Merry Christmas To ME!

I have been reading this book recently that talks about one woman’s weight loss journey. Her strategy was to keep it to herself so that she wouldn’t feel like she let anyone down if she wasn’t able to do it. She didn’t share her victories or her defeats with those that loved her and it worked for her.

I feel lucky that I found what finally worked for me this time but I chose a MUCH different path. I enjoy celebrating my victories with those around me and I found that sharing my struggles helps too. Thanks for allowing me to do that!

I had my ah-ha moment and I knew this time I wasn’t going back. That was a little over 19 months ago…and I am here to tell you that today at weigh in…I lost 3 pounds! All I wanted was the .06 to make it to 95 pounds lost by 12/16/08 and instead I got an early Christmas present.

The numbers as of 12/16/08:
Overall Lost: 134
Lost with WW: 97.4
11 pounds to goal
2.6 to the next goal of 100 pounds lost with WW…(BIG PARTY!)

Here were some of my goals as of 11/18

Some Mini Goals:
· To NOT gain during the Thanksgiving Holiday (CHECK)
· Continue to work the WW plan just how it is written! (CHECK)
· To lose another point on the plan (to get to another decade on the scale) (CHECK)
· To get to 95 pounds lost by Christmas (CHECK)
· To strengthen my lower back so that it doesn’t hurt so bad (CHECK)
· To work on my arms during the “winter” so that by the time it gets here I can wear tank tops and be PROUD (Working on)
· To continue going to Boot Camp (CHECK) last day is Friday until the new year
· To continue to try new foods and recipes (if you have any…pass them on!) (CHECK)

Some New Goals:
· To continue with the previous goals
· To NOT gain during the Christmas Holiday
· To get to 100 pounds lost…so I can have a party
· To continue working out on a regular basis
· To get in some good rides on the mountain bike during Christmas break
· To get to lifetime so that I can save $39.95 a month :)

Until the next time

~J

Sweet Treat!

I was piddling around the kitchen the other night wanting something sweet…IMAGINE THAT! So I took a honey crisp apple (my FAVORITE), cut it up, measured it on the scale (to find out the point value), sprayed pam in a baking dish, dumped the apples in, put cinnamon, nutmeg and baking splenda on them. Threw them in the oven and baked at 350 for at least 30 minutes…pulled them out and had a YUMMY, warm, sweet, LOW point snack! Just wanted to share my deliciously friendly find! Next time I might find some low point vanilla ice-cream to put on top…

~J
I know I am a dork for taking pictures…but I wanted you to see how pretty it was!

My new favorite store...

Last Sunday I went shopping with my friend LuAnn and BOY was it a fruitful trip! I went with her just to be there for moral support while she found a dress to wear to her husband’s company Christmas party and of course to hang out and have girl time.

Lets just say it was a good day for both of us…we both walked away with 2 dresses each from White House/Black Market. I just have to say it was an AMAZING feeling to try on dresses and have them fit and actually look GOOD! So good in fact that 2 of the people that were working that day stopped to go try on the polka dot dress themselves…Talk about an ego boost!

Oh yeah…the dresses…well one will be for New Year’s Eve…and hopefully J will find me a place to wear the other one (I am hoping for the Nutcracker)!

Have I mentioned lately that shopping is SO much more fun these days?

~J

SNOW!

So...obviously those who live here know it does NOT snow very often in central Texas. But for my friends that live up north and think it is so funny how excited I get about the "cold" weather...this is for you!

IT SNOWED...yeah it didn't stick, but IT SNOWED! Thanks for sending some my way JULIE!

Until Later

~J

It's Official!

I am financially commited to do my first 25K Trail Run. That is 15.53 miles. Yeah you read that right...15.53 miles! It is the Bandera race and it will be held on January 10, 2009 in...you guessed it...Bandera, TX. I have a few VERY good friends that have done this 4 years in a row. They have asked me to do it before, but to be honest I was afraid! NO MORE FEAR! I signed up...and I got my new nifty trail running shoes this week from the lovely folks at REI...thanks to a birthday gift card from Aunt Ape...Thanks Aunt Ape!!



Now...time to start the training! The plan: Get 8 miles in on the trails this weekend! Anyone want to join me?

Oh yeah...and Tammy and Andrea are thinking about joining in...how fun would that be?

Until the next time...have a GREAT weekend!!

~J

Peppermint...YUM!

Yeah so I had my first Gelato experience last night. 2 Flavors, Dark Chocolate and Peppermint, it was AWESOME! My only thought when I was done was...I am SO glad this place is kind of far from home base! Good news, gelato is not that bad! Only 5 points for a nice little treat!

So this morning I had those flavors on the brain and I went to the grocery store to pick up some stuff for the day and I grabbed a bottle of peppermint extract. For those that don't know, I have a WW shake most mornings so that I can get my milk and oil taken care of for the day. (2 of the 8 healthy guidelines.)

Well this morning I added some peppermint extract to my chocolate shake...WOW! It was very very yummy! I highly recommend it!

That is all for now!

~J

Who knew?

Well...I kind of did! Having a plan and sticking with it for the most part over the holiday weekend ACTUALLY WORKED!

Down another 1.4 with only 15.6 more pounds to go until I reach goal!!

Yeah for a plan!

How?

Now how does a girl make sure that she DOES NOT post a gain for the week?

She gets off her ARSE and works out!

J and I did the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning. This year it was 5 miles instead of the 5K that it was last year. Got there bright and...well not early it started at 9:30...at least I got to sleep in some what! The part that stunk was trying to find parking. The tailgaters were already out for the game that didn’t start until 7. (Which I would RATHER not discuss :) )So we couldn’t park in the normal place, but we did find parking and we made it in time to start with everyone else! By the time we crossed the start line it the time clock already showed 11 + minutes had gone by. We tried to let all the runners through so we wouldn’t get in their way. Ran into a couple of friends (Brandon & Lydia)...of course they were running so we didn’t get to say much, but it was GREAT to see them!



Anyway off we went we jogged for a bit to kind of get away from the crowd and then kept a nice picked up pace for the entire walk. We jogged up the hills and probably jogged out a good portion of the last mile. All in all we had a good time, the dog (Evie) had a good time and I burned 800+ calories before I had sat down for my first of 3 celebrations! Oh yeah...we finished the 5 miles in less than an hour and twenty minutes...not too shabby!



Later that night...




Friday we went out to my dad’s and played in the country for the day. We rode 4 Wheelers and shot guns...it was TONS ‘o FUN!



Saturday I took my first spin class...I was kind of nervous because I had no idea what it would be like...but it wasn’t horrible. It was HARD, but not horrible. When I walked in I thought to myself...self, I wish you had your padded bike shorts...your hiney is going to hurt! Little did I know my hiney would RARELY touch the seat! That is a good workout! Makes me miss my BIKE! There went another 700+ calories!

Sunday...slept in and went shopping, to the movies and then home to watch more movies...no calories expended on this day!

I am glad that I have finally caught this working out bug...it is quite the rush to actually work up a sweat...who knew?

Speaking of the bike...I sure hope when some family comes to town that we will be riding those trails non stop....

~J

Thanksgiving 101 for Janna

How does a girl go to 3 different celebrations and still stay on plan?



She goes to the grocery store on Wednesday and buys tons of veggies and the ingredients to make a 2 point per slice pumpkin pie. Goes to her bf’s place and uses all his fancy kitchen gadgets and fancy chef skills and gets to cookin!

My veggies:
Fresh Green Beans
Yellow Onion
Mushrooms
Brussel Sprouts
Red Potatoes
Butternut Squash
Seasoning

Cut them all up and put them in a large baking dish with some low sodium Chicken Stock and cooked for an hour on 350. When they came out of the oven I divided them into 3 containers and put them in the fridge!

Now the Pumpkin Pie was TO DIE FOR GOOD! I couldn’t believe how easy and yummy it was. Just added some Fat Free Cool whip and had dessert just like everyone else! Even my dad liked my pumpkin pie!

Pumpkin Pie Recipe:

For Crust
2 cups Fiber One bran cereal (original)
1/4 cup light whipped butter or light buttery spread
3 tbsp. Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)
1 tsp. cinnamon

For Filling
One 15-oz. can pure pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling!)
One 12-oz. can evaporated fat-free milk
1/2 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute
3/4 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)
1/4 cup sugar-free pancake syrup
1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine butter with 2 tbsp. water. Microwave until just melted, and set aside. In a blender or food processor, grind Fiber One to a breadcrumb-like consistency.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine butter mixture and crumbs with remaining ingredients for crust. Stir until mixed well.

Spray an oven-safe 9-inch pie dish lightly with nonstick spray. Evenly distribute crust mixture, using your hands or a flat utensil to firmly press and form the crust. Press it into the edges and up along the sides of the dish. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients for the filling. Mix well. Pour mixture into pie crust. The filling may be taller than the crust -- trust us, this is okay!

Bake pie in the oven for 45 minutes. Allow pie to cool slightly. Refrigerate for several hours (overnight is best). Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

New Clothes for a New Janna

So I have been out recently trying to find cuter ways to stay warm. (It has gotten cold in my world this last year and a half). I have been shopping a couple of times in the last couple of weeks thanks to some gift cards I got for the birthday! I have to say…shopping these days is A LOT more fun than it used to be. When I first started this journey and I ventured out of Lane Bryant/Avenue territory I was TERRIFIED!

I had no idea where to go, what to try on, what size to start with…I was a MESS! I would be so upset by the time I got out of the stores. After lots of trial and error I am getting the hang of being able to shop wherever I would like. It is all so surreal at times! But I digress.

I have ventured out of my comfort zone and tried on things that I NEVER thought I would get. Like today…I have on a sweater dress with tights and tall boots. Who would have ever thought that I could wear this outfit? Certainly not me, but the compliments have been a flowing and it is nice to hear them!

Yesterday I found a skirt, (and I can’t find a picture of it online but I will take one when I wear it) it IS a size 8…A SIZE 8. Now, keep in mind that not everything I am wearing these days is a size 8. This girl who 550+ days ago who was wearing a 26/28 is not purchasing clothing in a size 8. WOW…

And to top it off…I got my hair done at lunch! So I am feeling like Hot Stuff today…and every girl should have days like this when they feel like a million bucks!

~J

On a side note…I got a gift card to Old Navy from Misty for my birthday…$50…and let me tell how I spread that puppy out! (thanks to outwear being 50% off and a nicely timed friends and family 30% of discount coupon)
• Black Wool Cropped Pea Coat
• Black light jacket (keeping with the keeping Janna warm theme)
• Fleece PJ pants (you getting the picture?)
• Long Sleeve shirt to go with Fleece PJ Pants
• Thanksgiving day Long Sleeve T-shirt
• And last but not least…a cute new sweater!

THANKS MISTY FOR HALF A NEW CLOSET…and lots of gear to keep me warm!

THANK YOU!

"The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will." Vincent T. Lombardi

"Success is a journey, not a destination." Ben Sweetland

Unless you change how you are,you will always have what you've got. Jim Rohn

"Confidence is the companion of success." Anonymous

This has been MANY MANY days in the making (554 to be exact) but I have FINALLY reached 90 pounds lost, well 91.2 to be exact. Back in August I thought I was right there. I had hit the 89 pound mark right before I left town to do the 3-Day in Boston. Who KNEW it would take another 105 days to finally hit this milestone?

There have been a lot of learning experiences along the way. I have learned that I can’t be so complacent. That if I want this I need to put my head down and get after it! I think I started taking my success for granted and I thought my body would just finish this journey without me putting too much effort into it. BOY was I wrong! I cannot rest on my laurels and I can not put aside the things that got me to this point. There is a system and it WORKS, I know it works and I have to work it!

So here I am with 17.2 pounds until I reach my goal weight! This time I will not let it take me another 105 days to hit another milestone! My goals will start out small so that I can work towards the big prize! And just for the record…when I hit 100…THERE WILL BE A BIG CELEBRATION and I hope you can all join in! I know that I could NEVER have done this without all the wonderful people in my life who have supported me, cheered me on, picked me up and just in general LOVED ME through this journey!

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

Some Mini Goals:
• To NOT gain during the Thanksgiving Holiday
• Continue to work the WW plan just how it is written!
• To lose another point on the plan (to get to another decade on the scale)
• To get to 95 pounds lost by Christmas
• To strengthen my lower back so that it doesn’t hurt so bad
• To work on my arms during the “winter” so that by the time it gets here I can wear tank tops and be PROUD
• To Lose 7.2 pounds so that I can apply to work at WW
• To continue going to Boot Camp
• To continue to try new foods and recipes (if you have any…pass them on!)

Until the next time
~J

This Week...

My week in a NUTSHELL!

Ok, so I posted the other day some of the things that I needed to work on this week. I am happy to report that I did ACTUALLY work on them!

This list as of Tuesday:
• Stay within my points (staying away from the extra points)
• Go to Boot Camp and then go above and beyond and get other workouts in
• All 8 Healthy Guidelines EVERYDAY (no exceptions)
• Attend my normal meeting, but then find another one to see if I can get something that I might be missing from my normal meeting
• Try new recipes and foods (keep myself from getting bored and nibbling)
• TRACK, TRACK, TRACK
• Use my message boards to get and give support (that is what they are there for)
• Pay attention to what I do on the weekends...plan ahead!
• Stop beating myself up!

This week I have STAYED within my points! Staying away from the things that have been my down fall in the past. I planned ahead, tried new recipes, stayed away from restaurants and have seen the inside of a grocery store more this week than I have in quite a LONG time! I also jumped in more on the message boards, not as much as I planned but more than I have in awhile! The 8 Good Health Guidelines were checked off everyday well except for the healthy oil on Saturday but I will work on that!

The things I haven’t done yet but I am working on are going to another meeting during the week and I didn’t really get any extra workouts in. Well, I did go a couple of nights with Jason to walk Evie (the dog) which isn’t a 5 minute thing anymore. We take her out walking for at least 30-45 minutes so that she can stretch her legs! And I did go for a little jog the other night so that I could have some hot chocolate!

New Recipes I tried this week!
• Antipasto Salad (thanks to Marissa)
Mix 2 cups drained canned water-packed artichokes, 1c. roasted peppers, 1c. diced zucchini, and 2 tbsp. balsamic vinaigrette.
• Yellow Fin Tuna
• Butternut Squash-this is becoming a favorite!
• Spice Rubbed Pork Chops (thanks www.weightwatchers.com)
• Stuffed Bell Peppers (thanks MOM!)
• Chili that we are having tonight (thanks Jason!)
• Fancy-Schmancy Oatmeal (thanks to the Hungry Girl cookbook)

I am learning that I like to cook...it is really easy when your boyfriend has great cooking equipment!

I am also happy to report that Jason and I went to Fiesta Texas yesterday to play like kids...and we packed our cooler so that we would not be tempted by all of the yummy yet bad foods that they serve there...and we were SUCCESSFUL!! Granted that my lunch did not stay down after a bad choice of roller coaster rides...I knew better but I rode it anyway! But I rallied afterward and we still had fun!

Thanks for being a great support along the way! I could not do this without you!!

Until next time...

~J

Round 1 of Boot Camp...COMPLETE!

“If I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning.”


Friday was the last day of my first session of boot camp. It was supposed to be a 4 week session but I jumped in at the start of week 2. So my session was only 3 weeks. Here are my finishing stats for round 1.

Weight Lost-5 pounds
Body Fat- lost 1%
Thigh- Lost 1.4 inches
Hips- Lost 1 inch
Waist-2 inches
Chest- 1/4 of an inch...not that I need to lose ANY more there!

I didn’t get to do the initial assessment but here is what I could do in 1 minute following 3 weeks of boot camp.

Push ups: 32
Squats: 43
Dips: 43
Kettle Bell Swings with 20 lbs-36

Ran ½ mile in 4:57

All in all round 1 of boot camp was a great experience. I had no idea what to expect going in and I learned that I am capable of doing more than I ever thought I could do and I am excited for the start of round 2. Here is to the start of round 2...anyone want to join in?

8 is GREAT!

8 is great!

8 Favorite T.V. shows
1. Army Wives
2. Grey's Anatomy
3. Ugly Betty
4. The Starter Wife
6. Brothers and Sisters
7. Desperate Housewives
8. Entourage

8 Things I did yesterday
1. Made Pumpkin Pancakes YUMMY!
2. Got lunch packed in a cooler
3. Drove to San Antonio
4. Went to Fiesta Texas
5. Rode Roller Coasters and played like a little kid!
6. Lost my lunch from riding said roller coasters
7. Picked up Fire wood and made a fire
8. Had Hot Chocolate and slept next to said fire!

8 Favorite Restaurants
1. Rudy's
2. Z Tejas
3. Beluga
4. Fresh Choice
5. NXNW
6. Cracker Barrel (I KNOW...but I like it!)
7. Trudy's
8. Chuy's

8 things on wish list
1. To get to goal weight!
2. A house
3. A new digital camera-mine has almost had it!
4. Enough money that I don't worry about expenses and have enough to save for a rainy day
5. To finish getting my college degree
6. To see James Taylor in concert
7. Meet Dale Jr :)
8. Go to Seattle

8 people to tag
1. Julie
2. Slip
3. Leslie
4. Jane
5. Shannon
6. Becky
7. Jenny
8. Lely

Believe

So here is my struggle this week. How do I get motivated again to finish this weight loss journey that I am on? I can do REALLY well during the week and then on the weekends I just seem to blow it. Now granted this past week I didn’t really blow it, but I didn’t really do that great either. I stayed within my points with my allotted extra points, but I just didn’t feel like I was doing that great. So my goal this week is simple...well simple is all relative but I am going to do my best to work the WW plan that I signed up for.

• Stay within my points (staying away from the extra points)
• Go to Boot Camp and then go above and beyond and get other workouts in
• All 8 Healthy Guidelines EVERYDAY (no exceptions)
• Attend my normal meeting, but then find another one to see if I can get something that I might be missing from my normal meeting
• Try new recipes and foods (keep myself from getting bored and nibbling)
• TRACK, TRACK, TRACK
• Use my message boards to get and give support (that is what they are there for)
• Pay attention to what I do on the weekends...plan ahead!
• Stop beating myself up!

Ok...there it is, in print, my goals for the week!

I CAN DO THIS! I WILL DO THIS!

“Believe it is possible to solve your problem. Tremendous things happen to the believer. So believe the answer will come. It will.”
Norman Vincent Peale

I VOTED!

I got up BRIGHT and early this morning so that I could exercise my American right to vote! The alarm started going off around 5:15 and I got out of bed around 5:45. I wanted to make sure that I was able to vote and get to work by 8. I really thought after all I had seen on TV that it would be CRAZY and people would be lined up.

So I got to my polling place at 6:20 with my sweater on and book in hand…and I was FIRST in line. Crazy I know to get there that early but I take my right to vote seriously and I wanted to get it taken care of. So there I am sitting on a bench outside an elementary school reading my book and people were so friendly. Everyone that walked up to join the line had smiles on their faces and Good Mornings for all around. It was great to be a part of!

So 7 o’clock is almost near and they tell us it will be a few minutes they are having technical difficulties. No problem…I am first in line! Well 40 minutes later they finally start letting us in. So here I am first in line…they can’t find me in the system, even though my name is in the book and I have my voters registration card…they ask me to step aside for the polling judge so that he can figure out what is going on…YEAH RIGHT!

The reason for the 40 minute delay was because the ONE electronic machine wasn’t working…the rest of the stations have paper ballots. This polling place is never very organized at the beginning of the day…I have first hand experience! So after about 20 minutes of getting pushed aside I decided to step up and speak up and FINALLY got my sticker printed so that I could VOTE!

VOTING done…very excited about getting my I VOTED Sticker…uh nope! Seems they weren’t in the box and my precinct had none to hand out. What a BUMMER! But I got to VOTE…and that is all that matters!

No matter how you vote I hope that you do because in the end it is our voice and we should let it be heard!

Here is to watching history in the making…ok that is not so true…I won’t actually be watching any of the coverage tonight…we are opting for a movie night! I have had my fill of politics for awhile…I want to wake up and here the news in the morning! In the mean time I am just glad to know that I live in a country where I am free to VOTE!

~J

Speaking My Language!

“Something in human nature causes us to start slacking off at our moment of greatest accomplishment. As you become successful, you will need a great deal of self-discipline not to lose your sense of balance, humility and commitment.” –H Ross Perot

Truer words could not be uttered! I ran across this quote on another blog this morning and it SPEAKS to me! Why is it that when we accomplish what we set out to, whether it be a mini goal or we get EXACTLY what we want, we try and sabotage it? I am so guilty of this and I have no idea why I do it. Here lately I am constantly taking 1 step forward to take 2 steps back. I feel like I am trying to catch up all the time. Why not get there enjoy it and move on to the next goal? That is my goal this week. In Weight Watchers speak I am going to stay on plan and stop the end of the day sabotage! That and get my rear to boot camp and go above and beyond that and work in other activities this week!

Here is to learning self-discipline so that I can continue on with my journey!

I WILL GET THERE!

~J

Boot Camp BABY!!

So last Monday morning at the insane hour of 5 AM, I woke up to get ready to attend my first boot camp EVER. For those who don’t know Tammy and Dave gave me a start to paying my new friend Andrew so that I could attend his camp. Tammy has been doing boot camp for a couple of months now. She tried to drag me in back probably in September but it was on the weekends and I had something going on for like 6 weeks straight that would prevent me from being there. I promise it was legit stuff and not just excuses!

So she told me a week before my birthday that she was going to start going to 6 AM boot camps, so I was like...ok why not! I can try and do anything for an hour a day...right? Well the week of my birthday there was too much going on including a weigh in where I was trying to hit my birthday goal so I didn’t want to change my routine for fear of retaining water, so I told her I would start on Monday the 27th.

So there I was up bright and early headed to boot camp not having a CLUE what it would be like. Let me tell you...I worked my hiney off, but it was worth it in the end. I wore my heart rate monitor (which I LOVE) and found out that in the 1 hour of my day that I gave to Andrew that I burned almost 500 calories! 500! That is what I am talking about! I also learned that the asthma is not under control and does NOT like the cold weather that was camped over Austin on Monday morning. No fear though, the inhaler came out and all is MUCH better! That and the “cold” weather is no longer here either!

On Wednesday Andrew also took my measurements and weight as a starting point. I will refrain from sharing the details...they weren’t as pretty as I would have liked, but I need a starting point RIGHT? I will however share the end results in 3 weeks as soon as this round of boot camp is over!

So this boot camp is 3 weeks long on Monday, Wednesday and Friday’s at 6 AM. After boot camp I head over to my office and take a shower in the gym in my building. So for at least 3 days a week I am going to be ON TIME or early for work! (This girl loves her snooze button!) So instead of telling you EVERY grueling detail about all that I did...I will just give you the highlights!

• Running a lap around the track and tennis court without stopping much (this girl is NOT a runner)
• Squats & Lunges until my legs screamed
• Pushups (not a strong suit)
• These ab exercises that KILL
• Drills
• Burpies (never heard of them before, would like to not think about them now!)
• Ladders (exercise drill with partner-big shout out to LuAnn)
• Jumping Jacks
• Dips on bleachers
• Timed drills (which I set my time on and have to improve on)
• Kettle Bell Swings and Rows

So there is just a taste of what I did this week. I am really excited about what this could do to help me get to goal. I have not done near enough of the exercise portion of the program, so now it is time to kick it in gear!

I told Tammy all week that I “hated” her for dragging me in, all in jest. But the truth is I can’t thank her enough for helping me get started!

SO THANK YOU TAMMY!!

I also dragged LuAnn in...so now I have 2 friends there to support me and for me to support...

As soon as Round 1 is over Round 2 starts so for at least the next 7 weeks you guys know where I will be on Monday, Wednesday & Friday mornings at 6 AM! Thanks for all the support!!

Until next time!

~J

YEAH Halloween!

Ok…so we all know how much I was NOT looking forward to this Halloween Holiday (see previous blog). Well after much ado about NOTHING I have to report that I am feeling like a million bucks today! I found a costume that fit (thank you craigslist). My mom fixed said costume to hide what I deem as the worst part of my body (THANKS MOM!). My friend Jennifer gave me sultry eyes (thanks Jennifer). And Revlon gave me RED RED lips! I am also sporting the fish nets, high heels and garter belt (with my pistol)! I had to run an errand for work and complete strangers were telling me how pretty I looked…NICE! Good for this girl’s ego!

I have never really been all that into Halloween and up until yesterday was still not looking forward to it, but last night something changed. I finally realized that this would be fun and I would have fun! I also continue to learn that I am my own worst critic and I need to stop being so hard on myself! So without further ado…here are the pictures!







Isn’t my gangster handsome? We are off to have more Halloween fun with Sara & Matt! Happy Halloween everyone!!

More to come on my first week of boot camp (I am alive to tell about it)!

Celebration!

33 Ways My 33rd Birthday was celebrated!

Just wanted to remember the good times that were had in the past week to celebrate my birthday!

1. Birthday Kisses from you know who :)

2. Birthday singing from 2 very special girls in my life (Haley & Christi)

3. Birthday calls from very special friends

4. Birthday texts from very special friends

5. Birthday emails, myspace messages, and facebook messages from very special friends

6. BBQ in Lockhart…not all that great but we had to try it out!

7. Visit in Luling with someone that I have MISSED very much!

8. Driving to Houston with Jason & Evie

9. Visiting with Jason’s Mom

10. Dressing up for a fun night out!

11. Birthday call from Thomas & Mallory

12. Dinner at Cabo’s with fried plantains…VERY YUMMY!

13. Ray Lamontagne concert…I know you all say who…but he was AMAZING!

14. Bedtime Cookies at our hotel

15. Breakfast in bed-chocolate chip pancakes (the birthday girl requested)

16. Trip to Banana Republic at the outlet mall…to get my new jeans for Saturday night! (New Smaller Size)

17. Hruska’s in Ellinger, TX-the Ranger cookies were AMAZING!

18. Marc Broussard with Sara & Matt-had so much fun!

19. Magnolia Café at 1 AM for more chocolate chip pancakes with pecans and bananas…

20. Sleeping in Saturday morning

21. Shopping with Jason and his mom to spruce up J’s new place

22. Getting ready for dinner out with 13 AMAZING friends!

23. YUMMY DINNER-Mediterranean Food all while dining outside in the nice crisp air with an amazing group of people!

24. Trip to Amy’s ice-cream for pumpkin ice-cream!

25. Getting dressed up to go to the ballet with 2 amazing girl friends

26. Ballet-ending with a 9 song tribute to Frank Sinatra…very cool!

27. Finding a new sushi place

28. Eating and catching up at said sushi place with my 2 amazing girlfriends!

29. Coming to work on Monday morning to find a floral shop had landed in my office! (4 arrangements and balloons!)

30. Emails and phone calls from people that missed the day but wanted to make sure that I know that they were thinking about me…

31. Cards that came via the US Postal Service

32. Upcoming outings planned with the family!

33. And last but not least…going back to thank all the people that made my day so special!

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! It is always an amazing feeling to know that you are so loved and cared about! It is times like these that I have to remember how blessed I am!

***On a side note. After typing all this out, it is easy to see why I didn’t want to go weigh in this morning! But the good news is I started boot camp yesterday morning (thanks to a birthday gift from Dave & Tammy) so this week will be all about undoing the damage of the birthday week…but I wouldn’t trade it for the world!***

A Grateful Heart!

So here we are on the eve of adding another notch to the total number of years I have been on this earth! And for those keeping count…I am at 21 ;) and I am sticking with that number! A lot has gone on in the last year and I can’t believe how quickly it has passed but I am thankful and I need to remember that there are great things going on all around me…so in an effort to remember that I am going to list 33 things that I am grateful for! Some are silly and some are serious but they are all things that I am grateful for.

1. Family-at times they are crazy and they drive me nuts but I can’t imagine them not being in my life! This includes blood and adopted family…cause I have some great “family” that has taken me in and made me a part of their own.

2. True friends- I have some AMAZING friends. At times I want to get upset about the ones that I have lost or am close to losing but then I think back to what a wise friend told me. Don’t keep thinking about what you don’t have or you will lose what you do have. Sound advice.

3. My weight loss journey- It is hard for me to remember that this is a journey and that I should embrace every moment but I am working on “fixing” that part of my brain! And for those keeping count…

• 89.8 pound lost with WW (almost made my 90 pound birthday goal!)
• 126.4 pounds lost overall
• 18.6 pounds until goal

4. My health-which with each pound lost gets better and better!

5. Weight Watchers-because it changed my life…see #3

6. The Weight Watchers Message Boards-I have made some amazing life long friends and I wouldn’t trade them!

7. The 3-Day-If it wasn’t for the 3-Day in 2007 who knows where I would be in my WLJ or in life. If you have the chance…DO IT!

8. Elizabeth & Dawn and all those who deal with the dreaded cancer. They are such an inspiration!

9. Dusty-cause whether she knows it or not…she has changed my life forever and I am grateful that she pushed so hard!

10. This year I am grateful for first time experiences and a new found confidence.

11. MY DVR-means I don’t have to plan my life around the TV anymore!

12. My new Asics…they didn’t give me blisters at the 3-Day!

13. Compliments-There are days when I feel like I haven’t done enough…those are the days that people pick me back up! Remember to give out compliments and smiles…you never know whose day you could brighten!

14. My new IPOD-even though I am still learning how to use it!

15. New Music/Old Music-Have I ever mentioned how much I LOVE music?

16. Bailey & Bria-Even though Bria isn’t with us anymore she taught me that I am stronger than I think I am…and I miss her!

17. Weekends-They keep me sane!

18. My job-even though at times (like now) I don’t really like it…at least I have one.

19. The city of Austin-even though I take for granted that I live in a GREAT city…I love having the uniqueness of it all. The hiking is GREAT. The scenery is BEAUTIFUL and the weather isn’t all that bad!

20. Pumpkin Ice Cream from Amy’s and Pumpkin Pancakes from Kirby Lane…I have only had them once…but MAN I love me some pumpkin!

21. Frapuccino’s from Starbucks and the fact that you can pick how they make them now…A guilty pleasure that cost me 2 points!

22. I am grateful for any time I get to spend with my family and friends!

23. The opportunity to visit the Statue of Liberty on a picture perfect day!

24. The opportunity to travel to visit new and old friends!

25. The new babies (Addison, Carson & Tucker) that have come into my life and to all the new ones coming…

26. Soccer Games-Time to spend watching Mallory and Thomas grow up!

27. Myspace and Facebook-I told you some were silly…I love being able to keep in touch and have a place to put up the special times in my own life!

28. I am grateful for the fact that I have more than 2 stores to shop at these days!

29. Any opportunity to share, listen and be with people I care about.

30. The ability to forgive and be forgiven.

31. Honey Crisp Apples-again silly…but I LOVE THEM!

32. Knowing that most of the things I am grateful for, cannot be purchased. They are experienced.

33. and last but not least…I am grateful that I am alive and I can wake up everyday and live this life that I have been given!

One last thing…a quote from my favorite John Mayer song…

“I believe that my life’s gonna see the love I give return to me”

Costume Makers SUCK!

What is it with this time of year?

Every year I have what amounts to a nervous breakdown in my world. The past two days the breakdown has come in the form of Halloween costume shopping. For 2+ years I have wanted to be a flapper girl for Halloween. 2 years ago there was NO way I would have worn ANYTHING sleeveless. Last year I just wasn’t in the Halloween spirit so I took the easy way out and wore a Halloween shirt and pajama pants. This year I have the perfect gangster to wear on my arm, a.k.a. Jason. I am closer to having the body to wear the outfit so I decided that is what we were going to be for Halloween. Not a hard sell on Jason’s front, he has this hat that he has been DYING to wear that would be perfect for the part.
So on Friday we went to find my part of the costume. We went to 3 Halloween stores only to find out that costumes come in sizes like "standard" fits up to size 10. SINCE when is size 10 standard? Or one size fits all up to 165 pounds. Who do these people think they are? Needless to say, my self esteem or what was left of it was SHATTERED! I spent Friday night thinking I haven’t come far enough and then Saturday I spent the afternoon crying outside the costume store where you could rent costumes. The only flapper dress I could fit in had 2X on it...and it was UGLY!

So since then I have been thinking and thinking and rethinking the past year and a half! I have worked my rear off to get to where I am today and I can’t let a costume or lack there of at this point take any of that away from me. I don’t know what I am going to do but I REFUSE to buy a plus size costume. I am not a plus size girl anymore in spirit or in body. I will be a flapper girl and I will have fun at the Halloween party that I will be attending! If I have to hurt some costume makers to get there! Here is hoping that my mom can help me fix what I have found...

More to come on why this time of year gets to me...

2 Years ago...

The Beginning...which is really not the beginning at all!

Well, I have always been someone that goes with the flow. Sometimes I am a leader, sometimes I am a follower...today, I am a follower! I decided I needed a place to put my random thoughts! I can't promise I will be any good at it, but I will try!

Will you join me for the journey?

A quote that a wise woman shared with us...

"For a long time it seemed to me that life was about to begin- real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life. This perspective has helped me to see there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. So treasure every moment you have and remember that time waits for no one. Happiness is a journey, not a destination."
Souza

Have a WONDERFUL day!