Women, Food and God...

Well, I just finished reading "Women, Food, and God"... but Geneen Roth, and it was very eye-opening for me. I am started to read "When Food is Love" which is an older book of hers. I think that there's so much that I need to think more about emotional eating and eating when I'm not hungry. I feel like a different person now but old habits die hard. So I need to stay aware of what I am thinking when i choose what to eat and how much. Geneen Roth lost weight by eating less but still ate what she wanted. She claims that foods are more desirable when they are "Forbidden"... which makes sense. I mean we shouldnt eat hot fudge sundaes every day but if we were allowed after a short time... we wouldn't want them at all. I mean, it's not a treat if you get it everyday. She also claims that we don't know what we're hungry for... it may be food but it could be attention, appreciation, or anything else... emotional hunger. I know that I have eating to fill another void more than once in my life and I have to make sure I stop myself from falling into that pattern again. She has eating guidelines to follow.... 1)Eat when you are hungry...(Pretty obvious, right?) 2)Eat sitting down in a calm environment. This does not include the car. (I am working on that... It is more difficult than I thought it would be) 3)Eat without distractions, Distractions include: radio, TV, newspapers, books, intense or anxiety-producing conversations, and music.(Even tougher... way tougher. I will try...) 4)Eat only what your body wants...(huh? My body wants chocolate, cookies, cake, pie, ice cream...) 5)Eat until you are satisfied...(That's where the band comes in...) 6)Eat(with the intention of being) in full view of others... (No secret eating, check!) 7)Eat with enjoyment, gusto, and pleasure. (No fear, shame or self-loathing... what am I? an animal?) Well, I am learning... day by day. Has anybody else read any of Geneen's books?... especially Women, Food and God... it was on Oprah so my Mom had to buy it and I read it on my trip... you know airports, flights, etc! Anyway, I am so glad I read it! I will let you know what I think of the next book of hers I read. Well, tomorrow I go to the surgeon's office and I find out my loss for this month... I am worried but hopeful. Any loss is a good loss, right? I am not sure if I'll be getting another fill either... maybe, maybe not. I feel like I have alot of restriction sometimes but not enough restriction other times. I feel like my clothes are fitting better... these days. Some are too big and some are less tight. So... keep your fingers crossed! I haven't been eating perfectly healthy, you know?

A New Day... everyday!

Well, your kind words and support have once again pulled me out of the weight loss gutter... I know I worry too much sometimes but I have been doing so well that I don't want my addiction to pull me back down. I have really enjoyed my trip and I know I'll get back to reality in more ways than one. We have seen such amazing natural beauty here... We went on the Maid of the Mist boat ride, We went behind the Horseshoe Falls in the Journey behind the Falls tour, We experienced Niagara's Fury...and after drying ourselves off... the next day we went for a walk along the whitewater rapids and then rode the Aero Whirlpool Car across the rapids and the whirlpool in the Niagara Gorge. It was incredible! We met this sweet girl who worked for Niagara Parks Commission and she arranged for us to get to go up the Illumination Tower and change the lights on the falls at night. I made them all blue... my favorite color,...then red, my second favorite... and then all the colors of the rainbow... It was beautiful. We got a certificate and all for being official Illuminators of the Falls. It was a memorable experience... and a highly scrapbookable one. We are headed back to the states today and staying in Niagara Falls, NY for one night so we're near the airport to go home tomorrow. I love Niagara Falls! I'm so glad that we finally got to see it. Toronto was fun too, even with the millions of police officers and the 10 foot steel fences that made it look like a concentration camp... We loved the Toronto Zoo though, which is in Scarsborough, a suburb of Toronto... where Mike Myers grew up. Well, I need to read about 100 blogs that I missed... We'll talk soon, *Maria*

Niagara is for lovers!

We are really enjoying our time in Niagara Falls. So much that I have near passed out from exhaustion whenever we finally get back to the room. Hence the last of blog posts... that and less than useful internet signals. Anyway, We ate in the Revolving Dining Room at the top of the Skylon Tower... The restaurant turns 360 degrees and has breathtaking views of the falls. I ate a $25 burger (no bun) and broccoli. It was absolutely yummy! They say they make it from Filet mignon... I say best burger I ever had. The view was incredible! It was a great way to start our trip off. Then, I past by the Hershey Store... remembering that I hadn't had a piece of birthday cake, I was wondering if they had that yummy cake that I had at Hershey's Chocolate World in Hershey, PA... They had cupcakes instead but the same as the cake. I was getting one when the sales girl said "They're buy 3 get 1 free"... I asked my hubby if he wanted some and he said yes... I told myself I would have one that day and one another day...cut to me 4 hours later with chocolate crumbs down my shirt and icing on my face like a child at their first birthday party... I had eaten both friggin' cupcakes... I still have a crazy sweet tooth. My George ate both of his too but I promised myself I could resist... when I knew I couldn't. Anyway, I screwed up and got back on the horse... I have tried to eat right since that "Birthday" celebration night... but I had rye toast today at breakfast. I love rye bread and I know I'm not supposed to eat bread and it also gets stuck sometimes... but there i was, eating 1 1/2 slices with butter. Wow, I guess I have been less strict here and there on vacation but over all... I've tried hard to eat right. It is difficult to teach an old dog new tricks... Did I make myself the dog in this scenario? I am trying to retrain myself... to eat healthy all the time but is it wrong that I keep treating myself in moderation? Is it like alcoholism where they can never have any alcohol ever again?... Junk food... is my drug of choice. I can't kick it cold turkey! I need words of advice, here... should I be beating myself up everytime the chocolate wins? Can I expect to learn moderation only 3 months after surgery? Is it ok as long as I'm still keeping my calories low and still losing weight? I'm afraid I will fall back into old patterns...

Kids' Menu?

Well, I ordered from the Kids' Menu for the first time since I was a kid... At Wayne Gretzky's restaurant in Toronto. We went on my birthday and I saw it was a little pricey. Usually, I don't mind ordering an adult entree since I can take the rest home for later but in a hotel, not so much. I saw they had baked Salmon on the Children's Menu for $7.99, Can you believe it? It was a 6 oz. Filet of Salmon with veggies and a drink. It was delicious too. Gotta love Canada... USA with our children's menu full of hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken fingers...We got here after driving with our rental car from the BuffaloNiagara Airport. The checkpoint was on high alert because the G8 and G20 summits are both here this weekend. G8 is the world's top 8 superpowers and G20 is the top 20 superpowers. Did we have to call in to vote on this? I never saw that on American Idol. So, Security was tight and we got the 3rd degree coming into the country. We got lost about a million times because we're used to using the mapquest thingy on our iphones and we were unable to turn them on because of the high fees for international service. We parked in the city on our first day and saw the Hockey Hall of Fame, Cn Tower, ate at Gretzky's, and went to a Baseball game at Roger's Centre. We walked all over the city and saw a ton of things. The Police were all over becuase of the summit but they were nice and helpful. Yesterday, we went to the Toronto Zoo(We both love animals) and it was a fantastic zoo. We had a great time. They have a huge Tundra Exhibit and the polar bears have alot of room to move around. I loved seeing them roll around in the grass and play in the water. We saw almost the whole Zoo. We noticed that no one was around and figured out it was past closing... again without our iphones, no clock either... LOL. We went to a German restaurant for dinner and I ate half my meal and brought the rest back to the hotel. Probably should have checked out the kids' menu but the hotel has a high carb complimentary breakfast, you know waffles, toast, bagels, cereal, muffins... and the like. i tried a little but got stuck so I guess it will be bratwurst and veggies for me this morning. The other day was my 3 Month Bandiversary and I did take photos that I will post later when I upload that camera... I still look huge but since my clothes are telling a different story, I guess I just won't notice the difference for a while. I must have been blind to not notice how big I was... I have lost over 60 pounds and I can't really see it. Anyway, we have had horrible internet access in our hotel here so I am behind on reading your blogs too. I am going to try and catch up a little now... I'll write again soon, hopefully the next hotel will have better internet access. *Maria*

My birthday week has begun!

This photo is from my last birthday in Las Vegas! I turned 40 there... and since what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas... I guess I'm still 39... I love hats... and they don't always look good on me but I won't give them up... anyway, as you can see most photos will be headshots from my past since I wasn't full body confident... but not anymore... I'm gonna try to turn over a new leaf this week in Toronto/Niagara, you'll see!

Well, I've started my first birthday celebration post-band... and so far, so good. My George and I went to Kobe Japanese Steakhouse with the birthday coupon they sent me. It was Fathers' Day so it was very busy there but We had a great time. I got the 6oz Hibachi chicken and ate the onion broth, salad and some veggies... no noodles and no rice. It was delicious and I didn't miss the rest. I was full and I decided if I was full after my chicken, soup, and salad I wouldn't eat any noodles and I wouldn't eat any rice at all. So I was full and I enjoyed my meal. They brought a birthday cupcake that I shared with George... I just wanted a little taste. Yum! I can't believe that this week will be my 3 month bandiversary... on my birthday June 23rd. I will be in Canada but I'm hoping to have internet so I can update my blog and maybe... a photo or 2. I did find out a little tidbit that I'm not thrilled about... while in Canada I can't use my cell phone unless it's an emergency. It's like $.79 a minute so that means no internet until I am back at the hotel... which means no myfitnesspal until I'm back at the hotel and I will have to write down everything so I don't forget my daily calorie intake. I use that app all day long. putting in exercise, water intake and food intake. It makes life so much less stressful. So hopefully I can make decent choices on my own. Boo-hiss! Keep your fingers crossed! We leave tuesday morning...

I'm gettin' Jiggily with it!

Well... it's strange but true. My fat was firm. It seems like an oxy-moron, really, but it's true. Now, My fat is jiggily like jello. I noticed it first at Water aerobics. It was like something was shadowing me in the water... turns out, It was more of me... stalking myself...following close enough to smash into me like an 18 wheeler on the highway. My fat is clinging to me for dear life. It moves in slow motion like a bellydancer's scarf... and I'm no bellydancer, yet. the water makes it seem almost graceful but it's desperate to stay with me... so it drapes over me like a wet suit that's several sizes too big. I guess I should be glad there is less of it but as the fat gets less, the skin takes over, like a plastic bag filled with jello. So I do my water work.... and it keeps slapping me around... Is it mad at me for being happy to see it go? I don't care...I'm not inviting it back again... and I don't miss it at all...

Vacation Flip Flop!

Well... Thankfully We were able to switch our vacation around so we will be in Toronto first before Niagara Falls... Which means we will be missing the G8 & G20 political summits... Thanx to my husband throwing his weight around on the phone. So we will have a better chance of enjoying the city even though they are already preparing for the summit as we speak. I have been having trouble lately getting up to 1200 calories without turning to chocolate... which is delicious but I am afraid the chocolate will start me having carb carvings and getting that monkey off my back was the best thing for my weight loss. I hope that the sugar free chocolate won't have that affect but who knows... I think my doctor is going to say that I should be getting 1500 calories a day as well... since my weight is so high. I want to make this new lifestyle work for me as well as possible with as little sacrifice as possible. That way I can live this way from now on... and it is less like a diet. We are going to the movies today. I haven't worked out at all today either. So there's that... I am packing for our trip though... how many calories does that burn?

BYOC Friday

Well, I am shopping in my shed today, It's amazing how many sizes I grew through and didn't acknowledge the problem... Well, I'm back in some. Not New, but it feels that way. I have all the clothes I need for my Niagara trip this week. I am feeling pretty good today... up on my high-horse, waiting to be knocked off by someone... But bruised and battered, I know now that I can get back up and jump right back on my horse... I am invinceable! Even if I can't spell. Now for this week's BYOC..... 1)If your heart had a singing voice, whose would it be? I used to hear Bette Midler singing my life's songs in my head but recently Train's Pat Monahan who sings my theme song Hey, Soul Sister... has been singing my life's melody instead. There he is.... now. 2)What is your most disgusting habit? I have a couple of gross habits... I chew popcorn in the movie theater and spit it out to avoid the carbs and calories... I sometimes bite my nails... which is why I almost always wear acrylic nails. 3)What is my biggest fear about going to Chicago? I never travel without my husband...ever, I struggle to get around more than most, so not being able to walk with you all.... and being without my wheelchair to fall back on... my biggest fear. I've never been to Chicago so I would like to go but I'm not ready yet, maybe next year. I'm sure I'll be missing a wonderful time. 4)Name one thing you will do for just one day next week in the name of health and commit to it on your blog and to us... This is a tough one for me since I am travelling next week, I know I will be walking more than usual and not doing my exercising unless there's a gym at the hotel, I also will not be as strict with my eating since It is my birthday week and I will let myself have a little cake, so I will promise that Friday, June 25th... I will do all my own walking(no wheelchair) for the day, I am actually going to try to do this most of the week but it depends how bad my knees and back are acting up. I will not be physically challenged much longer... 5)Who blog or comment stuck with you most this week and why? I am always moved by all your blogs but I think that I was most moved by Drazil telling us to listen to that song... Hero in Me by Jeffrey Gaines...speaking of singing my heart's song and Carmen's fear of not fitting in to the group... I was liked by many groups in high school too and I haven't felt like I was a part of any of them until this "band" of bloggers came along... I can understand why it would be so painful to think that I may not feel at home with them either.

The "Uncomfortable" Doctor

Well, Today I had my annual appt with the "Uncomfortable" doctor... And if it's uncomfortable for normal sized women... you can imagine how uncomfortable it was for me! I got showered and dressed, I was wearing clothes that I hadn't fit in years, feeling pretty good about how I looked, but the doctor reminded me of my chubbiness by telling me to push down using the stength in my arms since the stirups have a weight limit of like 250 or 300. He tried to be nice about it but I didn't feel as bad this year since I knew that next year will be different. It did make me think about the experiences I dread because of my weight. Like flying, for instance. I love to travel but hate flying since the seats are too snug on my huge badunkadunk... I have to ask for a seat belt extender so I can breath and have the constant fear until the plane take off of them asking me to pay for a 2nd seat when we can hardly afford the first one. Anyway, I fly to Buffalo on tuesday to go to Niagara Falls and Toronto, Canada. I look forward to the trip but not the flight. Each flight I take from now on will get easier but I can't wait to not be singled out as a fatty. I know I will feel like a forever fatty but when strangers treat me normal... Then I will not have that constant fear. I forget for a moment that I'm fat... I live my life, love my family and friends, travel, shop, etc... and someone always reminds me that they see me as a fatty... not a human, not a woman, not a wife, or daughter... I want to be seen for all that I am... I am not what I eat... I am more than what I eat or don't eat. I dream of... the day when I will just be me.

Yummy!! I'm the Fast Food Woman!

Well... I was never a fan of fast food, really. But now, after my band and during my weight loss. I am eating more fast food than ever before. Weird, right? It is actually, cheap and good... and lower calories than we think... if you get the right things. I love Pollo Tropical, which is a fast food chain around me...I am not sure if they are in your area but I can get a boneless chicken breast nicely spiced and grilled for less than $3. and it's only 115 calories... 25.5 grams of protein and no carbs. You could get a salad on the side or a bunch of other different side dishes to make it a combo. I also love Chick Fila... which I thought was off limits but I was thrilled to see the nuggets I love are fairly low in calories and delicious without sauce. They are lightly breaded and fried in peanut oil which is better for you. They have kids meals with 4(2oz-130 calories and 14g protein only 6 carbs) or 6 nuggets(3oz-200 calories, 21g of protein, and only 9 carbs)... you can get 8 count(4oz-270 calories, 28g protein, and only 12 carbs) and the 12 count(400 calories, 42g protein, and 18 carbs)... I started getting the 8 pack but they were a little too much so I get the 6 piece kids meal with a salad or fruit cup, carrot & raisin salad or cole slaw... but I stay away from the delicious waffle fries even though I will have one of my hubby's if he offers it... Boston Market has alot of healthy choices if you can resist the yummy sweet potato casserole. I like Captain D's seafood since they have broiled tilapia or salmon. They also have broccoli, salad, and green beans for healthy sides... I have found alot of side salads on the value menus at most places, I stick to the meats and low carb sides. Most have bottled water too. I never thought I could lose 60 pounds in 3 months eating alot of fast food, but I actually have. Anyway, if any of you all have a favorite healthy fast food meal... tell me. I will add it to my menu... I'm turning into the fast food queen! Crazy!

TaTa to my TaTas....

Ok... It's official. My boobs are deflating...WTF! I mean, being an overweight woman has few benefits...Big Boobs tops the list. I was thinking that I was stacked even as a normal sized pre-teen, What is going on here? Did I lose a bet? I was hoping to lose some ass, a little thigh, and some Belly.... maybe a few pounds of batwing or love handle...but my TaTas going ByeBye wasn't in the deal. My husband says that my breasts are my 3rd best feature... to which I wondered "what are my 1st and 2nd?" He claims my Smile and Eyes... to which I think "that's sweet but does my personality even land in the top 10?" I was a Brickhouse... a Bad Mamma Jama... Not a pendulous Grandfather Clock! Maybe, I could have poked an eye out before but not while swinging to and fro... I mean, a great benefit of being 40 with no kids are my big. beautiful, firm, natural breasts.... and now my hard work and eating right is letting the air out of my balloons? I guess this is where I resign myself to take the bad with the good.... and secretly start looking into plastic surgery. Woe is me... I may have to learn to be charming, and I was so hoping to someday let my cleavage do the enchanting for me? What's a girl to do? Practice the drop, flop and roll? Trade in my bras for 2 tube socks and a couple rubber bands? Do your boobs hang low? Do they wobble to and fro? Can you tie them in a knot? Can you tie them in a bow? Can you throw them over your shoulder like a continental soldier? Do your boobs hang low?...

This is not your Mother's Y...

This photo is me the day before surgery doing my final pre-surgery weigh-in... I was looking for a photo to show you me now but all of them hide my fat... I guess old habits die hard. I will be celebrating my 3 month bandiversary while in Niagara Falls celebrating my birthday, in fact they are the same day. I will be 41 exactly 3 months after my band was installed and my new life started. I will take several full length photos to post on that trip... I promise. i will not hide behind my George for several photos. I will not be in a bikini yet but I've lost 60 pounds and come along way since Penny Lane came into my life. The surgeon also fixed that giant hernia jetting out from my stomach making me look like I'm 7 months pregnant as well. Niagara and me, beautiful and natural. Look for it! Well, like I told you in an earlier blog, I joined the YMCA... I just thought that my exercise needs would change and expand so I wanted a place that I could grow in... I actually joined 2 1/2 weeks ago and just went yesterday for the first time. I wasn't procrastinating... but I ended up heading up north for a little over a week so my workouts got put on hold for cheesesteaks and pizza... Well, I'm back and nervous that my hometown comfort zone caused a little slip up or two... so I started pedalling the bike to no where and walked the treadmill to anytown, USA. I went to the big YMCA instead of my Y around the corner. The Y up the street from me is really nice. It is brightly colored and has an awesome outdoor pool with a slide and sprinklers for the kids. The locker room has wooden lockers like a 1950's country club and a sauna with all the comforts at home... shampoo, hairspray, lotion, and other toiletries. I am loving it. It is not open on Sundays so I went to the big one since they were. I look forward to the cycling studio, Zumba, Latin Cardio, Bellydancing for fitness, etc... when i am ready but for now I enjoy the options for cardio and the pool. Anyway, It made me think about going to the Y as a family when I was a child. We went to swim in the pool and to summer day camp. Memories are a vibrant thing, I can recall all the shades of grey and the overwelming smell of chlorine in the air. It was an awesome place to go then... and now it's different, more fancy, and modern but still amazing. I love my Y.

Geek Squad... The story of my life.

My laptop was out of commission for a few days so I need to catch up reading and writing my blogs. Geek Squad to the rescue and now it's up and running. I thought about the name and realize that since I now consider myself to be a band geek... that makes you all my bandgeek squad. As for me, I drove home from Philly in a burst of sorrow and depression after the Flyers lost the Stanley Cup in overtime in game 6. As a Philly sports fan, you always think you're prepared for the choke affect but the Flyers played well and fought hard so they hardly choked. I noticed that we all go through the mourning over a championship loss in different ways. My George wanted to sit in silence... Hello, Have you met me? Silence for a 20 hour drive, would be better than anger and rage for a 20 hour drive, I guess, so I let him stew in his own sadness and disappointment. As for my Brother, he mourns by analyzing what the team could do for things to end up better next season... and he wants to talk about it, which goes against the silent but deadly sorrow that my DH wanted for himself. We dropped Dave(brother) off at home and started our silent journey. There's always next year... I, for one, am glad that I am taking control of my life now... no longer am I putting it off til next year or next month or next week.... Yesterday, I had my first sliming experience in the Perkins... Cut to me covered in mucus running for the bathroom. It was worse than the PB event in the Bob Evans... Maybe I should start eating at home more... I wasn't eating anything different than normal. Grilled Chicken and broccoli... I felt stuck after eating like 1/3 of my meal... maybe too fast again. And I started spewing all over like a fountain... It couldn't be contained nicely in a napkin like the PB incident, unfortunately, but after continuing the evacuation in the bathroom and cleaning myself up... I got through it.... thanx to you all explaining what to expect. You are such a blessing on my journey.... My Bandgeek Squad.

Even though I'm a leader, I'll follow you.

Well, I lost a follower, which makes me question myself and my little blog... Am I not witty enough, or too boring? Am I too honest or cheeky? Am I too blue or too prudish? Why do I care what you all think of me when I never even met you? I know why, You are me... We are all in the same boat... even if some of up are more up a creek without a paddle and some have a motorboat? I had this surgery and turned a corner in my life to change the path I was rolling down in my wheelchair. I wanted to take a step to enhance my life... and in order to take that step, I had to get out of my wheelchair and literally take a hike. I was so tired of people just seeing me as overweight and not seeing the beauty that lies within the weight. I am not just a fat girl... I am funny, I love to laugh and make others laugh, I see beauty in the little things, I love the Ocean, I have seen the sights, I am adventurous, I am a traveller not a tourist, I love all kinds of Movies and TV, I am smart and a smart-ass, I am cultured and uncultured, I am young-at-heart, I am a good friend, I am family-oriented, I love my dog, I am married and madly in love, I am confident, I am thinking, I am an animal-lover, I am charitiable, I am political, and uninformed, I am I am German, Irish but most of all American, I am a fiery redhead, I am understanding, I am thoughtful, I am compassionate, I am sexy, and volumptious, I am human, I am beautiful.... Inside and Out. Will you follow my journey or not?

BYOC- Better late than Pregnant.

I sometimes forget what day it is and I missed doing the BYOC this week so here it is... fashionable late! 1)If you could live anywhere in the world-Where would it be and why? This should be an easy question but it's not for me. We live in Orlando, Florida, The Happiest Place on Earth and I really love it. But I am 1000 miles away from most of my loved ones and my Niece and Nephews especially. So I think I would like to keep moving around and live in an RV. I love all the places we travelled to and saw around the world and would love meeting people all over the US since you all are incredible and live all over the world... there may be more amazing folks left to meet and get to know. I would love to live briefly in NYC, Seattle, Paris, London, Hong Kong, and Tokyo but I've only visited 1/2 those places so I would decide how long to stay depending on how much I liked it. I would visit friends and family all over the US making it for all occasions, parties, etc and see all the National Parks. In order to live this way I would either have to be wealthy or a writer since we would have to find jobs in each place and that would be difficult to manuever. I would love seeing the cultural differences all over the world and living there gives you a better view of everyday life. If I had to choose a permanent place to live other than here... I loved the people and places in Hawaii especially Maui and Oahu. I told you it was a hard question. 2)How old were you when you got drunk for the first time? I was older than most... about 20 I think, It was in a graveyard in Hillsboro, Ohio(Smalltown, USA-People seems to drink and party in graveyards alot in my younger days)... I guess the privacy and quiet was intoxicating... literally. I know quite a few folks that lost their virginity in a cemetary too...LOL... 3)What was your favorite toy growing up? This one should tell you something about my future... It was an easy bake oven. Of course, I loved those little stupid cakes and brownies I could make on my own... I wonder how many calories in those bitches. I also loved my cabbage patch doll. 4)What is your favorite season and why? I love the fall... I love seeing the colors change up north, I love the festivals, i love Halloween, Thanksgiving, and picking pumpkins. I love the weather being not too cold and not too hot.... Perfect. 5)Repeat question-What blog or comment spoke to you or stuck with you this week and why? This is always difficult since you are all inspirational to me and most of your blogs are thought provoking. I have to say that Carmen's Positivity Pay it forward post was inspirational. I have always believe that giving compliments do as much for you as they do for the receiver... If I think something looks nice on someone, Or someone has beautiful eyes, or teeth... I tell them. Sometimes I drive after a women in the supermarket parking lot to tell her how put together her outfit looks... Stalk much? but she smiled and I could tell her day was enhanced by my compliment. It creates a domino affect, making her smile and feel good will cause her to go on in her day much more likely to do the same for someone else... Pay it forward! Thanx Carmie!

Go Flyers!!!!!

Well, I'm totally enjoying my time with my nephews. And the Flyers are doing excellent in the Stanley Cup. My 2 year old nephew Chase is holding my 2 week old nephew Blake in this photo. I have been trying to watch my eating habits and still enjoy myself. It is so nice spending time with family... I wish I didn't live so far away from them! We prefer the warmer climate though and hate the ice and snow. I think these Angels would definitely be worth a little Chill, but where would my Hubby be as happy and make as much money doing what he loves at Disney. I can't imagine, where? Well, tomorrow is game 5 of the Stanley Cup and a BBQ/pool party. When I get back to Florida, I'll get back to my daily workouts, for now I'll make due with some extra walking and swimming. Now that I watch what I eat, I notice that most people don't. Up here Cheesesteaks, Burgers, and Pizza make up alot of the menu and down there they deep-fry anything and everything before soaking it in gravy. I guess I know why I am fat, I was eating things that I now know the calories and carbs content and it's friggin' scary. I mean, I used to eat more calories in one meal than I do in a day now. Crazy, isn't it?

I lost another 16 pounds and don't plan on looking for them!

I am having a great time in Philly visiting my Nephews... and they are absolutely adorable. Blake is my 2 week old nephew as you will see in my earlier blogs and he's perfect... Gorgeous and sweet as an angel. Chase is my 2 year old nephew and he's talking up a storm. He speaks so clearly and is so smart, and is also the most adorable child in the world. How can 2 be the most adorable child? Aren't all your kids, nieces, and nephews the most adorable in the world? In order to spontaneously drop everything and com here I had to cancel my monthly follow up with my surgeon and that's when I get my weigh in... So, I was really wondering how much I've lost this month and I saw this scale at a rest stop in Maryland which costs a quarter and gives you your weight and lucky number... I am not sure how accurate those scales are but I figured for a quarter at least I can get an idea... Well, It seems I've lost 16 pounds more this month. Which is much more than my monthly goal of 10 pounds a month... I hope it is true! That means 60 pounds so far, I have a long way to go but I'm thrilled with my progress. If the scale said I gained weight, I would have chalked it up to inaccuracy and obsessed over it for weeks until my next visit to the surgeon. Here in Philly, the food is gooooooood enough to eat! Which I thought would be a problem. I love soft pretzels... Alot. My husband got a cheesesteak pretzels which is essentially cheesesteak meat and cheese inside a soft pretzel, kinda like a best of Philly hot pocket. They are so yummy and I took a couple bites... Not as good as I remembered. I got a mini pretzel because I didn't know if I'd get stuck... It was hot right out of the oven and yummy but I can't handle them anymore. I felt like I was getting stuck and couldn't eat it all so my hubby ate the rest. I went to one of my favorite German restaurants and since I love Spaetzle(German noodles dumplings with brown Gravy)... I didn't hardly eat any. I didn't enjoy them as much as I used to love them... they were just okay. I am relieved... in a way. I mean, as a recovering Carb-Addict... My favorite Carbful foods seem like they would be tempting to be around but they're not. If I want a little bit, I'll try it and see what it's not cracked up to be... I think of this as a NSV. I mean, being in the place I grew up and learned all of my bad eating habits... and not desiring to continue them. Could it be that junk food is over-rated? Inquiring minds want to know... I am in a good place, a place where I look around and say "I could do this!" I could lose this weight and not look back. If Soft Pretzels and Spaetzle can't beat me, nothing can?

Road trip to Philly!

Well, time for a longer road trip... which will be strange with my new eating habits. I mean, what's a road trip without bugles, pepsi, slim jims, and chocolate? But after about 15-16 hours of driving, we will arrive in Philly and get to visit my Nephews... well, my brother and family...well, all my family actually. My newest nephew is almost 2 weeks old... and I'm gonna meet him this week. He is cute as a button and his name is Blake Hayden... I can't wait! My oldest nephew Chase Ryder is 2 now and even though I saw him 3 months ago... It feels like forever. I miss him so much... And what about family pool parties and BBQs... I can't wait for the fun but the food is hard to resist. I will do the best I can, and swim alot to burn some extra calories... I can watch the rest of the Stanley Cup with my family... Our Philadelphia Flyers are in it with the Chicago Blackhawks and they're down 2 games but they've come back from worse... So, Go Flyers! As for my journey, it is paused... not the eating right part but the working out part and the weighing in part. My doctor's appt is now July 1st, so I won't be weighed before then. I hope I can put up some good numbers by then. But that's right after our trip to Niagara Falls so I better take my diet with me... LOL