Hello in there....

OK, I was reminded by a friend that I haven't updated in forever... I am sorry! I just wanted to let you all know that have not fallen off the life change wagon. I am doing pretty good actually. So.... what is going on with me you might be wondering. Well for the past few months I have still been going to the gym. I am doing the same thing eating wise. I was getting slightly frustrated because my number had not gone down but oddly enough my pant's size still did. So off I went to the Doctor after having not been for a while. I was expecting a what happened Suzann? Where is the progress? That is far from what I got. She told me that I was looking great and she could still tell that I had been doing well. She explained that because i had lost so much weight so fast that my body was adjusting. Not to mention working out was building muscle. Whew did that make me feel better. I have lost the total of about 4 pant's sizes, and about 2-3 shirt sizes depending on the shirt. So all in all I am feeling pretty good about myself and my progress now.  Life has gotten busier for me as well. I have been so busy with work and school. I am now working at the coffee shop in town and I love it! I love my co workers and I love our customers! It has been such a blessing to love going to work on a regular basis! If you wanna come visit me I am at True Coffee in the SWAC building by Anytime Fitness... YES that is convenient since that is where I work out!!! Besides working there I have been doing schooling to become a life coach. I for the very first time ever have been getting straight A's!!! I am loving it!!! I feel like everything in my life has fallen into place! I have had bumps with things here and there but life is good! As a great friend once told me "A bad day doesn't mean a bad life". Isn't it funny how things like that stick in your head. I am so thankful that I have such wise people around me!  I have also been blessed enough to have some sweet times of connection with some great friends! Shopping, coffee(yes at my work), movies, game nights, and much more! I am so blessed! I know there is so much more I need to catch you all up on but I just wanted to get on quick and tell you I am still here!

While I am at it... is there any questions for me? Anything your wondering? With in reason I will answer questions....

You may now say pants... :-)

OK crisis is over. Whew that was a hard one!  I spend Sunday and Monday going around to Goodwill, Savers, and Agrace Thrift store. By far one of the best shopping experiences I have had in a long time. Not only did I get pants I got some cute shirts and a few dresses. I have to say getting cloths that actually fit you makes a difference. I feel better about myself and my confidence is boosted. Not to mention it's not hiding the fact that I had lost weight.

I would be fibbing if I didn't say I had frustrating days. I have been stuck at about 60lbs. I know I am happy about it but I would like to keep going forward. But it's not going to stop me. This is a long term life change. I love going to the gym though. OH THE GYM... so I must tell you...

I went to the gym last Thursday night and took my first class. I did a Ugi ball class... oh my word... I found out I had muscles in places I didn't know I had them. Lisa kicked my bum. I loved every minute of it. It was challenging and something I very much needed. I felt good about myself as I was keeping up for the most part with women that were half my size. Not that I try to compare myself. It made me feel so much better being able to do it and not giving up.

Back to the cloths. I am sure you are wondering what do they look like can we see them... well I am glad you asked.  More to come when I wear them and can get some pictures! Thank you all for the encouragement and love!

I like this outfit!

Amazing purple dress!

Do not say the word PANTS.....

OK... I know I should be happy about this but for real... I can't fit into pretty much none of my pants right. Although a good problem to have it's still a problem. I realized in my mad search for some pants/slacks/jeans that fit that none of them do. I only for some reason have two or three of the next size down which are all in need of some major repair. The ones I have are making due in a pinch but I don't like looking like a grub! So all in all it's still frustrating. I also realized in looking at the close I have how fast I flew into the size I was in. It's like there was no in between. So what do I do... I need to get some pants. I wanted to not and just go with what i had until i reached my goal but that is looking like it's not going to happen. I will update more later I just needed to rant a little bit... grrr....

Background part 5... will the background ever end?

OK I think I am getting caught up to now. I figured if I don't catch up soon all of my post will be titled background. :-)

Bringing it up to today. I was worrying about what I was going to do this winter when it was too cold or snowing. I didn't want to give up my weight loss journey to the laziness of winter. So I was hoping that we could get a gym membership. It ended up being that Brian was on board with a gym membership. I was super excited. So he and I joined Anytime Fitness. The fact that it is just down the street from us, and there is one right by Brian's work helped. I am loving it there. The lady who manages the gym has been a blessing and a half as well. She has been so encouraging to me. Not for a sale but for a real care and concern for me and my health. I know when people are fake to me. I have a really good radar on that sort of thing. It makes it easy to go there. Now what have I been doing at the gym you may ask?  I have just been doing some work outs that my friends trainer has taught her and doing some elliptical work. I am hoping to try some classes soon. Not sure which ones I should start out with but very much looking forward to it!  This journey is one of the only things in my life I have really stuck with. I am not doing it for anybody for me. Which is a first as well. Although I think this process is definitely glorifying God.  I am sure He is pleased with me taking care of the body he gave me! I am so thankful for my relationship with Christ!  I am not ashamed of that and I am not going to be ashamed of myself anymore either! I can't even tell you how excited I am to see the me that I know is in there. But the fat girl ate her. :-) I have a friend who has known me for a long time. She told me I was going to be this way. She told me that and I didn't believe her. I didn't see what she saw in me. I can't even tell you how that has been for all these years. Having somebody believe the better in you when you don't. To see the real you that you have no clue who she is or where she went. I ask her on a regular basis why she saw that in me. I have been blessed with some pretty amazing people in my life. People who lead by example, or who verbalize it to me. People who loved me in spite of all the bad choices I have made or the hurt I have.. or have done.  I know this might seem like a weird post talking about other people but I think that others have a huge part in our journey's even if you aren't doing it for them. I would not be where I am if it were not for some pretty amazing people.  So here is what some of you may have been waiting for.  I know a few people have seen these pictures but very few! I am going to upload my before and my progress pictures. These are not for the faint of heart! They are not pretty. :-) but the change is pretty amazing to me!

When I first started

At 27 lbs lost

At 40 or 45 lbs lost.

So I bet your wondering..... Suzann why have you fail to mention numbers. Well not because I don't want to share but because I wanted to get the information about my journey out there first. I wanted people to know how I was getting healthy. NOT the numbers. The numbers are not as important to me. But for those who would like to know I have to date lost 58 lbs. I have also got all of my numbers in line for cholesterol, blood pressure(that was never high anyway), blood sugar, vitamin B12, and vitamin D. If there was any other numbers I forgot you just need to know that my doc said that all numbers are in the good now! I can't even tell you when the last time I had a normal triglyceride number. I feel so blessed. My doc said that I am what they call compliant. She hates the term but it basically just means I am doing everything I need to be doing!

Now for those who may be wondering if my journey is just about my weight loss it's not. If you stay tuned I will let you know what is going on in the rest of my life.  

Background part 4

Wow I have a lot of background :) 

So back to the medical side of life. I can't even tell you how much having the vitamins in check changed my life. I as well as Sherri could tell when they kicked in. I was walking faster and farther than my body had allowed me to go before. I was on fire! OK maybe not but it was great. I have loved the consistency that we were able to have. I can't even tell you how much it meant to me that I had a walking partner that actually would walk with me on a regular basis. It's hard when you want to get out there and do something and somebody promises to do it with you and they back out. You lose your motivation as well. The other thing I have come to appreciate is that she and I are on the same page. It's not like she is doing it for me or I am doing this whole thing for her. We both are doing it for ourselves and doing it together makes it better. I think if it were just her walking with me because I needed somebody to walk with I might actually resent her a bit. Or if I felt like I didn't contribute to this equal motivating friendship we have that it would not go far. Somebody once said to me and I hope I don't misquote her or mess up the thought of it. She said you are supposed to be interdependent. Meaning you are supposed to be independent while depending on others. We all need other people in our lives. Why do you think babies who are never held have issues. We need human contact in some way. I am one who believes that God brings people into our lives for a reason. God brought Sherri back into my life so that we could spur each other on to be better people for ourselves. To be the us that we know is. So that has been the story of the exercising this far. 

I bet you might be wondering a few things. Am I dieting? What kind of program are you doing? Well I will answer that. No I am not dieting, and I am right now not on any program. Honestly the first weight came off simply by no soda and walking. Now I since have changed my eating habits but other than the soda I have not really said I can't to anything. Here is my thoughts on that. I am not saying that it will work for everybody. For me it came down to if I tell myself that I "can't" have something I am going to want it all the more. So I don't. Now do I drive through McDonald's on a daily basis and get a dollar burger and dollar fries like I used to? NO... Do I even eat out as much as I used to? NO... I have been eating a lot more salads, greek yogurt, and healthy things such as that. But if I go to a graduation or birthday party and I want some cake I will have some. I just don't take the huge piece that is cut. I will opt for splitting it with somebody. One thing I have noticed is that when I stopped all the bad habits my body required less food. I was eating for fuel not for fun. Where I normally would fill a bowl I took a smaller bowl and didn't even fill that. Now I am not saying I am not tempted or that I don't give in on things, but for the most part I have been sticking with it.

What is really funny is through this all I have not had to tell myself anything it has actually come pretty naturally. 

To be continued. I am heading out today to go walk for a cure for type one diabetes. I had to miss church but for such a worthy cause I could do it! Write more later.. PROMISE!

Background Part 3

So I find myself bummed that this didn't come sooner but please forgive. I have been crazy busy the past few weeks getting a job, joining a gym, and getting ready for..... SCHOOL!!!

So I will get back to my story...

So no soda is where I left off. So there it was no soda, yoga and started walking. Got through the first few weeks but it was frustrating to me. I had always heard how when you were done exercising you were energized. I wasn't in fact I kept on getting more tired. I was yawning through walk and could hardly make it through 2.5 miles. I didn't understand it. It wasn't until my fingers started getting the pins and needles feeling that I realized what was going on. I had been diagnosed with a B12 deficiency. I was told I would have to take injections for the rest of my life.  Well for reasons unknown to me my doctor took me off of it saying my levels were normal.... I thought well duh I have been doing my injections, but she was the doctor who was I to argue. I knew I was low, our insurance had just changed and I needed to establish with a new doctor. I hate going to knew doctors. I prayed that this would be good. The closest clinic I could go to was Cambridge as Brian is now working in Waukesha.  It was such a blessing, the clinic in Cambridge had two female nurses which is what I hoped for. So I took the one I could get into the fastest. Praying that she would believe me about my B12 and let me get my injections as soon as possible. She did, and man was I thankful. I told her about the changes I had been making in my life and that at that point only 2 or 3 weeks into the process I was already 9lbs down. Then she did what no other doctor has for me ever. She encouraged me. Told me how proud of me she was. Her next words to me were gold.... She told me if I kept it up that I would lose 100lbs in a year.  Up til then all I had ever heard from a doctor is that I wouldn't have issues with this or that if I wasn't so heavy,overweight,obese... come on people just say it... I wouldn't have other issues if I wasn't so FAT. Just because you put a medical term on it doesn't make it sound any prettier. I remember hearing that and asking can you help me, what do I need to do, and where should I look? One sent me to a dietitian once. OK really you want me to lose weight by having a skinny person tell me what I need to do once and have there be no follow up. Thanks but no! My doctor not only checked my B12 but she checked my Vitamin D levels as well. I was DANGEROUSLY low on that as well. She put me on 50,000 units daily for a bit and then twice a week. What I didn't know is that when you are heavy you tend to not be able to get the amount you need from the sun even if I were to be in the sun all day. Not to mention if your D levels are low it can actually hinder you from losing weight. What a double edged sword!

Stay tuned  with in the next post or two I will publicly reveal my before and progress pictures. Some of you have seen it one on one. But I will let the people who read this see it as well. If not for anything else than to encourage other that they too can work hard and lose the weight.

I am going to go for now, I promise I will try to update tomorrow. Which is only 15min away. :)

Background Part 2

I have a few minutes before needing to go to my doctor and check in with her on my weight loss. So I figured I would continue the background information.

So after the time at the motorcycle shop, I don't remember walking away thinking I need to do something about this. The whole time I have been working on myself it has almost been more of a side thought than an I need to talk myself into this kind of thing.  Funny enough I have never really had to talk myself into any of this since I started. So flash to the end of April. I connected with my friend Sherri from high school. We had only seen each other maybe two or three times since graduating. We were chatting on Facebook one day and she asked if I had wanted to get together for breakfast.  The morning we were out to breakfast we did the usual catch each other up on life thing. It was really a good time! She told me about her business which I thought was amazing. She runs Inspired Adult Day Services. Where she does day time respite for family's with elderly parents/family members who need some care and or activities. About two weeks prior to getting together I started getting restless. I wanted to start walking. I had two years before but because of being harassed by people every time I went out, I didn't feel safe and stopped. So I started bugging everybody to walk with me. Nobody could or wanted to walk for themselves at the time so it was a no go. So towards the end of our time that morning my friend Sherri looked at me and asked 'Hey do you want to go walking with me, like on a regular basis?'  My mouth dropped. I literally looked at her and said "Are you serious?" I think the statement/question shocked her a little bit and she said that she was. I was so excited, but at the same time thinking is she going to follow through. Not anything on her character but that would be just my luck to get started and not be able to finish like a lot of things in my life that I have done that with. I agreed to start walking with her and we started the next day.

Now before I started walking I had also been doing Yoga with my friend Amy. Who was at that point wanting to be an instructor doing a program called Holy Yoga. It was more based around the christian faith but with the same stretches and movements. I was loving that as well. Everything was falling in line for me. Except one thing...... SODA... I would be what you would call addicted to the stuff. Not diet. The full on soda. The thoughts kept going through my head that I am doing all of these things to make myself feel better but here I am still drinking soda. I would usually shut those thoughts up with.... a soda. So I had decided that I didn't want to counter act all the good that I was starting to do by drinking it so I stopped. Cold Turkey! In sitting down and figuring everything out I had realized that the amount of soda I was drinking was basically the amount of calories I was supposed to consume in a day. So ANY food I was eating was on top of that. Ding .... light bulb moment if I have ever seen one. I always made me mad that I didn't feel like I ate much if even enough but I was still getting heavier and heavier. Now don't get me wrong I didn't make the best food choices. Some of which I think were driving by my sugar addiction. Like candy. I really didn't need it but I NEEDED the sweet! You know I really didn't even have to much of an issue with stopping the soda. I really don't miss it either. The thing I noticed is soon after that my massive cravings for something sweet went away too. Now don't get me wrong I still very much enjoy the taste of sweet but I don't need it like I thought I did.

With that said I will pick this up later I have a bit of a drive to get to my doctor.