Taking a Break

I've decided to take a short break from the blog for a little while. When I started this weight loss journey, I wasn't doing it for other people, for a blog community, or for a job. I was doing it for myself.

I'm going to take the rest of October to regroup and put my focus back into losing weight because *I* want to lose the weight and not be doing it for someone or something else.

I do have two accountability partners for the next three weeks. Shout out to Mallory and Emily!

I will continue to read all the blogs I regularly follow. I will be back on November 1 with my next weigh-in. Good or bad results, I will be posting!

I'm Still Here!

I know I've been missing the past couple of Fridays for my weigh-in posts. I was really busy on my birthday and didn't get around to posting. This week, I've been staying with my sister at her apartment, and she doesn't have a scale! I plan on being back home tomorrow, and my weekly weigh-in posts will resume on Friday.

Hope you all have a good weekend! I'm going to a hockey game with my sister, and it's finally starting to feel like fall around here!

Birthday Recap

This is the last time y'all will have to hear about my birthday for at least a year. Well, I might bring it up one more time because my family is getting together Friday night to celebrate it as well as Darla (my aunt) and Nan's birthdays. :-)

I posted a before and after picture on Facebook and told my friends and family that this is the happiest and healthiest I have felt in a long time, which helped to make this one of the best birthdays I have had in my 20s. The 'before' picture is from Christmas Eve 2011 when I weighed 271 pounds. The 'after' picture is from Friday, which shows the 50 pound weight loss I've achieved. 

I hate that I can't find many full body pictures from my heaviest days because I never wanted my picture taken back then. I liked being in control of the pictures and being able to tell my sister, 'Just the shoulders and up!' Lord knows, she heard that plenty of times! One piece of advice I can give to people starting their weight loss journey is to take lots of pictures...up close and full body. You will love to do comparison pictures once the weight drops! Trust me!!

Moving on to the presents I got! Before my birthday, I wrote about five things I had on my wish list. I am happy to say that I got two of those things along with a few surprises! 

My mom bought me the Sperrys I wanted, and I think the saying on their box seemed fitting for me. ;-) 

My stepdad got me the Polar heart rate monitor! I can't wait to try it out tomorrow. I've got it programmed with all my information, and it's ready to go!

My sister surprised me with tickets to a Dallas Stars hockey game! We are going on Saturday. It's gonna be so much fun! Also, while all my other cards I received were sentimental, this is the card my sister got me. 

I love it!

Friday night, Mallory, Emily, and I went to a Pink Zebra party that my cousin, Amanda, invited us to. To me, Pink Zebra seems like a new and improved Scentsy. There are lots of shades to put over your wax burner that are perfect for fall! My favorite scents were Stone Washed Denim and Farm House Cider. I'll probably wait until pay day to place an order, but once I do, my room will smell amazing!

How cute is this turkey shade to put over your burner?

After the party, we went to Applebee's for dinner. I ordered the Grilled Jalapeno-Lime Shrimp that is on their 'Under 550 Calories' section. It is one of the tastiest things on their menu, and I'm sure I would order it even if I wasn't trying to eat healthier. It's also something that I could probably try and recreate at home.

Nom Nom Nom!

Overall, it was a great birthday, and I'm looking forward to what the next year will bring!

Thirty by 30 Revamp

So, as most of you know, my birthday is tomorrow, and I will be turning 28! That means I have exactly two years to complete my Thirty by 30 list I wrote about way back in March. This isn't a post to update you on what I have accomplished because NONE of them have been finished completely!

I'm writing this post because I want to tweak a couple of the items on my list and totally change 5 of them. At first, I didn't think I should change any of it, but if I've lost interest in something on the list or I don't see it meshing well with what's currently happening in my life, it would be best to go another direction.

My tab at the top will also be updated with my changes if you want to check out the whole list.

Original #1: Run a 5K.

Tweak: Complete a 5K in public.

I don't know if I will ever be able to run a whole 5K at one time, but I do know I want to finish one in public, more importantly, away from the comfort zone of my treadmill.

Original #4: Audition for a community theatre play or musical.

Change: Take a dance class.

I don't really have any interest in acting in a play or musical anymore, so I changed it to taking a dance class. I would love to learn some Latin ballroom dances!

Original #5: Get a teaching job.

Tweak: Get a full-time job.

I'm so close to being able to cross this one off my list! I don't want to jinx myself though, so I'll probably wait until I am able to step foot on the ship before I cross it off.

Original #10: Get my master's degree.

Change: Go skydiving.

Two completely different things! I feel like if I return to the classroom at some point, then it will be a good idea to get my master's degree. Until that happens, I changed it to skydiving.

Original #13: Go on a cruise with my mom and sister.

Change: Have a bachelorette party for Emily.

My mom seems to have no interest in going on a cruise, so I'm changing it to a bachelorette party for Emily. Nothing crazy or anything, but I was thinking about a weekend trip somewhere for us girls.

Original #18: Buy a new car.

Change: Buy myself a 'real' piece of jewelry.

Sure, a new car would be nice, but I don't need (or want) to buy one when my Corolla works just fine. *knock on wood* All my jewelry is cheap costume stuff that I've bought from department stores, so I want to buy myself a 'real' piece of jewelry that I would LOVE to pass down to a daughter or granddaughter one day.

Original #21: Pass additional certification tests for teaching.

Change: Host a Pinterest party.

Again, since I'm not currently teaching in the classroom, I figured this should be put on hold when and if that happens. I think hosting a Pinterest party would be so much fun!

Two years to go...I better get busy!

I've Got Sunshine!

Last week I got a comment from the lovely Sarah over at Sweet Happenings that she had nominated me for the Sunshine Award. You should definitely check out Sarah's blog, and read about the time she became BFFs with Bradley Cooper (yes, THAT Bradley Cooper). I am so excited about this nomination, and I love participating in these and then passing on the love! Thank you Sarah!

The idea of the award is to nominate 10 bloggers whose posts brighten your day.

The Rules

1. Include the award logo in your post.

2. Link to the person who nominated you - Sweet Happenings

3. Answer 10 questions about yourself.

4. Nominate 10 bloggers to receive the award. Link the nominees to your post and notify them!

Sarah's Questions for Me

1) What's one city you visited that you DIDN'T like, and why?

I don't think there has been a city I totally didn't like, but for some reason, Santa Fe is the least memorable city I've visited. Maybe it's because it was a short trip, maybe it's because we went so long ago, but I can't remember anything we did there!

2) What's your favorite clothing store?

Oh, I have a few! I love Belk, Target, and Dillard's for cute dresses, and Old Navy is my go-to store for basics like tank tops, camis, and shorts. As I'm losing more weight, I am able to shop at more stores, and I love it!

3) If I gave you $500.00 right now, what would you go buy? 

Hmm, I would probably put it towards my CPR class and my medical for Carnival. Nothing fun or exciting, but it is practical!

4) What's the population of the city you currently live in?

3,811

5) What's your favorite scent?

Right now, it's anything cinnamon...I love the scents of fall!

6) Would you prefer to live in the city or suburbs?

I've never lived in a big city, but I love living in the suburbs. It's nice to be able to visit the city, and then get back home where it's quiet and laid back.

7) Are you a morning person or a night owl?

Hoot hoot! Definitely a night owl! I'm pretty sure I growl every morning I have to wake up with an alarm clock, which is basically every morning since my dog has figured out what time he needs to wake up to get his insulin shot. 6:00 AM every single day...

8) What was your favorite childhood show that you can remember?

Saved by the Bell! Gosh, I watched that show way back when Miss Bliss was their teacher all the way through to Zack and Kelly's wedding. I wonder if this is on Netflix. If it's not, it should be!

9) Do you prefer swimming or skiing?

Swimming! I went on a ski trip once. I tried it for one day and ended up sitting inside the lodge for the rest of the trip reading and drinking hot chocolate. I actually do want to try it again though because I think I was a big chicken back then.

10) How long have you been blogging for?

I have been blogging since January of this year. One of the best decisions I've ever made!

Questions for My Nominees

1) What are 3 things you're thankful for?

2) What's the last movie you watched? Did you like it?

3) If you could have free, unlimited service from a chef, chauffeur, or masseuse, which would you choose?

4) What did you have for dinner yesterday?

5) Do you consider yourself young at heart or an old soul?

6) What was your first job?

7) Do you know anyone with the same birthday as you?

8) What is a super power you wish you had?

9) What does your current outfit look like?

10) What is the title of a book that you feel everyone should read?

My Nominees
 I kinda cheated and only listed 5 bloggers, but I'm opening the questions up to anyone that wants to answer them!
 1) Zainab @ Kicking Kilos

2) Jennifer @ It's Just Jennifer

3) Ally @ Ambitious in LA

4) Sarah @ Beautiful Disaster

5) Katie @ Katers Potaters

Monday Listicles: 10 Things I'm Looking Forward To

A couple of weeks ago, I happened to find this fun link-up from Stasha over at The Good Life. I am a lover of lists, so I thought I would join in this week for 10 things I am looking forward to.

10 Things I'm Looking Forward To

1) my birthday

Not only fun because it's my birthday, but my nan and aunt have their birthdays just days after mine, so all of the family gets together for a celebration, which is always one of my favorite things to do!

2) my new job

I'm so ready for everything to fall into place and have my paperwork approved, so I can get to sailing!

3) the State Fair of Texas

This is happening. My sister and I have already made plans. I will ride the Texas Star, even though it terrifies me (it's a tradition, after all), and I will be hunting down the Fried Nutella.

State Fair 2011

4) my ship assignment

Once my paperwork is all approved, I will receive information about what ship I will be sailing with. Not gonna lie, I have a few favorites in the fleet that I would LOVE to be on.

5) Emily and Kelby's wedding

Yay! Still planning, still excited!

6) Pink Zebra launch party

My cousin, Amanda, is having a launch party for Pink Zebra on Friday night, and I think it will be a lot of fun. Mallory and Emily are gonna go with me. 

7) the holidays

I don't know if I will be home for any of the major Fall/Winter holidays...Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, but even if I'm not, I'm looking forward to celebrating them. I've heard Christmas is a really cool time to be on a cruise ship. If I do leave before then, I'm making my family celebrate with me before I go.

8) a Dallas Stars game

I told my sister before I leave I want to go to a Stars game. I don't think I could have ever predicted I would be a hockey fan!

9) the Katybug Shuffle 5K

This will be my first ever 5K in front of other people, and the proceeds from the race benefit Katy and Brooke, two little girls that are battling cancer. I don't think there is a better cause to support than that. I need to get registered!

Katybug Shuffle Facebook Page

10) Fall TV

All my favorite shows return this week! Except for Supernatural and The Walking Dead...I have to wait 'til October? Really??

My 5 Favorites!

What are YOU looking forward to? Link-up and join the fun!

Weekly Weigh-In #30

This Week: -0.8 lb

Total Loss: -29.2 lbs
Starting Weight: 251.2 lbs
Current Weight: 222.0 lbs
Starting BMI: 36.0
Current BMI: 31.9

Workouts for the Week

Friday - Day 10 Squat Circuit Challenge (90 squats), 3.10 miles on treadmill (46:30)
Saturday - Day 11 Squat Circuit Challenge (125 squats)
Sunday - Day 12 Squat Circuit Challenge (Rest Day)
Wednesday - Day 13 Squat Circuit Challenge (140 squats)

Total Mileage: 3.10 miles
Total Squats: 355
Total Time: 46 minutes 

Considering that yesterday I said I would have a horrible weigh-in, I am actually very surprised I had a loss this week. Last week I said I was going to hide the scale all week...I didn't. So, I weighed every day, sometimes multiple times a day, which led me to believe I would have a gain today. This week I WILL be hiding the scale and will not get it out until next Friday, which happens to be my birthday! I have to get a loss on my birthday, right? Isn't that a law or something?? ;-)

LAST WEEK'S GOALS 

  

1) Make a workout plan for the week

I didn't STICK with my plan, but I did make one!

2) Complete Days 10-16 of the Squat Circuit Challenge

3) Complete 4 5Ks, and improve my time with every one

4) Register for a 5K 

THIS WEEK'S GOALS

I think I'm going to pretty much stick to the same goals that I had last week since I failed miserably at almost all of them.

1) Complete Days 14-20 of the Squat Circuit Challenge

2) Complete 4 5Ks, and improve my time with every one

3) Register for a 5K

4) Do not step on the scale until next Friday

I want to share a before and after picture. Sometimes these pictures are more of a motivational tool for me than seeing the weight loss each week. The before picture was taken last summer in Galveston, and I probably weighed somewhere between 255-260. The after picture was taken last weekend, which shows about a 35 pound loss. What stands out most to me is how different the shirt fits me now than it did last year. It appears as if I've gained 2-3 inches of length in the shirt just by losing weight!