Minor Setbacks......not necessarily a BAD thing. :)

Hey all.....I have been on the Weight Loss Roller Coaster lately. Lose 5 pounds, gain 2, lose 3.......ugh. It got pretty depressing there for a little bit.

Here's the thing: My hubby started his transformation in January...his weight loss was slow and he hit a plateau. But since January he has lost 55 pounds. He was 306 pounds and he is now 250. I am so proud of him, but this scares me more than anything because he is getting so close to MY weight and he is 6 foot tall and I am maybe 5 foot 2 inches. Yes, I refer to myself at times as a human weeble. To me, I see a round little being when I look at myself. I do laugh about this, don't get me wrong, but I also cry.

I have had a couple of friends tell me they are on the same journey as me. That made me feel so good...after all, no one likes to be alone in their journey...especially this kind of journey. :) I love my followers and their sweet comments....Thanks so much DeeDee and Gerie. I also have a couple of other friends that are so sweet and encouraging. I, even have an "organically pleasant" friend. Her name is Cynthia....she jump started my look into organic things. LOL! Not sure everyone knows how much they have impacted me while I live my days and make my choices..food and other wise. :)

Well, I am not sure how many of you all read the Daily Truths from the Brave Girls' Club. I had heard about the Brave Girls last year when Teresa Collins went to one of their camps. The projects alone were amazing, but it was the messages that Teresa got from going and how good it made her feel that made me want to see what they were about. I was thinking....."Who are these chicks?" I had never really heard too much about them before Teresa Collins talked about them. So,  a little research and I found that they have camps at least 3 to 4 times a year...I so, wish I could go, but times are tough right now, so I will wish and will get to a camp some day. :) They also are all about GIRL POWER. I love that. I also have learned about Melody Ross, who is an amazing Artist. She has designed a couple of stamp sets for Unity Stamps and I think even some papers this year. Another thing I have learned? That she is seemingly the sweetest chick on EARTH. I am a friend of hers on Facebook, although I am sure that the like, 5,000 other friends she has feel this way too. :) Her posts are sweet and I love the love she shares with her "reality friends". And....even when she is having a crap week.....she is thinking she is BLESSED...all I can say is that she is an inspiring woman. There is also her friend, Kathy Wilkins, who looks like this sweet, little flower fairy to me, but from reading about her....she is a very dedicated and strong woman also. I had emailed Kathy to see if I could use one of their Daily Truths on my blog and she gave me permission and I was so thankful...that I forgot to say thanks in the follow up email to hers. So, even though I felt like a HUGE pain in the butt, I had to email her back to say thanks so much. :)

You can sign up for the Daily Truths here. You will not be disappointed.....EVER. I find myself frequently laughing and crying all in the same truth. :) It is ok, because being emotional is what makes us women and beautiful. :)

Well, I would like to share Today's Truth. I was gonna share another one, but that was a week ago and this one hit me harder than her previous sister. :)

Here it is:

Dear Brave Girl,

One step forward, one step forward, one step forward. Two steps forward
and one step back. Three steps forward, three steps back. Five steps
forward, two steps back. No....this is not a math lesson....
this is life, lovely girl!!!

Please don't freak out or beat yourself up when you have setbacks. You are
not a failure. You did not make bad plans and your steps backward do not
determine your worth as a human being.


Sometimes we think we have things figured out, or that we have overcome
something...and then it returns to our lives in a different way...leaving us to
feel like we have failed in some way. What this actually is, is a beautiful new
chance to learn and grow....and it shows up right when we are ready to take it
on, even if it seems otherwise.


Remember that life is a process...all of it. There are lots of finish lines,
not just one. We get to start new climbs, new races....every day. Some days we are
moving forward effortlessly, some days we are learning to work through life in
other ways. It's all good and it's all necessary....and you are doing a tremendous
job. Reach for the gifts found in the setbacks and decide that tomorrow is a
brand new day.....


Have a fabulous weekend. You are so very loved.
xoxo

Have a good weekend.....I will be back to blogging on here Monday or Tuesday. :)

Lunch for tomorrow (Warning: PHOTO HEAVY!) ;)

Well, first of all, I weighed myself this morning and weighed 227.4 pounds....now this may sound like it isn't much, but after I quit drinking Coke last Thursday, I kinda gorged myself on CHOCOLATE and went up to 230.8! :( Yeah, I will NOT let that moment of weakness happen again.

Now, for my little bit of goodness for today! :) I was going into my garden for Garth (hubby) today to get some green pepper for his spaghetti sauce and I did get them! They were so good and so sweet I wish that there were some more ready that I could just pick and enjoy! :) But, alas, not this time.......BUT- I was lucky enough to go into my little cuke/strawberry patch and found 2 little lemon cukes saying, "HI!" to me....so of course, I said hi back and picked them. I thought they had to have said, "HI" for a reason; right? LOL!

A LITTLE DISCLAIMER: YOU WILL FIND THAT I HAVE A SOMEWHAT UNUSUAL RELATIONSHIP WITH MY "GREEN BABIES". I TALK TO THEM AND BABY THEM AND THAT IS OK, BECAUSE THEY LOVE ME BACK IN SO MANY WAYS! :)

Then off to the main garden for the green peppers...I really did try to remain focused through out the whole time of going and getting the peppers. But, I looked over and saw some snow peas that were just wanting to be picked. Oh my, and once I started picking them, I couldn't stop. ;)  LOL!

So, after I finished picking the snow peas, I was able to go to my original destination: PEPPERS!

Now, those who know me, know that I don't do anything, "just a little". I go BIG everytime, good grief just look at my scrap area! ;) I should be living in Texas...I am sure I would fit in there just fine! :) I have at least 5 types of peppers. I have Anaheim Chilies, jalapenos, orange, red, and green bell peppers, and my sweet banana peppers! :) We did have a couple green peppers ready for us tonight.  But we also had some sweet banana peppers that were wanting to be picked too. There are more than what I picked, but these were the ones that made the "cut" this time. :)

Then while I was inside showing Garth what I had, Jon (our son) asked if the carrots were ready. I looked and some looked ok to pick, although they seemed a bit small and that they needed a little more time, but they were still sweet.

So, I will be having a lunch tomorrow of banana peppers, lemon cuke, and snow peas. ;) I can't wait...can you have garden veggies for breakfast????

MY NEWEST JOURNEY

Welcome to my newest journey.  I would like to start by saying: I am NOT stopping my other blog: "The Beautiful Life".  That is a document of my things in my life....and, well, so is this, but THIS is about my weight loss journey....the good and the bad. You seem this is how I used to look in the "old" days.

Now, I look like this:

It really wasn't until seeing the "NOW" pic that I decided that I needed to start this journey.  Sure, I would try working out here and there for a week here, a couple of days there....but I always had some reason for stopping. Sometimes it was that my fibromyalgia was too much for me to deal with. Other times I would blame time or worse yet, MY KIDS!! :(  I mean, REALLY?!?! MY KIDS?!?!?! I should have been smacked for that!

Then there was the eating.  I really don't eat a lot, but when I do...It really isn't the healthiest stuff.  I am BEYOND ADDICTED to Milky Way's Simply Caramel bars and Butterfinger Crisps.  Well, let's just say that I am addicted to chocolate--P.E.R.I.O.D! AND then there is the fact that I am a Total Coke (the drink) Addict.  Roll all that together and no wonder I am where I am at today.

So, where am I at?

Well, the day of the "NOW" pic was taken, I was 228.4 pounds.  One of the things you will see on this blog is that I will be very candid and honest about everything on this journey....even my weight. The numbers don't lie and I am beyond heavy at this point.

What is the reason I am doing this?  Well,  have tried EVERYTHING I can think of, but something like this and I think I will hold myself a little more accountable by doing this.

My goals? Well, while I am not happy with my weight.  I am very happy with my life, except for my aches and pains.  I think my joints might at least feel better if I take some of this mass off.  My inside heart and soul feel like they did when I was younger, but when I'm hurting....it's very hard to let THAT GIRL come through. 

I also hate having my body run the show.  For a lot of things...not just my pain.  It dictates the way I dress, the shoes I wear, whether or not I go swimming, and a few other things.

To be honest, Garth (my hubby) still thinks I am the most beautiful woman in the world.  He has said this for years....only in the past couple of years have I really questioned it...not because of him, but because of what I see and how it makes me feel.

To begin, I am starting simple...I cut out all COKE (I did this on Thursday 8/5/10).  I quit "cold turkey" and completely. I may treat myself here and there (mostly on a special occasion/day/night).  Once I have made it to this Thursday (8/12/10) I will start upping my activity. :)

I will say the withdrawals I have been dealing with for getting rid of the coke the way I did has been horrid. I have had migraines for 2 days and was just hurting. I did try coffee, but that didn't seem to help. BUT....as of today...I think I am non-caffeine dependent!!! WOOHOO! :)

I was 227.4 pounds today when I weighed myself. One pound isn't great, but it is a start.

Thanks for reading the beginning of this journey and I hope you will continue to read.