A Hippo with a Headband: August 2010

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Low Carb, Low Fat Foods

{I meant to post this a while ago... but it's still fairly relevant. I am eating less cheese now.}

I really need to cut a lot of my carbs from breads and cheese from my diet. Here are the foods in my house right now. What others can I add? How can I feel full without the breads and cheeses? {PS I don't have a lot of time to spend fixing meals so quick and easy is preferable.}

Fish
Tuna fish
Chicken
Ground Beef (less than 10% fat)
Canned veggies of all kinds
Canned and fresh fruit
Whole wheat bread
Honey Nut Cheerios
Special K with Strawberries
Various sharp cheeses
Graham crackers
Popcorn
Dark chocolate

Milk
Water
Lemonade (and Pink)
Naked brand juice (blueberry mix)

The problem is, out of all these foods, I normally go for a cheese sandwich. It's fast and I love cheese. I need to work on cutting my carbs and cheeses. It's the cheese I cut out of my diet before my surgery that made me loose all that weight. Maybe if I grab my sliced apples or a can of veggies instead I could stay full and not eat all the cheese. I just love cheese so much though!

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Sunday, August 29, 2010

Motivation Monday Aug 30

THIS IS NOT THE BLOG/TWITTER/FACEBOOK LINK UP!
This link up is for those seeking support and motivation for a specific issue such as weight loss or a craft project they want to finish.
{There seems to be some confusion about that.}

Motivation Monday

Welcome to Motivation Monday! I will be chronicling my journey back to a healthy body, mind, and spirit. Each week I will discuss how the previous week was and set some goals for the next week. I will also be listing my progress. If you would like to see past progress you can look in my archives for other Motivation Monday posts. If you would like to get motivated with me please link up your post using the link form below. Your post can be in any format you want. Whether you are trying to get healthier physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually or if you just have a task you need some motivation to complete...please link up so we can help support each other. I would love to hear about your progress and help keep you motivated!

My Week

It's starting to maintain cooler temperatures up here so hopefully I can start working out vigorously everyday again. Our water has been doing well too so I shouldn't have to worry about not being able to get a shower. I am hoping to ease back in to some harder work outs in the coming week. Wish me luck!

My Progress

Both my weigh in and measurements were green (mostly) this week. I'm happy that I'm headed back in the right direction, but it didn't really lighten my mood any. Hopefully I can keep up the weight loss this week and get back down under 220.

My Numbers {From Last Saturday's Weigh In}
{Green is Improvement, Red is Bad, Mmkay?, Blue is Stayed the Same}

Weight - 222.4
BMI % - 53.2
Water % - 35.2
Muscle Mass % - 33.6

How did you do this week?
If you would like to link up, you can do it on any of the sites with this linky tool. Linking to one will link you to all of them. It's that easy! If you'd like to have the blog hop linky on your post like mine, just press "Get the Code Here" and copy/paste it into your post.

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Fiber, Oh My!

I was grocery shopping at Sam's last night to re-stock my fridge and pantry with healthy foods. While I was staring at the protein drinks and meal replacements confused as all hell, singling out those without peanuts, I noticed a bag of Flax Seed. I thought, well okay dokey then. I could definitely use more fiber in my diet and I don't get enough omega 3s out of the little bit of fish I eat a month. I can easily add those things into anything I eat, drink, or bake? Well, sounds easy enough.

And it was! Did you know you can use flax seed instead of eggs or butter/oil when baking? Well, you can! I made some pancakes using the flax seed instead of eggs and they taste just the same. I'll be posting that recipe soon. It involves some math to figure out the nutritional value and that is definitely not my strong point.

So there I was making, oh 34 pancakes, and munching on a few for lunch. I ate 2 flax seed pancakes and they were yummy! Now, just how fast does fiber work? Well, about 10 minutes later, half way through my 3rd batch, oh! I gotta go! I was surprised... but to be fair, the bag did warn me to start slowly. Seeing as how the only real fiber I get is celery stalks, those pancakes regulated me quick fast and in a hurry! I'll let you know how it affects my weight loss at the end of the week.

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Monday, August 23, 2010

New Shopping List

We are almost out of cereal, cheese, bread, and mayonnaise; and completely out of the cookie mix my mom bought at Christmas. Now if I want cookies I have to go through all the trouble of making them from scratch. I don't have time for that right now. Time to make my shopping list for the next couple of weeks.

NOT getting any of the things I am almost out of. If I don't have them in the house, I sure as hell won't go out to the store just to make a cheese sandwich. So, what do I add to my list to replace breakfast and lunch?

I know eggs are a good choice, but because our stove isn't accurate, they tend to burn onto my pans and take a long time to clean. This makes me not want to cook eggs. :0( I guess I'll suck it up and scrub the pans everyday. It's just so frustrating.

What super foods do you have on your shopping list? I would love to have a simple fruit smoothie in the mornings if it would fill me up and be nutritionally sound. I'm just so hungry all the time. It doesn't feel like I'll ever be satiated.

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Sunday, August 22, 2010

Motivation Monday Aug 23

Motivation Monday

Welcome to Motivation Monday! I will be chronicling my journey back to a healthy body, mind, and spirit. Each week I will discuss how the previous week was and set some goals for the next week. I will also be listing my progress. If you would like to see past progress you can look in my archives for other Motivation Monday posts. If you would like to get motivated with me please link up your post using the link form below. Your post can be in any format you want. Whether you are trying to get healthier physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually or if you just have a task you need some motivation to complete...please link up so we can help support each other. I would love to hear about your progress and help keep you motivated!

My Week

I'm getting more and more upset about this weight gain, but I have y'all to help keep me positive. DH is fully behind me and keeps insisting I am looking better, so I can keep going! I've been trying to eat better this week, but it's hard. How have you been doing? I could use some good news.

My Progress

All red, but my measurements this week were down some more this week. That's good I guess. I'm a bit upset about my numbers, but all I can do is keep truckin' on.

My Numbers {From Last Saturday's Weigh In}
{Green is Improvement, Red is Bad, Mmkay?, Blue is Stayed the Same}

Weight - 222.6
BMI % - 53.4
Water % - 35
Muscle Mass % - 33.5

How did you do this week?
If you would like to link up, you can do it on any of the sites with this linky tool. Linking to one will link you to all of them. It's that easy! If you'd like to have the blog hop linky on your post like mine, just press "Get the Code Here" and copy/paste it into your post.

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Saturday, August 21, 2010

Punished for Being Fat

Today I felt like I was being punished for having a baby and being fat. LB had a Dr. appointment today so I had to take DH back to work after lunch so I could have the car. {LB is doing great btw.} DH is doing a training exercise to get them ready for their upcoming deployment so he was at work for a couple extra hours this evening. This left me with 4 hours to spend. I packed a gym bag and LB's new ergo carrier (which I think is pretty nice... not in love with it... but I think I might be once I get in better shape and it fits me better). After seeing the Dr he and I went to the gym. I changed clothes, strapped him in and we started walking on the track for a warm up. After a quarter mile I went to go use one of those sit down {in a full chair} cycling machines. Apparently I am not allow to use them with LB. I understood, but was a bit annoyed. I went to walk away and the gym employee went on to explain...

Mothers with children can only use the gym between the hours of 9-4pm (God forbid a new mother WORKS!)
Mothers with children can ONLY use the walking track, and ONLY on the inside lane, in a single file line, no passing slow walkers (although I doubt anyone would make you leave if you did it while there were no runners on the track)
Mothers with children can not use any other machines in the entire gym.
They can however go in the basketball court. Like I can play basketball (or would because it is in no way safe) with LB strapped to my chest. Even jogging is too bumpy for him at this age.
They can also use weights. Um... okay... I can't sit in a full backed chair with my son in my lap and rotate my feet in circles... but I can lift 50lb free weights over my chest while he is laying on top of it!? WHAT the f'in HELL?!

He did have some good news.

The other gym, with mildewed walls, offers childcare...

only while school is in session,
and only on MWF,
and only during the hour long class in the morning and one in the afternoon,
and only if you signed up for and paid for this class (at a free gym),
and only if a uniformed soldier doesn't pop in (unpaid of course) and need your slot, therefore kicking you out of the class.

I almost cried finishing my mile on the track, in lane one, behind a very slow walker. All I had wanted to do was walk a warm up, cycle for like 10 mins, then challenge myself to walk an entire mile and see how long it took. I got so upset and my feet were hurting so badly from my shoes that I just stopped and went to the lockers to shower and change. (Showering in a stall with a baby was a harder workout than the gym allowed me.)

I know they are worried about liability and I totally understand about soldiers getting preference for gym usage, but I still felt as though I was being punished for being fat and for being a new mom. How in the hell do they expect new mothers to get healthy after carrying a baby for nearly a year?! I felt so horrible and cried several times before picking DH up. It didn't help that I was parked outside his mock deployment "village" with the Army tents and humvees all set up... that is a completely different post though.

EDIT:
I normally work out at home since I am stuck at home without a car most days. I was hoping to be able to get out of the house one day a week and using the cycling machine though. It's a free military gym for soldiers and families so I figured they would be more accommodating. I understand their rules, but it is still frustrating. There is a room across post with a bike, treadmill, and a couple other things next to the play area so moms can work out, but I would have to put him in one of the play pens and hope it's been cleaned, or drag our own up there, set it up, give him his toys, and tear it down after my workout. {I guess it would weigh less to carry around a bottle of cleaner and some baby wipes to clean all the toys first lol} Children aren't allowed in the machine area, even if they are immobile and strapped to mom. I'm not even sure when that room is open; it seems to be locked every time I go to that building. It seems like I ought to be able to sign a wavier and take responsibility for my own child. It's sad that other people have to govern parents because some, okay maybe a lot, are mindless idiots that would let them play on the machines unsupervised.

I suppose if I want to work out on post, I'll have to go to that mommy room on the other side of post, and LB and I will both have work out bags. So, that would mean, mommy, mommy's purse, mommy's work out gear, baby, baby's diaper bag, baby's gym bag full of cleaning supplies {in baggies of course, in case of leaks} and personal toys so he isn't chewing on someone elses' germs. Well, that will make for a good warm up dragging all those things inside. I guess I can give that a try next Thursday and see how plausible it is to do once a week.

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Feeling Like a Failure

I am officially gaining back baby weight. I am over where I was before becoming pregnant. and. it. hurts.

I feel like a failure, but at the same time, I know it isn't my fault. I found out, by accident and out of necessity, that crash dieting packs the pounds right back on and then some. This is the very reason why I never diet. I know I won't stick to it. Hell, if I hadn't been going to the ER every 3 days with that chest pain, I wouldn't have even kept up with the low fat diet until my surgery. I really felt like God was saying, you need to lose weight; your body is sick; and if you won't do it on your own, I'll make you do it! But now the pain is gone, and I am right back to eating cheeses all day long. (That's really the only thing I didn't have then and am having now.)

I was looking at my chart today and realized... two weeks ago I went over the first line... I am only a couple pounds from going over the second line which will put me back to where I was right after giving birth. If I don't lose this week, I will be over that second line and less than 10lbs from where I was while pregnant. How did I go from losing 23lbs to losing only 10? From where I am today, I need to lose 3lbs a week until the end of the year (only 4 months away!) to reach my goal of 180lbs.

That is not cool! I feel horrible but have no idea what to do. I could exercise more I guess, but obviously I am too busy or lazy to since I'm not doing more than 10 mins or so a day right now. Last week I blamed the heat since we didn't have water for me to bathe in. This week is my period and I am cramping too much to do aerobics. Are those even valid excuses? Arg! I just don't know how to get that stupid butterfly (my weight loss ticker) moving back to the right again!

Should I just suck it up and do the low fat thing again? I'm worried I'll be hungry and bitchy all the time and then gain it all back once I reach my goal... I don't know. What do you think? Extreme weight loss means extreme measures right? Maybe I should work hard and diet.

EDIT:
I am hearing a lot about Weight Watchers from y'all, but I just can't make myself pay for something that I could do on my own. I know if I eat lots of fruits and veggies, and less breads and fats that I will lose weight. I know about portion control. I just feel like I'll be paying someone to tell me what I already know... How is it any different?

Maybe I should order one of those eating systems that sends you prepacked foods. That way I don't have to guess about my foods or fix anything. Just pop it in the oven or microwave and eat. Anyone tried one of those?

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Thursday, August 19, 2010

Friday Fun!

It's time for Friday Fun! That means it's time for Friday Party Hop! I hope you'll join me this week for some blog, twitter, and facebook hopping fun!

<center><a href="http://AHippoWithAHeadband.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://countingourblessings.webs.com/FridayPartyHop.jpg" /></a></center>

There are only a couple rules for this party. You don't even have to follow me unless you want to. I'd rather have a few active readers because they enjoy my blog than have you feel obligated to follow me. It isn't a rule... but I would love if you grabbed my button so others could find us and link up.

The Rules:

1) Link up your blog, twitter, or facebook... all social networks are welcome here in fact

{Non-bloggers may need to upload photos from their computer or other site}

2) Hop around and follow whomever you want. No pressure to follow here.

3) Have fun!

If you are new here, Welcome! I am Jeannette.

Here at A Hippo With A Headband you will find a chronicle of my journey to a healthier me. At my heaviest, while pregnant I was 270lbs and suffered from gestational diabetes and preeclampsia. I had been losing weight slowly before I became pregnant, but now I know what lays ahead of me if I don't step up my game! I am seeking to be healthy for myself, my husband, and our children {we plan to have a couple more one day :0P}.

Under my header you can see my weekly weight loss progress. If you look at my sidebar, you can find my inspirations and a scrolling marque of my weight loss in photos. In the footer is a chart showing my progress overtime {running data from the ticker above}.

Here are some posts to get you started:

My Stats and Goals {The First Post}

My Weight In Pictures

Some Nice Improvements

Weight Loss Prayer

Is My BC Making Me Fat?

Big Changes in the Works

If you are an old friend, welcome back love! I am so glad to see you again. Are you ready to jazzersize? Or you know... whatever. Just get movin'! Maybe zumba, yoga, carry a 19lb baby around? Anything to get that blood pumpin' and your body sweatin'!

Now put on those headbands and let's get started!

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Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Testing 1...2...3...

Is this thing on? Can you see something to play music? If so, you are listening to DH and my song. I used it for my test post since, well it's my favorite! lol I have something exciting coming later... I just needed to test out my HTML first.

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Blog Addiction

For those of you who haven't found out yet {probably by finding several hippo themed blogs out there} I have about 8 different blogs... I'm a bit addicted... maybe. Actually, I find that keeping my different blog topics, separated on different blogs, helpful. I have blogs to cover different aspects of my life: such as Army life, home life, crafting, and weight loss of course. In case you want to keep track of them without subscribing to them all... I have a new widget at the bottom of my sidebar that has all my blog updates. {My first blog ever hasn't been updated for 2 years. lol} Happy Reading!

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Finding Motivation

Cheryl, from One Cheap Canadian Mom, wrote an amazing post yesterday about that elusive thing called motivation. She brings up a whole lot of interesting thoughts to ponder. Hurry, click on over, take 5 minutes (or less if you read faster than I do, which you likely do) to read what she said, and then come back here for some discussion. I will wait...

*twiddles thumbs* I really need to cut my finger nails... and the baby's finger nails. I have scratches all over my breasts and arms from his claws... Oooo something shiny!

Oh hi! You're back. Brilliant right? I told you! Now... if Action = Motivation (and no cheating... go read her blog post! This is only one of the interesting points she makes)... then I wonder, where do we get that umpf to begin that first bit of action. How do we go from couch to movement to motivation? And what do we do about those times when we slow down (or life gets too busy) and we have to start all over again? And on that point, when do we get to tell life to HALT so we can have us time? But... that is a totally different post (coming soon to a blog reader near you!)

You know what? I have no idea... hence... the discussion by y'all! What are your ideas? Here, I'll get you started with what I am thinking:

Move in unexpected ways like playing with the kids or taking the dog for a walk... do it a little longer than you normally would.
Work out when you are comfortable doing so whether it is in the morning, evening, or middle of the night (just make sure you get enough sleep!)
Do little bits of activity all day long instead of trying to force in a 30 minute block.
Do nice things for yourself to recharge, relax, and heal. Take a bath, get a massage, make sure your body can keep up with the work outs and not become injured.
Don't wear yourself out in one day, do a little each day to keep the momentum going.

What are your thoughts on keeping motivated? What works for you?

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My Motivation for this Blog

Plus Sized Bloggers wants to know why we started our weight loss journey and blogs. Many people have called me brave for posting it all out there (especially pics of me in my undies) for the blogosphere to see... but really, I'd be more embarrassed by half naked pics if I were fit. I guess I figure no one really wants to see me in my undies (besides my hubby of course) so why not? Now that I have readers whom I encourage and inspire, this blog has become even more important to me. I feel the need to help you in your journey as you are helping me in mine, and trust me, you are!

So, these are my reasons for wanting to lose weight:

To be Healthy!
To have a healthy pregnancy when baby #2 comes
To be sexy for myself and my husband
To be confident in who I am and with my body
To love myself so I can allow others to love me

And these are my reasons for making a blog dedicated to it:

First and foremost, Accountability, to myself and now to my readers
Friendship, I think that is why we all blog in a way
Encouragement, I thrive off it and it literally keeps me going day to day
Encouraging Others, it is important to me to give back to my readers
Honesty, I need to be honest about this weight loss thing or it will slip by me
Keeping Tract, in the same way as honesty, I need a way to keep up with my journey so I don't find myself 20lbs heavier, sitting on the couch thinking.. what happened?

What are your reasons?

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My Blog Has Substance

Traci from Traci66 thinks my blog has substance. She sent me this beautiful award. Thank you so much for thinking of me when you were deciding who deserved it. I am truly honored.

The Rules of Acceptance:

•Thank the blogger who awarded it to you.

•Sum up your blogging philosophy, motivation, and experience using five (5) words.

•Pass it on to 10 other blogs which you feel have real substance

I would call my blogging philosophy for this blog:

Inspiring, Encouraging, Honest, Dedication, Self-acceptance

(it's one word; I hyphenated it! lol)

Here are 10 blogs which I think have real substance:

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Monday, August 16, 2010

A Mommy Drink

I wonder if I'll wake up drunk... I am finally sitting down to have myself an adult beverage... after 8 months of talking about doing so. I filled up a giant glass of lemonade and threw in some peach schnapps and vodka for good measure. Seeing as how I'll finish it right about the time we are heading off to bed... I'm liable to wake up drunk. It's a very strange feeling for those who haven't ever experienced it. Anywho... movie time with the honey. That is all for now.

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Sunday, August 15, 2010

Motivation Monday Aug 16

Motivation Monday

Welcome to Motivation Monday! I will be chronicling my journey back to a healthy body, mind, and spirit. Each week I will discuss how the previous week was and set some goals for the next week. I will also be listing my progress. If you would like to see past progress you can look in my archives for other Motivation Monday posts. If you would like to get motivated with me please link up your post using the link form below. Your post can be in any format you want. Whether you are trying to get healthier physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually or if you just have a task you need some motivation to complete...please link up so we can help support each other. I would love to hear about your progress and help keep you motivated!

My Week

I don't know that I have eaten well or exercised beyond chasing a puppy and baby around... but I am feeling much better about myself this week. I am wearing clothes I wore in high school. Of course, they were big back then, and snug now... but wearing them makes me remember who I was and is giving me a little more pep in my step.

My Progress

All red, but my measurements this week were down some. That's good I guess. I'm a bit upset about my numbers, but all I can do is keep truckin' on.

My Numbers {From Last Saturday's Weigh In}
{Green is Improvement, Red is Bad, Mmkay?, Blue is Stayed the Same}

Weight - 221.8
BMI % - 53.1
Water % - 35.2
Muscle Mass % - 33.1

How did you do this week?
If you would like to link up, you can do it on any of the sites with this linky tool. Linking to one will link you to all of them. It's that easy! If you'd like to have the blog hop linky on your post like mine, just press "Get the Code Here" and copy/paste it into your post.

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In a Bad Place Right Now

I try to keep my posts upbeat and positive. Most of the time I am trying to pep myself up. The fact of the matter is, I'm in a very low place right now. I feel it is important to post these low points as well. I know so many women struggle with these low points and I didn't want to leave a reader thinking I have it all together, all the time. It's just not true. In fact, during this whole weight loss journey I have had more lows than highs. I want you all to know that I struggle just like you do. You are not alone.

Today I did something absolutely horrible. First off, I dragged my husband to the pet store. I thought it would be fun to show off the new puppy and get some professional photos taken. I didn't think we'd be there for almost 3 hours... DH is not an extrovert. He prefers not to be around so many people for so long. So, understandably, he was worn out when we finally got out of the store. He was talking about how great it was for him to ride his bike out in nature and be away from people and I got hurt and jealous because I get winded riding 1/2 a mile. I told him that it bothered me to hear him talk about that but I did so in such a manner that I hurt him deeply. I hurt my husband with my own insecurity. That is horrible.

For these last two months, since my surgery, I have been struggling. I have been too exhausted; it's been too hot; I've been too busy; we don't have enough water for me to shower more than a couple times a week. Put that all together and you get a very cranky mom who isn't working out and who craves chocolate to keep the depression at bay. I am hoping that is all it is. I'm hoping that once fall and winter come I can pop in a fitness movie, open the window and let that heavenly 20* wind blow through while I sweat it out in the living room. I just feel lost. I feel like my motivation is drained. I have nothing left. I think to myself all the time, "why bother"?

I know that if I keep trying, keep eating healthy foods and limiting my snacks and sweets, moving in some way everyday, that I will lose weight. It is science. If I don't lose weight, something is seriously wrong with my body, and the Dr's have ruled those out, so I will lose weight. It's just so hard to keep it up when I am so discouraged day after day. I have gained back 9lbs since my surgery. I know I lost all that weight during the time that I was on a strict low fat diet, but I also felt starved and miserable. I was snapping at everyone because I felt like I was always hungry. I need to find a middle ground between starving on a low fat diet and depressed over my weight gain. I just don't know how to find that balance without losing my mind! Any suggestions?

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Arrrrggggg!!!

I feel a rant coming on... so if you don't wanna hear it... click the little red X in the top right corner of your browser.
_______________________________________________
Tonight I am pissed! I am so annoyed and discouraged by something that should have been exceedingly encouraging. I was checking out some blogs where the writers were complaining about how they look. Yeah, I'm not a big fan of how I look, but I find things I like about it, focus on those, and work on the ones I don't like. These women with ripped arms and sculpted abs were complaining about how their bodies have a wrinkle here and a dimple there.

SERIOUSLY?! You look abso*uckingloutly amazing and you are worried about a wrinkle that I would have NEVER noticed had you not pointed it out?! OMG!

Let me just say this... I used to be a model. I spent 2 of my teenage years sacrificing my weekends to tone my body and learn to carry myself confidently. I was fit and beautiful. Now, after nearly 5 years of birth control, I am obese, exhausted all the time, and can't even see my feet most days! I am working my *ss off to get in shape and getting no where. I will never be as beautiful as you are! My skin will never be tight over my stomach like yours. But you know what? I don't care. All I want is to be healthy. Please, for the love of all things wonderful and good, count your blessings!

Please tell me I am not being overly sensitive here. Yes, I completely understand that no matter what their size, women will find something about their bodies that they don't like... but PLEASE do not tell me your body is horrible and the only redeeming feature you have is your pinky toe or something ridiculous like that. Consider yourself lucky and blessed that you are healthy and beautiful.

Why do we do this? Why do otherwise healthy women tell themselves they are ugly and fat? You are damaging yourself and those who are struggling desperately to get in shape. When I see these women complaining about their near perfect bodies, I think to myself... I'll never have what they take for granted... why even bother? It just enrages me!

You know, even though I am 70lbs over my healthy weight... I am still thankful for my overly stretched body. At least I am not morbidly obese. At least I am able to walk and climb stairs. At least my condition is something I can change and not from a disease that can not be fixed. There are so many people out there that don't have those blessings. So you see, no matter where you are in life, you should feel blessed for what you have and not complain about the small imperfections only you notice.

Sure, I want to lose weight and look hot for myself and my husband... but my goal is to be healthy, not skinny. When I am healthy, I will have nothing left to complain about. Right now, my complaint is my fat, because it is making my body overwork and is clogging up my organs... not simply because I look fat.

I am sorry if this rant offended anyone, but I have been there... I was that woman. I know how she feels and I am saying, from this side of the fence... feel blessed! Arg! I'm going to go cry now. I'll be better in the morning.

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A Lovely Blog

Jenn, from My Kids are My World and Jenn's Journey, gave me this award today and I am so honored! Thank you Jenn. Jenn is such a loving woman. She always leaves me the most encouraging comments. Also, let me just say... I adore this award photo. I just LOVE teacups!

The rules for this award are as follows:
1. Thank and link back to the person that gave you the award.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Pass the award to 7 fellow bloggers that inspire you.
4. Let them know about the award.

Next I am asked to share 7 things about myself, so in keeping with my weight loss theme...

I've been weighing myself about 5 times a day for the last 3 months (I shouldn't do that...)
My favorite way to work out is to swim
My abs have been KILLING me these last 3 days even though I haven't done anything except get on and off the couch every 10 mins to take care of the puppy and our son...they coordinate their demands on purpose I tell you! lol
I think I have walked more flights of stairs to take the puppy outside this last 2 weeks that I have in the last 6 months! (Does that tell you how often I left the house in the last 6 months? lol)
Okay, here is one I am a bit embarrassed about...promise not to judge. We sleep with a fan directly on me because I can't sleep if I am hot. So when I get up, if I baked cookies that week... I'll eat one to get the "ick" out of my mouth from having dry mouth all night long. (If not, I'll eat a cracker.) *shameful*
Having sex is a great workout... I really should do it more often. (I wonder if DH reads this blog... I guess we'll find out! lol)
I truly was depressed enough to quit trying to lose weight until I read your comments on my last couple of posts. They do mean that much to me. Thank you all!

Finally, here are the 7 lovely blogs I am passing this award along to:

Crouching Mother, Hidden Toddler

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Friday, August 13, 2010

YOU Inspire ME!

I can not believe the multitude of comments I have received from my amazing readers on this post about seeing myself through my husband's eyes. I just wanted to say that all of your comments have been an overwhelming blessing to me! I can not believe how much this post meant to y'all. I am so honored that something I wrote could touch each of you. When I wrote that post I was pretty depressed. I even thought to myself, how can I write this? I can't look at myself like he does. Of course he says I'm sexy; he wants sex. Boy was I wrong!

I have tried to see myself through his eyes for the last couple of days and things have changed. I actually feel sexy. I had been reading about all my blogging friends having boudoir and pin up photos taken which is something I have wanted to do for years do, but because it isn't in our budget right now, I took my own! I gathered up my sexiness and courage, set up our tripod in the bedroom, and clicked away. They may not look professional, but they made me realize that I really do look sexy. Yes, I am still technically obese, but I look okay. Those photos, along with your loving support, have given me to courage to keep on trying... despite the scale saying I am gaining. If I give up now... then I'll gain weight and be unhealthy. If I keep going, I may not lose... but I won't be any worse off than I am now. Chances are, I'll be better off. So I must keep at it. {Even if that lying cheating scale doesn't agree!}

Here are your amazing comments that just MADE MY DAY! Since I have our little one and a puppy now... I haven't had time to respond to you all. I would like to do that now. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my ramblings and give me your feedback. Each of you literally keeps me going. I was so ready to give up after that post when the scale made it all the way back up to 220lbs from my 215 a couple weeks ago. Then I read your comments...

Kelly, from Crouching Mother, Hidden Toddler, said " just absolutely love your blog. you have inspired me to feel better about myself and want to DO better for both by hubby AND for me. Great job on all the weight you lost. You look absolutely fantastic. No wonder your hubby thinks your a hotty ;) ...hopefully some of your successful attitude will rub off on me!"

I am so glad you want to do better for yourself. Thank you so much for your compliments. I definitely notice a difference, but sometimes it is hard to see myself as a "hotty". My heart smiled when I read your comment. I hope I can help to inspire you with my further posts. I definitely have something to strive for now.

Maria, from Bravo After Dark said, " Your blog is beautiful and a great inspiration {...} You already seem to have the best of everything :)"

Thank you so much Maria! I never really thought of myself as an inspiration, but it seems I am being called to be one. I think it's a good thing. The responsibility of it will give me the accountability that I need. I'm not sure if I have the best, but I will tell you one thing. I have the best husband. This man I married is the most loving and supportive person I have ever met in my life. I certainly lucked out in finding him.

The mom and daughters of Smash Bravo, from Sammy Makes Six said, "I am in love with your blog, I think you are fantastic, beautiful and oh so brave. You've put in perfect words the same things that I and so many other women go through, but most of us never admit this even to ourselves, much less the world. I can not wait to go through this journey with you, and maybe a bit of your strength and wisdom will rub off on me :)"

Brave? Wow, thank you! Readers told me I was brave to put my weight loss photos in bras and underwear up on the internet... I didn't think about it really. I figured it was more than some women wear to the beach. Ha! Well, I am so glad to have been able to be the voice for women out there. I know we all struggle with the same issues from time to time. I am so glad we can have each other for support and accountability through all this.

My dear friend Jenn, from Jenn's Journey, said "I could have written this post myself, but I lack the courage. I have been married for 15 years. {...} Today, my husband treats me like I am still that girl he married. He still sneaks a butt grab in the grocery store, or whistles when I walk by, and I have started telling him it makes me mad when he does that, because I don't see myself that way. I wish I did. I wish I could do all the things you said, but I can't. I don't see how he can find me attractive, if I don't find myself attractive. It is such a hard thing to change about ourselves. I would love to not care what other people think. I would love to not feel self-conscious all the time. I would love to be comfortable in my own skin."

Ah, Jenn. You are such an inspiration to me! I love reading your blog and seeing your successes even through the turmoil you face. I know you'll get to a point where you can feel about yourself the way your husband does... and soon. We'll get through this together.

Tree, from Mother of Pearl It Is, said" Yes you do, girl! It is hard to see yourself the way they see you. The hubby and I have been together 23 years, and he tells me I'm still as beautiful as when he met me...just a bit larger. LOL But, it makes such a difference to have someone that loves you for YOU, and not because you only weigh 100lbs. You are beautiful, and if you carry yourself that way...everyone including you will start to see it! ;)"

As always, Tree. You are so kind. You are so right about having someone who loves me for me. If it weren't for my husband, I don't think I would have been able to get through our pregnancy, birth, and weight loss afterward. You are also so right about carrying ourselves confidently. I had a friend in college who, after asking why men found me sexy when I was so overweight, told me, "I don't know what it is about you that is sexy, you just are. There is just something about you that exudes sexiness." I hold on to those words and the daily, loving words of my husband when I feel down about myself. I put my shoulders back, lift my chin, and carry on with my day... with maybe a sway to my walk if I am feeling sexy enough. lol

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Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Embracing Who I Am

The Mommyologist has challenged us all to find those things about ourselves that we love. Here is my vlog. DH was kind enough to tape it for me. I hope you enjoy it!

{Edit} My video won't load... I'll update this post as soon as possible.
Well... since I can't get my vlog to post, I'll post pictures for now.

{Yes, my ring is on my middle finger...I lost too much weight! *teehee*}

{Yep, those are the girls! I love this pic of them.}

WARNING: R-Rated Photo Click at your own risk.

{I'm wearing a lacy bra and silk undies. Lots of cleavage and my entire torso showing.}

What I love about my body:

My eyebrows (when they're waxed lol)
My eyes - they change colors
My breasts - since my reduction they have stopped hurting my back and I think they are great
My hips - wide hips = easier birth and larger surface to carry LB on
My feet! They are my favorite! I love my feet. They let me chase after my son, run from my husband *giggle*, and dance at the kitchen sink. The high arches make me feel like this!

Click on over to the Mommyologist's Embrace Your Body post to see all the other amazing women and to link up your own post. You don't have to do a vlog, just tell us what you appreciate about your body.

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Monday, August 9, 2010

Seeing Myself Through His Eyes

Hi! I'm Jeannette. This is me:

My husband sees me more like this though:

To him, I'm a sexy housewife. Juggling being a mom and a lady, with grace. Chasing a baby and puppy around the house while wearing heels and sexy lingerie.
{Which I don't do... but maybe I should, well maybe not the heels... I don't want a twisted ankle.}

He sees these and sees sexy:

I can kinda see where he's coming from...

But he sees these and sees sexy too:

He sees a woman with curves who carried and birthed his son. He sees a smile that lights up his day. He sees the hands that wash dishes and also stroke his aching shoulders and back after a long day at work. He sees the beautiful breasts and hips of a sexy woman. He sees the strong thighs of a woman who bends down to clean and care for his son.

Why can't I?

From now on, I am going to talk, walk and flirt with my husband as though I was 150lbs and see what happens. When I was 150lbs I wouldn't have thought twice about jumping on my hubby and showering him with kisses. When I was 150lbs I would have initiated sex with my husband, flirted with danger, strutted my stuff for strangers so my hubby could think, "That's MY wife!" and be proud to call my sexy self his. I know he thinks that now, but I need to think it too.

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Motivation Monday, Aug 7

Motivation Monday

Welcome to Motivation Monday! I will be chronicling my journey back to a healthy body, mind, and spirit. Each week I will discuss how the previous week was and set some goals for the next week. I will also be listing my progress. If you would like to see past progress you can look in my archives for other Motivation Monday posts. If you would like to get motivated with me please link up your post using the link form below. Your post can be in any format you want. Whether you are trying to get healthier physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually or if you just have a task you need some motivation to complete...please link up so we can help support each other. I would love to hear about your progress and help keep you motivated!

My Week

Well... I didn't really do any exercise this week. I kept moving, but no long walks, swimming, or workout videos. I really just carried the baby around and went grocery shopping. Work out fail.

My Progress

As expected... all red. The puppy has arrived. Hopefully walking and caring for him will force more exercise into my days. To be honest, I am pretty depressed about today's numbers. My weight has been going up and down, but it has always stayed below the mark of three months prior {see chart under weigh in tab}... today it went over.

We've all been told not to count our chickens before they've hatched... and as sad as that statement is, it's true. I am still going to hold my Under 200lb Party, just not any time soon I guess. That emergency surgery really threw me off and I'm back up 20lbs. It will be at least a month before I can lose all that in a healthy manner. I have taken my button out of my MM posts but it is still on the sidebar and I will keep y'all posted, I promise!

My Numbers {From Last Saturday's Weigh In}
{Green is Improvement, Red is Bad, Mmkay?, Blue is Stayed the Same}

Weight - 220
BMI % - 52.6
Water % - 35.7
Muscle Mass % - 33.6

How did you do this week?
If you would like to link up, you can do it on any of the sites with this linky tool. Linking to one will link you to all of them. It's that easy! If you'd like to have the blog hop linky on your post like mine, just press "Get the Code Here" and copy/paste it into your post.

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You Are What You Eat

I eat lots of fat and guess what I am? Okay, technically I am obese... but obese=LOTS of fat! So, the only thing to do is change my eating patterns and what I eat.

No more grazing. Snacking is okay; small meals through the day are great; grazing all. day. long. Not Okay!

Eat healthier foods!

Here is a typical day's worth of food for me last week {post "cut all fat lest I have a faux heart attack" month, ie. gallbladder attack}:

Breakfast - What's that? ... and if I did happen to eat one, it was cereal. Lots of carbs and sugars there.
Lunch - Sandwich, usually cheese. Read carbs (again), fats (semi healthy fats in the cheese I guess), and oh yeah, carbs! I love breads and cheese btw.
Dinner - Pasta, Chicken, Pizza... carbs and cheeses lol.

Here is what I have eaten so far today:

Breakfast - Cottage cheese and apricots
Lunch - Cheese and turkey sandwich and apple slices
Dinner - I'm fixing Chicken casserole

Still quite a few carbs, but not bread at every meal.

I had heard a suggestion on KLOVE one day. A nutritionist was on the show and she suggested the apple rule. She said that anytime you feel hungry and want to eat something you know you shouldn't, put it next to an apple (or a figurative apple). If you would eat the apple instead, you are truly hungry. If not, then you aren't hungry and you shouldn't eat that treat you're holding. I thought, well can I use a different fruit? I'm not a big apple person. I like the taste of apples... but I have very sensitive gums so biting into an apple hurts. Cutting it into slices takes so long that by the time I do it... I don't want the apple anymore. I'm still hungry, but too tired to eat. So I'm much more likely to grab a quick, unhealthy, snack instead of an apple.

Until now! I found some sliced apples... at Sam's club! Y'all, these pre sliced apples are cheaper than buying apples out right and slicing them yourself! I was sooo excited!!!! $3 buys me about 2 weeks worth of apples to munch on! I am so excited!

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Embrace Your Body Week

The Mommyologist is hosting an awesome prompt this week! "Embrace Your Body Week" has begun! Get out your cameras or tape a vlog. Tell yourself, and all her amazingly supportive readers, why you embrace your body. There are plenty of things that we all dislike about ourselves, but let's all just take this week {and the rest of our lives} to appreciate what our body does give us. Tell us what you love about your body and maybe find some positives about the parts you don't love. For example... I am not the biggest fan of my giant hips right now, but they did hold and bear my precious son. So yea for wide hips and less painful childbirth! What are you loving about your body this week?

{My post is coming soon. I wanted to put this out there so all my readers could have the chance to link up and spread the word! I'd love to see the Win, Lose or Blog contestants do this one now that they are ending their amazing journey!...and beginning their next one too. I think it would be awesome to see how your attitudes about yourself have changed in just these last couple of months. The linky will be open until Friday, August 13th so get writing ladies!}

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Sunday, August 8, 2010

Make Me Smile!

I'm in desperate need for some "lol" right now. I have updated my ticker and sidebar info to show my current weight. I am 220lbs today and the heaviest I have been since April. This is also the weight I was when I got pregnant, so in a way, it feels like I'm back to square one even though I am counting my weight loss from 235 {my post pregnancy and post water weight weigh in}. I am still proud of myself for losing those 20lbs but gaining back 5lbs is still pretty depressing. I need some cheering up. I need to look in that mirror and laugh at the sad woman staring back at me until she begins laughing too. I know this is all from the low fat diet and surgery. I know it's just bounce back from going back to my "normal" diet. But it hurts all the same. DH is so caring and loving, convincing me that it is okay and to keep on the track... I ~~kinda~~ did eat a chocolate bar for breakfast. It was dark chocolate and I meant to eat it last night but it got too late... so I had it today, when I woke up.... at 11am. Hey! It's my anniversary... don't I get to celebrate? Plus, it's our second anniversary, BUT the first one we have spent together. The Army took him away for our very first anniversary... jerks...

Anyways... on to the smiles! I hope they help.

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Who I Am

Hi! I am the hippo with a headband. I'm on a mission to get back to a healthy weight. Will you join me on my journey? I am sure it will include some trials, tribulations, failures, tears, great successes, joy, smiles, laughter, fun, maybe even some wit. No matter what, it will be an adventure!

Why the hippo you ask? Well, obviously hippos are round, and I think we can all agree, they are a bit on the chubby side. However, hippos are also surprisingly fast, agile, and fierce animals. They don't give up; they don't give in. Have you ever seen a hippo fight a crocodile? Oh, and they sweat my favorite color, Pink! {It's a natural sunscreen. How cool is that?} Plus, they are my favorite animal EVAR!

I'm dressed out in my yoga pants and sports bra; my hair is pulled back in a pony tail; and my headband on! So let's get started!

What have I got to lose besides a couple dress sizes?