16 week challege - Week 1 Day 1

The hubs and I watched a very interesting show called Fat Chef. I was already kinda insulted by the shows name, but decided to watch it anyway. I like to stay away from the term "fat". It is so negative. I think that people are beautiful in every shape and size. Does that mean I don't want to lose weight? No. I would love to lose 30 lbs, but I don't think that I am ugly at the weight I'm at currently....just more shapely. Anyways, this show intrigued me because their lifestyle didn't change. There are other shows like this that the trainer is with the victim...umm...I mean person all the time, watching what they eat and exercising with them. Not this show. Fat Chef is about real people with real jobs. And to top that, they aren't just people with temptations, they are chefs! (Hence the name, Fat Chef) They are around food and have to taste food all day long!
One of the chefs on the show was a big inspiration and really a slap in the face for me. He was 311 lbs at the beginning of the show. He talked about how people call him "Big Mike" instead of just Mike and how much he hated it. He talked about how he wanted to be a good example for his daughter. He talked about how he wanted to change to a healthier lifestyle to feel better and look better. He continued to work his job where the chef there made him taste everything before it went out to the customers, he worked out 6 days a week and he made healthier choices in food. At the end of each week, he stepped on the scale and continuously saw results. At the very end of the 16 week challenge, he stepped on the scale in front of all of his friends (which just the thought of being on the scale in front of my friends is terrifying to me). To my and everyone else's surprise he had lost 100 lb. He had made it all the way down to 211 lbs. I couldn't believe it! He had confidence and a big smile. He was happier, healthier and looked great! What an inspiration.
So I decided....no more excuses. I work a full time job just like he did, but I'm not around tempting food all day. I have a gym membership and can go 6 days a week no problem. I have full control over what I eat and can make wise choices. I have been lazy and been making excuses and I'm not going to do it anymore. My 16 week challenge starts now. If I lost 100 lbs, I would probably die so my goal is just 30 lbs. And not really even the number...if I get down to a size 7, I would be happy....I don't think my genetically enlarged booty would let me get any smaller :) and I have no need or desire to be smaller than that. This woman's gotta have SOME curves!!
My coworker bought the office Starbucks this morning. I can't let beautiful coffee go to waste, so I saw it as my last hoorah of sinful food. Good bye Starbucks. I will check back in frequently with updates...hopefully my updates will be with good news of progress. Wish me luck!

Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels.

Getting my groove back - post baby

Just read an article by Danielle Hampton on HelloGiggles.com
It is so true! I hate getting ready in the morning because nothing fits right. I used to take pictures off myself with my hubby or puppy and think that I was cute or attractive but now I just see a blob and it can get down right depressing sometimes. Itbespecially hits hard when I think about being a rolemodel for my daughter.i want her to have confidence in who she is, her abilities and how she looks. I mean I know its nothing I can control but it still bothers me that if I am not happy with how I look how can i expect her to be?

The three suggestions that Danielle Hampton makes are golden. I can personally attest to the first one. Getting ready in the morning really does help. It just gives me a little extra pride in how I look so that i can hold my head up high. Along with this one I think one more thing can be added along the same lines...wear cute under garments. I love Victoria Secret but I can't afford that all the time.stop really anything that is cure will do. And for all you grinch's out there who say you don't wear stuff like that because it s not comfortable, I say balogna! you can find stuff that is comfortable too.i don't wear anything thats not comfortable.

On that note am going to take a nap to let my back heal.

Disclaimer- if something is spelled wrong its because I am using my phone and fight proofread sgml ther auto-corrects. :)

New Years Resolutions

To the people who say that they don't make New Years Resolutions because they always break them - How about making a resolution to keep promises. Write it on your mirror at home and on a sticky note on your computer at work. Put a note in your wallet and a reminder on your phone. Make it a priority to keep your promises and see what happens. Oh, and just because you slip up once shouldn't throw the whole resolution out the window. Try and then try again and then try again.

I agree with the people who don't make resolutions. Why do we have to wait until the New Year to accomplish a goal? I understand that it is a new beginning and we feel like we have a fresh start. It was the same on the first day of school. We get there and we say, I'm not going to doodle. I'm going to pay attention and do all my homework. Then slowly as time goes by we slip here and there and then give up all together. But again, this is not an excuse to give up on the resolution all together. No one ever accomplished a goal by giving up....unless your goal in essence was to give up...but what kind of goal is THAT?!

My New Years Resolutions -

1- Communicate with my step chillins, niece and nephews more - How great was it as a kid to get a letter in the mail or a package of goodies. I'm not saying that I'm going to spoil them with gifts and extravagant things every week, but I think sending them a letter to let them know that Brian and I are thinking about them is a good idea. Maybe throw in some candy, stickers or a book or something every now and then.

2- Get a new job. Yep. I hate my job. It makes me miserable. I am grumpy and stressed to the max. And I already have something in the works for this one. ooooohhhhh yyeeeeeeaaaahhhhh :)

3- Lose weight. So cliche...I know. But I'm trying to lose my baby weight. It took me 9 months to put it on, and Ryot is almost 7 months old. I haven't been working out or watching what I'm eating very closely. I did work out for a short time, but I kinda stopped when we had to start taking her back to day care. So even though I REALLY don't want to, it is time to get serious about being healthy and losing weight. I am not happy with my weight and I am self-conscious which stops me from doing things that I normally would do. I want to be a good example for my daughter that hard work pays off, and to be confident...and right now I'm not confident at all! Plus, what wife doesn't want to look good for her husband!!!

As of right now, these are the 3 main resolutions I have going on. I will keep you updated as time progresses!!

Lovessss - Kayla Jo

Coffee Lovins

One of my first jobs was as a barista/cook at Emerald Coast Coffee...when it was still there. I'm actually surprised I even got the job. During my interview my soon to be boss told me that the employees were allowed 1 free drink per shift because the coffee was for the customers. Before I could close my trap I told her, "I don't even like coffee". My heart dropped at that moment. How could I expect her to give me a job to sell delicious, wonderfully smelling coffee to thirsty customers if I had nothing good to say about it? I spent the next 20 minutes of the interview convincing her that I was a good saleswoman and that she wouldn't be sorry for hiring me. Somehow I got the job and started right away. At first I just drank non-coffee frappes.....basically a milk shake. Then I slowly started adding coffee flavored powder in....Then I added a shot because the early mornings were getting to me....then I added two shots....then three....by then I LOVED the smell of coffee and could sell it to a coffee bean itself. (I'm sure I could if one had ever walked into the shop) BUT I was not an official coffee lover yet. Really, the frappes don't get you hyped up from the espresso...its all the SUGAR. I didn't really know the love and addiction of coffee until I started working at Seattle Drip with my bestie, Vanessa. The coffee just smelled so good and was so warm. When you are sticking half of you body outside of a drive thru window while someone looks for exact change of 68 cents you think twice about making yourself a cold frappe. You hold on to Mrs. Too Much Markeup's non-fat sugar free vanilla latter a little longer to warm your hands before the cold slaps you in the face when the window opens. Seattle Drip is where the real love of coffee began....I do enjoy Starbucks here in Vegas, but every now and then I have to close my eyes and pretend that it is a Mt. Rainier perfectly made with love from my best friend.

Rest in Peace my dearest

No matter how many times you experience loss, it still hurts just as bad as the very first time. This morning December 2, 2011, we lost an amazing friend and really someone I considered part of my family, Carl Bos. It hit me like a ton of bricks. I couldn't breathe and wanted to throw up all at the same time. But all in all, I know that everything happens for a reason. I don't know what God's reason is, but I don't have to. I have to have faith that He won't give me anything more than I can handle so I will press on and lean on his strength as I am running very thin on my own.

To Carl - "my honey bunny"
I know that you are in a better place. I know that you aren't in any more pain. But I will miss your humor, our terms of endearment, the little thoughtful gifts and most of all our morning talks. You always started my day out at work with a smile. Rest in peace my good friend. We love you and miss you already, honey.

Mr. Crankypants

It is a morning ritual that I go outside with Brian in the morning when he smokes. (I don't approve of his smoking FYI) I do, however, enjoy spending this couple of minutes with him in the morning. It is a wonderful way to get the day going if I may say so myself. This morning was quite different than the others. As we are outside talking about our days and about Brian's last poker adventure, this old man (who I am calling Mr Crankypants) walked up the sidewalk. When people walk by I usually say hello and they say it back and keep walking...but he stopped. Then he randomly started talking about some people that lived in an apartment by us and how they left the place a mess. He said there were always roaches and the place was trashed. Then he started talking about how the maintenance people at the apartments never fix anything. He was bragging about how he called the office to cuss them out. Then his conversation moved on to talking about kids. (I say HIS conversation because he didn't stop talking long enough for Brian and I to respond lol) His take on kids was quite shocking to me. He said that they are messy and demanding and destructive. (which I believe are all true for kids at some point) He talked about how there was a family who had 6 fat "rugrats" who lived near him who were terrible. Supposedly they were so fat that they climbed up a tree and broke the branches. Normally I am so annoyed by people like this. I am generally a positive person. I see the glass half full 99% of the time, and I enjoy life being like that. But I wasn't annoyed at Mr. Crankypants. I was laughing so hard. I guess it's just the way he was saying things. It was like he was that old cranky man in the movies who is sitting on his front lawn yelling at the "rugrats" to GET OFF MY LAWN! lol But the next thing he said really disturbed me. In his rant about hating kids, he said that he has 2 daughters that he hasn't seen or spoken to in 30 years. He said that he doesn't even care to see them and he wouldn't take them back even if they were homeless. He said he wouldn't even pay a dime for them. And it just broke my heart. I can't imagine ever thinking that about Ryot. I mean, I don't have a relationship with my dad, but I'm pretty sure he doesn't talk about me like that. I mean, golly Mr. Crankypants! I'm sure with feelings this strong you knew you didn't want to have kids, so why have 2?!?! It just doesn't make sense. He talked about how he loves his cats and almost teared up telling us about how he had to put 2 of them down because they had cancer. I just don't understand how anyone can love their cats more than their own kids? It just made me feel sorry for him. It made me wonder about his story. I believe that every person is born likeable and it is the growing up that does the tainting of that personality. People react differently to every curve that life throws at him. Every person has the choice to which path they take. Everyone has a story...even Mr. Crankypants.

Losing my marbles

I don't have very many memories with my dad but the other day as I was looking for my keys for the 17th time that day I was reminded of a very good one. I used to visit my dad for a week at a time. Sometimes in the summer, sometimes for winter. One morning I woke up early...as usual...and he was up already. He asked me if I wanted to go with him to get breakfast from McDonalds. Adoring anything I got to do with my Dad, I said yes. I remember the whole way there we were laughing and listening to country music, having so much fun. We got to McDonalds, ordered food, paid for the food, and drove away. On the way back we were laughing again, listening to music and talking about anything and everything until it hit me. I interrupted him, "Wait Dad, Where's our food?!" He instantly did a very illegal u-turn, and we headed back to McDonalds to get the food we had ordered and paid for. I remember that was the hardest I had laughed in a long time. We waited through the drive-thru again and when we got back to the window, they had it waiting for us. Yep, definitely a good memory.

Lately I feel the same feeling. When I'm leaving the house I don 't even have the "I'm forgetting something" thought. I leave, drive away, and don't even realize that I have forgotten my wallet or the baby wipes, or whatever else until I am halfway or all the way to my destination. When I was pregnant, I could blame pregnancy brain. And now that I had her, I can say she took some of my brain cells? I don't know. Either way I feel like I'm losing my marbles!!!

just rambling on...

Lately I have been going to the gym when Brian gets home from work. I have been able to sweat some stress out and get some mommy alone time. I love my little girl, but it is nice to have some time to gather my wits. I haven't lost any more weight, but I am positive that things will improve. I have a wedding to prepare for! Not my own, but my friends. I'm a bridesmaid so I have a beautiful dress to fit in. The dress that she picked out is AMAZING so I want my body to be better so I look just as amazing as the dress. : )

I am a list maker. I make lists of everything. I make lists of the lists that I need to make. OCD much? yes, sometimes. I just like the feeling of crossing something off my list. It motivates me to get things done faster. I have already started my list for this weekend. So far, it includes items such as cleaning, organizing,cleaning out my car, re-doing my budget, going to the pool, working out, and print out pictures to scrapbook. If I could convince my husband to go to the park with me I would. BUT it has been over 100 everyday and my poor Colorado man can't stand the heat. Maybe I will take Emma to the park myself. 

I am so excited to go to Colorado in September. When I see them, it will have been 11 months since the last time. That is way too long. Brian, of course, got to take trips to see them, but I was pregnant so I couldn't travel. I wish that I could say I had a great relationship with their mom and everything is easy...but that is definitely not the case. It is more along the lines of....she hates me...and the baby. But such is life for me. It's not easy, but I wouldn't have it ant other way. Izzy and Vini are amazing. They are smart and strong and beautiful. Their laughter is contagious and my life wouldn't be as wonderful without them. I can't wait for Ryot to meet her big sister and brother. I can't wait for them to have a relationship. I can't wait until Ryot gets a little bit older so she understands when we talk about them...but all in due time.

Well, I will conclude my ramblings for today.....

Later gator...

Kayla Jo

no decisions?

I'm trying a new church tomorrow. I like the church I've been going to. I have no complaints about the people or the place itself. Everyone is really nice and laid back. I feel like everyone that I have met that goes there has a genuine love for God and their fellow believers. Why the change then? There isn't a decision time. I know this sounds small...but I think it's really big. I mean, when you walk in the music is blaring. So loud that I wont sit in the main room because if it hurts my ears I KNOW that it isn't good for Ryot. The songs are current and there are huge screens to see the words. Then there is a time for the offering usually while there is a video about some topic pertaining to current events at the church or what the topic of the sermon is. Then there is the sermon. I haven't heard the senior pastor speak yet because he is out of town but all of the guest speakers have been great. I feel like they are knowledgeable and that they have a passion about what they are talking about. My only issue with the church is that there is no decision time. There is no time for those who want to join the church or make a profession of their faith. There is no time to challenge the people. The sermon ends, and everyone gets up and leaves. Maybe I'm old fashioned. Maybe I'm just used to the Rocky Bayou way of doing things...but i think that time is so important. What if there is a person who wants to talk more about salvation? the sermon ends and that person goes home instead of being urged to pray and talk to someone more. Now, I know that if God has called someone, that they don't have to be in church, but I think that that is part of the reason for the church. It is a gathering of people - a fellowship of like minded people who should be there to support each other and encourage each other in the word. Maybe I have no idea what I'm talking about. Maybe I'm honing on in this because I haven't found that church family yet. But there is a part of me that is really bothered by this. I just think that there are so many missed opportunities by cutting that portion of the service out. I don't think that a church needs to badger people into coming forward...but giving them the opportunity, encouragement, and support to ask questions is an important part!

I don't think this would weigh so heavy on my mind if it wasn't important. So tomorrow, Warm Springs Baptist Church here I come!

Weight Loss Challenge

I'm pretty sure that in a previous blog I mentioned Brian's weight loss challenge to me. Just for kicks, let's re-cap:

I was preggo and the belly was really poking out. I was WAY past the point of even thinking about buying any clothes because nothing fit over the belly anymore. I was looking at the window displays with the pictures of all of the skinny models and honestly I got a little depressed. I mean, I was a little overweight before I got pregnant but no where near the whale version that I got to in the pregnancy. I told Brian that I couldn't wait until I could go shopping again and actually have clothes that fit me. I couldn't wait to feel pretty again. Just to clarify before people freak out- I felt pretty as far as being a mommy-to-be with a beautiful miracle growing in me, but as a wife for my husband and woman I did not feel pretty most days. So my loving husband issued a challenge to me. Oh how I love challenges...especially those involving me winning money!!! He said that after I heal a bit and am ready to start working out, we will take my initial weight. Then every week we will re-weigh me. If I don't lose anything, I don't get any money. If I gain, I lose money. And for EVERY pound I lose he will give me $20. I almost choked when he said it! So let's see....10 pounds = $200, 20 pounds = $400, 30 pounds = $600...yep! SIX HUNDRED DELICIOUS DOLLARS. I mean for real, if I lose 0 pounds I'm going to need $600 to buy a whole new wardrobe anyway right?? So, yes, he has lost his mind, but it is to my advantage so it doesn't bother me much. : )

So it was my goal to lose 30 pounds. Well....here is a picture of me the morning that I went to be induced

Well since having her, and then 4 weeks later having gall bladder surgery that majorly effected my diet, here I am 42 pounds later. Yes, I said 42 pounds lost!!

I would have made $840 but we hadn't started the challenge yet. So now I have a new goal of another 30 pounds and we are starting today! So I will have to keep you updated on how much money I'm winning....

With that being said....my lovely family and I are going for a walk!

Later Gators!

Kayla Jo