2 Months in a Nut Shell Part B

 And now for the good part. Maybe you have an idea? If you don't follow my blog, you won't and that's ok. I will brag anyway.
I Made My Goal! Amazingly enough it was accomplished while I was flat on my back too! I am now 144 lbs. I am a solid size 6 and a small shirt size. I have lost a total of 97 lbs and 50 inches. My BMI went from a 37 to 22. And baby...........I am H.O.T.! Well, I think so at least! The bummer deal? I did it while in the midst of back problems. I have yet to celebrate or reward. I kept saying it will happen but the first time I felt like I celebrated was when I asked a friend of mine to do our family pictures. He offered to do model shots of just me! He knows how hard I have worked and new I needed that special day to celebrate. (I am also helping him to make his goal weight too!) I plan on going dancing in a few weeks when my back is better to move my boo-tay. In October, Andy and I are going on a vaca together as my reward. I am about to show you my before and after. And you are about to pick your chin up off the floor...........

 Yep!  That's me!  And yes there are Three after pictures cuz I just can't pick my fav.  Yeah Me!

2 Months in a Nut Shell Part A

Mind you I didn't specify what kind of nut shell but I will give you the shorter version of my past 2 months.  First the crappy part and then on to better news.

This dates all the way back to Good Friday......that would be the Friday before Easter if you don't have your calendar near by.  Uhhhh yeah.....that is a long time ago.......I know.......I am living it.  I woke up and could not get out of bed.  Darn you stupid back injury!  I thought it had flared up again, called the chiropractor and set up an appt ASAP!  It is my first day off since getting a full time job and I didn't want to spend it in bed!  Well, I did anyway.  I saw him again on Monday with no help.  I called my MD and went to see him.  Long story short..........a week later I had an MRI that showed a herniated disk in my L5 and he was referring me to a back specialist.  10 days later I had my first of 2 injections at the hospital.  Mind you I was working part time on full pain killers this whole time!  Yeah pretty much sucked.

The injection was more painful than I ever imagined!  8 shots into my lower back between my L5 and S1.  I was only sedated.  I remember hearing the nurse tell me she was putting the pain meds in my IV but never did she say my sedative.  It all happened quickly luckily because I remember the whole thing!  I wasn't tired or spinning or anything!  My worst fear had happened.  I was in hysterics as they rolled me to post-op.  I asked the post-op nurse if she could tell me if they even gave me the sedative.  She said yes and that I most likely was not with it enough to remember it being administered.  I can remember everything!  Does that sound like I was sedated?  Not to me.....

The next few days were brutal.  Not only was my back in pain but now I had to also recover from the injections too.  Two weeks later was when I finally felt about 60% better.  I had my second shot on June 18th.  This one was better.  I asked for more sedatives.  I am for sure they went into my body this time!  I was crying by the time I got on the table but when I asked for someone to hold my hand someone did.  The shot will always hurt but this time there was a little more compassion.  Today I would say I am about 80% better.  I see the doctor on July 18th.  I pray for a clean bill of health or there will be a 3rd shot.

Tall Drink of Water

I am so freakin excited about this post!  I have waited for a long time to be able to share this with y'all.  When I started my weight loss, I picked a certain number that I thought that I would be able to achieve.  That was 175.  My reward was a new pair of heeled shoes.  I haven't been able to wear heels for so long.  My knees hurt constantly and worse when I put them on 1+ inch heels.  I love shoes!  I love to see a nice pair of legs in a pair of hot shoes!  It sucked to not be able to wear or feel like I could pull off a pair of sexy heels.  Well, you all know that I made that 175......in fact I am down 25 more!  Gosh!  Maybe I should make good on that reward. 

I called upon a very cute friend to take me on this adventure.  She was amazing!  We went to her favorite spot (DSW) and there was a sea of beautiful shoes as far as the eye could see.  I was completely overwhelmed.  She lead me down each aisle, we made some choices, and she even carried the boxes for me!  We cat walked.  We spun.   We tripped.  We laughed.  What a great time!  I bought two pairs and am so glad that I finally rewarded myself.  I sure hope that I won't take so long when I make my final goal (5 lbs baby!!)

Countdown from 10

I know that most of my blogs lately have been about weight.  If ya hate it, sorry but it truly is what defines me.  It has for so many years been what makes me happy, sad, depressed, mad, and angry.  Truthfully......it still does......but with one exception.  That one exception is what has made me so successful this time around.  That exception is I AM IN CONTROL OF FOOD not the other way around.

It has been 7 1/2 months since I started my weight loss journey.  I once hated that sentiment.....weight loss journey.  Really........what does that mean anyway!  I can honestly tell you I know exactly what that means.  To me anyways.  It would be different for you.  It is what gets you from the start to the finish.  It's what gets you through your day/week/month. It's what tells you it's OK that you just ate that 6 pack of mini coconut crumb doughnuts because you have tomorrow......no wait...............you have the rest of your life to fix it.  


So the results.  Today I weighed in at 155 lbs.  I have lost 86.5 total and over 45 inches!  I am in a size 8 pants and a medium shirt (from a 20/3XL) My BMI was 37 and now is a 24.  (I started my new job and lost 12 pounds the first 5 weeks!  Yeah it's that active)  But the thing I really want to get out there is that I finally decided my goal weight.  My first goal was 175 lbs.  I had done WW before and got down to that weight......surely I could get there again.  I thought there was no way that I could ever be smaller......it would be enough for me.  I got closer to that goal and found myself thinking it WASN'T going to be enough.  There was still so much more "excess".  So the goal changed.  It was set for the highest weight that WW suggested I be for my height.  It got closer to that one and still "excess".  10 more down......nope......keep going.  The number 145 lbs came to mind.  Yeah.....haven't been there since I was dating my husband.  There is no way.........or is there?  That's it!  My final goal. 

Call me crazy but it will happen.  I don't even care how long.  I have a final goal and I feel at peace with it.  10 more......................the countdown is on!

(pictures to come)

Workin Mom

I have obviously not blogged for over a month.  There is a very valid reason though.  I have no time what so ever because...............(drum roll please)...........I am a working mom!  Things are a little slow for Andy and instead of sending him back to h*ll (aka-Alaska) I said I would get a job to help out.  I have looked before but with no education and not a lot of skills my choices are limited.  I totally thought I would be at McDonald's or something.  That doesn't make a happy mommy.

One day, I got a friend request on FB and it was an old friend from my home ward.  I accepted the request and no sooner than I did he sent me a message asking if I wanted my old job back at Beehive Clothing Mills.  He was half kidding but I was not!  He was one of the last people that I trained in the cutting room before I left to have my second baby.  He told me of the openings, I applied, and got a job sewing.  Hmmmm.....not what I really wanted to do but at least I was working. I promptly went to my old supervisor and told him to keep me in mind if he had an opening. 

I sewed for a week...............HATED IT!  That Friday, HW came to me and offered me my old job back!  I was so happy I thought about kissing him!  The work is still hard but I am not confined to a chair and can be social with my fellow crew.  I know the work and didn't need a ton of training.  I have been there a month already.

My schedule is 6 AM to 2:30 PM.  Fits perfect for my families schedule.  I am home when the kids walk in the door.  That does mean I have to be up at 4:30 in the morning.  Yes,  that is early but surprising the hard thing is getting to bed before 9!  As a mom there is always one more thing to do before I hit the sack.

I am so happy with my new job.  If  I have to work, there is no better place than for the church.  I can see the path that my Heavenly Father has placed before me.  (Even my weight loss is part of it.  Being heavy would make this job harder to do.)  I am continually in awe of the blessings He gives me.  He knows me and my needs and then holds nothing back!

Things that Make me Feel OLD

I am totally copying from a friends blog.  But, she and I must be on the same brain wave because I have been thinking this exact same thing.  I thought that 2010 was a bit much as way of growning old.  I am now looking down the 2011 yellow brick road and am thinking......holy crap! 

My eldest offspring will turn 14 this year.  With that age brings a ton of OLDNESS.  She moves up a class at church and will be a Mia Maid.  This also gives her the "chance" to go to stake dances.  I say "chance" because she has to convince her daddy-o first.  After this summer she will be going into the 9th grade.  If we didn't live in Utah this would be first year in High School---------> a Freshman if you will.  Can you remember when you started as a Freshman? I can!  She also starts Seminary....sheesh!  Stop already!

The middle child is not much better.  He turns 12.  That makes him a true "Tween" according to his dad.  Next year in school he will start Middle School.  He will also receive the Priesthood.  This gives him the chance to pass sacrament, collect fast offerings, and other special privileges.  He will start going to YM.  He already goes on mutual night so this Might not be so hard......but it also tells me that he will go to summer camp that is a week long!  Having helped a past scoutmaster with summer camp, I know all the "grown-up" things he gets to do.  Again OLD.

The youngest is probably the smallest offender.  He only turned 9 this past month.  I look forward to the double digits in 2012 with this child. He moved up in cub scouts and is now a Bear.  Funny thing about this is that the Bear leader is the same person when Drew was in!  (Thinking that this fact is worse for the leader than me but still....)  He will be in the 4th grade.....no more baby stuff at school like show and tell and student spot lights.  This also makes it possible for me to have a child in each grade school.  OLD.

All though these things have been milling around my head for a few weeks I do have to say that I love being a mom.  I love the three children that my Heavenly Father has entrusted me with.  They are good kids and each bring a special  spirit into our family.  I guess if they have to grow up (and make me old) I couldn't ask for three better kids than the ones that call me Mom.

(Such a bad picture of me.  That is not what I look like anymore)

Victory is Mine!

I did it!  I can't believe I did it!  Holy CRAP I did it!  Three months ago I blogged about my weight loss goals.  I bragged about my  30 pounds loss.  That was about my halfway point.  I am so excited to be able to blogg once more of my success.  It has been a long 8 months but I have stuck too it like a booger to your finger!  I set many goals along the way and acheived everyone of them.  Now a little more detail (or shall I say bragging).  I started out at my heaviest at 241.5 pounds(and yes that .5 sure is counted!)  I am now 175 pounds.  That is 66.5 pounds lost in 8 months! I have lost a total of 38.25 inches!  I have lowered my BMI from 37 to 27! I went from a size 20 to a 14 and a shirt size of 3X to L!  I used to have chronic knee pain that kept me from being active.  I started out slow and now I can walk a 12 minute mile!  I love the new me!

Celebrate with me because it will be a short party.  After further thought, I have decided that I need to keep going.  I want to loose another 10ish pounds.  Thank you too all that have already acknowledged my hard work.  Thank you to those who walked with me over the summer and to my new partner in crime who has me up at 5:10 AM to take me to the gym!  I have awesome family and awesome friends!  Oh!  I almost forgot the best news ever.........I weigh less than Andy!!