AllisonFit: Success and a New Favorite App

Hey Everyone! Sorry it’s been awhile since I’ve had an installment in this series!  But, I decided it’s time for an update, since so much has happened for me since graduating college in this area of my life.

On the most important and exciting front… I’ve lost 15 POUNDS!!!! I’m incredibly proud of myself for achieving this goal of mine.  While just by looking at myself I can’t really tell that I’ve lost this weight, the scales don’t lie – that weight is gone, and I can’t even express my joy over that.  I’ve been watching what I eat, exercising a bit more, and the juicing experience last month definitely gave me the jumpstart that I needed.

In addition to my super weight loss success, I’ve also discovered an awesome new app that I’ve added to my phone that has helped me keep track of my health tremendously.  It’s called “Noom.”  I believe it was free in the Google Play store, which is just a great extra bonus.  You do have the option to pay for an ‘upgraded’ Noom Plus version of the app.

This app first and foremost is amazing because it has a built in pedometer and each day you have goals of how many steps you need to take.  It also has trackers for meals and exercises.  For each goal you complete, or action completed, you earn Noom points, and when you earn so many points, you move up a level.  It’s a great self-motivating tool because I’m always competing with myself, trying to increase levels. 

The app also has a weight tracker where you can weigh yourself and it will show you a graph that tracks your weight progress as it fluctuates.  I love visually being able to see my progress.  There is also a waist log progress section which I have not made use of.  But I probably should begin to use that portion of the app, because that is a great tool.

Overall, this is by far my favorite fitness app that I’ve come across.  In the past, I’ve never seen a weight and food and exercise tracker all in one – I’ve had to use separate apps for them.  Having all of these things in one app is so much more convenient.

I hope you all have been working hard and have been having success in your own personal fitness goals. And if you haven’t, keep on pushing yourselves and trying!  You CAN do it!   Believe me, I never thought I could, but I managed to.  If I can, then you can!

Good luck everyone!

Let’s Get Deep

Before we get into the gist of today’s blog post, I’d just like to say a huge WELCOME to all of my new fabulous readers!  Thank you for your support J  As always, don’t forget to check out my YouTube channels, my Twitter, Instagram, and all of that fun stuff.  And if you have any video/blog post requests, feel free to tweet them to me, or leave comments on my blog or videos!

And now for today’s post… I’ll admit, this is probably one of the hardest posts I’ve ever written, and this is one that I’ve been contemplating even writing (or filming) all day long.  But I feel like this is just something that I have to do in one way or another.

As you all know, I have been doing YouTube videos for about a year now.  And in that time, I have generally gotten a great reception.  While I do not have a large number of subscribers, I feel like I have a nice small little family.  However, in the past few days, the haters have come out, and they’ve not been nice (duh!)  And while I knew this would eventually happen when I began making videos and putting myself out there online in this way, I never imagined how… cruel or blunt total strangers can be when typing anonymously behind a keyboard.  I suppose you hear about it, but never believe it until it happens to you.

I’ve had comments made about my looks, my weight, and my physical health.  Not to mention the methods I’ve used to gain my audience (which we recommended by extremely successful YouTubers). 

So how are these things considered ok?  In what universe, by whose standards is telling someone they need to go to the doctor to have their health checked appropriate?  They don’t know me, or the fact that I DO have health problems.  They obviously don’t know about my AllisonFit series or that I’ve recently lost 15 pounds in 2 months (GO ME!!!!).  And why would they?  They just want to assume that they’re always right.

Believe me, I KNOW I shouldn’t let this bother me.  But, I’m human, and it does.  These are just the first few people that I’ve had act like this openly on my channel.  The comments made on my videos were disliked and marked as spam by very kind viewers on my channel.  So when I saw that had happened my natural curiosity took over and I looked at them.  And of course, I wasn’t pleased with what I saw.  But, I am truly grateful to those people who marked them as spam- if you were those people, THANK YOU. 

In the end, I ended up removing the hateful comments from my channel.  I do not know if this was the best decision, but I did not want a large amount of people to see them and begin analyzing them and believing them to be true.  I had also considered responding to them, or even private messaging the haters, but did not want to add more fuel to the fire.  What would you have done in this situation?

Hopefully, dealing with haters on YouTube will get easier.  I’m sure it will.  These people obviously don’t know me, and will never know me in the way that my family and friends do.  So I can’t let it get to me, right?

Must Have Nail Polishes: High-End Addition

1.     OPI’s Cajun Shrimp

This color is my go-to whenever I am at the nail salon.  For some reason, without even realizing it, I always end up picking this color.  So I finally had to cave and pick it up at my recent trip to ULTA.  The perfect combination of red and pink, this color provides a classic look with a youthful flair.  The formulation of the polish is fantastic and goes on amazingly well, and is definitely a product that I would recommend to anyone.

2.     OPI’s Lincoln Park after Dark

A beautiful deep (and I mean DEEP) purple/black color, Lincoln Park after Dark was a long time coveted color for me before I got it off the grab and go rack on a whim at ULTA one day.  A much raved about color in the beauty world, this color is great for evenings out, and also a great color for the cooler months like December and January.

3.     China Glaze’s For Audrey

Tiffany Blue is my absolute favorite color.  And I mean this to the point where I’ve already decided it’ll be my wedding color.  This color is the closest you can possibly get to a true Tiffany Blue in a nail polish (hence the name For Audrey).  An absolutely gorgeous light blue shade, I wear this color all year round, and would highly recommend it to anyone.  Plus, on sites such as transdesign.com, you can get China Glaze polishes for super cheap!

4.     China Glaze’s Flip Flop Fantasy

A hot, brighter than bright, electric pink color, Flip Flop Fantasy is a perfect summer shade if you are looking for something bold to go with your look.  This color, being one of the first polishes that I ever purchased from China Glaze, got me hooked on the brand.  It’s formulation is amazing, and has a great lasting power. 

5.     Essie’s Cocktail Bling

A gorgeous blue-gray shade, Cocktail bling is a great shade for days when you want a more muted color on your nails but still want to show off your unique style.  This is another color that I long sought after before I ended up forking over the money for it.  But boy am I glad I did!  As with all Essie polishes, the formulation is amazing and I’ve never had to apply more than two coats of polish to get an incredible look on my nails.  So they are definitely well worth the cash!

6.     Essie’s In the Cab-ana

Part of the new spring collection, this beautiful blue shade has quickly become one of my go-to polishes.  The second I saw this polish on YouTube I knew I had to go out and get it for myself.  The night I got it I put it on my nails, and it looks AMAZING on.  If you are in to blue polishes, this color is a must-have for you.

7.     Essie’s Bahama Mama

Bahama Mama is a burgundy color that I originally was skeptical about but eventually fell in love with after seeing it all over the beauty blogs and on YouTube.  So naturally, being the polish junkie that I am, I had to go out and get it for myself.  If you are looking to stay with a more classic color but want to put a twist on it, this is a color for you.  The color has obvious classic elements in it, but puts a nice twist in them.  I personally think this color also works for looks all year around, though some may argue that it only works in the fall and winter.

AllisonWatches OnceUponATime Episode 11

Ooooh!  Secretive texts from David! Ooh la la!  And an opportunity to bust the mayor!  All in one two minute span!

So now there’s a genie?  Interesting…

I can’t believe the book is gone!!!!

So the genie gave the queen the magic mirror?  Interesting….

So this is how the king dies…..

How come I have a feeling that Emma and Sydney are wrong in their accusations?  And of course they are.  HAHA.  Somehow I knew that one was coming. 

UNBELIEVABLE.  SYDNEY was playing EMMA the entire time.  What the hell. 

Overall, not the greatest episode, but the ending scene was such a mind-blowing moment that it made up for it!

AllisonWatches: OnceUponATime Episode 10

So starting this episode, I have to say, I’m very curious about this new guy that came to town in the previous episode.  And now he’s chatting it up with Henry in front of the mayor’s house… curious…..

Figures she’d be trying to catch David’s attention! 

Ooooh!!!! Red Riding Hood!!!!! Yay! New character!!  And of course she would lead Snow to Rumplestilskin.

EEEK!!! I really hope she doesn’t drink that ‘cure’! 

Awww!!! That letter to Snow!!! YES YES YES!!!!!!!!!!!

I can’t believe Snow was captured!!!!!  Awwww yay for Grumpy!!!!!!!

And of course.  Mary Margaret would get herself into trouble.  But thank god for David. 

Awww.  Snow let Grumpy escape!  Now that’s a hero!

Ooooh! How romantic! Mary Margaret and David all alone in a cabin.  WOW.  And now she’s telling him she still has feelings for him.  WOW.  AWWWWWWWW THINGS JUST GOT REAL CUTE.  And then she dropped the pregnancy bombshell.  Of course.  Wow.  Great timing. 

Ok.  I really hate this new guy.  And him being a writer is soooo going to cause trouble.

I can’t believe the King.  I can’t believe this whole thing.  I just… don’t know how to process this.  OMG she’s actually listening to the king.  This is killing me.  Literally breaking my heart.  And his face.  What.  What.  What.  WHY??????

I really don’t understand.  I don’t understand how se ends up married to James after what just happened.  But at least now she meets the dwarfs and goes home with them. 

GAHHHH!!!!!!! SHE DRANK THE POTION!!!!!!!!!!!

YES!!!!!! DAVID AND MARY MARGARET FINALLY KISSED!!!!!!!! Of course the mayor saw it but whatever.

Overall, this is definitely one of the better episodes.  Just when I thought the show was getting into s slump, it turned it around with a killer episode!  I hope you all are enjoying the show as much as I am!