Miss Me?

Long time, no see y’all! I hope your past two weeks have been great. I am just going to jump right in. I weighed this morning. I knew that it wouldn’t be great. Over the past few weeks, I have been to New Orleans, experienced a week of calorie and fat soaked lunches provided at my teaching orientation, and at least 3-5 pieces of cake scattered over the days. I wanted to use this week to not only recover, but prove to myself that I could still be strict several days in a row. I succeeded because since Monday morning, I’ve been flawless. I am going to be a bit bad tonight because I am going on something called a Brews Cruise with my Dad but after that, there is no reason to cheat until Halloween. When I got on the scale this morning, I thought I was up almost 4 pounds. When I looked at my weight tracker though, I realized my lowest weight was a little higher than I thought so after all the food and a week of damage control, I’m up 2.2 pounds. I am glad it’s not almost 4 but I’m kind of bummed that my lowest weight was more than I thought, lol. Oh well. I know it’s not great to be up 2.2 pounds but it’s pretty good considering and I’m back in diet mode so I should be OK.



After my week of strenuous orientating at the University of Alabama, I felt ready to teach. I learned a lot at the orientation and I was able to get access to some great resources. My first day of class was on Wednesday. I got there before the students did and laid out everything. I made sure no one was looking and then I took a picture. I didn’t want the students to know it was my first class and that I was nervous but I was. I love all of them already and I felt at home in the classroom. I am so happy to have this opportunity and I can’t wait to see how the rest of the semester goes.



I know by now everyone has probably heard of the book and now, movie, The Help. I just wanted to throw in my two cents and recommend that everyone read this book and see the movie. It’s one of those things where you will laugh, cry (A LOT) and become inspired.



The recipe this week is Lemon Cheesecake Yogurt Cups. These tasty little treats use reduced fat Vanilla Wafers as the crust and all you do is whip together the ingredients, put the wafer in the bottom of a baking cup and pour the batter over the top. The batter included cream cheese, Greek yogurt and lemon juice…all in reduced fat. I got the recipe from skinnytaste.com if you want the specifics. You can add berries, mini chocolate chips or whatever you want. They are low in calories/points and a nice light dessert to have.





Again, I’m not sure why I punish myself by posting some of these pictures but after getting back in line this week, these pictures are certainly motivational. I am doing my version of dancing in both of these. To my credit, I was obviously not ready for a picture in the old version. I have always stuck my tongue out of my mouth and/or let my mouth hang open…since I was a kid…bless my heart…it’s not very attractive. I wish people would alert me to this when they catch me doing it.

That was all I had for the week!

I hope you enjoy your weekend and I will blog next week!

Bye!

“The other day when someone asked me
"are you living your dream?"
I didn't know what to say,
I honestly had to think.
I try to be so many places at the same time
Every day a million things cluttering up my mind.
Another feather falling off my wings
I climb so high it gets hard to breathe
forget to remember, what I really need.” What Means the Most-Colbie Caillat

Too much of a good thing...

Afternoon y’all! I hope everyone is well. I am doing OK. I went to New Orleans last weekend and had a great time but that in addition to the two pieces of cake I had at random this week has me up 3 pounds. I mean, I know WHY I gained but it still rubs me the wrong way that I can work my butt off 75% of the time and instead of even maintaining, I gain 3 flippin’ pounds?! Whatever.

I have my orientation next week that will help me before I start the class I’m teaching and they sent out a menu of the food they are providing which includes but is not limited to: pastries, snacks, barbecue, local diner food, pizza and sandwiches. Since I know that I won’t lose next week, I’m not going to weigh again until the 26th to give myself a week to try and get some of this extra poundage off. After that, I need to do better. I have a goal to reach by January 15th and I need to get in gear. Because of my orientation, I won’t be able to blog next week so my next blog won’t be until August 26th. So, on that day, I will have to report about my weight, my orientation, my first class teaching at the University of Alabama and many other things. I know you will miss me terribly.



This is a group shot from the girls trip to New Orleans. We all had an absolute blast! That place is one of my favorite cities. Sometimes, when I go to these places, it makes it feel like Tuscaloosa is so small. It feels nice to branch out every once in awhile. I would go to New Orleans anytime!



This isn’t really a set recipe but one of those things that I throw together that tastes yummy and takes less than 5 minutes to make. It’s just a grilled chicken sandwich with bacon and barbecue sauce with a side salad. I use the pre-made chicken fajita strips and pre-cooked bacon that you can get from Oscar Meyer. I think 2 pieces is less than 40 calories and anytime you add bacon to a sandwich…it makes it feel more filling. I also love having an entire plate of food for 6 or 7 points. The more food the better!





This before and after is timely. The first one is of me in New Orleans a few years ago and the second is from this past weekend. The one from last weekend isn’t that great of a picture but it was the only full length one I found acceptable and I think it’s only fair to try and put full body pictures on here. I have got to remember these pictures when I have bad mornings on the scale. I need to get motivated!

If everyone could please send me good vibes and pray that I have wisdom and confidence as I embark on this teaching journey. I’m super nervous and this weekend I’m going to be preparing my syllabus and having to work at my regular job a bit to make up for lost time so I’m kind of stressed. I know it will all work out…if I could just get organized and get into a routine…I will feel much better.

I’m not doing much this weekend…I hope you have fun plans!

Talk to y’all in two weeks!

Bye!

“There’s something, something about this place…” You and I-Lady Gaga

Empty Chest Syndrome

Welcome to August everyone! It’s been a revolting 100 degrees every day this week and it has felt even hotter. I can NOT WAIT until fall. So, I got on the scale and due to my strict behavior over the last week, I was down 2.2 pounds bringing my total loss to 107.4!!! I am proud and feel like I earned that drop in weight. The bad news is, I probably won’t move much from that amount over the next couple of weeks because I’m going out of town this weekend and then the 15th-19th, I have orientation for the class I’m teaching and I received an email that they would be feeding us breakfast, morning snack, lunch and an afternoon snack. I don’t necessarily have to overeat during these times so I will do my best to stay in line but it’s easier said than done, especially when it’s in your face. The good news is that I lost weight, I know that if I still stick to my guns exactly I can lose and I also go down a point which will help me maintain through all the potential for screw ups the next couple of weeks. I am so pleased!





These are pictures of BLT Macaroni Salad. Obviously, this is not macaroni but the recipe called for multi-grain elbow macaroni and I didn’t have that so I used the whole grain linguini I had in the pantry and broke it up. This has GOT to be one of my favorite recipes in awhile. Anytime I get to eat pasta, I am happy and because there wasn’t much to it, I got to eat a good bit. Basically, you just toss the pasta with a wee bit of reduced fat mayonnaise, a little bacon, spinach and tomatoes. I am getting more and more OK with tomatoes but I discovered I still don’t enjoy a big hunk of cold, chopped tomatoes. I think next time I make it, I will definitely use sun dried or much tinier pieces of green tomato instead. I also added some chopped onion in mine for more flavor. It was quite tasty.

So, I know this is too much information and while I am happy with the results of my weight loss, I could stand to get a few pounds back in my chest area. In all seriousness, when I was at my biggest, I couldn’t lay on my back or my side because my breasts were so big they would literally choke me, I couldn’t breathe. Things have gotten much better now and that’s because, well, I no longer have any breasts to obstruct my airways. I saw this commercial once…it was a cartoon. A husband and wife went on a diet together and it showed his before and after in a few weeks and he was all skinny…her before and after showed her the same size with a much smaller chest. This is SO TRUE! I’m not really complaining but it is frustrating because I feel like I can never find a bra to fit right and the ones I have, they puddle around in there as if they are trying to stretch as thin as possible so they can cover as much room as they can. I have briefly contemplated “fixing” this problem with some sort of elective surgery but I think I’ll wait until I “fix” my financial problems before I do that…so it could be awhile. I think what I need to do is go to Victoria Secret and spend a ridiculous amount on bras so I can at least pretend. I apologize for the overload of impertinent and personal information but I feel like I’m not the only female weight loss boob victim out there. We should start a club.





This before and after picture for this week isn’t really fair because the before picture is bigger than the after. I’m bigger and the picture is bigger but it’s a bit distorted. I’m running out of full length pictures of myself from recent times. I’m hoping to take some this weekend. I took this picture a few years back with my friend Whitney. I remember we were at the playground near my parents house. We used to go there all the time and swing. I miss doing that…I may have to bring that back at some point. Anyway, I’ve come a long way…I bet my butt would fit a little better in the swings now!

I am headed to New Orleans this weekend for a girls trip! I will go ahead and give a pre-shout out to my roommate and bestie Cassandra. Her birthday is on Tuesday which is partially the reason we are going…so Happy Birthday Cassandra! I hope to have fun…New Orleans is one of my favorite cities.

I hope everyone has a great weekend.

I also ask that you keep my extended family in your prayers. My dad’s cousin Connie lost her battle with cancer this week so I hope that her close family and friends can somehow find peace.

Bye everyone!


“When I'm alone in my dark dark room,
I have to tell myself to,

Think good thoughts,
Think good thoughts,
Imagine what the world would be if we would just,
Think good thoughts,
Stop the bad from feeding,

I won't let the negativity turn me into my enemy,
Promise to myself that I won't let it get the best of me,
That's how I want to be
Na, na, na, na

I'm not saying that it's easy,
Especially when I'm moody,
I might be cursing like a sailor till I remind myself I'm better,

Cause words can be like weapons,
Oh and you use them, you regret them,
Oh but I'm not gonna let them take away my heaven

And when I start feeling blue,
I remember to tell myself to,

Think good thoughts,
Think good thoughts,
Imagine what the world would be if we would just,
Think good thoughts,
Stop the bad from feeding…” Think Good Thoughts-Colbie Caillat

Upcoming Changes

Hello! I am not sure if you noticed, but I didn’t blog on Tuesday like I usually do. I have had a busy week that has stirred up some developments that I would like to share with you. I work a full time job but since I graduated with my MFA, I have had the desire to teach. I’ve been looking for at least onc class so I can gain some experience. When it comes to high school, if you don’t have a teaching certificate, you can only teach at private schools and those are limited around here so I haven’t had much luck. I am also qualified to teach at community colleges and/or composition classes at a university. Because, in most cases, you have to have experience to get a job, it makes it difficult to find someone to give you a chance. A lot of graduate programs have a teaching practicum that sort of sets you up with the experience you need. Unfortunately, with mine, you were only required to give one lecture. Somehow, I got lucky and I have been given the opportunity to teach EN102 at the University of Alabama this fall. I made the case that even though I didn’t have as much experience as they’d like, they should give me a chance because I will work my behind off and I know my stuff…they went for it…so, now I’m getting the chance I’ve been wanting. I will only have one class to start which is good because I’ll still be working and I don’t want to be overwhelmed. I am going to be working hard on this class, trying to get some guest lecture spots at some high schools and writing more so I had initially decided to stop blogging all together. When I began to think about all the 5’s of readers out there, I decided to keep it. I was trying to put all of my blogs into a word document in case I ever did stop the blog and didn’t want to lose everything I’d written and before I even got done with a few months, I had well over 50 pages. I didn’t want to give that up. So, instead of blogging two days a week, I will only be blogging one, usually on Friday. Wish me luck, I feel like this could open doors and give me a firm idea as to what I want to do with my life.

Now that I’ve rambled on about that for awhile, I weighed this morning and I was NOT down. In fact, I was up a bit. I guess this once again proves that I must give a flawless performance in order to lose weight. My only mess-up this time was consuming way too many calories last Friday at the Miranda Lambert concert. Also, I’ve been focusing a lot more on my stomach and arm fat lately so I’ve been doing more work with weights. I’ve heard both sides of the spectrum as to whether or not lifting weights makes you gain but that may have a bit to do with it. I have no cheating planned the next week so it would be REALLY NICE if I lost next week…before I get FRUSTRATED. That also means that I should keep the blog going at least another year (I am about to renew my domain name for one more year) because I obviously have not come to an end or a maintaining point in my weight loss journey.





I wanted to show you a couple pictures from the food drive we are having at work. They split us up into teams to make it a competition. We had to design a receptacle, bring food, gather donated money and whatever else we could to gain points. We built an awesome receptacle, donated a ton of cans and money and we even visited the West Alabama Food Bank during lunch one day for an extra kick. I think we deserve to win but I’m not sure if we will.





Despite the unreal heat and humidity, Dad and I had a great time at the Miranda Lambert concert. I really like her music a lot and it gave me a chance to go to the new Tuscaloosa Amphitheatre for the first time. It’s so nice and clean. It’s a really positive thing for Tuscaloosa since we’ve been through so much this year as a community. I’m very proud of it.



This is a Chicken Parmigiana Burger. The recipe called for ground chicken and Pomodoro sauce but I used ground turkey and some pizza sauce I had in the refrigerator instead. It’s very simple, just heat the patty on both sides and pile it all on a bun. It was quite tasty…an easy one that I could do anytime.



This is me posing with a literary journal called, The Broad River Review. I am in this book so I was excited. My poem, “Wedding in Cumberland County, Tennessee,” was published in here and it’s my first print journal since college.





These pictures are interesting because both me and my friend Stacey in the picture, have lost weight. Yes, she’s pregnant there. No, I’m not. She went on Weight Watchers after she had her second baby and has been very successful!

I know that was a TON of info…so I’ll stop there.

Have a great weekend! Wish me luck on losing this week! Bye!

“I hope you still feel small
When you stand beside the ocean
Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
Dance
I hope you dance.” I Hope You Dance-Lee Ann Womack

Plateau, NO YOU DIDN'T!

Hello everyone! I weighed this morning and I was only down a few ounces from last week. I was a little miffed with this result feeling like I might actually be in a plateau. I went to the gym and ran and then luckily I was able to remove some food from my belly and I weighed again (TMI I know). After I weighed a second time, I was down 2 pounds bringing me .3 pounds down below the weight I was before New York City! I know that is totally cheating but I don’t care. I needed to make the scale move no matter what. I am sort of off my diet today but I’ll be back on for the weekend and next week. I’ve decided to change up my running routine a bit. I’m going to add another day of running to attack this plateau full on. I am also giving myself Sunday to mostly rest. I think my body needs rest too. We will see how this new routine works. I’m not too disappointed. I’ve lost over 105 pounds, I knew it would slow down at some point.

While I was in the kitchen yesterday at work, a girl came in who sometimes makes comments complimenting me on my weight loss. She looked at me and said, “Girl, what size are them jeans?” I found this to be a very rude question but since I knew she was TRYING to compliment me, I told her since I was fortunately wearing the smallest size pants I own. She told me I looked good but I just don’t understand why some people have to ask questions like that. Anyway, I just wanted to put that in here to make sure I wasn’t the only one who thought that was kind of a rude question.





The movie and TV industry has never been particularly kind to people who are overweight. In general, if you are the one in a million bigger people lucky enough to find a job in the entertainment industry, you are usually typecast into a role that centers around your weight. There are very few actors who, if they are overweight, get jobs that ignore their body type. I won’t say there are none because if you are someone with extraordinary talent (like, in my opinion, Kathy Bates) than sometimes, you can get past all of that. Even those actors have attention drawn to their weight sometimes. There have been a rush of reality shows like “More To Love,” “Dance Your Ass Off,” and “The Biggest Loser,” that can sometimes exploit fat people and I don’t think that’s right. There are also shows like “Drop Dead Diva,” which are more tasteful but still, the premise of the show begins with a girl who dies and gets trapped in the body of a “fat” professional. Honestly, I don’t think Brooke Elliott should be called FAT…to me, she looks fairly average. Anyway, I like the show and I think the overall goal is to look at inner beauty but how would you like it if your entire job as an actress was to be compared to a former fashion model all day. I don’t know, I just had some thoughts on that and I figured I’d share.





I must be out of my mind to share that first picture. I was acting crazy, as I usually am, posing with a statue of Bear Bryant in front of Alabama’s stadium. I’m not sure why I have my leg wrapped around it but that’s me…I’m nuts. Anyway, it’s not very flattering but that was the whole goal I guess to show myself in a different light. The upside is the “after” picture I get. This time, I’m posing with the Nick Saban statue…much better view.



I’m excited! Miranda Lambert is playing in Tuscaloosa tonight and Dad and I are going! It should be fun. We are both so bummed about not going to New Orleans so maybe this will make us feel a little better.

I know I have been so random today but my thoughts are super random right now!

Have a great weekend y’all!

Bye!


“Hey white liar
The truth comes out a little at a time
and it spreads just like a fire
slips off of your tongue like turpentine
and I don´t know why
white liar…” White Liar-Miranda Lambert

Heart, How Do I Get You Alone? No Seriously...

Yesterday morning around 6:30am, I received the devastating news that the concert that I was heading to New Orleans for with my Dad and Jordan had been rescheduled. The concert was moved to a week night in September so we can’t go. Thus, our New Orleans trip is canceled. I have been listening to Heart since I was in the womb and I’ve been trying to see them in concert since I knew what a concert was…so needless to say…I was not very pleased. I was also looking forward to spending the weekend with my Dad and Jordan. Oh well, I will get to see Jordan this week and my Dad and I are going to a concert on Friday and I promised him that we would go to an away game or something this football season to make up for it. My roommate was planning to go to NOLA in a couple of weekends and I told her I couldn’t go because I was going this weekend so since I’m not going now, my hopes of seeing one of my favorite cities ever may not be completely dashed…we’ll see.





This weekend, I had a clear goal of doing my absolute best so I could eat what I wanted in New Orleans. I followed all of my rules that I set out so I did well this weekend AND I don’t get to go to New Orleans. That’s fine though. Hopefully, I will manage to lose a pound or so this week, that would be nice. The photos above are of this week’s recipe. These are Hash Brown Egg White Nests. These are simple enough to make. You just make little nests of shredded hash browns in muffin tins and then bake them until they are crisp. After that, you fill it up with a mix you made of egg whites (I used egg beaters), ham, onions, salt and pepper. These tasted OK but I didn’t care for the texture. The hash browns didn’t provide a sturdy enough fence so that the egg mixture wouldn’t seep through. I used the recipe but if I ever make it again, I will just need to add more points and use more hash browns because the eggs moved to the bottom and got a little rubbery. The flavor was fine but this wasn’t my favorite recipe.





My family was late in the discovery of planking as we only started discussing it last week. If you aren’t familiar, planking is the latest internet craze. If my sources are correct, the game became popular in Europe and Asia first and then spread worldwide. It’s especially popular in social media with pictures and videos. Wikipedia describes it this way, “The lying down game or planking is an activity consisting of lying face down in an unusual or incongruous location. The hands must touch the sides of the body and having a photograph of the participant taken and posted on the Internet is an integral part of the game. Players compete to find the most unusual and original location in which to play. The location should also be as public as possible, and as many people as possible should be involved. The term planking is described as the practice of lying down flat with arms to the side, to mimic a wooden plank.” So, there you have it. It’s completely pointless but I have to say, it’s really fun. It’s especially entertaining when you plank in random places or places where it’s difficult to plank (suspended in air or a place where it’s hard to get your center of gravity). Anyway, I wanted you to see a couple pictures of my brother and I planking. I posted a few more on Facebook…I feel like my planking experiences aren’t yet over…I have had a blast giggling and running from mall and stadium security.





Mom, Oma and I saw the final Harry Potter this weekend. The movie was absolutely amazing. It was by far the best movie out of the series and also the one that is closest to the book. If you have kids, love to read or you are looking for a series of books that will help you get reading again, I HIGHLY recommend Harry Potter. The story is genius, detailed and is a wonderful expression of good conquering evil, tolerance, family, friendships, love and sacrifice. I’m a TOTAL nerd for Harry Potter and I’m not ashamed to say it. I was so excited to see the movie but I took it pretty hard when it finally sunk in that it was over. I am re-reading it now and I will watch all the movies again soon. I think I’m done now.


Have a great week!

Bye!

“Til now I always got by on my own
I never really cared until I met you
And now it chills me to the bone
How do I get you alone…” Alone-Heart

Roller Coaster Rides

Another weekend is upon us and as usual, I’m happy that it has arrived. Well, I knew that the possibility that I could get away with my weekend binge last week was slim and I was right. I weigh pretty much the same I did last week which means I’m still about 2 pounds off my pre-New York weight. I am sufficiently angry at myself because there was no sense in it. It just goes to show how one bad decision (too many appetizers at dinner) can lead to a downward spiral because the rest of the weekend, I just let myself go completely. Well, if I don’t stick to my guns this weekend, I am going to outline some serious consequences for myself while I’m in New Orleans. I have been planning on cheating in New Orleans for awhile now so I think depriving myself there is motivation enough to be on my best behavior this weekend. The good news is I know now that to maintain the same weight, I can pretty much eat and drink what I want on Saturday and Sunday nights and as long as I’m healthy the rest of the time, I stay about the same. The bad part is that I’m not ready to maintain yet. I am still in losing mode so I need to get my head on straight. I think I am done scolding myself now.

I was talking to someone the other day about going to Six Flags and how I haven’t been there in forever and I was reminded of a time when I took my brother and his friend to Alabama Adventure which is the little theme park in Birmingham. I would say I was at my heaviest or around that. I’ve always loved roller coasters and rides that are really high. There is this ride there that you get in a seat and it shoots you up this long pole. I wanted to ride it and it never occurred to me that I may not fit in the seat. My brother used to be afraid of those rides so he didn’t go but the kid with us did (this kid was in our youth group and I love him dearly) and when we went to get in the seat, I hopped up, and the buckle was meant to come between your legs and attach to a contraption that went over your head. I couldn’t manage to get the buckle through my inner thighs, let alone reach it to the buckle above my head. I tried for a few seconds and realized very quickly that I wasn’t going to be able to ride. So, in front of my brother and his friend and a line of people, I had to get off the ride. I was completely horrified. I had never been unable to ride something because of my weight. There was also an instance when I was on a plane that I couldn’t get my seat belt buckled. I was able to hide it from the attendant, otherwise, I would have had to get an extension. For me, these things were the jolt I needed to motivate me. For others, this can send them back into their shell and only make them get more unhealthy and avoid things in an effort to forget. I have talked before about how society doesn’t treat fat people with respect and I think that’s true. Medically, I am still obese, so in no way can I judge others, but now that I can buckle my belt in an airplane with no problems and I have gotten on a rollercoaster easily, I want to make an extra effort not to judge those that can’t. I’ve been there. My advice would be to not let those moments make you more miserable, let them define your future. Businesses (especially airlines, theme parks and stadiums) should make more accommodations for overweight people because a shocking number of people don’t fit into the category of “average” when it comes to size and they should be treated like human beings. But instead of lashing out at these people because you are hurt or you feel defied, use that energy to take better care of yourself. I am happy to note that when I do have the money, I am going to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and I’m going to ride EVERYTHING!

Below you will see my before and after pic for this week. I know the picture outlines how different I look but all I can see is how grown up my brother looks. I won’t get into it because the second I start talking about how I can’t believe he’s a senior in high school and how much he means to me, I will cry and I don’t want to go there right now.





I am proud of this image but I don’t want to become complacent. I will NOT have another weekend like I did last weekend. I want to get that weight off. I am getting to a point where I may be able to set a final goal soon and I don’t want to ruin that.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Bye!

“There's a fire starting in my heart
Reaching a fever pitch, and it's bringing me out the dark
Finally I can see you crystal clear
Go ahead and sell me out and I'll lay your ship bare
See how I'll leave with every piece of you
Don't underestimate the things that I will do.” Rolling In The Deep-Adele