Getting Called Names

I was called a name this weekend. Those of us who have been extremely heavy, have no doubt, been called names. As a teacher, kids have called me fat. I have not been called names too many times, I think being morbidly obese and 5'10 frightens people. But this weekend it was something I have never encountered before.

Every Friday I go to my best bud's house and take her dinner and hang out with her and my god daughters. This is our tradition and nothing is more disappointing than when I pull up to her house and someone else is there. Even people I like because I do not like to share them. At least not on Fridays.

Well Friday, best bud's sister-in-law was there. I do like her because she is particularly snarky, like me. And she treats my god daughters like little queens. In fact, she and I are in a battle for their affection each time we are in the same place at the same time. It's actually kind of fun to see who the babies choose to go to. I say that because I usually win out (like I said, I see them all the time).

So, back to the name calling story. Best bud's sister-in-law (Aunt C) was over. Now she is cute with really pretty hair and almost as tall as me. She has weight to loose but she carries most of her weight in her mid-section. I am probably just now getting to be her size or I may be slightly smaller (but not by much). But she looked like she was loosing weight in her face so I complemented her on that. She was quick to dismiss, noting a new hair cut. Not long after she left to go shopping.

She called best bud's house about an hour later to tell her something. This is when it happened. Aunt C called me a name. I could not believe when best bud told me. She was saying something about me complementing her when she had not lost any weight and then she called me.......a skinny bitch.

Skinny bitch! Me??? Can you believe it??? That is a new one. But, I kinda like it. It is still so funny to me.

Last night I went out and bought the EA Active for the Wii and created my fitness profile. I told best bud I liked it better than Wii Fit because I got to choose how fat my character was. She asked my if I picked the skinny bitch setting. Too funny. By the way, I think the EA Active is pretty cool. I will try out more of it today.

Anywho, I guess getting called names does not always make you feel bad about yourself. At least this made me feel pretty good. Hope you are feeling good too!!

This Week's Weigh-In

Hello fellow bloggers and lard-busters!

This week I broke a habit. I quit weighing myself everyday. I only weighed on Friday. It was hard at first, but by Wednesday it made me feel a bit more free.

We had a bit of a party on Memorial Day with lots of good food. My diet has been a little different this week so I thought I might gain.

Thank goodness I did not. 2 pound loss. That brings the total to 69 pounds. This does 2 things. #1 - Finally puts me close to the 70 pound mark (which my trainer and best bud have been saying I have lost 70 pounds for like a month - I do not say it until it is actually true no matter how close I am). Frustrating!! I have been in the 60's for ever!!! #2 - I am out of the 220s. Yay! I never thought that would happen. I wonder how close to 200 I can get.

Hope all is going well for everyone! I have one week of school left so I must go to school now and pack up my stuff. I look forward to catching up on all your blogs as well!

More Pictures

I know you all may be sick of me posting pictures but I found this comparison funny. I am a teacher and at the beginning and end of each year I take a picture with my class and add it to a slide show for awards day. Now the first picture (in blue) is from May 2008. The second picture (in pink) is from today - May 2009. I gotta say, I like the second pic better.

I look at last year's pic and think a few things:

1. Worst picture of me I have ever seen. Ever.
2. Enormous oompa loompa on the loose - ready to eat your children.
3. How did I breath when I sat down?
4. No wonder I was always hot and sweaty.

I look at this year's pic and think:

1. Wow. I have worked hard.
2. I can now see better what others tell me they see.
3. I think I am standing with more pride.
4. I would like to lose about 50 more pounds. I wonder where they will come from?

Anywho, hope all is well with the rest of you. I have 2 very busy weeks left of school. I will update scale numbers this weekend.

This Weigh-In is Official

Hello my fellow bloggers! What a busy week. Weighed-in yesterday. I am down 3.5 pounds from last Friday. Finally. So now my total is at 67 pounds. I am SLOWLY inching my way down. Maybe someday I will break the 70 pound mark. I did make some workout progress. I ran for a mile at 6.9 on the treadmill (in intervals) and then did an additional 1 and 1/2 minutes at 7.3. That may not seem like a lot but it is measurable progress for me and since the numbers on the scale do not move too much anymore I gotta look at something. That is part of my cardio warm up for my weight training sessions. I still did a lot this week.

1. I walked/ran with the dogs 1.2 miles every morning
2. I had 4 weight training sessions
3. Attended 1 turbo kickboxing class
4. Attended 1 Zumba class (where I was asked to be in the front row by the mirrors, which throws me off so I really had to concentrate on the footwork)
5. I also have discovered that I may have ADD.

I am also debating something in my head. I heard about this class called bodypump so I found a gym that had it, tried it and liked it. That is at the lady gym I belong to now. I was advised not to take that class by my trainer because it is more weight training which I get enough of. So I am looking for more cardio stuff. It is getting difficult to find straight-up cardio classes (hence the kickboxing and zumba).

Bodypump was created by Les Mills. He also has classes called things like BodyCombat and BodyAttack. They sound hard in name alone. I found them at another gym - a Gold's Gym. I found a free 3 day pass for Gold's Gym so I can try a class but I will have to wait a few weeks until school is out.

I also want to buy and tryout the EA Active Fit Personal Trainer thing for the Wii. Alison Sweeney makes it look like a good purchase. So my debate is whether I should join a 3rd gym or buy the EA Active Fit. I gotta say that I used to own the Wii Fit that everyone went crazy for. I do not understand why it was called Wii Fit because it seems to me that everything on it was more about balance. That did not make me anymore fit.

So, do you all have any thoughts on this? Has anyone tried the Wii ActiveFit thing?

Unofficial Weigh-In

Okay I know I should only weigh-in once a week and I really need to just put the scale away for a while but it is such an obsession. So this morning I weighed in at 223, which puts me back down to my lowest number to date. 65.5 pounds lost. I am still in the 220s.

Sometimes I wonder if this is just as good as it is gonna get. Deep down I think there is much more to lose. My best bud was telling me that the last 20 pounds are the hardest and that is why so many of us are carrying around an extra 20 pounds. However, I am not down to my last 20 yet. I have like 50 more I would like to get rid of. I plan to just keep trying to stick to it and hopefully I will break through this plateau.

My attitude is actually better (believe it or not). Once I am out for the summer I am going to add an hour of cardio - like kick boxing classes from the lady gym. Also, by then the pool should be warm enough for real swimming. I am thinking this will have to help me through.

Have you hit any plateaus? What have you done to over come it or break through it?

Biggest Loser Revealed

And it isn't me. Today was weigh-in day. Gained another half pound. I did eat out twice but I was not too much over my calories. I also worked out alot. It sucks when there is a simple mathematical formula for weight loss (calories in - calories out = hopefully a calorie deficit of at least 3500) which should yield a loss of at least one pound per week and it is not working for me. Would someone please explain that to my body?

So yesterday was really a Charlie Brown day for me. You know what I mean? Nothing goes right and was totally like a Debbie Downer. I even depressed my trainer. He was not prepared for it. Here were the thoughts in my head:

1. The kids took a writing test and did sucky on the composition but in reality they are pretty decent writers
2. I am trying to finish all assessments for the year but they are never ending (really I have tested and taught them how to take tests for the past 30 days and it super sucks for all of us)
3. I have 13 days of school left to pack up all my crap and I am trying to be organized about it
4. I started to see a dermatologist for my acne and it is not getting any better yet so I have to keep trying this stuff for another 6 weeks and if it doesn't improve I have to start all over from scratch
5. I have weighed in the 220s for a LONG time now. I want to have a decent drop soon
6. My knees started hurting again (I had this problem when I first started working out a lot)
7. My hamstrings are always tight which makes me even less flexible when I stretch (and hurts a bit)
8. I ran for a mile at a 6.7 on the treadmill and was sucking wind pretty bad

All of this made me feel like I was making negative progress. Now I still get comments daily but since my weight has not moved in the last month I feel like a fraud accepting the complements.

I do realize every one's journey is different. Evidently mine is long, slow and bloated (I really feel like my stomach is bloated all the time even though it is way smaller than before and i cut back on diet cokes and sodium).

As for biggest loser (which I will be sad not to see again until the fall), I am surprised. Helen is the LAST contestant I ever expected to win. I am sad she won. That should have been her daughter, she seems pretty selfish to me. And what is with that hair? Good lord, fix it already. That saggy skin really made her look old. But did you see Jerry? Way to go old man!! He is a true inspiration. He was only on the ranch for two weeks and lost 177 pounds? He is totally rockin' it. I'd say everyone else looked pretty good. Tara and Laura look like completely different people. So did Sione, Filipe and Kristin. I "heart" them all. Let's hope they all keep it off.

Today is my anniversary. I way 20 pounds less than the day I got married so I am happy about that. My husband cooked my favorite thing he makes - teryaki chicken wings (grilled, I am not a fan of fried food). Then we went for a jeep ride to get the best ice cream ever. So obviously I did not count calories tonight. I think I will put the scale away for a while. Especially if I keep screwing up the calorie calculations with too many calories in.

Hope you all had a good week. May we all be a big bunch of losers!

It's Been a Year....(with pics)

May 2008 is the first photo (I am in a black jacket), May 2009 is the second photo (I am in brown with swirly dots).

It's been a year....since I went to the last book signing of a great author's book tour. Her name is Jen Lancaster and she is the author of four hilarious memoirs, including Such a Pretty Fat. She is contracted to write two more books in the next two years. I read Such a Pretty Fat about three times before I decided that maybe I should try and get a personal trainer as she did in the book (she also examines different types of diets and tries a few in an attempt to lose about 50 pounds).

This year, she is far more poplar and I had to wait a long time to get my book signed and get my photo with her. I really wanted that photo so I could see the difference since last year. The photos don't show much because of the way I am standing (or squatting) in the second picture. But I am including them for you because I do not post pics that often and I love when you all post pics.

Sorry I am so bad at how I post pics. Maybe someday I will learn a better way. Anywho, I am tired and bloated but must drag my arse out to run with the dogs. Enjoy your day!

Awww.....she's so sweet!

Well thanks so much to Aimee over at Best of What's Around. She is so sweet and gave me an award. I do enjoy her blog so.

I guess here is where I pass it on. The rules? Pass it along to 5 fellow super bloggers, and comment on their blog to let them know how lucky they are today! When you present your Super Blogger awards, link back to the super blogger who gave it to you. So here are some good ones.

1. Tisha over at A Blob Blog has a very interesting journey going on that I am fascinated with. I am so glad she is sharing her story, I am learning a lot from her.
2. Acting Skinny is young, fresh and honest. I enjoy reading her true to heart yet slightly sarcastic entries. You never know what she will post.
3. Stages of Change is a very introspective blogger. He analyzes his journey and shares with all. I wish he would post even more.
4. Deb over at Shedding My FatSuit is brutally honest, which is difficult to do. Yet, she keeps on. Her strength is so admirable. I enjoy all the posts - no matter what the topic.
5. WildFluffySheep over at Infatuation:it will eat you is a great writer and she lives in England which makes her blog even more fun to read. It is heart-felt, honest and entertaining.

There are so many others. I just hope everyone knows that when you share your stories, they are appreciated.

In other news......those damn lady troubles are back and helped me acquire half a pound. Thanks uterus-toting body of mine. I am bloated and in pain which made my trainer pity me (for like the 2nd time ever), he said I look like shit and cut my workout way short today. Man, he really knows how to sweet talk the ladies.

I also went on a job interview Friday. I am a 1st grade teacher and am currently working in an unstable environment administration-wise. So I put in for a transfer in case I wanted out. I was not going to pursue it. But, surprise! It pursued me. I got a call on Wednesday, set up the interview for Friday (what could it hurt?), interviewed for like an hour and a half, was offered the job before I left, decided to take it this morning. What, a whirlwind! I was going to have to move classrooms anyway so if I am packing up my crap, I might as well really move it. Also, I have shrunk out of my school shirts (I do not think that is the technical term, but all my shirts are too big now) and need to buy new ones. So that will be a huge pain in my ass as the school year draws to a close but I think it was meant to be. Another workout of lugging boxes of teacher crap in the muggy Texas weather.

So now I need to catch up on everyone else's adventures. Hopefully you all lost more weight than I did this week. I am just going to use my stick-to-it-ness (another of my technical terms) to keep working at it and hope it will even out later on down the road (like tomorrow - I am so impatient).

Best Girl's Day Ever!!

Saturday was sooooo much fun. It involved a lot of shopping. We spent hours inside of JCPenny (we had coupons - which is so not us to use them that is why we are so proud). Let me preface this post by saying my best bud is 5'8 and a size 10 (with a flat tummy). This after having twins a year ago. She has her body issues too, but not like the rest of us.

I am 5'10 and currently a size 16 (bordering on a 14 - that is to say on Saturday I tried a size 14 shorts that had about 8 inches of muffin top, however I did get them zipped and buttoned - that poor button). At Avenue I can easily wear a 14 but in other stores, not so much.

So this is the first time that my BB and I could shop in the same store. In the dressing room I was in, I found some interesting outfits that someone left behind. I decided that if it fit I would try it on and then go to her dressing room. Oh yes, it fit. It was an awesome outfit that I think was left over from 1989, including the shoulder pads. We delighted in it so much we had to take a picture. Here is where I would share the pic but it is on my BB's phone. That turned into me picking out some fabulous outfits for my BB to try on. We laughed so hard, it hurt. We were so annoying that a salesperson came in and asked that we get our clothes and leave because customers were waiting. Oh yeah? Well so was I. I waited a long time to be able to enjoy time shopping. Usually it is a lonely and not fun experience. I did not leave. I moved into BB dressing room and started trying on people's left overs in there. God I love JCPenny (best workout yoga pants, by the way).

We also got pedicures, which is when I was told I had an ingrown toe nail (no wonder it hurt). I had never had one before. And we went out to dinner at a fabulous restaurant and had a cocktail and everything. I did not even gain any weight (and I ate a lot - yeah cheat meal!)

However, Sunday I made all my fabulous Cinco de Mayo foods (early I know), but it sure was heavenly. My weight went up half a pound. I paid for all that eating today at the gym. My trainer is really burning up my muscles - jerk.

Today we were off school (scheduled holiday, not swine flu). I went to see my doc because I have had some bad dizzy spells the last few weeks. I suspected my blood pressure medicine so I tracked my blood pressure for a week. A few things happened at the doc's office.

1. My doc did not recognize me because of the weight loss and I was just there in January
2. She took me off all my blood pressure medicine - yeah!! I have been on it for at least 7 years.
3. I had to come back later in the day and have the ingrown toe nail removed. Yuck!

So that was my fabulous day off: workout, doc, nap, laundry, blog reading (my fav), and now procrastinating school work for the kiddos. We are making the cutest Mother's Day cookbook. Writing with kids is so entertaining. I highly recommend it.

On a random side note - my mother pointed out to me that I was a size 16 when I moved to Texas 9 years ago. The funny thing is, I currently weigh 30 pounds more than I did when I moved here. That is how much of a difference exercise can make in your body. It just proves to me what I have been thinking this whole journey. I do not want to get back to something that I once was, I want to create something that never has been. I am not quite sure what all that entails yet but I am enjoying the journey of discovery along the way. Enjoying that day of shopping in the same fitting room with some of the same clothes with my BB was worth every calorie counted and every challenging workout. I look forward to much, much more.

An Exciting Day!

At least that is what I am hoping for.

Not too exciting weight loss wise except that I did have a loss. Same amount of hard work and sticking to the diet as last week and I lost 2.5 pounds. I am closing in on the 65 pound mark. Slowly but surely.

Today will be different, well after my workout anyway. My best bud and I get to spend the whole day together. No babies. As much as I love the girls we have not had a day where we could go anywhere we wanted in over a year. We are going shopping, getting pedicures and going to a real restaurant (with some cocktails). My cheat meal for the week will be a big one I am sure.

I will be happy if I do not gain this week because it is also my favorite holiday - Cinco de Mayo!! I must make pico de gallo (my favorite food on Earth) and some guacamole (I am picky and love to make it myself - at least it is filled with good fat). I know that it will not kill me but all the chips I eat with it might. In order to eat more, I am willing to forgo my margaritas (which I love!!). Sacrifices.

Something funny happened yesterday after school (I teach first grade). I saw one of my dad's from last year. As you know teacher's do not have favorites, however his daughter is my favorite kid of all time. They are Hispanic (not the best English) and he and his wife went through an ugly divorce. Daughter was distraught and angry at everyone (including me). I was her teacher for 2 years (kinder and 1st). He and I had many conversations. I love him, he is a great dad. Yesterday I saw him for the first time in a long time. When I started to talk to him in the hallway, he had no idea who I was. When he figured it out, his mouth drooped open and he tried to find the words. He had to use some hand gestures to show me that I had lost weight. It was so cute! Then other parents in the hall made comments (all positive, I like our families). This was all done in front of a lot of teachers. I think the hating of me has begun.

Has anyone else experienced a little hating at the work place since embarking on their weight loss journey? How do you handle it? I am careful not to speak of diet or exercise or needing new clothes in front of everyone but it is noticed and brought up by others. I am just not sure what to do. I would love some advice.

Hope you have a super week!!