BEFOREDURING
I can't really tell a difference in the way I look in these pictures because of the photo distance from the camera, because I am wearing different clothing, and my hair is longer. Maybe my face looks smaller, less of a double chin. However, the scales indicate I have lost 45.1 pounds down from 278.9 to 233.8 pounds. I had gastric bypass surgery on November 16th, 2007 and I go back to the doctor on February 7th for my three month checkup for an official weigh-in. I was wearing size 32 jeans in the "before" picture and am in a size 26 jeans in the "during" picture. I have a few pairs of pants that I am in size 24. I don't say "after" pictures because I am certainly not finished yet, not by a long shot. I hope to lose another 80 pounds and that will be before the plastic surgery to remove all the excess skin (which the doctor says can weigh another 15 to 20 pounds). I have been feeling really well lately and hope that the weight continues to come off.

One of my friends said that I should report my progress, so here it is for what it is worth. I can't wait to see the ultimate results next year at this time, but I have to take it one day at a time.

I would have liked for Shannon to have waited to get married 'til after I was through losing all my weight, but when I think about it, the day shouldn't be about me, but all about her. I just didn't want my ex and his family to see me until after the full transformation.

McDonald's don't have nothing on me

I made Eddie a couple of Egg McMuffin's this morning. I bought some Cobblestone Mill's English muffins (they are the best)and ham steak. I cooked one egg at a time in a bowl in the microwave. I used fat free sharp cheddar cheese. I toasted the muffin in the toaster oven and then toasted them again with the cheese and ham added one to each half. Then I just put the egg on top of the cheese and topped it with the other half of the muffin and ham. Eddie said they tasted as good or better than McDonald's.

I also make a Beef-N-Cheddar with a homemade sauce that Eddie and Shannon says tastes just like the original Arby's.

Eddie has headed out the door to go see how his plants are doing in the greenhouse and I am going to get me some ice water and start work. Another day of joy.

Lazy, cloudy Sunday

It is about 8:50 in the morning on Sunday, January 27th. Eddie is eating biscuits, sausage, and syrup (one of his favorite breakfasts). I already ate my breakfast, I had some canteloupe. We are watching The Food Network's Robin Miller. She is pretty good, but I still like Ellie Kreiger and Paula Deen better.

It is cloudy but not raining. It makes for a very sleepy, lazy morning. Later today Eddie and I will go to Marvin's and pick up some wire for him to wire the shop.

In a minute I am going to set Eddie up on Myspace. He asked for me to do it for him. I guess he is trying to keep up with me.

Yesterday I went looking for a candy apple red dress for my daughters wedding. Needless to say, I was unable to find one in the right shade, the right size, that looked good. I have to keep looking, but I don't have long to look.

This airplane is a British SE-5 WWI Fighter (miniature) my husband hand-crafted

This airplane has a five inch wingspan and is made out of carved bass wood. It is not finished, he still has to paint it, but I am amazed at how real it looks.

Clocks my husband made

Notice he had not put the hands on the Auburn clock yet. Also, on the Auburn clock he used the reverse (the Eagle side) of quarters for the numerals and Alabama state quarters on the Alabama clock. The wood he used is 100 year old heart pine.


On the Remington clock he used 12 gauge shell heads for the numerals.


A friend of his told him he could probably sell them for $ 35 each. It would be nice if he could.

My birthday

My momma sent me a birthday card. Isn't the rainbow beautiful?

Shannon called early to wish me a Happy Birthday!

Eddie gave me a watch for my birthday and took me to Captain D's.


I have had a wonderful 51st birthday.

Ramblings on Tuesday, January 15th, 2008

A week before my birthday and as I go rummaging through the house there is not a present in sight. I know that there is one somewhere because my dear hubby told me he had already gotten it. So, oh, what could it be? I haven't given him any hints, therefore, it is something he thought that I would like. Sometimes that can be a good thing, because he does surprise me with wonderful, thoughtful gifts. The man is a treasure, at least he is to me. When I say that sometimes my daughter gets irritated thinking that I am trying to say he is perfect and does no wrong. I have tried to tell her that is not the case, but because I love him so much I overlook his little faults. I couldn't do that with her dad, so I guess that means I didn't love him so much, right? I thought I did a long time ago, but it faded away with all the bad things he did. But back to Eddie...he is truthful/honest, sincere, and loving. (He also kisses good, even though you who read my blogs, probably don't want to hear all that mushy-gushy, lovey-dovey stuff, but it is getting close to Valentine's, so deal with it.) I just keep wondering what he got me or made me for my birthday. I guess I will have to wait until next week. One good thing about my birthday being in the third week of January, being a fed govt employee I always get a holiday about the same time as my birthday (MLK, Jr. day). This year my birthday is on Tuesday, the 22nd, the day after the holiday. I would like to go to Red Lobster for my birthday, but I can't eat that much so what's the point. Since my surgery it seems I have been wanting more shrimp and I would love to eat an orange, but the nutritionist said I can't have pulp. My body must be needing the extra vitamins. I drink a lot of water, but probably not enough. In a little over two months, I have lost 40+ pounds and I hope to continue losing. I have a bet with my daughter that I can lose enough weight to get thinner than her, but that includes the subsequent extra skin removal surgery too. She doesn't believe I can do it. I do!

Walking

I started walking on Sunday, Jan. 6th. I walked one mile on Sunday. I walked one and one-half miles on Monday. I walked two miles on Tuesday. I walked two miles today (Wednesday, 9th). I hope to continue this streak. I need to exercise daily anyway. There is this park with a one-fourth mile track in the little community near me and I drive down there early in the morning and walk. Yesterday was the only day there was other people there so far. The two ladies walking yesterday lapped me, but I don't care. They were a lot skinnier (not carrying around as much baggage) and they probably have been walking for much longer than me. I will just have to work up to my natural potential, but I think two miles a day is great. I am having a little bit of shin pain, but I read on the internet what kind of exercises to do to help with that. One mile is approximately 2000 steps. With moderate walking you can walk a mile in about 15 minutes. I have been walking the two miles in 30 minutes. So in essence I burn about 280 calories or so. Considering I am eating less than 1000 calories a day right now this exercise should help me lose weight even faster. My daughter was worried I was going to be too tired to walk, but I actually feel good except for the shin pain (and I read that would eventually go away). I am pleased with myself at the moment. Since November 16th, I have lost 38 pounds.

I have to apologize...

No one stole my camera.

I have a hole on the inside of my purse (I need a new purse) and the camera fell into the hole. I called myself feeling around down in my purse to see if I felt the camera. I guess I didn't do a very good job of it. Now I feel ashamed for thinking someone stole it, but I am so happy that it was not.

I have all my Christmas pictures back and some other pics as well. I am happy for small miracles. It could have easily been taken out of my truck or purse.

Eddie says I shouldn't carry the camera around with me, but then how else would I get the pics that I do.

Sorry for the bad thoughts I had about the guy at the car dealership and my co-worker. For shame, for shame.

I am without camera!

Someone stole my digital camera. I had not downloaded all the Christmas pics to the computer and various other pics that I wish I had. Now I feel as if part of my life has been stripped away from me. It either happened at the car dealership when I was having my oil changed or someone stole it from my purse at work. I would rather believe it was at the car dealership, but some things have gone missing at work that make me think that the heist could have actually been perpetrated in my office when I stepped out to go to the bathroom, etc. Isn't that awful to speculate that a co-worker could have been so brazen as to have stolen something from me right from under my nose? I hate to think that, but as I said already, it has happened before in our office and I was warned about leaving my purse out in the open.

I was wanting a new camera, but not like this. Plus we don't have the money to spend on a camera right now. I am truly out of sorts about this. It has caused me to have a very bad day.