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Category Archives: Health & Well-Being

Someone didn’t recognize me!

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So, today I had my first real experience with someone not recognizing me! I feel like I see friends and acquaintances frequently enough—plus I share a lot on Facebook—that no one should really be that surprised. I’ve been told that seeing me in person is much different, but still, you know to expect the change. 

So after morning program I ran into his old assistant kindergarten teacher in the hall on the way out. She chatted for a moment then had an A-HA look and said “Have you lost weight?” I said yes, and she said she hadn’t even recognized me! She had recognized Katie but wondered who she was with…then realized it was me…but hadn’t wanted to ask about the weight loss but then did anyway. Of course she was amazed when I told her I’d lost 125 pounds (I’m rounding—I was at 124.8 this morning). And she hadn’t seen me around the school and we’re not Facebook friends…so she had NO idea!

And then I had a clothes bender…

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So, as a byproduct of the weight loss, pretty much everything in my closet is new. But I’ve been holding off on buying summer clothes until I got closer to my final weight so I wouldn’t have to buy even more summer clothes (I went through multiple sets of winter clothes as sizes kept changing). The weather is getting nicer now…so it was finally time to get some summer stuff. As luck would have it, friends were staying with us for the weekend and Sheryl—who has worked in the fashion industry for probably 35 years—went with me to pick out some new stuff.

AND OMG IT WAS SOOOOO MUCH FUN!!! :p

AND OMG I SPENT ENTIRELY TOO MUCH MONEY!!!! 😯

But I now have a whole new wardrobe of SUPER cute and stylish (!) summer clothes thanks to Sheryl’s assistance. It was so much fun…

  • looking for and trying clothes on with a friend.
  • fitting into pretty much every single thing I tried.
  • being able to decide what pieces I really LOVED and not just what FIT.
  • liking how I looked in most of it (though Sheryl had to convince me of some pieces).
  • buying most things in size large, but also a medium and even a small! A SMALL!!

I got six dresses (from a formal ball gown to casual sundresses), 11 tops, 2 pair of jeans, a pair of patterned slacks, a short skirt, two long pencil skirts, and a spring/fall all-weather parka (because the same type coat I just got in October is WAY too big—GRRR).

I don’t think I’ve done a clothes shopping trip like this EVER in my life—the closest might be a back-to-school shopping trip where I’d get like two pair of jeans, a few tops, a sweater, a pair of shoes, and some socks. It was expensive, but everything was from Nordstrom Rack and Marshalls so overall it wasn’t bad. And I am now set for summer clothes for the next few years, if not more (since NS should keep me at about this same size forevermore—I mean, realistically, I could wear these clothes for the next 8-10 years).

BRING ON SUMMER!!

I had my first bender tonight.

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Food bender, that is—dinner out with 15 peeps at what turned out to be an amazing restaurant (Green Pig Bistro).

The food was all excellent and everyone was passing around plates to try everything (because the portions were HUGE)…so on top of probably 15 bites of random dishes (which would have been a complete meal in itself), I ate my entire plate (which actually was one of the smaller plates—four tiny scallops and probably a cup of crab and coconut risotto) and then a few bites of desserts (ours, plus others!).

I didn’t feel overstuffed at the time, though I knew I obviously ate too much. But I ended up waking up during the night feeling like I had a hangover. I actually had to think: “Wait. Did I drink last night?” Because it felt sooo similar. (Note: I didn’t drink.)

The following morning I didn’t even want to think about food. And I was nervous to step on the scale—I had actually been pretty close to losing my 4# of fluff but that went out the window. But DAMN it was worth it. 🙂

One fun part of the dinner was a surprise birthday dessert for Tom! We had seen another table get the sparkler and one of us decided that it should happen at our table because fire. And they just happened to pick Tom!

Happy un-birthday, Tom!

My Naturally Slim testimonials are online!

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I just got word that my produced videos were uploaded to Naturally Slim’s YouTube account…

Thanks for sharing your story and being our first testimonial in our Organic Success Stories series. We wanted raw, unscripted success stories and you gave us just that.

And linked on their Facebook page…

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They’ve chopped my 10-minute video down into four snippets, which will play in a playlist one after the other here:

And since I really did grow to like my original, full-length, unedited testimonial submission…it is now public on YouTube as well:

My phone call with the president!

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I just got off the phone with Marcia Upson, the President of Naturally Slim!!

I had gotten an email from her the other day asking if it would be okay for her to call me. WHAT?! OF COURSE! HOLY COW! So we finally got in touch today.

I had no idea why she wanted to talk to me, but turns out she learned I was jealous that Brad (a Tivo friend) got to meet her when he filmed his testimonial last week! (He lives in Texas where NS is headquartered so he was able to go in to record his testimonial in person and ended up meeting and having lunch with Marcia.) So she said “Well I can call her!” 🙂

She also wanted to congratulate me on my success thus far, thank me for (in her words) my amazing testimonial (link coming as soon as they produce it), and just have a nice chat! It was all a bit of a blur, but according to my call log, we talked for 22 minutes—while she was on the treadmill, no less!—and she’s just as warm and gracious and lovely as you’d imagine her to be. What a pleasure.

We talked about the kids (she loves age 3!), hubby (she was excited for me when I said I now weigh less than him), my video testimonial (she really really loved it—said it felt very honest and heartfelt), the reason why the program price went up (since they are now affiliated with insurance companies, they have to do a yearly program with a cost per class and that’s how much it comes to), and the Tivo group (she loves that we have a spreadsheet—she’s amazed that we have so many people that have lost so much weight).

I told her they really need to find a celebrity spokesperson—like Oprah just did Weight Watchers and their stock went bananas and she thought that was a good idea. I told her I had a famous name but wasn’t famous so I wouldn’t be much help and she admitted that when she was first told about me, she did momentarily wonder. 🙂

She asked what videos I saw and I told her THE MARCIA VIDEOS and we talked a bit about that. I told her she was just SO much more relatable than a random doctor ever could be and I couldn’t imagine them without her. Like you were talking to a neighbor who’d been there instead of someone in a white coat telling you what has to happen. She basically said this is her baby…her life…and will NEVER let them force her out of the videos!

I admitted I was frustrated to have only lost 10# in two months (after losing that much in as little as three weeks before), but that it was still 10# and each week that I lost a tiny bit I envisioned her holding up the ounce or pound fat blob (the last pic is a 5# blob).

She said she knows I will have no problem losing the rest of my goal.

I told her to let me know if there’s anything I can ever do. She said I already have—the testimonial I did was amazing. She then told me to contact her if I ever need anything. 🙂

I told her today was a banner day for me—Onederland PLUS meeting and talking to her! She was very supportive and enthusiastic about Onderland and very gracious about my excitement to meet her.

Lastly I thanked her for saving my life with Naturally Slim and she was genuinely moved.

What an amazing person and a wonderful experience.

Hip hip hooray! I’m overweight today!

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My “one good week” (paying attention to the core principles and five days of exercise) saw a 5.6# loss. 

I had thought I had to get to 200 to be overweight, but I input my weight today (202) on the spreadsheet…and it calculated my BMI as Overweight! YIPPEE! No more Obese!

Now to keep it up! My next milestone of ONEDERLAND (a weight starting with 1xx) should happen next week!

I didn’t expect weight loss to cost this much.

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So, my tension-mount wedding ring is falling off and needs to be resized from a 7 to a 5.5.

We’ve known since we bought it that if it ever needed to be resized, it wouldn’t be your typical easy resize job. I remember them telling us it could be around $100. Fine. So fast forward to now when I actually need it resized and I contacted a few local recommended jewelers.

Ha.

Two places won’t even touch it because of the style, one won’t touch it because we didn’t buy it there, and one says “We can try and see what happens.” 😮

So I contacted the jeweler where we bought it and, long story short, they just informed me it can’t be resized that much [due to the style] and it will have to be remade…at a cost of $1200. TWELVE HUNDRED FUCKING DOLLARS. I can’t live with the cheapo $5 plastic sizer piece on it forever, but we can’t very well afford $1200 to fix a goddamn ring. FML.

A few people have suggested maybe it’s time to upgrade…especially because we hit 15 years this year. But I don’t really want to upgrade!! I honestly can’t imagine finding anything I like more than my ring. I still LOVELOVELOVE it after 15 years.

I knew there would be costs associated with this new body, but I honestly never thought about my ring.

Owen as a fire-breathing dragon

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Owen has had a cough for going on 3-4 weeks now so we finally decided to get it checked out. (He’s never had a temperature or anything that made us think he needed to be seen. Google said to take him in if the cough didn’t go away after three or so weeks. He seemed to be getting better…but then got worse again.)

Sharing the iPad:

Owen relaxing on the “beach.”

Katie sitting in the “boat.”

There’s always a bow and arrow involved.

The doc examined him and said it sounded like something viral and thought a breathing treatment might help…so we did that. The doc said he’d look like a fire-breathing dragon. 🙂

The doc said it helped a little so prescribed an albuterol inhaler so it was off to the pharmacy, otherwise known as the seventh circle of hell. Today we had a screaming toddler sitting across from us…for about 45 minutes. And then…we all had to leave since there was apparently a small fire somewhere close. NOOOOOOO!!!!

First we moved to the hallway. Then we got moved outside. Then we got moved across the street. We had no idea how long it was going to take, but thankfully we were headed back inside within about 10 minutes (it was windy and freezing). And then had another 15 or so minutes to wait for the script. 

We arrived at the hospital for a 9:10 appointment at 8:50 and were leaving the pharmacy at 11:20. Yeesh. And our fingers are crossed that the treatments help. 

Size 14 slims!

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WTF? 14s?! I haven’t seen 14s since…possibly college but high school for sure! I’m unbelievably geeked about this!

In my mind, I’m probably still a good 5# away from being able to wear them nicely—but I actually think it’s time to start wearing them so I’m more apt to watch my food intake. I’ve been wearing my comfy 16s and yoga pants for two weeks (and have been maintaining more than losing) so by wearing pants that “fit” (i.e. are a little snug) hopefully I’ll get off the maintenance bandwagon and start losing again! I know I want to lose more, but right now I’m just very comfortable where I am. I’ve actually said that if I never lose another pound, I’d be perfectly happy…except…I know my body can get thinner. I’m not even technically to Overweight yet if you can believe it (though I’m close)!!

Interestingly, all the size 14s I bought (three pair last night) are tight in the thighs and calves…while the good ol’ Costco Gloria Vanderbilt faves of the same size? I can barely button them. Tom says they all look good—and, considering where I started, yes I guess they do look good—but to me, if I saw someone looking like I look in them, I’d probably think they needed to lose 5-10# or wear a bigger size. 😐 All I can see from the side is my huge thighs. And I’ve always hated my calves (they’re HUGE and oddly-shaped) so to me, the clingy denim just accentuates that flaw even more. That said, I know we all see the worst in ourselves, so I’m trying not to let that bother me and just enjoy that I’M WEARING A SIZE 14. And know that I’m just (still) not used to tight-fitting clothes and this is the style these days!

100! 100! 100!

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HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ME!

I DID IT! My first big goal—100 pounds—is complete! After “restarting” the program after not losing anything over the holidays, I busted my butt and lost 6.6# this past week and this happened at today’s weigh-in!

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I really wanted to make my goal by the end of the year, and I think this is pretty damn close! And since I’m technically still Obese, now it’s time for the next 30-40!!!

This is how getting dressed went this morning.

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My restart is going very well. My fluff is long gone and I’m at about 4# so far this week (of course, some of that may be daily fluctuation).

This is how getting dressed went this morning.

  1. Put bra on. Dang, it’s really too loose, but it still works fine.
  2. Put undies on. Dang, these are getting REALLY too loose, but they still work fine. (These are the same undies I was wearing 100# ago.)
  3. Put jeans on. Whoa. They’re really too big. (They’re 18s.) In the pile they go.
  4. Change my mind and put on a stretchy skirt/leggings combo.
  5. Put on a sweater. Too big. I’ve been keeping it because it’s comfy but…it’s also very shapeless and not flattering at all. In the pile it goes.
  6. Put on a favorite shirt that I know has been a little big but still looks okay. Nope, feels too big. In the pile.
  7. Put on another favorite shirt that I know has been a little big but still looks okay. GRRR. Yep, it’s really too big. But I’ll keep it for now.

Funny how when I was bigger, I really liked loose-fitting clothes and that’s all I wanted. Now, if it doesn’t fit me PERFECTLY I don’t want it. Like the 18 jeans? They’re still definitely wearable with a belt, but why would I wear those when I have 16s that fit better? I hate wasting the money (I wore that $40 pair of jeans maybe two months at most) so that just irks me, but…why complain about needing a smaller size?

I’m starting over with Week 1.

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A bunch of friends that have been doing Naturally Slim for awhile now have decided to “start over” as if we were on Day 1 of the program again. We’ve all been sort of stalled (maintaining, if you will) or slightly gaining over the holidays and have decided a refresh is in order. And I’ve always said that if what I’m doing isn’t working I will go back to ALL the basics to get started again. (I’ve been following most of the rules, but have gotten a bit slack over the past month and especially slack over the last two weeks.)

As you know, I really wanted to make 100 by Christmas or the end of the year but after this past week I’m pretty sure I’ll have gained two pounds this week (I’ll find out in the morning) and I want the fluff gone before it turns into real weight…so I might as well start ASAP. I was originally going to start with them on January 3, but today thought “Why wait? Why give myself permission to splurge for another whole week?” Which means tomorrow I’ll be starting fresh for my next 30-40#.

I need to do everything by the book, just as I said I’d do if things stopped working.

  • I’ve been eating too fast.
  • I’ve been eating too much.
  • I’ve been eating too much off-schedule sugar.
  • I’ve not been drinking enough.
  • I’ve not been keeping up with my exercise.
  • And I’ve been eating when I’m not hungry.

I tried to have a last glass of wine tonight and it didn’t even taste good (but it was box wine that’s been open for a month) so I dumped it all out. I did splurge on a few peanut M&Ms and caramel corn, but even that splurging wasn’t a quarter as much as a previous splurge would have been.

HERE WE GO!

P.S. Also on my mind? This happened a few days ago on Twitter:

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Whoa. So I have extra motivation to GET. IT. DONE!

Our first trip to the ER!

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Why not have it be Christmas Day? 🙂

So last night, Owen was being Owen and dove into the big beanbag in the living room, but then…rolled off? fell off?…and somehow landed wrong on his arm. Tom missed it, I missed it, and Uncle Rob barely saw it so we’re not entire sure what happened. All we know is that he was complaining that it really hurt. Tom looked at it and moved it around and there wasn’t any screaming so we were pretty sure it wasn’t broken. So we iced it and gave him some Advil. Of course, Owen being Owen, he continued playing around and bumping it and saying it hurt, so we made him sit still in the chair. He seemed to be fine overall and making cookies for Santa took his mind off it so we didn’t think much else about it.

So this morning we opened presents and he still hadn’t mentioned it. I had honestly forgotten about it. But then he was trying to put some Legos together—and was complaining that he couldn’t because his hand hurt. Hoo boy. Tom tried to move it around some and it seemed more painful than it had last night, so we figured since he has a high threshold for pain it must REALLY hurt, so we decided to have Tom take him to the ER.

Thankfully they were the only ones there and the whole thing went very quickly. But he had taken his new Minecraft characters just in case. 🙂

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Apparently when you visit the ER on Christmas you get to pick a toy!

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He picked this for Katie! Awww!

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And??? It wasn’t broken. Just a sprain with some bruising that Motrin should help. PHEW!

Kidless Adulting Party Time!

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Not to toot my own horn, LOL, but I thought I looked damn good and I felt amazing in my $20 size 14 dress. 🙂

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Everyone I saw at the party that I knew (a small handful of the 40-odd people) told me I looked amazing. I honestly felt like a fairy princess and didn’t want the night to end. I can’t remember a time—EVER—when I’ve felt that good about myself and/or how I looked. Not even at my wedding (though that was an awesome day!).

I see the dress on a hanger and think “Man that looks small. There’s no way I fit into that.” But I obviously did. And I killed it. 🙂 (And I still have about 40-50 more pounds to go! I cannot even FATHOM that.)

Also tonight? Wearing a winter coat I last wore…in high school. Yes, I’ve kept it for 24 years because it was an awesome coat and dammit I was going to fit into it again someday!

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