Taminator
The gym - Day 1
Mar 03, 2008
I went in this morning for my first work-out at my new gym. There wasn't a trainer there to help me that wasn't tied up but I have an appointment this Friday at 8:30 a.m. to meet with her and get a real program started.
Nevertheless, I got a full tour of the facility and hopped on a bike. I figured I'll ease back into exercising...especially since I have to work tonight and have to be on my feet. I think I did rather well though for my first day. I biked 4.5 miles in 30 minutes and burned 162 calories. Yay for me and motivation. Going back in the morning. Now I'm going to see if there is a template somewhere on here for monitoring exercise....
Three Months Post-Op (Almost)
Feb 28, 2008
Although I'm 11 days short of my anniversary date, I hate my three-month follow-up today. My BP is great, my pulse rate is great, my vitamin levels are great....and I've lost 47.5 lbs! I was hoping they checked my potassium in that blood work but they didn't. So while they agree with me it's likely potassium making me so weak, it also could be my muscles breaking down! I'm continuing to take my potassium though and checking my levels with my regular physical soon.
Even though I've been weak, I'm kinda proud of myself. I MADE myself walk 20 minutes twice this week and tomorrow I'm joining the gym so I can just get off my hiney and get rid of it!
The only thing they recommended is I start keeping a food journal again so I can keep up with my intake of calories, variety of foods and protein other than my shakes. In addition I can add up my Vitamin D intake which is another vitamin they want me to add to my regimen even though at this time it's fine. I guess I must be doing pretty durn well then if that's all they recommended!!
Even though I've been weak, I'm kinda proud of myself. I MADE myself walk 20 minutes twice this week and tomorrow I'm joining the gym so I can just get off my hiney and get rid of it!
The only thing they recommended is I start keeping a food journal again so I can keep up with my intake of calories, variety of foods and protein other than my shakes. In addition I can add up my Vitamin D intake which is another vitamin they want me to add to my regimen even though at this time it's fine. I guess I must be doing pretty durn well then if that's all they recommended!!
In the beginning
Feb 10, 2008
In the beginning, there was an ugly baby born in Memphis, TN by the name of Taminator. She was, I must say emphatically, downright ugly! She was so chubby she looked like a sumo wrestler. But this heartache was quickly passed as she became cuter and cuter. She was always independent, quirky and had an uncontrollable curiosity and hunger for knowledge.
She was like Forrest Gump. If she was going anywhere, she was RUNNING! She ran between classes, she ran throughout her home, she mostly ran around in the woods playing with the animules though. To accomplish such a task, she completed her homework at school or on the bus so when she got home she could spend the rest of the day poking around in nature. She was incredibly petite and skinny.
Then one day she hit puberty and the chubby little Taminator returned. She didn't particularly notice because she was always popular and at that age, completely self-absorbed. But she started having problems. She started believing if she didn't have a boyfriend she wasn't loved or good enough so the first strains of co-dependency set in. Now, keep in mind, Taminator was ALWAYS independent and wanted to do everything herself, she just wanted someone to love her because that meant she was worthwhile.
Around age 17 Taminator once again lost weight and was SO hot! She barely topped 100 lbs. and was 4'10". She knew she could manipulate guys into doing her bidding by looks alone and she took full advantage. But being a typical Gemini, she wrestled with her dual nature and always ended up making amends for evil behavior. It never took long for her completed plans to be turned around by arduous tasks of love. Men saw this weakness and began to take advantage of her good nature. It wasn't long before Taminator's self-confidence spiraled.
At 19, Taminator met her first real love. By this time, she was hopelessly co-dependent and unsure of herself. He was a nice guy, he just wasn't THE guy as she desperately wanted. When their relationship fell apart, emotionally she hit the bottom. She thought to herself, "I am too weak to deal with this. I won't go through it again. If I eat it'll comfort me and if I get fat, then men won't want me and I won't have to be heartbroken again!!!" So she ate, and ate, and ate. And she didn't date. For two years. And her weight climbed and climbed.
By the time she graduated college she was chubby again. But still having the independent Taminator inside who never hesitated to do what she felt was right for her life, she began to see the cycle of destruction she was on. So she began to diet. A little would come off then she'd get discouraged when it stopped so she'd resume eating like Godzilla. Then she'd gain more than she'd lost and this new cycle of yo-yo dieting started.
By her mid-20's she'd found law enforcement and it seemed her calling. She'd always been very fair-minded and adamant about justice. And she MIGHT have had a bit of short man's syndrome going on too because she could be ferocious. She became a dispatcher which entailed her sitting on her butt all day at work. She desperately wanted to become an officer however. So the dieting began again in earnest. Once again, the yo-yoing kept pushing her weight higher and higher. Then she met a sergeant who took her under his wing and saw something special in her. He was training for a bodybuilding competition so he pushed her. She began the same diet as he which entailed no carbs, only fresh veggies, no sugar or sugar substitutes, white meat only, no fats and she worked out twice a day. It was extremely unhealthy. Her typical schedule was: up at 8 a.m. to go to the gym for cardio and weights from 9-11 a.m.; get ready for work 3-11 p.m., go running at 1 a.m. when sarge was allowed by the shift commander to run. Repeat. She lost 35 lbs. but she was still fat in her buttocks and thighs so she wasn't satisfied. Other officers became concerned about Taminator. They urged her to stop as her face was emaciated and she was painfully pale. Finally, sergeant said he saw what they were seeing and she needed to stop and rest a couple of months.
During this time, she saw many doctors who didn't care properly for her health, only about her insurance payment. The few who did care, became discouraged after much testing and gave up looking for answers. No one could ever figure out why Taminator was getting so large.
Immediately after the sergeant's diet, the weight started packing back on and skyrocketed. After recovering, Taminator went back to a modified diet of what she'd been doing before but the weight kept coming. She was once again discouraged with life. She began another journey of co-dependency on the male species. Because she felt like a failure she dated men who mentally abused her and even a few who physically abused her. But hey, she was loved so that's all that mattered right?
The dream of being an officer died a slow death. Taminator exercised sporadically but she was becoming so heavy it was really difficult to maintain it. She even tried out for the police department when she had the flu and passed, but barely. Then she had a revelation. One night she had a dream, which was more like a vision. She was an officer writing up an accident on a busy street she'd never been on before when someone ran up behind her and shot her in the head. It was like prophecy and it haunted her for weeks. She'd felt it, she'd lived it. And she realized God was telling her emphatically it was not for her. It wasn't easy but she accepted it and moved backwards to another dream she'd had since childhood.
As you recall, she'd always loved being in the woods. As a child, she'd never been more fascinated or seen wildlands like she'd seen in the upper peninsula of Michigan. From the time she was able to talk, she told everyone she wanted to move there one day. That hadn't changed. She made up her mind that was her next objective. See as co-dependent as she was she always had ambition. She'd bought a house as a single woman, she'd doggedly pursued the law enforcement dream, she'd done whatever and whenever she wanted. She didn't need a man to take care of her nor did she want one to take care of her, she just wanted to be loved. But once again, her immense sense of self-awareness came into play and she realized her relationships weren't healthy.
Desperately wanting a change, in May 2003, she packed up her house and moved to the upper peninsula. Her attitude changed because she was in a healthy environment rather than the city. Her love life evolved as she began seeing the types of men she was involved with and quickly abandoned them. In her head, she healed. In her body, she wasn't able to keep the weight off no matter what she did. Photography became an obsession but she found she wasn't able to really get OUT in the wilderness as she'd planned when she moved. It was too much of a struggle just to walk, much less get too far off the beaten path. Once again she saw her limitations making her life unliveable. And the weight, no matter her healthy eating style, kept on coming.
When she'd gained 130 lbs. more than she'd weighed at the beginning of college, she was miserable. Her BMI was over 51, she was only 4'10" tall so it was becoming very hard for her bones to just carry the weight. She wanted to get surgery so she could live again. Taminator didn't move across the country to die!!! She moved across the country to live!!!!
Then something miraculous happened. One day on the internet she ran into a heavy guy that was SO cute to her. She wasn't looking because she'd had another recent break-up but he just seemed appealing so they began conversing. He lived in lower Michigan but was planning a trip to the UP for canoeing so they made plans together. When they met, it was kismet. Immediately, they had a bond. Eventually they married and he moved to his new loves, the UP and Taminator. Being a retired Navy corpsman, he had insurance through the government and she hadn't had health insurance since she moved. Plans were made, schedules were changed and she found a doctor she trusted implicitly. Although hubby had reservations, he supported her throughout the entire process.
Her re-birthday was on December 10th, 2007. She's been losing steadily ever since although at a slower pace than some. Currently, she's down 41.5 pounds. She's regaining her confidence and is feeling healthier than she has in years. She can feel the real Taminator re-emerging! And she can't WAIT until this summer to get out with her camera and her husband to really go for the gusto as she'd always planned to. Nature watch out, Taminator is on the way!
She was like Forrest Gump. If she was going anywhere, she was RUNNING! She ran between classes, she ran throughout her home, she mostly ran around in the woods playing with the animules though. To accomplish such a task, she completed her homework at school or on the bus so when she got home she could spend the rest of the day poking around in nature. She was incredibly petite and skinny.
Then one day she hit puberty and the chubby little Taminator returned. She didn't particularly notice because she was always popular and at that age, completely self-absorbed. But she started having problems. She started believing if she didn't have a boyfriend she wasn't loved or good enough so the first strains of co-dependency set in. Now, keep in mind, Taminator was ALWAYS independent and wanted to do everything herself, she just wanted someone to love her because that meant she was worthwhile.
Around age 17 Taminator once again lost weight and was SO hot! She barely topped 100 lbs. and was 4'10". She knew she could manipulate guys into doing her bidding by looks alone and she took full advantage. But being a typical Gemini, she wrestled with her dual nature and always ended up making amends for evil behavior. It never took long for her completed plans to be turned around by arduous tasks of love. Men saw this weakness and began to take advantage of her good nature. It wasn't long before Taminator's self-confidence spiraled.
At 19, Taminator met her first real love. By this time, she was hopelessly co-dependent and unsure of herself. He was a nice guy, he just wasn't THE guy as she desperately wanted. When their relationship fell apart, emotionally she hit the bottom. She thought to herself, "I am too weak to deal with this. I won't go through it again. If I eat it'll comfort me and if I get fat, then men won't want me and I won't have to be heartbroken again!!!" So she ate, and ate, and ate. And she didn't date. For two years. And her weight climbed and climbed.
By the time she graduated college she was chubby again. But still having the independent Taminator inside who never hesitated to do what she felt was right for her life, she began to see the cycle of destruction she was on. So she began to diet. A little would come off then she'd get discouraged when it stopped so she'd resume eating like Godzilla. Then she'd gain more than she'd lost and this new cycle of yo-yo dieting started.
By her mid-20's she'd found law enforcement and it seemed her calling. She'd always been very fair-minded and adamant about justice. And she MIGHT have had a bit of short man's syndrome going on too because she could be ferocious. She became a dispatcher which entailed her sitting on her butt all day at work. She desperately wanted to become an officer however. So the dieting began again in earnest. Once again, the yo-yoing kept pushing her weight higher and higher. Then she met a sergeant who took her under his wing and saw something special in her. He was training for a bodybuilding competition so he pushed her. She began the same diet as he which entailed no carbs, only fresh veggies, no sugar or sugar substitutes, white meat only, no fats and she worked out twice a day. It was extremely unhealthy. Her typical schedule was: up at 8 a.m. to go to the gym for cardio and weights from 9-11 a.m.; get ready for work 3-11 p.m., go running at 1 a.m. when sarge was allowed by the shift commander to run. Repeat. She lost 35 lbs. but she was still fat in her buttocks and thighs so she wasn't satisfied. Other officers became concerned about Taminator. They urged her to stop as her face was emaciated and she was painfully pale. Finally, sergeant said he saw what they were seeing and she needed to stop and rest a couple of months.
During this time, she saw many doctors who didn't care properly for her health, only about her insurance payment. The few who did care, became discouraged after much testing and gave up looking for answers. No one could ever figure out why Taminator was getting so large.
Immediately after the sergeant's diet, the weight started packing back on and skyrocketed. After recovering, Taminator went back to a modified diet of what she'd been doing before but the weight kept coming. She was once again discouraged with life. She began another journey of co-dependency on the male species. Because she felt like a failure she dated men who mentally abused her and even a few who physically abused her. But hey, she was loved so that's all that mattered right?
The dream of being an officer died a slow death. Taminator exercised sporadically but she was becoming so heavy it was really difficult to maintain it. She even tried out for the police department when she had the flu and passed, but barely. Then she had a revelation. One night she had a dream, which was more like a vision. She was an officer writing up an accident on a busy street she'd never been on before when someone ran up behind her and shot her in the head. It was like prophecy and it haunted her for weeks. She'd felt it, she'd lived it. And she realized God was telling her emphatically it was not for her. It wasn't easy but she accepted it and moved backwards to another dream she'd had since childhood.
As you recall, she'd always loved being in the woods. As a child, she'd never been more fascinated or seen wildlands like she'd seen in the upper peninsula of Michigan. From the time she was able to talk, she told everyone she wanted to move there one day. That hadn't changed. She made up her mind that was her next objective. See as co-dependent as she was she always had ambition. She'd bought a house as a single woman, she'd doggedly pursued the law enforcement dream, she'd done whatever and whenever she wanted. She didn't need a man to take care of her nor did she want one to take care of her, she just wanted to be loved. But once again, her immense sense of self-awareness came into play and she realized her relationships weren't healthy.
Desperately wanting a change, in May 2003, she packed up her house and moved to the upper peninsula. Her attitude changed because she was in a healthy environment rather than the city. Her love life evolved as she began seeing the types of men she was involved with and quickly abandoned them. In her head, she healed. In her body, she wasn't able to keep the weight off no matter what she did. Photography became an obsession but she found she wasn't able to really get OUT in the wilderness as she'd planned when she moved. It was too much of a struggle just to walk, much less get too far off the beaten path. Once again she saw her limitations making her life unliveable. And the weight, no matter her healthy eating style, kept on coming.
When she'd gained 130 lbs. more than she'd weighed at the beginning of college, she was miserable. Her BMI was over 51, she was only 4'10" tall so it was becoming very hard for her bones to just carry the weight. She wanted to get surgery so she could live again. Taminator didn't move across the country to die!!! She moved across the country to live!!!!
Then something miraculous happened. One day on the internet she ran into a heavy guy that was SO cute to her. She wasn't looking because she'd had another recent break-up but he just seemed appealing so they began conversing. He lived in lower Michigan but was planning a trip to the UP for canoeing so they made plans together. When they met, it was kismet. Immediately, they had a bond. Eventually they married and he moved to his new loves, the UP and Taminator. Being a retired Navy corpsman, he had insurance through the government and she hadn't had health insurance since she moved. Plans were made, schedules were changed and she found a doctor she trusted implicitly. Although hubby had reservations, he supported her throughout the entire process.
Her re-birthday was on December 10th, 2007. She's been losing steadily ever since although at a slower pace than some. Currently, she's down 41.5 pounds. She's regaining her confidence and is feeling healthier than she has in years. She can feel the real Taminator re-emerging! And she can't WAIT until this summer to get out with her camera and her husband to really go for the gusto as she'd always planned to. Nature watch out, Taminator is on the way!
