Days 573-575 - One Legged Workout and Foodie PenPal Reveal

Happy Friday!!!  Today has been a great day so far.  I had another post-op visit this morning and he removed my cast and I got to see my incision for the first time:

He removed the staples and put on a new beautiful purple cast:

Two more weeks in this cast and then a boot cast for 4 weeks.  Then my son and I headed to Subway for lunch.  He has decided to do Weight Watchers and work out with me this summer.  I am so happy!!! I got my favorite double chopped chicken salad loaded with all the veggies, avocado, and red wine vinegar.  A HUGE salad for only 6 points+.  I was so sad that I could not even finish it and had to throw some away!

Then we headed to the gym where my son signed up for the summer!!  YAY!!!!!!

I had a training session today for the first time since my surgery.  I did manage to warm-up on the bike for 10 minutes (1.2 miles)  And then here was my circuit for today:

May not seem like much, but balancing on one leg and trying the above was quite a workout!  It felt so good to get back to the gym!!!  Here is our post-workout selfie he HAD to take in the mirror! (Ignore my shorts riding up)

Then a trip to Starbucks for an iced skinny vanilla latte (3 points+)

It was a good day around here!  Hope you all had a good day too.  And now for my foodie pen pal reveal.

I tried the Bombay Potatoes over some brown rice and OH MY was it delicious!  Hubby really liked the Chana Choor.  Haven't tried the Spinach Dal yet!

I ate these bottom two bars already and they were YUMMY!  Have not had a chance to try anything else.  This was an AWESOME package!!!

Here’s some details about FPP in case you want to join in:

-On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.

-You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal! 

-The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. 

-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. 

-Foodie Penpals is open to US, Canadian & European residents.  Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. Same with Europeans.  

Click here to go to the site.

Sorry for the lengthiness today!  Sending you all love and healthy wishes!

Keep Losing,
Kari

Days 568-572 - Transformation Tuesday and Weekend Recap

I can't believe it is Tuesday already.  My kiddos last day of school is Thursday.  I am ready to have them home for the summer.  I had an AMAZING weekend.  I unplugged from social media and it was so nice and relaxing to just spend time in the moment with my family.  Here are a few pics to sum up my weekend:

Friday night I got to hold my baby kitty again.  I cannot wait until he is old enough to stay with me all the time!!!  We spent the night just relaxing at home!

Saturday night we got out in the convertible and enjoyed the BEAUTIFUL weather.  We had dinner at Outback!

Some of our friends were camping at the lake, so we decided to go down there after dinner.  I walked/rolled as far as I could, but I still enjoyed watching the sunset and watching them all fish!

Sunday we took the convertible out again and went to Red Lobster.  I tried this dish and oh my goodness was it delicious.  I was just sad that I couldn't eat it all :(

Monday we relaxed around the house and hubby grilled for us.  I did manage to clean most of my kitchen up.  With me being immobile and having two boys and a husband it was pretty gross.

Needless to say that today I am EXHAUSTED AND SORE.  I am trying to not take any pain meds and I can definitely tell. Today I am relaxing in my chair and binging on Lost.  What a crazy show!

And now for this week's Transformation Tuesday story from Angie at Fat an Flab 2 Fit an Fantab : My Journey to a New ME.

Hi, I would love to share my story with you and all of your followers. I am 38 years old and a mother of 4 children ranging from 20-11 years old. I work full time and these kids of mine keep me pretty busy, so just like most people I used that as excuses for not having the time to take care of myself. In November of 2011 my mother who was only 56 years old lost her left leg due to Diabetes and circulation issues. Her health has been one horror story after another before and since then. At the time she lost her leg I basically became her sole caretaker in the beginning until all the medical care and therapy, doctors’ appointments and other newly failing health issues we had to place her in a retirement home so that someone could be with her 24/7.. At 56 years old… for the next few weeks I would look in the mirror and cry I didn’t want to burden my children to have to care for me in that capacity, missing time with their own families and creating memories to have to care for me because I made the CHOICE NOT TO care for myself. On Christmas Day we always take family pictures me, my kids, my mom, and my husband and my oldest child made a comment that she had never seen me so big, my heart sank.. and I started the very next day changing my life, I walked into a WW meeting ( like I had done so many times before, that they always remember me) I stepped on that scale and was pushing 270 pounds I almost died right there… I used their plan for about 8 months losing the first 46 pounds of my journey … with the WW points system and exercising… then I switched my system to using My Fitness Pal and my daily workouts I have since lost another 50 pounds total time on my journey has been 28 ½ months…. I have not made drastic changes like cutting out certain food groups, I try to avoid FAST FOOD DRIVE THRUS, I enjoy the dinners out with my family, at real restaurants, I enjoy the baked sweets which was once my weakness…. I enjoy these things in MODERATION, I learned to move more, that my body could do things that I never would have imagined because I was too busy making excuses as to why I couldn’t. My life is different because I look good, feel good inside and out, I don’t beat myself up or feel like a failure when I slip up… I am proud to say that now I enjoy life and living it instead of just being here and existing in it. My advice for new people following this journey or even those recommitting is to start small, you don’t have to change everything in one day, don’t start something you know you can’t do for the rest of your life, take time to focus on you (it’s OK to be selfish, to exercise, meal prep, just to work on the mental side, a very hard thing to do especially those with families at home) if you don’t do this one day you not be here to enjoy the good times and memories that are going to be made. And most important if you fall off the wagon, don’t beat yourself up take the time you need then get up dust yourself off and get back on.. It’s a LIFESTYLE CHANGE … lose the DIET MENTALITY.

What an AMAZING story.  I really have nothing to add.  She said it all here.  Thank you so much for sharing with us!  You can follow her on Facebook for even more inspiration at https://www.facebook.com/AngiesFatnflab2FitnfantabMyWeightlossJourney.

If you would like a chance to tell your story, click here to fill out the form.  I LOVE seeing all of the inspiration and we have to lift each other up! We are all in this together!

Sorry for the lengthiness today! Sending you all love and healthy wishes!!

Keep Losing,
Kari

Day 567 - Thursday Weigh-In - I QUIT!

Now, don't panic.  I am not quitting Weight Watchers, I am not quitting this journey.  But I am quitting this roller coaster of crap I have been on lately.  I have not lost any weight since the new year started.  Just up and down and up and down.  I have been eating "okay", but it could be better.  I am moving a lot more, but moving is only a part of this journey.  And now with this stupid foot surgery, I am forced to slow down again.  I kind of feel like I have just wasted the last 5 months "pretending" to do Weight Watchers, but I have to remind myself that this is a JOURNEY and it will never be over.  So I crawled out of my house (literally) and went to my weigh-in today expecting a gain.

And here are the results after missing 3 weigh-ins, a poop crisis, and a surgery:

I am up 7 pounds.  Now I know the cast might weigh a pound.  But I quit here.  I am not analyzing it, excusing it, or fretting about it.  Like I said at my meeting "IT IS WHAT IT IS".  I cannot change it, I can only move forward.  I started this blog to illustrate my weight loss, but I have not not lost in almost 5 months.  But I hope you learn from me to NEVER QUIT, NEVER RELY ON A NUMBER, NEVER COMPARE YOUR JOURNEY TO SOMEONE ELSE'S.  Some people have quit following me, so I thank those of you that are sticking by me.  I am really going to focus this week and try to get back on track.  I am quitting with the excuses, the little things that are holding me back.  I am doing this for me.  New week, new possibilities!

In other news, I am sore from head to toe today from my graceful fall in front of everyone and their mother at WalMart yesterday.  I have bruises everywhere, skinned up toes, and sore arms, shoulders, and wrists.  Honestly after getting out today for Weight Watchers, I am simply exhausted.  I think I will put on my tiara tonight and let the men treat me like a princess for the rest of the night along with a dose of pain meds!  

Tomorrow is my first post-op appointment with my surgeon.  We will see how that goes.  I am hoping if he takes the case on, I can pick a color for the new one.  Now to decide between yellow, pink, or purple!  Tough decisions in my future!

That is it for today.  Sending you all love and healthy wishes!

Keep Losing,

Kari

Day 566 - Jesus can take Crap and make it Smell GOOD!

Today started off as "ONE OF THOSE DAYS"  This was totally not what I was going to blog about today, but I need to express these feelings. 

#1  I woke up this morning with an upset tummy. (Probably from the half of the hot fudge sundae I indulged in last night) Do you know how hard it is to get into the bathroom quickly on one leg?  NOT FUN!

#2 I have been HOT all day and just not feeling my best.  I haven't even taken any pain meds and all I want to do is sleep today.

#3  I tried to fight the urge to go back to bed by cleaning my kitchen, and I slashed open my finger on my chopper blade.  And I am talking blood EVERYWHERE, all down my clothes, all over my iPad (which was in my scooter basket).  Took me forever to get a napkin on the other side of the kitchen.  It is still throbbing and hurting.  At this point I gave up and went to lay down in bed.  Laying there feeling sorry for myself, I decided I needed to get up, get dressed, and get out of the house.  So I did.  I managed to crawl down the steps, make it to my car, load my scooter, use my crutches to get into the driver's seat and drive to the office to see my hubby.  He was ready to run some errands so I went with him!

#4 Made it through Lowe's just fine with my scooter and was feeling confident.  Next we headed to WalMart where disaster struck.  We were walking in the parking lot and I was rolling away when I hit a bump and went flying face first over my scooter and landed on the ground.  First off I was embarrassed as ever.  Everyone was watching me and I was trying hard not to cry.  Hubby was trying to help me get up, but I just couldn't get up without putting any weight on my bad leg.  Some stranger pulled his truck over and he kindly helped hubby heft this 300 pound woman off of the ground.  I scraped up my knees, toes, and hands pretty good, but I continued into WalMart and rolled around in pain fighting back tears.  And I bent the basket on my scooter.  When we got back into the car, I cried and cried and cried.  I am still kinda teary now.  I thought I was doing so good.

So I was feeling pretty crappy about my day.  Hubby was super kind and got me a Starbucks (which always makes everything better)  I even loved the little message on my cup wrap:

So what is the point of sharing all of this with the social media world?  Well, I posted about this on my Facebook page and one AMAZING person commented with this:

BUT, you got back up We all need help sometimes, take another approach to how you look at the situation, see it as a remind of your daily struggles and how you are pushing through them Glad you are ok!

This comment really got me to thinking about life and everything we go through.  It is a reminder that I cannot do everything by myself.  I do need help.  Sometimes it is the help of a stranger at WalMart and mostly it is God;s help to face everyday life.  We ALL fall, literally or figuratively.  What matters is that we get back up again.  Whether this is with weight loss or any other struggle or just physically falling down.  I really think I was being taught a lesson today: STOP RELYING ON YOU, AND REMEMBER ME, THE ONE WHO CREATED YOU!. Message well received even though it took some skinned up knees and toes and a sore shoulder to get the message.  

Reminds me of this song:

Now a year and a half ago, this would be cause for some major binge eating.  Food would soothe my bad day (granted only for about 5 minutes and then I would feel worse).  But today, that urge came and then it went away.  I had this blog to come to and express how I feel and work through those emotions.  I know God is the only thing that will make my crappy day better because He loves me no matter how bad my days are!

So back to the title of this post, Jesus took what started off as a crappy day and made it smell GOOD by turning into a reminder that I need HIM even when I think I can do it alone!

My hair is a mess, my eyes are red from crying, BUT I am smiling because because there is joy in all things and I will boast in the Lord my God!

Sending you all love and healthy wishes!

Keep Losing,

Kari

Day 565 - Transformation Tuesday - Meet Marylynn

I have another AMAZING story for you today!  Today meet Marylynn!!

Tell us a little about yourself:
I am a working wife and mother of two teenage boys who are very active in Football. I love watching them play and being one of their biggest fans!! I treasure every moment that we get to spend together as a family!!

Starting Weight:

235

Current Weight:

175

What made you decide to live a healthier lifestyle?

I typically am the person who would never be in pictures or was never in a situation where I had to be in pictures, and then it happened. In April of 2013 we had a birthday party for my boys and one of my friends took my picture and posted it on Facebook. I was tagged in it and was horrified, all I could do was cry. I kept saying to myself I can't really look like that, and then it was how did I allow myself to look like that. When I looked in the mirror she wasn't who I saw and my husband was always telling me how great I looked so I just didn't realize my size. Back then I was devastated about that picture but now I am forever grateful. That was the reality check I so desperately needed.

What changes have you made?

I started going to the gym every morning before work no matter what. Which is five days a week. I also cut out all sodas and drink water all day long. I used My Fitness Pal to track my calories and predominantly stay at or around 1500 which is what it recommends for my weight loss. I also in trying to have my whole family eat healthy utilize my weight watchers cookbook and make my family dinners from it.

How is your life different now?
I for the first time in years am taking care of myself. I have started getting my hair and nails done. It feels good to invest in myself and take pride in my appearance. I have alot more energy and I absolutely love going to the gym. That's my me time and I embrace it.

What do you do for physical activity?

I workout at the gym, I am getting into more of the weight training but still get in at least two days of intense cardio a week.

What is your favorite healthy food or meal?

My favorite is spinach salad with strawberries and light Greek yogurt. To me its like having dessert for dinner.

Any advice for others on their own journey?

Don't get discouraged, for the last two months the scale has only changed three pounds for me but I know my body is changing. I only weigh myself once a month and I don't let that number define me or discourage me. Know one sees the scale but me, others only see how I look in my clothes and not what size they are either.

Marylynn, I cannot thank you enough for sharing your story with us.  I LOVE what you say about the scale.  I think so many of us get wrapped up in what the number says and we forget all of the other amazing things that are happening to our bodies.  And what an example you are setting for your boys!!

If you would like a chance to tell your story, click here to fill out the form.  I LOVE seeing all of the inspiration and we have to lift each other up! We are all in this together!

In case you missed yesterday's post, I am coordinating a new program called Weight Watcher's Cheer Buddies.  For more information click here!  Check it out!

Sending you all love and healthy wishes!

Keep Losing,

Kari

Day 564 - Weight Watcher's Cheer Buddies - PLEASE READ

I would love to start a Weight Watcher themed version of the Foodie Pen Pal program I have been doing. We are all together on this journey and we need to encourage each other and lift each other up! And let's face it, who doesn't like receiving packages in the mail.  This is open to anyone in the US who is using the Weight Watchers program.  Here are the guidelines:

1. Every month you will be matched up with another Weight Watcher. Look for an email from me by the 5th of each month.
2. By the 15th of the month, you should send out your package. You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)
3. Spending limit of $15
4. Contact your buddy ASAP to get address and check for any dietary restrictions or food allergies.  Also notify your buddy when you ship out your package and when you receive the one they sent!

5.  Can be a mixture of food, fitness thingys, motivational goodies, etc. Anything to help our journey to becoming a better version of ourselves.
6. Include the point+ values for food items.
7. Include a handwritten note of encouragement and motivation.
8. If you blog, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, reveal the goodies you received on the last day of the month! Use the hashtag #wwcheerbuddies so we can all find your posts!

Weight Watcher's Cheer Buddy Sign Up Form

Sound like fun?
CLICK HERE TO FILL OUT THE FORM!
You must submit this form by 9pm EST on the 3rd of the month to be guaranteed a spot. If you fill it out between 9pm and 11:59pm EST, you may or may not be included depending on when I have time to start working on matchups. If you fill it out on the 4th of the month, you won’t be able to start until the next month.
***If you don’t hear from me within 48, please let me know through my contact page. If you submit your info via the form, you WILL get a response if I receive it. If you don’t get a response, please follow up as there may have been a technical glitch**

Weight Watcher's Cheer Buddies Terms & Conditions

“By signing up to participate in Weight Watcher's Cheer Buddies , you are hereby agreeing to the following terms and conditions:

-Condition 1: You will contact the person you are matched with within 72 hours of receiving your match to discuss dietary needs, allergies and food preferences.

-Condition 2: You will mail your box by the 15th of the month. It is HIGHLY recommended that you purchase delivery confirmation/get a tracking number for your package. It is very inexpensive and can be used to prove that you sent your package in the event that it gets lost.
If your match does not receive a package for the month, you will receive a warning. If it happens two months in a row, you will no longer be able to participate in the program

-Condition 3: In the event that you do not receive a package, I will not be held accountable. By agreeing to participate in Weight Watcher's Cheer Buddies, I cannot 100% guarantee that you will receive a package. The mail gets lost occasionally and your partner may fail to deliver.

-Condition 4: Using the Weight Watcher's Cheer Buddies email list to send out personal or spam emails promoting your blog, giveaways, etc is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Doing so is grounds for immediate dismissal from the program as it is a violation of the other participants’ privacy.

Failure to comply with these terms and conditions is grounds for dismissal from the Weight Watcher's Cheer Buddies Program.

I hope this is something you are interested in doing.  I am not sure how this will go so if I get at least 4 people interested, we will start in June!  Share this with all of your friends and family that are also doing Weight Watchers!

Sending you all love and healthy wishes!

Keep Losing,
Kari

Day 551 - Transformation Tuesday - Meet Ashlean's Journey to 199

Today, read a story about an amazing lady who decided to take control of her life!

I'm a twenty something girl from Vancouver Island in Canada. I've ALWAYS been a bigger girl my entire life. The day I decided to to live a healthier lifestyle was the day I went to meet with a gastric bypass doctor, I was so ashamed that Iet myself get to the point where I was actually considering such a serious surgery. I felt like I couldn't do it myself. The doctor came off kind of rude, and was telling me that if I just followed a balanced diet and exercised regularly, I would be melting the pounds off! And you know what? It really was that simple!

I cut out the carbonated drinks (keep it limited to once or twice a month for a treat) sweets, salty snacks (again, limited amounts!) And eat lean meats, vegetables, fruits and whole grains! I am trying to limit my wheat intake too! I go to the gym 5-6 days a week if I can & try to walk as much as possible

My life is different in that I feel good about myself after losing 80+ pounds, I smile more, my relationships are stronger and thrive and I'm not sore from walking or out of breath after two flights of stairs

My advice to anyone on their journey or looking of starting one is to take it one day at a time. It's a process and a life-long commitment.

You can follow her for more inspiration at  https://www.facebook.com/ashlean250.  Thank you for sharing your story with us!!!!

Today has been busy, busy, busy so this is all for today! Sending you all love and healthy wishes!!!

Keep Losing,

Kari

Days 561-563 - Sum it Up Sunday

Hi friends!  Hope you all have had an AMAZING weekend.  I am doing just fine.  Having some pain, but I am pushing through it.  I will admit that my eating has not been 100% this weekend, not horrible, but it could be better.  I am recommitting tomorrow to tracking EVERY bite!  I have been SO sleepy the past few days, I am sure it is from the pain medication.  I did get out of the house and to church this morning.  Felt so good to be around people who all care about me!  My boys and my sister are also doing an amazing job taking care of me.  My sister has been cooking for me and making sure I have everything I need.  My oldest even stayed home Friday to take care of me and baked me homemade banana nut bread!  I have managed to work out from my chair the past three days. Surgery will not be an excuse to quit for me!

Really want to thank everyone who has helped me whether physically or with thoughts and prayers.  It means a lot to me!!!  That is it for today! Sending you all love and healthy wishes!

Keep Losing,

Kari