The Big 5-0!

Today I hit a major milestone in the weight-loss journey.  I have officially lost 50 lbs. since the start of school.  I have figured out how to make the program work for me.  Here are my before and after shots.





BEFORE - 9/20/10

AFTER - 12/13/10

Today's Weight: 248

Today's Weight Loss:

Total Weight Loss:  50!!!

Long and slightly frustrating

I know that it has been a couple of weeks since I last shared my progress.  Partly because I have been busy, but I am not ashamed to say it was partly because I was frustrated.

For nine days my weight was the same.  Bah!  I got a "Buck Shot" (a vitamin shot) to help improve metabolism and either that or something else kicked in and I started losing weight again.  I am now officially down almost 20 whole pounds.  That is two bowling balls for those of you keeping track at home.

I have noticed that there are a lot of things I can do now that I couldn't two bowling balls ago.  Here is the current list:

• touch my toes
• wear two pairs of jeans that did not even button one month ago
• be up and around all through the evening, no watching TV because of excessive exhaustion
• refute a new shirt because I didn't like it and not because it didn't fit
• cross my legs without having to anchor the crossed foot on the pew in front of me
• kneel and sit on my feet
• put on a size 16 dress AND have it fit
• go up and down stairs with ease
• buy clothes in the Misses section
• wear my CTR ring
• wear a size 11 shoe (even my feet were chubby and I bought 12s before school started)
• take a picture with a double chin rather than the triple chin

...and MANY more, I am sure.

I have to admit that it feels pretty awesome and I am looking forward to losing more weight.  Yesterday was the "Shop for a Cause" day at Macy's; that means that everything is an additional 20% off.  Penny and I look forward to it each year and go to multiple Macy's stores to maximize our finds.  I found three dresses that were adorable, but I bought one size smaller than I would currently wear.  And not because they didn't have my size, although they did, but because they will fit in a few short weeks.  Keep your eyes peeled for the new red dress!

Today I am wearing the same dress from my "before" picture.  It is quite looser.  But you tell me what you think.


NOW



BEFORE



BEFORE



Today's Weight: 273.0

Today's Weight Loss: 1.0

Total Weight Loss:  19.8

My shirt was big

I put on my shirt today and it was big.  Yippee!  It is the first thing I have really noticed as far as clothes go.  I was thinking that my jeans were getting a little looser, but I also hadn't washed them so they could have just been stretching.  So that's good.  My friend at work should start getting excited about me shrinking out of my clothes because that means she gets them!  And may I just say that they are FANTASTIC!!

As far as the diet goes, I am finding more and more that I eat because it is time to eat and not because I am hungry.  Last night I did not eat my fruit last night with my dinner and I was completely satiated.  I am sure that the nutritionist will say that is bad, but I am hoping she will say that I can eat less meat at meals.

For weight loss, I entered a new decade of weight, the 270s.  Awesome!

Today's Weight: 279.4
Today's Weight Loss: 2
Total Weight Loss:  12.4

Pink Eye

And I don't mean this kind:

I had an ugly bout of pink eye the last several days.  I am highly medicated, via eye drops, and am now allowed to come back to school.  Shucks!  So this is why there has been an absence of posting.

My weight-loss has gone into the double digits!  Woo-hoo!  Also, I am no longer hungry.  I feel like I eat because the clock says it is time to eat and not because I'm hungry.  This is both good and bad.  Good, because I am not hungry and still losing weight.  Bad, because I don't really look forward to eating.  Although, I suppose that could be good in the long run.  Hmmm.  I go back for the second appointment on Saturday, I wonder what they will tell me.

Today's Weight: 281.4
Today's Weight Loss:
Total Weight Loss:  10.4

Wow! What support!

I am so amazed at how many people are supporting me!!  It was quite the risk to sent out this website to every man, woman, and child on my email list.  I am sure that my therapist will be quite impressed later today...and then, once again, wonder if the new attitude of full self-disclosure is sustaining.

I had a great birthday and lots of wonderful warm wishes.  Thanks to all of you!  I am totally amped for year 33.  Not only is the year palindromic, but it is the year I become a home owner and, hopefully, the year I get skinny. 

For those of you not in the home owner loop, let me explain.  I have been trying to buy a home for the last several months.  The market is incredible and interest rates ridiculously low.  If there ever was a time to jump into the real estate game, this is it.  I moved in with my aunt and uncle in Beaverton this July.  I was supposed to close on a lovely 3 bed/2.1 bath townhouse in mid-September.  However, due to an under appraisal and sellers who thought much too highly of their stuff the sale fell through two weeks ago. 

I started looking again and found a cooler, awesomer house-house (check out pics!) and made an offer on Wednesday. 

After some haggling, I signed the contract yesterday afternoon for only $189K, a wonderful birthday present to myself!  The inspection is Monday and I hope all will go well.

I think this may have been the only birthday that I actually lost weight, 1.6 lbs to be precise.

Today's Weight: 283.8
Today's Weight Loss: 1.6
Total Weight Loss:  8.0

Biting the Big One...or the small one as the case may be

After years of trying fad diets, Weight Watchers, pills, starvation, and running 6 miles a day, I have decided to embark on a promising journey of weight-loss.  I have had several friends find success with this system and so far, so good.

The Magical Weight-loss System is called Medipro Slim and basically consists of the following:

• HCG Injection - a pregnant lady hormone which causes increased metabolism & decreased hunger
• VLCD - a very low calorie diet of four protein shakes and two "sensible" meals
• Doctor Supervised - I see a physician twice a month who checks body fat %, hydration level, and many other health related stats.
• Nutritionist - I meet her twice a month and we decide how much I should eat during my "sensible" meals and which foods will keep my body in ketosis, the fat-burning stage.
• Lifestyle Coaching - Again, twice a month to foster healthy habits including diet choices and exercise.

I will post the joys of my day and how much I have lost/gained. 

Here are my BEFORE pictures at my cousin's graduation:

Today is my birthday and I get to eat strawberries with stevia for dessert!  I wish it was strawberries on cheesecake, but there will be time enough for that.  It is only day three and I don't want to mess up the progress!  I am not that hungry and I LOVE eating 7 oz. of steak for dinner!  I wish I could eat more veggies, but that's okay.....'CUZ I"VE LOST SIX AND A HALF POUNDS IN THREE DAYS!!!!!

Please see the stats below.

Today's Weight: 285.4
Today's Weight Loss: 1.6
Total Weight Loss:  6.4

Snuggies for the Homeless

The Thornbrue and The Hite Familes are working on a Christmas service
project this year. We are collecting money for the "Snuggies for the
Homeless" fund. We will use the funds to purchase Snuggies at a
discounted rate and distribute them among the homeless in Portland.
Help us keep people warm by giving a blanket with sleeves! Please
contact me if you would like to donate.

SWM 2009 - Day 20

Today is Halloween Dress-Up day at school.  I came as the floor of a movie theater.  I made the apron out of duct tape...sticky side out...and then stuck lots of movie things to it.  Here is the list of things on "the floor:"

• Twizzlers
• Hot Tamales
• Sour Patch Kids
• Raisinettes
• Popcorn
• Popcorn container
• Pepsi cup
• cup lid
• two straws
• two straw wrappers
• a ketchup packet
• Sugar Mama wrapper
• SweetTarts wrapper
• a MilkyWay wrapper
• a zoo ticket
• three movie ticket stubs
• a lemon Starburst wrapper
• a random piece of packaging I found on the floor in my classroom

Since the shoes weren't that pivotal to the success of the outfit, I chose some flip-flops. 

These come all the way from Costa Rica.  I bought them the day I got the worst sunburn of my life.  I was snorkeling on Tortuga Island without any sunblock...oops!  I bought them that night at a "surf shop" in Puntarenas for about four bucks.  They remind me of the flip-flops I wore as a child but mostly remind me of an amazing adventure in Costa Rica.

Pura Vida!

VEGAN!

Vegan: 12  Non-vegan: 8

SWM 2009 - Day 19

My heel was so sore that I couldn't wear anything that rubbed on it.  Luckily, these blue suede shoes fit the bill as well as being VERY stylish.

I wish that I wore these more often.  I bought them for very cheap at PaylessShoes years ago.  They are not awesomely comfortable, but aren't bad.  They are also faux leather so they increase the Vegan count!  I particularly like the setting of this picture; the leaves on all the trees are this color.  I absolutely adore the Fall!

Don't step on my blue suede shoes!

VEGAN!
Vegan:  11  Non-vegan:  8

SWM 2009 - Day 19

My torn up feet enjoyed the cushiness of some of my running shoes. 

I had the worst pedicure in the history of mankind last weekend.  I left with my foot bleeding in three places!!!  Anyhow, these Asics remind me of root beer floats.  Hmm...that sounds really good right now.

VEGAN!
Vegan: 10  Non-vegan: 8