A

- Age: 38
- Annoyance: rude, impatient, pestimistic peopl
- Animal: would rather they NOT live IN my house!
- Actor:

B
- Beer: Yuck
- Birthday/Birthplace: 10-29-71 way down south
- Body Part on opposite sex: Eyes & Smile
- Been in Love: Yes
- Been bitched at: Yes
- Believe in yourself?: Yeah
- Believe in God: Absolutely
- Before weight: 191 lbs was higher at some point but wouldn't step on the scale
C
- Car: 2009 Saturn VUE
- Candy: most anything!
- Color: pink
- Cried in school: no
- Chocolate/Vanilla: CHOCOLATE!
- Chinese/Mexican: BOTH
- Cake or pie: cheesecake! YUMMY!
- Country to visit: anyplace!

D
- Day or Night: both i don't require lots of sleep
- Do the splits?: yes

E
- Eggs: Over easy
- Eyes: Blue

F
- First crush: Shane, in the 3rd grade
- First thoughts waking up: can't my children sleep past 6!
- Food: unfortunatly, can't live without it!

G
- Greatest Fear: Losing my family
- Goals: to be the happiest and healthiest i can for me and my family
- Get along with your parents?: Absolutely. My mom is my BEST friend. My Step Dad is the greatest DADDY ever.  my father, just someone i know.  no special person there.
- Good luck charm: don't have one.
H
- Hair Colour: brown
- Height: 4'10.5"
- Happy: Yes!
- Holiday: Christmas
- Health freak?: i can be at times.
- Hate: that's such a STRONG word...
I
- Ice Cream: eat it often!
- Instrument: Played the flute in Elementary and piano in high school

J
- Jewelry: all my jewelry is Gold
- Job: mom, cook, chauffer, referee, etc....
K
- Kids: Yes, 4 boys!
- Kickboxing or karate: Umm...neither
- Keep a journal? I write a blog...

L
- Longest Car Ride: North Carolina to LA
- Love: LOTS of it!
- Laughed so hard you cried: Yes...too many to count.
- Love at first sight: of course, i loved every one of my children from the moment i saw them!
M
- Milk flavor: skim, chocolate
- Movie: pretty woman
- Mooned anyone?: yeah
- Marriage: Love my Marriage about to have an anniversary
- Motion sickness? YES! even on a regular kind of SWING!
- McD’s or BK: McD's YUCK!  Bk used to be my fav...haven't had it in a LONG time!

N
- Number of Siblings: 3 younger brothers
- Number of Piercings: 1 in each ear
- Number: 7

O
- One wish: for all of my children to grow into happy, healthy adults!
P
- Place you’d like to live: Somewhere beautiful and Tropical.
- Perfect Pizza: VEGGIE
- Pepsi/Coke: Coke but never was a huge soda drinker.

Q
- Questionaires: usually don't do them because of time.  the children are napping, so i decided why not!
R
- Reason to cry: do we really need to answer that? 
- Reality T.V.: yeah...a couple of them
Roll your tongue in a circle? Yes

S
- Song: Love Music....don't really have a favorite one.
- Shoe size: 7 1/2-8
- Salad Dressing: ranch
- Skipped school: No
- Smoking: Never
- Sing well?: hahaha..no
- Strawberries/Blueberries: both!

T
- Time for bed: anywhere between 9-11
- Thunderstorms: rather not
- TV: could live without it, but probabaly end up watching too much just because it's here.
U
- Unpredictable: nah
V
- Vegetable you hate: none that i can think of
- Vegetable you love: just about everything
- Vacation spot: any QUIET place

W
- Weakness: my children!
- When you grow up: be a grandma and spoil my grandkids!
- Which one of your friends acts the most like you: valerie
- Wanted to be a model?: Uh, no

X
-X-Rays: before Lap Band Procedure
Y
-Year it is now: 2009
-Yellow: i don't wear it!

Z
- Zoo: plan to bring the kiddos soon!
- Zodiac sign: scorpio
Wanna B thin again...is almost there!

genes, gymnastics and exercising...

Ok, i'm going to post some pics....
I remember the day i doubted my surgery and looked at my before pics and CRIED wondering WHY did i wait?!
now, i'm THANKFUL for those pics because it reminds me the reason i'm traveling this journey.
A lot of times i feel like i have to make excuses for not having more to lose....these pictures also remind me that although i didn't have 100 pounds or more to lose, that because i'm so short, the amount i DID need to lose was still VERY risky to my health, and i was just a couple of pounds away from morbidly obese, i had EXTREMLY high b/p and i looked terrible! (and felt WORSE!)

without further ado....

WOW...what a DIFFERENCE!!  THIS is what makes it ALL WORTH it!

My incisions look pretty good except the spot on the right of my port scar.  it had gotten infected 4 months after surgery and that spot is still dark.  i'm hoping it lightens more!  sorry for the glare in the mirror!

this pic shows them better, i think.

THIS is the reason for the plastic surgeron consult on THURSDAY!!!

my port has always been a 'bump'...it shows more and more these days! 

I'm going to ask about having it moved during surgery or a low profile one put in...

I wish there was this little amount of jiggle when i wasn't flexing...but i love the tone look of my arms now!!

I have to say, of all the parts of my body, i would pick my calves to be the one thing i can say i have NO complaints about!

Thanks to good GENES....gymnastics for a LOT of years and now exercising again, the fat has melted off of them and exposed some AWESOME muscle!!

I'm still jumping all around but never got back down to 124 yet!  at least i'm not seeing 130's anymore!!

Wanna B thin again...is almost there!

birthday, halloween, parents visiting and a fill...

First off, i didn't make my birthday goal.  actually, i don't even know how far away i am from it because i am too afraid to step on the scale!

For my birthday we went eat out.  Italian.  Carino's. YUM!
then, cheesecake because i MUCH rather that than cake.  YUM!

Then, Friday, my parents came and we took them out to dinner because i hadn't seen my mom for her birthday, and we were going celebrate BOTH of our days.
OUTBACK.  Onion blum, wings (i should say wing, cause i had ONE), steak, potato.... (more cheesecake much later when we were home)

Halloween... candy.  CHOCOLATE.  I could eat the junk and never eat food.  i love it that much. 
I'm going to have my husband bring it to work and only bring the kids a treat a day.  otherwise, i will eat it until it's gone.  i. know. me.

I had NO trouble eating steak.  granted, i didn't eat nearly the amount of food i did preband (except the chocolate, i ate way too much!), but still, i was able to eat a lot. 

My Dr. is closed on Friday, so i couldn't call and make another fill appointment.  I already knew Friday that i would be going for another fill, even before all the overindulgences i have had!  I WILL be calling and DEMANDING a fill appointment!

i WILL wait for my period to come and go (i'm pretty sure it's going to start today) since i've had problems around that time to the point of having 2 days of barely being able to keep liquids down.  I think i'll make my appointment for mid next week just to make sure TOM is here and gone, i'm not tight from it, and have time to cancel if needed (i hate a 8 am monday appointment because i can't cancel ahead of time if needed!)

I've even slacked on exercising!  i usually go work out 6 days a week.  even when i have a migraine i go.  I didn't go Monday, Friday, or Saturday this past week.  it HAS been a crazy week, lots of things going on that we have had to get taken care of.  then, preparing for company, having company....but really, it's all excuses.  i could have gone had a just done it! 

A couple of NSV's.... my jeans were falling off of me, and couldn't find the only other pair that i have that will fit.  My mom was out shopping with me and i held up a pair of jeans that were on sale for $9 and said, nah, that's not going to fit.  she said, if anything they may be too big for you.  ???HUH??? no way.  she told me to buy them, (i didn't have time to try them on, nor did i feel like it) and if they don't fit, bring them back.  for $9, she said i couldn't go wrong.  i brought them home, and they fit!  The too big jeans were a 6 petite from Old navy.  i find ON jeans are big, so i never considered a 6 REALLY too big.  well, this other pair of jeans are a 6 petite...and they fit!  VERY slimming...all the better, since the ON ones were big, i thought they made me look bigger in the belly anyhow!

i had to get my license renewed.  i like my picture.  i HATED the last one.  it. was. HORRIBLE!  i'm also VERY close to the weight that has been on it for more than 6 years that's wasn't even CLOSE to my true weight.  it's still not accurate, but how ironic that it IS my GOAL...120!  when she asked if my height or weight has changed, i just said, well, i WISH i would have GROWN, but i doubt i have! ;-)  she giggled.  so, now i have to at least get down to 120...so i'm not telling a fib on my license!

all of our neighbors were out talking in the street Thursday evening and they all commented on my weight loss and since it was my birthday, and didn't know how old i was, they were shocked at my age.  one neighbor asked if i was 27?  HAHAHAHA...i said, yes, with a 17 year old son, right?  I think people just associate my height and age together...they think because i'm little (short), that i'm young too.  NICE though! ;-)  i'll take it! 
Wanna B thin again...is almost there!

my fill appointment and thinking aloud

I forgot to post about my fill appointment because i had the other post scheduled to post!!

I went to my appointment on Monday.  i weighed in at 135!!! WHAT?  ok, the last time i went it, i had a light shirt, light shorts and flip flops (this is unusally my plan so that my weight is as close to what it is naked as i can get it...without stripping down at the Dr's office! ).  this time, is was actually cold out, so i had to wear warmer clothes.

anyhow, according to THIER scale, and the last weight recorded from my last appointment on thier scale, i was up SEVEN pounds!  OMG!  i felt so ashamed!  i usually get praised when i go there, not this time.  they didn't make me feel bad at all about it though!!
so, the Dr comes in and says he's NOT giving me a fill!  WHAT? 

i said, i can eat way more than i should, i don't have to sip, and i've GAINED SEVEN pounds!! 
he looked at my chart again, and said, 'but you had reflux happening before.  and weren't you losing too quickly because it was too tight?'

NOPE...not me.  i actually STOPPED losing when i got that tight.  I am pretty sure it was swelling that i didn't let go down before going on to eating again.  I was out of town and had several public eating occasions, and with no one but my mom and husband knowing about my band, i kept trying to eat!
i could handle staying on liquids once i got home, but the reflux was driving me nuts, waking me all night and i needed my sleep!

he said, 'ok, but i'd say only half of what we took out.'

I said, 'OK!  i'm fine with that!  anything is better than nothing!!

i can feel a tiny bit of restriction, while i'm eating.  it's not letting me overeat....ALL. IS. GOOD!!  woo hoo
AND although i won't meet my goal of being at my original goal i set by my birthday (tomorrow), i will be closer to my lowest weight so far. My lowest so far has been 124, i've gone up to 130, and as of this morning, i was back to 126!!

my new goal, well, same goal WEIGHT, different date is to be as close or to my original goal weight by Nov 12 which is my PS consult appointment. 
with my fill, changing to fit n trim at curves and adding walking/running, i shouldn't have any trouble getting close to that.

the closer i get to my goal, i keep thinking i'm going to change my goal.
123 is the highest normal weight for my height.  
120 just sounded like a good number and not completely unrealistic when i first started out (although the Dr thought that would be a Stretch...ha...I'm closer than he thought i would get to it!!)
114 is between my original of 120 and 109.
109 is a BMI of 22 which i heard is a great place for women.
92 is the lowest weight to not be considered UNDERweight for my height......can you imagine?  92 pounds?  i would be leg and arm muscles only....LOL
i'll have to get a pic of my legs....there is NO way i could get down to 92 pounds without having to lose every bit of muscle mass in me! 

ok, i'm rambling.  Time to get the kids to BED! ahhhhhhhh

Tomorrow i will wake up 38 and for the first time in a LONG time, i will wake up on my birthday feeling MUCH YOUNGER than my age!!

Wanna B thin again...is almost there!

I did it! well, half of it anyhow!

I have been saying i wanted to start walking to curves, doing my workout, then running back.  it's 1.7 miles each way. 
I don't want to run there just yet because i don't want to be too tired to do my workout. 
Today, my husband was going do some shopping, so he dropped me off, i did my workout then i ran home.  i would say i only walked the .7....i ran most of the time!!  I had to stop about 6 minutes in because my shins hurt.  i walked and stretched them some then took off again!  it felt SO GOOD!
once i am up to walking there and running home every other workout (the alternant one i WILL walk/run...because i have a hard day then an alternate day...and i don't want to be too tired for the hard day).  then i will add at least walking home if my husband is available to take me there.

i'm trying my hardest to break this plateau.  can you really call it a plateau when the only reason i'm not losing is because of what i AM eating?  lol

i'm going to be sore tomorrow.  i can feel it already.  yikes!
Wanna B thin again...is almost there!

anyone use, or have researched

bodybugg or gowear?

what's the difference? 

price

monthly fees

features

pros

cons....

any other info about them?

not sure if i want to commit to something like that,

but with B-day and Christmas coming up,

thought i would look into for a possible gift request!

Wanna B thin again...is almost there!

Those of you with a WII

I'm NOT a video game person.  AT. ALL.

From what i understand, this is nothing like that.
what's reccommended?
I know i will need the console.
What else will i need?
what are the best things to get for exercise or/and fun?
I want something that i can do as fun workouts, but also have fun with the family.
I'm CLUELESS!
The husband asked me what i wanted for my birthday, and that is one of the things that came to mind.

he thinks i've lost my mind because i am known for saying, video games ROT YOUR BRAIN!  (i always pick on my older kids by telling them that!)

Wanna B thin again...is almost there!

in the TEENS!!!

It's now NINETEEN days until my appointment!
i made this appointment MONTHS ago.
I made the appointment that far out with what i thought was enough time to get to my original goal. I'm hoping i make it now!! 
I'm going for my first plastic surgery consult!!
I will be going to Dr. Todd Adam. 
i have seen a few patients of his pics and i was very impressed!

I do not plan to have surgery until March 2010. 
our reasoning:
we don't want to finance anything
we will use tax money to pay for it.
we will have help with the care of the little ones
my husband usually takes time off from work in march
it will give me time to maintain or  lose more (whatever the Dr. recommends)

I'm SO excited!!!

Wanna B thin again...is almost there!

NSV, scale victory and an appointment

I called yesterday and my appointment is for 8:00 monday morning!  WHEW!  it was a relief just KNOWING i would get my restriction back...SOON!

i ate SO much better yesterday, had my water (after working out, i downed a bottle of water in 2 drinks...before realizing what i did!  can we say NO restriction?)

Scale Victory...the scale showed 126 this morning!  WHEW....it's going down.  it made me realize that i need to get my water in, eat meals, don't graze .  PLAN my day.  if i snack, PLAN them and make good choices for them.

NSV.  yesterday we had some serious conversations with my oldest (17).  after letting him know how proud i was of his desicions, i told him  i love him, and hugged him.  he gave me a huge hug, arms all the way around me.  After letting go, he said...."gosh mom, you are TINY!" 
he is thin (5'10" and 140-145)  his girlfriend is THIN (about 5'8" and 120)...and he called me TINY!  WOW! 
then...I was talking with his girlfriends mom (in person) and she said, 'i have to tell you...it's been a few weeks since i have seen you, but you just keep on shrinking...you are so little'
heehee...i said, thank you (aren't compliments the hardest to JUST accept without explination?  i SO wanted to say, THANK YOU...i SO NEEDED TO HEAR THAT because i've been up and down and driving myself crazy with feeling terrible about gaining and not eating right and, and, and......)
i just said, Thank you.  and left with a jump in my step and a smile on my face! 

I'm very short.  only 4'10.5".  although the Dr has it written at 4'11"  heehee...it seems the lower my weight, the more i get that they didn't realize HOW short i am.  No one understands why i would want to lose more, but even in the 120's, i'm one of the 'bigger girls' in our family!  most of the women in my family are right at 5' and under 100 pounds.  no one looks sick, or malnourished...we are just little, petite, tiny  people. 

I can carry more weight and look smaller than most of them because i have more muscle than they do, thank goodness!  LOL  i cannot imagine needing or wanting to be under 100 pounds!  that would make me look like death sick. 
I was in gymnastics for MANY MANY years as a child and teenager and it takes very little to build the muscles back. 



Wanna B thin again...is almost there!

fill er up!

I still haven't started my period, no headache (period usually starts the day after my migraine stops), and i'm gaining!  NOT GOOD!

i'm freaking out!  I want my fill back.  maybe not the 1 cc he took out, but half of that for now!

I'm calling in just a few minutes (when they open) to schedule an appointment.  he told me to wait 2 weeks.  it's been 2 weeks.  on MY scale (weighing naked, before anything to eat or drink) my lowest has been 124 (128 on his, but that was fully clothed).  this morning, i was 128!  ARGH!!! 

it's like my head is telling me i'm going to wake up in the morning and ALL the weight will be back! 

I was hoping to not get a fill until after my birthday on the 29th so i could go eat out with my family and no one notices anything (remember, only my mom and hubby knows about my band).

at this point, i do not care if i get a fill NOW.....

ok, it's after 8.....going make the call...

FILL ER UP!

Wanna B thin again...is almost there!