Vacation.... and another month flew by already =/

uggghhhhh  I'm such a proctastinator!!!!!!!! =/ but without further ado........

So I was on vacation for almost two weeks and we drove from Wisconsin to Biloxi Mississippi which is on the gulf. We stayed with friends there a few days and then drove over to Orlando Florida where my grandparents live. We stayed with them for 6 days and then drove to Greenville South Carolina which is where my moms side of the family lives. (She was still there because of her dad having the stroke back in November.)

We had so much fun and it was great to get away from the cold Wisconsin weather although this year it hasn't been to bad. While in Orlando we went to the beach a few days and we also spent time at Universal Orlando mostly because we wanted to see the Harry Potter world that was just built a year ago.

** interesting fact is that my uncle helped build the Harry Potter castle =D

Here are some pictures from the Biloxi  trip-->

                                     

*** I actually wrote all this ^^^^^ on Jan 31st.... not kidding on the procrastinating stuff lol*****

I have so many more from the Florida trip I will share later! I have been procrastinating on blogging because I wanted my pictures up when I posted but we all know how life gets in the way and with full time school and working and unfortunate events life takes the lead. 

So a little update I currently weigh 320.2 which equals to losing 73.2 pounds lost so far in this journey. It's been a year since I started the program, 4 months since surgery and I am so happy with what I have done so far. I know that if I actually worked out like I should have been and eating and logging to perfection I could be a super skinny mini me by now lol but life happens and we move on with what we've been given.....

I have tons more to share so I will be back as soon as I can =D  Hope you all are doing well!!!! 

Alright well off to school I go!!!

computer finally fixed!!!!

So friends my computer is officially fixed and this excites me because I can now keep up with my blogs and reading blogs everyday =D

I have so much to catch you up on so for now I will just post my 3 month photos like I said I would =) (Sorry they aren't as close as I would like them... and I took them at Clear water beach in Florida)

I don't see a difference in these but I haven't been working as hard as I could be =/ No worries though!!! All is back on track and I am seeing happiness in my future =D

 

 

  

 

I'm back!!!!!!!

Hey friends oh how I've missed you!!!!!!!!! I'm so sorry for being gone for so long... i've been longing to write but my house internet hasn't worked for a while and now I'm on vacation so I'm using my sisters computer =D THANKS SISTER <3


So my life has been crazy latey! I went and had another fill on the 20th of December and all has been amazing..... Although I felt like a horrible patient because I didn't track all month so I couldn't tell him how many calories i was taking in =(  I surprisingly lost 6lbs since my last check up but nothing to brag about. I was actually surprised I lost anything at all.


I'm currently at my friends house in Biloxi Mississippi. We drove straight through and it took us 13 hours. Long drive but glad to be here. She was my next door neighbor for years... (her dad still is) and they moved here because her husband is in the Air Force. It's been nice to get away from the cold weather =) After here we are going to my grandparents house in Orlando Florida and then staying there for a week. After that we are visiting my mom and grandpa (the one who had the stroke) in south carolina on our way back to Wisconsin.


I also got a new phone for christmas. Technically we haven't celebrated christmas yet because we are waiting for my mom to come back so we can open presents as a family. I got an android phone--- HTC Hero and now I can do all kinds of stuff = ) I was I even downloaded the blogger app but it wouldn't let me choose my blog to add my post too =( I will have to check it out and get it working so I can keep checking in and see how everyone is doing!!


So currently I weigh 326.6...... yup thats a whopping 66.7 lbs since the beginning =0 making it almost 30 lbs since surgery =D I will post my updated pictures soon!!! People at work have been commenting on how I look good and that they notice the weight loss so it gives me confidence and a boost to keep going =) So today is my 3 month bandiversary!!! I can't believe it's only been 3 months... feels like a year already lol.....We are going to the beach today so I will do my update pictures there =) and post them later ... Have a wonderful day and it's GREAT to be back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Been on Hiatus

I'm sorry for not posting in a LONG while =( It's been a couple of tough weeks. I've been battling extra hard with my depression lately so I've been sleeping way more than I should and it also makes me not want to do a darn thing =/ Since starting this life changing lap band journey, one of the things I'm big about is recognizing why I have the emotions I do and what's causing them to stick around and make me want to eat badly/binge. Because I'm an emotional eater to even recognize this is truly a huge step forward! Right now it's money that's causing these horrible feelings and unfortunately because this is the season for giving... that means money is involved. 

So now that I have this out in my "awareness zone" it makes me happy because I can control what goes on so I'm not buying things to binge on. Most of this started because my grandpa had a stroke. He is my mother's father and lives in South Carolina. It was crazy trying to find my mom plane tickets out the day after Thanksgiving at 5pm ( she lives in Madison and their airport is smaller so if you fly out of there you pay more money and they transfer you to Milwaukee or Chicago anyway) I was able to find her a flight leaving from Milwaukee but she had to drive here and with traffic she ended up missing it by 5 minutes =( I was working so I had to call some friends to come get her from the airport and bring her to my work (target) and she hung out there until midnight when I got done. I felt bad for leaving her there because the next flight didn't leave until 5am so I didn't want her sitting there for 12 hours. I get a discount so I told her to do some Christmas shopping to waste some time and she did  =) The plan was to have her write me a check before she left so I wouldn't have to worry about the $250 that was gone and we forgot =( 

I also have done ZERO exercising in a long time as well and I know that's why my scale only moves up lately. I've been told that no matter what it is, if you want something to be routine you have to do it for 21 days consecutively in order for it to stick. So this is me committing to start AND continue exercising =D

So I've been stressing about my grandpa and his health.. although they just moved him to rehab so he is doing much better... and money that I don't have which led me to eating binge style which ultimately makes me feel like the biggest pile of shit. I have the band and I want it to help me so mistreating it makes me feel even more shitty =/ Everything is getting better though because I talked to my mom and she is sending me a check so that makes me feel better and I'm also taking a vacation to Florida in exactly one month which I am soooooo looking forward to just get away and relax!!! This is probably the cheapest vaca I will ever take because were staying with friends in Biloxi, Mo for a few days and then driving to my grandparents house... they live in Orlando so we wont have any hotel costs and we will be making food so no outrageous fast food/ fancy dinner bills. Plus we plan on being on the beach most of the days =D were going Jan 2nd-12th and it can not come soon enough!!!!

I mean I keep telling myself that I have handled my emotions with food for the last 20+ years so it isn't going to fix itself over night.. or even in a few months for that matter. I recognize it so like I said it's a HUGE step in the right direction. Now my question to you is what do you do when you feel like eating badly? I live near the ghetto in Milwaukee so walking isn't an option when it gets dark and since winter is closing in dark is sooner than anyone would like. I suppose anything to keep my mind occupied until the urge passes i guess would work... so what works for you????

Not so Manic Monday

My day is pretty uneventful... I started volunteering at the Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission here in Milwaukee. They are A LOT different than a humane society which is mostly happy endings for all the animals that come through. Since it is domestic control they do a lot of euthanising  =( I however believe that even though their life may come to an end because of someone else's poor decision making habits or because of something out of their control, they should get the best life they can while on this earth. Anywhooooo I start my training tonight =) I mainly want to walk the dogs because they are cooped up all day in cages and this way they get exercise and so do I!!!!! They have you complete 8 hours of training and cleaning before you can move onto the next level which is walking dogs. I love that unlike most places where you volunteer, you sign up for slots to help out. Here they say come whenever and stay as long as you can, even if it's just for a lunch break. Anything is helpful. And it truly is. It's really cool that they also allow volunteers to assist with spaying and neutering like setting up tools for the surgery and prepping the area and also helping with the animals after surgery, such as waiting with the animal while they are coming out of anesthesia. I am becoming a surgical technician so this is basically my job but for animals so I'm very excited!!!!

** they have partnerships with other humane societies that come through and take animals to get adopted out as well so it's not always a final resting place. They also house lost animals so owners may find them. If not claimed with in a time frame they also will get adopted out if eligible***

I signed my mom and I up for cake decorating classes as a Christmas present =) She's been wanting to take a class FOREVER and I figured since Christmas was so close and I don't get to see her very often, that I would drive up to her once a week (it's a 4 week class) so we could do something we both love and spend time together doing it.  I hope she loves it. I plan on taking all 3 classes so it should be a lot of fun I and I will definitely take pictures so you all can see my (hopefully) sweet skills !!!!

No luck on finding recipes for Turkey Day. I figure to stay safe and get my protein in I will drink shakes as my other meals and I will bring along some unflavored protein powder that I bought from GNC and add it to anything I can. I am also going to make a healthier pumpkin pudding so I will let you all know how that turns out.

weigh in Wednesday... a bit late

So yesterday was weigh in day and I was 341.9 =D that means down 1.5 lbs from last week!!!!! 

I had my first fill on Monday and so far so good. The fill itself wasn't bad at all..... took maybe 20 minutes but only 5 was actually for needles and fluid the rest was prep time for the surgeon.

I am feeling restriction again so hopefully it lasts until I go back in December. 

Thanksgiving is almost here and that makes me nervous because like most families we gather and eat.. and eat...and eat! But that's not the plan for me this year =) It makes me nervous because I want to be able to eat but I'm not sure how every food dish is made so I can't calculate calories to the best of my ability. I was thinking of taking lighter, friendlier dishes that others could eat as well but haven't really looked into it. Any suggestions??

Sweets and Happiness

Every gosh dang time I eat sweets... of course the not good for you kind.. ahmmm oreo's and ice cream I'm talking bout you!  =( I ALWAYS end up feeling like crapola ...I wake up in the middle of the night because my stomach hurts SO bad and I feel uncomfortable in my stomach region the next day.  I'm just gonna stick to my sugar free Popsicles from now on... they love me =) Besides I shouldn't be eating those delicious naughty naughty things anyways.... 

Which brings me to say that I'm struggling with eating again =( I noticed I have been eating when I'm bored so I'm trying to find something to do... maybe a good Wii game or two to play to get my blood pumping and most importantly my mind off food =) Hopefully this will change since I go tomorrow for my first fill.... hopefully it will do it's job so I actually have some restriction instead of this grand canyon sized stomach that screams FEED ME every two hours and allows me to drink a WHOLE glass of water.... =0 

On a plus note I have decided that I want to take a Zumba class again =D I took a class that was offered through a hospital when I lived in Madison back before Zumba became this amazing craze and I LOVED every second of it!!!!!! So since it made me so happy then, I decided I was going to find some place here that offered them as well. My only issue is that most places that offer it around Milwaukee are Gyms you have to have a membership to and since I already have one for anytime fitness I don't exactly want to spend money for another membership to just get classes. BUT problem solved because when I lived in Madison they had a dance studio that I always wanted to go to that was walk in basis... I never actually went because my confidence was lacking.... so that gave me the idea to look for one here in Milwaukee and voilà I found one!!!!! Plus double win for me because I also love Turbo Jam!!!! It's a kickboxing workout with dancey moves so it doesn't feel like you're working out.. at least for me =) When I did weight watchers 6 years ago turbo Jam helped me lose 50 lbs obviously along with eating better, but it was my only exercise regime. 

Any who this place that has walk in Zumba also has Turbo Kick (live version of turbo jam) OH EM GEE!!!!!!!!! how excited am I???? TIMES A BILLION =D  So needless to say  I'm going to buy a punch card which will be an early Christmas present to myself =) 

Nothing like being Happy and Healthy!!!!!!!