Lumps, Bumps and a New Me

It's been a long time since I posted, but I guess I didn't have much to say. Things have been changing in my life and I am still trying to wrap myself around it all. Of course, the biggest change is my new body. I have lost 80 pounds since my surgery (120 total). I feel great, but I have hit a plateau and have not lost much lately. I am now looking for a way to jump start the weight loss again. I have an appointment next week and will ask for suggestions, but I am pretty sure it is just the choices I have been making. 

Keeping that in mind, I am going to flush my system tomorrow and just drink protein drinks, water and pureed meals. Then I am hitting the gym after school. I've been waiting for a trainer to contact me, but no such luck yet. I'm tired of waiting, so tonight I'm starting my own plan to lose more and firm up... 

30 minutes on the bike and 30 min with the weight machines. I'll alternate upper body and abs on Tuesday/Friday with lower body and abs on Thursday and Saturday. Wish me luck!

Things that make me happy: 

• Shopping for clothes has been a pleasant surprise. I love being able to go in and buy things off the rack in most stores. What a thrill!!!! 
• Crossing my legs is another thrill for me. It's the little things that make me happy.
• Having energy to spare at the end of the day.
• Walking longer without pain.
• Caramel calcium citrate chews.

In The Pink

This weekend was a very special and emotional weekend for me. It was the annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. I got to spend the morning with my Una Survivor family and my sisters in the fight against breast cancer.
I am a two time breast cancer survivor and went through my own little hell starting eight years ago. However, as hard as it was for me, I am always humbled by the women who have gone through so much worse. This weekend reminds me how lucky I am to have survived. There is a special bond between the women you meet at this event. We are all fighters and we honor ourselves and those who lost the fight. For this one day, we are all sisters.
This year was especially emotional for me. I actually walked the course for the first time in a few years. In the past, my knees have prevented me from walking even the one mile, but not this year. This year, I am almost a 100 pounds lighter and I walked the mile and it felt amazing! Of course, I was weepy as I walked the pink carpet at the finish line, but that's how I roll. Nobody was there to greet me, but it didn't matter because the triumph was my own!
I'm already looking forward to next year. I plan on doing the whole 5K. Come walk with me!!

Thoughts From the Big Comfy Chair

As I sit here in this first day of my Fall Break, I am pondering things that I have discovered about myself, others, and Pinterest. It seems a good time to do this.. the weather is beautiful, I'm totally relaxed and life is pretty great these days.
 Let me start by saying that I have now lost 50 pounds since my weight loss surgery (that is 90 pounds total) and I feel great! Yay, me! I can honestly say that I have not missed much in the way of foods I liked to eat pre-surgery. I'm still a foodie, but it's all about the flavor and getting creative for me. One of my favorite weight loss blogs I have recently discovered is The World According to Eggface. She has so many great ideas and writes with a quirkiness I love. I have made it a point to find new foods and flavors I can eat and stay within the guidelines for my weight loss. It's been fun! I have experienced a lot of positive things since my weight loss.. more energy, less knee pain and shopping is a little more fun. There have been very few negatives, but there have been some shocks. The biggest shock I've had is the "advice" I've been given by other people who have had one kind of weight loss surgery or another on how to cheat and still eat the high sugar/calorie foods of the past. I mean, WTH? Why would I want to do that after all the time, money and effort I've made to lose weight? Why have the surgery at all if you are still going to shove foods and drinks into your body that you know will either prevent you from losing weight or cause you to gain it back? I don't get it at all, but what I do get is that it's not what I am going to do. I am pretty sure that I can still enjoy the foods I CAN/SHOULD eat without splurging on the things I shouldn't. "Nuff said.
  Before I go, I have to share my latest addiction... PINTEREST!!!!!! If you have not yet discovered this site, you should really check it out. It's a virtual bulletin board site where you and others can pin all sorts of links to all kinds of sites. I have found so many cool things there. Trust me, you'll be addicted, too. Here the link to my boards if you want to see what it's all about and if you like it, send me a message and I'll send an invite for you to join. Have fun!! :o)
 

Sunday At JoZoara

  Some time ago, I discovered a little locally owned coffee shop in Murfreesboro called JoZoara. It's a friendly, warm, cozy place that features wonderful coffee drinks, as well as, delectable foods. After my friend Heather moved here, I introduced her to my favorite little spot and she became an instant fan as well. After several weekly visits, we decided to share our love of JoZoara with others, so we started posting invites on Facebook. For a long time, it remained just her and I.. people just did not know what they were missing. Still, we kept the invites coming and it paid off. I'm happy to say, our little group has grown and you can find several of us sitting on the big comfy leather couches and chairs every Sunday at 2:00PM. 

  I have to admit that I really look forward to my Sundays. It's not just about the coffee and wonderful soups and sandwiches. I enjoy the company of friends old and new, the Grounds Crew, and Teresa, the owner. I think they look forward to our visits as much as we look forward to visiting. We're always greeted with a smile and a friendly hello. I feel like the show "Cheers".. everybody knows our name. :o) 

  You should come join us and see what I mean. Who cares if you don't like coffee... they have other things. Most of all, it's about the company and friendship. Life is short... come play!

Shrinking Fast!

  It's been just over a month since my surgery and I'm doing great! I have lost 33 pounds since my surgery and am averaging about a pound a day. I'll be little in no time. I'm amazed at all the changes I see and feel when I look in the mirror. The first thing I noticed was my neck and face, but now I am noticing changes in other parts of my body. My clothes are fitting looser and I've had to give away some items already because they are just too big. I can't wait to walk in any store and buy right off the rack. :0)
  am surprised at how easy it's been to give up some of the things I loved before... especially sweets. I truly have not missed them. I'm still a foodie and always will be, but it's about the taste for me. Food has to taste good!! However, it is no longer my focus. I still like to look at recipes and am always looking for tasty items that are low fat and/or low sugar. Pinterest has become my new addiction.. for recipes and school stuff!
  One thing I need to do is exercise more. I have the equipment, but now I need to just get with it! I wish I had a workout buddy. That always helps. My goal this weekend is to work on a workout schedule and get started.. no excuses!!! I think my weight loss would go faster if I did exercise more. In fact, I know it would. It's just getting started.....
  I've had some many people encouraging me and cheering me on. I want to thank all of them. It really does mean a lot to me. The best is yet to come!!

P.S. Pictures soon!!!

Back to School

  It's that time of year again!! Cleaning, moving around furniture, boxes, and books, meeting after meeting, then finally greeting 19 smiling, and sometimes crying, little faces. The first couple weeks of school are always a whirlwind of chaos, excitement, planning, and primping. I find myself full of energy, but ready to drop at the end of the day. It's a good kind of tired though.
  Already, I can say that I love my class. They are bright, funny, energetic and engage easily in the daily lessons. It's going to be a great year! I have seven girls and twelve boys. Almost half the children in my class have names that begin with J. I have an autistic child, two children with speech issues, one child with a deformed arm that does not slow her down one bit, and a variety of other personalities. My days will never be boring!!
  This year brings a lot of changes to our school and our whole system... new common core standards, new staff, new procedures and new evaluations. I'm ready for most of the changes and preparing for the others. I know I am going to love the new standards we are teaching. They are much more in-depth and really allow us to TEACH!!!!! Finally!! No more just scratching the surface. The timing is perfect, since they raised the bar for end of the year reading levels in kindergarten.
  The other big change is teacher evaluation... we are all being evaluated 4 times a year if you have a professional license and six times if you are just an apprentice. It's all good though.. I'm ready!
Bring on the new standards, bring on the evaluations and bring on the kids... it's time to rock and roll!!

Home again, home again!

I made it! I left the hospital Tuesday afternoon with six small incisions. After a bumpy ride home, who knew Nashville decided to add so many bumps and holes, I am recovering from my surgery with my best friend, DeDe, playing nursemaid. Everything is going well. My only discomfort is the trapped air they filled me with and trying to adjust to smaller sips and spoonfuls. I feel my energy getting better every day. I'm actually surprised at how fast I am bouncing back. The doctor said I have no real restrictions.. no weight lifting yet, but otherwise, I'm free to do whatever doesn't hurt. If it hurts, stop.
I weighed myself this morning and have already lost 6 pounds!
Here is my first progress picture. Warning, it's a picture of my incisions.