Some were curious as to how I was going to losing 20-25 lbs before my Destin vacation in May. Instead of writing a mass email to those people I decided to write a brief blog entry about it. If you’re looking for ideas to meet your weight loss goals please keep in mind that every person is different. What works for me might not work for you, and vice versa. Or you and I could be twin anatomically. You never know.

That being said, I first accomplished this three years ago and my anatomy could have changed even since then. That would be my luck, but I’m hoping the same methods will work.

First a little background:

This picture was taken my sophomore year in high school. That’s me and, you guessed it, Emmy trying on prom dresses in Dillard’s for the heck of it. Do you see how tiny we both were. Where did those days go? If I remember correctly I wore a size 0 in jeans, probably smaller.

In high school I did color guard like it was my job and because of that I was jazz running approximately 4 miles and twirling and tossing a flag till my arms fell off. On the daily. I loved every minute of it so I never fell like I was working out even though that’s all it was, just more graceful. I never worried about what I ate. In fact those were the days when I’d eat pepperonis, cookie dough and coke like it was going out of style. And pizza. Oh man did I eat a lot of pizza. My point is that I ate bad. Way bad and didn’t care because I didn’t have to.

This picture of my younger brother and I was taken my freshmen year in college. Looking at this picture is kind of crazy because my brother has changed so much since his freshmen year in high school. He’s now a sophomore in college. Wow, time you sure are something.

So back then I wasn’t doing anything active but had only been absent from guard for about 9 months? I was still eating the same. It’s really apparent in my upper arms and mid section. Yea, this blog entry is going to feature me, criticizing myself. Get ready.

Fast forward a few years…

Summer 2006, a month or so before Neil proposed to me. Oh God, just look at my face. Chubby cheeks were never hard to find with me around. Yea, I may be being too harsh on myself but whatever. I deserve(d) it. I did jack crap as far as exercise goes. I think I had started eating a little better but I couldn’t tell. Guessing I weighted about 135-140 here.

After years of getting fatter and fatter I finally started to pull myself together when Neil proposed. This was Christmas 2006 (bobviously) and I had been taking my depression/anxiety meds for almost two months now. I know that helped me lose some weight but I’d also started paying closer attention to what I was eating. I think I weighed about 130.

My 21st birthday, April 2007. Notice the lack of chubbiness in my cheeks. And my arms. They are actually toned! By now I hadn’t been too concerned about my diet but more so about my exercise routine. My best friend Amy and I would go to the gym at least every other day (but mostly every day). We would do cardio and lite weight lifting. Nothing to strenuous, just something every day. That’s all I needed.

June 2007. Because I was home from school and planning a wedding I didn’t work out really any for most of May and all of June. Thankfully I maintained my weight during that time.

My wedding day, July 7th, 2007. I weighed 118 lbs and fit into my size 4 wedding gown perfectly. Notice I had Wendy’s for a late lunch/snack. Still wasn’t too concerned with my diet. By then I had already made a habit of eating a well balanced diet. Something my mother, the dietitian, had always wanted me to do. Heh.

I add this picture to also show my arms because I’m still in awe over them. I’m not trying to be full of myself it’s just that I had no idea how toned they were back then and now, looking at the pictures I’m really pissed at myself that I didn’t keep up all that good work.

Exactly a month later Neil’s aunt got married in Lexington, which is where this picture was taken. Still looking the same. hadn’t work out since the beginning of May.

Fast forward to Summer 2008. Emmy and I at Jasmine’s before the girls went to see Sex and the City the movie. It always starts with my face, arms, and mid section. Ugh. I never picked back up on exercising. I’m a damn fool. I’m right back at 135 lbs I think. This is also the summer I decided I no longer needed to be medicated for my depression/anxiety. Yet again, I’m a damn fool.

February 2009. Yea, you guessed it. Emmy is taking the picture and I’m yet again trying on prom dresses. I don’t think I will ever grow out of it. I maintained the same weight for about 6 ish months because I started working at the nursing home and I did nothing all day except lift 250+ pound people all over the place. My thigh had never been thicker.

End of summer 2009. Face, arms, mid section, thighs, 140 lbs.

October 2009. OMG y’all. I hadn’t been working at the nursing home for a month and a half and it was SO obvious.

December 2009, at Kelly’s baby shower. Since I started working as a web master/designer I’ve really put on the pounds. Of course I didn’t expect less. How could I when all I did all day was sit on the couch with my laptop. Never exercising. Hardly even moving.

I’m going to be straight with you guys here, as of today I weigh 143 lbs and it’s the heaviest I’ve ever weighed. It stops now.

Things are going to have to change:

• I’m going to eat out a whole lot less. Like once or twice a month. This is doable because another resolution is to be smarter with our money, I love to cook anyway, we live 10 minutes away from the closest restaurant, and school starts Monday (OMG, totally different blog entry!).
• I’m not going to stop eating any kinds of food. This is why many diets fail. Yea, yea, yea I’m no doctor but my mom is a dietitian and I think I know a thing or two about it since I was raised in “the way” for 21 years plus I’m a nursing student. If you can maintain portion control and eat a balanced meal you’ll be fine. Many people’s problem is that they don’t know what a balanced meal is.
• I’m going to exercise. Holy cow who would ever had though that exercising would help you lose weight? Heh. My parents’ bought an elliptical for the lake house because my mom exercises every single day of her life and she didn’t want to stop that just because she stays up here for a few days, and also because I told her I would use it. And I’m going to. I hope to get up to 1 hour of moderate exercise on that thing a day but since I’m so out of shape (because I’m a damn fool) I’m going to start with just 20 minutes. I’ll increase by five minutes each time I feel like I can go on. They say it only takes 5 weeks to make something a habit. Let’s hope that’s true.
• I’m going to do more than just exercise. I’m going to be active again. My classes start early so I’m going to leave my hour long cardio for at night but in the morning I’m sure I can spare 30 minutes. Or even 32 minutes!
• And finally, I’m going to get back on my medication. Gosh, it’s been so long since I took it and I’m a damn fool for thinking I was OK. Depression and anxiety are tricky diseases and I’m ready for them to be managed again.

This is my path. Feel free to try mine or follow your own. Whatever your resolutions are I bid you good luck and hope you succeed!

I get home this evening and I’m all I haven’t been here in weeks!!! But that, of course, isn’t true. It just seems like it.

Last Monday was Labor Day so Neil and I were in Paducah with his family celebrating with lunch and hang out time. I don’t remember what time we came home (Murray) but I do know we slept in our own bed that night. Neil had class on Tuesday and I was suppose to work. I didn’t go to work. More on that later….maybe. I cooked Neil and his sister’s boyfriend Tim dinner that night before Neil went to his softball game and it was so good!! I tweeted about it, in case you missed it.

Wednesday morning I packed a bag for one night and left for Paducah. I took the new Hwy 80 from Murray to Mayfield and while driving passed a beagle doggy in the medium.  Any normal person wouldn’t have thought much of it but being the dog lover that I am I had to take a double look in the rear view mirror. When I did I saw the doggy walking into my side of the Hwy and that’s all it took me to make  a U turn. By the time I made the second U turn the beagle was already to the far side of the Hwy and that made it easier for me to pull over. Before I stepped out of the car I made a couple phone calls and finally connected myself with Animal Control in Graves County. They asked me to stay there with the dog to make sure they could find us. The beagle ended up in my back seat and we waited for 45 minutes. Forty five minutes and no one came. No wait, a state trooper did stop because he noticed my emergency flashers on. Had I known no one was coming I would have taken the dog to the animal shelter in the beginning. I’m sad that’s where I had to take him, especially since he had a collar on, but I would have hated myself if I’d seen her dead body on the side of the Hwy when I drove by the next day.

I spent the day with Emmy and Erin until Erin had to go to Murray for her grad class. Emily and I had dinner at our church before we joined the church choir for choir practice.  Emmy and I have sung off and on in that choir since we were in middle school and since neither one of us is doing anything too time consuming this semester we thought, or rather my mom thought, we should start singing for the church again. Wednesday was a start.

Thursday was suppose to be spent with Erin and Emmy but the day instead turned into an outing with my mom. We had lunch with my dad and his brother and then my mom kidnapped me to run errands with her. By the time I was freed Emmy had yoga so Erin and I went driving and stopped for dinner at our favorite 50’s diner. I wanted to stay longer but it was getting late and I didn’t pack enough clothing. I had to go home.

Of course, it wasn’t long until I was heading back to Paducah. I baked half of the morning and then by 4:30 Friday afternoon I was at Emmy’s house again, along with Erin and Jenny. Jenny’s birthday celebration had begun!! Friday night included a Walmart trip in heels, a sushi dinner with four of my favorite girls, yummy cuppy cakes, grimy public bathrooms, my camera effing up, a marriage in the front yard of the Carson Center, nasty lemon drops at the neighborhood bar, and a ridiculous good time drinking and dancing the night away. Come Saturday morning the last thing I wanted to do was climb into loaded car with my in laws for a trip down to the family reunion.

The reunion itself was nice; it was the winding roads that lead to and from the gathering place that was bad. It more or less made the whole day crappier than it needed to be. I do love my new side of the family though so I was very glad we got to go. Neil and I spent Saturday night at the lake house with my parents before getting up Sunday morning and driving the rest of the way to Paducah for church where Emmy and I shared our first day back in the church choir.

This week holds an exciting opportunity that I hope I get to share with you all – time will tell.

Last Wednesday night Emily and Erin came to Murray to hang out and while we usually just drive around or go to McDonald’s we had other outings in mind. After walking through MSU’s campus we drove to the nearest cemetery and parked  the car. We sat listening to old rap and eating fries and drinking coke. It’s the little things in life, really.

Afterward we headed south of hwy 94 to a special place just because we wanted to. Walking around down there we found a part of the Crik that we’d never gone to. It’s not like said place was hard to get to or that it was out of sight (out of mind), we just never went down there. Before we’d taken a left instead of a right. Make sense? Anyway. Said new place was under the bridge that hwy 94 went across and there was sand there. Like, a lot of sand. We’re not sure why or how or ..what? But it was sand and it was there. Under the bridge. I think it was just the simple action of seeing the sand under the bridge that made us want to bring a blanket down there and lay all night. Well, maybe not ALL night.

We called Jenny, who was working at the time, and told her we were going to a special place later that night and did she want to come? Of course she wanted to come! Who wouldn’t? We dropped Erin off for her night grad class and Emily and I eventually went to dance auditions. I didn’t audition, even though I wanted to, but Erin came after her class and she showed off her dancing/performing skills. If I’m correct I believe she is going to be in Emily’s jazz routine. I can’t wait to see that in the spring!

After dance auditions we all went to McDonald’s (you knew it was going to happen) and got had ice cream and chilled for a while before it was time. Then, it was time! We converged at my house to prepare ourselves, clothing wise, for laying on the sand under the bridge! We had thoughts of bringing alcohol and snacks and music with us but in the end we really only needed each other. And a blanket. You can’t lay on the sand without getting it in every crevice known to man. Yes, even in THAT crevice. Ew.

It was such a nice, fun night. We were there for about 2 hours and then we had to leave because we were getting eaten by skeeters. You know, skeeters. Oh come ON! You know what those are!

The three girls stayed the night with me and it was the perfect end to a perfect night. I love my girlies!

The End! (Ah, I’m so clever!)