Movie Theaters & Roller Skating

Happy New Year!!  January was a great month for me (and my husband).  I went to my nephews birthday party which happened to be at a local skating rink.  From the time I was about 12 until I was about 15, my life revolved around skating.  I spent every single weekend at the skating rink.  I loved it.  I even had some top notch skates too!  Well I have always desired to be able to skate again but I never thought I would be able to.  Boy was I wrong.  I was bound and determined when I found out that the party was going to be at the skating rink that I would skate.  So that's exactly what I did.  I was a little wobbly at first however I got the hang of it in no time.  It was just like old times (except a little bit harder on my knees this time around).  I loved it.  I felt so free going around the rink.  I was so proud of myself for getting to the point where I can start enjoying things again.  Now on to the movie theaters.  My husband and I went on a date night a couple of weeks ago (the first one in a good while).  We did dinner and a movie.  When we got inside the theater, my fear hit me again the way it always used to before my weight loss.  I thought...I won't be able to fit in the chair and I will have to raise the arms up to even sit down.  Well we found a seat and sat down.  When I sat down I couldn't believe it.  I had both of my arms down by my side and they still didn't touch the chair arms.  My husband sat down and after a few minutes of just soaking it all in he finally said, "I don't remember these chairs being so big before.  Are you sure we aren't sitting in handicap chairs."  I said, "nope....this is our new life....no limitations."  It was a wonderful feeling.  Anyone who has never been embarrassed about not being able to fit into a chair in a restaurant, at a play, at the coliseum, on an airplane...can't really relate to what I'm saying here.  Those that have can.  What a life changing experience to be able to enjoy a movie in a "comfortable" chair!  Life is really good these days.  I never knew I was missing out on so much when I was so heavy.  It honestly brings tears to my eyes thinking about all the years I wasted being overweight.  But that's all over with.  I will live life to the fullest from this point forward.  Oh yeah....I guess you are interested in knowing how much weight I'm down now right??  Well as of yesterday morning, I am officially down 174 lbs.  My husband is officially down 84 lbs.  I am wearing a size 18 now and some 16's.  I am also in an XL top which is a lot considering it used to be 5X.  I feel so blessed to have been able to have this experience!  Check out my new picture I posted of me at the skating rink.  May God bless you all!

67% Body Fat Loss

Happy New Year to you all!  I trust that your Christmas was a blessing and that your new year has started off the right way!  My holidays were great.  As you have probably guessed I have been extremely busy over the last month.  It starts with us getting a puppy right before Christmas.  He sure has kept us busy!  But he is super precious!  I was so excited to see myself get through the holidays without it centering around food.  I even did all my Christmas goodies and didn't crave a bit of them!  The most exciting part was that I was able to stand on my feet for over 13 hours and it didn't hurt any!  Don't get me wrong....I was tired but I wasn't hurting.  What a blessing!  So today I went for my 6 mo. check up following my surgery.  They were all VERY impressed with me.  The doctor told me that not many of his patients do as well as I have done.  I am currently down 167 lbs., 8 sizes and have lost 67% total body fat.  I am amazed at how quickly I have dropped this weight.  I am coming up on my 1 year anniversary of when it all started (the weight loss anyway).  February 1, 2010 was the day that Chris and I started eating right and began losing weight on this journey of ours.  I am officially in a size 18 which I don't think I have been in since I was a senior in high school.  I told the doctor today that my goal weight is 175 and he said that was a perfect goal for me.  I can't wait until I see the 100's again.  You all will probably hear me from far away yelling with excitement!  Also, I can't wait to see my goal size.....a 12!  I can't believe I am so close!  I talked with the doctor today about plastic surgery too.  He said that he thinks I should wait until this fall which I will follow his advice!  My work is sending me to Las Vegas in April for a conference.  I can't wait to sit on the airplane and not have to worry about the seatbelt fitting or crowded up against the person beside me.  I was on an airplane in September and it was still a little tight so I know in April it will be perfect.  The other thing that I am excited about is in June my husband and I are going with some friends of ours to Busch Garden's in Williamsburg.  That will be the first time I have been on a roller coster since I was 17 years old.  I absolutely can't wait.  I went on our church youth's group retreat back in December and I was able to do so much with those young people.  Including playing a full game of kickball.  I was so amazed at how great it felt to get outside and be active!  I am also going to start doing Zumba classes next week.....yikes!  Wish me luck.  I am actually pretty excited about it.  My husband is doing very good also.  I am proud of him.  I will post another update soon! 

Merry Christmas

I can honestly say that this has been the best year that I have had in a long time.  Not only for me but for my family too!  Both me and my husband got a promotion at work, we were both able to have our surgeries, and my son was able to go to the college of his choice!  My husband is doing incredible.  He is almost 1 month out from surgery and he has lost a total of about 35 lbs.  He is officially under the 300 lb. mark now weighing in yesterday at 298.  He was so happy.  He hasn't seen the 200's in such a long time that he couldn't even remember when the last time was.  I weighed in yesterday and had lost another 4 lbs.  That puts me at 231 lbs. and a total loss of 153 lbs.  My goal weight is 175-180 and even at that I will still be considered "overweight" by the doctors standards.  So I have about 50-60 more lbs. to go.  I am now in a size 20 and can even squeeze into some size 18's.  This is the size I was when I graduated from high school.  My husband has never seen me this small!  This is a great feeling and I never dreamed I would be this size so soon!  My goal size is a size 12.  I have a dress and 2 pair of dress slacks from Chico's that are a size 12 that I really want to get into.  I have taken an interest in taking better care of my skin which is amazing to me.  I used to hate putting on lotions and make up and even perfume.  It was just to much work and I couldn't reach some areas.  Well since all this weight is gone, I love putting on lotions and perfume.  I even love to fix my hair and do my make up.  I even went as far Tuesday as signing up as a consultant for Mary Kay!  Who would have ever thought that?  I went out on black Friday shopping to and I shopped for a solid 12 hours straight.  I would have never been able to last that long before.  I would have been in so much pain in my back and feet that I would have felt like dying.  But this time I went all night and never got tired.  I could have kept on shopping but my husband convinced me that we needed to get a couple of hours of sleep.  So we went home and slept a few hours then went back out shopping.  Anyway I just wanted to share my latest experiences with you all and hope that I can be an encouragement to you.  I am sure I have many more new adventures ahead of me but so far I am loving life like I haven't loved it in a long time.  I don't remember feeling this good since I was a teenager!  I am still amazed at how I actually get eye contact from people who I pass in the stores or here at work now.  Be sure to check out my new pictures I posted to the side and I want to take this time to wish you all a Merry Christmas and to remind you the reason for the season.....Jesus! 

To long since last post

Hi everyone!  I'm really sorry for not posting anything before now.  I have been extremely busy in the last month and a half.  From my new job to my husband having his surgery.  Everytime I sat down to update my blog, I would get side tracked and get busy doing something else.  Anyway, since my last post I have done very well.  I am down 146 lbs. total now.  I am currently at 238 lbs.  I have started back to the gym, not regularly, but at least I have started back.  My husband had his gastric bypass on November 7.  He has done extremely well.  I thought that I would have to crack the whip on him to do the things he needed to do but I haven't not one time yet.  He is down almost 40 lbs. since we started our journey in February.  Almost 20 lbs. just since his surgery less than 2 weeks ago.  I am so proud of him.  Anyway, the Holidays are upon us and I am so thankful that my Holidays will not revolve around food this year.  I have noticed something interesting since my weight loss.  I have noticed that now when I walk down a hallway or get on an elevator that men will actually look me in the eye rather than looking down at the ground to avoid looking at me.  I am not talking about being hit on or anything like that but I am talking about how different people react to people who are obese.  When I was 384 lbs. it was almost impossible to get anyone to look at me.  Now people actually look me in the eye and smile or say hello.  Discrimination is amazing to me.  I will post more updates more regularly now (hopefully).  I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and think about how God has blessed you this year!

Lots of progress

I know it has been a long time since I have posted anything and I do apologize for that.  To start with my weight loss is still going really good.  To date I have lost a total 126 lbs.  I am now mostly in a size 22.  I still have some size 24's that still fit me but for the most part everything is size 22.  I still feel really great!  I have still not gone back to the gym.  I have been out of town since last Thursday.  I will also be out of town Thursday and Friday of this week so the gym isn't looking to good this week.  On an upnote I was able to go to Chicago this past weekend for a business trip.  It was a nice place to visit but I don't know that I would want to go back.  So all in all I have had a good last couple of weeks!  4 lb. weight loss last week and 2 lbs. both the weeks before that!  I hope to be able to start posting on a regular basis again.  My new job is keeping me very busy! 

Better week

It has been a better week this week.  Don't feel nearly as exhausted as last week.  My weigh in today brought 2 more lbs. lost.  That is a total of 117 lbs.  I actually went shopping this past weekend and bought some new shoes....that were not flats!  They had a little hill to them and when I put them on they make me feel really good!  It's amazing that shoes can make you feel that way.  Still haven't gotten back to the gym....gotta do that next week!  I ask that you all pray about that with me!  Overall it's been a really good week this week.  It may be that I got a 3 day weekend!  Wished all weeks could be short work weeks.  Oh well, guess I should be happy that I have a job!  I got contact lenses this week to which made me super excited like a little kid on Christmas.  It is so nice to be able to see my phone without digging for my glasses!  The little things!  More next week!

4 more lbs.

I had another amazing weight loss this week.  When I weighed in on Wednesday, I had lost 4 more lbs.  I was amazed.  Not surprised though.  It has been a stressful week this week with me starting a new job!  That puts me down to 269.  I am in the 260's!  I can't believe it!  My current goal is to see my weight below 250.  After I reach that I will set my next goal.  I have not been back to the gym.  I have got to do that!  I have been so exhausted this week after work though.  My brain is just tired and all I want to do after work is go home and relax.  I have to push myself though!  Anyway, I am feeling good and ready to get into some more "new to me" clothes!  I hope everyone has a happy and safe Labor Day weekend!