The Liebster Award

Diane from Just Simply D tagged yours truly in the Liebster Award! I beginning to love this blogging thing :) 

If you have been living under a rock the past few days and haven't looked at any blogs, I'll give you an idea of what the Liebster Award is. Diane informed me that "Liebster" means favored or favorite (yep that's me).
Once nominated, each person is supposed to post 11 things about themselves. Then they are supposed to answer the 11 questions that the person who nominated them has written. At the end of my rant... I mean post I will choose (hopefully) 11 new persons to nominate that have 200 followers or less and have not been nominated before.... So here goes!

11 Things About this Crazy Chick:

1. I am a the biggest chicken IN. THE. WORLD. Really people I have nightmares after watching Scooby Doo.
2. I found my husband on Myspace. Luckily we have lasted longer than it did!
3. Our 3 year old daughters life ambition right now is to shoot zombies... thank you walking dead. (Her daddy let her watch it. NOT ME!)
4. I think Robert Downey Jr. is WAY sexier than Chris Hemsworth. Age difference be damned!
5. I have spent enormous amounts of time baking and decorating cakes. Go check out my facebook page Aunt Bea's Treats. I also teach Adult Cake Decorating Classes :)
6. I am not shy, not one tiny bit. Sometimes I wish I was...
7. I don't own any plain socks. I need crazy patterns so I can party like it's 1999 when I take my shoes off!
8. I have read every Nancy Drew book every written.
9. I love roller coasters!
10. I spend way to much time on facebook/pinterest.
11. I have re-textured and painted my entire house by myself. (I am totally out of interesting things about me)

My answers for Diane's questions:

1) Iphone or Android? Android Android Android! I NEED a back button!
2) Do you have an siblings, how many, are you oldest or youngest? I have a brother and a sister and I am the baby by more than 10 years! (explains a lot huh?!?!)
3) Do you drink any soda? If so what is your favorite? Not anymore... but it used to be Coke or nothing!
4) Do you write in cursive or print the majority of the time? I don't even know if I know how to write in cursive anymore... Pitiful I know.
5) What is a habit you wish you could break? Speaking without thinking!!!
6) If someone told you that you could see a loved one that has passed for 15 minutes, who would it be and what would you say? My great grandmother. She died when I when I was a teenager and I'm not sure I knew how big of an influence she was to me. I'm positive I never told her and I would like to.
7) Are you a list person, a coupon queen? What helps you stay organized on shopping trips? List person yes, coupon queen, not hardly! I would die without my "Out of Milk" app on my phone!
8) Do you have a "hidden" talent no one really knows about? Nope can't think of a thing...
9) Can you paint your nails on your non-dominant hand and it look good? Yes I can!
10) What is one thing you wish you could take a class to become better at? Writing HTML ;)
11) Do you say I love you to people you love before you hang up the phone with them? Not all of them.

My questions for the ladies I nominate:

1. Do you always think the book is better than the movie?
2.  Who has inspired you the most in you life?
3. If you could go back and change just one thing, what would it be?
4. If you could travel to any point in time what person would you travel to see?
5. Team Edward or Team Jacob? (I'm laughing out loud writing that one!)
6. Have you ever suffered through a bloody movie for your significant other?
7. Have you ever had the "naked" dream?
8. Do you think your vote counts?
9. If someone gave you a motorcycle, would you ride it? 
10. If you could fast forward through all of the previews you will see the rest of your life would you?
11. Have you ever baked from scratch? 

These are the Lovely Ladies I'm nominating: (please forgive me if I am nominating you for a second time and disregard the nomination) 

Meggan at Our Naturally Bare Adventure 
Jules at So Totally Life! 
Jennifer at My Quest for Personal Happiness 

I am quite honestly have a really hard time finding any other blogs that haven't already been nominated! If you haven't been and would like to participate please feel free to consider yourself nominated by me :)

Thanks Diane for tagging me! I had fun playing along :)

How did it get so bad?

230 pounds... There are no words

This is a question I seem to ask myself a thousand times a week. 

The answer is life happened. (And I am a fantabulous cook!)

I love to cook, and I love to eat even more.

What I don't love is being a fat-ass.What I really hated was teaching my daughter that there was nothing I could do about it.

Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Cheesecake, Chocolate Pie, Chocolate Covered Strawberries... Anyone seeing a pattern???

So back to the question at hand. How did it get so bad? 

In the beginning I felt like I was a recovering alcoholic in so many ways.
And I was recovering from an addiction just not from alcohol.

I was a food addict. 

Whew I said it... I was 100% addicted to FOOD.

I would find myself driving through my favorite fast food restaurants on the way home from town and ordering $15-$20 worth of food just for myself. Then I would EAT. IT. ALL. I also needed to do it while watching a show I liked or reading a book. I was trying to escape reality, the reality where I knew it was wrong to eat 3 double cheeseburgers, a large order of fries and a 20 piece McNugget while slurping down a extra large coke all by myself.

I was in denial about my addiction for a really long time. But when I realized I would NEVER have done this in front of anyone else, it seemed to click that I had a problem.

When I look at that picture above I can hardly believe that was me. I DIDN'T feel that big. I never saw myself that way.

But it WAS me. The only reason I can look at that picture without hating myself is the peace that comes with knowing, it will never be me again.

I have not eaten at my favorite spots since June 15th. I'm not saying I haven't had fast food, I have. But never at the places I used to frequent. I'm not sure I will ever be able to go back through those places and not want to eat the way I used to. So I don't go.

I can say we ate at a taco place a few nights ago and I had a really unhealthy (amazing tasting) quesadilla, and I was sick minutes after eating it. I'm proud to say my body has learned the difference between the crap and the good stuff.

I'd also like to put a little blame on my wonderful, supportive, amazing husband. He never once told me I was too fat. He never once said I just can't be with you anymore. He never quit loving me through the worst of it all. He told me I was Beautiful ever single day. Because of all of these things I love him more than words can express. He let me come to this decision to change all by myself, never pushing me to be a stick thin trophy wife (although I don't think he would mind very much). It is because of him and our daughter that I have put so much effort into being a healthier person inside and out.

 My husband (aka Big Pimpin') and myself at 240lbs in May -  My niece Gracey and myself at 200lbs in October.

 I know everyone has to have their own wake up call, and if you need one I hope it comes quickly. Life is worth living so go out and do it! Don't wait until you are where I was. Love yourself enough to take care of your body.

YOU ARE WORTH IT!

I know it has been a while... We had computer issues then vacation and life just kept right on going without waiting on me to write a blog post.

A little about the cruise. We had a blast :) I ate everything on the boat. No really, my mission was to eat my way through everything I hadn't allowed myself to eat at home. It was divine. I had pasta and cheesecake and pasta and hamburgers and pasta and bread and chocolate melting cake and pasta... you get the picture. I ATE CARBS!!! Oh how I had missed them. The bad news, I gained 6 EFFING POUNDS OMG. The good news I have already lost them plus 1 more so no biggie!

                                               The Hubs and I waiting to go on our excursions!

The boys went deep sea fishing and we went to a all inclusive island and laid around all day. If you are ever in Cozumel on a Carnival Cruise I highly recommend the Isla Passion by Twister. SO MUCH FUN!

Since we have been home I have started the 30 Day Shred by Jillian *The Devil* Michaels. I took some before pics and my measurements. I don't know if I will post the pics they are pretty gross, but I can tell you after 5 days of level 1 and 2 days of level 2 I have lost a WHOLE INCH in my upper arms!!! That is a pretty big deal since I had only lost 1 inch previously in my upper arms after losing 40lbs. I also can tell a huge difference in my endurance and I have more energy overall.

My new short term goal is to lose 20lbs by Christmas morning. That is an average of 2 pounds per week and it will be almost 10% of my body weight. If I hit that goal it will bring my total weight loss to date up to 60lbs... I can't think of a better Christmas present!

It is going to take a lot of hard work and will power to get through the holidays and still lose weight but I am confidant I can do it. I get to start exercising that will power tonight because my nieces are coming over to make Halloween cookies and a pumpkin cake with a chocolate pecan frosting. Lord give me strength!!!

               Here is a dining room picture. I can almost still taste the Warm Chocolate Melting Cake!


Since my last post we have also had my daughter's 3rd birthday party :( I know it's cliche but seriously I can't believe it has been 3 years! I will leave you guys today with some pics from her party... Yes I had a piece of cake :)

Her cake! This is what I do in my spare time ;) and I have still managed to lose 42lbs!

Blowing out her candles!

Some cousins having fun :)

That's my baby!