gemintherough

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2008 The Year of Change

 

- Resolution 1: I will live a less clutter filled life… this basically means I will be less of a slob. I’m not really sloppy, but I need to be less last when it comes to washing dishes and putting away clean clothes… this is really an issue lately for me. My resolution is really just that I will wash the dishes I use the SAME night I use them, or at the very least the day after… and I will not wait until I’ve completely run out of clothes to wash them… and I will put them away the same day that I wash and dry them…

 

- Resolution 2: I will treat my body as a temple… The gym that I joined opens this coming Friday and next Monday I have my first class. I aim to attend 4-5 classes a week with 3 being the very least. I drink very little soda as is, but I wish to cut it completely out of my regimen. I will not drink alcohol, save for special occasions and a rare treat…

- Resolution 3: I will create a VIABLE budget and STICK with it. This will probably be the MOST difficult of all my tasks, but also the most important.

 

- Resolution 4: Make it to church at least 75 % of the time. I feel better after I spend time in worship, so why not do so more regularly?

 

- Resolution 5 and Goal 1: Have both the surgeries I need before the end of January. On top of the Lap-Band...I’ve needed oral surgery since High School and my migraines have become damn near unbearable, so I plan on having this issue alleviated.

 

- Goal 2: Be 3 jean sizes smaller by Mid-May... A friend of mine from Iraq is coming home for R&R for a few weeks then to be the best man at one of my best friend's wedding...

- Goal 3: Write again… This is probably one of the easiest ways to get my mind back where it should be and this is as simple as writing a blog every day. I will try and see what comes of it.

 

- Goal 4: Write Joel at least once a week… as to not feel like I’ve abandoned him… even if he doesn’t write back, and don’t feel abandoned in return if he does not (the second part is the hard part).

 

- Goal 5: Enroll in WGU by March 1^st in order to pursue my Business degree.

 

- Goal 6: Learn to be alone, and allow myself to thrive in it…just in case this is the way I am meant to be.

 

Bandster's Rules:

**All my comments in my favorite color orange...as always...**

1. Protein first, then produce, then if there's room, starch. Okie dokie...

2. Eat solid foods; the band isn't designed to restrict liquids. Gotcha...

3. At least 64 oz of water (including noncaloric, non-caffeinated beverages) per day. I drink more than that on a bad day, already... I am striving for more like 120 though...

4. 45g-60g protein per day. I will probably go higher than this... I have no problem getting in protein...

5. No liquid calories. (exceptions are: up to 2 servings of nonfat milk/day and for those bandsters who are tighter in the morning, then a meal-replacement or protein shake is ok) Not going to be a problem...Except for maybe the occasional cocktail.

6. Chew to mush, don't rush eating. I am going to need to work REALLY hard on this. I eat fast.

7. Eat to the point of not being hungry anymore, not to discomfort. I hope that I have the self-control.

8. Exercise. (doing both cardio and weight training is ideal but any is better than none) I'm joining 24 Hr Fitness this week... it's brand new and 1 exit from my house with a Kids' Center for my son... I am VERY excited and will be taking 4-5 group classes a week, including both strength conditioning and cardio...

9. eat a healthy balanced diet...for most women that will be in the 1200-1500 cal/day range...find the highest daily calories that allows you to lose at a sensible rate of 1-2lbs/week on average. Working on this... Will adhere to the 8 bite rule.

10. take a multivitamin in whatever form works best with your band...some folks manage pills just fine, some are more comfortable with adult chewable or liquid multis. Women may also need calcium and iron as they would normally as non-ops. Maybe... maybe... I think that I will get in plenty of this naturally though... we shall see.

In high school, I was in JROTC for 4 years... After high school I had intended to join the Army or some other branch of the military. I have GREAT pre-ASVAB scores which means that I could get training in ANY career that I want and it would all be paid for...plus $65k for additional schooling if I saw fit... I have referred many happy soldiers to the Army and other servicec branches.

Well, today the Army called me again... And this makes me sad. My life could be so much more than it is... living paycheck to paycheck... and never, ever have the option of going back to school at this rate. I want to be a psychologist. 

My issue is that even just out of high school I was TOO overweight to be considered Army material even though in every other sense I was a perfect candidate. I don't think that I am ready to say goodbye to this opportunity.  I really don't know what to do. I am almost certain that this procedure would completely rule me out of the chance to join any service branch... Tell me I'm wrong, please??!?

Anyway... Now I'm torn... I know that I have tried the natural route in the past and failed, but if I go with the surgery option now I will never get the chance to see if I could make it into the Army for real. I am ONLY 21 years old... I still have many viable years left to be considered a candidate... What should I do?? I need help...

So I've completed step 1 of the process, and that is choosing my surgeon and enrolling in orientation. I am set for December 12 at 6:00 PM and I am going with Dr. Garth Davis... you know, the doctor from the Father/Son duo on Big Medicine on TLC... He's in my network and has reviews that RAVE of his amazing bedside manner and skills. He also does all his own fills and after reading all of y'all's helpful posts I have decided that is important to me... I already put a call into my PCP for a letter of recommendation. He should be getting back to me soon. He's pretty good about that. The only problem I foresee is that I have only been with my current PCP for 6-ish months. I may have to get a letter from my previous PCP as well. I am actually quite excited. I don't see cold feet anywhere in my future... Of course, I say that now. I hope to have everything done by the end of January and be losing by February... Pray for me, y'all!

***edited for NUMEROUS spelling and grammatical errors.

...But not on getting the surgery!! LOL! I just think that I want to get down to 150-ish and not 135... I met someone today my same height and with about my same body shape and at 150 not only was she a normal weight, she looked damn good... any smaller and I'd look SKINNY, not slender. :) Anyway... I went on MVM and made some goal models...

Me Now... at 261 lbs...                 And at 223 lbs...

And at 199 lbs....                          And at 185 lbs.....


And finally at 150, which on this MVM looks too skinny to me, but IRL looks really good.

I haven't taken a full body pic in SO long for fear of the "OMG she's so fat" reaction... So most of these are taken on my camera phone in the bathroom at work...

This is my favorite shirt...LOL in the first one I look surprised, but actually I have a sinus infection so I'm breathing through my nose. I can't wait to start shrinking in that mirror.






Okay.. So that's all the before pics I am going to do... Well maybe day of surgery I will strip down to my skivvies so y'all can see where the 260 lbs are... 

...to the comment to my previous blog I figures I would upload the pictures directly onto here so that they aren't streched...







I AM 5'7" and I currently weigh somewhere around 260 lbs.

I have my goals split up into easier to attain increments... I know that if I set myself up with just my 126 lbs goal then I will get frustrated...

1st goal: 249 lbs BMI 39

This is only -12 lbs, but it would get me out of the Morbidly Obese Catagory...

2nd Goal: 223 lbs BMI 35

From 249 I want to go -26 to 223. I haven't seen anything below 230 since before I graduated from high school.

3rd Goal: 199 lbs BMI 31-ish

I honestly can't remember the last time I was in Onederland...

4th Goal: 185 lbs BMI 29

Yay!! I won't be considered OBESE anymore (I HATE that word)... now I'm simply overweight.

5th Goal: 153 lbs BMI 24

Yay!! For the first time in 10 years...and probably over 10 years by this time... I will be a NORMAL weight...

6th Goal: 135 lbs BMI 21!!!

This is a pretty perfect weight for my frame size. I've never seen this as an adult. I would love to though.

I am just starting out on this journey. Literally... I haven't had anything but a phone call yet. I am scared, and excited... Maybe this time I will be successful. Read my story to find out about why I am here.