So much to be thankful for...

I really truly have so much to be thankful for this year.  F and I have good jobs and are weathering the financial downturn.  C is a healthy, happy, beautiful, athletic, and intelligent girl who is growing up so fast it scares me.  I am most thankful that she is healthy though, I pray for anyone that today is stuggling with a sick child.  I know that C getting very sick is my worst nightmare.  I am thankful for F, he keeps me sane and loves me for me and that seems so rare these days.  I am thankful for my friends near and far. I miss my friends in Virginia and Michigan a lot, but they are still in my heart.  They support me and lift me up when I am down on myself.  So thank you M, K, C, L, P, S, H and  ok I would have to list almost the whole alphabet twice to cover every one....You now who you and that I MISS YOU!!!! I am thankful that I have such a great extended family including my brother, my father, my wonderful in-laws, my nieces and nephews including the one that is one the way, all of my uncles and aunts and cousins, and my two beautiful grandmothers. I wish we lived closer to each other so we could see each other more often, but whether near or far you are in my heart and my life would not be the same with out you!!!

Most of all, I am thankful that I come into this Thanksgiving a healthier me.  A year ago I was so far from healthy that it is scary.  I was still over 400 pounds and life was a struggle.  This year I am 174 pounds lighter and have a new attitude!  I am thankful for yoga and the change that brought to my life both inside and out. So thank you Namaste Yoga, I owe you my life, you and your instructors help me every day to achieve new goals and find my center!!   I am thankful that I am healthy enough to train for a 5K mud run!!! 

This holiday used to be about eating until my stomach was so full it hurt and then waiting an hour and eating more.  Now this holiday is about looking around my world and realizing that food is about fueling my body not about filling a hole in my soul!!  I will have some turkey and some side dishes, but I will be feeding my body and then I plan on taking a run/power walk. 

I am thankful for this blog and everyone that reads it.  This blog have given me a forum to express those feelings that tore at my soul and led to bad habits.  Your comments mean so much to me.  I pray that maybe some one who is as overweight as I was reads this blog and realizes that if Crystal Can Do It, then so can they!!  It is possible! You can do it too.  I am not a super woman, just a motivated one. 

So Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends and family!!

Take care and talk to you later!!!

Just the stats Maam...

I feel the need to share the non scale stats that show my accomplishments in losing weight over the last year....I started out a Size 28 almost sizing out of the Plus Size store....Now I am a Size 16 on the bottom and a size 10/12 on the top.  I was a 48DDD, I am now a 38 C/D depending on the bra.  I used to be able to only shop at plus size stores like Lane Bryant.  Now I can shop basically anywhere.  I put on a size L dress at Express today and was rocking it...

I used to get exhausted walking up the stairs or  the around the block.  My feet would hurt after walking short distances no matter what shoes I wore.  I can now tackle the mall in a pair of high heeled boots and feel confident doing it.  I have picked a 5K to run and am excited and nervous about doing it.

I have about 50 pounds left to lose but right now I am looking at it as the last 10 miles of a marathon. I just have to keep preservering.  I want to cross the finish line....but really the finish line in this race is just the beginning. 

Talk to you later....take care!!!

The rumor around the neighborhood is that my husband is having an affair

The rumor around the neighborhood is that my husband is having an affair.  I found this out today from my across the street neighbor.   I was outside when my neighbor across the street drove by and being friendly I waved at her.  A couple of minutes later, she came across the street and asked if that was me.  She said I did not even look like myself anymore.  I laughed and thanked her for the compliment and that is when she broke the news about the affair.  She said that a couple of weeks ago they saw me out and she told her husband, "I think that F's wife has lost alot of weight" His response, "no way is that her, I think that is a new woman in his life that is staying with him.  I have not seen his wife in awhile."  LOL I am sure that rumor spread like wildfire, so I am sure some people in the neighborhood think that my husband dumped me and found this hot chic to take my place....Too funny....

I had a Kashi bar for breakfast and Fiber one bar for lunch with a tomato and avocado for lunch and dinner was chicken and veggies...same old life.

So if you see my husband out with this hot chic do not assume he is having an affair come up and say hi and you will see that while the outside is actively changing the sweet person inside is still  me...

Take care adn talk to you later.

Should I be happier because I am thinner?

Someone asked me if I was happier now that I am thinner??  I pondered this question long after it was asked...sure I am more comfortable in my own skin, more confident, and feeling sexier overall, but am I happier?  Should my happiness be tied to my weight?  I would like to think that I was always a happy person in general, but I have to admit maybe I was not.  Sure I put in the happy mask, afraid to show that I was unhappy, but now I do not need that mask because I am generally happy. 

I had a good food day.  I had a cranberry oat bran Vitatop muffin for breakfast.  Lunch was a grapes, a tomato, and another muffin.  Yes those muffins are really good!!  Dinner was chicken and veggies. 

I went to a yoga class today and I love how strong I feel and how much my yoga experience has changed since I started.  When I started I could not get in a Half bow and now I can do a full bow. I can flow from pose to pose easier as well.  I love feeling like my body is strong.  I really wish I had a training partner/teammate for my planned Dirty Girl 5K...I can do this though whether it is by myself or if I find a partner.  I have a couple more people to ask so we will see how it goes. 

I am so glad that I found the time to blog tonight/early morning.  I am serious about recomitting myself to my blog.  I miss it when I can not do it.  Besides the holidays are coming and I want to have an outlet for my holiday stress that does not involve sugar and fat.

Talk to you later...and take care.

Time to catch up...I was banned from the biggest loser contest

So life has been so crazy between work and Mommy duties that blogging has not been possible.  I am not letting that happen anymore my blog is too important.   I just spent a week on site at my job at another go-live with food being provided but I made it through it.  Since the last time I blogged, I have lost another 8 pounds and my total is now 174 pounds lost.  It has been a year since I started this journey to the new me and every day I am amazed by how much I have changed from the person I used to be a year ago.  I now walk with confidence and pride.  I can walk anywhere with out feeling tired or wiped out.  I no longer have to see my pulmonologist, because while I still have asthma but with the weight gone I can management it much better. 

Some people I know are doing a Biggest Loser contest each chipping in 25 dollars and then whoever loses the largest percentage of of weight loss wins the money.  They told me about the contest, but said I was not allowed to participate because "you would so win"...LOL  I told them then I get to be Gillian Michaels. 

I have started wearing makeup again!!  For the longest time, I did not feel beautiful, so I felt ike makeup was wasted on me.  Not anymore!!  I make a point of making sure that I look my best whether it is hanging at home or going out.  

I have picked my 5K.....I am planning on running the "Dirty Girl".   It is a Mud run with obstacles, not sure it is the best choice but it sounds like fun and I thought that if I am going to run and sweat, I might as well get muddy too.....

Food today was good.  I had a Vitatop Muffin, a tomoato and grapes for breakfast.  Lunch was an avocado and Kashi Bar.  I had teriakyi chicken for dinner. 

Ok I promise I will blog more tomorrow. 

Talk to you later.

Sorry my work life took over my personal life this week...

I hate when I can not blog because I feel like blogging strengthens me, but this week my work took over my personal life.  The affects were vry far reaching, like having to miss my yoga class on thursday as well as C not getting to go to dance class because I was testing a build that needed to go to production on friday and I was working steadily from 8 am to 1 am....that is a long day!!  I had planned to take C to dance class, but just as w were supposed to leave we had an issue.  C could tell I was struggling and said "Mom, it is ok I can miss dance class, I know you have to work"  It broke my heart but I love that she cares about me.   I try never to miss her activities, but really this was a particulary bad day.  Friday was just as bad, but I still managed to take her to Soccer practice, though instead of me walking during practice, I was in the car working!!  It was crazy.  On top of all of that my car had the check engine light come on.  I took it to the dealership and of course that is never a small bill.  I am renting a car whil my car is in the shop.  I took it in on Wednesday and and it Sunday morning and I am still driving a rental car!!!  My car won't be done until next week! 

So what I am most proud of this week, that with all of this stress and craziness, I did not try to deal with it by eating unhealthy food.  I did not eat bag of potato chips or crave chocolate.  I just dealt with it in the moment.  I only lost 1/2 a pound this week, but I did not get to exercise and bot of these are part of the weight loss solution for me. 

I won't get to do Yoga this sunday, because C is turning 9.  OMG, the time has just flown by!!! She is having a spa party with 10 of bestest friends.  It is going to be so much fun watching these young ladies get manicures, pedicures and yogurt facials!! 

Wll it is really early in the morning and I have not really slept yet!!!  So much to do so little time!!

Talk to you later.  Take care!!!

Plateau Shmateau...

That is right I am mocking the the plateau....I lost 2 1/2 pound this and bringing the total weight lost to 166.5  pounds.  I thinking all my Sweating to the Oldies helped so I will definitely keep that is my LA regimen.  I am going to continue the Green Coffee Extract as well, since I am not seeing any negative side effects.

While I am home, I am going to continue my Yoga classes and add the wlking during soccer practice. 

I think now it is all about incresing the physical activity. 

Well I am exhausted now!! I got in late last night and then had to deal with my bag being damaged and did not get home until well after 1:00am ....  I could not sleep and then had to keep my energy up for 2 back to back soccer games.  Poor C, she is getting frustrated out there which makes me worry. I do not want her to lose her passion for soccer.  The physical exercise that she gets is important for her to keep in her life.  I wish I had been as physically active as her.

Ok have a great Saturday!!!  Talk to you later...