Flippin out and BYOC

Well, thanks for the uplifting comments on yesterday's post! I am still trippin balls (sorry for the dirty term!). I checked out the scale this morning and at am at 180.1 (another 7oz gain)!!!  And I realize that alot of it is water weight and clogged pipes (damn protein!) but it still bothers me. I usually weigh every day out of curiousity but I don't obsess really. My official weigh days are Monday's and I have stuck to that. I still sneek a peek daily though. I just can't help it! If I don't look I tend to not stay on track as well.
So I exercised again yesterday. I did about 25 minutes on the stationary bike and then about 15 worth of ab exercises. I didn't wanna do too much weight in fear of gaining more! Ugh!

What I ate yesterday:
Breakfast: egg beaters omelet with a low fat pepperjack cheese stick in it (delish, I love spicy!) and a nectarine.
Lunch: about 3 oz of chicken breast tenderloins with a lil BBQ sauce, 2 bites of cornbread stuffing, and a few green beans. I also had a couple slices of tomato and avocado with some feta cheese.
Pre-workout snack: about 10 habanero bbq almonds (man, I LOVE these things!)
Dinner: Burger salad: 2 oz lean ground beef, 2 slices of turkey bacon broken up, 1/2 tomato, 2 tbsp of jalapenos and pickles, and 1 tbsp of mayo
Dessert: 3 Lindt chocolate squares

Total Calories eaten: 1302 ( lil on the maintenance side thanks to the dessert I had! haha)
Calories burned: 263
100oz water

Now for the fantacular BYOC:

1. What is your favorite genre of movies? (comedy/romance/horror/action)


I used to be really into horror but they just don't make em' like they used to so lately I have been into comedy and romances. I love a good tear jerker because it makes me "feel". But I love to laugh too, laugh my ass off and if the movie can do that then I dig it!
 
2. What do you order when you eat Chinese food?


hahaha! Well the only time I eat Chinese is at the buffet so I have a lil of EVERYTHING!!! But my fav place is called China Ko and they have this chicken pasta salad that is absolutely heavenly! I used to could eat 2 pounds of that by myself. But my favorite Chinese food anywhere is the crab rangoons (wanton stuffed with crab meat and cream cheese and then fried) best thing EVER!!!! Damn it makes me wanna go eat there.
 
3. Okay no one kill me for this one - and don't answer if you don't want to BUT I just saw some preview for Dr. Phil on swingers and I wondered - what's your take on swingers.....for it, against it, do it, would never do it, etc.?


This is a pretty funny question! Good one Draz! Umm...well I don't think I could ever do this at least not married to Ryan. Maybe, and that's a big ass maybe, I would think differently if I was just in a casual boyfriend/girlfriend relationship. But I am too jealous to allow my husband to sleep with anyone else and it would probably break my heart! Now as far as against it for others, no. I think that if you are that comfortable in your relationship then whatever floats your boat is good for you! I have kissed women in the past ( naughty naughty haha) and I actually considered having a "girlfriend" when I was in high school but never did it. But even if I had, I still probably wouldn't do the swinging thing. I am just too jealous. I do I have a few friends who are married and have tried it and enjoyed it! lmao
 
4. Let's go back to a repeat question. Pick one thing you'll do one next week that is for your physical/mental health.
 
I think I am going to attempt the Atkins too! I have tried it before but it was just too damn hard for me. Now that I am on pretty good track I think I might try it. But for sure I am going to continue to drink 100oz of water a day and eat less fat too.
 
5. Repeat question. Which blog or comment stuck with you the most this week and why?


For sure, Carmen's post about her mother. It was very close to home for me and how I felt about my grandmother and her death and I was very touched by it. My heart hurts for her. Very tough post. Thanks for sharing a piece of your heart with us Carmen!

And that's all folks! Have a super duper weekend! Keep your fingers crossed that my stupid muscle weight doesn't continue climbing!!! :)

The dreaded GAIN!!!

Well it's happened. I hoped it wouldn't but it did! I stepped on the scale this morning and am up to 179.4 lbs. Yesterday morning I weighed 177.6lbs. So I gained 1.8lbs since yesterday. Why???? Why??? Why?? Why? Well, I worked out the last 2 days. Yesterday I was on the treadmill doing the "glute buster" routine and I did the entire 30 minutes. That's quite a bit for me time wise. I usually get bored with the treadmill after that long but lemme tell ya I was feeling it in my hip bones. Afterwards I hit the weights and worked on the upper body for about 20 minutes. I knew this would happen. I knew when I started exercise back up that I would gain. Dammit, why does it do that? I mean I know why but why? I HATE THAT! It's like you gotta move backwards to move forwards.

My question is, when does your body catch up? I mean surely I am not just going to keep gaining while I work out. Right? I mean when will building muscle actually start working "FOR ME" and not against the scale? No I am totally bummed and terrified I am going to get muscled back into the 180's. That would SUCK for me! Surprisingly and thankfully I am not bummed enough to stop (what usually happens) and I am still determined. I forgot that I decided to start posting my food intake every day. So I will just start from yesterday. hehe

Breakfast: 3 slices of oven roasted turkey breast (thin), 1 pepperjack cheesestick by Sargento's, and 1/2 of a nectarine. (This actually filled me up quick, I was surprised!)

Lunch: white tuna with green apple mixed in and 1 tbsp of mayo and about 8 asparagus spears

Pre-workout snack: about 10 habanero bbq almonds (delish!) and a handful of Planters digestive mix (it has some dried cherries, cranberries, pistachios, almonds, and little oat clusters)

Dinner: about 2 oz of grilled chicken breast dusted with Jack Daniels BBQ sauce, green beans, and cornbread stuffing. (about 1 1/2 cups of food total)

Snack: about 4 zesty bread and butter pickles (I absolutely LOVE pickles and these are to die for!)

Dessert: 1 tiny square of Lindt chocolate (about 40 calories)

Total calories eaten: 1,053

Burned calories: 359

100oz of water!

So there's that! haha. I have been trying to mix it up with different meats and sides because I get bored with routine. I realize that can be dangerous for some people (including me) because variety can open doors to eating trigger foods. But I honestly feel I have things super under control right now and I am determined to stay with this for the long haul!

Second post of the day! On a Roll!

Well apparently I was a little hasty in hitting the "publish post" button earlier..cuz as the day has progressed I have thought of things I would like to tell ya'll about! So let's see!

Some NSV's:
#1: I have gone from being "Obese" to "Overweight" since I got into the 170's finally!
#2: My BMI is FINALLY in the 20's at 29.8!
#3: I am finally comfy enough to wear "short shorts" out in public. I just bought a new pair from Macy's a couple of weeks ago and they are a size 11 in juniors and they are super loose on me. YAY!
#4: I have been drinking 100oz of water every day for a week now.
#5: Since I have been eating overall healthy foods (no more junk) I find that I am fuller longer AND I eat LESS! SUPER YAY!

Things are starting to fall into place and I am just super stoked about it! Can ya tell???? :)

Oh and I have decided that I should start doing my daily food journal again to help me keep track of how well/not well I am eating and maybe to inspire someone else! Who knows! So here is yesterday's food:

Breakfast: Atkins Chocolate Royale protein shake (won't be drinking these anymore! They clog the pipes if ya know what I mean!)
Lunch: Olive Garden! (I know what you are thinking but I was VERY GOOD!) I had maybe 3 tomatos and a couple of olives from the tossed salad. I stear clear of lettuce usually. I also avoided the breadsticks completely! I ordered the portabello mushroom stuffed ravioli and had them add grilled chicken to it for protein. I ate half of the dish and saved the rest!!!
Dinner: The left overs from Olive Garden

Total Calories stayed under 1,000. Woo hoo!

Now I need to start getting back into my gym habit. I haven't gone in over a week thanks to having issues every day, errands, car trouble, etc etc.....Today I am going grocery shopping after work and I plan on buying tons of yummy healthy food to cook all week and starting tomorrow I am hitting the gym all week long!!!

TTFN! I mean it this time! :P

Did ya see the ticker????

Hello lovely people! I am just dropping in long enough to say, Did ya see my ticker??? 178.6 lbs!!!! I am officially half way, give or take 6oz, to my first goal of 150lbs! Woop woop! Yipee!!!!

Hell yeah Draz, hit me up on FB. You can find me under "Jessica Howard" and whoever else would like to be my buddy on FB is welcome! :) But anyone who plans on stalking me, be warned....I kinda like that! hehe

Tata everyone! Smooches!

TGIF and BYOC time...

Hi all! Glad it's Friday for sure! Ugh! I am ready for a weekend of rest and relaxation! :) Yup! Now time for a little Bring Your Own Craziness!

1. Let’s brag a little….what’s the best perk you’ve ever had in your job (current or past)? Any employment counts - even if you’re a stay at home mom – you have perks (and the hardest job ever in my opinion).


Well, my current job in banking is pretty perky. I have been here 5 years and I have never worked a weekend. Also the position I hold now allows me to work without having customers and that is a major plus for me because well....believe it or not, I am not much of a people person (in the customer sense). So that's perky enough for me to deal with a pretty crappy salary! hahaha

2. Do you ever lie in your blog?


No. I have no reason to. I figure what's the point of lying? Ya'll would never know the difference and I want my blog to express me and who I am and how would ya'll kinda know me if I lied all the time? (Sorry Grace, for all the ya'lls! I know you are a grammar freak but I am from Texas and it's just a Texan thing! hehe)

3. What do you wear to bed?


either pj pants or pj shorts and a t-shirt or tank top (Not ready for lingerie yet!)

4. Where do you go for advice?


Either the hubby, Mary, Jessica at work and well you all!!! Usually I don't ask for advice, people just dish it out regardless! :) I appreciate it!

5. Repeat question. Make someone a superstar without using a blog award. What comment or blog stuck with you the most this week and why?


Well, I must say I am pretty darn proud of Drazil for opening up and becoming a semi-social butterfly. Spread those wings baby! You got this! Also Draz, I am very sad that I was unable to read your "200 Miles and Sunburned to a Crisp" post seeing as you have now removed it. But luckily I am still able to see one of the pictures that was attached to it! :) hehe
Congrats to Grace for finally getting cleared to break a sweat and work her ass off in the gym!
Also Congrats to Keelie for being able to post all of these super hott dressing room shots of in all her too cute clothes. You are an inspiration dear!
And finally Tessie's enlightening warning about Nutella spread! I have never tried it and thanks to her now I won't ever have the opportunity to be addicted to the chocolate crack! Thank you for saving me and cracking me up while you were at it!


....the end!

Wait, what was that? You don't want it to end???? Well ok, here ya go! Have a great weekend and enjoy it!

Well slap me silly and color me pink! I'm a maniac, maniac!

Guess what I did??????? I did....IT! Not only did I drink all of my water yesterday and stick to my healthy food choices but.....I weighed this morning and the scale blessed me with 179.2!!!!!!!!
Oh my gosh! I am FINALLY in the 170's and I did it overnight! HOLY SHIZNIT!!!! Praise the scale gods! I am thrilled!
Now I just gotta keep on it and keep kickin ass and taking names and keep that scale moving down! Wooo hooo!!!!

My friend that I mentioned in my previous post, Jessica, has just recently started her own blog because...well...I inspired her. (applause) YW Jess! Anyhoo....she isn't a bander or chunky girl by any means but she just had a baby a few months ago and is blogging about every day life and becoming a new mommy. So I am giving her a shot out and encouraging you all to take a  gander at her blog, she needs some new friends!!! You can find her at Jessica . Thanks!

Drop a line...

Well I thought I would stop in and say hello today. I haven't posted since Friday because, well, I haven't had much to post about. I am doing good today. My friend, Jessica, that I work with and I have decided to help each other with an H2O challenge. We both are trying to drink more water so we are gonna stay on each other's asses while we are at work to make sure we reach our goals every day. It's hard though because most of the time I am not thirsty so I have to force myself to drink anything and then at work my hands stay busy with papers and typing and I have to make myself stop to take a drink here and there. But I am sticking to the 100oz per day (6.25bottles) and she is doing 75oz (half her body weight...lucky, I know).

New mini goal, yes, here we go again!

I want to get into the 170's by my next weigh day (Monday July 26th)! Yup that's right! I want to be able to post a number in the 170's on my ticker and my weight tracker! I am at 181 as of this morning. I think I can do this! I know I can, I just gotta, well, DO IT! YEAH Rock n'roll baby!

I am feeling good about this today. I think I might finally be getting back into "the mode". You know where you kick ass and take names on your eating and exercising? yup!

BYOC Friday!!!

Ok. So pity party time! I def need to take a class on how to be more positive but for now you will just have to deal with my cantankerous habit of being down in the DUMPS!!! (No pun intended, haha) Anyhoozle....so yesterday was a pretty dark day for me. I had every intention of being good and improving my food choices. So for breakfast I had Low Sugar Maple and Brown sugar oatmeal with sliced nectarine (yum!). I even brought nuts and seeds trail mix for a snack and I keep jalapeno almonds at my desk for desperate times. I don't usually snack at work though.

I made a big batch of lemon pepper spicy chicken breasts the other night and seperated it all out into my little 1 cup pyrex containers to have for lunch and dinner. So I brought one of them and some asparagus spears for lunch yesterday and what happens???............All my lunch buddies decide to order Italian food from this new restaurant! Well, at first I declined the offer to order with them. But the more I thought about having to sit next to them and watch them devour the delicious Italian goodies, the more my chicken and asparagus made me wanna gag. So I broke and ordered manicotti and a salad. And even though it was on the lunch special and the portion size is smaller than the dinner I still ate it all and that was more than a cup, I can tell ya! I even ate a garlic butter roll!!!!! Luckily they were semi hard and I didn't like that too much or I would have ate even more. So of course my all or nothing kicked in and I ate 2 bite size almond joy candy bars and a bite size twizzler stick and a sunkist. Then for dinner I ate Taco Bell! I hate myself for this, I really do! Why the hell is it sooooo freakin hard for me to beat my own head???? I just don't understand why food has such a pull on me! I hate being this weak, damn it sucks! I am still hovering at 182-183lbs. I don't even know how with as much toxic junk I have been eating lately. CRAP ON A STICK!

BYOC!

1. Because I’m going hardcore on Monday to lose my last 15 before vacation I’m curious….what’s the oddest diet you have tried? Or which ones have you tried and were any successful?


Well I have tried many, many diets. Let's see one of the oddest was when I attempted that Lemonade cleanse that Beyonce did, you know with the cayenne pepper and maple syrup? Only I did that a few years before it was all popular because of her.
 
Also I tried the Reverse Diet where you eat in reverse. Basically you eat dinner for breakfast and then breakfast for dinner. It was based on that old saying "eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper (peasant)". Big meals at the beginning of the day and small meals at night= weight loss. I actually still like the idea of this but I am too damn lazy to wake up at the crack of dawn to make steaks and potatos for breakfast. But there was one recipe I really enjoyed from the and it was cereal with orange juice in lieu of milk. Sounds crazy but it is really good!!!!
 
And some close runner-ups are The Zone Diet, the Five Factor Diet, and least weird would be the South Beach diet (actually worked for a while!) Pills Include: Slim Quick, Hydroxycut, TrimSpa, Stimurex, Phentermine, Bontril, Liposolve, Lipex, Lipidol, Mega Green Tea, Orovo (almost killed me!), and last but not least the famous Acai Berry pills. Fun fun fun! :( Not!
 
 
2. Do you prefer baths or showers?


Showers. I only take baths for relaxing. I will fill the tub with super hot soapy water and lay there for about 10-15 minutes and then I stand up, drain the water out and take a shower. haha
 
3. What is your favorite breakfast food?


I eat oatmeal or cheese grits during the week at work. But if we go out for breakfast on the weekends like to IHOP or something I like scrambled eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, and pancakes! I save the pancakes for last and end up only being able to eat 2-3 tiny bites.
 
4. What’s your least favorite word?
 
That would be the P word. Looks like E.T. and rhymes with wussy! I hate the way it sounds and what it represents. I can handle the C word, sorry Drazil! hehe
 
5. Repeat question…make someone a Superstar for a day! Whose blog or comment spoke to you or stuck with you the most this week and why?


Well, I will say Grace, too. I have been catching up on my blogs all week and I must say there were a few of her posts that were very touching. Especially talking about her ex and how it still effects her. I have been there thinking the person you loved most stopped caring and trying to figure out why sucks. Hang in there girl!

River Trip photos and belated BYOC!

Well, as I mentioned in a previous post. We went on a river trip over the weekend. We stayed in a cabin on the water and went toobing. It was lots of fun and a great break from routine. I figured I would gain 10 lbs with all the drinking and eating but surprisingly I didn't eat very much or drink for that matter. Friday morning, I weighed and was down to 181.2lbs (probably from starvation) and then I weighed this morning and am back to my usual of 183lbs. Damn!!! I am not stressing though. I have decided to just let everything take its course and if it just so happens to be a fast course then that's awesome and if it's not then as long as I keep losing that's ok. :)

Here are a couple photos from the trip:

Me and Mary on Friday night..hangin out on the patio.

Friend Kitti, Me, and Mary

Me on our balcony. We were just about to head to the river.

Me at IHOP on Sunday morning.

1. Love or money? High salary or job satisfaction?


Well my Granny always told me to go for money first and then you could learn to love. But of course I fell for love first and I would love to have some money now. But I wouldn't trade love for money. Money doesn't keep you warm at night. BUT for the second Q I could handle being pissy about my job if I made really good money. I'd deal with it! hehe
 
2. What is your favorite time of day?


Around 6-7 when I am done with work and home from the gym or whatever errands I am running and I have already slipped on my comfy clothes and am ready for dinner and my shows and cuddling with the hubby! Best part of the day! :)
 
3. My in-laws just had their wills done so it made me wonder this. Do you have a will? Did you tell anyone your wish to be kept alive or not?


Yes, actually my grandmother made me write my first will when I was about 12 years old (more as teaching me the responsibility of preparing for death). I have named beneficiaries for all our finances etc.
 
4. Repeat question. Pick one thing for one day you'll do next week that aids in your physical or mental health.
 
Drink 100oz of water a day and stop cussing so damn much!
 
5. Repeat questions. Make someone a superstar for a moment...whose comment or blog stuck with you this week and why.



Unfortunately the boss from HE77 has kept us busier than ever last week and I haven't really been able to catch up on my reading but I intend to do that this week! :)

So for now, you are all my favorites! hehe

Just because...

Well, hello all! I really don't have much to chat about today. Nothing has changed in the band world for me, including my daggum weight!!!! I can't stick to any diet or form of order with my stupid food eating. I wanted to be in the 170's by this weekend because we are going on our river trip. But that's probaby not gonna happen. Would be nice though. It's only 3 lbs away but my body and mind hate me apparently.

Twilight....was awesome! I really enjoyed it. Great action this time around. Fun fun! Here's a pic of me and my friend Cayla in the movie theater.

My face looks a little strange to me...weird?

We picked up the hubby's niece, Kaitlyn (6 years old), on the 4th and took her to visit with his PaPa. We bought about $70 worth of fireworks for her. Most of them were crappy. Fireworks just aren't what they used to be.  Other than that, I don't know much else!

Today is 19 weeks post op. So next Wed. will make my 5 month mark and I have only lost 25 lbs. That's only 5lbs a month which is still incorrect because I technically haven't lost weight in almost 2 months. I made an appointment for a fill on the 14th but I'm not so sure if I want one. I keep having pain when eating almost every meal. I have been chewing well too. Oh well maybe things will pick up!

BYOC and stuck episode from HELL!

Who knew that fishies can smile!!!!
Hello all, Happy Friday! I am very excited about tonight. We are going to see Twilight Eclipse and it is going to be awesome!!!!! I love me some Edward! oh yes, I do! :)

BYOC

1. Seeing that it’s a patriotic holiday of sorts I thought of this one: Where were you on September 11th?


I was in my Yearbook class in high school. I remember distinctly that I was on the internet looking at my current events on the news channel when everything happen. All the teachers were talking about it. It was pretty scary even for a young teenager. Sad, tragic day.
 
2. What is your idea of fun? If given the chance to skip work/life for an entire day, what would you do? (assume you’d be by yourself)


I would sleep late, 11am-ish and go on a shopping spree for clothes, shoes, electronics, furniture, house stuff, etc etc etc and after I spent an insane amount of money I would stop and get a pedicure. Go home, put all my new stuff away, and then curl up on the couch and watch my shows.
 
3. Suggestion from a follower. Some blog questions.
 
How many blogs do you follow? I think about 65
 
Do you comment a little, a lot, on all?  I do comment quite a bit. I try to comment on every post I read for everyone.
 
Have you ever unfollowed someone because of something they said or you didn’t like their blog?
No, I haven't had to do that. Hopefully never will have to.
 
Do you routinely unfollow and why? Nope I have never unfollowed anyone. I guess I probably should weed out the ones who never post anything but I will do that when I am following more people. I am not too worried about it right now.
 
4. Repeat question. Pick one day and one healthy thing you’ll do for just that day next week.
 
I am gonna go even further by saying that I am going to start drinking my protein shakes again (haven't had them in months!) because my hair is shedding like a damn cat lately and start eating more protein at meals and less carbs and I plan to drink 100oz of water a day!!!! Not for just a day but for the whole week!!!! :) I've got my work cut out for me now!
 
5. Repeat "Make someone a superstar" question. Whose blog or blog comment stuck with you this week and why?
 
I just have to say Amy W.'s post called the Glass Closet. I am happy for her that she has found what makes her the happiest. I wish you the best, Amy! Also, I have a new follower, Pie, that I have really enjoyed following myself. I have been trying to read her blog from the beginning to get to know more about her and so far so good. I especially like her last post about being an introvert. It really hit home and reminded me of myself.
 
And to everyone else I completely enjoy reading about your daily lives/journeys and appreciate every comment I get as well. Thanks everybody!
 
Now, onto my not-so-fun topic! I had the worst stuck episode last night and I mean STUCK!!! Oh my gah, I wondered what all of you were talking about when you said you had been "sliming" from being stuck. Well, I, who until last night, had only PB'ed once since I have been banded, didn't understand what that was....until now. I ate a small piece of some, dry as the desert, sliced BBQ. BIG MISTAKE!!! I felt my usual pain in my chest that I get at the beginning of every meal and I took a few bites of my potato salad. The pain remained so I do this bouncing/swaying movement usually to help with the pain. I will stretch some and even pound on my own back and chest to help loosen whatever it is up. Well that didn't work. So I proceeded to the trash can in the kitchen and bent over slightly, and up the potato salad came. I thought I would get some relief from the excruciating pain, but no, no luck. I stood over the trash and ran around the kitchen like a cook-coo-looney trying to get unstuck. Every 5 minutes I would hiccup and up came the slime and foam! Oh my gosh, disgusting!!! I felt like a cat horkin up a hairball every time that happened. I started to have a tiny panic attack because I felt like I was suffocating. I even attempted yoga poses, hanging upside down, and who knows what else. But nothing helped! Breathing seemed to make the pain even more intense. So with tears running down my face, me screaming in pain for someone to help me in this awful state, and hovering over the trash can I thought ok, there's one more idea. I quickly poured some water in a mug and heated it in the microwave. I took one sip of the hot water and didn't feel....worse. So I took another sip and then bloop, no longer stuck. I could actually feel the water and my saliva moving through the band. OH MY GOSH, I was so relieved I burst into tears! It was awful!!!!!!
 
I then sipped more hot water until it was all gone. I had very little trouble after that, thank goodness! But I was left with an awful pain in my chest. It felt like someone hit me with a brick in my throat and chest. It's fine today but geesh that was some scary shit! So I guess my band is a little irritated because I had some pain at breakfast this morning and at lunch. It gets so frustrating sometimes I just wanna go get an unfill! But I won't unless I need to. I have got to start making some progress.