Back on "Track"

Or.... should I say, getting on track? LOL
I've never been one to enjoy journaling my food intake, even though I realize it's important. It's not fun. It takes mere seconds each time you put something in your mouth, but it's such an annoying thing to do. Then, if you're eating with someone, they ask what you're doing, then you have to explain it all... BAH! I will be honest, and say that I've never REALLY tracked my food very well.. I'd do ok for a day or two at a time, but this has always been my issue!
But, it's very important. Especially if you're at a standstill and not quite sure why. I'm sure it's all right there.. a bite of something here, a nibble of something there.. it sure adds up! I wonder how thin I'd be if I wasn't a stress eater at work - where our office manager buys snacks in bulk as a "treat" to us. Honestly, I'd probably be too thin, but I'd have hit my goal, instead of having 10 pounds to go.. 10 pounds that have hung around for a year! Sure, it's an accomplishment for someone like me to have maintained a weight loss for a year, but why am I holding myself back from reaching my ultimate goal?
So, here we are. I remember everything I've popped into my mouth so far today, and have started tracking on Sparkpeople.com. If you're on there, feel free to add me - Laurie9797 is my user name. If you're not on there, feel free to join me! It's a great community.

Word of the Day: Neophyte

I have a nifty little app on my iphone from Dictionary.com... it gives us the word of the day, as well as a full thesaurus and dictionary. That's great for me, as I've lost most words out of my vocabulary over 3 syllables.... and is it bad that I counted the syllables in vocabulary after I typed that? HA!
I liked today's word... Neophyte: a novice
I'm a novice..err.. neophyte in many aspects of my life.. I'm in this period of my life where I want to jump in and try so many new things, but I don't know where to start. I'm limited by my budget and by my time... and it bites! I've made so much progress in the past year with getting some debts paid off, but I'm not at goal yet. I need to keep focus, yet find balance in getting new hobbies for myself without breaking the bank. I'm a neophyte when it comes to hobbies. My time has always been filled for me in the past, or I lacked the confidence to try something new because I was so heavy. Now, I'm ready to jump in and try something, but at the same time, I don't want to lose sight of my ultimate goal, which is trimming all the fat out of my life.. DEBT!
I keep going back and forth on whether I should get a second job.. as that would help me with both cutting down on debt, as well as giving me something to do in the evenings. At the same time.. a job isn't a hobby, right? LOL Ahhh..... Frustration!!!
I know I'm venting... this is a place where I go to try to clear out the fogginess called my brain!

Here are some things I'd like to do in the very near future:

• Learn how to garden... I want to start with something "simple" like an herb garden.. I can't keep a cactus alive at this point.
• Ride my bike more often... I still don't have the confidence that I should on it.. I'm very shaky!
• Read more often
• Spend more time outside while the weather permits. Houston is known for it's heat, but we've been so chilly here lately! The weather has been PERFECT, for me at least... Sunny, warm, but not too warm.. and just AWESOME!!!
• Catch up on Glee before the new shows start up - I just started watching this last night, and fell in love with it! It's fun and quirky and just overall entertaining! :)
• Figure out whether I should get a 2nd job or try to find extra ways to "cut the fat"
• There's plenty more, but I don't want to overwhelm myself! LOL

Oh, if you've been reading me for awhile, you know about our puppy chronicles.. If not, I'll give you a quick refresher. In October, we went to the SPCA and got a puppy. He seemed healthy, but got a cold when he left the pound, and it ended up being distemper. We lost him on November 10. Fast forward to December, we found an ad on Craigs List for a German Shepherd puppy that a girl got, but her boyfriend wouldn't let her keep. She also seemed healthy, but promptly deteriorated in health and we had to put her down on December 26. They thought she had pneumonia, possibly distemper and possibly parvo-virus. One of John's friends contacted us last week about a puppy that has been at another animal shelter for 3 months, and is about to be put down. His friend's cousin volunteers at the shelter and has fostered the puppy, so she won't be put down, and is hanging on to her until she can find a permanent home. They brought the puppy over, and she's adorable... but, she has a cold. That scares me.. I know that it's common for animals to get sick when coming out of the pound, as it's a big change in environment, but it makes it no less scary for us because of all we've been through. So, we'll see in the coming days what happens on that font!

Also, if you're a praying person, please pray for my sister and her family. One of their puppies got out yesterday, and they haven't been able to find him. :( He's just a year old.

I've gone on long enough for today, but I will return tomorrow!

xoxo

Product Review: JEWELS!!!

Good morning all!
Sarah over at LuShae Jewelry contacted me about her online store, and after looking at her gorgeous items, I jumped on it!

After looking through all of my choices, I chose a beautiful ring, that I pictured above. I received my ring within 3 days, which is amazing on it's own! When I opened the package, I was very impressed! The ring is just as beautiful in person as it is on the website.

I really like that the website provides you with several pictures of each piece, with one being next to a 1 inch "ruler" so you have an idea how big the piece actually is. I have been very disappointed many times in the past on how the size was distorted in the catalog or online!

All in all? I am quite impressed with this company, and would be happy to order from them in the future! Check out their selection!
Here's the link: LuShae Jewelry

Product Review: Wellesse Vitamin D

I don't know about any of you, but Vitamin D has been my constant downfall since BEFORE my RNY. #1) I'm super duper pale and reflect the sun, rather than absorb the Vitamin D (for some reason my doctor doesn't think this is legit!) and #2) I'm not a huge milk drinker.. lactose intolerant to an extent.. so, it makes it tough to consume good quantities of Vitamin D.

I found Wellesse Vitamin D3 Liquid 1000 Iu, 16 ounce Bottle (Pack of 3)
and decided to give it a shot. I was nervous, since so many of the liquid vitamins I've tried have been just plain awful. But, I was quite pleasantly suprised! It has a nice berry flavor and is not thick or syrupy.
So whether you're pasty-white like me and won't absorb Vitamin D, or just hate the taste of what you have now, give it a try! :) It's only $21.97 for three 16 oz. bottles! Wahoo! :)

Rejuvenation!

It's unreal to me how much the weather affects my attitude. The past few months I've been in a bit of a lull. Not really a depressed state, but definitely not in a good mood. I couldn't explain why, but I just wasn't happy. This past week has had sunshine and nice weather, and I feel like a brand new person. I went to the gym yesterday, I got about 12 loads of laundry done (AND PUT AWAY!), some organization done, etc.

I had a half day on Friday, and I went to lunch with a friend I hadn't seen in awhile.. then went shopping for a few new pieces of clothing.. I ended up leaving with two dresses! I'm soooooo not a dress wearer, but I've been trying to feel more feminine thinking that would help my state of mind too... and I am actually wearing one today! Wahoo!

So... thank you, Mother Nature, for sending some spring weather my way. I have needed it more than I realized!

Breakfast and other Things..

Today's breakfast consisted of some cheese cubes on crackers, and a low sodium V8. I'm really trying to work the veggies into my life, can you tell? I'm so glad I like V8. And even more glad that I like the Low Sodium version... 8% of my daily sodium vs. 25% in the regular... NICE! :) For lunch I'm either having leftover chili or a chef salad.. or a little of both so I can have a more well-rounded lunch.

My friend Michelle and I are starting from scratch with the Beck Diet Solution book and Workbook (links to the books on sidebar). I had read quite a bit of it and benefitted from it, but life got busy, yadda yadda yadda. You need a diet coach, and we've nominated each other. Michelle has also had RNY so we have similar goals/issues. I'm also enlisting my co-worker to keep me on track at work, since that's usually when I fall off the wagon. Stress. Free Food (not healthy!). More Stress. You get the picture. The bonus? She's a Weight Watchers leader as a part time job. The not bonus? She's pregnant right now and hungry a lot. LOL

My job gives us the opportunity to work 2 half days a month.. So, instead of five 8 hour days, we work four 9's and then one 4. Tomorrow and next Friday are the half day weeks for us. Tomorrow my plans consist of going to see my friend Joanna and her new little baby. I'm excited but I KNOW I'll leave wanting a baby. lol Poor John.. so many of my friends are getting married and having babies.. and he gets to listen to me talk about it all! Muahaha!!!

Anyway, I better get back to work... I'm working on blogging more, b/c I know it helps me! ANd it's been one of my resolutions.. :)
OOH... I beat a sudoku game on Hard, so mark that off my March list! Wahoo!!! :)

Stop! Veggie Time!

As many of you know, I had gallbladder surgery just over a year ago. Once I had that, my tolerance of almost all vegetables has become almost non-existant. Every time I would eat vegetables, I would get intense stomach cramping and just pray for someone to knock me out. I talked to my doctor about this, and he told me that lots of people regardless of having WLS or gallbladder surgery have this issue, and he recommended that I take some Bean-0 before consuming veggies. Today, I had my first salad in quite some time, and wahoo, no stomach pains! Even with raw onions! Now, I'm pushing the envelope even further and having a V8!

I'm hoping that one of my reasons I'm completely lacking energy is that I'm not getting in my recommended veggies. Yes, I'm taking my vitamins daily, we all know that's not enough. I'm going to try new veggies every day along with my trusty Bean-o to see what I can tolerate and what I need to just give up on for awhile.

John is doing P90X workouts at home and is wanting to start eating healthier too, and I'm ALL ON BOARD for that. I've been enjoying cooking and am ready to make sure that everything is super healthy. I only wish I could tolerate chicken, as that's what he's wanting to eat. Chicken has been the thing I can not tolerate post-WLS. It is too dry, and feels like a brick in my stomach. I've had small shreds of it and am fine, but when that's the focus of my meal, I'm left with a big 'ole brick in there.. NOT FUN!!

Anyways.. on to new things!
As a way to make my blog new and improved (like I am trying to make myself), I am going to start featuring product reviews again, both for WLS friendly products, and just products in general that I love. I've gotten a few books from publishers that I'll be reviewing as well. I'm looking forward to breathing new life into my blog and into myself for that matter. Like I said in a previous post.. I live for spring. It's my time of rejuvenation and when I get that oomph back in my life!! Wahoo!!

Any suggestions for weekly themes/post ideas? I am completely open to any and all suggestions!

xoxox

Weekend Festivities... and Struggling!

Hello to one and all...
Our lovely Jil and her beau are officially married and are now on their honeymoon. It was a beautiful wedding for two beautiful people, and I am SOOOO incredibly happy for them. Guess who caught the bouquet? Hmm... well that would be me!! Muahaha! I certainly wouldn't object if I were next in the wedding festivities! :-)

I forgot my camera for the wedding, but I have all of the cameras that were placed on the tables at the reception. I'm going to develop them for Jil just so she has one less thing to do.. Plus, I got a picture of my man smiling in a picture (he NEVER smiles in pictures!)... I'll get doubles so I can snatch it! MUAHAH! I'm evil today. :)

I've been struggling a bit lately about quite a bit of things. Although I've had RNY gastric bypass surgery, that doesn't define me. Besides that, I don't have the same struggles anymore that I once had. I'm 2.5 years out now, and can consume an average amount of food. I can't eat a ton, which is a great thing, but I know I can eat a whole lot more than I used to. And sometimes I do. I've been finding that a lot of times I relate more to blogs that are in no way related to RNY. I still read and relate to all my RNY and Lap Band friends for certain, as I really feel a connection with all of them, and honestly they're probably feeling a lot of the same things I am. I guess the phase that I'm in now is just trying to find my own identity. Who am I now that I'm relatively at goal? And where do I go from here? I like to think of myself as someone who is always in transition, because being stagnant in life is just plain boring. I just don't know what I should be focusing my efforts on lately. I am sure I'm just rambling and not making much sense, but this is my "journal" so I get to vent even if it's just a bunch of blubbering words! hehe

I guess the biggest thing is that I'm lacking focus. I'm not sure what aspect of my life I want to focus on. I wonder if it's the weather that's making me freak out...!? It's been a long winter for Houston. It's normally spring time weather by now and it's still cold. I always feel rejuvenated in the spring, and now my spring has been delayed... BOO!

Anyway, I will stop venting for now... but just wanted to get some crap out of my head! :)
Love to you all!!!

March is Here!

Wow, time sure flies. February is proving to be a chaotic month in my life every year. I'm glad it's over!
I had a nice birthday weekend though. Friday night, John and I went to dinner with a couple of friends. Saturday, we went over to John's mom's house to celebrate his nephew's birthday. He just turned 4 and is absolutely adorable! Then, the festivities began for Jil and Jason's Bachelorette/Bachelor parties. The girls went to dinner at a yummy Mexican Restaurant and then we went back to my house and watched Mamma Mia with wine and cheese.. Actually, only Jil had wine, probably b/c she felt bad that I had like 7 bottles of wine and no one wanted any. I can't drink because of my ulcer, and everyone else was just drinking sodas.. lol. We had a good time though. I love getting time with my girlfriends! The boys went to a pub that had a cover band and they drank beer and played pool. They had a good time too.. Poor Jason had a little too much though, from what I've heard! LOL
Then on yesterday, John and I picked up my mom and we went to Benihana for my birthday dinner. If you have a Benihana in your area, sign up on their website, and you get a free birthday dinner up to $30! I had filet mignon and lobster, and it was only $6! Not bad, eh?

I'm still doing the resolution thing too.. February was kind of a bust.. b/c of my ulcer. I did lose my 5 pounds, but almost everything else just didn't happen for various reasons.. Especially my resolution about getting rid of my ulcer completely.. lol I am feeling better now though, but I'm still just trying to be good with my meds and not stress. Oh, I did get my medical bill paid too, which was the most important, and the most relieving!

So, rolling into March.....

• Have a blast at Jil's wedding... this weekend! WAHOO!!
• Try to be as healthy as possible... all pieces of the puzzle.. eating, exercising, destressing, etc.. :)
• Finish a Sudoku puzzle on the HARD setting on my DS...
• Try one new recipe per week.
• Organize my home office and pick out paint colors.

I'm being incredibly easy on myself this month because I want to. I need an easy month. :)

I hope all is well on everyone's side of the world. I will update soon and maybe even sneak some pictures on from Jil's wedding while she is on her honeymoon! :)