Another month down and I say hi to a lighter me!

Happy Halloween all my lovelies!  I am down to 221!  That's right.  One more pound and I have another 10 off.  I am feeling better.  I have more energy during the day.  Physical activity is getting easier for me.  I have turned my treadmill workout up to walking 3.5mph starting off and I get to jog a little at 5mph.  I can to a 4mph for six minutes straight or I alternate 3.5mph and jogging at 5mph to complete a mile in 14.5 minutes.  That is huge for me.  I haven't been able to do a mile in time like that forever.  I am going to start a 30 day challenge tomorrow.... 10lbs in 30 days and I will try to post daily on my progress and what the day brings for me.  Don't let all that Halloween candy get to you!  Did you know it would take you running the length of a football field to work off eating one peanut M&M?!  That's right... it doesn't look so appetizing now does it?  Lol.  We will start the month off fresh tomorrow morning.  And remember.... If I have been able to lose 40lbs so far, any one can... I was the biggest foodie in the world and with just making healthier choices in my life I am extending my life.  Think about it next time you choose those fried foods over something grilled or fresh veggies...

Plateau...

Well, I have hit that dreaded word. My caloric intake has been about the same, I haven't been exercising every day like I should be and my weight-loss has halted. I need to start making a few more changes in my diet and work on staying active more. Thus far in the game I have: 1)quit drinking any soda, 2)cut out fried foods and 3)switched to all whole grains. For my next undertaking I am going to try to cut out carbs (breads, potatoes, and any flour containing products) and eat more lean proteins (fish, poultry and beans). I have lost 35lbs so far and am holding steady at 225lbs. I need to kick it up a notch and lose another 5lbs this month. The 220s need to get the f out! I am done with carrying around all of this extra weight and its going to come off. Whoever is out there with me I hope you are just as determine as I am. We can get healthy together!

Quin what?

I was watching the health segment on the Today show the other day and they were talking about a new "healthier" alternative called quinoa. I have never heard of it before that day. By the luck of the draw last time I went shopping I walked passed it and decided to try a bag. This morning I cooked up some per the directions on the bag to give it a shot. Plain, quinoa doesn't really have much of a flavor. It's definitely a texture thing. I love trying new and unusual things so this is a piece of cake but for others it may be too much.... When you eat a bite of these little seed like things they snap in your mouth kinda like the snap of fish eggs in-between your teeth. I added about 1/8th of a teaspoon of brown sugar and about a tablespoon of vanilla soy milk to it to eat it like a breakfast cereal. I enjoy it. Quinoa is a healthy alternative winner!

October 2012

 This is me in the same dress from December 2010.  I am still overweight, but now it's getting better.  35lbs down and still in the process of losing.

December 2010

 This is the last full body shot I ever took of myself.  I was so ashamed of how I let myself go.  When I look at this picture now it just makes me sad.  I need to change what I have become.

March 2012

 This was me in March 2012.  I saw this picture and about died.  I had taken a trip to Seattle to see a friend who became a flight attendant and he snapped this photo while we were walking in downtown.  There was no definition to my face.  Everything was just round… like my whole body.  The double chin was the only thing I saw in this picture.  I knew it was time to change.

The torture of fried foods...

So I haven't eaten any fried foods since I started this blog.  Last night for supper I was having a craving for beer battered chicken and home-made french fries.  Since I have now lost 35lbs (woot, woot) I decided I could go for it this once.  This morning I woke up and I am sooooooooo paying for it!  My stomach feels like it's completely twisted into knots and I feel so sluggish and tired it isn't even funny.  I think I have learned my lesson.  The diet I was on before made me fat and was torture to my body.  Now that I have been changing my habits, eating only whole grains with no fried foods and limited intake of sugars, eating any of my forbidden foods show me what kind of damage I was doing to my body all those years.  I hope this feeling passes fairly soon though.  I have definitely learned my lesson. I am still trying to figure out how to get my photos uploaded on here so bear with me... we will show progress!

Lets make an October Challenge!

Ok, I am now 230lbs.  Lets challenge ourselves this month.  Can we do another 10lbs off this month?  I think we can. 26 more days left in this month and today will be the day.  I want to be 220 by November 1st.  The last two days I have been slacking on my exercising.  That won't work to meet this goal.  Work, work, work.  That's the only way.  I also went into my closet of clothes that I had brought with me from my move over 2 years ago now.  Most of the clothes are too baggy on my now, but in the back of the closet I found a black dress.  I have always wanted a classy black dress and I had found a clearance dress one year at Lane Bryant.  I bought it and said I would save it until I could fit into it.  (I have done this several times over the years and ended up giving the piece of clothing to charity because I was never able to fit into it.)  I tried that dress on last night.... It fit like a glove!  It's absolutely perfect on me now.  I couldn't believe it.  I am so proud of where I came from to where I am now.  I also decided I will included some pictures to post when I can add some to this new computer tonight so we can do a visual transformation.  I don't see the changes in myself yet, but everyone is telling me I'm doing something right.  Keep going strong!

Do you know how to rebuild a face with wax?

The moulding wax that is used in mortuaries is not like the wax you find elsewhere.  There is a particularly enjoyable floral scent to it.  There are different consistencies of it, but we used a soft form and a firm for most of our work.  One case we had in the mortuary was a man who had been murdered.  Shot in the face he was missing his nose and the bones in his face were shattered.  With out the expertise of some of the amazing embalmers we had there would have been no way to rebuild something like that.  Although the family is always warned that their loved one will not look like they did while they were alive it's every persons need to say goodbye to their loved one and we do everything we can to make sure they have that last chance.  In the embalming room the process is much the same, it's after the embalming fluids are injected that the real work begins.  A secret of the trade is that embalmers can use dental floss to suture wounds to leave little damage to what is left.  The wax coated dental floss works the best.  It's strong and yet thick enough to hold onto the skin that is now so prone to tearing when sewn.  Working from the underside of the skin layers the embalmer weaves their needle through the flesh to hide the presence of the floss.  When pulled tight at the end just enough pressure is needed to pull the skin together like corset lacing does without puckering the skin and making it appear as if there is something pulling it tight.  After all the open wounds are carefully closed the embalmer takes a small amount of superglue to seal the area, this stops any residual fluid left in the tissues from seeping out the holes.  When the embalmer has done all they can do, I would do my magic.  Most families are asked to bring in the most recent picture of their family member to be used to do their cosmetics.  To truly have a talent for the restorative arts you have have to be able to see what was and how to make it that way again with what you have access to.  The firm wax worked perfectly for rebuilding a nose.  I always use a hairdryer to warm the wax and make it a little more pliable while I build a feature.  When you place it on the face the cool skin, from refrigeration, begins to harden the wax.  It sticks to the embalmed skin perfectly and hold tight so your fingers can maneuver the lump of wax into a defined object.  After the feature is build a cosmetic sponge, a cream foundation and a knack for color blending makes the false nose blend in perfectly to the rest of the face.  Blush adds color to the cheeks and makes the face appear as if it has warm blood flow.  Lip color is applied and finally any excess make-up left in the eyelashes or eyebrows is cleaned away to leave a pale body turn into the appearance of a sleeping person.  There is no greater feeling I have experienced to this date than seeing a family have the closure of seeing their son/father/husband or wife/sister/grandma etc. one last time when they were told they wouldn't be viewable to them.  With tragedy for one comes accomplishment for another.

Hot damn! 230!

That's right!  I am officially 230lbs!  Yesterday I ended up walking another 10miles on my FitBit and today I made sure I ate very well.  2 eggs and 1 piece of toast for breakfast, carrot with ranch and a yogurt for lunch, tuna and pretzels for dinner.  Top all of that off with a delish Skinny Cow ice cream bar and I am there.  I now weigh less than I did when I graduated high school.  I am so proud of my accomplishments.  I can't believe I got here.  My next goal is 50 lbs off.  When I reach that goal I will post some before and after images.  There is no excuse for not making the changes today.  If I can do it any one can.  I was a food fanatic.  Now, I know that what I put into my body not only needs to be good for it but has to make it run at top performance.  Dieting is not a fad but an everyday way of life.  Each little change you make will make a huge difference in your body.  First I gave up soda pop.  Next it was the fried foods.  Now I am trying to read nutrition labels and make sure the calorie intake matches its health content.  Whole grains and low in fats.  If anyone out there is thinking about making the changes.  Join me!

Computer died... I didn't.... lol

Well, my old computer finally kicked the bucket so I ordered a new Macbook.  Pretty sweet set up so far.  I am still trying to make the adjustments from PC to Mac though.  I haven't given up on my healthy eating yet.  I am starting to get more focused in it though.  I have been trying to exercise at least 6 days a week.  Overall I have kept up with it.  The Alli is definitely doing its job.  I had a bad day one day and went over the recommended 15g of fat per meal a day and I had a greasy accident the next day.  I WILL NEVER DO THAT AGAIN!  One sneak toot that equals a pants change is not fun!  I bought a FitBit Ultra to monitor my daily activity.  I really enjoy that it tells me how far I have walked a day and that gives me motivation to try and do better each day.  I am, as of this morning, 231lbs!  Woot, woot!  One more pound to reach my 30lb goal and then at 50lbs I am treating myself to getting my hair done for reward.  I have been letting it grow but I think a spoil day at the hair salon is just the type of reward I deserve.  I will try to keep up on here a little better now that I have a new computer.  Have a lovely day all and remember, hard work doesn't start by sitting on your butt!