Mad Props!!

So as a new facet to the blog, I've decided to follow Katie's lead and highlight different friends and family members that are takin' care-o-business in the weight loss department. So this shout out goes to one of my best friends Megan Dawson!!


Megan actually started to get in shape long before Katie and I started our trek, but she has recently hit some milestones that are just too good not to mention. I want everyone to congratulate Megan on not only losing over 50 lbs. (she's currently at 53 lbs.!!) but she just recently broke into the 130's!!! CONGRATS!!!!! I'm so happy for you!

And just in case you thought this post was a little too sugary-sweet for me, I thought I'd throw in a sweet photoshopped picture I made for Megan one day. If you play your cards right, perhaps I'll photoshop YOU into a picture with me...if only you could be so lucky!!

Yeah that's right...try not to be impressed. I dare you.

I'm so proud of you Megan! Loooooove you (said in the Peter Griffin voice)...

Wanna Kitty?

A few months back, my brother Matt and sister-in-law Lisa adopted a stray cat in the neighborhood. After a recent marathon of HBO's The Wire, they decided to name their new cat Omar to honor his life on the streets.

Omar quickly took to his new "outdoor cat" life living on their back porch much to their "indoor cat" Allie's dismay. Well, as luck would have it...Omar got pregnant. I guess Omar, or perhaps Omarita is more appropriate, couldn't escape her past and fell in with the wrong crowd. Her indiscretions were only discovered when Lisa saw three little kittens trotting behind their mother in the backyard.

The kitties are also currently residing on the back porch in their "house" that Matt built but they are in need of a permanent home. If anyone would like to save these kitties from a life on the streets and the inevitable gang activities or teenage pregnancy (like their mother) then please let me know!

Here are the little nuggets!! You want one don't you?? I can see it in your eyes...

Shamery

Hello everyone!

As you can probably tell by the title of this post that I have once again created a word to describe my current situation. I've realized in life that although there are over 600,000 words in the English language sometimes that just doesn't cut it and I feel its my duty to provide you with the most accurate descriptors as possible. The way I look at it is we can tailor a shirt or dress to fit us perfectly, so why not a word?? Exactly. I knew you'd see it my way. So on to today's lesson: shamery. Now bear with me things are about to get technical...

Shame + Victory = Shamery*

And voilà! Lesson done. Yeah, I'm going to be a stellar teacher. :)

*No, you will not be tested over this later.

So I must admit I'm a mix of emotions today. A small web of shame with the sweet taste of victory delicately intertwined has resided within me. You might be wondering how I came to such a dichotomy of feelings- and no, I didn't cheat to win a race or anything sensational like that. Allow me to explain: I am shamed that I promised you that I would be more diligent in my blogging and somehow I've managed to let a MONTH slip by without a peep! How did that happen?? It is an egregious act on my part and apologies are in order. So here it is: I apologize cyber family for my empty promises and breech of trust. I only hope that you'll forgive me and we'll be able to overcome this in the future. I'm glad I got that off my chest. Moving on!

Victory. I too have had a small victory of my own. In the previous post, Katie described her bomb surprise of realizing that she'd dropped a dress size (congrats!!) so I thought I'd share my own. I've blogged before about my seeming inability to actually drop weight but I'm happy to report its finally coming off! At this point, I've only lost five pounds (hence the "small" victory) but I'm ecstatic to know that my body has decided to stop revolting against my weight loss and has seemed to jump on the bandwagon!! Hooray for bandwagoning!!

My amped up cardio regimen seems to be working so far. Ideally, I'd hoped to be a little farther along than five pounds but the past few weeks- as some of you may know- have consisted of extensive studying and testing for my teaching alternative certification, so at this point I'll take what I can get!! The next few weeks I'll still be hitting the books but not quite as intensive as before (at least for a little while) so I hope to make some headway in the next few weeks!!

Got a little story for you Ags...

So I am attending a high school friend's wedding this coming weekend and decided since I haven't shopped in a couple of months (I mean it would kind of be counter-productive in this whole weight loss journey to go continue to buy clothes in a size, in theory, I shouldn't be wearing for much longer) that if there is one thing I am going to go clothes shopping for in the next couple of months it will be a dress for this wedding season. My mother and I trek on out to Northpark and we end up at White House Black Market for a LBD (little black dress for those of you who aren't up on the hip lingo like I most certainly am). I take two size into the dressing room, try on the larger size and it fits great. We decide to purchase it and call it a day.

When I get home I get the dress out to try it with the accessories I am thinking about wearing and then the panic ensues! I HAVE ACCIDENTALLY PURCHASED THE SMALLER SIZE!!! Dad gum it! This is so not good. I have one week to head back out to Northpark, hope that the larger size is still there (after the sales lady says this dress is selling like hotcakes) and I need to get this dress steamed over the course of the week as well so my time is short. I am planning this nightmare all out in my head and decide that I should try it on just to see how bad the situation is. Lo and behold - it fits! I thought I tried on the larger size but in reality I tried on the smaller one first and I have now officially dropped a dress size! The dress fits perfectly!

It was a great little surprise. Little victories help keep me motivated and this was just one more.

Mad Props

I have been totally remiss in sending out some mad props out to my sister, Kim. She has been on her own weight loss mission and she has lost 22 pounds over the last 4 months (and actually it is probably more but that was the last count I heard). She is looking great is an inspiration to her little sister. I've had a small modicum of success on my own but her results have motivated me to work harder.

I've looked into Weight Watchers at work and will be starting this Wednesday. I think that it will give me a little more guidance on portions and combinations of foods to eat and will give me a weekly measuring stick to keep me motivated. I did Weight Watchers for a couple of months in high school and it definitely worked for me. I know it works so I'm looking forward to making some serious headway. It is wedding season afterall.

Well done Sissy! You look Mah-velous!