And yet MORE before pics!

It is a wonder the stuff you find when you move and are in the process of packing and unpacking..... Some stuff should never see the light of day again. Some should have been trashed or donated a long time ago. And, still yet more stuff has been totally forgotten over the years. I stumbled upon a couple more "before" photos today!

This one was taken in June of 1991. I didn't yet know it, but I was just barely pregnant with my youngest (who was born Feb 92). Eliza (shown with me in the pic) was 2 and had a blast that day. We were on a road trip with my hubby in the tractor-trailer. He was hauling a load of watermelons from LaBelle, FL to Memphis, TN. We stopped along the way from time to time to be tourists--something we don't get much chance to do. This particular day, we toured the USS Alabama, a battleship from years gone by that is permanently docked at Mobile, AL. Eliza had a ball going up and down the corridors of the ship and climbing on bunks and such. There is also a submarine on site (the USS Drum I believe it was).


Then, there is this one... It was taken in the fall (Oct or Nov) of 1999 while at the CHADD conference. We were out sightseeing this particular day and, as you can see, this was taken in front of the White House. I probably weighed in the neighborhood of 350 to 370 at that time.


I am so happy to say that this is no longer me! I can't believe I waited so long to do anything about my weight.

You're Not Done Losing Till YOU Say You're Done...

There was a post on OH lately that stated that the person was 2 years postop from RNY and still 60 pounds from their goal weight. They asked what info could be shared about losing weight in the 18 mos to 2 year postop timeframe and that they really wanted to lose that last 60 pounds. One response to that post stated that you are not done till you say you're done. I really liked that attitude... If you give up, then you probably are done. If you stop really trying,then you probably are done. BUT, until YOU decide that this is it and you are not going to try anymore, then you are not necessarily done losing weight! We are told over and over that the surgery we had merely gives us a tool which we can use to lose weight. That tool is there for the rest of our lives. What we are often missing though is the motivation to USE that tool.

At any time, we can decide to utilize this weapon against fat! We can go back to what we've been taught and start using that tool/weapon again. We can eat properly, boost our protein intake, and increase our exercise. It really can be just that simple!

I post this because I am in that spot right now. I've moved, as you know already, from the hills of West Virginia (the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains) back to the flatlands of southern Florida. Walking is easier. Biking is more possible--even with my old bone-on-bone knees... I truly have no excuse for not exercising. Now, I am trying to DO it. I've gone from walking 2.5 miles per day Monday to Friday at about a 3.5 mph pace to walking almost 3.5 miles Monday to Friday at that same 3.5 mph pace. I am going to ride my bike today if the sky doesn't fall early (it rains most afternoons here). My sister and her best friend walk (at a MUCH slower pace) most evenings just before dark while their kids are riding bikes. I may start doing that too. It is just a matter of deciding that I want to do it, I am worth it, and it will help me AND make me feel better. I have made that decision. I am ready to do it. Let's just see how it goes!

Hunting....jobs, houses, peace!

Moving sucks...even when it is for good reasons! All the stress! Packing. Loading. Moving. Unloading. UnPACKing! UGH!! Then, the real stress of finding a job and finding a house to buy. It never ends! Toss in the daily stress of living with two teenage and 20-something girls and a toddler and life gets even more fun!

Did I mention that my name is now "somebody"?? "Somebody has to wash the dishes..." "Somebody come help me do ___________." "Somebody needs to wash clothes..." Yep, somehow I always end up being the one to do whatever it is that needs done. So, that makes me chief cook, bottlewasher, dishwasher, laundress, housewife/cleanup crew, and all on top of trying to find a job and look for a house to buy! Talk about someone who needs a CALGON moment!

before pictures....found a couple!

I've always made sure I was the one TAKING the pictures just so that I didn't have tons of pics with my big ole butt in them. I hated seeing pictures of myself when I was heavier. So, that made finding any full body "before" pics hard to do. As we moved though, I came across these... They ain't pretty!

This first one was from the Spring of 1997. We were at a get together for my hubby's family. It was the first time I ever met those folks in the picture and was the last time I've ever been around them. They live over in northern Ohio and we have always been somewhere else. We actually made that trip because my own grandmother had passed away and she lived in Columbus...


Then, the second picture I found was from my student teaching during the fall of 1998. I look so danged happy in this picture!

Thankfully, those are BEFORE pics and not current pics! Here's a pic of me at my current size just for perspective: