martitalinda

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3 weeks shy of my 7th year post RNY Surgery anniversary coming up on 2/5/14 ... I keep my progress in perspective in a totally goofy empowerment tool suggested prior to surgery by my dearest departed sister and that has worked wonderfully for ME ...btw it also helps that I have ALWAYS been a lover of pictures i.e. picture AW LOL.... I keep my progress in perspective in my digital empowerment journal "A PICTURE A DAY KEEPS THE POUNDS AND THE INCHES AWAY" rocking my journey one day at a time... one choice at a time ... thoroughly enjoying life with all its ups ... and downs ... and merry go rounds ... today is my miracle for tomorrow is not promised.... I am going to make today my 'well-est' day....

From 327 pounds highest weight to weighing 203 pounds less in maintenance with a work cushion of +/- 5 pounds and holding it going on 7 years .... I am maintaining for life ... keeping the giant of morbid obesity under my feet with vigilance and diligence and fun and accountability to myself ... it feels awesome to be able to run/move/jump and having 5 co-morbidities almost 7 years behind me ... I love my post-op journey!!!!

BEFORE...

Thursday 1/9/2014

Friday 1/10/2014

Yesterday 1/12/2014 relaxing after morning services...

On my way to work today 1-13-2014

I will never forget my before ... because it empowers me to stay in my today....

These are snippets of MY Journey ....   Always keeping in mind the empowering words spoken to me by my friend Mary "there is joy and there is misery in equal measures in this world ... I am embracing JOY and MAKING it happen to me ... of course there is misery BUT I am NOT letting it in!!!

Thanks for allowing me to share as I empower myself with my goofy tool ...

Año Viejo ... Old Year ... you brought me loss, tears, love and laughter ... bittersweet memories, challenges, growth, WTH moments and YAY is me memories ... I bid you goodbye ... you were not so nice at times ... I would love to have my sister Mela back however you have taught me to strive to be the best now big sister to my sister Rosie and my brother Bobbie .. the best auntie to Iriana and Ariza and the best mom to Kenny and Candie... following in her footsteps and with my own shortcomings.  You hit me with some traumatic experiences had me hanging by the skin of my teeth ... I held on to my mustard seed of faith balanced with happy moments in between and hard as it was at times sometimes I kept on laughing even when inside I was crying and never once you caught me 'cursing my fire' for I heard the sermon loud and clear 'don't curse your fire - there is victory in the valley' I am taking that word and running with it into the New Year... 2014 I AM READY!!! Wearing my signature hairstyle I am breakin' ready... let's go!!!

YUP 2014 I am ready ... first big celebration after New Years Day will by my 7th Surgiversary on 2/5/14 ... can't wait ... because I plan on keeping the giant of morbid obesity under my feet ... one day, one choice at a time ... embracing Joy and making it happen to me in spite of.... These are SNIPPETS of MY journey.... thanks for allowing me to share....

My before is still me ... that fat woman is still very much me ... her deliverance is my release and my rerlease is her deliverance ... with a tool, lifestyle changes and incorporating a few rules adding exercise and healthy habits to the mix ... we are keeping the giant under our feet indeed... definitely not cursing my fire.... Last post for 2013 WOOT! I made it!!!...

I had several awesome holiday gifts most of which are the kind that money could never buy.  Starting with being in complete thanksgiving for awesome family and friends and peers and co-workers and acquaintances and even strangers both IRL and in cyberspace who each contributed to joy and happiness and growth and experiences both good and bad ... and totally grateful for being alive and well and being able to open the doors of my humble home to celebrate - - add to that health and mobility and having the giant of morbid obesity still resting under my feet I certainly celebrated more than one NSV and SV.... I had a blast that will forever last...

Just to name just a few ... I am thankful for my wonderful daughter and adorable son who went out of their way to make it all come together and who went beyond the call of duty ... I am grateful for them... I can't believe these two who in the recent past got along like oil and water are FINALLY kind and civilized towards each other ... I PRAYED FOR THAT and am grateful.  My PITA at times totally ignoramus son has finally grown up and into his calling ... oh my it took a while and I am for-ever grateful for that ... he has landed an awesome job that he loves and is settling down .... I saw him once again plastering patches all over him in an effort to quit smoking again ... the last time he did that he got sick but I am staying out of his beezwax I told him not to use more than one patch at a time but he has a mule spirit to boot ... he was looking like a walking wallpaper for a minute.... My three toy poodles were on their best behavior too ... and my dolly Christmas three was a hit with my family and friends.... YIKES now the work taking it apart after All Kings Day is on my mind LOL

One of my best prezzies arrived safely at La Guardia Airport where my daughter picked her up the day before Christmas Eve to spend Noche Buena with her titi (auntie) yours truly.  This is my youngest niece, Ariza, daughter of my only living sister Rosita... My DD picked her up at the airport and came to pick me up at work and we took her to lunch before going home ... she looks just like my sister....

And of course I could not wait to give her one of the many gifts we had under the tree for her ... so I gave her my gift to her a Samsung Note Tablet and the look on her face was priceless and an awesome gift to my heart...

DH also went out of his way to make sure I was warm out there since it was cold enough on some days like this morning where there was frost everywhere .... I loved his awesome gift and the fact that no animals died in the making or my beautiful new faux fur coat ... I gave my awesome five remaining ferrets a big hug and took a picture this morning on the way to work with Maxwell and Caspar ... my little old men have short life spans and it breaks my heart when I lose any one of them....

My coat felt awesome warm this morning ... YUP... I wore it to work too ... and took a picture with the REAL fur in my home who are all alive and well.... 

The best present I gave to myself .... an awesome life embracing love, life, family, friends, ups, and downs .... I REFUSE TO CURSE MY FIRE ... I have endured suffering and pain ... loss and gain ... and through it all I kept peace in my spirit and goodwill to mankind and it made me happy ... I embraced ME and living 6 years and 10 months working my way up to 7 years this coming February ... living my life one day, one choice at a time ... embracing JOY and making it happen to me....

Through it all I shared and share SNIPPETS of my journey ... and empirical tool suggested by my sister Maria Carmela (MELA) R.I.P. where I A PICTURE A DAY KEEPS THE POUNDS AND INCHES AWAY became the title of my digital empowerment journal .... 

The best prezzie from ME to ME ... NOT AN OUNCE REGAIN OVER THE HOLIDAYS WOOT!!! off to work wearing some odd pants and a green poncho a prezzie from my daughter just because they are 'ODD' LOL just like I like it....

My before and my today collage .... KEEPING MORBID OBESITY UNDER MY FEET ... 6  YEARS 10 MONTHS post RNY.... 

Thanks for allowing me to share SNIPPETS OF MY JOURNEY .... I am not boastful... I AM GRATEFUL..... My friend Mary once wrote to me 'there is joy and there is misery in equal measures in this world ... I am embracing Joy and making it happen to me ... of course there is misery, but I am NOT letting it in" ... I am embracing those words and I am embracing JOY and indeed making it happen to me ...

I am celebrating my 7th Birthday since having Weight Loss Surgery on 2/5/07 .... I am rocking my age with zeal, health and mobility purposefully happy and gloriously blessed by awesome family, peers and friends .... and through it all I share SNIPPETS OF MY JOURNEY....  HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!!! 

Seven birthdays maintaining my weight loss .. I found the fountain of youth and health and mobility and guess what? no one believes my age teeeeeeeee heeeeeeee it feels awesome and I am loving it while freeeeeeeeeeezing today ... having lost 203 pounds it seems that I also lost my internal body furnace ... now I am loving bulky clothes to stay warm whereas at 327 pounds and growing I was always hot .. a light winter jacket was all I needed then...

I spent the weekend getting totally spoiled by DH and awesome adult children and friends ... and did it all while finishing up my dolly Christmas tree and 2 doll projects ... made by me...

My Christmas wishes to ALL:

Celebrating with 203 pounds LESS maintained for 6 years and 10 months since surgery... 

I am celebrating this my birthday giving thanks to another year of life with to this awesome tool ... wishing myself continued strength in the pursuit of health and mobility ... ONE DAY, ONE CHOICE AT A TIME...

Thanks for allowing me to share ... SNIPPETS OF MY JOURNEY...

YAYYYYYYYY my Santa helpers (my dogs) under the tree .... Pierretta ran away though while Pierre and Chip sat for a treat ... they had fun ripping their Santa outfits off after the flash went off LOL

I FINALLY got around to putting up the Christmas tree ... TOTALLY CRAFTY ... I LIKE IT ... it is odd and different just like I like things ... now all I have to do is work the back of it but for tonight I am signing off ... this was WORK and a calorie burner everything in my old carcass hurts ... needless to say the dogs gave me a run for my effort ... I had to train them to sit and not leap on the tree ... they finally got it... all porcelain in white and pink and gold and silver....

Close look at upper half...

center...

Training Pierre to sit and not jump on the tree... he got it!!!

This was work ... I AM TIRED ... my totally crafty Christmas tree ... dragging these old bones to the hot tub and to bed... will finish dressing the dolls and hanging them in the back of the tree before week's end...

Another goofy thread ... SNIPPETS of my journey... 

...the giant of morbid obesity that is ... it is not easy but I am steady stepping keeping the monster under my feet.... 6 years and 10 months post RNY this past Friday I was too busy to remember but I would not allow myself to forget.  I purposed myself to capture my journey with an empiric tool suggested by my sister (RIP) and I have done just that .. it keeps me focused .. it keeps me grounded ... but that is what works for ME ... because after all I have always been a picture AW at whatever body dimension I loved taking pics...

On Saturday DH took me out to dinner and I had a toss up between what gowns I wanted to wear ... my powder blue XS RL or a plum gown I made for myself ...I decided to wear the powder blue with a white faux fur throw ... and I had fun ... we went out with friends from our Oldies Keeping the Flame Going group and even though Al is missing part of his foot it does not bother us ...we dance on the good foot... 

I embrace my former fat self ... I AM STILL VERY MUCH THE SAME WOMAN in a smaller frame ... and with new found health and mobility that's all ... fat or slim I remain GOOFY LOL....

I had a choice between this dress...

and this one that I made for myself ... I finally finished it after the sheer overlay was driving me up a wall ... I used the trick mom taught me of sewing it over a layer of paper...

And of course I had to made a comparison collage ..a picture of me on Myrtle Beach the summer before my surgery...

My week was full of goofiness, and laughter and much sadness but I survived and I stayed the course ... being diligent, vigilant and empowering myself with every and anything available to keep the focus on the prize of wellness ...after all I am no spring chicken and I do not need to help my old engine along before it starts falling apart with age by itself ... YIKES .. I will be having my 7th birthday after WLS next week ... this sista is getting OLD...

When I am nervous, or happy, or sad, or glad I find things that appeal to me and comfort me and reward me ... like making dolls or painting or sewing but most of all I love to rock hair ... this was my crazy hair Thursday at home ... DH is snapping my pictures and DS comes in from work and I tell him to stand behind me and he has that WTH? look LOL ... After I had my fill playing around with my hair pieces which I wanted to use with my gowns I decided against it because the static was sooooooooooo bad I was about to electrocute myself ... LOL... Oh and the nutty t-shirt a gift from DS when my DD was hospitalized over a year ago...

but nothing really changed you see? I was farting around with my hair when I was fat too ... after all it is our business on the side...

at the end of the day this thread makes no sense... please take no offense.. I am just a sista on the journey tracking my progress in my digital empowerment journal "A Picture A Day, Keeps the Pounds and the Inches Away" it is a goofy tool that works for me ... as well a my furry poodles on a cooooooooolllllllllllddddddddddddd night..

AND ON SUNDAY I GOT TO CELEBRATE DIA DE LAS MADRES ... Panamanian Mother's Day is on December 8th ... I had an awesome dinner prepped by DH and DD and to which I wore my red gown .. because after all there is an awesome feeling putting on a gown and sitting at the dining table with the loved ones ... just because...

YUP I AM KEEPING THAT GIANT CALLED MORBID OBESITY UNDER MY FEET ... ONE DAY AT A TIME... ONE CHOICE AT A TIME ... and if he gets up and TRIES to overpower me I am going to pull a David and Goliath on his arse... LOL...

BEFORE ... that fat woman is me ... her deliverance is my release and my release is her deliverance... THANKS OH FOR ALLOWING ME TO SHARE .... SNIPPETS OF MY JOURNEY...

I read this AWESOME quote shared by the Purpose Fairy that hits home with me ... and I am living it.... cause I live my life like a Camera indeed.....

Brrrrrrrrrrrr ... cold, rainy, COOOLLLLDDDDDDDDD day .... but I am bringing in the color ... yup sunny hair and a red dress does it for me teeeeeeeee heeeeeeee .... and I am having fun with my own hand made lace front WOOT....

This is a totally goofy thread ... trying to stay warm and dry .... and living my life like a Camera, embracing Joy and making it happen to me .....

6 years and 9 months rocking my journey one day one choice at a time and loving it!

My BEFORE empowers me to stay on track TODAY...  so glad I captured the faces of my obesity....

Except for size and intake I have remained the same .... from my biggest weight and to this date I LOVE LOVE LOVE making dolls .. I make soooooooooooooo many dolls that I lose count and I give them away to kids at the outreach center, to the sick, to the well, to family, friends and strangers alike... I have yet to sell one and do not plan on EVER doing so... I have made hundreds of dolls and their clothes that I have lost count. I am currently working on a batch of dolls for Xmas giveaway ... 

I LOVE MAKING DOLLS!!! I did this wayyyyyy BEFORE WLS and I do it now ... I use/used my awesome hobby during my weight loss journey... who has time to crave food when having fun??? and I give them away .. to friends and strangers alike... my mom RIP made all our dolls .. and I have yet to make a doll as awesome and perfect as the ones my mom made ... I have three of the dolls she made me on display...

I make dolls and I collect them too

I have even made dolls for friends in distress ... like these I made for someone on here......

I love making bassinets, layettes, decorating gift baskets and a couple years ago an OH friend shared how to make diaper cakes and I started making those too.... I have made 3 centerpieces so far ... and I have given them all away... to strangers and friends alike... the bassinets in my before picture are re-cycled by me and given away to the outreach program ... before and to this date I LOVE LOVE LOVE making these and giving them away... it is arts and crafts and FUN.... 

I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE TO SEW .... I made my plus sized wedding gown when I married my Al and I made my skinny gown when we re-affirmed our vows 18 months post WLS and at my lowest weight... We cried through the whole reaffirmation ceremony... I made all 12 bridesmaids dresses at my wedding too and Al baked our awesome tiered cake...

I made my dress the night before my ceremony...

BEFORE AND AFTER ... I LOVE LOVE LOVE to sew...

I love teaching Spanish and French our community outreach summer camp at church and I love outreach activities period... did it BEFORE and do it now... it is FUN... 

the best fun was painting wooden dolls with the children .... 

and I LOVE LOVE LOVE to paint and sketch... from murals, to portraits to even looking and painting from OH friends avies ... I paint...

Beautiful DS-er Kirmy pre-op on canvas painted by me ...

I LOVE TO PAINT MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE ... AND I MISS MISS MISS MISS MY BROKEN WALL AT OUR FORMER HOUSE ... every season I painted a mural on it and shared it on here ... I MISS THAT WALL ...

So see... I NEVER CHANGED AFTER ALL ... except for my intake and size .. my heart is just as goofy as it always was .... and I am STILL on my quest to remake my Jade doll ... that awesome doll my son bought me and my dog chip broke .... in the interim I fired up my kiln and my oven and I made Dedes in poured porcelain ...

I love love love love taking pictures ... ALWAYS DID .... my life is mine and I am living it ... embracing Joy over Misery and making it HAPPEN to me... just like my friend Fini said....

CLEANING NSV ... no more wheezing nor shortness of breath WOOT!.... LAWD ...12 more rooms and 3 bathrooms to go ... assigned the bathrooms to DH and just bribed DS for kitchen, guest rooms and living room ... deep cleaning NSV for me ... I will be finishing up by Wednesday...  

Picture proof.... before and a couple hours ago....

and my lil Chip followed me all over the place LOL ... 2 hours later he is still waiting on the bed LOL

I even cleaned one closet and tried on my lil red dress that I wore two years ago to our company Xmas party ... planning to wear it on NY and took a picture in my RECYCLED SHOES that I made the other day....

and I could not help but share my before and TODAY collage ... nothing has changed at my biggest I had a lap dog my awesome Yorkie and now I have my awesome toy poodles and my ferrets...

my awesome boys Chip and Pierre ogling my bed .... the girl is off with Al ... Pierretta is his fave...

I am loving my life journey .. with all its ups and downs... pre and post WLS I am alive and well and embracing Joy and making it happen to me ... I am happy and in love with life as I always was ... and like the awesome quote shared by the Purpose Fairy whose empowerment threads I follow, I AM GOING WHERE LOVE IS!!!! and that is the most AWESOME NSV!!! ... Thanks for allowing me to share... SNIPPETS OF MY JOURNEY....

I will choose Joy and make it happen to me over and over again.... Off to work yesterday morning... 6 years and 9 months post RNY and loving life as I did before but with new health and mobility to rock it...

Lawd, I am getting old ... it seems like I just had my babies yesterday (my daughter and my son) and today I am still a very happy and proud mom...

Me and my dearest son at the end of the workday yesterday ... I thank God for him every day,,,

My lovely and dearest daughter leading our body pump class on Saturday.... I am so totally grateful for having her in my life and so proud to be her mom...

totally grateful for my beautiful toy poodles and my awesome ferrets that bring me so much happiness and unconditional love... 

TOTALLY GRATEFUL and madly in love after all these years to my awesome husband ... he married me his beautiful fat bride and we renewed our vows 18 months post-op at my lowest weight ... the support of my family has been invaluable on my journey...

I AM GRATEFUL FOR OH AND FOR ALL THE WONDERFUL PEOPLE I HAVE MET ON HERE SHARING THEIR RESPECTIVE JOURNEYS ... TODAY IS A NEW DAY TO MAKE LIFE HAPPEN ALL OVER AGAIN ... I PLAN TO MAKE IT MY BEST YET!!!! THANKS FOR ALLOWING ME TO SHARE SNIPPETS OF MY JOURNEY!!!