Just Random.....

At the advice of the infamous "Brittany" I have revamped this blog. I am very new to this whole blogger thing. So, If this seems like an amateur is writing this......it is! I was also given some advice to join blogger sites, (not sure what they are) and to follow other bloggers (not sure how to find them). Any help on how to do any of the above, would be greatly appreciated.  I've added a photo gallery and will be posting pics of my progress. There is a "tell me what you think" tab too. Post comments, blog ideas, or questions you'd like for me to answer.

I had another successful session with my trainer. He felt that I was doing soo well, that he decided to add a 3rd set of exercises to my regime. It made for a very good workout. I was sweating like a true fat girl when I was done!! I was proud of myself tho, because I did not give up and quit when it got hard.

I have one more month to go before my birthday....so, I will be grinding hard to reach the "hot mama status"!! I also have hope that I will have broken the 200 barrier by then. I'm currently at 207 lbs.  I've found 2 cute dresses I'm going to wear for my night(s) out for my birthday celebration; I just hope they won't be too big by then! That's a whole 4 weeks away!

Excited about continued progress, increase in my self confidence, and overall outlook on life. I thank God I had no complications during surgery nor afterwards.

On a side note, I got a promotion at work! Woohoo, super excited about that! Bigger and better things are ahead, I have faith and believe that!

Later dolls!!

I surprised myself!!

There's SO much going on that I had to post twice in one day!!  I was going through all the documents I have from this gastric procedure and from my nutritionist. I was going over one of the papers she gave me when I first started and they have me charted as losing 47 pounds by 3 months post surgery.  Well to my surprise, I realized that I have met more than half of that goal. (I'm down 40lbs in 2 months), and I will have met and exceeded that goal by the 3 month goal they set for me!!! I was ecstatic!!! That is amazing to me. I have been doubting myself here lately because I have been struggling SO much with food choices and WANTING to eat what I shouldn't. I had been mentally beating myself up especially about hitting that plateau and not being able to break through it. Low and behold, I am doing alot better than I thought!!!

This gave me the confidence I needed to continue in the right direction.  When I go back to the doctor in August, I hope to blow their minds with my progress!  I love setting goals and exceeding them! I'm still working toward that "hot mama" goal by my birthday and also the "onion booty" goal! It may take me a while to get that onion, but I'm going to do my best to get as close as I can!

I have a small issue with loosing weight though! My body has "broken down" my fat stores in order to aid in elimination of the fat....the thing is, now I'm giggly!! I have a HUGE issue with this!! I'm not used to having a giggly booty and giggly arms, and pretty much giggly EVERYTHING!! OMG! I mean, I'm glad that I'm dropping the weight, but the loose booty, arms, thighs is too much for me! When I was overweight, my fat stores were more solid, therefore I did not giggle every time i move. When I'm out in public and moving around, my focus in my brain is on "if my booty is shaking too much.

Just thought I'd share...don't judge me! lol

Enjoy your evening dolls!!

And the award goes to......

Terrific News....I've been selected for a blogger award!!!! I'm just a bit too excited about this!! Thanks to Brittany for the nod! She posed some questions to me and here are the answers.....

1. What do you feel your purpose is in life?

to be a caregiver and inspire others

2.What is your favorite book?

don't really have one

3. Who or what inspires you most in life?

My mother and my grand parents

4. Would your rather donate time or money?

time.

5. What are your best qualities?

my drive, determination, and personality

6. If you were an organ in the body which would you be and why?

brain. because I am an integral part of my family

7. Why do you blog?

in hopes to inspire and help others and give them a very personal look at my weight loss journey

8. What is your greatest accomplishment?

being a good wife and mother

9. Who is your role model/ hero and why?

my mother and my grandfather. My mother taught me how to be a strong woman, a great mother and an outstanding wife.

My grandfather taught me the value of hard work, being the best at whatever I do and loving my family. R.I.P Thomas!

10. If you could be anything or anyone in the world,what would it be and why?

President of the United States! I would fix this country and eliminate a lot of the foolishness going on in this US of A.

As apart of the Sunshine award I have to nominate 10 blogger for this award and I choose:
Since I don't know 10 bloggers. I choose:

http://thejovialmom.blogspot.com
http://churchat.blogspot.com/

Thank you again Brittany for the nomination!!

Quest for the "Onion"

I'm BAAACCCKKK!!! Hey dolls! I'm feeling great! I've broken the plateau!! WOOHOOO goooo me!  Not by much, but I did! I was getting worried! I'm more committed to working out and I'm on a new mission.....I want an "onion booty" and flatter abs! So, Zumba it is! I have this image of my new self and it kinda looks like this......

Yea, that's the 'onion booty" I'm talking about! She looks good in ALL of her clothing! It may be a stretch, but that's what I'm working toward!  I'm excited because now healthy living has caught on in my house. My son is doing the insanity workout!! Rock on J, cause mama can't keep up! My husband has also worked out with me alot! He'll even go on a walk through the neighborhood with me! That encourages me! At least I don't feel like I'm doing this totally alone. 

Shout out to all the new readers....I have been told by several people I know that they are keeping up with me through this blog!  I hope I can encourage you, make you laugh and let you know that even though I had the surgery, this is STILL a long, hard journey! WE can do it together! I may have a little bit more help, but the struggle is still the same. It is still just as hard to resist various foods that I have a love affair with!! (flaming hot potato chips) Those things are the devil! But they are soooo good! I still have to exercise just as hard and control my portions!

Leave some feedback, share your weight loss journey with me! I may be inspired by some of your tips and your story! 

On a side note..I bought some smaller sized clothes this weekend. They are some really cute summer dresses. Pics to come when I wear them.

Love on yourselves, it's important for healthy self esteem and a happier YOU!

Later dolls!





Food is the DEVIL!!

CRAVINGS to say the least!! Isn't that what got me in this mess in the first place?? YES, I think so!! I want some of everything!!! Will power is running on LOW right now!! Lorday! So, I gave in and had some hot chips! YES I DID, I'm human! (they were the best thing EVER)...I digress! Any who, i gave in to the voice inside my head that would not leave me alone! I thought about those chips in my sleep, every waking minute, and especially every time I went into the kitchen! OMG! It was finger licking good! I messed up but I enjoyed every chip that went into my mouth!

Then, the guilt sets in! Because I know I'm not to be eating chips. And giving in to temptation of food is why I was overweight in the first place! I can admit that this was a bad move. But sometimes you get weak, ya know! It's just like giving in to any other temptation. My consequence is that I get to hold on to a few extra pounds! So, I must commit to exercise that much harder to erase the footprints of those chips. It is a lesson learned, and I can be honest with myself and others and say it probably wont be the only time I give in to a food temptation. But, I will say that I will do my best to fight off the wilds of the FOOD DEVIL!!

Whoa...Wait, What Happened?!?

What happened here?? I got on the scale last week and I was at 216. I get on the scale this morning.....again 216!! What's going on here?? Have I hit a plateau already?? This can't be!! OR can it??? I'm confused, disappointed, and nervous! It can't be! Maybe I should work out a lil harder...maybe it's because I've added more things to my menu? I read EVERY LABEL before I buy the items. I make sure to stay within the parameters that were set for me by the nutritionist!

I'M SCARED PEOPLE! I DON'T WANNA SCREW THIS UP!!!

OK, so, when I get my nerves together, I think real hard about what I've been doing to halt the weight loss.  I ate whole wheat pasta, with turkey meatballs and light pasta sauce. That's what I'm supposed to do right? That's the only thing I can think of that would hurt the weight loss....  I've been working out with the trainer and doing the exercises at home. Maybe I took one too many naps or something. Then I think about this.....I'm still a woman, and in being a woman, you have to get ready for the "womanly time of the month". COULD IT BE? I'm just retaining water? PLEASE GOD, let it be! I guess I'll have to wait and see.

And why does it take so long for the belly fat to poof, pow, BE GONE?? I can see it S L O W L Y going away, but that's something I wanted to be the first to disappear. Where's the magic "weight loss" wand?

On another note....the trainer KICKED MY BUTT!! I was doing some intense exercises! I was sweating like a stuck pig before I left! It took all I had to walk to the car. I guess I'll be thankful in the end that he worked me so hard.  I know its for my benefit, but I just have to whine about it for a few minutes.

I've found that there are times that I just want to eat EVERYTHING I can think of! Temptation and cravings are hard to conquer! It's a constant battle to train my mind that I can not have those foods anymore. The one thing that is keeping me in line, is DUMPING SYNDROME! I've experienced it once and i do not want to feel it again! That was the absolute worst feeling ever!! And the fact that I had this surgery to help me reach my goal! It would be so bad of me to jeopardise that just for a morsel of something really good to eat! So, I will continue to fight this thing called FOOD ADDICTION! Feel free to leave some encouraging words for a sista!  

Moving right along here!!

So, my menu is getting bigger. I have been able to have pieces of a veggie sub, very small mini pizzas, and tonite I made spagetti. I'm starting to settle into this weight loss thing rather nicely!! Sticking to 3 meals a day is hard. Sometimes I forget to eat a meal when I get too busy and my stomach forgets to remind me that I haven't eaten. 

I had a fierce battle this weekend with a FRIED CHICKEN WING!! My husband was home and decided to make fried wings for the family.  I walked into a cloud of fried chicken aroma and my stomach started to DANCE!!  It wanted the wings just as much as my brain did!! I took a stroll around the island in the kitchen and stopped by the counter that the chicken wings had landed on and I opened the container and took a wiff. Gave my husband the EYE and he gave me one right back. Only his eye said "GET OUTTA MY WINGS" and so I closed the container and went to sit down in the den.  I had to watch him enjoy those wings....and enjoy him he did!! Smacking his lips and licking those buffalo sauced fingers. I, on the other hand, had 2 BAKED chicken wings with buffalo sauce.  There was one wing left over, and everytime I walked by the kitchen door, that wing called my name!! Even when I went to bed I could hear it all the way upstairs. "KaSandra....you know you want a piece of me". I think I may have even dreamed about that dang wing!!

Now that I've recovered from that "wing take over". I can focus on doing exercises that I learned with my trainer. He gave me a WORKOUT the last time I was there.  Have another appointment this friday. I'm hoping to have a Jlo booty when I'm done! This takes a real commitment! Like they said in the informational session...this is not a diet, it's a lifestyle CHANGE!! I have to take food with me when I go places, because I can not just stop anywhere and get food anymore.  It takes me much longer to grocery shop because now I have to read ALL food labels before i purchase items for myself. Maybe I should of been doing this before the surgery, but if you don't know any better then how can you do any better.

I find myself LOVING ME more and more everyday!! That's something I haven't done in a long while. Self esteem, confidence, and self-love are INVALUABLE attributes for women! I don't know how I allowed them to deplete before, but I tell you, I will work harder to keep KaSandra #1!!

Here's to hoping that by the end of July, I will be below 200 lbs. My current weight is 216. I'm going to work really hard to meet that goal. I want to be skinny and HOTT for my birthday in September!