I Own A Two Piece Bathing Suit!

So, I haven't exercised in forever.
I feel like a big slug.
The only thing I've done is danced my pants off every now and then.

I haven't lost a new pound in forever.
I've been eating like crap.

Why?
Stress?
Boredom?
The Weather?

I don't know.
I need to get back on track though.

I just bought a new bathing suit last weekend.
I bought a one piece that I'm taking back...it's too tight.
I bought a TWO PIECE that I am keeping!!!!
It has a tank top and the bottom is like a skirt.
I like it because the skirt hides the gross parts.
BUT...I am probably going to wear the top tank part with my boy swim shorts.
It looks hotter.
And it's more comfortable.
But I am wearing a two piece this year!
Go me!

I have been bruising more lately.
I'm not sure why.
And it's not ALL because I'm a stumbling drunk on the weekends!
Last weekend I counted like 27 black and blue marks on my body.
It's so weird.
There must be some vitamin that I'm lacking.

Tomorrow I am taking my photo classes out to take action pictures.
Remember when I blogged about running a lap around the track?
How many pounds ago was that?
I'll have to look it up.
Ok...I looked it up...it was about 17 pounds ago.
And that was in November.
Well...I'm going to see if running the lap tomorrow is any easier.
Wish me luck.

Hike From Hell

BJ and Me on a trail in the Dunes. by Leslee Milby

Current Weight: 174.0 lbs.
Total Lost: 112.7 lbs.

On Saturday morning I woke up at 8 a.m.
I picked up BJ and Leslee at their dad's
And drove to the Indiana Dunes.

BJ had a hike trip with his boy scout pack.
It was cold and raining.
We walked on the beach
And up a dune.
I was ready to be done.

The hike lasted 3 1/2 hours!
About 6 miles!
It went on FOREVER!!!
But it was fun.

How often do you really get in touch with nature?
I was tired afterwards
But I think it was mainly from the cold and rain.

Doesn't my butt look cute in this picture?

Soccer Practice

Current Weight: 171.8 lbs.
Total Lost: 114.9 lbs.

On Sunday Tammy and I were informed that we were soccer coaches!
I was soooo excited.
I played soccer from first grade up until senior year of high school.
I was actually on the first high school girl's soccer team at our school.
I was a goalie and defender.
No wonder...I took up half the goal!

Our first practice was tonight.
Just an hour long.
We have 11 players...boys and girls mixed.
It was so much fun!!!!
I was running around with the kids.
I ran a lap to the tree and back and BEAT some of the kids.
Granted they are 6, 7, and 8...but come on...they should beat a 30 year old!

I taught them the proper way to pass the ball.
The proper way to do a throw in
And how to head the ball.
All in the first practice.

It felt so great to run around and be a coach and teacher.
I didn't have to worry about getting tired
Or what I looked like while running after the kids.
I wasn't even tired after the practice.

It was a great weight loss realization moment.

Happy Anniversary!

Current Weight: 175.0 lbs.
Total Lost: 111.4 lbs.

Happy Anniversary to me!!!
It's been one year since the surgery!
And what a crazy year it's been.
I've lost about 114 lbs. altogether
Give or take a a few pounds.

Things that are easier to do at 175 than 286.7...
1) Running...who knew I could do it?
2) Walking in between desks in my classroom...
I don't knock things off the desks now!
3) I actually FIT in the little high school desks now!
4) Cutting my toe nails...I can bend over and reach them.
5) Dancing...I love it.
6) Fitting in the bathtub with room to spare.
7) Laundry...my clothes are smaller so I can fit more in the washer!
8) Climbing stairs without losing my breath.
9) Saying no to food...it just doesn't fit.
10) Let's just say...the love life is kicking.

I am so happy that I made the decision to have the surgery.
What I look like now is what I THOUGHT I looked like back then.
It was like a reverse eating disorder.
Now, my mind matches my body.

I have changed my way of eating.
Not only do I eat less
I actually think about what's going in before I open my mouth.
I never used to do that.

What could be next?
Tummy tuck surgery?
Hernia surgery?
Having a baby?
Actually beginning to exercise on a regular basis?
How much more will I lose?

Stay tuned.

Doctor Appointment

Ok...so I've been having issues with Blogger.
I wrote this whole blog about my Doctor appointment
And it deleted it!

Let's give it another whirl...

I went to see Dr. Vitello on Friday morning.
I made it downtown around 9:30 a.m.
He was surprised to see me and said I looked great!
I am a part of the 100 pound club.
Meaning...I've lost over 100 pounds.

He checked my scar and said that I have a small hernia.
Who knew?
I can't really feel it at all.
He also said that I could get skin cut off at any time.
And...he said that I am cleared to try and get pregnant.
Exciting!

I have decided to try and get pregnant.
In my case this could take some time.
But I would like to try to lose some more weight
Get pregnant
And then have skin cut off later in life.

I went to talk with Andrea, the dietician and she also thought I looked great.
She told me to monitor my protein intake.
Also, to separate my calcium supplement from my multivitamin.
She also gave me a walk to run program.
I told her about my running adventures
This should help me build up to running a mile!

Overall...great appointment.
Next appointment...September.

Happy Belated Birthday To Me!

Oh my goodness!

Have I had a heck of a time logging on lately!

So sorry for the delay.

My 30th birthday was on March 4th.

Here is a picture from my birthday last year in 2006 and then the right one is from 2007. Big difference eh?

And yes...it was a Dairy Queen cake.

I ate one piece and it knocked me out.

We still have leftovers in the freezer.

I had a great birthday!

My mom got me a grill pan and money to buy new summer clothes!

I also got my first tattoo!

You'll have to check my other blog to see what it looks like.

Pounds Lost Per Month

This is a bar chart showing how many pounds I've lost per month. Talk about ups and downs!

Monthly Progress

This is my Excel chart of my monthly weight loss.

Evil Vending Machine

It's been 11 months since my surgery.
I'm down 112 lbs.
I have one month to go to the year mark.
Do you think I can make it down to 120 lbs down by March 20?
That would be like losing 10 lbs a month.
But not really because I only lost 3 lbs. last month.
But you get my drift.

I dug the ab roller out of my mom's basement the other day.
I did 100 crunches last night with no problems.
I also lifted weights for my flabby arms.
I need to start walking/running again!
Stupid snow!

I was very proud of myself at lunch today.
I had some slices of salami...
I know...Ash Wednesday...I totally forgot. :(
I also had some grapes for a snack at 9 a.m. and an orange.
I barely even touched my Diet Dr. Pepper.
It's on my desk getting warm and flat now.

I was eyeing the vending machine.
The Ding Dongs and Cherry Pie were calling my name.
I had a nice, crisp dollar bill from Sarah for teaching her class for her yesterday.
I kept looking over there like they were going away or something.

I was a good girl.
I put the dollar under the paper clip in my calendar.
I said, "Screw you vending machine!"
And I walked out of the teacher's lounge.

Carrie - 1 Vending Machine - 0

Thank Yor For Reading

I would just like to say
That I'm amazed at how many people read this blog.
I want to thank everyone for their support and comments.
They really mean a lot to me
And they encourage me to write more.

I started this blog as a way to document my changes.
To journal my adventure through gastric bypass surgery.
I didn't know that so many people would be reading to get the truth.

I've always wanted to be a writer.
Hell...I majored in journalism for Pete's sake.
But I'm not a journalistic writer.
I had to report last summer during my internship.
It was hell.

I like to write how I speak.
Whatever comes to my mind...let it out.
I like hitting enter a lot.
Big paragraphs are hard to read.

I will continue to tell the truth
About everything.
Eating, losing, clothes, mental issues...everything.

Please continue to read
And continue to comment.
I love all of my new bloggie friends!

Say No To Jalepeno Bites at 3 a.m.

If you've been tracking my stats to the right
You'll notice that I gained like 3 pounds.
Tip: Don't eat jalapeno bites from Arby's at 3:30 a.m.
Probably NOT the greatest dieting habit.

But come on...
You go out and have a good time.
You need something at 3 a.m. to refuel!
You would think jalapeno bites would ruin me..but they didn't.
I survived and they were good.
I just know that I have to shovel more snow today to work it off.

We went out to the bar last night again.
I wore a white tank top with a long sleeve white shirt over it.
I had a cute hat on too.
It is so much more fun going to the bar now.
I actually had a girl drag ME out on the dance floor with her.
The jell-o shot guy actually gave ME a free one.
I even felt so confident as to take off my long sleeve shirt for a bit.
I even sang kareoke for the first time in my life and loved it.

Towards the end of the night I saw two girls off to the side.
One girl had to have easily been about 400 lbs.
Her girlfriend was probably around my starting weight.
I felt bad for the bigger one because she was sort of dancing
But she was all hot and looked tired.
I wanted to go dance with them, but I didn't want to get my butt kicked.

I just related.
I remembered what that felt like.
To be in the back corner on a stool..not dancing and not having fun.
No one ever looked at me or ever asked me to dance.
I hated dancing because I thought people were laughing at me
And I felt like I was bumping into people.
Even Tammy didn't like dancing with me back then because I made her too hot.

Next time I see those girls I'm going to dance with them.
I'm such a shy person...I just can't jump in and dance with a random person.
I ran out of time last night to dance with them
Because we closed down the bar once again!

New Look

I thought I would give this page a new look.
What do you guys and girls think?
Is it too busy?
Is it hard to read?
Do you like the colors?
Any other suggestions for sidebar information?

Give me your comments!

Good-bye To Buffets

Current Weight: Same as Below...but probably more now because I ate a lot for dinner and had 2 glasses of wine and Funions because it's a good combination damn it!
Total Lost: 110.5 lbs.

So that last post was a short one.
I had to gripe about the account thing.
I was just annoyed.

Tonight we went to Ponderosa for dinner.
Cheap steak and shrimp buffet place.
There was a coupon sticker on the local paper today.
I stole all of them.
Like I'm going to eat that many buffet dinners!
Who am I kidding?

Tammy and I split a steak.
It was good for the cheap place.
My first trip to the buffet consisted of:
1) 1 skinny slice of cheese pizza (didn't eat it all)
2) 6 friend shrimp (gone!)
3) 6 cold shrimp with shells (ick! gave up after one)
4) About 2 Tbs of shrimp scampi noodle crap (gone!)

My second trip to the buffet consisted of:
1) About 1/4 plate of salad with all the good stuff (only ate about half)
2) One small scoop of vanilla pudding with vanilla wafer cookies. (gone!)

And I had one glass of Dr. Pepper.
Not good to have really.
By the end of the salad, which I always eat last cuz I'm weird...
I was so full I needed a nap.
I ran to the car and hopped in the passenger seat.

I am done with buffets.
Seriously...why go there?
I can't eat jack and I'll never eat my moneys worth ever again!

So, this is my tribute to all buffet meals.
The good old Warsaw Inn.
Shakeys Pizza Parlor Buffet
The Buffet (pronounced like Jimmy Buffet) at Ball State
Ponderosa
All Chinese Buffets
Done.

Forever.

I just can't handle them anymore.
Waste of my money and time.
AND!
It plays on my emotions too much.
I see all that food and get waaaaaaay too excited.
I eat like I'm normal and then I pay later.
Not good.
So...

Good-bye Buffets...Adios.

Where's the celery?

Why?

Current Weight: 176.2 lbs.
Total Lost: 110.5 lbs

This isn't about weight today.
It's about the fact that I have to have a Google account to log into this blog.
Why do I have to have 70 different accounts to publish stuff?
Flickr...Yahoo.
Blogspot...Google.
Come on!!!
I can't remember all of these usernames and passwords people!
I'm going to be 30 in a month!
I'm getting old!
I can't remember everything anymore!

Hobart Semi-Formal

My Outfit
Originally uploaded by WadyPhoto.

This is a picture of me at Hobart's semi-formal dance last Friday night. I didn't have anything nice to wear because everything nice that I own is too big for me! So, I went out to JC Penny and bought this pants suit. It's a size 14. I also had to buy new shoes because I grew out of all of those too! These shoes are a size 7. Not a 7 wide...just a plain 7. It's weird how the body shrinks in different areas.

Hey Amber!

This message is to Amber.

Thanks for all of your comments!
Can you email me sometime?
I want to hear more about your story.
I try to click on your screen name to read your blog and it won't let me.

I hope to hear from you soon!

Running

Current Weight: 179.4 lbs.
Total Lost: 107.3 lbs.

The alarm clock didn't even go off this morning.
I rolled over and the green numbers glowed 5:01.
I decided this was the day I was going to start running.
No special reason.
I just want to run.
Maybe it could be a future goal.
Maybe I could run a marathon one day.
Who knows?

I stretched.
I dressed.
I inserted my ear buds and pressed play.
I ran.

It was dark outside so no one could see me.
No one could make fun of me for stopping.
No one to laugh at my fat flying around.

It took me four songs.
It took about 13 minutes.
I ran one mile.
Ok....ran/walk.
But I did it.

I felt so good afterwards.
I was so impressed with how long I could actually run without stopping.
Now I only need the determination to keep going and do it again.

Bathing Beauty

Current Weight: Don't know...on vacation.
Total Lost: Somewhere around 105 lbs.

Right now I'm supposed to be at school.
The day back from break...yuck.
I should be in first hour right now yelling at people to get their projects done.
But where am I instead?
Wisconsin Dells...The Glacier Canyon Lodge
It's part of the Wilderness Resort.
Huge place with 3 indoor water parks.

Now...why is this entry in my bypass blog?
I just had to share how proud of myself I am.
Last year...same time...getting up to those water slides was a chore.
I ran out of breath.
I had to take a break half way up the stairs.
My heart raced.
Getting into and out of a tube was embarrassing.

This year....
I flew up those stairs.
No breaks.
Tons of breath left.
And I ran back up there three times in a row.
It felt good.

My bathing suit hangs off of me, but where do you buy a new suit in January?
I'm wearing shorts to hide my thighs and the shorts are too big!
I have so much more confidence in myself.
I'm not embarrassed to walk around in my suit this year.
I just feel so good about myself these days.

If this was as low as I got...I'd be happy.

Jeans, Virgina and Pizza

Curent Weight: 178.6 lbs.
Total Lost: 108.1 lbs.

I can't even remember the last time I was in the 170s.
Too weird to comprehend.
I just went to Old Navy the other day.
I was forced into buying a Size 12 pair of jeans.
Tammy refused to let my by bigger.
Smaller is scary.
What if I never get there?

Tammy and I took a trip to Virginia this week.
She had a school residency program to accomplish.
I was there for fun.
Almost every meal Tammy and I shared.
It really cut our food cost down.

Yesterday at the airport I got a slice of pizza.
And it was a brand new pizza out of the oven.
The lady picked the BIGGEST slice to give me.
I almost told her...no...could you give me a smaller piece?
But I didn't.
Why?
It's the fatty in me coming out.
Why would I pay $3 a slice for a small slice?
If I'm paying that much...I want a lot.
Not that I'm going to eat it all...I just want it.

So, I have this huge slice hanging out of the box cuz it's so big.
I sit down and tackle it.
Cheese is my weakness.
I ate the whole thing except the 7 inch long crust part.
It was so good.
And that was the last thing I ate for the night.

Almost half way to 120 lbs down.
Two and a half months until my year anniversary.
What weight do you think I'll be on March 20, 2007?
Let's take some wagers and have a contest!

Take a Leg!

Take a Leg!
Originally uploaded by WadyPhoto.

Poor Leslee. I made her get our of bed to take this picture with me. Doesn't she look thrilled to be alive? It's just fun to think that I lost more than what she weighs.