How I did it.

People have been asking me how did you lose the weight? "Are you sick?" "What are you taking?" First off, I thank them for their concern, no I am not sick and I am not taking anything. What you see was done by sheer will and determination, a lot of sweat and even some swearing. So it started off with me getting a job where I have to walk, more than I have ever had to walk on a job except for Wild Rivers. I also got out of the house, so there wasn't a chance to sit on the couch, watch TV and eat what ever and when ever I wanted to.

My first pair of pants, I couldn't even button, so I did the old pregnancy trick, rubber band in the button hole. After a few weeks, something changed, low and behold I could button them. So, I started walking outside of work, in the neighborhood around the savanna anywhere I could and with anyone that wanted to come with me, the kids, the husband and friends. And it struck me one day on the way home from work, I was watching the kids run the neighborhoods and I realized I actually missed running. So, that was my next goal, I was going to run. Started slow and worked my way up to 3 miles. I ran my first 5k. And while the first mile is always the hardest, the sense of accomplishment outweighed the pain.

Getting active wasn't the only thing I did to change, I changed the way I eat. I cut out all soda, tea and juice. I drank only water or occasionally milk. I eat more veggies and salads. If we go out to eat, I cut my dinner in half and box it up right away so I don't pick at it. If we eat fast food, which we try not too, I order a kids meal. There have been plenty of nights I have gone to bed hungry. It was not easy to start off with, Diet Coke was my sweet treat and a large one was only $.99 , and there are days when I still want one, but I know if I have one, that will be the end of it, the same way with donuts, they are my crack.

I am now on my 3rd pair of pants, and I am still doing it. I have added working out with weights, and have actually started eating a bit more, but still watching the portions. And I have never felt better. I decided that if I don't reach my number goal and I am toned, I won't care, a number is just a number. My next goal is a half marathon with my sister, and who knows where I will go from there... the skies the limit. It isn't going to be easy, but dang worth it.

Fat to not so fat

I was fat, there is no way around it. I loved to blame the kids on it, but really, they are 13 and 10, how long can you keep pushing that off on them and not take some responsibility? About 4 years ago, I lost 50lbs, I didn't do anything to loose it except pay for Nutri-system meals, and maybe walk a bit. Once I stopped eating their food, I put it all back on, even added a few pounds just for good measure...sigh. I was working from home, which means eating what ever I wanted when ever I wanted and not having to move much, except from my bedroom to the office and maybe downstairs to get more food. And for reasons only God knows, the company I worked for no longer needed me, I got laid off. So, I went back to school and got my CNA. I desperately wanted a job in a hospital, unfortunately, it is very rare for a hospital to give a job to a brand spanken new CNA, so, I applied to be a patient transporter.

I got the job, so for 8 hours a day 5 days a week, I push, pull and transfer people from one spot in the hospital to another. This was not a job for an overweight, out of shape, old woman. The first pair of pants they gave me were a size 22, and I couldn't even button those, how embarrassing. I started walking at work, and after about a month, I could almost button the pants, whoo hoo. There were women at work that actually ate healthy, and I decided I can do that, I can eat fruit and salads, and food that is not fried to death. I decided I wanted to start walking during the week, on my days off. I gave myself a goal 10lbs per month, pretty ambitious I admit, but I figured I could do it.

There were plenty of nights I went to sleep hungry, and listened to my stomach make noise, just to fill it up with water. The weight started to come off, those pants I couldn't button started to get baggy, my jeans were no longer my jeans, they were now called my clown pants by my husband. I was walking more than just a mile, I started adding more, I was up to about 5 miles when I stalled with the weight loss. I was driving home one day and the high school was getting out, the cross country runners were practicing, and I remembered how it was to run and decided I want to do that again. I ran cross country in high school, I wasn't very impressive, but I got my behind out there and did it, so I figured I can do that again, start slow and work your way up. So one mile at a time, I started running. I ran my first 5K since high school, and it felt good.

Back to the fat becoming less. The new work pants started getting baggy too, they are now a size 16, and I was told by one of my co-workers, "I look like a 10 year old girl wearing my big brothers clothes". I agree, they are crazy ridiculous, but I have some more to go before I buy new ones. I know many woman who don't want to say what they weigh, but here goes, full disclosure, I started at 210lbs in March 2011, as of 4:30am today I weigh 145lbs. I am not longer shy about it. I would like to get to 130lbs, but we will see. Below are some pictures, so of me really fat, weighing more than I know because I wouldn't get on a scale, and some from when I was a little smaller.

The cold and snow!

People think I am crazy for saying how much I love winter in the mid-west. And honest to goodness, I really do love it. The cold makes us stay indoors and hang out as a family, and we get to cuddle up by the fire. And the snow, it has been 5 winters now, and I still love to watch the snow fall, and I love to stand outside when it is falling to listen to it. It whispers as it falls. And even though Mike does 99.9% of the shoveling, the little bit that I do is fun. Call me crazy, but 80 degrees in the middle of winter is just not right, at least not anymore. And man, I don't have to drive hours to go sledding, we just walk out our front door, and sled onto the pond. I love winter.

An awww moment!

Last weekend, Payton had a sleep over, so Garret was downstairs with me watching TV. He was actually playing with the Transformers his Papa got him a few years ago for Christmas. Anyway, we had been up late the night before at a neighbor's house playing dominoes, and the kids both got up early the next day. So by 10pm, Garret seemed a bit tired. He asked if he could have a hug, how could I say no, so he came and sat in my lap and gave me a hug. During his hug, he started talking about the Lego Indiana Jones game he got and the characters he got. All of the sudden he stopped mid-sentance, so I shifted a bit and asked him what he was talking about, he didn't say a thing. He had fallen asleep on my chest mid-sentance. He hasn't done that since he was 2 or 3. I didn't want to get up, I figured how often will my son ask to give me a hug and then fall asleep in my arms. He is growing up so fast. His teacher just told us he went from a first grade reading level in September to a second grade reading level. Whoo Hoo, so all the reading we have been making him do is paying off, I am so proud of him.

2009

Well, looking back at 2008, I have realized a few things.

1. I am not now nor will I ever be Martha Stewart, as witnessed by the pinata Christmas ornaments that are still sitting on my dryer half done.

2. As rough as things were, it all worked out the way it was supposed to and honestly it helped to me to take a long hard look at myself and decide if I am heading in the right direction.

3. There are only 4 things in my life that are truly, truly important, God, Mike, Payton and Garret, without them, I would be nothing.

So here I go jumping feet first into 2009, knowing that it is going to be our best year yet, that we will make through whatever gets thrown our way. And if I toss a new craft into the mix all the better, but hopefully I will remember to start it earlier rather than later.

The holidays are here.

I am so excited that the holidays are here. I love the feelings they bring. Everyone slows down, we spend more time together, not in a car traveling to soccer practice or cheer practice. It is cold outside so we light the fire and hang out. I say this while I look out my office window at the snow on the ground and realize I sent my daughter to the bus stop and it was 16 degrees. And the crazy thing is Garret has recess today, but only if it is above 0 degrees, including the wind chill. I have learned so much about weather just by being on the East coast and in the Midwest, usually it is that weather.com usually isn't right, so I should just look out the window to see what is happening.

Thanksgiving was nice, it was just the 4 of us, and we hung out all day, watched the parade and football. Ate some good turkey, it was a good time.

And now we have decorated for Christmas, I love it when it is all done, it is just the doing that gets overwhelming. I am looking forward to Christmas as well. This is the first time in 4 years that it will just be the 4 of us. The last few years we have either traveled to the West coast, or had family come this way, we will definately miss being with the extended family this year, but I am looking forward to sleeping in, if the kids will let us and not having to travel anywhere. And I am hoping the snow we have will stay and we will finally have a white Christmas.

Here is a picture of Garret this morning, this was how he had to be dressed, I sort of felt like the Mom from A Christmas Story, but he can put his arms down. LOL

Halloween

I totally forgot to post about Halloween, it was a fun Friday night. Payton was Little Dead Riding Hood. She desperately wanted the cape with the hood and figured she would come up with something to go along with it. Our neighbor said she looked like little Red Riding Hood, and then said, "Hey, why not be Little Dead Riding Hood", ah the imagination of an 11 year old. So, I put her hair in braids, got some white face make up along with some black eyeliner, black eye shadow and black lipstick, and voila, Little Dead Riding Hood. Now she didn't trick or treat much, she was going to a sleep over later that night, so she went to a few houses and then went back home to hand out candy. Now Garret was all into getting the candy, seeing how many houses he could hit before we went home. He was Dr. Doom. After about 10 houses, the mask came off, he was getting too sweaty. I told him next year, no masks, this was the second year that I got to carry part of his costume. Next year he can be a hobo. Oh wait, that wasn't politically correct, he can be one of the job challenged. He didn't even know what a hobo was. Next year I am all about the face paint, but no clowns, never ever in this house. By the time we got home, it was dark, and we had to recycle some of the candy that our kids woulnd't eat so we had enough to give out to the last few kids that came by. I felt bad, but there was nothing wrong with it, and I would rather not have it in the house, less for me to eat. As it is, I got all the candy that had coconut in it, yum, how can they not like coconut? And then we sent Payton off to her sleepover, Garret played a few video games and Mike and I watched some shows we had taped, or DVRed. It was a good night.