We got nearly three feet of snow here between Friday and Saturday so today was the big dig out. Schools are already cancelled for tomorrow and I’m hoping work will be closed as well (even though I’ll have to work from home…sigh) because my back needs it. Seriously, shoveling hurts. BUT, it also burns calories, so I guess there’s that.

Fun fact: Did you know that calories and carbs completely don’t count during a snow storm??  Because after 17 days without a coca-cola or sugar…yeah, I totally fell off the wagon…into a pile of sugary goodness…and of course if work is cancelled tomorrow, that means the extended weekend continues right?  It only makes sense!

It really gives more incentive to hope for a snow day, doesn’t it?? 🙂

Hope everyone is staying safe and warm this weekend!!

It’s only been 9 days without my precious…I mean coca cola. I’d really love to say that I don’t crave it anymore, but only my stories are fiction…this my friends is real life and after 9 days, it still sucks. I literally have to keep coke out of sight out of mind. I’m waiting for the magical tipping point where I think, “wow, I don’t even want one anymore?”….does that ever happen. Guess I’m about to find out.  The good news I crave carbs less like pasta, chips, cookies…damn, I’ve just made myself hungry. BUT I crave sugar like chocolate and coke of course….they say 21 days for sugar to leave the body…we’ll see if I can make it that long…

The weight loss…well, I lost 2 lbs…if I’m being honest in the past it would have been, “2 lbs is nothing, guess it’s not working..pop the top of a coke”, but I’m trying very hard to keep the mentality that slow and steady wins the race.

Kind of like writing. I’ve never been the type of person who has a word number goal each day/week, etc…instead I’d give anything for more time to write. So I sort of binge write when I get the chance and in the meantime I will literally text, email and jot down anything that comes to me during the work day, commute, etc so I don’t forget once I do get the chance to write. Slow and steady, the book is coming along…I’d rather it be good than fast and yet I still envy authors whose very job it is to write. Maybe someday I’ll get there. But in the meantime, I will continue to write when I can and not shove my face full of sugary treats….

I’ve made it until Friday, but the biggest obstacle remains: The weekend. The good news is that with my husband doing this with me it should be easier. SHOULD. But if he falls off the wagon I’m going to kick his butt because my will power is just waiting (hoping really) that he does and then I can blame him.

No, no, no. In good news, my writing is coming along…I’m hoping for a June time frame, but we’ll see….

Have a great weekend!

Now if only this post was true below!!

I’d love to tell you that I’m already feeling better and really great about this whole cutting out sugar thing. But I’m not going to sugar-coat it (pun totally intended). I feel like shit. I’m so very tired and with the stress of my boss returning after being gone for so long, I automatically want to reach for my stress go-to crutch. Coca-cola. Damn even typing the word made me salivate for the taste.

Have you ever heard of those pills they put people on that aren’t supposed to drink alcohol? I never had until I went out with a group of friends years ago when I used to go out past 9pm. A friend of a friend had just gotten a DUI (driving under the influence) so he had to take court mandated drugs that make him violently ill if he drinks while on them…I need that for coca-cola. Or something that changes the taste if I were to drink it after. Or bitter apple spray like you spray for puppies trying to chew stuff. Yep, I need to spray that shit on every carb out there…problem is I can totally see myself powering through it to get to the carbs….AHHHHHHH. They say it can take up to 2 weeks for sugar to leave your system….If only I had a fast forward button…

I can totally relate to the post below…

I feel good. No really, it’s been a whole morning and I’m positive it’s already working…(I’m totally bullshitting you) but today is the first day where I’ve cut coca-cola out. And since my day normally starts with a morning coke, getting past it is a feat. I am not, however cutting caffeine (I mean let’s not go crazy here..I wouldn’t be able to stand my own company, let alone be able to go out into the world if I cut that too) so I’m learning to drink hot tea. With stevia and milk. It’s okay and so is my breakfast of scrambled eggs, mushrooms and avocado. 1 meal down and more water to drink. I can do this. I can do this. So can you if this is your day 1.  We can do it together and laugh all the way. 

 I’m still waiting for the point in which I will be absolutely sick of the carbs I’m inhaling thereby making Monday that much easier. Like I’m going to wake up and say, “oh thank god I can go carb free now.”  Uh, something tells me this may not be one of my best diet strategies!

So today in addition to taking down the Christmas decorations I’ve got to start with the meal planning and shopping. Because if I don’t have a plan, well I will be sunk before I start. I mean I at least need to make it til Wed to say I gave it the old college try, right?

And I’ve recruited the husband. He’s not “thrilled” with the idea, but he seems to be on board for at least the next 30 days. Probably why he’s busy inhaling beer and chips this weekend. 🙂  It may be a good time to tell friends and family not to talk to us for a couple weeks while we get over the Hangry phase of the diet. (Hungry + Angry = Hangry). Matter of fact perhaps we should as a couple avoid conversation for a couple of weeks too.

Oh boy, sugar detox, where nobody wins!  Here we go!

So this New Year’s I am not making a resolution, however I do have a goal for this year. So maybe it’s technically a resolution. But since my history with keeping resolutions isn’t so great, let’s call it a goal instead, kay.

This year’s goal has to do with, wait for it, losing weight. I know, such a cliche. And sadly it isn’t my baby weight I need to lose. (My youngest is 2)…oh no, it’s something most people don’t know about. Toddler weight. Yeah, so I actually lost the baby weight but somewhere in the last year picked up 20 lbs. I blame it on the writing, stress at the job, having pneumonia for the entire month of Sept, having 2 kids under 5. Yeah, do these sound like excuses…Abso-fucking-lutely….I’m really good at them-lots of practice. But we all have them and despite the myriad of reasons, it’s time to get my butt in gear.

I know what needs to be done. Sometimes that’s the biggest obstacle in having been there, done that. I know how it sucks..lol. But I also know that I refuse to buy a larger size of pants…so either it’s going to be embarrassing at work when I constantly have them undone, or I’ve gotta do something.

So I invite you along for this weight-loss journey to either suffer along, commiserate or just laugh as I stumble along. I may not be successful, but I do make one promise: It will be funny to watch either way…

So what’s the plan. Well the plan is for me to cut out soda…Coca-cola and I have a very long relationship however and I LOVE it. So breaking up with a long term love is not easy, but I’m going to try to do it for 30 days. Matter of fact I’m attempting to cut all sugar for 30 days…so how do I prepare? By consuming copious amounts of sugar up until my stopping point of course. Nothing says I’m committed to a lifestyle change than gaining 3 lbs the week before my diet. C-O-M-M-I-T-T-E-D I tell ya.

And when to start? Does a New Year’s resolution, I mean goal start on the 1st?  Nah. I mean how can one be good with a diet when it’s a holiday?  Yeah, you feel me. Okay, so on the 2nd? Come on, that’s a Saturday. Who starts a diet on a Saturday? Plus I have a 12 pack that I need to finish…Uh, yeah. You’re sensing a trend aren’t you. As if I have to wonder why I can’t lose weight…

Okay, so Monday it is, although I vow to exercise this weekend to at least get started. Nothing drastic as I’m soo out of shape. The worst it’s ever been in fact. But something is better than nothing and I have to start somewhere. All kidding aside, maybe writing about it and sharing my journey will help. We’ll see….

I didn’t caption these (as a disclaimer) but there were some that made me tear up, some that made me smile and all that made me appreciative of the amazing loyalty and love of a dog!

Welcome to Aubrey Bondurant’s website! If it’s your first visit, I hope you like what you see and take some time to check out my new release, Ask Me Something. Also my first book, Tell Me Something is only 99 cents until 12/4. Links here: US: http://amzn.to/1GLFImO  UK: http://amzn.to/1McEde3 

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Ask Me Something is here!!  What a great feeling this time around to have a planned date, a release blitz coming on Friday with so many blogs promoting it and actual sales this time around!  Ha…the first time around, I didn’t tell a soul, pressed publish, bought my own book and then finally told some people what I’d done. The reviews from the blogs started trickling in a few weeks later (I’d never heard of an ARC) and well the rest is history. I couldn’t have done it without Karen from Karen’s Book Haven,  Donna of Mrs. Kebab’s Kindle and Sam of RedHot Romance (find all of their links under my favorite websites on my homepage!!) These ladies have supported me from the beginning and have been instrumental in helping me learn the process, letting me know of opportunities and being absolutely AMAZING!  And to Owen O’Neill who I met in a Goodreads author group who didn’t even read romance, but read my book and gave me the very best compliment in loving it!  Thank you for your feedback and continued support!

So I sit here on the eve of my official book release (the book went live this morning actually with 10 times the amount of sales as I had the first day-yeah, that means 10 total-I was the only one who bought my own book on day 1 the last time around)..and I have actual reviews already posted and feel great about the response!  I have this this indescribable feeling that although I may never be able to quit my day job, I’m doing something I love that in turn other people love.  Thank you for that validation!

And cheers to Sasha and Brian!  Now who to write about next…hmm could be Catherine’s story or McKenzie’s…will keep you updated! 🙂

Sincerely,

Aubrey xo