It's not ALL bitching! Check out these pics!

Warning: this post is very random and scattered. I would blame pregnancy but I am always like this. Read at your own risk.

So I know I bitch a lot. Especially the past few months, but I wanted to post about a realization that I had today. You know how we all have that one body part that really bothers us. I had the same one my whole life. Not sure why but it is my upper arms. Even in high school I would not wear sleevless things because I thought I had ham hock arms. I didn't. Until I gained 100 pounds. It was so bad I had to start wearing some sleevless stuff because the arms were too tight in many shirts. Here is a pic of me in spring/summer 2008 (before I began the weight loss journey).
Last week, best bud's twin daughters (one of them pictured above as well) had their birthday party (and they were dressed as the cutest little cowgirls I have ever seen). I happened to be checking out their photos today and came back to this one. Why? because for the first time in my life I thought my arms looked normal. I know camera angles play a part and I do have some flapping going on with my arms but I am okay with it. I have actually changed my mind about my most bothersome body part after all these years. Maybe I have learned something. It has also inspired me to make sure I weight train this week. My goal is to go to body pump twice this week. I hope I can do it.

Now for the best part of my post - the picture below. I live in Texas. I have a pool in my back yard. I plan on living in it this summer while out of school and very pregnant. I have been on the hunt for cute swimsuit before they sell out. I never got to buy any at my new weight for my new body. Looks like I won't be this summer either. I found two pretty decent swimsuits but I looked through hundreds to find them. Most of the choices look like this:

Dude. This woman is thin and attractive and she can't pull this look off. What makes a designer think us regular folk can do it? I am telling you, it is going to be a long summer. I wouldn't even want to be seen with me wearing something like this. Even in my own backyard.

Any good recommendations for pregnancy swim wear?

I found another little gem. This is from Spring 2007. Want to know something really sad? This was one of my favorite outfits and wore it ALOT! This doesn't even look real to me.

I cut my hair today. About 3 or 4 inches. I had to. It was so snarly and tangled. It is growing in thicker at the top. My hairdresser thinks it is the vitamins. I also highlighted it a bit, just hard to tell.

God I take bad pictures. Rather, my husband takes bad pictures and I pose badly. I also got a new driver's license photo today (115 pounds lighter than the previous) maybe now I can make it through security at the airport without snarky comments and suspicion. It only took a 2 hour and 15 minute wait. I waited behind 80 to 100 people. Great people watching!

This crazy bastard is the father of my child (a.k.a. my husband). His St. Patty's Day tradition is to jump into our pool and drink green beer. The pool is 60 degrees. His splash totally got me and my eating pants (yes I was wearing special eating pants....I was hungry). I am glad I got some good sperm already because after today I am not sure there will be much left.

What are your St. Patty's traditions? Tomorrow I will be making Shepherd's pie. Today I wanted nachos. So nachos is what we ate! Homemade pico de gallo....my favorite food ever!!

I never want to forget...

2006 (it has been a while but I assume I was in a bar....drinking. SHOCKER!)
2006 (teaching kindergarten at the time, hence the cool number necklace)

2010 (last month with no power, yes I roasted marshmallows in my fireplace and I was wearing 5 shirts - no exaggeration!)
2010 (when the fam came to visit)

My goal of this blog is not to constantly throw my fatness in your face. Although it may seem like it at times. But I really never want to forget how far I have come. I never want to forget how it felt to be that size. And I never want to go back. I was going through some old digital photos because I am sending a package to one of my old students and thought it would be fun to send some pictures. I also realized I have not seen her in a long time and if she saw me on the street, she would not recognize me. I am sending the pics anyway because they were a fun time in both of our lives. I am sharing them here just because they kind of took my breath away for a moment.

For those who are new to the blog, that is 115 pounds lost and I believe the jeans went from a size 24 to a 10. Such an improvement just on the dark wash of the jeans alone.

Some people never want to be reminded of the times they were at their heaviest. I never want to forget. It totally made me who I am today. It helps motivate me. It allows me to have empathy for others. Being overweight (or morbidly obese like I was) hurts...in many ways. It is a hurt I do not wish to feel again.

Happy New Year!!

New Year's Eve 2009

New Year's Eve 2008

Disclaimer: Objects appear larger than they really are (but I was pretty big) - camera angle sucked

New Year's Eve is best bud's wedding anniversary. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY DEAR FRIEND!!! (By the way - it was like the most fun wedding ever) I cannot believe it has been 4 years. Time flies! Every year on New Years she hosts a super fun party at her bar/restaurant to celebrate. She is beyond generous and giving. My folks who are in town visiting were invited and had a super fun time. I totally thought my mom was gonna vomit in my car on the way home. A true sign that someone was enjoying themselves.

These pictures are a comparison from last year to last night. The bottom pic I am in red and top pic I am in purple. And of course, that pretty, young lady in both photos is best bud.

I know I look different (75 pounds lighter) but I felt about 100 times better. I hope next new years I will still be feeling this great!

Hope you are not too hungover today. I am now watching the Hangover with my folks and hubby. This movie is total greatness. And it makes me want to go back to Vegas. I went last February. This time I think I could run up and down the strip. I love the city!!! Enough of my rambling. Enjoy the weekend!

I did get presents!

I just got back from four solid days on the farm. I went NOWHERE. Today I finally got to go 3 miles down the road to visit the grandparents. Look for a post about that tomorrow (with some fun pictures). After that, we headed home (about a 7 hour drive). I had to - for my sanity's sake (and those around me).

I got some presents finally. The first picture is a present from my in-laws. The best gift ever! Beef! I get it every year and every year I love it. Last year I also got a trip to Vegas. But not this year. This year I got a gift card to Banana Republic. Score!!! I am going to buy more skinny jeans (which I have been wearing everyday since I bought them, don't worry...I bought 2 pairs...but now I want more).

One funny thing we learned while bored on the farm is that my in-laws have never down loaded any pictures from their camera to their computer in 5 years. Can you believe it? They just delete some to make room for more. There were pictures from Xmas 5 years ago on there. My lovely husband downloaded them all and cleared their memory sticks so they can take some on vacation next week.

Picture #2 I found on that camera. According to the date in the corner, it is from Xmas 2005. Looking really plump in my fat girl uniform (all black and super faded from all the wear it got). I had never seen that photo. If I had, maybe I would have lost weight sooner.

Picture #3 is from this Xmas. Just thought I would throw that in for comparison's sake. 115 pounds lighter, longer hair (and now it is my natural color) and color in my wardrobe! I guess I am starting to see how people think I look like a different person. I for sure feel like a different person. And I like it. A lot.

I am exhausted and want to sleep but feel the need to peek at a few blogs before I pass out. Hope you all had a great weekend!

For my favorite Wild Fluffy Sheep

Hideous Pictures Rise Again

These pictures were 115 pounds ago. Trust me when I say that I try to make sure the camera catches me in more flattering positions now. These are not pictures I have hanging in the house. In fact they are only saved on my computer as something to refer back to. This is something I never want to forget. Because I never want to go back.

Dare to compare

Here are more 5K pics. The top pic was from the 2008 walk, the bottom pic is from yesterday. Today was a nice day. I went to a farmers market and bought awesome veggies and fruit. It is inspiring. Perhaps I will cook something new someday but today I made a fabulous taco salad with TONS of veggies. I just love salads. I also tried something new. A nectarine. Pretty good. Tastes alot like a peach but without the fuzz. I shall buy them again.

Comparison Pics

Well since it is another school year, that means another picture (please ignore the little heads). Hopefully you can tell that the first picture is from August 2008, I had lost about 13 pounds and was exercising (no real calorie counting at that point). I was so proud of that picture.

Picture number two was taken Friday, so it is my August 2009 pic. I have lost 92.1 pounds (maybe a pound more if I go by the old scale - man, I need to quit that) with serious amounts of exercise and calorie counting.

What a difference a year can make! Have a great week!!