Its been a while since I posted

I know its been a while since I posted but alot has transpired. We went and got Baby Boy Ethan October 28th and it has been busy ever since. He is transitioning well in our home. He doesn't like bedtime because we make him sleep in his crib. Previous family let him stay up late and sleep with them. This is a challenging transition but it will benefit him in the end. He is a pretty happy child but he can be very clingy and whines for attention. Me and my hubby have been off  this month bonding with him. We are tired but nothing is all roses. We love our child and know that it will all work out in the end.

Weightloss wise. I weigh 222.6 and my exercise routine came to a hault for about 2 weeks because of the transition with Ethan. This week, I am getting back on the bandwagon and exercising again. I hope to be back to my full routine in the next few days. I never realized how much exercise can relieve stress. My next goal is to be 215 by Nov 30. Hope I make it!

Bought myself a new coat......

Well I am giving my old coat to Goodwill for someone who may need it. It is a size 3x and I no longer wear that size.

                                                                       Size 3x Wintercoat!

                                    

  My new Wintercoat Size 1x

To God be the glory for all he has done.....

I know this my weight loss blog but wanted to share nursery pictures!

The Nursey. In my mind I hoped it would be a boy. Can't post pictures of my little Ethan until he is legally ours.

Sponge Bob Theme

Crib bedding from JC Penny

Infant and Toddler care seat given to me      

Baby's little lamp and  Piggybank

Todays weigh in.....

225.8 :)

We have been matched with a baby boy!

Me and the hubby found out that we were matched with a 10 month old baby boy named Ethan! He is the cutest little boy. My heart is so full! This is just the beginning of a great future. We have one more hurdle before he can be ours. Please pray that everything runs smoothly and we can bring Ethan home next month.

Exciting News about my Fertility!

Went to a new doctor at UNC to discuss possible IVF or other ways of becoming pregnant. They were excited about my weightloss and feel they can help me get pregnant! I still have to go through some testing  and have a BMI of 40 to get IVF. Currently my BMI is 43, I only need to lose 19lbs to make my goal. My plan is to go back in January and blow their minds with a 30lb weigh loss. Wish me luck, I feel very hopeful. I can't wait till my promise is fulfilled!

Also Thomas and I have been referred to adopt a 10 month old little boy name Ethan. Other social workers have submitted other families as well. We will find out if we will be granted custody of him by this Thursday. Please keep us in your prayers!

Winston-Salem State Homecoming!

Went to my alma mater for Homecoming today. I was invited to a tailgate and ate some chili, 4 chicken drummets and  2 cupcakes:( God only know what I have to do to burn off those calories. Me and the hubby walked around the campus and had fun with my roommates and other alumni. I wore my first pair of Skinny jeans. I think I looked good in them.

ME and my SKINNY JEANS!

WSSU Homecoming 2011(Above)

                                       

       WSSU Homecoming 2009(Can you see the difference?)

My weight is 227 !!!

2011 Heart Walk @ The RBC Center

Walked 3 miles in the Heart Walk. It was a great event!

Me and Hubby

 

Me before the race

                                             

Me and few nurses from my unit

Im in the 220's!!! I reached another milestone...

After a hard week of exercise and eating right, I weighed today and I came in at 228.6! I am so happy. I don't ever remember being in the  220's. Its so awesome seeing your weight come down when your doing all the right things. God is truely blessing me for my efforts.

My Hair is starting to shed really bad!

I heard about others having hair loss but I didn't think it would happen to me! For the past 2 weeks I have been shedding handfuls of hair when I comb it. Most of it comes out when I wash it. I heard it could last up to 3 months. The reason its doing it is because of the rapid weightloss and not being able to consume70-100gms of protein daily. I pray that it all doesn't come out or  thins out my hair. I take alot of pride in my hair so I'm mourning a little. I have researched that it does taper off and rejuvenates so I'm counting on it.

As long as I don't look like this guy, I will be fine. Lol!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On the last stretch out of the 230's

This is a late post but Thursday Sept 16th, I weighed in @ 230.5! I have been out of town at my sister-n-laws house in Charleston and have been doing good so far on my eating. I hope by this coming Thursdays weigh in, that I will be in the 220's! Im sure It will be hard but I am determination to work hard and get the job done.

My Size 18 jeans!

                 

 233(9/10/11)               276(3/26/11)    

                                     

Some people make a fuss over being a size 2, but I'm going to make a fuss about being a size 18. This is my first pair of new jeans since my weightloss. My jean size before the weightloss was a size 22/24.The sweater that I'm wearing is a 1x.

Weight today!

233:-)

Todays weigh in.....

234:-). Total of 3lbs lost this week!

My FACE!

My face is shrinkng! It's so weird looking at the pictures....But I'm so HAPPY! 



Before:  March 25,2011 Weight 276

                                                                         

After -September 4, 2011-Weight 235







Staying focused by surrounding myself with positive people.

My favorite website is lapbandtalk.com. I go on there daily to see what other bandsters are up to. I participated in the "Back to School Challenge" and lost 11lbs in the month of August. Basically  the challenge is like weight watchers. I log my weight in every week and someone displays it on a grid. We discuss our weightloss goals and hold ourselves accountable for our actions. For the month of September its called "Harvest Moon Challenge". My goal is to loose 11lbs by the end of September. If I accomplish that, I will have lost 50lbs! How exciting it would be to lose Half a Supermodel. LOL!!! I got that off a Jenny Craig commercial.

Join me in the September Walk Challenge

I took on a challenge to try and walk 60 miles in the month of September. I love walking and will try to walk 12 miles per week. I challenge all my friends and family to take on the challenge and keep me posted on your progress.

Cardio.. Cardio.. Cardio..

The message at church on Sunday is what I needed to start the week. Minister Watson reminded us that dispite what happens in our lives, "You Will Recover". That message will take me a long way as I apply it to every aspect of my life.I knew I was gonna make a hard comeback after this weekend. Can't keep a good girl down! Went to Cardio Kickboxing and to my surprise I could hang! It was a tough workout and at the end, the instructor came over and gave me a "high five" and told me I did a good job keeping up. After the class I decided to hang around and do the Zumba class. In the end I came out tired but did 2 hours of Cardio and my weight is now 237. I am recovering and will succeed!

Totally Frustrated with myself

So today is a somber day for me. I really feel like starving myself but I choose not to. To make a long story short. I make a deal with myself that I would not eat pizza until I am in my 230's. Well I ordered a pizza on Friday and ate 2 slices and then ate 2 slices on saturday along with 4 hot wings. Big Mistake! I woke up this morning and I was 240.1! Ugh! I want to pull my hair out! So needless to say, I'm gonna have to work over time to try to reach my 235lb goal by Wednesday. Its frustrating but I learned my lesson. My body holds on to Carbs...they are not my friend.

*Side note:  I went to Kohls and tried on the cutiest pair of  size 18 jeans and they fit! They made   me look fabulous! Might get them Wednesday if I get a coupon in the mail or if they go on sale.I refuse to pay full price.

Exciting News!

I had an appointment with my Cardiologist yesterday and everything went good. He doesn't want to see me for a whole year! According to his scale, I weighed 276lbs a month before surgery and this morning I got on the scale and weighed 236.9. Thats 40lbs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So excited about the way things are working out in my favor. This week I am walking 3.5 miles daily and its making a huge dent on the scale. Trying to keep focused and  take it one day at a time.

Scale up and down!

I am 238.1 this morning!! What a whirlwind of a week! The scale was stuck all week  at 240 and I was getting discouraged.I went back to basics and started back to walking and pulled it off this morning. I will walk for the rest of the week.

Im in my 230's!!!

Got on the scale and I'm 239!!!! Its feels great to peak into new numbers.

About to reach another Milestone.

Today I weighed 240.1. I lost 4lbs in a week!Can't believe that I am about to venture into the 230's!!! I could not tell you the last time I saw 230's. Probably in highschool! This is so surreal to me. This week I stepped up my exercise plan. I worked out 4 times so far! I plan on working out tomorrow so that will allow me to reach my goal of 5x per week. Some of the exercises I am doing are Zumba, elliptical machine, cardio dance and walking the treadmill. I tried about 15 minutes of cardio bootcamp and had to stop because it was kicking my butt! Can't wait to post next week.

Turn down my first adoption referral :(

Well we went on vacation about a week ago and our social worker emailed me a profile of a premie up for adoption. She could not contact me because we were out of the country so she sent them our info to be on the safe side. I came back and read the profile and was very afraid of all the details. The little boy was 2.5 months premature and the mother used crack and drank alcohol during the pregnancy. After much prayer and asking professional staff about the long term prognosis, I asked for our name to be taken off the list. I know that no child is perfect but I don't believe that God meant for us to have this child. Sometimes you can get caught up in the moment but I had to think about the long term picture. I know in my heart that we were not ready for such a huge responsibly of dealing with such a sick child. He was expected to be hospitalized for another 1-2 months in NICU and they wanted to adopted parents to be at the hospital to help him through the journey. I felt guilty for saying "No" because I am a nurse and care for sick people all the time but I would have felt worse if we were chosen and then had regrets for the rest of our lives. When the right child comes, we will know it and there will not be any doubts that they are the right child for us.

Inches!

I had my hubby take my body measurments today and since May 25th 2011, I have lost a total of 16.75 inches. I cannot believe it!

What a difference 30lbs make!!!

After Pictures

Most Recent picture on my cruise 2011. Looking Good and Feeling Great!

(Size 18-20 pants, 1x tops)

Last formal night of Carnival July 31,2011

( Me and Hubby) My Face is Smaller!

At the beach July 29th 2011(size 18 pants)

Before Pictures

Cruise Picture November 2008. (Size 22 dress)

At the beach March 2011(3x top, size 22 pants)

This is me and my old college roommates Oct 2009 at homecoming. I can see the difference!

Went out and bought new work uniforms

My old uniforms and literally falling off of me. Coworkers have commented that I need to get some new ones to show off my weightloss. My old uniform size was 3x tops and 2x bottoms. Well today I bought 2x tops and 1x bottoms and they feel great! So proud of of myself.

Above: Old Uniform top 3x Bottoms 2x

New Uniforms: 2x tops 1x bottoms

Back from a wonderful Vacation!

Had an awesome vaction! Can't believe that its over and I'm back to work. Came back from vacation and my weight was 246. I kinda figured I would gain a little but Im back on track. Today after 3 days I am back down to 244. Hope to be in the 230's in 2 weeks. Lots of work to do!

Bahamas here I come!

Headed down to florida this morning to enjoy my 5 day bahama cruise. Got on the scale and I am 243. One more pound and I will have lost 30 lbs. Im gonna relax on my vacation and have physical fun and not food fun! Aint no stoppin me now, I on the MOVE!!!!

Met my weekly goal early!!!!

Well I made my goal of 245on yesterday( four days early). I wanted to be this weight before my cruise on this Thursday. I woke up today and I am down another pound! I am currently 244. I have the challenge of my vacation this upcoming week with lots of tempting food but I have vowed to exercise to keep my weight under control.It would be nice to loose 2lbs on my vacation and come back and be -30lbs. If it happens that would be great but I am gonna relax and enjoy myself and not let food become an obstacle.

246! Thats all :)

Continued weightloss....

My weight today is 247. Im feeling real good with the progress. 3 more work days and I am on vacation. Bahama cruise next Thursday! I meet with the dietitician tomorrow to figure out a game plan to handle my eating habits when I am on the boat. My next goal is to weigh 245 by July 28! Im in the zone!

248.2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I got the VICTORY!!!

What a rough start to the week!!! It all started when I hurt my Achilles tendon trying to jog last Friday. I was on crutches Sunday and Monday and the doctor put me on light duty for the rest of the week. My heel is better but just a tad sore. I have been babying it all week. Despite it all I worked out gently 3 times this week so far and lost another pound! I weigh 249lbs !!! I cannot remember the last time I weighed 249. I think it was Highschool and my freshmen year of college, sometime around 1991-1993. God is blessing and I can't wait to see what else is in store. He is faithful. My next goal is to weigh 245 by July 28 before my cruise. I can't wait! 2 weeks from today and will be on a 4 night cruise to the BAHAMAS!!!

Great News!!!

1.Our Adoption application was approved! We can now adopt a child. I can't wait to have a child to love unconditionally.

2. I lost another pound! 250lbs. Almost hitting another milestone. The 240's.

3. My GYN was so proud of my progress. She praised me and said I was on the right track!

4. I went to Kohls and bought 2 outfits that are 1 size smaller than I normally wear!

What a great Friday!!!!

20 lb weight loss milestone!!!!

You guessed it!!!! I have lost 21lbs!!! My current weight is 251.8 and I feel great and starting to look great. What a difference a week in the gym makes. I have been following the lapband plan and things are working out for me. I faithfully went to the gym 5 days last week doing 1 hour of exercise and its paying off. Definetly gonna keep up the momentum. Its good seeing my clothes get looser and the scale go down. Also my blood pressure its great!!!!

Keep on moving... Don't stop

Yay!!!! Im 253lbs.!!!! I can't believe I'm creeping up to the 240's. I have not been in the 240's since college in the early 1990's. It takes alot of effort but the exercise and eating right along with my lapband is helping. Stay tune...the best is yet to come!

Progress!

Started back going to the gym. This is my second day and I am feeling good! Down to 255lbs.

Resistance!

I got my first fill  Thursday June 23. They stuck a LONG 2inch thick needle through my stomach and into my port. It stung slightly for a second and then I did not fill it anymore. The NP put 1.5ml into my band. At first I could not feel any resistance but I noticed that my hunger subsided for 4+ hour. I was super excited about that. The next day I went to the beach and was so afraid I would mess up with my eating. To my surprise I did wonderful. I ate out 2 times and felt total resistance after about a 1.5 cups of food. I made great food choices and ate off the kids menu at one place. I came back from my trip this morning and I was down a pound. The scale now says 256.4 and I could not be any happier. I am working with my lapband and I see results!

4 weeks since my lapband surgery!

What a wild 4 weeks! I have learned alot and continue to discover things out about the band. I discovered Lapbandtalk.com and I'm totally hooked. I see the good, bad and ugly on that site. Well I have been doing well and exercising just like I should. Been walking 1.5-2.25 miles at least 5 times a week. Got on the scale today and weighed 257.2. My weight is coming down slowly but surely. I have lost a total of 15lbs and I am so happy.

Got the baby bug yesterday. The Children's Home Society reviewed our request to adopt and will be mailing us soon to let us know that our home study wa approved. Me and my SIL shopped online for a crib and I went out and bought a few bottes, some wipes and recieving blankets. I think Thomas and I will need to make a registry soon. My SIL has turned me on to cloth diapers! Fuzzbuz diapers are so cute and last from birth to toddler ages. They are a little pricey but much cheaper in the long run. Thomas has agreed to give them a try and the best part is they are good for the enviroment because it will cut down on waste.

Funny how GOD works!

About an hour ago, I was complaining about staying at 259 all week. Well I decided to take my frustrations out on the treadmill and walked for 36 minutes and got back on the scale and now I weigh 258.6. I guess between energy burned and the sweating it brought me down a whole pound. I will take it! God blesses when your faithful. I have renewed hope in this lapband!

Frustrated!

For the life of me I cannot get past 259. I have been exercising and staying under  900 cals a day and the scale won't move. My band is empty and I go in for a band filled June 30th. I pray that it helps curve my appetite and boost this weight loss. God knows I am doing all I can. I cannot fail at this! I know I'm being a little hard on myself, I just had surgery 3 weeks ago and have lost 13 lbs in weight and 4 inches in body mass. I am scheduled to see a bariatric nutritionist today. Maybe she can help me shed some light on the situation. Until then Im going walk a couple miles to clear my head. Thomas and I booked a 4 day cruise to the Bahamas for the end of July. My goal is to weigh 249 before we leave. I gotta a lot of work to do but the one thing I know about myself is, I am up for the challenge! Nothing has kept me from success and I won't let this weight loss journey mess up my flow.

June 8th 2 week post op visit

I got a good report! My doctor said I was doing well and on track. I am scheduled for my first fill June 30th. My weight was 259 with clothes on. I will take that because clothes add to the total body weight. So thats a total  of 13lbs in 2 weeks.


The social worker came Tuesday night and reviewed our homestudy. She said it should be approved by next Tuesday June 14. She said we are the ideal couple for adoption. I am praying that we have a baby soon! I better start looking for cribs and baby stuff. So excited!

Jun 6th Im in the 250's!!!!

Yep I said it! I join the 250's club! I am offically 259.8. Over the past 4 days, my weight has  fluctuated slightly. I fluctuated from 260 to 262 and now I'm 259.8. I plan on calling a nutritionist today to go over my diet because I think I am in starvation mode and not eating enough calories. Its funny how the body works. It holds on to everything when its not getting enough nutrients. I have been exercising for the last 4 days and doing the best that I can.

June 1st Soft foods

My weight today is 260! Its exciting because I am on my way to the 250's and I haven't been there consistantly since the late 90's. My weight has mainly been in the 260's and 270's for the last 10 years.

I started soft foods today. I mentally had in my mind what I wanted to eat and was pretty excited about it. I questioned why I had such excitement about food. Then I pulled back because I realized that my mind was still in addiction mode. My excitement turned into ambivolence because I DO NOT want to get hung up on the joy of eating fattening foods that will pile the weight back on. Retraining the mind is diffcult but I am willing to work on it. People overcome addictions everyday. I plan to go to my first bariatric support group tomorrow night to get more insight.

 I have taken it easy with my food choices. My goal is to pile on the protein and so far I have been successful. I've eatten some yougurt, 1egg, and pureed corn chowder soup today.I have consumed 27 gram of protein so far. I need about 23 more grams. Will I get it today? I doubt it. I am very happy that I am taking my time and eating slow. I have been getting full and stayings satisfied for about 3-4 hours at time. I am consuming about 3 ounces of food at one setting.  I am so grateful for the lapband!

May 30th

My weight today is 261.I can't believe I have lost 10lbs!!!!! I am beginning to have increased hunger pains. I have been drinking all day but drinking beef broth really curves my appetite. I went outside and walked up the street and back. Not as tired today. Trying to envision how I will continue with my current weight loss. I am determined to keep it up! Loved looking at Skymoon1982 Lapband weightloss success on Youtube. She looks fantastic and is keeping me motivated.

May 29

My weight today is 262.6.

May 28

 I hate to obsess over the scale but at this point , its all I have. My current weight is 265.2. Down another pound. Decided this would be the day that I get out of the house. It poured down raining like 3 times before I could leave. I decided to go to Walmart to do a little walking and to replenish some of my liquid food. Boy was I weak! I felt like I was gonna pass out in the store. We spent about 30 minutes there and I was happy to get home. Appetite is fair. Still trying to drink more water.

Talked to my SIL who was babysitting a friends 5 month old little boy. He was so cute and I loved hearing his little cries and cueing through the phone. I can't wait to have a child! I am praying that this extra weight loss will rid my body from the PCOS(Polycystic Ovary Syndrome). I have been reading blogs tonight where women had the lapband, lost weight and got pregnant. I think of myself alot when I read those kinds of things. I want to adopt but would love to have a biological child. Heck I would love to do both! I will hold on because I know my day is coming.Not sure when, but I am preparing for the miracle!

May 27th Post op Day 2

Woke up at 4am feeling very gittery. I am 100% sure my blood glucose was low. Got up and made me some Sweet tea. I drank about a cup and felt 100% better. I knew it would be a matter of time before I went through withdrawl from sugar and caffeine. I will not make it a habit to resort to such measures but I got through my first storm. I really feel pretty good today. I sat out on the back deck and soaked up some Vitamin D. I want to thank my hubby for buying the umbrella and stand to protect me from the sun. I think I will venture out  of the house tomorrow. Cabin Fever is trying to set in. My weight today was 266.3. Its coming off! I am happy! My hungar pains are minimal. I listen to my body and I give it what it needs. I ain't gonna lie, I am ready to upgrade my diet. It feels odd not being able to eat stuff without texture. All these liquids are boring me.

May 26- Day after surgery

Feeling a little better today. Talked on the phone a while with friends and family. I am excited about my new adventure. I got up and weighed and I am down 2lbs. 268.3. I bought several bottles of Isopure protein drink but it was so nasty that I could not drink it. I have never tasted anything so bad. Pretty boring day. Drank clear liquids, popsicles an watched TV. Gonna try and research ways I can add protein to my diet.

May 25 - The day after my surgery

So they surgery went well. Still took me 2.5 hours to wake up from the anesthesia.(By the way, me and anesthesia are not friends!) Thomas took me home and I layed on the couch and rested for the rest of the day. The pain was moderate and I took my pain medication faithfully. My weight on that day was 271lbs. This is not the most I weighed but it will be my start weight.

May 24, 2011 Day before the Surgery

What a tiring day!  I worked all night and came home sleepy and hungry. I had to start my clear liquid diet and all I wanted was a biscuit from Bo jangles!  As an alternative, I drank some water, ate a cup of j-e-l-l-o and caught some ZZZZ’s for a few hours. I only got 2 hours of sleep because I had a pre-op appointment at the hospital to collect medical information and sign consents for my lap band surgery.  After the appointment, I came home and drank some chicken broth and ate a few popsicles. All I could do was pray that I would not be hungry like this tomorrow after my surgery. I watched TV for a while to clear my mind.

At 5:30pm our social worker came to collect all our adoption paperwork to complete our home study so we can potentially adopt in the future. She asked Thomas and I questions separately and together. She pointed out that I had a strong personality and Thomas was laid back. She asked us how we would handle conflicts with parenting when the child came. I told her I have little experience with caring for children and Thomas has a lot of experience from caring for his younger brother. Thomas knowledge about children would be a great asset  and he would help me learn valuable parenting skills. I get a little nervous thinking about motherhood. I pray that I am a great mother and our marriage stays as strong as it is now when a little one enters the picture. All I hear from other parents is how things change when kids come. I love my marriage and pray that a child will make it even better.

 Well enough rambling, I better go to bed because I have to be at the hospital @ 6:30am to prepare for my life changing weight loss surgery. I am excited and nervous at the same time. I am committed to the change and pray that there are no complications or adverse side effects.  My heavenly Father knows what’s best for me and be with me all the way. I have been in constant prayer about this decision for several months. I am at peace and feel the outcome will be great! I will keep you posted.

Introduction

Hello Everyone!

My name is Kim and I wanted to start a personal blog to share with friends and family about two life changing events that I am about to embark upon. Back in 2010, my church launched the theme "The Year of Jubilee". I was excited about it and witness alot of God's promises being fulfilled in my church. There were many things that I prayed about for God to manifest in my life. Some things were manifested and I was grateful, but some things remained unfulfilled. So as the year ended and our theme changed. I support the current theme of my church but want to continue rejoicing because I feel like I am still in "Jubilee". In  2011, I have much more prospective in my life. I am growing closer to God and it has really help me stay focused when things don't go the way that I would like them to go. I will continue to seek his face and I know he has great things instore for me and my family but in HIS timing. While I wait, I will continue to exercise my faith in the process. God's timing is best. I know in my heart that God has saved me from a lot of heartache by allowing things to happen in his perfect timing.

Now back to the events that I plan to blog about. The first life changing event that I will focus on is my Bariatric Surgery coming up May 25,2011. I will be having the Lapband procedure to assist me in losing weight. I have been wrestling with the decision whether to have the surgery since 2009 and have decided to go forward with it to preserve my health. I plan to document my personal experience as I go through the journey of permenant weightloss.

The second life changing event that I plan to blog is my journey with adoption. At this point, me and my husband have started the process to adopt a child. We have attented the required classes and completed all the paperwork to apply for our foster parent license. We have one more visit from our social worker on May 24, 2011 to finalize the home study so we can get our license. Getting our foster care license is a prelimenary step so that we can adopt. We do not plan to foster children. I am a pretty ambitious person and really hope that God will bless us with a child under the age of 24 months before the end of the year. Again, this is God's business and I will wait for his timing because I know that it will be perfect. It is my family's desire to be matched with a infant. I don't have any children and the thought of going through the milestones of motherhood would be so fulfilling! Please keep me and my husband Thomas in your prayers as we go through the process.