Something has got to change!

Has anyone ever seen a picture of themselves that made them realize something has to change and that your mental picture of what you look like is FAR different than what the camera or picture says? Well, the above picture was that picture for me. I was injured around Feb 2009 and since then my activity has become dramatically more restricted (explains the cane in the photo). That being said, my appetite hasn't changed and I still eat like I am running 3mi/day and lifting weights. My weight has stayed pretty steady while my body composition has gone from muscular with some chub to all kinds of chub! I figured I would put this on my blog because I know I am not the only one out there dealing with something like this and there is something to be said for accountability.

Here is the plan. I will continue to swim 5 days out of the week but ramped up my intensity. Lift weights, carefully, 4 days a week, and recommit myself to eating clean. I was on this way of life eating until I lost focus. My acne even cleared up while I was doing it!! (For more information on eating clean check out http://www.eatcleandiet.com/ ) I will swear off daily weigh-ins and weigh in every two weeks. I will also take measurements every month to track my actual size and not rely on the EVIL SCALE to show my changes!!

Every week I will post on the challenges I faced and any slip ups. If you would like to join in on the effort to get healthy by all means email me or post to my blog. We will encourage each other. I will also design and make 2 gyms bags to send to the top two people who drop the most inches and one for the most pounds by Dec 1. I will notify you so that you can choose your color scheme and add embroidery of your choice. Let's get to work! We can do this.

Here comes the hard part....My stats. No one is required to release this publically. You can email me your numbers and I will keep them private.

Height - 5'10"

Weight - 226.0 GULP!!

Neck - 15.5

Arms - 15

Chest - 43.25

Waist - 39.5

Hips - 48

Thigh - 28

Calf - 15.75

New Find!

I found this great website and YouTube video collection on make-up. I love making things beautiful, including myself, so I was googling make-up tips and found this site http://makeupbytiffanyd.blogspot.com/ . She has tons of great tips and walks you through looks that I would never be able to figure out without hours in front of a mirror. I love it!

A glass of Reisling wine sounds great right now!

These last two weeks have been interesting for me. My thyroid is acting up again. I must say I love having all this energy but the constant thudding of my heart beat in my ears isn't a good thing. Ahhh behold the lovely genetic gift from my mothers side, the Irish side. :  )  Right now, I am faced with the decision to either use radioactive iodine or surgery to remove my thyroid since this is the second relapse I have had in 3 years. My doc doesn't want to me take PTU anymore because of the risk it carries resulting in damage to the liver. I am not too keen on removing or damaging something I need to live. I am a firm believer that the more natural the body the better it can take care of itself. On the plus side, I am losing weight. Yes, it is shallow but I do try to find the positive side to everything.

Since I am kind of down about the whole Thyroid issue I think I am going to do a give away. That always makes me feel great! Look out for the announcement. I will post it this week.

The Fourth of July - Come and Gone

We enjoyed celebrating the 4th of July. The anniversary of our country's freedom. Something I hold dear as one who has fought to preserve that freedom as has my husband. I read somewhere that people who join the military have written Uncle Sam a check for up to and including their lives. So I want to take this moment of reflection on the weekend to thank all of those out there who help defend this country and the freedoms she enjoys.

Thank You!!!