Tag Archives: Health

Feeling Inspired!

Good morning!

I am feeling inspired! I am feeling empowered! I am feeling a great satisfaction in knowing that I am taking care of myself, in small ways, every day, little by little!

I ran across this video this morning, and could not WAIT to share it with you! 😉

Living a beautifully creative life does not only mean spending time being artsy, or creating masterpeices outside of yourself! It is also about creating the YOU that YOU want to be. It is taking care of yourself, in only ways that you may understand that you need taking care of! Me myself being a plus sized gal, I understand that it may not be fashionable to be a healthy thick girl, but honey, I am here to tell you!! Even at the size that I am now (I have recently lost about 70 pounds, but have about 55 more to go), I am far and away doing better than the old me who used to sit on the couch 24/7 like someone was going to come and take it away if I didn’t stay sitting on it!

Get up, get moving, take a walk, go swimming, ride a bike, find a way to play like you did when you were younger! Know that living a beautifully creative life is more than what you create art-wise, it is also about HOW YOU LIVE!!! So get out there and put some LIFE into your LIFE!! I am cheering for you (CAN YOU HEAR ME???) 😉

Here is to living a Beautiful Creative Life!! 😉

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If you want to have a different life, live differently!

1-Year Post Bariatric Surgery Update!

This is me as a happy girl today!! ;-)

This is me as a happy girl today!! 😉

Good evening!

Yep! That’s right! As of today, it has been exactly one year since I had my gastric bypass surgery, and I thought it might be the perfect time to give you my weight loss update!

As of today, I have officially lost 99 point something pounds since April 2012, and 59 of those pounds have been since my gastric bypass surgery on September 4th, 2012. I say 99 point something, because I actually can’t remember the exact number that my surgeon said! All I remember hearing was 99 pounds. YEAH! ME!!! 😉

I have been reminded by my nutritionist that I am still eating waaaaay to many carbs, and I am almost 40 grams of protein short every day. OUCH!!

I also know that getting in 64 ounces of liquid a day has been the bane of my existence, and I am not sure I have EVER been able to get that much water in since my surgery. When your stomach is the size of 2 or 3 ounces, and you can’t drink within 30 minutes of eating, it really limits how effectively you can get your fluids in!

I also really need to step up my exercise routine!! I just need to push myself harder, and spend less time sitting on my keister!! 😉

SOOOOOO…

long story short, I have got A LOT of room for improvement!!

They also showed me a chart that proves that I am losing on the slooooooow track. and for some reason my physician thinks I am having a love affair with pizza – I really am not, but the last two times I had seen her, I had just happened to have pizza the previous evenings!! Which just also happens to be the only two times I have had pizza in the past three months! Sheesh!!

To say I left my appointment today feeling a bit defeated is an understatement, but I was reminded by my girl friends, and my sweetie that I have still come a LOOOOOONG way baby!! and I know it is true, but to put it out to the universe in writing, I decided to share a list that I had created months before surgery.

This is a list of all of the physical goals I had written to myself in May of 2012. Basically, this is the if-I-could-do-anything-after-weight-loss-surgery-this-would-be-my-dream-list:

  1. Jog a mile non-stop – DONE!
  2. Cross my legs – DONE!
  3. Touch my toes with knees unbent – DONE!
  4. Ride my bike for a half an hour straight
  5. Run up two flights of stairs without getting winded – DONE!
  6. Wear high heels without pain – DONE!
  7. Run a 5k – DONE!
  8. Fit into a bathtub – DONE!
  9. Sit Indian-style in a movie theatre seat – DONE!
  10. Be able to sit with my knees up against my chest – DONE!
  11. Be able to use the chair-tables in the auditorium – DONE!
  12. Be able to fit into a restaurant booth – DONE!
  13. Hike the longest trail at Silver Creek Falls – DONE!
  14. Weigh less than when I first met Jason, when I was 18 – DONE!
  15. Slip into a size-14 again – DONE!
  16. Not be the first one tired on an all-day shopping excursion – DONE!
  17. Get rid of the dreaded C-pap machine – DONE!
  18. Be able to ride cowgirl-style in my favorite evening activity! 😉 – DONE!

 

I actually hadn’t remember that I had written that list, but I have to tell you once I found it and realized that I have done EVERY SINGLE thing on this list except one (only because I haven’t tried it yet), and that was #4 Ride my bike for a half an hour straight, and I am sure at this point, I could TOTALLY do it!! 🙂

So, I am going to consider this a success thus far!!

Starting tomorrow, I am back on the straight and narrow, and my goal is to lose 30 more pounds within the next 6 months! WOULDN’T THAT BE AWESOME???? But the reality is, that if I never lost another single ounce from today, my life and my future is ALREADY better than it would have been 100 pounds ago!!! 😉 I have to keep in mind how good life is right this minute!! 😉

Here is to a FABULOUS evening!! 😉

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If you want to have a different life, you have to live differently!!

Gaining a New Life with Gastric Bypass Surgery!

Me 2Good evening!

I have had so much going on the past week, that I really had no idea where to start. ..

So, to keep things simple, I have decided to share my weight loss update this evening!! But, I realized that since I changed from my old blog to this one, this is going to be a new story for most of you!! 🙂

I have lived most of my adult life heavy…
and teen life…
and part of my childhood…
well, I think you get the idea!!

I did not have one single solitary day of my 20’s under 285 pounds, and by the time I hit 30 I was 300 plus pounds! One day, I woke up and realized that I was 36 years old, 330 pounds, unhappy, unhealthy, and seriously heading to a quickly approaching early grave! I realized I had wasted my 20’s and now that I was heading to 40 (AKA middle age AAAACK!!!!), I decided that I didn’t want to greet my 40’s on my way to 400 pounds! I just couldn’t do it! and seriously as bad as my health was getting I wasn’t sure I was going to make it even if I wanted to!

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By that time, I had sleep apnea… I snored like nobodies business, and I couldn’t sleep through the night without waking up with a horrendous blood pressure headache! Now, I realize I was literally starving for oxygen while I was trying to sleep! I was a breath away from diabetes, I had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and had constant pain in my knees, ankles, feet, and back!! I knew I was in real trouble.

In April of 2012, I had made the decision, along with my awesomely loving husband, that we would both start the process to have gastric bypass surgery. Now mind you, this decision was not made lightly, and not without a lot of trying a whole lot of other ways to lose weight first, none of which worked for very long.

Fast forward to September 4, 2012, my husband had already had his gastric bypass surgery 6 weeks prior to mine, and he had already lost weight like gangbusters!!! As scared as I was going into the surgery preparation, I knew I was ready for this, and that this would be the start of my new life. There was no way in HELL I was going to waste this opportunity!! So, with my sweetie, and my two baby sisters at my side, the surgical team wheeled me away, and I got the chance to start my new life.

Today, and every Monday I go into the clinic for a weigh-in. This is my own personal way of holding myself accountable! My weight loss has been much slower than my husband’s, of course! Him being a man and all!! 😉 But, I have slowly but surely been shrinking. So, tonight I will share with you my weight loss progress as of today!

Weight Loss Update

  • Total pounds lost from highest weight: 102.4
  • Total pounds lost since starting the Bariatric program in April 2012: 92.2
  • Total pounds lost since surgery: 56.5
  • Total inches lost (measuring my neck, underbust, waist, hips, thigh, calf, bicep, and forearm): 43.5

Life is good! I am not yet to where I want to be. My one year follow up appointment is in September, and my Surgeon’s goal for me is to lose another 40 pounds. She has told me, that since my weight is coming off so slowly, even with the weight loss surgery, that I am going to have to fight tooth and nail for every single pound that comes off from here on out, and I know she is right, but I also know that this life is worth it! I am worth it!!!

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If anyone one you know is interested in gastric bypass surgery, or if you are just curious and have questions, please feel free to either comment on this post, or you can e-mail me at thisartsylife [at] yahoo [dot] com. I would be more than happy to answer any questions you might have!! 🙂

In the meantime…

Here is to a FABULOUSLY ARTSY evening!! 😉

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If you want to have a different life, you have to live differently!!

Thank Goodness It Is Friday!

Good evening!
This Friday just could not get here any faster! But here it is, and I am just soooo thankful for a weekend off!!

Today, I unintentionally gave myself a little jolt, and that was because, out of the blue, I signed myself and my sweetie up for a gastric-bypass informational session with our local bariatric office. I am not sure exactly what I was thinking, but it has really made me do a lot of thinking since I have gotten off of work this evening!

The whole idea of gastric bypass, or lap band surgery for me is terrifying! Letting myself get cut open, on purpose, and then having my insides permanently re-arranged just so I can get skinny! Is that just the vain-est thing you have ever heard??? THEN on the other hand, Jason and I talked about it over dinner this evening, and I kind of got excited about having a real life again. You know hiking, playing, jogging, fitting into amusement park rides, fitting comfortably in an airplane seat, being able to cross my legs, touch my toes, or shop in the regular section in a regular department store, being able to keep up with our neice and nephews when we are playing, etc. It is enough to make me seriously consider having the procedure done!

Hmmm..what do you guys think? I would really LOVE to hear your thoughts on this.

Have a FABULOUS evening! 😉

Chunky Dunker’s Night, Week 11!

Good evening!

Welcome to week 11, of the Chunky Dunker’s Club!! Welcome back to those who join us every week, including those of your who silently follow us, and welcome to those who may be new to my blog this evening. I am happy to say, that after last week’s slight hiatus, we are no back on with our regular weekly meeting.

Every week I post a new Chunky Dunker’s article ever Wednesday evening, and you have the opportunity to comment, and cheer each other as you each go through your journey to get fit and healthy!!! We will discuss hints, tips, and ideas on losing weight, staying motivated, and achieving your fitness goals, whether that is to lose 5 pounds, to do 10 sit-ups, or just incorporate some healthy habits into your daily life!!

Tonight’s topic: Cleaning Out the Kitchen!

There is something that I am sure a lot of you have already done, me?? Well, apparently I am having a tendency to do some of my fitness tasks a little out of order. This week for our house is a week of getting out kitchen ready for fitness, which means we need a Major Kitchen Cleanup STAT!!! That means, throwing out the junk food (sugary, processed, chemical-laden, energy sucking food) and replacing it with healthy substitutes (whole, once alive, colorful, energy giving foods).

So for our kitchen that looks something like this:

LESS OF/NONE OF MORE OF
  • Sugar
  • Nuts
  • Sodium
  • Beans
  • White/bleached/enriched flours
  • Seeds
  • Unnecessary chemicals
  • Fresh fruits
  • Processed foods
  • Fresh vegetables
  • Saturated fats
  • Whole grains
  • Trans fats
  • Lean protein
  • Polyunsaturated fats

Now, I realize that that is easier said than done, but I have to tell you that the man that I have been married to for almost 17 years, the man I love, the meat and potatoes man made me the MOST DIVINE vegetarian dinner this week, and I WAS SHOCKED!! It was light, delicious, filling, and we both commented on how GREAT we felt after we had finished eating it!! Not only were we not overly full, we felt good about having made such a healthy choice! I want to have more nights like that!!

And knowing that Jason has lost about 6 pounds, and I am down a little over a pound from last week, I have to say that we must be starting to doing SOMETHING right!!! 😉

So, in the comments section tonight tell me how you are doing, but also what changes you have made in your kitchen to help make your fitness goals easier!!

I am rooting for you!!

Have a FABULOUS evening!! 😉

I’m Here, I’m Here!

Today has been a pretty good day! Work was long, and hard, and stressful, but I always love a challenge!!! I did make a pit stop at Goodwill! I have decided that if I MUST buy books, then I might as well buy them super cheap, and I did!!! I just LOVE retail therapy!! Especially CHEAP RETAIL THERAPY!!!! 😉

I have been in a girly-glam kind of mood most of today. Here are some of the things that have been popping into my mind all day!!!

Dancing with the Ya-Ya Sisters

Diva lashes

A dripping chandelier

A chic little black veil

All things Chanel

A luxurious feather wreath

What could be girlier then cupcakes???

Tiara anyone? 😉

Anyway, on with my Visual Nutrition Plan, I know I have been MIA the past few days, the only excuse I had was that I had family here all weekend, and I just didn’t make my nutrition a priority this weekend, and the fact that I have gained a pound in 3 days is proof enough to get back on track again!!! 🙂

Today is day 12 of my 30-Day-Self-Created-Visual-Nutrition-Plan!! I can eat whatever I want, but I have to take a picture of ANYTHING and EVERYTHING I eat and post it on this blog – and have to be willing to take any criticism I might incur!!! The knowledge that I have to take pics and post everything that I have eaten has really curbed a couple of poor choices!! Although, an occasional treat can sometimes be DIVINE!!!

So, here are today’s eats:

Breakfast: Sugar-free, iced, fat-free mocha, bagel with light cream cheese

Lunch: Grilled cheese sandwich with sweet potato french fries

Dinner: Grilled chicken breast with grilled corn on the cob

3 meals, what a concept?? I know that this is a departure from my normal 5-6 mini meals a day, but I have been sooo busy at work that I find that this is the only way I can fit my meals in right now!

So, let’s see, what else? Well, I am super excited about this weekend. I am taking my dad out to the little beach house for a special Father’s Day weekend. I am not exactly sure what we are going to do yet, but that is part of the fun of going to the beach house – no responsibilities, no schedules, no to-do lists!!! YEAH!!! I can’t wait!!!

Have a FABULOUS GIRLY-GLAM evening!!!

Laughter is the Best Medicine!

Christina: “Jennifer, You are the wind beneath my wings!”

Jennifer: “Maybe that is why you keep flying around in circles.”

***

I just got off the phone with one of my little sisters, Jennifer!!! She is such a hoot!!!Ok, so maybe she isn’t quite a little girl anymore – matter of fact she is almost 25, but she is still the hilarious comedian of the family!!!! I think she came out of our mother’s womb with a witty remark that could’ve made the doctor laugh so hard, that she was in serious danger of being dropped!!!

Jennifer is recovering from surgery that she had his past week, and although she is still in some pain, she is just as busy as ever making the world laugh around her!!! What a blessing that woman is!!! 😉

When Jennifer was about 9, her and my youngest sister, Trina, who was 4 at the time, used to spend every Summer with my husband and I. I would pretend they were my little girls and we would take them with us everywhere to go do all sorts of fun stuff, well, at least that was our goal!!! You see, during one EXTREMELY HOT Summer, when my Sweetie and I were living in Idaho, we thought it would be fun for the girls to sleep in a little tent that we had set up in the finished basement just for them – it was the coolest part of the house, and during that heat wave, a cool place was MANDATORY!!! I mean HOW AWESOME IS THAT!?!?!?! Well, ok, apparently they HATED IT!! I didn’t realize, probably because I had never slept in the basement, that there was an extremely noisy furnace which scared the bajeezus out of them every time it turned on!! Plus, because they were so scared, they kept the tent completely zipped up and it became a swealtering sauna!!! I never could figure out why they go to bed in there pjs and they would get up in the morning in just there underclothess. OK, now I get it, it was super hot!!! But they just went along with everything because they didn’t want to cause any problems!! ISN’T THAT FUNNY???? Everytime I hear this story, I just feel soooo bad that I didn’t realize that the little tent was sooooo not fun!!! I am sure I owe them a small fortune in therapy costs!!! Thankfully, we all just laugh about it now!! I still LOVE THOSE GIRLS!!! ;- )

Ok, so down to business:

Today is day 4 of my 30-Day-Self-Created-Visual-Nutrition-Plan!! Feeling great!!! I can eat whatever I want, but I have to take a picture of ANYTHING and EVERYTHING I eat and post it on this blog – and have to be willing to take any criticism I might incur!!! The key word being ACCOUNTABILITY!! In addition, I am incorporating more fruits and veggies into my day to help me eat a more BALANCED diet, and get healthy!!

I have to admit, that the knowledge that I have to take pics and post everything that I have eaten has really curbed a couple of poor choices!! Although, I did treat myself to a real New York style hot dog tonight, which was DIVINE!!!

Anyway, here is the pics of all my eats for today!!

Breakfast: Yogurt with granola

Snack: Sliced orange with 3 mini blueberry muffins

Lunch: Salad with chopped rotisserie chicken, raisins, Dijon dressing, and cherry tomatoes

Snack: Some carrots cut like chips

Snack: Grapes and string cheese

Dinner: A whole wheat hot dog bun, a foot long hot dog, caramelized onions (I am totally addicted!!!), and super healthy baked beans!!! YUM!!

Snack: Fresh strawberries (I decided that because I splurged on a hot dog for dinner, I had better save the chocolate for my strawberries on another day!!) 🙂

How are all of you doing? Getting any ideas for yourself? I would love to hear some of them, please free to comment up above!!!

Have a FABULOUS evening!

My New Nutrition Plan!!!

Yesterday’s blog posting inspired me to invent and try a new nutrition plan for the next 30 days for myself!! The idea is that I can eat whatever I want, but I have to take a picture of ANYTHING and EVERYTHING I eat and post it on this blog – and have to be willing to take any criticism I might incur!!! You know, I think some ACCOUNTABILITY will be extremely helpful!! In addition, I am going to do my best to get more fruits and veggies into my diet, and eat a more BALANCED diet!! Wish me luck, and I would LOVE to her your thoughts in the comments section!! Thanks!!

Here is what I ate today:

Breakfast: Bagel, light cream cheese, chocolate soy milk with fiber added, fresh orange

Snack: None

Lunch: Leftover fajita chicken breast, with sauteed onions and bell peppers, over mixed leaf lettuce

Snack: 1 little Debbie’s peanut butter cookie (I ate 1/2 of what is shown), and 3 pieces of dried mango

Snack 2: 1 & 1/2 cup of popcorn – the pic looks huge but this is a childs’ size

Dinner: Sauteed onions and bell peppers, served over 3 eggs, with 3 strips of thick cut bacon – extra crispy (I actually ate 1 egg, and the egg white of another)

Snack: Pear

It is one thing to think you remember what you ate, it is a totally DIFFERENT thing to actually SEE what you ate; and because I am such a visual person this might just work for me!!!

On to other things about today:

I had posted a few days ago that I was hoping to create a haven in my backyard, and my sweet husband came over today and helped me get started!!!

I know this is hard to believe, but I actually helped with a ton of weed pulling too!!! (I even kept my hands and shoes clean – now THAT IS MORE LIKE ME!!! LOL! 😉

Here is the before:

Here is the after:

Also, I have been working on a puzzle for the past 2 weeks, and I finally finished it today. On a side note, I had picked this puzzle up from a second hand store, which should have been my first red flag. Sure enough, when I finished I realized I was missing a piece – AAAACK! Well, I guess if that is my biggest problem I have to deal with in my day – I am doing pretty DAMN WELL!!!! 😉

Have a FABULOUS evening!!!