First day back

This afternoon was my first day back at the gym. I was excited all day. I just kept thinking...only this many hours and I can go sweat... I am such a dork! I also wanted to look my best. Usually when I go to the gym I could give a shit, but today I wanted to look good. Like it was my "Gym Coming Out Party", ya know? So I wore my favorite capri's from Kohl's and my razor back sleeveless shirt from Old Navy. I have never worn a sleeveless shirt to the gym before, it was saying, "hey, look at these arms baby! I also wore my new lightning Bondi Band and my new running shoes. I felt like a million bucks!

My workout consisted of 45 minutes on the elliptical, 30 minutes of weights, and a 5 minute run on the treadmill. I wanted to do more, but I haven't been to the gym in SIX weeks! I have to give myself a few days to get acclimated again. If I push it too hard, my back will start yelling at me and I won't be able to walk! I have to take it slow. I definitely could have run longer, but again, I want to pace myself. 
I cannot begin to express how great I feel being able to be in the gym. Over the past few years, the gym has been the place where I feel most comfortable. Well, my bed and the gym... anyway. I love it there. I especially love my gym. It's so small, but I pretty much know everyone, maybe not by name, but I know their faces. It's just a comfortable place to be. 
So the workout wasn't too bad. I had a few small issues with my arms.
1- my arms don't stretch like they should. What I mean is, well, where my scars are, are still pretty tight. I have to stretch the skin in those areas. It's like fresh skin that's not been moved... it's weird. It's sucks and it hurts, but the doc says it's normal.
2. The scars go into my arms pit and get rubbed by my sport bras. Yes, bras. I have big ta-tas and have to wear two. My armpits are the two places where the healing has taken a little longer. It makes sense though... the place where I had the drains, it doesn't see that much air. 


Anyway, I'm feeling great and cannot wait until I drop these last 30 pounds! OMG I am going to look amazing!


=)

A week of visiting old friends

I hope you all had a restful Fourth of July weekend. Mine started off very busy, but ended very relaxing. Late Tuesday night I decided that in the morning I would drive to Jefferson City, Missouri to visit Monica. I hadn't seen her is almost two years, so I decided Wednesday was a good day. The problem was that I had a previous engagement for Thursday evening (I will discuss later) that I could not cancel. So yes, I drove all the way to Jeff City to visit Monica. I was there for only 20 hours. It was worth it though. I really miss Monica. We met back in college when were both 19. 

Here we are hanging out in one of our dorm rooms.

 When we first met I could not stand this girl. Monica was hanging out with another girl from my dorm house in the common room. I walked in the front door and they both started laughing. Of course being the self-conscious girl that I was, I assumed they were laughing at me. Later that year, right before Christmas, I was walking around campus with a video camera and BOOM, Monica was with me and were were friends. I don't know how it happened, but I try not to question fate. We have been the best of friends since that day.


Because she lives to freakin far away, I will take 20 hours over nothing! Here are some pics from the adventure.

Monica and her bf Jeremy

Monica and Miss Slouchie Sloucherson

Monica allowing her niece to do her hair.

We met up with her brother and his family, and then her other brother and his gf showed up too. It was a lot of fun. I simply didn't get enough Monica time and will need to get back to see her soon.


I drive home Thursday morning because of the previous engagement I mentioned earlier. A few weeks ago after having lunch with Liz, my old friend friend Annette from high school mentioned (via facebook) that she, her twin sister Noelle, Liz, and I should get together for a meal. We decided to do it on Thursday evening. I just couldn't back out! I didn't take any pictures, but it was great fun! I haven't seen Annette and Noelle since our ten year high school reunion in 2008. 

That's Noelle on the far left, Liz, Annette, and me. As you can see I was very large here. This is probably at my highest weight. That dress was a size 24 or size 26. I cannot remember, or I guess I don't want to remember! Both Annette and Noelle were pregnant at this time. 
We have already decided to hang out again soon and I will take pictures. It's cool because both Annette and Noelle are married to guys that we went to high school with. I was really good friends with Noelle's husband Kevin, so it will be cool to get to hang out with him too.


The rest of the weekend was pretty low key. I have been planning out my meals for the week, but I blew that out the window today because I just ate half a watermelon. I guess portion control is going to be a serious issue with me. I have to be careful. I refuse to allow myself to look like the girl in the above the picture. I may have been smiling, but don't let it fool you, I was so upset that I had to go to my reunion looking like that. You know, you try and do your hair and make-up to look good, but you put on that large of a dress and nothing else seems to matter. 

This was me in the car on the way to the reunion four years ago. I have to be completely honest, right now I am looking at this picture and tears are welling up in my eyes. How the hell did I let myself get to that point? I have no answer. Nothing. 


ANYWAY! 


I was looking through some pictures on my computer and came across a picture from last Fourth of July. I was maybe 25 or 30 pounds heavier than I am today. I thought I looked so good! Ha!

2011...........................................2012                 

Hopefully next year I will have lost this last 30 pounds and will have another side-by-side of these pictures with one more! Let's make a pact, you out in the blog world, and me, Amanda: I will lose this last 30 pounds and I WILL post another picture! It's a deal.


=)