okay okay new year...I let ALOT of things slack off at the end of last year but it's time to pull in the reins and get the control back !! I've realized that I did learn alot about myself through this point in my journey alot of which I learned from you guys and if it hadn't been for those nugget of discipline, self worth and accountability for my actions I could see how I would have lost total control over everything !!
The Good news is that I'm still on this journey, I havent reached my goal that I hoped I would have reached by last October but I am definitely not out of the game. The scale has creeped up a bit and I'm 20 lbs away from my goal now but trying to fight my way back to a strict discipline mind set that really helped me get through the rest of the humps along the way.
The Bad news is that I suffered a minor back injury ( Lumbar lordosis and sciatic attack) and was doing alot of PT which really derailed my running and working out. That compounded with the holidays and a cruise vacation and viola...6 pounds added to my never ending plateau of 186...so I got some real work to do but this freezing snow/rain/chil fest outside is really zapping any energy and desire to get up and get my butt moving !! ARRGGHHH !!
SO I know that in the past speaking my goals to my band buddies really got my butt in gear so hear we go...
In the next month I will..
1- get the calorie count under control
2- Cut the SBUX visits to once a day and NO MORE PEPPERMINT HOT CHOCOLATES !!!!
3- No more eye balling of serving portions, back to my trusty measuring cups
4- Lunch with friends...once a week max !!!
5- Get those 6 lbs OFF !!!
Weight today 192...this is the most I will ever allow myself to weight ever again !!! This is my battle cry !!!
What the scale says...
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Attention NYC bandits..anyone wanna join me for a hardcore ass kicking workout ?
I had heard great reviews about this boot camp at Hype gym from several people and just today I got an email with this offer for $10 a class...so I signed up for 4 classes in september and I was wondering if any of the fab city bandits want in ?
You must register for lifebooker loot, a totally free and awesome hidden deals website, in order to purchase.
Throwing it down...stubborn 16 lbs, I'm coming for you !! ROAR !!!!!
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
16 is the magic number
So my one year mark is fast approaching and as I sat down to think of everything that has happened and my transformation both physically and mentally it dawned on me that ...holy crap I only have 16 more pounds to hit my magic number that I had set way back when !!!. And the funny thing about it is that when I set that number it seem so far away and almost unreachable. I set it like " okay yeah let's say 100 lbs loss..why the hell not?" But here I am and it's like "OMG it's only 16 lbs away!!"
So here I am putting it down in writing...my FINAL goal is 16 lbs by Oct 31st. I'm giving myself enough time to do it slowly and the right way, while still focusing on working the rest of me as well, which for me is reinforcing the behavioral modification of the whole thing and the emotional ties that this is actually truly happening, but most importantly why it's actually happening !!! The way that I see it, it's happening because somewhere along the line I learned that it was about focusing on the little things within me and celebrating the little victories and setting the mini-goals. I think that if I would have looked at from day # 1 that I MUST lose 100 lbs, I would have defeated myself before I even started, but because I set these little achievable goals that gave my spirit the opportunity to celebrate and thrive on reaching them is what has worked the best !!
So that would be my biggest advice to all those that are just starting. It is very easy to get frustrated on this journey, cause we all know it's not fun and giggles, but actually many times, frustration, sweat and tears but if you do it a little bit at a time and let yourself learn and celebrate and be happy at just those 2 lbs this week...pretty soon you'll see that it's good !!!
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Emotional eating...what are you tricks?
Let's face it we all do it...some of us like me, I cushion it with a million excuse and try to rationalize the shit out of it, but it doesnt change the reality that the french fry that I am sticking in my mouth is a result of my emotions and not of a nutrional or wise food choice !! This ofcourse is compacted with the feelings of failure and remorse after 1) running to the bathroom after almost having an incident in the mall food court or 2) realizing that all the progress I made this week with the excerise just went out the window.
But alas there is a differnce this time around !!!!
Last year had I become victim to an episode of emotional eating I would have thrown in the towel and called it quits on another attempt to diet. "after all I minus will have the choclate cheese cake from cheese cake factory if I already ate the plate of fries right ??" But what is different this time around is that I have learned to recognize what you would call isolated incidents, as my bodies "check engine light" Really if I expect to never have a french fry or to never have more than one godiva choclate then I'm really just setting myself up for disaster. So i have chosen to look at these episodes of weak eating caused by my emotions as disaster preventors.... that something is going on and I need to pay more attnetion to me and work it out.
I would love to hear how you guys deal with your emotional eating and what tricks you've found that work for you ?
In the meantime I am posting the latest article from Katie Jay, focusing on just this topic...enjoy !
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How to Get Your Brain to Work With You
(Not Against You)
by Katie Jay, MSW, Certified Wellness Coach
Director, National Association for Weight Loss Surgery
www.nawls.com
(This is the second article in my series on
psychological considerations after WLS)
When my son was four he threw a big tantrum at a
pool party. My husband and I were ready to go home;
our son was not. So he went into a rage. As the 100
or so people at the party stared at us (probably
feeling grateful it wasn't their child screaming)
we attempted to subdue our monster.
It was our own fault. Our son had not eaten
dinner, only junk food. And I realized too late
that his blood sugar was crashing. You see, like
his mother, when he didn't eat on time, and get
enough protein in, he became very agitated.
If we had lined up everyone at the pool, we would
have gotten many different opinions about what
was wrong with my son:
He has overindulgent parents
He's a brat
He doesn't have any manners
He can't control himself
He is tired
He's trying to get attention
He is sick
He is bad
(And we judge ourselves this way, too, when
we feel out of control, etc.!)
Very few people would have guessed low blood
sugar. Very few people would have made the food/mood
connection. The only reason I did was because after
years of depression and a bad temper, I was diagnosed
with type II diabetes. (The doctor didn't make the
food/mood connection, either. My husband was the
first to notice that improvement :o).
When I began to eat protein at regular intervals,
and cut back on sugar and refined carbs, my mood
improved. When we began feeding out son protein
at regular intervals, the tantrums stopped.
After WLS, it is more important than ever for us
to understand and acknowledge the food/mood
connection.
We often call it "emotional eating" and tell
ourselves we are weak willed. But it's not that
simple.
Kathleen Des Maisons, in her book, "The Sugar
Addict's Total Recovery Program, and Anne
Katherine, in her book, "The Anatomy of a Food
Addiction," both discuss at length what happens
in the brain when we eat certain foods. (And how
eating certain foods can help brain chemistry
that is out of whack.)
Here's one scientific example from Des Maisons:
"Sugar-activated beta-endorphin [a chemical in
the brain that is released when a person eats
sugar or refined carbs] changes emotions as
well as physical feelings. Not only does sugar
reduce physical pain in [a certain type of
mouse]; it also reduces the pain of loss or
social isolation.
"When baby mice are taken from
their mothers, they cry. Scientists measured the
number of times the babies cried in a specified
number of minutes. They gave the babies sugar
water, and, no surprise, they stopped crying.
"The 'isolation distress' was significantly
lessened by sugar. Sugar creates a temporary
flood of beta-endorphins, thus numbing the
emotional pain of separation."
Some people can drastically reduce their low
mood by choosing a more effective food plan
(and regular, moderate exercise helps, too).
While others, will also need medication and/or
therapy (I use both).
Depression and anxiety are common among WLS
patients. So, no matter what the cause of the
mood issue, treating it will help you keep
your weight in check.
Let's face it, when your brain chemistry is
working against you, your WLS journey will be
longer and more challenging, if not impossible.
You can have good intentions, and know what
you're supposed to do, but this knowledge won't
help if you're too depressed to get up in the
morning, or too anxious to move forward.
Sometimes medication and/or therapy are needed
to help you stay focused and to give you the
mental and emotional strength you need to stay
on your path.
My son is 17 now, and we both know that when
we're feeling irritable or irrationally angry,
it's time for a healthy, protein-based snack.
Once we knew what the problem was, we were able
to take steps to solve it.
You have that ability, too.
As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts on these
important issues.
But alas there is a differnce this time around !!!!
Last year had I become victim to an episode of emotional eating I would have thrown in the towel and called it quits on another attempt to diet. "after all I minus will have the choclate cheese cake from cheese cake factory if I already ate the plate of fries right ??" But what is different this time around is that I have learned to recognize what you would call isolated incidents, as my bodies "check engine light" Really if I expect to never have a french fry or to never have more than one godiva choclate then I'm really just setting myself up for disaster. So i have chosen to look at these episodes of weak eating caused by my emotions as disaster preventors.... that something is going on and I need to pay more attnetion to me and work it out.
I would love to hear how you guys deal with your emotional eating and what tricks you've found that work for you ?
In the meantime I am posting the latest article from Katie Jay, focusing on just this topic...enjoy !
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How to Get Your Brain to Work With You
(Not Against You)
by Katie Jay, MSW, Certified Wellness Coach
Director, National Association for Weight Loss Surgery
www.nawls.com
(This is the second article in my series on
psychological considerations after WLS)
When my son was four he threw a big tantrum at a
pool party. My husband and I were ready to go home;
our son was not. So he went into a rage. As the 100
or so people at the party stared at us (probably
feeling grateful it wasn't their child screaming)
we attempted to subdue our monster.
It was our own fault. Our son had not eaten
dinner, only junk food. And I realized too late
that his blood sugar was crashing. You see, like
his mother, when he didn't eat on time, and get
enough protein in, he became very agitated.
If we had lined up everyone at the pool, we would
have gotten many different opinions about what
was wrong with my son:
He has overindulgent parents
He's a brat
He doesn't have any manners
He can't control himself
He is tired
He's trying to get attention
He is sick
He is bad
(And we judge ourselves this way, too, when
we feel out of control, etc.!)
Very few people would have guessed low blood
sugar. Very few people would have made the food/mood
connection. The only reason I did was because after
years of depression and a bad temper, I was diagnosed
with type II diabetes. (The doctor didn't make the
food/mood connection, either. My husband was the
first to notice that improvement :o).
When I began to eat protein at regular intervals,
and cut back on sugar and refined carbs, my mood
improved. When we began feeding out son protein
at regular intervals, the tantrums stopped.
After WLS, it is more important than ever for us
to understand and acknowledge the food/mood
connection.
We often call it "emotional eating" and tell
ourselves we are weak willed. But it's not that
simple.
Kathleen Des Maisons, in her book, "The Sugar
Addict's Total Recovery Program, and Anne
Katherine, in her book, "The Anatomy of a Food
Addiction," both discuss at length what happens
in the brain when we eat certain foods. (And how
eating certain foods can help brain chemistry
that is out of whack.)
Here's one scientific example from Des Maisons:
"Sugar-activated beta-endorphin [a chemical in
the brain that is released when a person eats
sugar or refined carbs] changes emotions as
well as physical feelings. Not only does sugar
reduce physical pain in [a certain type of
mouse]; it also reduces the pain of loss or
social isolation.
"When baby mice are taken from
their mothers, they cry. Scientists measured the
number of times the babies cried in a specified
number of minutes. They gave the babies sugar
water, and, no surprise, they stopped crying.
"The 'isolation distress' was significantly
lessened by sugar. Sugar creates a temporary
flood of beta-endorphins, thus numbing the
emotional pain of separation."
Some people can drastically reduce their low
mood by choosing a more effective food plan
(and regular, moderate exercise helps, too).
While others, will also need medication and/or
therapy (I use both).
Depression and anxiety are common among WLS
patients. So, no matter what the cause of the
mood issue, treating it will help you keep
your weight in check.
Let's face it, when your brain chemistry is
working against you, your WLS journey will be
longer and more challenging, if not impossible.
You can have good intentions, and know what
you're supposed to do, but this knowledge won't
help if you're too depressed to get up in the
morning, or too anxious to move forward.
Sometimes medication and/or therapy are needed
to help you stay focused and to give you the
mental and emotional strength you need to stay
on your path.
My son is 17 now, and we both know that when
we're feeling irritable or irrationally angry,
it's time for a healthy, protein-based snack.
Once we knew what the problem was, we were able
to take steps to solve it.
You have that ability, too.
As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts on these
important issues.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Laughs with the lovely NYC ladies and a picture of me in shorts !! LOL
Hola my wonderful people...
Just wanted to jump in with a couple of quick words and a scandalous picture of my first public appearance in shorts ( LOL!!) .
I got to meet the lovely NYC bandster ladies for brunch today at Dos Caminos. How can some totally candid conversation accompained by a prickly pear margarita not be great??. Along with seeing how incredibly outrageous Jen looks, sporting a flat belly ( YOU GO GIRL!!) and va-va voom Colls ( I think that's your new nickname girlfriend!) I got to meet 3 more awesome ladies..Carla from Lovinglucylapband, Megan from bandedtolose and Morgan who we're all hoping to see her blogging soon. Great ladies doing just wonderful. Carla is rocking it as a sexy momma to be and Megan has a nice solid start on her journey. For all those vets Megan is going through bandster hell right now and I know would benefit from our support so stop on by her blog when you get the chance. I also got a chance to meet Katherine which I have been following from the start of my journey a year ago but never got the chance to meet her at the other brunches...she looks fantastic !!!
As for me my projects keep getting more involved at work so I'm still being some what delinquent on my blogging but I haven't forgotten about all of you my banded beauties !! I've decided that I'm gonna put my blogging updates on my outlook to remind myself ( Sick isn't it ??!!!)
While my weight is still at a rock solid 188 ( ARRGHH!!) I am delighted that it seems like the rest of my body seems to be cooperating. This past weekend I walked into Banana Republic ( something I wouldnt dream of doing 6 months ago) and I bodly walked up picked out a pair of pants from the rack and headed to the fitting room. Put them on, zipped them up and almost squeeled like a mad pig on the run when I realized that I just put on my first pair of size 12 pants in 10 years !!!!!! Can you freaking beleive it !!! A SIZE 12 !! OH MY FREAKING GOD !!! that is a whole 10 SIZES then I was at this time last year !!! I tell you that I ran out of the fitting room to the register so dam quick that I almost forgot to button my pants back on !!!
I've actually noticed more and more that I've reached a point in my journey that it's not about a number anymore but it's about appreciating and working with my body. While I still have an ultimate goal in mind, and I would love to hit the triple digit loss number, I have actually content at how my body looks and feels and I think this continues to fuel me psychologically in not beting myself up when I do have a slip up. It allows me to realize that I am human but that ultimately I am in control of my body and that it is me who has gotten it to this point and I never have to fear about letting it regain control over me.
So along with my victory at Banana republic ( sounds like a campaign) I also recently over came another fear and actually ventured out in shorts...in public !!! Now you have to understand that prior to this I would never be caught dead in shorts outside the safe confines of my apartment, but I'm out and I'm proud to be a renewed short wearer !!!
Just wanted to jump in with a couple of quick words and a scandalous picture of my first public appearance in shorts ( LOL!!) .
I got to meet the lovely NYC bandster ladies for brunch today at Dos Caminos. How can some totally candid conversation accompained by a prickly pear margarita not be great??. Along with seeing how incredibly outrageous Jen looks, sporting a flat belly ( YOU GO GIRL!!) and va-va voom Colls ( I think that's your new nickname girlfriend!) I got to meet 3 more awesome ladies..Carla from Lovinglucylapband, Megan from bandedtolose and Morgan who we're all hoping to see her blogging soon. Great ladies doing just wonderful. Carla is rocking it as a sexy momma to be and Megan has a nice solid start on her journey. For all those vets Megan is going through bandster hell right now and I know would benefit from our support so stop on by her blog when you get the chance. I also got a chance to meet Katherine which I have been following from the start of my journey a year ago but never got the chance to meet her at the other brunches...she looks fantastic !!!
As for me my projects keep getting more involved at work so I'm still being some what delinquent on my blogging but I haven't forgotten about all of you my banded beauties !! I've decided that I'm gonna put my blogging updates on my outlook to remind myself ( Sick isn't it ??!!!)
While my weight is still at a rock solid 188 ( ARRGHH!!) I am delighted that it seems like the rest of my body seems to be cooperating. This past weekend I walked into Banana Republic ( something I wouldnt dream of doing 6 months ago) and I bodly walked up picked out a pair of pants from the rack and headed to the fitting room. Put them on, zipped them up and almost squeeled like a mad pig on the run when I realized that I just put on my first pair of size 12 pants in 10 years !!!!!! Can you freaking beleive it !!! A SIZE 12 !! OH MY FREAKING GOD !!! that is a whole 10 SIZES then I was at this time last year !!! I tell you that I ran out of the fitting room to the register so dam quick that I almost forgot to button my pants back on !!!
I've actually noticed more and more that I've reached a point in my journey that it's not about a number anymore but it's about appreciating and working with my body. While I still have an ultimate goal in mind, and I would love to hit the triple digit loss number, I have actually content at how my body looks and feels and I think this continues to fuel me psychologically in not beting myself up when I do have a slip up. It allows me to realize that I am human but that ultimately I am in control of my body and that it is me who has gotten it to this point and I never have to fear about letting it regain control over me.
So along with my victory at Banana republic ( sounds like a campaign) I also recently over came another fear and actually ventured out in shorts...in public !!! Now you have to understand that prior to this I would never be caught dead in shorts outside the safe confines of my apartment, but I'm out and I'm proud to be a renewed short wearer !!!
Saturday, July 10, 2010
I cant believe that it's almost been a year...
Today is my 11 monthaversary ( a term my hubby coined when we were dating) since a little piece of silicone came into my life and gave it back to me. You know I've been getting compliments from people on how completely different I look, on how I am unrecognizable and mostly how my face has totally changed...but the funny thing is that it's only recently that I have started making those same comments to my mirror twin. I saw it on the scale and I saw the numbers shrinking in my clothes tags but it is just recently that I, very narcissistically btw, have been admiring myself in the mirror and caught my self saying..."damn girl you look good!" LOL I know silly isn't it but I guess the whole new me, meaning physically, emotionally, eating habits, working out and psychologically is all starting to come together...do you know what I mean ??? Has anyone else experienced this ??
I am posting a comparison pic of me with my niece.This before pic was one of the ones that brought me to tears when I first saw it. I couldnt beleive that I had allowed myself to get that big....it's nice to see that things can most definitely be changed...
Barbara had posted a question earlier as to whether the band had actually made a behavioral modification or was the weight loss just a result of not being able to eat as much?? I thought it was a very intresting topic and I'm sure she got answers as varied as a bag of M&M's but in my case, especially given what I've seen lately I think it has changed the way I think and the way I feel about my body. I can remember how before if I wanted something I ate it and if I wanted more I ate it as well and when I felt bad about the 2nd serving I said.."so what damage is already done!" and ate a 3rd or 4th just because I was try to quell the pitty party. I also remember that before if I was hungry I needed to EAT NOW !!! and that meant pulling into the nearest Mc'Ds and ordering some french fries...funny to think that I actually treated those 22g of saturated fat sticks as a snack !! It's a totally different ball game now!! I see the changes in my mirror twin and I see how good I look in whatever I pull out of my closet, I hear the compliments and feel the strength in my legs as I push myself to jog that extra block and there is NO WAY that I wanna ever insult and desecrate my body the way that I use to !!!! Today if I want a piece of godiva I eat a piece of godiva and that's it cause I AM MORE IMPORTANT that a piece of choclate !! If I am hungry, I will find a sensible 100 calorie option to snack on because I AM WORTH MORE than a convinient excuse !! I guess what I am trying to say is that I have finally realized that I AM WORTH IT !!! and I AM PROUD OF MYSELF !!!
All of you ladies should be proud of yourself whether you are 10,20 or 100 lbs from your goal because you are here blogging and reading and investing in yourself. It's about GD time we all give a BIG FU to all those things that try to control our lives and keep us down and say I DONT THINK SO...bcuz I AM WORTH IT !!!
XOXOXXO
I am posting a comparison pic of me with my niece.This before pic was one of the ones that brought me to tears when I first saw it. I couldnt beleive that I had allowed myself to get that big....it's nice to see that things can most definitely be changed...
Barbara had posted a question earlier as to whether the band had actually made a behavioral modification or was the weight loss just a result of not being able to eat as much?? I thought it was a very intresting topic and I'm sure she got answers as varied as a bag of M&M's but in my case, especially given what I've seen lately I think it has changed the way I think and the way I feel about my body. I can remember how before if I wanted something I ate it and if I wanted more I ate it as well and when I felt bad about the 2nd serving I said.."so what damage is already done!" and ate a 3rd or 4th just because I was try to quell the pitty party. I also remember that before if I was hungry I needed to EAT NOW !!! and that meant pulling into the nearest Mc'Ds and ordering some french fries...funny to think that I actually treated those 22g of saturated fat sticks as a snack !! It's a totally different ball game now!! I see the changes in my mirror twin and I see how good I look in whatever I pull out of my closet, I hear the compliments and feel the strength in my legs as I push myself to jog that extra block and there is NO WAY that I wanna ever insult and desecrate my body the way that I use to !!!! Today if I want a piece of godiva I eat a piece of godiva and that's it cause I AM MORE IMPORTANT that a piece of choclate !! If I am hungry, I will find a sensible 100 calorie option to snack on because I AM WORTH MORE than a convinient excuse !! I guess what I am trying to say is that I have finally realized that I AM WORTH IT !!! and I AM PROUD OF MYSELF !!!
All of you ladies should be proud of yourself whether you are 10,20 or 100 lbs from your goal because you are here blogging and reading and investing in yourself. It's about GD time we all give a BIG FU to all those things that try to control our lives and keep us down and say I DONT THINK SO...bcuz I AM WORTH IT !!!
XOXOXXO
Thursday, July 8, 2010
I'm back on the "band" wagon...I think !!
Well it goes without saying, as some of you have probably figured by my abscence that I've had a serious problem with my time management lately ! This "problem" has spilled to all parts including my weight loss efforts !!! Arrgghhh!! As you can tell by my ticker my weight has not budge a fuddlewagging inch!!! Still at good'ole 188. Yes granted I can look at the positive side of things, which Ive been relying on alot and say that "at least" I haven't gained...but really for how long can I drag that out?? So I looked at myself in the mirror this morning and said " Jacquie cut the crap!! and get your ass back on track!!!" So here I am back to my blogging and the much needed support as well as back in the gym. Dont get me wrong I did do "some" exercise but nothing like I was prior. But today I went back to the gym and did my good'ole step class. How did I fare you ask? well...I'm gonna be hurting BAD tomorrow..as a matter fact probably in about 30 mins...but I made it through, didn't take the short cuts, pumped up the intensity and sweated like a pig in the sauna..but all in all I feel good !! ( thank heavens for those endorphins!!!)
the one thing that is obviously a clear lesson learned from my hiatus is that it's much easier to cut corners and talk yourself out of doing the things you should be doing when you aren't accountable for them to someone...hence while our community here is a blessing and a must on the journey to healthy bodies, minds and successful weight loss !!
BTW thanks to my wonderful Jen !! Message received hun and it gave me that push I needed so XOXOXOXO !!!!
I'm including below a very appropriate article by Katie Jay which was timed just right for what I am going through and I hope it can be of help to others !!
TTYL !!!
XOXOX
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Right Ingredients for WLS Success
by Katie Jay, MSW, Certified Wellness Coach
Director, National Association for Weight Loss Surgery
www.nawls.com
In my upcoming retreat in Ocean Isle, NC (which is sold
out), we will be focusing on the "right recipe" for long-
term WLS success. So, I have been thinking. What do WLS
patients need to include in their "recipe" to get their
best possible WLS outcome?
In last week's article, I talked about the things Dr.
Cynthia Buffington recommends -- the physical things.
This week, I want to remind us all about the psycho-
logical fare we require on our journey. Because no
matter how well we know what we are supposed to do
physically, if we can't get ourselves to do it, we
aren't going to get very far.
Deep down, most of us know these things need to be
addressed, but sometimes we avoid them out of fear or
a dislike for discomfort. Still, if we don't consider
the truth about long-term recovery, if we don't know
what the target looks like from a "mindset" perspective,
how can we get there?
Many of the world's great faiths and philosophies teach
us that mindset matters. Most of us have heard the verse
from the Bible, "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is
he."
So, here is my top five list of psychological
considerations that most of us will need to face
on our journeys to peace with food and our bodies:
1. On a long, arduous journey, getting help is not
optional -- it's essential.
You'll need a good map, provisions, an emergency kit,
a safe place to rest, sustenance, help overcoming
obstacles, and insight and encouragement from those
who have already made the journey.
2. When your brain chemistry is working against you,
your journey will be longer and more challenging, if
not impossible.
Knowing where you're going, and having your provisions,
won't help if you're too depressed to get up in the
morning, or too anxious to move forward. Sometimes
medication and/or therapy are needed to help you stay
focused and to give you the mental and emotional
strength you need to stay on your path.
3. You harbor beliefs that will hold you back, so you'll
need to take responsibility for rethinking and replacing
the beliefs that don't serve your highest good.
Old beliefs can keep you locked in a story you tell
yourself about the journey. Beliefs like, "I can't
control my eating," "If I lose too much weight, I will
become promiscuous," "Your time and needs are more
important than mine," "You are an adult, but I can't
trust you to take care of yourself -- so, I am doing
it for you," "Exercise is too much work," "I can't
live without chocolate," "I don't deserve to succeed,"
"If I lose too much weight, I'll lose my friends."
4. To create a new you (a you who can withstand the
challenges of the journey), you have to be fully
present for the planning and implementation process.
When you engage in escapist activities; i.e., overeating,
drinking alcohol, gossiping, staying too busy, people
pleasing (focusing always on others); you are not
present with your own thoughts and feelings -- you're
not available to support and encourage your new self.
Learning to tolerate being present with your
uncomfortable thoughts and feelings is the only way
you can learn to shift away from discouraging or
counterproductive thoughts and become more accepting
of your entire emotional palette.
5. To find your truth, your success, your peace ...
you have to head toward Reality. Anything else you
desire, you'll seek, but never find.
I've heard it put many ways, but the bottom line is
the truth WILL set you free -- it is the key ingredient
in your recipe for WLS success. You just can't solve a
problem if you don't know what it really is.
Counting calories doesn't cure depression and eating
protein will not keep you from over-focusing on other
people's needs. When we refuse to see the truth, we
stumble in the darkness.
Many of us tell ourselves a story about why we are the
way we are, but those stories may or may not be based
on reality. The process of finding your truth is a
critical part of your journey.
WLS is not the easy way out. But there are many
ingredients you can add to your WLS recipe to gently
move through the psychological, emotional, and social
issues that arise as you cook up your yummy life.
Over the next five weeks, I'll discuss each of these
five psychological considerations in greater depth.
the one thing that is obviously a clear lesson learned from my hiatus is that it's much easier to cut corners and talk yourself out of doing the things you should be doing when you aren't accountable for them to someone...hence while our community here is a blessing and a must on the journey to healthy bodies, minds and successful weight loss !!
BTW thanks to my wonderful Jen !! Message received hun and it gave me that push I needed so XOXOXOXO !!!!
I'm including below a very appropriate article by Katie Jay which was timed just right for what I am going through and I hope it can be of help to others !!
TTYL !!!
XOXOX
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Right Ingredients for WLS Success
by Katie Jay, MSW, Certified Wellness Coach
Director, National Association for Weight Loss Surgery
www.nawls.com
In my upcoming retreat in Ocean Isle, NC (which is sold
out), we will be focusing on the "right recipe" for long-
term WLS success. So, I have been thinking. What do WLS
patients need to include in their "recipe" to get their
best possible WLS outcome?
In last week's article, I talked about the things Dr.
Cynthia Buffington recommends -- the physical things.
This week, I want to remind us all about the psycho-
logical fare we require on our journey. Because no
matter how well we know what we are supposed to do
physically, if we can't get ourselves to do it, we
aren't going to get very far.
Deep down, most of us know these things need to be
addressed, but sometimes we avoid them out of fear or
a dislike for discomfort. Still, if we don't consider
the truth about long-term recovery, if we don't know
what the target looks like from a "mindset" perspective,
how can we get there?
Many of the world's great faiths and philosophies teach
us that mindset matters. Most of us have heard the verse
from the Bible, "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is
he."
So, here is my top five list of psychological
considerations that most of us will need to face
on our journeys to peace with food and our bodies:
1. On a long, arduous journey, getting help is not
optional -- it's essential.
You'll need a good map, provisions, an emergency kit,
a safe place to rest, sustenance, help overcoming
obstacles, and insight and encouragement from those
who have already made the journey.
2. When your brain chemistry is working against you,
your journey will be longer and more challenging, if
not impossible.
Knowing where you're going, and having your provisions,
won't help if you're too depressed to get up in the
morning, or too anxious to move forward. Sometimes
medication and/or therapy are needed to help you stay
focused and to give you the mental and emotional
strength you need to stay on your path.
3. You harbor beliefs that will hold you back, so you'll
need to take responsibility for rethinking and replacing
the beliefs that don't serve your highest good.
Old beliefs can keep you locked in a story you tell
yourself about the journey. Beliefs like, "I can't
control my eating," "If I lose too much weight, I will
become promiscuous," "Your time and needs are more
important than mine," "You are an adult, but I can't
trust you to take care of yourself -- so, I am doing
it for you," "Exercise is too much work," "I can't
live without chocolate," "I don't deserve to succeed,"
"If I lose too much weight, I'll lose my friends."
4. To create a new you (a you who can withstand the
challenges of the journey), you have to be fully
present for the planning and implementation process.
When you engage in escapist activities; i.e., overeating,
drinking alcohol, gossiping, staying too busy, people
pleasing (focusing always on others); you are not
present with your own thoughts and feelings -- you're
not available to support and encourage your new self.
Learning to tolerate being present with your
uncomfortable thoughts and feelings is the only way
you can learn to shift away from discouraging or
counterproductive thoughts and become more accepting
of your entire emotional palette.
5. To find your truth, your success, your peace ...
you have to head toward Reality. Anything else you
desire, you'll seek, but never find.
I've heard it put many ways, but the bottom line is
the truth WILL set you free -- it is the key ingredient
in your recipe for WLS success. You just can't solve a
problem if you don't know what it really is.
Counting calories doesn't cure depression and eating
protein will not keep you from over-focusing on other
people's needs. When we refuse to see the truth, we
stumble in the darkness.
Many of us tell ourselves a story about why we are the
way we are, but those stories may or may not be based
on reality. The process of finding your truth is a
critical part of your journey.
WLS is not the easy way out. But there are many
ingredients you can add to your WLS recipe to gently
move through the psychological, emotional, and social
issues that arise as you cook up your yummy life.
Over the next five weeks, I'll discuss each of these
five psychological considerations in greater depth.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Still catching up......
WOW I cant believe how freaking fab everyone is doing !! I STILL have a ton of catching up to do but just wanted to say how proud of y'all I am...just for starters... Jen is looking so totally bootylicious in her new dresses...Cara has hit the one year mark and is just a super fantastic role model both inside and out...Angie just continues to rock it...etc etc I still have so many of you to be amazed by! The one thing that I've realized throughout my self inflicted exile is that support is the name of the game. For me while I haven't gained weight I haven't loss weight either there past 4 months...maybe it was all the stress...maybe it was the not having the time or discipline that I was so rigorously following before...maybe it was this or that but I do know that the one thing that is a definite no brainer in being successful is that kick in the butt that you ladies so lovingly and readily give to keep the line moving down...which is a very welcomed kick in the butt if I do say !!
So as I try to regain my momentum I am sadistically requesting some extra kick in the butts to get me moving again...he he !!!
On another note here are some pics from graduation.. the hubby didn't get any pics of my super rocking size 14 Calvin Kline little number under the gown but I'll just have to take another one...I'm proud as hell of fitting into that little beauty !!!
So as I try to regain my momentum I am sadistically requesting some extra kick in the butts to get me moving again...he he !!!
On another note here are some pics from graduation.. the hubby didn't get any pics of my super rocking size 14 Calvin Kline little number under the gown but I'll just have to take another one...I'm proud as hell of fitting into that little beauty !!!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
I'm back and with some great news !!!
WOW !!! These last couple of months have most certainly been a roller coaster full of incredible high's and some pretty deep low's !! But at last I have emerged from my most thrilling ride and along with me is a little piece of paper that I am so glad to have and that sure as freaking hell gave me a hell of a headache this past semester to get my hands on !!! While my weight has remained in a solid 188 ( no budging even with a fill) I feel great and so pleased with my accomplishments that I really have no reason to bitch. I loved every minute of my graduation that took place this past monday in Pennsylvania and I mostly loved that I rocked it in a size 14 Calvin Kline little white dress ( yay baby!!)
So I promise to try to catch up with the goings on that I've missed...it feels like I've been living outside the city walls. I am sure that you all have made tremendous strides in your journeys and cant wait to read all about it....so I guess I better get to reading and typing !!!
MUAH :-*
Monday, April 12, 2010
Sorry...sorry...sorry !!!!
It seems like I'm doing alot of apologizing lately for my lack of time management but I promise that I will return to my diligent blogging self soon !! My last EVER final is on Cinco de Mayo ( May 5th... how appropriate right??!!!!) so after that I will be free to post and catch up with all of my dear bloggers that I have truly been missing !!
Hey Jen isn't that a soo appropriate weekend for some prickly pear margaritas ??? LOL !!
See you soon !!! and WISH ME LUCK !!!!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
I've been a bad bad blogger !!!
If this isn't proof that it takes a village to slim a woman I don't know what is !!! I stop blogging for a week or two because midterms were just driving me nuts and what do I get for that...up 2..down 1...up 1..down 2...up 2 and it goes bouncing all around. WHY ? well dud maybe cause I'm sitting here eating a freaking chocolate chip cookie while I'm writing this !!! Silly Jacquie cookies make you fat !!!! So I will make my pledge to never abandon my life line cause I now know that TEMPTATIOn and stress are in cohoots with one another and they are the masters of disguise !!!!
So now that mid-terms are over it's time to get my ass in the gym and catch up on the blogs !!! I feel like I've been stranded on flashcard island and my exit visa just came through !!! FINALLY !!!!
I've missed you all so much !!!!
So now that mid-terms are over it's time to get my ass in the gym and catch up on the blogs !!! I feel like I've been stranded on flashcard island and my exit visa just came through !!! FINALLY !!!!
I've missed you all so much !!!!
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
And the winner is....
Hola people !! i apologize for my late posting with the challenge winners but WOW things are REALLY picking up at work and especially with school so I am on a TIGHT time crunch !!! So I want to apologize ahead of time if I'm a little flaky the next couple of weeks with my blogging and catching up with your blogs but promise as soon as things settle down I'll be back on track !!
Given my time situation last week I asked for volunteers to take over these weight challenges. I think they are a wonderful resource and a hell of a motivator and would hate to see them fall by the way side due to my hectic schedule !! Happily Kristen has volunteered to take these challenges over and we should be hearing of a spring one soon !! So stay tuned to her blog for details !!
I want to congratulate all the ladies to took on this 6 week challenge to focus on learning to love ourselves, our new bodies, minds and selves !!! We all did a fantastic job and loss a combined weight on 161 lbs !! ( LOL that's my goal weight !!!) and the weight of a full grown adult..can you believe that ??!!! Nicole did a super duper job and lead the pack with a final loss of over 7% of her body weight !! Great job girl !!!!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
One more week on the love me challenge !!
Here you go ladies another great week with some amazing numbers !! We got one more week to go on the challenge so lets give it what we got to get to that amazing 200 lbs loss !!!
I'm also calling out for a new challenge keeper !! I love what these challenges do not only for motivation and to help keep us accountable but I think they're a great way to share our successes !! I would love to keep these going but lately I am in a total time crunch between school and work! So I would really appreciate if some were willing to take torch and keep these going for our community. I'll gladly pass on the spreadsheet ! Just please leave me a comment or email me mrscutecuban@gmail.com
Sunday, February 21, 2010
The Won Ton treaty
Some of you might remember my post last month about the The Chinese Food Incident and how I lost total control over my portions resulting in a not so happy tummy ache. It was simply a result of eating with my eyes over my brain !! I think this is still one of the hardest things that I have to face almost on a daily basis when contemplating my portions. It was much easier to deal with this issue pre-band because I just ate and ate and then when I thought I was done but had just 2 spoonfuls of yummy goodness left on the plate I ate that too !!!
Fast forward to post band and this dilemma isn't as easily resolved and it is a constant mental struggle that I need to reteach myself everyday !!! I guess it is part of making peace with the idea that food while its okay to enjoy is still just a means of sustenance. The old adage that we eat to live not live to eat rings as true as ever !!
If I examine many of the things that I had to reteach myself to do properly post-band this is my area of hardest work ahead. While it is true that I am not running rampant like a kid through a candy store I must still learn to take a breath and really ask myself if that extra tablespoon of rice is truly what I want ? This nowadays more important than ever considering my fill level. that extra spoon of rice while heaven in my mouth can translate into awful pains later that night.
So the point to this post is that what I am doing to mindfully watch my portions is simply going back to the basics and yes pulling out the measuring cups until I get this right. So my Won Ton Treaty simply is that I will allow myself to have my oh-so-delicious chinese food but will measure out a 1/2 cup of rice, and a dumpling and 2 shrimps to make up the other half. I will chew thoroughly and put down the chop sticks in between. But most importantly I will listen to my band and shut out the jealous fat girl that still lives in my brain !! ( I think I should name her...any ideas?)
On another note..I hit a major goal this week thanks to my latest fill and the extra day on liquids. I have officially reached 75 lbs lost !!! I have now lost over a 1/4 of the body weight that I started with at 27.6% gone. SO EXCITED !!!
Fast forward to post band and this dilemma isn't as easily resolved and it is a constant mental struggle that I need to reteach myself everyday !!! I guess it is part of making peace with the idea that food while its okay to enjoy is still just a means of sustenance. The old adage that we eat to live not live to eat rings as true as ever !!
If I examine many of the things that I had to reteach myself to do properly post-band this is my area of hardest work ahead. While it is true that I am not running rampant like a kid through a candy store I must still learn to take a breath and really ask myself if that extra tablespoon of rice is truly what I want ? This nowadays more important than ever considering my fill level. that extra spoon of rice while heaven in my mouth can translate into awful pains later that night.
So the point to this post is that what I am doing to mindfully watch my portions is simply going back to the basics and yes pulling out the measuring cups until I get this right. So my Won Ton Treaty simply is that I will allow myself to have my oh-so-delicious chinese food but will measure out a 1/2 cup of rice, and a dumpling and 2 shrimps to make up the other half. I will chew thoroughly and put down the chop sticks in between. But most importantly I will listen to my band and shut out the jealous fat girl that still lives in my brain !! ( I think I should name her...any ideas?)
On another note..I hit a major goal this week thanks to my latest fill and the extra day on liquids. I have officially reached 75 lbs lost !!! I have now lost over a 1/4 of the body weight that I started with at 27.6% gone. SO EXCITED !!!
Friday, February 19, 2010
Eating your feelings away...
Many of you already know that I am a big fan of katie jay's articles...this one especially !! Like many of you reading this post I struggled and still am struggling with understanding how to feel my feelings and how to deal with them instead of eating through them !!! This article is great in putting these issues into perspective. It helped me and I hope it helps you as well !!
later chicas !
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Would You Rather Eat than Feel?
How to Make Friends with Your Feelings
By Katie Jay, MSW
Director, National Association for WLS
www.nawls.com
One of the common phrases we hear when it comes to
weight-loss-surgery stumbling blocks is "Emotional
Eating."
Emotional eating involves using food to manage your
mood. Many of us have been known to eat to calm down,
diminish anxiety, soothe ourselves, and to relieve
many other non-hunger-related feelings.
Sometimes people can be very hard on themselves
about emotional eating. They use it as another bit
of evidence they are doomed to fail at weight loss.
When you don't allow yourself to feel uncomfortable
feelings, you can derail your pursuit to better
health. But remember that choosing not to feel your
feelings is a choice, not a handicap. You do not
have to be a victim of emotional eating.
Your emotions, and your desire to avoid them, do
not have to run your life. You can run your life.
In fact, you are the captain in charge of the ship
known as your life.
As the captain of your ship, you can choose to
learn how to identify uncomfortable feelings, how
to sit with them, how to analyze them, and how to
use the information you glean to get you where you
want to go in life.
One of the best tools you can use to achieve your
goals and dreams in life is to embrace your feelings
-- to allow yourself to *feel* them, study them, and
learn from them.
Sounds simple enough -- but a lot of us hate feeling
our feelings. Even the feelings that are positive
may scare us.
Some people use food to stay in a low-grade stupor,
safe from emotions on either extreme, and detached
from the world just a little bit.
It's safer that way, but I found my world of gray
to be a little depressing, do you?
I love this quote by John A. Shedd (Salt from My
Attic, 1928):
A ship in harbor is safe -- but that is not what
ships are built for.
When I am living in the gray area, numb, I am not
living the life I was designed to live.
Human beings have this amazing capacity for emotion,
it's truly a gift. But emotions are more than a gift,
they also are clues to our deepest needs -- clues we
are not always taught to examine and use to help us
better understand ourselves and our world.
We also have the gift of choice. As captain, we can
choose how we approach our emotional lives.
So how does one take command of her relationship
with her feelings?
Here are some things you can do to get started:
1. Line up a safe person you can talk to as you
begin to allow yourself to feel things. You may
need to vent or get reassurance. You may need help
identifying your feelings. You may be afraid of what
will come up. The process of learning to feel your
feelings can be easier if you know you have someone
safe to turn to when you need to talk. And if they
agree ahead of time to support you, you will not
feel so reluctant to call on them.
2. Build tolerance over time. You don't have to
suddenly force yourself to feel all of your feelings
right away. You can build up a tolerance by allowing
yourself short periods of time when you are consciously
tuning into your feelings and working on identifying
them and understanding what they are telling you.
Over time, it will get easier.
3. Be gentle with yourself. You may get frustrated
as you realize you will not be able to pinpoint
what each feeling is. Even though we understand
what feelings are, most of us haven't had a lot
of practice identifying which specific ones we're
feeling. Find a list of feelings online, print it
out, and use it to help you sort out what you are
feeling.
4. Get curious. Once you are identifying your
feelings, you can look at them as clues to your
inner desires and needs. Every emotion you experience
is a clue you can follow. You can ask yourself, for
example, what is my anger telling me? Some people
like to write out their questions and answers in a
journal, so they can refer back to old entries and
make connections.
5. Stick with it. The decision to take charge of
how you respond to your feelings is a big one. The
task can feel daunting, but stick with it. While it's
a challenging journey, you will travel to amazing
places you never could have imagined.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
What a pain in the...band !!!
Looking back I really have to super thankful that I never really had any "issues" with my band...till tuesday night and that last fill !!
It was a freakishly small fill 0.1cc in fact .
Next to nothing in the history of the fills that have been happily plunged into you my band.
So why is it oh dear band that a 1/4 cup of pea soup upsetted you so ??
Why is it that you screamed at me with such ferosity as to have me double over in "holy moly" pain ??
Pain that made me reach for the phone in sincere worry that I had damaged you in some way?
Had you slipped? Were you stuck and couldnt get out? I thought I had done everything that you demand?
I'm glad my fears were relieved and that it was you being mad and screaming at me, so liquids for 4 days it will be !
I will do what you ask in hopes that our friendship remains and that a reward on the scale this week is not too much to ask ?!!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Because of you
I got a very touching surprise yesterday when I checked up on Colls blog that I had been nominated for a beautiful blogger award !! That in itself was so incredibly touching and sweet but doubly so were her words about why she had nominated me. So THANK YOU my sweet Colleen !!!
So here I proudly display my badge :
The rules of the nomination are :
* Thank the person who nominated you for the award
* Copy the award and post in in your blog
* Link to the blog of the person who nominated you
* Tell seven interesting things about yourself
* Nominate seven bloggers
* Post links to the blogs of your nominees
Okay so here we go with my 7 things that you probably would never guess:
1- I practiced gymnastics from the age of 3 till 15 and broke my first bone ( my clavicle) on the balance bean at my first competition
2- I danced flamenco competitively for 15 years and was actually on local TV several times even on the spanish show Sabado Gigante when I was 11.
3- I gave my sister a mohawk when she was 3 years old
4_-i was a total band geek in junior and high school
5- I am a huge civil was buff and actually go to battle reenactments ( gettysburg here I come)
6- Online dating actually worked for me and thank it for my wonderful hubby ( love you baby!!)
7- i am completely obsessed with collecting Cabbage patch kids and currently have 17 of them and still counting !!!
Now that you are questioning why you still are reading my ramblings after those confessions here are my list of ladies that are just beyond spectacular !! I wish i could list more than 7 !!!
Jen - What can i say about Jen ?? This is an incredible Chick !! We were banded almost at the same time and have just not only really found an incredible person and friend in her but just a source of positive energy !! Like others have mentioned she is just such a breath of fresh air and always has the best outlook on things !!
Roo- Lady on the move ! I completely admire Roo for her bravery and determination. Not only is she doing this on her own in a foreign country but she doesnt let her slip ups slow her down. She kicks them in the ass and keeps on going
Angie- Her blog was one of the first veteran blogs that I came across when I started blogging and she was always such a source of inspiration to me in knowing that it was doable to have such great success !!
Sarah- I love that Sarah just puts all of her issues out there good and bad so that they can help others. She was really my inspiration in getting me into running and I would love reading about her 5k post and imagining that one day that could be me.
Nicole- I just took to Nicole so easily and love that someone understands my miami-isms !! Her nurturing and caring nature is not only a comfort and a strength but an infectious pick me up !! She is just doing so great and looking so fabulous. I hope to have her stick around in my life for a long time she is just so awesome !!
Elliana- Her post just crack me up and they're always SO entertaining and truly inspiring ! I love how she always blogs about other things going on but always has a great take home message in there somewhere !!
Gen- Gen...Gen..Gen..I just totally heart her !! This lady is a true go getter ! She is what I would love to be when I grow up and become a mommy. She just manages to do it all and look great in those tankini's !!
So here I proudly display my badge :
The rules of the nomination are :
* Thank the person who nominated you for the award
* Copy the award and post in in your blog
* Link to the blog of the person who nominated you
* Tell seven interesting things about yourself
* Nominate seven bloggers
* Post links to the blogs of your nominees
Okay so here we go with my 7 things that you probably would never guess:
1- I practiced gymnastics from the age of 3 till 15 and broke my first bone ( my clavicle) on the balance bean at my first competition
2- I danced flamenco competitively for 15 years and was actually on local TV several times even on the spanish show Sabado Gigante when I was 11.
3- I gave my sister a mohawk when she was 3 years old
4_-i was a total band geek in junior and high school
5- I am a huge civil was buff and actually go to battle reenactments ( gettysburg here I come)
6- Online dating actually worked for me and thank it for my wonderful hubby ( love you baby!!)
7- i am completely obsessed with collecting Cabbage patch kids and currently have 17 of them and still counting !!!
Now that you are questioning why you still are reading my ramblings after those confessions here are my list of ladies that are just beyond spectacular !! I wish i could list more than 7 !!!
Jen - What can i say about Jen ?? This is an incredible Chick !! We were banded almost at the same time and have just not only really found an incredible person and friend in her but just a source of positive energy !! Like others have mentioned she is just such a breath of fresh air and always has the best outlook on things !!
Roo- Lady on the move ! I completely admire Roo for her bravery and determination. Not only is she doing this on her own in a foreign country but she doesnt let her slip ups slow her down. She kicks them in the ass and keeps on going
Angie- Her blog was one of the first veteran blogs that I came across when I started blogging and she was always such a source of inspiration to me in knowing that it was doable to have such great success !!
Sarah- I love that Sarah just puts all of her issues out there good and bad so that they can help others. She was really my inspiration in getting me into running and I would love reading about her 5k post and imagining that one day that could be me.
Nicole- I just took to Nicole so easily and love that someone understands my miami-isms !! Her nurturing and caring nature is not only a comfort and a strength but an infectious pick me up !! She is just doing so great and looking so fabulous. I hope to have her stick around in my life for a long time she is just so awesome !!
Elliana- Her post just crack me up and they're always SO entertaining and truly inspiring ! I love how she always blogs about other things going on but always has a great take home message in there somewhere !!
Gen- Gen...Gen..Gen..I just totally heart her !! This lady is a true go getter ! She is what I would love to be when I grow up and become a mommy. She just manages to do it all and look great in those tankini's !!
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Truly loving yourself..
Another wonderful week ladies and on such an appropriate day !!
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY TO ALL YOU FOXY LADIES !!!! And even though this is the day to show our love to the special people in our lives, we must not forget to show love to the most important person which is ourselves !! Remember that you are a spectacular, beautiful and strong woman. You chose to take the ultimate challenge for a reason. That reason is because you deserve it, you deserve to be the beautiful, healthy radiant woman on the outside that is a mirror of the one that lives inside. So take this moment to thank yourself for who you are and admire yourself that much more for all the work you're doing this moment to be everything you are meant to be !!!
I must say that this valentines day I am truly having to learn how to love myself considering that my weight loss has just been total crap for the past month. I know that any loss is a good loss but I guess I'm just a creature of habits and I've gotten use to posting my 10lb loss !! So my 5lb loss in a month is a little disappointing to me ! Yes If I examine my habits over the past month there is room for improvement.
My exercise regiment hasn't been what it was and yes I have snacked a lil here and there but I guess it's just the stress from work and my classes this last semester. Maybe I just need to come to terms that this last semester is really going to demand some modification of other priorities. It's almost done and come May I know that I will be walking across that stage to get my masters in a slimmer and healthier me , regardless if it's at goal early or on my way there !
Saturday, February 13, 2010
I WANT TO DANCE !!!
Today was my first Bollywood dance class at Dhoonya Dance and I LOVE IT !!!! Not only was it super fun but let me tell you I got a hell of a workout so much so that my thighs are already killing me !!! and you sweat so much it minus well be Bikram Bhangara dancing for the buckets streaming down all of me !!! I'm attaching a link HERE to the music video of the song that we're doing. The choreography is added a little at a time over the 4 weeks, but we got ALOT done today and at first I thought " My God it's been over 15 years since I took a dance class..what am I doing here?" but it just flowed so easily !!
I REALLY had a great time in this class...so much so that I'm considering signing up for the 10 week course. If any NYC bandsters are interested I highly suggested you check out there site HERE.
On another note I took all your suggestions and am scheduled for a fill on tuesday. Let's see what the scale has to say tomorrow !!
