Merry Christmas Everyone!!

I hope that your Christmas is going wonderfully.  Maybe you found this page using your newly unwrapped "toy," or you have been a reader since I missed being in the People Magazine's Half Their Size issue because I shaved my head!!! 

Either way I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthier New Year!!!

DragonCon!

Over the weekend Aaron and I attended DragonCon here in Atlanta GA. 

It was an AMAZINGLY fun time!!!  :-D  It was a totaly geek-out fest.  TONS of great walking too. 



I was nearly run-over by a jogging Sean Astin. 
(He played Mikey in The Goonies and Sam-wise in The Lord of the Rings - Trilogy) 

Next year I will be wearing my costumes for the event.

It will be SWEEEEEEEEEET.

Married for 10 years!

Yesterday Aaron and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary.

These first ten years of marriage have been an extraordinary journey!  There have been so many up and downs.  Tears, laughter, anger, frustrations, disappointments, success, doubt, fear, joy, sorrow, bliss, contentment, worry, relief, happiness, stress, hope, and love.

Aaron and I have gone through thick and thin. (pun intended)

We had some very dark times where we were both encouraged to leave the other, but our desire to be together, and make "us" work ultimately wons out.



"True love is the love that lasts through hard times."



Things I've learned after being married 10 years:

• Aaron cannot "read my mind" but he is very good at interpretting "Jessesse"
• Prefection isn't a requirement for anything.
• Pick your battles, don't sweat the small stuff.

I may be having a huge legal/medical battle with Humana and the woman who hit us on May 15th.

I am really worried because it sounds like Humana is going to go after her insurance for all the stuff related to my back.  The worst part is, it sounds like if they are not successful getting money from her, then I have to pay for all the medical cost for the accident myself.

WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!

I think I need to get a lawyer. : (

Never too late!

Maybe you were one of the thousands of people who vowed to make 2010 the year you get healthy!


Now nearly 9 months into the year how are things going for you?


Even if you gave up before February I want to encourage you to get back on the healthy wagon!


Losing weight isn't instant.  It takes lots of time changing your lifestyle. 

Being healthy is not just a list of foods you eat or avoid, and workouts you hate.   Even if you are able to reach your weight loss goal that way - you will never stay at your goal weight if you hate the lifestyle!


I learned which healthy foods I actually like and made them part of my daily menu.

My exercise of choice is walking at my normal pace while listen to music.


These are the tunes I am listening to currently that really get my bootie moving!!



After listening to some of these tracks and I am sure you will be energized too!!

Cheers!


Jess :)

Southern Hospitality

We've lived in Atlanta for over half a year now.

Everyone who warned me about the heat... it's not that bad.

It is more humid back in Wisconsin and just 10 degrees cooler.






I will be laughing my butt off when winter rolls aroung again and it's in the 40's and 50's here and in the teens back in Wisconsin!



People down here are super nice! (Except when they are driving.)

It's still amazing for me to have doors and elevators held for me by strangers.

Aaron was hired!!!

Aaron has finally landed a GOOD job after nearly 9 months of unemployement and under-employement.

Our family income will be nearly doubled and we can start setting things up to have a family!

I am not angry or blushing... it is Rosacea

Rosacea is a skin condition marked by redness on the nose, cheeks, chin, and forehead. While Rosacea cannot be cured, it can be controlled -- if you can identify what triggers the condition and follow a skin care regimen that works.

Snapped this shot with my phone.

I am having a flare-up, but I do not know what triggered it!!  It is so FRUSTRATING!!!

The skin on my checks is just BURNING! It is hot and rashy.  I am no longer super itchy so I guess the mites are dead or at least controlled.

I have an appointment at 9 AM on the 15th to see the dermatologist.

I should put all my appointments into my Calendar...

Othro, Dentist, Physical Therapist...

OH!   I never told you guys I was rear-ended!!!!

I am now on medication and going to therapy for my back and neck!!!!  :-(

I better look for all my upcoming appointments!

Non-Mom on Mother's Day

Yesterday I was given many well wishes for Mother's Day...  I smiled and wished them Happy Mother's Day too, but inside I felt like a childless loser.

I took a very long walk on Mother's day.  The weather was perfect and I needed to get out in it.

Maintaining my size! :)

Since I have started tracking my calories and exercise online using fatsecret's widgets, applications and website I can happily announce that... I have been able to maintain my weight for 3 months straight!!!

Once I got to my goal weight I was still really healthy, but then let little things slip.  Like I started eating deep fried things again.  I started to erase all the success I had worked so HARD for.   

I had stopped keeping my food journal because I thought I was done, but that is never the case!!

In order to stay healthy you really need to maintain your healthy lifestyle and a food journal was one of the things that really keeps me on track!

I now make sure that I am eating between 1800 and 2000 calories.

My typical menu for a day is like this:


200 Calories for Breakfast

• Yogurt, or
• Protien Shake, or
• Fried Egg white on whole wheat toast with American Cheese, or
• Egg white omlete with salsa

150  Calories AM Snack

• Banana
• Yogurt
• 100 Calorie snack pack
• Apple sauce

400 Calorie Lunch

• A frozen meal with at least one full serving of vegetables.

900 to 1200 Calories  Dinner

• Half a frozen pizza
• Burritos/Fajitas/Tacos
• Pasta/Lasagna
• Marinated Chicken Breast with starch and a vegetable

200 Calories Dessert  (OPTIONAL)

•  4 blocks of chocolate
• 1/2 c. ice cream
• 1 break'n'bake cookie

Diet is 90% of the battle for me but  I am living proof that you do NOT have to stop eating sweets or bread in order to lose weight.  


I also keep active.

Three times a week I work out on my elliptical trainer at just over 4 mph for 30 minutes. 
I raise my heart rate to about 140 beats per minute .

That's all it takes. 

Of course it took me about 4 years to lose all my weight... but I did it and it is gone.

Mom in Georgia

My mom flew down to visit this past weekend with my little sister Samantha.  I was nice to see them, and we did lots of fun stuff together, but it is going to be WONDERFUL to get back on my normal schedule.

We did lots of shopping and sight-seeing.  My mom and sister complained about all the walking.

I also cringed at their POOR eating habits.  When they ate bacon cheeseburgers with fries, with a large chocolate cookie AND some recess peanut butter cups for dessert.  But with a bottle of 100% orange juice for a drink.. I had to comment.

Seriously,  TWO desserts?  With lunch?!  Come on Mom!!
And I don't care if it is "100% juice" it's just as sugary as a soda.
Top that off with a bacon cheese burger  the size of your face and fries to match....

Mom gave me the "On Vacation" excuse, but I was not happy to see the crappy eating habits being established and enforced for my sister.

Obesity is just as abusive and damaging to a child as beating her/him.  You are setting them up for a LIFETIME of health problems. 

Being fat is also a social stigma -- so there are psychological ramifications too!  GAH!

I would rant some more, but I would risk being written out of the Will. ;)