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 !!!

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 :-*

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 !!!!

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 !!!!

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 !!!!

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

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 !!!