I debated whether I would write a blog to draw a close to the end of an amazing year. I am still in debate even as I write it on how this will go so bare with me here. Ahh! Where to begin? What angle do I take?
I want to hold on to this moment forever and yet I know I can't. Many people will not agree with me and with a mix of trepidation and anxiety countdown these final days, hours, and minutes of an earth shattering year.
I witnessed the ugliest part of our society reveal itself and the years of false civility between races dissipate as a young man's, a baby really, much as my brother was, poor light snuffed out too quickly. I saw us split as many justified him being overtaken and killed simply because he LOOKED suspicious. I watched people rationalize that he deserved to die simply because he came from a questionable neighborhood and had a sullied school background. I watched these same people overlook similar behavior from a self appointed neighborhood watch captain who disrespected both my white and my black heritage. The whole time, all that kept playing in my mind is that a child had been gunned down, in the name of protection and defending personal safety and then sat as a John Doe for three days waiting to make it home. I had flash backs of Easter of 2002, when my brother showed up in pieces over the course of a week. I felt these parent's pain as they watched their child villanized and exploited. I finally had to resolve to tune it out or risk entering a great depression, praying that God allow peace to salve over our wounds and that no one, no matter how hateful, ever had the opportunity to feel the incredible pain Trayvon Martin/Jordan Davis/Jeffrey I. Gwyn Jr.'s family as well as countless others feel when not only did they snatch away the light of your life but to have your memories of your loved one raped and violated beyond repair.
I watched a social cause for children soldiers to be saved dissolve into media foolishness. I am saddened to see Joseph Kony and those like him are still alive to take breath and free. We could not hold America's attention long enough. It further destroys my faith when every nuance of media is employed from every angle in the finding and killing of Osama Bin Laden. To make it worst, his violent death and mysterious burial at sea was used as a ploy to pull votes in this, an election year.
Speaking of the election year, it became frightening. I tried to remain impartial to all going on but the rhetoric towards "dirty democrats", "blacks following like sheep", "more Americans sitting at home collecting checks than working", and "WE own this country" inspired me to take a stance as I'd never taken politically before. I didn't get into the mud slinging. While I shut off my friends posts at one time I eventually turned them back on. I still maintain an open mind at the polls and know at the end of the day it had nothing to do with Obama's lack luster first term, Romney's race or religious beliefs. It simply came down to one candidate being the lesser of two evils or rather the less radical of the two. I was standing in the middle of Adventure Land in Walt Disney World as I realized the world had not gone mad as per Facebook and the vast majority realized that at this critical juncture, as the youthful America grows into its adolescent our founding fathers may have been Puritanical White Men but that is as obscure a term and sighting as a Native American. No, this pubescent America with hormones sending us to a fever pitch at the slightest provocation is also a beautiful butterfly made up of a many different shapes and patterns, caught mid metamorphosis, our full potential not yet visualized or even imagined.
So much blood was shed, so many young lives loss at home and overseas. From a midnight showing in Aurora to the recent deaths at Newtown. School shootings, police, and firefighters losing their lives, and athletes taking their lives as well as others. It is insane and incomprehensible and yet every time as a cry goes up for better gun control you have Military and their wives crying out 2nd Amendment rights. What right did these children have? What about the movie theater full of victims just trying to see catch the end of a trilogy? What about all the poor people that suffer from mental health afflictions that are being made into monsters as we try to figure out what the rest of the civilized world did ages ago. Violence is always present from the moments of our birth until our cells seize up in our final breaths. We can't stop it no sooner than we can stop the world from turning, than I can prevent another year from donning, but we must, in order to evolve, attempt to maintain it and slow the process before all is lost. The biggest problem we have now is loss of respect for human life and desensitization to this violence. An almost willing acceptance of it all. I think a good start would be more specific gun control. I don't think military style assault rifles/weapons should be able to be purchased under a single license. I don't believe mass quantities of ammunition should be purchased to a single person or place in a post 9/11 world. I do believe we need a more thorough and universally enforced gun control policy on a federal and state level. Gun shows should be banned all together. I have gun enthusiast friends and I love them for flaunting their skills, particularly since most of them are females and mothers to boot. The reality of the situation goes like this. Technically, I would pass a background check, I have no mental illness. I do have a father who died by a gun and a brother who also took a bullet to the head and was dismembered. I am not crazy buy any stretch but I have the potential. I have demonstrated hostility to officers in the past, I work a stressful job where I was frequently threatened, and was raised in a single parent home along with a lot of other vague details I will spare you. The point is, because I am of sound mind and body, I chose not to make guns a part of my life for all of these reasons that could just as easily be ignored by another soul in similar circumstance. I don't imagine I am the only person who has lived such a violent life. I do find it hard to believe that all of us remain of sound mind and body or handle stress well. While it is my choice if I want to blow my own head off, I am leaning my weight towards making it hard to impossible for those with this type of background to harm others.
So, with all this in mind I'm sure everyone is asking, why again, wouldn't I too want this Godforsaken year to be over with already. For me, though the world turned to rubble, I found myself. It was amazing and my only regret to date was that I didn't find this beautiful young lady a decade ago. Of course the choice to have weight loss surgery is the most prominent change but also my courage in finding my voice. While I admit a talent for turning words, I have always been quiet about expressing my opinion, even afraid to admit that I had one as I watched the world go by. The anger built up from that combined with the inability to let go of the past and forgive myself became my poison. Manifesting in depression, binge eating, and fits rolling and detrimental anger as the world became more and more bleak. I will tell you I did not have an easy go at first and the pain almost consumed me. Getting the surgery approved alone would cost me sleepless nights, more binge eating, and frustration to the point of tears.
Just before the surgery I had decided to step out on faith and return to the fold of the church. It was not an easy task seeing as I worked weekends at the time but I had heard a sermon via the AM Radio that called to me and I found myself entranced by the pastor. I arranged to take that Sunday and the one just after surgery to meet the man in person. I tell you that my life was changed, my spirit was changed that first Sunday. People think it was the surgery and it does play a factor in my outward appearance but God is working on me. The message was "It may look like chaos but God is building a foundation". I cried the whole ceremony but when I walked out of that church I saw with new eyes. I wasn't nervous about the surgery anymore. Anger that I had been holding onto a life time I had to give away. It no longer fit into the image I had of myself. The sadness and tears I had cried for myself I had to dry and smile for all the blessings around me. I saw the people eager to betray me and those that truly admire and support me. I couldn't hold on to the hate though because God filled my heart with too much love. Love for strangers and friends, love for family, and love for myself. I have had many test since. The very minutes I sit here are tests, jobless, only a house note in the bank, and no immediate access to funds. I could be frightened right now. I could have had a miserable holiday. Even worst, I could still be faking it through a job that made me utterly miserable but in finding myself this year, I also found the God in me. I am still learning to listen to the voice inside and he is making a way out of no way.
So, instead of resolutions, in a much improved year, I leave you with lessons I've learned in 2012:
1) We so often say we love the Lord when we can't love ourselves and the other man. When we hold a grudge for the most simple of reasons. Whether you are Christian or otherwise, find your light, what brings you joy and share it with the world. What you put out there will come back if in no other way but make you feel like a better person living in a better world.
2) Forgive yourself and let go. Until you let go of the sandbags holding you down you can't take flight. There may be others in your life that have done you wrong and vengeance may seem like the answer but God will move those people just as he moves this world around the sun in a timeless circle. It doesn't mean you have to embrace that person once He moves them. Forgiving them simply means you are robbing them of the power over your thoughts and will.
3) Fear is our only true obstacle, regardless of what that fear may be. Be brave and beat it back. Let Faith in something be your sword and your dreams be your shield. Life will forever be a war waged but the fleeting joys are the sweetest victories for the perilous road ahead.
And one eternal prayer as we all take a deep breath and march into 2013:
Father, I am not perfect and though I reach for it I will never be. Give me the knowledge to accept that, the strength to forgive, and the courage to carry on even in the darkest of night. Father, shine your light down on me and allow me to in turn be that light for others. May you find rest for the weary, comfort for the sick, and love for those that feel alone and without a voice. God thank you for this life, the good days and the bad. Continue to reveal to me the lessons in every experience as I walk this road and continue to direct my path to fit Your will. In your name I find comfort and peace now and forever more,
Amen.
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Monday, December 24, 2012
Merry Christmas
So we survived the Mayan Apocalypse. The 21st was rather underwhelming. I also survived my final week of work which included a midnight showing of The Hobbit and back to back work days. I have went to one final Christmas party and skipped out on another which quickly became a national crisis. I have received multiple blessings in this holiday season and continue to pray for one more, a new job. Until then I am focusing on getting myself into college again and hopefully finishing up my Bachelors. We shall see. I'm taking it one day at a time.
I am 263lbs now, 114lbs and dropping. I am incorporating protein more doggedly so the weight loss has slowed again but so has my hair loss and the sizes continue to drop. I am working on sliding into a size 18. I now can wear a size 20. That is down from a size 28/30. Of course I want to be smaller but this is in only 7 months and I can't be sad or discouraged. My life has been completely changed!
I have had so many experiences and emotions raging throughout November and December and find it difficult now to articulate them so I'm making this a short post. I may or may not post New Years Resolutions. I just don't believe there should be an exact time to improve upon yourself and everyday we awake, from the brink of death, we have a chance to start something great in a commonly mediocre life. If you see an opportunity grab it. Even the mistakes are worth the effort we exert and experience we gain.
Happy Holidays and One Love,
Fat Girl
I am 263lbs now, 114lbs and dropping. I am incorporating protein more doggedly so the weight loss has slowed again but so has my hair loss and the sizes continue to drop. I am working on sliding into a size 18. I now can wear a size 20. That is down from a size 28/30. Of course I want to be smaller but this is in only 7 months and I can't be sad or discouraged. My life has been completely changed!
I have had so many experiences and emotions raging throughout November and December and find it difficult now to articulate them so I'm making this a short post. I may or may not post New Years Resolutions. I just don't believe there should be an exact time to improve upon yourself and everyday we awake, from the brink of death, we have a chance to start something great in a commonly mediocre life. If you see an opportunity grab it. Even the mistakes are worth the effort we exert and experience we gain.
Happy Holidays and One Love,
Fat Girl
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Christmas/Wish List
Just blowing off some steam tonight. No particular motivation or relevance. Just have been wanting to make a "bucket list" of sorts and hopefully this time next year I can look back on all I've crossed off. In five years I hope I'll need to write a new list ;-)
1. Specialty.
2. House.
3. A Child/Children.
4. Soul Mate.
5. Passport.
6. Trip to Ireland.
7. European cruise.
8. Publish a novel.
9. A will/living will.
10. No debt. (including student loans)
11. Lasik surgery.
12. Breast enhancement.
13. Trip to London.
14. Trip to Paris.
15. Cross country train ride.
16. A1A roadtrip.
17. Participate in one marathon.
18. Own/be an active partner in a small business.
19. Move out of Florida.
20. See Hawaii.
21. Reach/maintain a size 14.
1. Specialty.
2. House.
3. A Child/Children.
4. Soul Mate.
5. Passport.
6. Trip to Ireland.
7. European cruise.
8. Publish a novel.
9. A will/living will.
10. No debt. (including student loans)
11. Lasik surgery.
12. Breast enhancement.
13. Trip to London.
14. Trip to Paris.
15. Cross country train ride.
16. A1A roadtrip.
17. Participate in one marathon.
18. Own/be an active partner in a small business.
19. Move out of Florida.
20. See Hawaii.
21. Reach/maintain a size 14.
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Tomato Soup, Walking, and Hair Loss
First off I would like to apologize for not posting at least once in October. I was not in a proper state of mind. For the entire month I lost a grand total of 9lbs and held at that weight or a pound variance for probably 3 weeks. Last week I did have a breakthrough, from sticking to my exercise regimen and my diet, not getting discouraged. My current weight is 278 and if you haven't been keeping track, that is 99lbs total. This has been a hard fought 11lbs down and I will continue to endeavor until I reach Onderland.
That leads me to the first topic, my diet. I know I have friends and family trying to help but you really aren't. If following advice of everyone led to weight loss I would be a svelt 99lb waif from all the advice I've taken in, listened to, or dismissed over the years. Please refer to previous posts if you are reading this and somehow know me without being aware, as the Lady Gaga song goes: I was born this way! Not to say I don't have love for all my cheerleaders, that will never change. I only mean to say that this is my journey and the one voice I haven't listened to in all these years is my own inner voice. This is the only voice I am ultimately listening to now. She knows me best after all ;-)
So what is my diet? My diet is everything/anything I want to eat. I can eat literally anything 6 months (-10 days) post op. That's what makes it challenging. It is up to me to make those choices on what is best. What is best for me, is not always what everyone agrees upon. By this, I mean, the tomato soup (see title). Prime example: I have either one of two reactions to seeing my lunch selection at work which is MOST often tomato soup and applesauce. I get someone wearing an appalled expression that this will be all I am eating for a 13 hour period with a shake of their head. Or I get the person warning me of how much sodium those canned soups have and they tell me to be careful with eating that all the time. Well fine friends, here are the facts: I don't cook, I never have because I don't like to, not because I can't. I take care of my mother full time. There is no other local family members that can or is willing to help. This means I'm not getting in the kitchen to prepare anything. A healthy alternative or the healthiest for me is to pick up a can of Campbell's Soup. If they have a Healthy Request brand then I choose that one. If not I get Classic Tomato or Creamy Tomato soup. The protein ranges from 3-5gm which is pitiful. The calorie count varies from 80-180 (Creamy is the highest). The fat is 5gm (8% of your daily total). Last the cholesterol is 5mg out of a daily 2000mg allowance and the Sodium a whopping 650mg which is over a quarter of your daily allowance, also 2000mg. I'm sure there is a Biggest Loser fan out there cringing in fright BUT it works for me. I have 30 minutes tops for lunch on a good day, in which time I check in with my mother and assure she has usually made it home safely from dialysis. I don't have time to get too fancy. If you look at the average heat and eat meal you will see that astounding 650 mg of sodium is actually pretty low compared and I'm not even going to talk about getting food from the cafeteria. I'll be lucky if I survive the day! It allows me to drink my lunch quickly and get back to work quicker. If I try to throw down something more complex it makes me nauseous immediately after until it settles and a case of bubble gut for the rest of the shift. While this sounds uncomfortable for me (which it is) imagine being the poor patient stuck in bed, trying to learn how to self administer an insulin shot while being distracted by a nurse who is hiccuping with a case of the BGs. NOT COOL! I think it's better for us all if I stick to my 240 calorie lunch for 3 out of 7 days a week. I hope in the future to find a more health conscious lunch choice along with more time to eat that lunch but in the mean time I think I'm not doing so bad.
The other thing I've always gotten tons of advice on is my exercise regimen (see previous posts). At the end of September I just decided to go with what I know and enjoy. That is walking and running. Now I am not run ready as of yet but I practice and I am getting there. At least 3 times a week I set aside time and I walk 4 miles. Some of those times I will walk with 3lb weights (x2) and I have a ball. I participated in a 2K walk and I am planning to attend more as my schedule changes. Now when I say I walk, I don't want you to think I am traipsing up my street at a leisurely pace. I go to Ed Austin Park on Monument Rd and McCormick, I put on my head phones and I haul ass, my wide flat ass. I walk at too fast a pace to carry a conversation and it is on alternating terrain and incline. Every week I try to adjust the speed and time I am sprinting to have a switch up on my body. It seems to have worked so far. This is my official "hmmph" to everyone that keeps trying to push me into things that are not me. I don't want to Zumbaa. It looks fun...for someone else. I failed miserably at it and while I may make another attempt someday, I won't be relying on it as an exercise regimen. I am not doing or promising to do anything I don't feel 100% comfortable with. I would only be lying to myself which would be the unhealthiest habit of all and lead no where good...for me. Hey, besides, walking clears my mind and I got a thumbs up from the closest person I can refer to as a walking partner, a man in his mid to late fifties (I am guessing) who in warm weather was always dressed as if he was going on Safari. I have dubbed him "Safari Man" (refer to 90s show Martin to get this joke).
I have also begun wearing size 22/24 clothes, which was what I was wearing my Senior year in highschool. This prompted me to pull out clothes I haven't seen in a while/were donated from a friend and it gave me a harsh revelation into my career path. Apparently, I settled for my current job. That is not to say I don't love being a nurse but I think I have hidden behind it because it's safe. I don't have to dress up and I didn't. Blue scrubs have become my permenant wardrobe outside of my walking clothes. I never wear make-up (which I can) and earrings/french tips are a common sense no-no. As I have said since highschool, I dream of also being a novelist. I dreamed of taking nursing to the next level and eventually being a Cancer Research nurse. I planned to become an active member in the Black Nurses Society and the local chapter of ONS. None of that has happened and as much as I want to blame other factors, at the end of the day, I sold myself short. I can do better and I will endeavor, as I reach the ripe old age of 33, to actually do better.
Finally, my hair loss update. I have lost a ton of hair in the last couple of months. At first it seemed that it was due to the surgery (alopecia is a common/expected side effect caused by malabsorption). The only problem with that logic was I had a Vertical Sleeve which is different in that it does not work by malabsorption and instead only reduces the size of the stomach, much like a gastric band. Again people were helpful in offering their advice and I did everything from cut my hair in September with bi weekly scalp treatment to suggest to my primary doctor I wanted to be on Biotin/Prenatal vitamins to help it. In the end, on a hunch, my doctor suggested a Vitamin D deficiency and prescribed me some supplements. It's been about a month now and while I am still losing a good bit of hair it is no where near the amount I was losing. I am no longer at risk for being bald and the cut I got earlier in September combined with it's thinning have my hair really looking healthy.
So the bottom line: I need to stop worrying and I need to keep tuning out other people. Again, I love the cheerleaders in my life but I also hear alot of negative/critical things as well. Whether people mean it or not, it's nothing to do with the people around me, it is about building on me. I deserve more and you only get it from being better with every new day than you were the day before, not by someone else's yardstick, only your own will get the measurement just right.
Until next time,
Fat Girl
That leads me to the first topic, my diet. I know I have friends and family trying to help but you really aren't. If following advice of everyone led to weight loss I would be a svelt 99lb waif from all the advice I've taken in, listened to, or dismissed over the years. Please refer to previous posts if you are reading this and somehow know me without being aware, as the Lady Gaga song goes: I was born this way! Not to say I don't have love for all my cheerleaders, that will never change. I only mean to say that this is my journey and the one voice I haven't listened to in all these years is my own inner voice. This is the only voice I am ultimately listening to now. She knows me best after all ;-)
So what is my diet? My diet is everything/anything I want to eat. I can eat literally anything 6 months (-10 days) post op. That's what makes it challenging. It is up to me to make those choices on what is best. What is best for me, is not always what everyone agrees upon. By this, I mean, the tomato soup (see title). Prime example: I have either one of two reactions to seeing my lunch selection at work which is MOST often tomato soup and applesauce. I get someone wearing an appalled expression that this will be all I am eating for a 13 hour period with a shake of their head. Or I get the person warning me of how much sodium those canned soups have and they tell me to be careful with eating that all the time. Well fine friends, here are the facts: I don't cook, I never have because I don't like to, not because I can't. I take care of my mother full time. There is no other local family members that can or is willing to help. This means I'm not getting in the kitchen to prepare anything. A healthy alternative or the healthiest for me is to pick up a can of Campbell's Soup. If they have a Healthy Request brand then I choose that one. If not I get Classic Tomato or Creamy Tomato soup. The protein ranges from 3-5gm which is pitiful. The calorie count varies from 80-180 (Creamy is the highest). The fat is 5gm (8% of your daily total). Last the cholesterol is 5mg out of a daily 2000mg allowance and the Sodium a whopping 650mg which is over a quarter of your daily allowance, also 2000mg. I'm sure there is a Biggest Loser fan out there cringing in fright BUT it works for me. I have 30 minutes tops for lunch on a good day, in which time I check in with my mother and assure she has usually made it home safely from dialysis. I don't have time to get too fancy. If you look at the average heat and eat meal you will see that astounding 650 mg of sodium is actually pretty low compared and I'm not even going to talk about getting food from the cafeteria. I'll be lucky if I survive the day! It allows me to drink my lunch quickly and get back to work quicker. If I try to throw down something more complex it makes me nauseous immediately after until it settles and a case of bubble gut for the rest of the shift. While this sounds uncomfortable for me (which it is) imagine being the poor patient stuck in bed, trying to learn how to self administer an insulin shot while being distracted by a nurse who is hiccuping with a case of the BGs. NOT COOL! I think it's better for us all if I stick to my 240 calorie lunch for 3 out of 7 days a week. I hope in the future to find a more health conscious lunch choice along with more time to eat that lunch but in the mean time I think I'm not doing so bad.
The other thing I've always gotten tons of advice on is my exercise regimen (see previous posts). At the end of September I just decided to go with what I know and enjoy. That is walking and running. Now I am not run ready as of yet but I practice and I am getting there. At least 3 times a week I set aside time and I walk 4 miles. Some of those times I will walk with 3lb weights (x2) and I have a ball. I participated in a 2K walk and I am planning to attend more as my schedule changes. Now when I say I walk, I don't want you to think I am traipsing up my street at a leisurely pace. I go to Ed Austin Park on Monument Rd and McCormick, I put on my head phones and I haul ass, my wide flat ass. I walk at too fast a pace to carry a conversation and it is on alternating terrain and incline. Every week I try to adjust the speed and time I am sprinting to have a switch up on my body. It seems to have worked so far. This is my official "hmmph" to everyone that keeps trying to push me into things that are not me. I don't want to Zumbaa. It looks fun...for someone else. I failed miserably at it and while I may make another attempt someday, I won't be relying on it as an exercise regimen. I am not doing or promising to do anything I don't feel 100% comfortable with. I would only be lying to myself which would be the unhealthiest habit of all and lead no where good...for me. Hey, besides, walking clears my mind and I got a thumbs up from the closest person I can refer to as a walking partner, a man in his mid to late fifties (I am guessing) who in warm weather was always dressed as if he was going on Safari. I have dubbed him "Safari Man" (refer to 90s show Martin to get this joke).
I have also begun wearing size 22/24 clothes, which was what I was wearing my Senior year in highschool. This prompted me to pull out clothes I haven't seen in a while/were donated from a friend and it gave me a harsh revelation into my career path. Apparently, I settled for my current job. That is not to say I don't love being a nurse but I think I have hidden behind it because it's safe. I don't have to dress up and I didn't. Blue scrubs have become my permenant wardrobe outside of my walking clothes. I never wear make-up (which I can) and earrings/french tips are a common sense no-no. As I have said since highschool, I dream of also being a novelist. I dreamed of taking nursing to the next level and eventually being a Cancer Research nurse. I planned to become an active member in the Black Nurses Society and the local chapter of ONS. None of that has happened and as much as I want to blame other factors, at the end of the day, I sold myself short. I can do better and I will endeavor, as I reach the ripe old age of 33, to actually do better.
Finally, my hair loss update. I have lost a ton of hair in the last couple of months. At first it seemed that it was due to the surgery (alopecia is a common/expected side effect caused by malabsorption). The only problem with that logic was I had a Vertical Sleeve which is different in that it does not work by malabsorption and instead only reduces the size of the stomach, much like a gastric band. Again people were helpful in offering their advice and I did everything from cut my hair in September with bi weekly scalp treatment to suggest to my primary doctor I wanted to be on Biotin/Prenatal vitamins to help it. In the end, on a hunch, my doctor suggested a Vitamin D deficiency and prescribed me some supplements. It's been about a month now and while I am still losing a good bit of hair it is no where near the amount I was losing. I am no longer at risk for being bald and the cut I got earlier in September combined with it's thinning have my hair really looking healthy.
So the bottom line: I need to stop worrying and I need to keep tuning out other people. Again, I love the cheerleaders in my life but I also hear alot of negative/critical things as well. Whether people mean it or not, it's nothing to do with the people around me, it is about building on me. I deserve more and you only get it from being better with every new day than you were the day before, not by someone else's yardstick, only your own will get the measurement just right.
Until next time,
Fat Girl
Monday, September 24, 2012
Beyond the weight
I am currently weighing in at 287lbs. That brings my total to 90lbs and I am hitting probably my third hurdle. Most people call these plateaus but I refuse because I will get through this and the plateau indicates stagnancy to me. So, here is my first major hurdle because I am also coming to realize the next half of this weight loss is an all or nothing effort.
The Zumba thing is a work in progress. The skating thing is a pray about it situation. It is now too cold to swim and that leaves me walking. This mornings walk of 4 miles felt great. I did it in 64 minutes and that felt amazing. My arms are sore but in the best way possible. I will succeed and reach goal weight, I do work hard for this. My weight loss surgery only helped me in what I knew was necessary. I have too much at stake not to do more. In the mean time, I promise not to say anything else about what I'm going to do. Apparently a few people in my life have become upset that I talk so much and don't follow through. At the end of the day I think my definition of follow through is different than theirs. On this blog, I promise to try what ever it takes to make a better me. It doesn't mean that I enjoy it, that it's successful, and/or that I will do it more than once. I'm not mad, just focused and when I hear negativity or get side eyed it impacts me negatively. Along that thought process, instead of telling people to get lost, I will just keep my mouth shut and my feet moving.
I am preparing for competition. In June 2013 I am sprinting a 100 yard course with my brother to have him give up smoking. Of all the motivation, this one moves me the most. I can do this. I was born a runner. If you don't know, ask my brother. Hey, you can even ask the purse snatcher I ran down to take back my purse. My nickname should be Kid Adrenaline because while I might look like a big, slow, cow I have always had the wind beneath my feet. All my friends can tell you regardless of my size I move fast. A lot faster than I talk so don't get it twisted. You might be surprised and since my brother has apparently forgotten, he will be too.
School is holding still again. I have to wait until January to start but I'm making progress. Instead of the 30 credits I had to take at UCF I will have to complete 22 at JU. I was asked if I'm ready. Hmm, to take a specialty and get the heck out of the hospital, BSN, OCN, and Dialysis certified. Why yes I am! Working this hard doesn't make any sense! Next career path please! I mean God bless those that make a hospital their life time work but I am not nor will I ever be one of them. My plans are to enjoy this new body and better frame of mind, not be broken by 35. For all those that read the blog regularly then you know that age is decreasing for me. That place is just too much.
For all curious on my vague post recently on men, I am not dating. I haven't even had a nibble. I don't know what that is about but let me just say that I really want a sweetie by V-day. Not for the candy and cards. I am just ready for change and I feel like, with all of my goals if I set them, develop them, and not let myself toss them aside or forget, 5-6 months, when I'm about 220 and looking about 180, I should be attracting some attention. I don't want to be married but I'm not soliciting a sex partner either, I just want companionship from someone outside of my friends and family. Sometimes I feel totally alone, tight rope walking, without a safety net. I don't have another person that I can lean on. For years I have relied on my friends to be my support system while I was going through my many issues but lately I find no one cares. I was leaving work Saturday night and was an hour late and I realized no one cared. I called my brother to ask him about some random nothingness and he rushed me off the phone. Neither one of my girlfriends called me back. No one had checked my facebook status that day. Heck, my own mother hung up the phone on me because she had a headache. So as I'm driving down beach looking at the 295 South signs I wondered if anyone would give a dang if I just got on the highway and disappeared to nowhere or met my demise? How long would it take anyone to realize I was gone? This is what it is like to be utterly alone in a crowded room.
Not going to sink into that pity pool though. I need to regroup and change that aspect of my life by whatever means necessary. That is not to say I want 10 calls each night I work asking how my day was and if I'm doing good, bad, or the other (remember, antisocial butterfly). It simply means that, I can't expect the world to slow down and cater to Tish, I've got to find that someone and make the effort. If I'm not a priority to anyone then maybe I should start focusing on first making a priority of myself and then actively seeking someone that shares that view.
This also doesn't mean I'm depressed or in a dark place. To be honest, I feel great both physically, mentally, as well as emotionally. I just want more and so you guys can understand all that makes up me, I need you to see that I am capable of getting more.
Until next time, One love,
Fat Girl aka "Kid Adrenaline" ;-)
The Zumba thing is a work in progress. The skating thing is a pray about it situation. It is now too cold to swim and that leaves me walking. This mornings walk of 4 miles felt great. I did it in 64 minutes and that felt amazing. My arms are sore but in the best way possible. I will succeed and reach goal weight, I do work hard for this. My weight loss surgery only helped me in what I knew was necessary. I have too much at stake not to do more. In the mean time, I promise not to say anything else about what I'm going to do. Apparently a few people in my life have become upset that I talk so much and don't follow through. At the end of the day I think my definition of follow through is different than theirs. On this blog, I promise to try what ever it takes to make a better me. It doesn't mean that I enjoy it, that it's successful, and/or that I will do it more than once. I'm not mad, just focused and when I hear negativity or get side eyed it impacts me negatively. Along that thought process, instead of telling people to get lost, I will just keep my mouth shut and my feet moving.
I am preparing for competition. In June 2013 I am sprinting a 100 yard course with my brother to have him give up smoking. Of all the motivation, this one moves me the most. I can do this. I was born a runner. If you don't know, ask my brother. Hey, you can even ask the purse snatcher I ran down to take back my purse. My nickname should be Kid Adrenaline because while I might look like a big, slow, cow I have always had the wind beneath my feet. All my friends can tell you regardless of my size I move fast. A lot faster than I talk so don't get it twisted. You might be surprised and since my brother has apparently forgotten, he will be too.
School is holding still again. I have to wait until January to start but I'm making progress. Instead of the 30 credits I had to take at UCF I will have to complete 22 at JU. I was asked if I'm ready. Hmm, to take a specialty and get the heck out of the hospital, BSN, OCN, and Dialysis certified. Why yes I am! Working this hard doesn't make any sense! Next career path please! I mean God bless those that make a hospital their life time work but I am not nor will I ever be one of them. My plans are to enjoy this new body and better frame of mind, not be broken by 35. For all those that read the blog regularly then you know that age is decreasing for me. That place is just too much.
For all curious on my vague post recently on men, I am not dating. I haven't even had a nibble. I don't know what that is about but let me just say that I really want a sweetie by V-day. Not for the candy and cards. I am just ready for change and I feel like, with all of my goals if I set them, develop them, and not let myself toss them aside or forget, 5-6 months, when I'm about 220 and looking about 180, I should be attracting some attention. I don't want to be married but I'm not soliciting a sex partner either, I just want companionship from someone outside of my friends and family. Sometimes I feel totally alone, tight rope walking, without a safety net. I don't have another person that I can lean on. For years I have relied on my friends to be my support system while I was going through my many issues but lately I find no one cares. I was leaving work Saturday night and was an hour late and I realized no one cared. I called my brother to ask him about some random nothingness and he rushed me off the phone. Neither one of my girlfriends called me back. No one had checked my facebook status that day. Heck, my own mother hung up the phone on me because she had a headache. So as I'm driving down beach looking at the 295 South signs I wondered if anyone would give a dang if I just got on the highway and disappeared to nowhere or met my demise? How long would it take anyone to realize I was gone? This is what it is like to be utterly alone in a crowded room.
Not going to sink into that pity pool though. I need to regroup and change that aspect of my life by whatever means necessary. That is not to say I want 10 calls each night I work asking how my day was and if I'm doing good, bad, or the other (remember, antisocial butterfly). It simply means that, I can't expect the world to slow down and cater to Tish, I've got to find that someone and make the effort. If I'm not a priority to anyone then maybe I should start focusing on first making a priority of myself and then actively seeking someone that shares that view.
This also doesn't mean I'm depressed or in a dark place. To be honest, I feel great both physically, mentally, as well as emotionally. I just want more and so you guys can understand all that makes up me, I need you to see that I am capable of getting more.
Until next time, One love,
Fat Girl aka "Kid Adrenaline" ;-)
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Mile Marker 299
Trying to not make this a long drawn out post today but I did want to let every one that is following my success know that I have left the 300's behind me and weighed in this morning at 299.2 pounds. For those keeping track that is 78lbs down from my initial surgery weigh in of 377lbs and 82lbs down from my heaviest weight of 381lbs. I am about 5 days behind on reaching that goal but am in no way disappointed. It took a lifetime after all to gain and the amount I've lost thus far is astounding to consider in such a short period of time.
Stress is still playing a major factor in the rate of my weight loss and I continue to struggle with wrangling that aspect of my life. Like most Americans, food is cheap and easy. No one openly berates you for overeating. Most people don't even know about it unless you tell them.
A friend and I recently disagreed on this issue. While I do know that I clearly have a "fat gene" passed down from both sides of my family and while I do have a slew of co-morbidity including hormone imbalances, diabetes, asthma that limits activity, sleep apnea, depression, and indicators of an addictive personality; I do not say that couldn't help being morbidly obese. In fact, I chose to be morbidly obese. I am solely responsible for how out of control it became. Accepting this responsibility I also acknowledge that I am in control of everything I do now to reverse the damage I have done both mentally and physically to myself. This is important to me because accepting the role of victim...or in a nicer way...accepting a half truth, that being over weight can't be helped, in so many ways, handicaps you to moving forward. It gives you a crutch to fall back on and someone or something to blame when you fail to achieve weight loss goals.
This does not mean I find that friend, myself, or anyone else suffering with obesity a monster of some sort. In fact, people that struggle with obesity are some of the strongest people. It isn't something you can hide and most people judge you long before your story is told. Unfortunately, it does mean that I may hurt your feelings with my honesty at times. I don't see a way to not hurt someone's feelings on this subject but I apologize to anyone that has had their feelings hurt. Being obese is very painful in both mind and body and no one likes to think that they hurt themselves more than any other person could or has. Knowledge is power though and acknowledging is stamina that buoys that power.
I continue to struggle with staggering my drinking with meals. It is a hard habit to break and continues to be a painful lesson learned. I also struggle to eat not beef but pork rather. I hate to accept this but I may have to say so long to the swine. Fish and chicken are my friend. Bread is not. For that matter, most processed foods are not my friend. At this stage, I can eat whatever I want to eat, including desserts but I try to avoid eating anything but a liquid soup while at work because my stomach needs about an hour to eat most meals which I don't and will never have. I eat lean meat and only meat sometimes at meals because I focus on piling on the protein. Green veggies are good too and I am incorporating more of them. I take daily multivitamins, a gummy vitamin sold at Sam's Club for adults. I am supposed to be taking a Vitamin B12, Folate, D3 compound supplement but the taste makes me want to hurl. Instead I get B12 shots when I go to my primary, I drink zipfizz with these minerals/vitamins in it, and I focus on fish in my diet, particularly salmon for the D3 and Omega 3. I try to avoid taking as much medicine as possible, always have, and opt instead to naturally incorporate those things into my diet. We will see how this is working in September when I get a new set of labs. Maybe sooner than that as I recently completed a Health Screening for work and will get the results next week. I strongly advise people to consult their physician and not my blog for health information. I list my own information to give people, particularly those that have had weight loss surgery, direction. Not to play doctor.
Another thing I am still not quite "back to normal" with is my menstrual cycle. At first I thought it was late but now realize that it just is completely out of whack. This month I had two abbreviated cycles while the month before I had none. It wreaks havoc on the scale obviously. I'm not even going to talk about the emotional upheaval it causes! I do believe this is why it is recommended that I wait 18 months to 2 years before I become pregnant. While before, I didn't want children and paid little attention to that information, it now matters greatly to me. Before, I think I squashed down that dream because I didn't have a husband or a boyfriend. I didn't even have a hopeful candidate (still don't). Also, I didn't think I would be able to carry a pregnancy to full term due to how significantly overweight I was and if I did, they were at greater risk for birth defects. Who would knowingly desire a child knowing how dangerous it could be to you or the baby?
The hope never was fully extinguished though because now, as the pounds are shed, the desire burns brighter than it ever has before. The realization that I will reach my weight loss goals opens up new doors of possibility in both my career and my personal life and I confess to have the goal of someday giving life to a mini me a high priority. Lord help the man foolish enough to fall victim to these wiles ;-) Boy is he getting a handful! More importantly, I ask Father, that you point him in the right direction on the map to finding me ;-)
One love,
Not So Fat Girl
Stress is still playing a major factor in the rate of my weight loss and I continue to struggle with wrangling that aspect of my life. Like most Americans, food is cheap and easy. No one openly berates you for overeating. Most people don't even know about it unless you tell them.
A friend and I recently disagreed on this issue. While I do know that I clearly have a "fat gene" passed down from both sides of my family and while I do have a slew of co-morbidity including hormone imbalances, diabetes, asthma that limits activity, sleep apnea, depression, and indicators of an addictive personality; I do not say that couldn't help being morbidly obese. In fact, I chose to be morbidly obese. I am solely responsible for how out of control it became. Accepting this responsibility I also acknowledge that I am in control of everything I do now to reverse the damage I have done both mentally and physically to myself. This is important to me because accepting the role of victim...or in a nicer way...accepting a half truth, that being over weight can't be helped, in so many ways, handicaps you to moving forward. It gives you a crutch to fall back on and someone or something to blame when you fail to achieve weight loss goals.
This does not mean I find that friend, myself, or anyone else suffering with obesity a monster of some sort. In fact, people that struggle with obesity are some of the strongest people. It isn't something you can hide and most people judge you long before your story is told. Unfortunately, it does mean that I may hurt your feelings with my honesty at times. I don't see a way to not hurt someone's feelings on this subject but I apologize to anyone that has had their feelings hurt. Being obese is very painful in both mind and body and no one likes to think that they hurt themselves more than any other person could or has. Knowledge is power though and acknowledging is stamina that buoys that power.
I continue to struggle with staggering my drinking with meals. It is a hard habit to break and continues to be a painful lesson learned. I also struggle to eat not beef but pork rather. I hate to accept this but I may have to say so long to the swine. Fish and chicken are my friend. Bread is not. For that matter, most processed foods are not my friend. At this stage, I can eat whatever I want to eat, including desserts but I try to avoid eating anything but a liquid soup while at work because my stomach needs about an hour to eat most meals which I don't and will never have. I eat lean meat and only meat sometimes at meals because I focus on piling on the protein. Green veggies are good too and I am incorporating more of them. I take daily multivitamins, a gummy vitamin sold at Sam's Club for adults. I am supposed to be taking a Vitamin B12, Folate, D3 compound supplement but the taste makes me want to hurl. Instead I get B12 shots when I go to my primary, I drink zipfizz with these minerals/vitamins in it, and I focus on fish in my diet, particularly salmon for the D3 and Omega 3. I try to avoid taking as much medicine as possible, always have, and opt instead to naturally incorporate those things into my diet. We will see how this is working in September when I get a new set of labs. Maybe sooner than that as I recently completed a Health Screening for work and will get the results next week. I strongly advise people to consult their physician and not my blog for health information. I list my own information to give people, particularly those that have had weight loss surgery, direction. Not to play doctor.
Another thing I am still not quite "back to normal" with is my menstrual cycle. At first I thought it was late but now realize that it just is completely out of whack. This month I had two abbreviated cycles while the month before I had none. It wreaks havoc on the scale obviously. I'm not even going to talk about the emotional upheaval it causes! I do believe this is why it is recommended that I wait 18 months to 2 years before I become pregnant. While before, I didn't want children and paid little attention to that information, it now matters greatly to me. Before, I think I squashed down that dream because I didn't have a husband or a boyfriend. I didn't even have a hopeful candidate (still don't). Also, I didn't think I would be able to carry a pregnancy to full term due to how significantly overweight I was and if I did, they were at greater risk for birth defects. Who would knowingly desire a child knowing how dangerous it could be to you or the baby?
The hope never was fully extinguished though because now, as the pounds are shed, the desire burns brighter than it ever has before. The realization that I will reach my weight loss goals opens up new doors of possibility in both my career and my personal life and I confess to have the goal of someday giving life to a mini me a high priority. Lord help the man foolish enough to fall victim to these wiles ;-) Boy is he getting a handful! More importantly, I ask Father, that you point him in the right direction on the map to finding me ;-)
One love,
Not So Fat Girl
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Say "No" to Gyms!
Hello people! I am here to give you the first post of August and tell you I now weigh 307. That is the big 7....0...in weight loss! Yippee!
Alright, now that I have that out of the way, let me apologize for my crazy title. To assuage the feelings of my personal trainer friends and all my gym rat friends let me first clarify that I LOVE BEING A MEMBER OF A GYM! The problem was for me in the past that I never really have been able to partake of the gym. I have belonged to various gyms my whole adult life. I don't know if you guys recall but my first membership was to Spa Lady, an all female gym that even had pool access. I went twice. I belonged to two gyms at work. I think I may have went 4 times at HSBC, that was the most. I have a free gym at work now that I never seem to make before it closes and God forbid I go on a day off. I have belonged to Bailey's Gym in four locations twice. They are my favorite because they have the dark room that plays sports so I would get on the elliptical machine, pop on my headphones and watch all the hunkahunka men jump on the treadmills in front of me to get the best spot for the boob tube. Some even went topless. SQUEEEE! Alas, the first time was ruined by a mean Bosnian trainer who literally insulted me in front of the entire gym. It got so bad her manager came out and called her on it. The second time, I simply had no one to go with so it grew boring. It wasn't like super hot treadmill guys were jumping off and talking to me. Let's face it...big girl + sweat stains= not a good look. Finally I have been on a tight budget with my nephew and family trips and...eww...student loans so I went to Just Fitness where, well, I tried since it was cheaper but it just wasn't Bailey's. I will say that I have known many of my big girl counterparts who find success at the gym too. I worked with a nurse that simply looks amazing after probably a year of a strict diet and personal training sessions. I have friends that swear by it. A high school friend had to have lost 100lbs since and has kept it off by constantly hitting the gym. I have family that have lost weight and actually instruct classes at the gym. My closest nursing friend spends any time she's not at work in the gym and it brings her peace. My very best friend has been using the gym at work and she is really trimming down with a healthy diet. I am proud of all these people.
That being said, as much as I applaud them for doing it, I realized it is not right for me. I have posted before that I have to once again adapt and recreate myself. Some thing I tell people all the time and I apply to myself as well. "You can't keep doing the same thing and expect different results.". No, if I want to become a healthier version of myself, the gym just isn't the answer FOR ME. I get mad at friends for not working out for one. I hate looking like the pathetic loner (insecurity speaking) at the gym and gym classes are worst because I have no rhythm. I have zero respect for most personal trainers as well (not all because there are some excellent ones out there too) because I am a nurse now and have been for four years. Just because I LOOK like I know nothing of healthy living doesn't mean I didn't pay attention in all the years of training. I have taken multiple nutrition classes and am well versed on cardiac, diabetic, and renal diets because I LIVE it. Some of the crap I have been advised to do from a personal trainer should be held up in a court of law as I sue them and the company that hired the ignoramus with a certificate. I also have come to accept that as much as I enjoyed the concept of toting around a gym key card, I HATE BEING INDOORS. I hate touching sweaty machines, staring at the back of people's heads, and that awful sweat and leather smell. I hate the loud thumping music or the dumb talk shows playing just above eye level. I hate not being able to wear whatever the hell I want because nothing ever looks good enough. I have always hated their torture devices and would force myself to go which ties back into the whole friends-not-going-then-I'm-not-going part. Again, this is not what everyone says but...it may be what they are thinking, maybe not. Whatever is going on in everyone else's mind, this girl is jumping off of the elliptical.
That brings me to my current dilemma. I need to be more active. After the first 4-6 months (November) I will have to work to continue to lose the weight. That's usually after the first 100-125lbs. Here is my resolution: I just need to live. Sounds simple right? One of the things about being fat all your life is there are plenty things I have never done. There are things that I have always wanted to do or been forced to set aside. These are the things I need to do to keep me losing weight. What do I mean?
Well, the last 15lbs have been lost simply by increasing my activity. I don't sit down. Even immediately after surgery I walked my ass off at Disney World...literally. My Aunt Tracy and I ran through Animal Kingdom one Sunday afternoon. It was awesome and my reward was that I rode a roller coaster (Everest) for the first time in 14 years. I lost 7lbs that trip! I walk every chance I get and I take the stairs whenever I can to the garage at work or I walk the incline into the garage. I was shocked to find I no longer get winded doing either task.
My nephew is a personal trainer of the first water. Keeping up with him is better than running around a small mirrored room with a weight ball any day. I am a little ashamed to say I use him but he loves the attention and time with auntie and I hope I can do it for years to come. I have swam more this summer, probably more than I have ever swam in my life. Not just at a measly pool either, I have swam in the big boy pool, which most people call an ocean. I initially was working on perfecting my skills because while I am a decent swimmer I am the weakest of my family who happen to be fish people. My competitive side has said I need to change that. I swim against the tide to work on this. I swim probably two to three times a week until it gets too cold.
I am working on purchasing a bike or roller skates. Here's the thing. I know how to ride a bike, my father taught me so it's very special to me. I never quite got the hang of roller skates. I want to though. I've always wanted to disco dance with my Uncle Karl (who has a bad knee now) on some skates. Again, my whole family knows how to skate. I am the weakest link once more. I don't want to consider that the ship has sailed but how badly bruised will I become trying to defy my age and gravity? Only time will tell and with either choice I will need lots of prayers.
I still walk and will be working on my sprint since I bet my baby brother that once I'm back down to fighting size next year I will be the sprinter I was at 14, the one that could ALMOST lick her brothers, before the asthma kicked in. Competition is a big influence and a bigger demon in my gut until I beat him. No exchange of money though, he says he will swear off cigarettes FINALLY if I beat him. You should all, of course, cheer for me.
Lastly, once I reach 250lbs I want to join some dance classes and/or a martial arts class with my best friend. I feel like I took her away from that at 16 (martial arts) and turned on to working, eating, and a forever partner to watch movies with. I want to learn more grace and either one of these can do it. Even if I thoroughly regret this promise to myself later I won't regret having a second chance to taste life and experience all the stuff I've missed out on and that beats the dang gym any day.
I'm an honest soul so if I realize that this is not working I will enlist the help of a GREAT personal trainer and recant my above statements about the gym but for now. I'm swearing them off in lieu of a more fulfilling routine called "making up for lost time"!
Until the next time,
Fat Girl
Alright, now that I have that out of the way, let me apologize for my crazy title. To assuage the feelings of my personal trainer friends and all my gym rat friends let me first clarify that I LOVE BEING A MEMBER OF A GYM! The problem was for me in the past that I never really have been able to partake of the gym. I have belonged to various gyms my whole adult life. I don't know if you guys recall but my first membership was to Spa Lady, an all female gym that even had pool access. I went twice. I belonged to two gyms at work. I think I may have went 4 times at HSBC, that was the most. I have a free gym at work now that I never seem to make before it closes and God forbid I go on a day off. I have belonged to Bailey's Gym in four locations twice. They are my favorite because they have the dark room that plays sports so I would get on the elliptical machine, pop on my headphones and watch all the hunkahunka men jump on the treadmills in front of me to get the best spot for the boob tube. Some even went topless. SQUEEEE! Alas, the first time was ruined by a mean Bosnian trainer who literally insulted me in front of the entire gym. It got so bad her manager came out and called her on it. The second time, I simply had no one to go with so it grew boring. It wasn't like super hot treadmill guys were jumping off and talking to me. Let's face it...big girl + sweat stains= not a good look. Finally I have been on a tight budget with my nephew and family trips and...eww...student loans so I went to Just Fitness where, well, I tried since it was cheaper but it just wasn't Bailey's. I will say that I have known many of my big girl counterparts who find success at the gym too. I worked with a nurse that simply looks amazing after probably a year of a strict diet and personal training sessions. I have friends that swear by it. A high school friend had to have lost 100lbs since and has kept it off by constantly hitting the gym. I have family that have lost weight and actually instruct classes at the gym. My closest nursing friend spends any time she's not at work in the gym and it brings her peace. My very best friend has been using the gym at work and she is really trimming down with a healthy diet. I am proud of all these people.
That being said, as much as I applaud them for doing it, I realized it is not right for me. I have posted before that I have to once again adapt and recreate myself. Some thing I tell people all the time and I apply to myself as well. "You can't keep doing the same thing and expect different results.". No, if I want to become a healthier version of myself, the gym just isn't the answer FOR ME. I get mad at friends for not working out for one. I hate looking like the pathetic loner (insecurity speaking) at the gym and gym classes are worst because I have no rhythm. I have zero respect for most personal trainers as well (not all because there are some excellent ones out there too) because I am a nurse now and have been for four years. Just because I LOOK like I know nothing of healthy living doesn't mean I didn't pay attention in all the years of training. I have taken multiple nutrition classes and am well versed on cardiac, diabetic, and renal diets because I LIVE it. Some of the crap I have been advised to do from a personal trainer should be held up in a court of law as I sue them and the company that hired the ignoramus with a certificate. I also have come to accept that as much as I enjoyed the concept of toting around a gym key card, I HATE BEING INDOORS. I hate touching sweaty machines, staring at the back of people's heads, and that awful sweat and leather smell. I hate the loud thumping music or the dumb talk shows playing just above eye level. I hate not being able to wear whatever the hell I want because nothing ever looks good enough. I have always hated their torture devices and would force myself to go which ties back into the whole friends-not-going-then-I'm-not-going part. Again, this is not what everyone says but...it may be what they are thinking, maybe not. Whatever is going on in everyone else's mind, this girl is jumping off of the elliptical.
That brings me to my current dilemma. I need to be more active. After the first 4-6 months (November) I will have to work to continue to lose the weight. That's usually after the first 100-125lbs. Here is my resolution: I just need to live. Sounds simple right? One of the things about being fat all your life is there are plenty things I have never done. There are things that I have always wanted to do or been forced to set aside. These are the things I need to do to keep me losing weight. What do I mean?
Well, the last 15lbs have been lost simply by increasing my activity. I don't sit down. Even immediately after surgery I walked my ass off at Disney World...literally. My Aunt Tracy and I ran through Animal Kingdom one Sunday afternoon. It was awesome and my reward was that I rode a roller coaster (Everest) for the first time in 14 years. I lost 7lbs that trip! I walk every chance I get and I take the stairs whenever I can to the garage at work or I walk the incline into the garage. I was shocked to find I no longer get winded doing either task.
My nephew is a personal trainer of the first water. Keeping up with him is better than running around a small mirrored room with a weight ball any day. I am a little ashamed to say I use him but he loves the attention and time with auntie and I hope I can do it for years to come. I have swam more this summer, probably more than I have ever swam in my life. Not just at a measly pool either, I have swam in the big boy pool, which most people call an ocean. I initially was working on perfecting my skills because while I am a decent swimmer I am the weakest of my family who happen to be fish people. My competitive side has said I need to change that. I swim against the tide to work on this. I swim probably two to three times a week until it gets too cold.
I am working on purchasing a bike or roller skates. Here's the thing. I know how to ride a bike, my father taught me so it's very special to me. I never quite got the hang of roller skates. I want to though. I've always wanted to disco dance with my Uncle Karl (who has a bad knee now) on some skates. Again, my whole family knows how to skate. I am the weakest link once more. I don't want to consider that the ship has sailed but how badly bruised will I become trying to defy my age and gravity? Only time will tell and with either choice I will need lots of prayers.
I still walk and will be working on my sprint since I bet my baby brother that once I'm back down to fighting size next year I will be the sprinter I was at 14, the one that could ALMOST lick her brothers, before the asthma kicked in. Competition is a big influence and a bigger demon in my gut until I beat him. No exchange of money though, he says he will swear off cigarettes FINALLY if I beat him. You should all, of course, cheer for me.
Lastly, once I reach 250lbs I want to join some dance classes and/or a martial arts class with my best friend. I feel like I took her away from that at 16 (martial arts) and turned on to working, eating, and a forever partner to watch movies with. I want to learn more grace and either one of these can do it. Even if I thoroughly regret this promise to myself later I won't regret having a second chance to taste life and experience all the stuff I've missed out on and that beats the dang gym any day.
I'm an honest soul so if I realize that this is not working I will enlist the help of a GREAT personal trainer and recant my above statements about the gym but for now. I'm swearing them off in lieu of a more fulfilling routine called "making up for lost time"!
Until the next time,
Fat Girl
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