My Story

I was born in Kansas City, Missouri where I grew up loving macaroni and cheese, Little Debbies, and chocolate donuts covered with peanut butter! :D I have always been well... chubby and it didn't really bother me until high school. I didn't know the right way to eat or exercise but managed to lose a little weight by replacing my meals with Dr. Pepper. Once I was an adult, I didn't really care. The size I was.. was my size and that was all there was to it. I got really big... really really big. And my biggest clothes wouldn't fit, I was uncomfortable doing EVERYTHING. One of my last straws was when I went to Cedar Point and couldn't FIT on any of the rides. I screamed and cried until I got my money back and then went out and ate the rest of the weekend. I wasn't happy with who I was though I always had a smile on my face. Here is a picture of me at my heaviest in May of 2007.

From Weight Watchers

It was then that I realized action needed to be taken. I joined Weight Watchers with my mother-in-law who had been a member for years and was maintaining at her goal weight. I wanted to become a lifetime member. I worked, and worked, and worked. 15 months later I was ten pounds from my goal and feeling wonderful!! :D I was finally thin... sort of.

From Weight Watchers

About a week after this photo was taken (or maybe even closer than that), I got pregnant with my son, Andrew. The pregnancy gave me the license to eat I guess. I had chocolate and ice cream and goodies that I wouldn't have touched just a month before. I was almost back to where I started when he was about 9 months old and I decided to pack him up and return to Weight Watchers.

From Weight Watchers

It's taken me a year to lose 47.5 pounds. I haven't been as focused this time around, as anyone who has a child can relate!! But I've put the hammer down and I'm full steam ahead. I make a menu every week and I will post it to the blog. I am going to try to put as many of my recipes on here as possible to share with everyone. If you are trying to lose weight or are just looking for good recipes, I want to be a helping hand, maybe even an inspiration. It's a constant battle. We have to eat to live, not live to eat. And unlike cigarettes, where you can just throw the pack away and walk away... we have to eat something everyday to stay alive. So it's rough. (not that quitting smoking isn't... I've been there too) So enjoy my recipes, my humor, my company.. And feel free to share your struggles too. A battle is always best won by fighting with a friend. This is me recently.. somewhere in between.... Better pics to come!

From Weight Watchers

Wow, I wanted to update this story. Sad to say, I've gained that 47.5 lbs and then some. Here I sit, bigger than ever, back to square ONE. I've decided to try a different approach... Food Art Journaling. (Yeah, I made that up myself... I think. LOL) A lot of people put all of their food they eat daily in a journal. A lot of people create Art Journals. I decided to combine the two to make a truly interesting journey implementing my creative skills and passion. I will keep track of goals, rewards, feelings about each and everything I eat, and even score myself daily on how well I "followed my program." What is my program... drinking six 8oz glasses of water a day, choosing fruits, veggies, lean meats, lowfat or fat free dairy, and whole grains. Each category is worth 2 points for a total of 10 daily points. (easily converted to a percentage for a letter grade, haha) Did I mention I'm a teacher? LOL I don't teach, I stay home with my son, but that's a different story altogether. Point being... I am dealing with the WHY when it comes to my battle with eating. I have never explored the WHY. I have measured, counted, and prayed for a miracle, but never FIXED the problem. This journey will fix my problem... and I'll have some awesome documentation to show for it!

This picture was me at Easter this year. I'm probably even bigger now than I was then. I'm suffering. And I refuse to suffer at my own hand any longer.

From Weight Watchers