Born this Way?

So this afternoon I walked into another teacher's classroom. She was having a serious talk with a student about homosexuality being a lifestyle choice, not something you are born with.

Okay, everyone is allowed to have their own opinions, but this just bothered me, A LOT! Why? Well, I guess because I completely and utterly disagree.

I was born straight. I have never been attracted to females; it's always been guys for me. In second grade my heart belonged to Joe Robinson. I guess my heart belonged to him for most of elementary school. There were others, but never a girl. I didn't choose that, I was born that way.

I just don't think being gay is a lifestyle decision one makes. AND To tell a student that! It blows my mind. I mean it just flippin blows my mind! What do you all think? Am I crazy for letting this bother me?

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In other news, I am feeling better. My cold is slowly but surely finding another victim to inhabit. Good luck to that person. I cannot wait to get back to the gym tomorrow! Yeah!

My Diet

I hate being sick. I have a cold, and it is kind of knocking me on my ass. It's a good thing I have a student teacher. I was able to call in and go back to bed without even thinking of lesson plans. It was quite nice. I didn't wake up again until someone texted me at 10:30. I could sleep more, but I want to be able to catch some zzz's tonight.

Over the past few months I have had many people question me about my diet. I usually skirt around the answer and say, "I'm seeing a nutritionist". That, my friends, is not the truth. It is partially the truth, but not the whole truth. So here is the truth.

Optifast. If you are old or watch any television at all, you will remember Oprah in the early 80's. She was large and in charge.

Then one fall morning she showed up on national television SUPER SKINNY!



Look! Isn't she fabulous? (that was for Matt!)

Ok, so we all know that she gained all the weight back plus some. After this nationally televised disaster of their product, Optifast changed the program. There is still so much negativity towards this program, that is why I usually skirt around how I am losing weight. Fifty persent of the people that try the Optifast program gain back their weight. when people hear that they go bonkers. FIFTY PERCENT! But when you think about it, that's pretty much all diets. I figured what the hell? I'm fat, this can't hurt. So I called the Center for Health and Nutrition and made an appointment.

The day of my first appointment came. I was very nervous. The nurses weighed me in, took measurements, did a heart scan of some sort, and then I met with Elizabeth. She calmed my nerves right away.

She is the registered dietitian at the Center. She explained the program to me. Here it is.

800 calories a day.

Two shakes

Two bars

One soup

That's it. Seriously, that's it.

I can't even imagine what my face looked like. Two shakes, two bars, and one soup. That can't possibily be it.

Then I met with the Doctor.

What a nice man Dr. Auriemma turned out to be. He's pretty good looking, so that doesn't hurt either.

Dr. Tony continued to explain the program to me. As well as eating the 800 calories a day, I have to drink at least 64 ounces of water, and excerise. Oh yeah, there's the weekly "re-programming" class. They are classes to help you realize how you have gotten so fat. Okay, they don't say it like that, but basically, that's it.

I signed-up and began a few days later. I did have a last meal the night before. In true fat girl style I ordered the best Pad Thai (large, meant for two people) and a large Blizzard from Dairy Queen.

The first week was the hardest. I cried a few times, but I stuck to it. I went to the doctor and discovered that I lost 9 pounds. 9 pounds in one week is really good. I didn't excerise at all, but I still was able to do it. After the first week the plan became easier. I did very well, and after 22 weeks I had lost 54 pounds. I was very happy. I still am happy and that is why I am back on the full fast. I need/want to lose 50+ more. I know I can do it. When I start doubting myself all I have to look at old pictures and i know I am doing the right thing for me.





The First Entry

Left 2009/Right 2011

So... Here it goes. This is my very first entry in my brand new blog. I started this with inspiration from a blogger I "met" on Pintrest. Here is her blog. She is quite funny and very inspiring to a woman like me.

So here's my story; my weightloss (so far) story.

This is a picture of me from April of 2009. I believe it was April 1st. It was taken at the lunch after my grandfather's funeral. I remember being sad and happy that day. So sad that my Pa was gone, but so happy to be with my whole family. They are so funny and so kind loud. That morning when I woke up I couldn't find anything I wanted to wear. I was so uncomfortable in everything. My size 26 pants were getting too tight and my 3X shirt was showing my arm fat.

For those of you that don't understand woman's sizes, size 26 is REALLY large! It's the biggest size a woman can buy in a store.

ANYWAY....

I guess I can say that my life didn't change until I actually saw the picture from this day. It was on my camera. I uploaded it. I stared at it. I cried and cried and cried. I couldn't believe the state I let myself get to. It was just a sad moment in my life. Probably the saddest.

It took me a little over a month, but I joined a gym on May 6, 2009. I also began seeing a weightloss doctor. By the time school started again in August, I had lost 35 pounds. By Christmas I lost 25 more. I was feeling great. I began dating and met the guy I thought I would marry. Dave. I pretty much fell madly in love with him withn two weeks of meeting him.

We started going out to eat A LOT and I evenually gained back 40 pounds of what I had lost.

I was pretty unhappy with myself. I worked my ass off for those pounds, and then I gained them back within 10 months. There were other complications that helped with my weight gain. I hurt my back pretty badly and couldn't workout. It's nothing more than an excuse, but it's what happened.

So, last April, I decided to get some help from a REAL weightloss doctor, not just a guy who hands out pills from a make shift office. I began the Optifast program through The Center of Health and Nutrition. Since starting the program I have lost 60+ pounds. Well actually I lost 300+ pounds...

I broke up with Dave in August. It was the absolute hardest thing I have ever done in my entire life. It took me many many months, but I finally feel free of the pain I was in over the loss of my relationship.

So here I am today, 90 pounds lighter and happy, but looking for someone to share this life with. This is what my blog is going to be about.

Working out

Dating

Friends

Food

Love

Life

Crafting

and a little bit of reality tv!