Strep Throat, But Another 2 pounds down :)

Hey there... sorry for the late post, I have been sick with strep throat the last week (YUCK) but am feeling much better now :) I hit a plateau last week (which is disappointing, but to be expected after such consistent weight loss for a few weeks), but THIS week I lost 2 pounds woohoo! It may also have helped that my throat was sore and I didn't each much besides soup this week, because it certainly wasn't the exercise! (I stayed out of the pool until today when I was feeling better).

Definitely time to swim inside for the season, today was certainly my last day swimming at the outdoor pool! It was chilly... refreshing, but too cold to enjoy swimming laps outside. I have been noticing some changes with food since my last fill now that it has been a few weeks as well... I have trouble eating anything with bread (such as a lean cuisine personal pizza)... it seems to sort of get "gummy" and almost hurts going down, so I am going to avoid foods like that! Not a big deal since I don't eat much with bread these days anyway. I went for a bike ride the other day and was totally spent after a mere 30 minutes and my butt was super sore... My Dad (an avid biker) says if I keep it up I will be able to go longer and my ass won't hurt as much so I am going to try to work a bike ride in a few times a week! I think I have mentioned this before, but one of my goals is to do a triathlon with my Dad in the future. I definitely have the swimming/walking(jogging?) down, but need to work on biking.

I love my new second job with the twin 6 month old babies (though I was not able to see them this week bc of my strep throat), but I am not sure that I will be able to keep it too much longer :/ I say this because when I was hired, the Mom told me she would for sure use me at least 2 days a week (about 10 hours), sometimes 3, and now it seems as though she is only going to need me 1 day a week because her Mother-in-law is helping her out more now :( 1 day a week is not really going to help me pay the bills, so I may be looking for another job.

I am almost ready to turn in my graduate school application which is exciting :) I am fine tuning my essay this weekend, then sending my essay to those that are writing me recommendation letters... once all of that is done I am ready to hit send! Cody (the boy I nanny) just started 6th grade at a new middle school and seems to really like it (though has been struggling with all of the change scenery, teachers, and new friends). I think this will be a great year for him, and hopefully this school can give him the academic help that he needs! I will write more later... have a great weekend all!

Feeling Great!

Took this picture before a date night to see "The Campaign" (which was HORRIBLE btw) with my boyfriend Steve and I FINALLY can actually see a real difference in my face... much thinner than a few months ago! It can be hard sometimes to see the difference because even though the scale says I am losing weight, I see myself in the mirror everyday... but a picture is worth a thousand words :)

I am still swimming pretty much every day but the pool is seemingly getting colder everyday and soon I will have to swim inside again instead of out in the sunshine :/ I am also going to have to pick up a few staple "fall clothing" items at Ross or somewhere else that is relatively inexpensive because nothing fits from last year or even the year before!! I am going to see the new Meryl Streep movie "Hope Springs" today with my Great Aunt which will be nice because I haven't seen her in a while... nothing much else new for now, just wanted to let everyone know that I am feeling great and looking forward to my next weigh in on tuesday :) Have a great rest of the weekend!!

Is it August Already?! Camping Trip and 4 Pounds Down

Hello! Sorry for the delay in postings... I have been a busy bee the past two weeks! I went to my bariatric doc a week and a half ago and got another fill of saline (1cc) so I now have a total of 7.2 cc in my band. It was a great doc appointment and the nurse who did my fill said I am like the "poster child" for lapband patients and was very impressed by how well I am doing with my weight loss! It doesn't come easy, and it helps tremendously that I exercise almost every day... Feeling great! This was the first time since I have been getting saline fills that I have truly felt a big difference when I eat (as far as getting full very quicklu) and I am also finally not hungry really at all in between meals which is great... this has already paid off big time because I have lost a total of 4 pounds in the last two weeks making my total weight loss 64 pounds! WOOHOO!

I went camping with my boyfriend this past week at Colorado National Monument which is in Fruita, CO (right near the border of CO and Utah), and it was truly incredible... It was only a 5 hour drive from where I live and well worth it! However, It was tremendously hot with no shade, so even though Steve and I had planned on doing a 4 mile hike, we settled for a few short hikes instead. The canyon and all of the natural formations were formed from erosion from water thousands of years ago... nature is amazing! After camping, we drove through and hung out in Pallasade, CO which is orchard/vineyard central... I tried mead for the first time! We also got some AMAZING rocky mountain peaches... YUM.

I interviewed to be a preschool teaching assistant and was anxiously awaiting to hear if I had gotten the job or not, and the woman finally emailed me yesterday to let me know that she had chosen someone else :( I am super bummed, but the email she sent me was incredibly nice... She had interviewed 14 people and it was down to me and another woman. She told me that I had a "larger than life" personality (in a good way) and that I was perfect for the job, had great experience, and impeccable references, BUT she was afraid that I would not be able to commit for more than a year because I will move on to bigger and better things (such as grad school). BUMMER. However, she did say that she would love to have me as a substitute assistant if she needed one etc...

I still need a second job, so I put up another ad on craigslist and have two interviews this week for different nanny jobs... the one I really want that would work with my current nanny schedule with Cody would be helping a new Mom with her 6 month old twin babies! I am interviewing with her tomorrow... wish me luck! I am still swimming everyday while the weather is still nice out and even though summer is almost over, I am really looking forward to fall :) It is my favorite season... the changing leaves, chilly weather, hot apple cider, PUMPKINS.. AHHH. I will have to get used to swimming laps inside again! Will write more later :) Hope everyone is doing well!

Crazy Mountain Adventures, Another Pound Down, and Fill Tomorrow!!

WHOO I have not been this physically exhausted in a LONG LONG time!! Today I did the Blue Lake Trail which was a 6 mile hike with my best friend and it was definitely challenging... it was raining off and on, it was relatively steep most of the way up, but BOY was it rewarding! I am so proud of myself that I did it and am so grateful to Keren for being patient with me (she is a super hiker and would normally hike much much faster). I have not felt this in shape in a really long time, and it feels wonderful. On the hike we saw marmots (giant rat/beaver like creatures?) which I had never seen before and many a chipmunk... Once we got to the top it was absolutely breathtaking and totally worth it. Blue Lake is certainly named that for a good reason! Though you cannot tell from the pictures below, it is the most crystal clear blue lake I have ever seen... it is the runoff straight from a glacier. I was convinced I would definitely want to swim in it after being so hot and tired, but could barely keep my hand in the water for more than ten seconds! It was the coldest water I have ever felt.. I think if one were to drink it they would probably get a major brain freeze! Everything about the hike was great until I totally fell down in a giant, slushy, gooey mud puddle on the way down :(... I was freezing and wet and grumpy and very muddy to say the least. BUT to my credit I was laughing hysterically when it happened because I was seriously covered in mud on one side, and at least I did not get hurt PHEW. If I am up to it, Keren and I might go up to the same area to hike again (on a different trail) because the $9 fee we paid to get in is good for 3 days :)

So I weighed myself this morning before the hike and I am down another pound (now weighing in at 258) which is great! I had hoped for more this week considering how much I have been hiking, but not every week can be stellar weight loss... what matters is that the scale is going in the right direction! So I am now officially 60 pounds down from where I started and it feels amazing... the more I lose the healthier I feel and more motivated I become!

I am still off of work (paid) for another week or so and have been actively looking for a second part time job for when the boy I nanny is in school... I had an interview at Le Peep (a breakfast place) to be a server, but they needed me full time immediately which I could not do because in another week I will be full time with Cody (the boy I nanny) until he goes back to school August 14 :/ However, I landed an interview at a pre-school to be a teaching assistant! My interview is on Friday morning and I would LOVE to get this job.... the hours are perfect with my schedule for when Cody is in school, and I love working with toddlers :) Wish me luck!

Lastly, I am going to my bariatric doc tomorrow to get another small saline fill in my band to restrict my food intake a bit more... hopefully he will be happy with the results I have had since my last fill, but I think I can still do better with a bit more saline! Anyway, I hope everyone is having a great week... I will write more later :)

Awesome Visit in TX, Now Back in CO, and Another 2 lbs Down!!

HOORAY! I was a bit weary about getting on the scale when I got home to Colorado on Thursday because my parent's scale messed with my head and told me I was 264! However, my Dad said this was probably because of water retention from flying/traveling etc... I guess he was right because as of this morning I weigh 259 pounds, which is a total of 59 pounds lost! YIPPEEE!

I had a great time in Florida visiting both my Grandpa in Naples then my Grandma in Boca Raton, then I made my way to Dallas to visit my parents, Uncle, and some friends :) It was really nice to spend alot of time with my parents because my Mom took some days off work and my Dad swam laps with me almost every day (when we could time it right). I also went to the Fort Worth Modern Museum of Art with them and saw a Lucian Freud exhibit which was interesting... I particularly liked his nudes and the fact that he painted people of all sizes. While in TX, I went to Forever 21's plus size section and actually bought two dresses which is awesome... I say this because even though they claim to have "plus sizes, their sizing system is crazy and not quite plus size at all! For example, a "1" at most plus sized stores is a size 14-16, where as at Forever 21, a plus size "1" is a size 10-12!!! Needless to say, their largest size is really a 18 (where most plus size places is a 26 or 28) so I have not fit into their clothing in a long time. Feels great! Here is one of the dresses :)

Although I loved my vacation, it is also really nice to be home in CO again with my kitties! Also, the pools in Florida and TX were super hot/not refreshing whatsoever (especially to swim laps in!), so it is nice to be in my cool, crisp, local pool again. I got home on Thursday, and have been a busy bee writing my essay for grad school, applying to find a second part time job, exercising, etc... Yesterday I went on a real hike for the first time since January and it felt AMAZING... Last time I hiked, I was in a lot of pain because of my slipped herniated disc in my back... however, I believe that all of the physical therapy I did a while back at the chiropractor, as well as all of the exercise I have been doing has done it wonders... my back doesn't hurt at all anymore when I hike!! I was able to do 4 miles and it was absolutely beautiful... I did a hike called "Eagle Wind Trail" which is on Rabbit Mountain about 15 minutes away from my house. It is a really cool hike for 2 reasons; 1. The trail is closed March 15- July 15 so that eagles can nest and have their babies... It had just reopened and there were eagles and other huge birds everywhere!! 2. From the hike, you can see both the Flatiron/Foothill mountains AND the Rocky Mountains and where they sort of "meet". It was a great hike and I actually felt physically comfortable doing it, though I was pooped later!! Here are two pics from my hike :)

Anyway, even though I am still doing very well with my weight loss, I think I am going to go back to my Doc and get one more fill of saline to make my band a bit tighter... if it turns out being too tight I can always have some taken out! I hope everyone is enjoying summer... I will write more soon!

3 Pounds Down AND Size 16 Swimsuit!!

I am SO STOKED! I was not going to weigh myself until I got to my parent's house, but I am now in Boca Raton at my Grandma's house and discovered that she has a very accurate/expensive glass scale... and I am 3 pounds down from last week :) WOOHOO!! My Grandma and I went shopping today and I found a new swimsuit that I totally love that just happens to be a size 16! I couldn't believe it... I am not a 16 in pants or anything yet, but the fact that I can fit into a size 16 swimsuit is pretty awesome in my book. Life is good! Anyway, Happy Fourth of July everyone... have fun and be safe!

Sun Kissed Bliss!

I arrived in Naples, FL to visit my Grandpa for a few days and have been having a total blast :) We have gone to the beach everyday which is awesome... I got spoiled last year because I found tons of cool creatures such as sting rays, crabs, etc... but this year there have been a few tropical storms so all I found were a few sea slugs in conch shells and a hermit crab or too. Today I went kayaking (BOY what a workout!!) and went through a section called "Clam Pass" which is surrounded by Mangrove trees which was really cool... I saw all kinds of birds and animals there! My Grandpa doesn't get in the ocean until its at least 90 degrees, but he has come in the pool everyday afterwards with me which has been great. Even though the pool temp says it is 91, he says he feels "chilled" when he gets in!! LOL

The first day I was here I swam laps for an hour in the pool, but the other days I have swam alot or kayaked so I have mostly done water aerobics in the pool. Needless to say I have been getting alot exercise which is great. I have also completely stuck to my calorie limit and got all of my protein in etc... which is awesome. We went out to dinner last night at this DELICIOUS Italian place called "Bravo!" and I had a fabulous meal... they don't normally do half portions of the chicken parmesan but made one special just for me. What a treat! I am excited to weigh myself when I go to TX next week because judging by how loose my pants are fitting, I think I have lost at least a pound and a half in the past few days. I would weigh myself here, but I really only trust my scale at home and the scale at my parents house because they are both incredibly accurate and digital (and expensive!).

My Grandpa is super generous and bought me a New Balance HRT slim watch which is something I have wanted for a very long time and I am excited to start using it. The watch measures how many calories I burn, my heart rate, steps, speed, distance, you name it! I am curious to see how many calories my watch says I will burn during my swimming versus what my estimates based on online calculators are.

I feel like I just got here and am sad to leave my Grandpa's tomorrow, but am also excited to get to spend some time with my Grandma in Boca Raton for a few days. Anyway, here is a picture of an awesome piece of coral I found swimming in the ocean yesterday... I am pretty tan from just a few days in Florida!! (BTW I have been using lots of sunblock at least SPF30 and if you are reading this Grandpa, I wish you would wear sunblock too!! *COUGH COUGH*)

Will write more later!! :)