail me. 

Also, I have been trying new herbalife shakes this week 

This birthday cake recipe I could have for every meal... It's now my new favorite, and has been my breakfast this passed week. 

This week I started using my newest Mac lipstick and liner:

I have never used a nude lipstick before and it did take some getting used to, but by the end of the week I was obsessed. This color worked perfect with my newest Mac blush as well.

This week was full of newbies, my newest work shoes also made their debut

These are Kate Spade flats that I found for $32.00 at Nordstrom Rack, regular price was $150.00!!!! I just couldn't resist a deal like that! Btw I'm a wonderful bargain shopper, I just know I'll find some Tory Burch sandals at a reasonable price one day ;)

Here's to a new wonderful week!!!

XOXO Cortney 

GO FROGS!!!

Chips: http://www.walmart.com/

Blush: whole lotta love http://www.maccosmetics.com/

Lipstick: Honey Love http://www.maccosmetics.com/

Lip liner: Oak http://www.maccosmetics.com/

Shoes Kate Spade: http://shop.nordstrom.com/

Carb Cycling Day 1 & Meal Prepping, By: Zayle

Today marks day 1 of the carb cycling adventure... Today is a low carb day and I'll admit I haven't been as on point as I should, I've done a friend's makeup and have been cleaning and doing homework... So my first two meals were think thin bars... They are delicious with no sugars and 20 grams of protein, I haven't met a protein bar that can compete!

After meals 1 and 2, I did makeup for my friend, Abbey's photo shoot today... We were going for very dramatic and sultry; I forgot to take a before, so I stole one of her pics from Instagram 

Lashes: Katy Perry

Lip Liner: black eye-liner from Estée Lauder (we went for the ombre look)

Lipstick: Estée Lauder

Blush, highlighter and a darker powder for contouring: MAC

Eyeshadow: ULTA

After her shoot it was time for meal prepping, this week--Sunday-Friday consists of low carb and medium carb days, I'll be eating 7 times a day, so I had to make a few meals to take to work for me. I'm not a big fan of chicken or vegetables so I did what I could to make my meals extra flavorful 

Chicken with chili powder, cumin and light salt 

Broccoli with lime juice and olive oil 

I'm so very excited about this adventure and can't wait to share with you guys the results!... Only 6 days until a high carb day and a cheat meal...yumm...off to lift now-- it's a full body with weights workout, abs, core and 30 minutes of HIIT to end it. Wish me luck!

Meal Plan by: @vadim_miami on Instagram 

The Weekend Before Carb Cycling Begins...by Zayle

Before I go on diets, I'm one of those people who like to, "go hard or go home". Even though I get a cheat day--that's only one meal a week--and I'm a junk food junky!...so I made sure I had all kinds of goodies Friday and Saturday. This is probably the most unhealthy thing to do ever, but I can't help it! 

Friday started off good, with boot camp in the morning, and a Think Thin Chunky Peanut Butter Bar for breakfast...but after that it was all downhill--but oh so delicious! Lunch was a peanut butter-honey sandwich with a bag of some of my favorite cookies. I had planned on being a little healthier for dinner, since Saturday was a family function with Seth, and I knew there was no way I would ever surpass the dessert table. BUT that didn't happen...

After work Friday, I finally, after weeks of having normal sized lashes and feeling like a boy, I got my lashes filled--lash extensions are my best friend!

(Before extensions...ignore the chapped lips) 

(After lash extensions)

Then Seth and I did probably one of the most crazy things ever--we got tattoos...not just any tattoos--we got couples tattoos...I know many people look down upon this, but what the heck! We thought about grabbing Subway afterwards, but that bright orange W was calling my name--Whataburger it was! I could have gotten a kids meal to help with the caloric intake, but instead I got a number one on texas toast with cheese, mayo and pickles, a large order of fries AND a large chocolate malt...oops! 

Saturday was full of meeting Seth's family, tamales, tacos, and about a zillion different broccoli salads--I was so full I ended the day with a granola bar and was in bed by 9. Which leads us to today...today is the day Cortney and I start our new healthy eating lifestyle...before pics are coming your way--eek so scary! Now off to meal prep.

What I'm Wearing:

Maroon Top: The Lace Cactus (on facebook) https://www.facebook.com/TheLaceCactus

Fur Vest: The Lace Cactus

Earrings: The Lace Cactus and Tory Burch http://www.toryburch.com

Purse: Michael Kors http://m.michaelkors.com

Tattoos: First Revelation in Weatherford, TX

Lashes: Luscious Lashes in Weatherford, TX

Introducing Cortney

I am Cortney... Yep, that's the correct spelling, so obviously I was never a kid that was able to have personalized items without getting them ordered. I have a bachelors degree from TCU, go frogs!!!! Now, I am completing my last semester of my Masters degree and I am slowly losing my mind, I figured I'll find it again after graduation. I'm just a typical mid twenties gal working full time, living in the tiniest apartment with my long term boyfriend and two dogs, trying to save money and trying to make it in this game called life. I try to make it to the gym when I can, sometimes it's only twice a week and other times it's 4 times a week. The weeks I'm not able to go very often I eat and moderation and watch my calorie intake. Makeup is my weakness, for some reason I think I need a new Mac lipstick and liner every time I go to the mall or shop online #thestruggle I know. I also like to take risks with my make up and clothing, so if you run into a 5 foot 1 burnette with purple lipstick, fringe boots/purse and neon nails, you'll know it's me. My best friend, or should I say soul sister, is Zayle and we're pretty much the same person. Most people don't understand us, but that's okay because we understand each other. Follow me on Instagram @cortneydbest and #zayandcort

What I'm wearing

Cardigan: http://dillards.com/

Lipstick: Up The Amp from http://www.maccosmetics.com/

Lip liner: Magenta from http://www.maccosmetics.com/

Top: http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/

Leggings: http://www.rue21.com/

What I'm wearing 

Lace back razor back and bralette: Pink collection from http://victoriassecret.com/

Shorts:http://rhemaboutique.com/

Introducing Zayle

Hey there--I'm Zayle (Zay-Lee)...that's right, it's not Zale. My best friend and I have decided to start a new journey in the blog land. This way we are held accountable to look amazing EVERYDAY, and most importantly to get fit and stay that way. Just like every girl...or most for that matter...I have a love hate relationship with working out and putting myself together. Sure I love the way I feel after and look after, but my inner me is an over-weight homeless person! I'm pretty sure I would be totally fine never brushing my teeth or washing my hair again...and eating healthy?! Let's get REAL, it BLOWS! But less about that...and more about me as a person.

I am 27, live in a tiny town in Texas, am working on my masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and am a Resource Teacher for 2nd and 3rd graders. I am recently engaged, will be getting married/eloping in June in Ocho Rios, Jamaica (that's ME and the fiancé ^^^), have a dog named Isabella and a cat named Sophia. Even though I am a self-proclaimed, homeless wannabe, I am obsessed with clothes! AND even though working out sucks, I wake up at 4:30 Monday-Friday to workout. BUT the struggle is REAL when it comes to food. I love anything sweet, fried...ANY and EVERYTHING that is absolutely terrible for you. So, I--along with my bestie--Cortney, are embarking on a healthy eating journey, for me--I'll be following a carb-cycling program and Cort is incorporating protein shakes into her diet--we are inviting you guys along! Don't worry it won't be all about eating healthy and working out...we'll also throw in our outfits for the day, our love for make-up and of course a little of our personal lives (we're some pretty fun chicks!). 

We're excited about this journey and are more than happy to share this with the world. WELCOME to the ZayandCort show!!! Follow me on Instagram: zayledawn #zayandcort

What I'm Wearing:
MAC Myth Lipstick www.maccosmetics.com
Top: Lace Cactus https://m.facebook.com/TheLaceCactus
Earrings: Lace Cactus https://m.facebook.com/TheLaceCactus