Reflections- Day 6

Boy was today a crazy one. As I write this I am laying in my bed. Thanks to the blogger app I am to keep my posting streak going despite the fact that I would rather skip it. I am exhausted!

First (and this was my kids favorite) we ate breakfast in the car so my hubby could go to the chiropractor. This meant that I drank my morning protein shake and my kids munched on fruit and drank their carnations instant breakfast...they are nerds and enjoyed this way too much.

The whole reason that we went with the hubby was because we were buying the kids new bikes. My daughter hoped and prayed (she is the only religious one in our house which I support cuz I believe that kids should find their own path and not blindly follow mine...anyways...) She prayed that she would find a purple bike with a black seat...the bike she fell in love with has a dark purple frame and a black seat with graffiti on it...She is in 2nd grader heaven.

My son's bike is just as awesome his is Lightening McQueen and has a tool kit on the front.

So after we purchased the bikes we couldn't just go home we HAD to go the track near our house and try them out. The kids had a blast and were both sad when it was time to go.

You see we had to leave cuz we had a Birthday party to get to at a local gymnastic place. Again the kids had a blast and thanks to a large amount of cake they were both still standing.

After the party my daughter's besty came over for dinner then we had to run to a Girl Scout neighborhood Campfire!

Which didn't end until 9 pm...

After this day I needed a drink...lol
All of this brings me to my revelation...

I NEED to go through my clothes and say goodbye. Today I was wearing one of my most favorite tank tops and the thing is it was big on me when I weighed 330 pounds let alone now weighing 260.

It is horrible and huge and dare I say frumpy...

So that is my big revelation to share with all of you.

Good night and see you tomorrow!!!

Day 5 - I am still alive!

Goal #1 - Posting about my life

Today was my kids last day of school.

This is always bittersweet for me. I love spending time with my kiddos. I love taking them to the zoo, and the Magic House, and the STL Science Center. Watching them learn makes my heart happy...

But on the other hand, it denotes the passage of time. My little baby....the little girl that was born when I was 22 is now going to be in 2nd grade...That means I have two years before my youngest child is in kindergarten.

I think, for the first time, I know how my parents feel.

Goal #2 - Exercise

OH DEAR GOD DID IT RAIN TODAY!

I was ridiculous...

Here I was thinking that I was going to do this AWESOME 7 mile run. Needless to say that didn't happen...

What did happen was a 3 mile run in the drizzle of a rain shower that this deluge became.

Here is me after...

This is a HORRIBLE photo of me...I look tired and old...and tired...

But not a hair on my head was dry...My clothes weren't nearly as soaked as I thought they should have been but that is the beauty of wicking fabric.

3 Miles in 44:27. My splits were Mile1 - 14:55, Mile 2 - 14:11, Mile 3 - 14:19. I am SUPER stoked...These are pretty close to my fastest paces. I am getting closer.

My goal for next year for the Make Tracks at the Zoo is to do the 5K in under 30 minutes.

Bring on the running!!!

Oh and also before I move on, I have joined a Facebook event. It is a 30 Day Ab challenge...The calendar is as follows...

I am gunna do it...I am gunna add it to my current challenge...June is gunna H U R T!!

Goal # 3 - Food

This is SO not on track. However, I am gunna.
We had a family meeting...We are going to limit our eating out to two meals a week.
We are going to get back to eating the way we had a year ago. It helped my hubby lose weight and I lost weight faster...So we are getting back on track....I made a menu and went shopping.

It is funny to mean how hard this aspect of this process is...I used to think that the exercise was the hard part...but that is NOT the truth.

Goal # 4 - NO NEW RECIPES TO REPORT TODAY!

Hasta la vista and Buenos noches!

Day 4....How I have failed thee

Goal #1 - Writing about my life

Well today has been kinda shitty...

Found out that the $1M in life insurance coverage I thought we had in the event that something happens to my hubby was cancelled six months ago...

THIS   PISSES   ME   OFF!!!!!

This is a prime reason why you should NEVER mix family and money...but I digress

Goal # 2 - Exercise

Well this one didn't happen today...

This is why I have failed...

Life got to crazy....

I was trying to get a few hours of work done and was stuck on a single return for like two hours. By the time I gave up and asked for help, my daughter was getting home from school. Then she had dance...I was planning on going for a run but then realized that I had left part of my computer set up at the office and I am out in the field all next week so I had to run to the office to get it...

Coming home from this is when I realized that we had no life insurance policy any more...

So there I am...Trying to make dinner while trying to get a hold of my agent (who happens to be my sister in law)...then I had to run out of the house to get my daughter from dance.

I am not making any excuses I am simply explaining to myself and others why I didn't do it. At this point I am tired...but I have decided as punishment, I have to run TWO laps around the lake tomorrow...this is a feat I have never tried before...but it will make up for today...And get myself back on track...

Goal #3 - Eating...

Veggie chips are evil...nuff said!

Goal #4  - Cooking

I made White Chili...I have NEVER done this before.

It was awesome and YUMMY!!

Ok...Today is logged and done....on to tomorrow!!!

30 Day Challenge - Day 3 (I promise I will come up with new titles)

Goal #1 - Post about my life

Beginning Weight (12/20/2012)- 330.6

April 2nd Weight – 268.8

April 30th Weight - 264

May 28th Weight - 261.6

Total Weight Loss – 69

YAY....I am excited...I am down for the 5th month in a row...I have finally gotten to the point that I am no longer obsessed with how fast I lose weight just simply that I lose weight. This fits in with my motto for life lately "It is perfectly ok to want to stop...as long as you don't"

If I don't stop...then I will cross the goal line eventually...Just think of all the fun stuff and awesome people I will meet along the way. Bring on the journey!

Goal #2 - Exercise - Burned 283 calories in 27 minutes 

I AM SO SORE!! Anyways...

Well...today I woke up with one thought...

Am I going to let my excuses get the best of me today?

I have to admit...I almost did...But in the end...

9:00pm...I put the kids to bed and did my workout video game...In my opinion, it is better then a workout DVD it gives me variety and the "trainer" doesn't always say the SAME thing OVER and OVER again.


4th Day in a Row!!!

Goal #3 - Eating
Eating wasn't horrible today. I was on track until my kids dinner...I slipped and ate some of the kids chicken nuggets...those thing are calorie heavy and protein lacking...lol

All in all it wasn't horrible...

Goal #4 - New recipes

Tonight I used my Veggetti to make zucchini noodles

They were topped with Italian sausage and a home made alfredo sauce

I made the sauce by using 1/2 cup half and half, 1 cup Parmesan cheese, and 2 tbsp butter

It looked like this...

OMG all I can say is that I CANNOT wait to make this again!

Ok...my arms are tired...and I have a long day of nothing really tomorrow....Nite!!!

Second post of the day

Signed up for a Graze Box

I am excited...

You should check it out...

If you decide to sign up use this code

3LNQCPV6P

You will get your 1st and 5th box for free and I earn money off...mutually beneficial!

30 Day Challenge - Day 2 (Fair warning - LOTS of sharing)

So...just a few thing about today....

Goal #1 - Posting about my life
Technically this happened yesterday...

My beautiful baby girl learned how to ride her bike without her training wheels for the FIRST TIME EVER!

As you can see she is VERY proud of herself and VERY excited!!

Goal #2 - Exercise
So yesterday and today I didn't feel like was unable to workout outside. So, I decided that I would use a Christmas present that I got a few years ago...it is called....

IT IS EVIL!!!!

I am so sore...the little sensors are mean and it makes you all sweaty...the only real drawback is the music is HORRIBLE...but I can get over it!

Here is what the Bodymedia band read out looks like...

I am VERY proud of myself. I didn't wanna...but I did...YAY me!

Goal #3 - Eating
I did REAL well today...Which is saying A LOT since my band is non-existence.

I had a Lean 1 shake...with Chai powder, banana, powdered peanut butter.
A (homemade) bento box - ham cheese rolls, strawberries and bananas, and colby jack cheese (See picture)

Two Nectar protein shakes
1/2 Joey Jr (naked)

This is where it went wrong...After working out I ate some tuna to bump up my protein and a HUGE over sized Crunch bar called my name and I gave in...I am over my calories by 600 calories...which is the entire candy bar...and 1/2 my daily goal...I gotta knock that shit off...It ends now!

I am not going to never eat a candy bar every again, but I need to figure out something...perhaps I can make my peanut butter/banana chocolate things instead.

Goal #4 - New recipes 
I haven't don't this one yet...but I knew that would happen...Today was a little crazy between work and being lazy...lol

I bought a new toy today

I am going to use it tomorrow for dinner...We are going to turn zucchini into spaghetti and eat it with Italian sausage...Tomorrow I am also going to look into making white chicken chili (Keep an eye out for a recipe)

Watch out tomorrow for another update!!!

The start to summer...

So I have decided that I am going to start off my summer with a challenge...

A 30 day challenge.

Over the next 30 days I am going to do the following things...

1. I am going to post to my blog and my Facebook everyday. I am going to share my life more and make more time for writing things down
2. I am going to get exercise everyday.
3. I am going to return to the "Weight Loss Surgical Center" diet...It consist of 30g of protein every 3 hours. Sticking to the list of approved foods and avoiding all others. Part of this includes packing my lunch.
4. Try new recipes. So this one isn't going to be an everyday thing, but I feel the need to branch out of my comfort zone.

So...Here is day 1's blog post:

My Mom is awesome.

She dug though photos that I had sent her over the years to find me a "before" photo. I don't really have one. I had this little habit of putting myself behind others in order to hide...I didn't want to be in photos in the first place let alone have all that fatness hanging out.

This habit made it very difficult to have a decent before photo. So bless her heart she sent one she had of me from the Zoo the summer before I had surgery. With that I made this...

I cannot believe that I was every that big...I SO don't remember this...I think I have blocked it out...

Anyways...I have to admit that I am motivated by this photo. I am almost half way to my goal. I want that finish line photo (yes I know that there is really no finish, but still) This is part of the reason why I am doing this challenge. I need to refind my motivation so that I can get to my goal faster.

Well, that is about all that I have at the moment...talk to you tomorrow!

Totally unexpected

So...if you have read my blog over the last few days you know that I have been struggling to eat or drink.

I thought I was struggling with allergies.

Turns out it was something TOTALLY different.

Apparently, the steroid eye drops I have been required to take after my LASIK surgery caused irritation in the lining of my stomach which is apparently a pretty normal side effect.

In a normal person this has NO effect on their ability to eat...it might make there stomach a little upset but other wise nadda...but for me...it took me from my "Green Zone" to "Red Zone"

Since it took me so long to get around to figuring out what the hell was going on...It woke up feeling like crap this morning.

My lips were dry, my tongue was sticking to the roof of my mouth. I was lightheaded when I moved...it was horrible!

God bless my surgical center. My lovely LPN came in on her Sunday afternoon to take 1cc out of my band.

I can drink...that is all that I wanted. I don't even care about being able to eat at this point...Just drink.

At this point, I am SUPER excited...I have drank an ENTIRE 32oz smoothie from Smoothie King. I got a Gladiator smoothie with mango and black cherry and an extra scoop with protein. Yum!

It is the first sustenance that I have been able to eat/drink since Thursday!

With that...I am off to find a bottle of water and get rid of this headache!

Struggles and celebrations

Well....I did it...I graduated from College. Granted it isn't official until I have my diploma in my hand in 6-8 weeks.

But I know that I did.

I got 3 A's and an A-

I have never been in jeopardy of failing at least not since I went to back to school as a grown up.

Here is a little gem for you...

That ulgy beautiful tassel you see there signifies that I got latin honors...YA baby!!

So now that the celebration part of this has been touched...lets move on to the struggles...

I am having issues with clogging in my band.

I wake up in the morning and I can't eat or drink anything for like 6 hours...it is horrible!

I have no idea what to do about it...I have tired Sudafed and it works about 90% of the time but in my world it is not a permanent solution AND it doesn't work all the time.

I have seen an allergist got every test done they do...Nothing. According to them I do not suffer from seasonal allergies. They gave me this nasal spray and I see no difference.

I spoke to both my GP and my Surgeon but no one has any ideas past going to see an allergist.

I am lost...Anyone out there have any suggestion? I would GREATLY appreciate it!

OMG...I have missed you all....

I suck...I apologize...I haven't been around...

Let me get you caught up...

Beginning Weight (12/20/2012)- 330.6

March's Weight – 270.6

April’s Weight – 268.8

May's Weight - 264

Total Weight Loss – 66.6

Hopefully I will keep up with the logging part...having to fill in multiple months is kinda irritating...lol

I am SO close to 70 pounds...that is exciting!!!

So...I graduate in a week or so...I am in the process of...NOTHING...glorious nothing...I don't have homework...I don't have quizzes...No papers to write...This has never happened to me...This will be my first summer off from school in about 6 years...I am looking forward to it!

And now I have a beautiful purple streak in my hair...

That isn't much...but sure seems awesome to me!

Talk to you soon!