Life + Weight Loss + Advocare

Well hey there kids.  It's been a minute since I've been around these parts and I can't say I miss it that much.  Life is, as usual, busy.  I'm working hard on school so I can finally be done with my Associates degree in July.  Then, I'm going to take a few months off until I head into the Bachelor's program, which will be another two years of school work for me.  As they always say, the time will pass anyway... right?
I figured I'd stop in and just update you guys on what's been happening lately.  So here we go!

• I'm updating this from my brand spankin' new MacBook Air thanks to a nice little refund I got in the mail from my financial aid.  Since I'm technically graduating this year and didn't do a full year of classes, I had just enough to get a (much needed) new computer and I always said the next computer I'd get would be a Mac.  So ta-da!
• I knew this all along, but more than ever I've discovered that gastric bypass IS.NOT. a cure all for being overweight.  Those pounds will come back.  Your body will eventually readjust to foods you never thought you'd eat again.  You will get on the scale one day and be like, where the hell did those 12 pounds come from?  It takes effort people.  It is a non stop struggle and will be for my whole life.  I'm not disappointed in myself or let down, but I do have to get back on track to work hard, eat (way) better, and let others inspire me like I want to inspire them.
• This is where Advocare comes in.  When I did the 24 Day Challenge, it was a lot.  I think I wrote about how I probably wouldn't do it again because the fiber drink was nasty (but it really was), the vitamins were so overwhelming, etc... But I found myself replacing my fattening Dunkin Donuts coffee with Spark every morning and taking some supplements that help to curb my appetite.  So I decided to become a distributor for the discount and have also sold to some friends of mine, which is pretty cool.  Over the past few weeks, I've become obsessed with carrying my blender bottle with me everywhere so I can whip up some Spark at a moment's notice.  Fruit Punch is my favorite and I have it every.single.morning.  I also bought a month's worth of the appetite control vitamins, got a neat little app for my phone to remind me to take them, and another appetite suppressant pill to go along with all that.  The awesome thing about Advocare is that it's natural.  It's not like, insane crack-like pills that will make you shake and convulse, but rather natural ingredients that work with your body.  After my gastric bypass, I feel totally comfortable taking these!  (Not sure if I'd recommend them for someone who had gastric bypass until about 12 months out, just to be sure, but you could always ask your doctor.)  I feel confident that all of these combined will help me get back on track with my weight loss and get these damn last annoying 50 pounds off my body!  Now if I could just get my food prepping back in order... if it's not one thing, ya know!
• A lot of y'all have reached out to me about missing my blog and God knows I love you all so much, but I don't see myself coming back to blogging full time.  I got a wild hair today and wanted to just update you, but I can't promise how regularly I will do that.  I am constantly on FB, Instagram and sometimes Twitter, so please feel free to add me on all of those!  I really do love talking and connecting with you guys, and just because I'm not here doesn't mean I'm not somewhere-  because I am.  (and if you ask my husband, I'm everywhere.  mwahahah!)

so much love, hugs and kisses to you guys!

thank you for always being there for me.

all my love, always!

it just got real(ly intense)

So yesterday was the last day of Phase 1 of Advocare, which was the Cleanse Phase.  Thank GOD I do not have to take that nasty, nasty fiber drink anymore.  If anyone wants to know what it tastes like, just throw up into a cup and let it get room temperature, then drink. (that may be an exaggeration, but still.  that's what it felt like to me.) YUCKY.
Today, I start the Max Phase. Last night, when I opened up the boxes for this phase, I literally was like WHAT IN THE ACTUAL?????  There are like, vitamins out the wazoo!  (Ben said it looked like some kind of AIDS cocktail, which he was sort of right.)  Color packs, white packs, both packs, take before breakfast, take before lunch, take at lunch, etc...  *blank stare* *still blankly staring into space*
Once I pulled myself together enough to figure out what was happening, I legit put them into huge freezer bags and threw them in a tote to carry around with me.  How am I supposed to keep up with all of this?!  Thank God, once again, for the 24 Day Challenge app on my phone.  I'd be a hot mess, taking the wrong vitamins at the wrong time and jacking everything up.
I'm about to start my period, so I'm super bloated and moody. This does not help with weight loss, in case y'all didn't know. I find myself wanting to just eat every last thing in the house.   I can't even right now.
I'm still sitting at 204 and if I'm being honest, I was really expecting to be under 200 by this point in the challenge.  But hey, it's okay.
I still have to remind myself of the old saying that no one wants to hear or talk about, "muscle weighs more than fat."  And I have been hitting the gym pretty hard, so hopefully that's what's happening.
Not much else has been happening around these parts.  I've been working late because a girl changed departments and I've been doing her job and my job until the new girl starts next Monday.  I really like being busy, so I've actually enjoyed it.
I also feel like it's time for a new look around this blog, but what else is new.  I reallllly need to learn some basic design skills so I don't have to pay every time, but oh well.  I guess it's okay for now, but every time I look at someone else's design I really want to change mine.  I have such a finicky personality.
Ok loves, I guess that's all she wrote for today! (no pun intended...)
SW:  311 CW:  204 -107 GW:  150 54 to go. (but seriously, hurry up.)

I have nothing to talk about, but here I am.

Maybe that's only half true, because let's face it, I could talk circles around myself at any given time. *big fat sigh*
So I've been doing this Advocare Challenge and I'm on Day 5. I will admit, I feel different. BETTER.

It may be purely mental, who knows, but I feel great. My mood is a thousand times better than a week ago. Last week I was grumpy and ill and tired all the time.
And this week, I have energy.  Like, a lot.  And I'm happy. Maybe it's both the challenge and the fact that I'm back to being active after 4 months of being extremely stationary.  Talk about depressing, y'all. and did I mention that I've lost 4 pounds in 4 days?  because I have.
Let's see, what else is happening in my world... Ben and I worked out for two hours last night. TWO. That has never, ever happened in my entire life. Not even when I was working out with Gene The Personal Trainer.

Speaking of personal training, I talked to my trainer friend Brett at the gym last night about getting back into it, and after our conversation I realized it is going to be several months (like, maybe six or more...) before I will be cleared by my doctor to work out with a trainer.  Thank God I remember all the stuff Gene taught me.  I'm glad that Brett said that though.  I would never want to think that a trainer took my money (because trainer's are damn expensive) knowing I had a healing knee injury and let me go jump around and run and get crazy without my best interest at heart.  So I know when the time is right, my doctor will clear me and I will be able to actually afford a trainer.  When you don't work for two months and then work part time for two more months, there isn't a whole lot of money coming in.  So I'm putting all of my injury/health/fitness/recovery goals into perspective and just pushing forward.  What else would I do, anyway?
(the answer to that is lay in bed and watch endless episodes of Vanderpump Rules.  because it's my favorite piece of trash TV ever.)
I also tried to make a video this morning before work about everything happening in my world (see above, duh) and the fuh-reakin' batteries died on me AT THE VERY END OF THE VIDEO.  So I'm not going to post that.  Plus. I still don't know how to edit a video, sooo.... 
#hotmessexpress. love, love, love!
SW: 311 CW: 204 -107 GW: 150 54 to go

pudge.

Does anyone remember the movie Shag? It's from 1989, when I was 3, but when I was older I would watch it on VHS nonstop. I wanted to be Pudge so bad. I never thought she was fat, but everyone around her thought she was chubby. She was so insecure until she found the right guy to Shag with.
Man, I just loved that movie.

Now, I haven't seen that movie in a few years (which is a real shame, to be honest) but I still use the word "pudge" quite often. Today, when I was looking in the mirror, I found my pudge. My stomach from below my boobs to mid belly is flat, and then there's a damn pudge!
This has to go.  It just simply is not welcome here anymore.
I'm really looking forward to being back in the gym and working on my fitness.
Oh, also, does anyone watch Total Divas on the E! channel? I'm obsessed with that show. I never thought I'd like it because, let's be honest, I don't like the WWE. But this is more about the lives of these girls, and there is one girl in particular who I am using as my fitness goal. She's FREAKING gorgeous and I feel like we would be BFF's in real life. This girl, Eva Marie:

Okay, now am I ever going to look like that? Maybe not. But I'm damn sure going to try! I can't even help but say it:  that girl is just hot! I totally can appreciate another beautiful woman, and I even really like her fire red hair!
So I got Ben to take my picture, because I thought what better time for an updated progress picture?
Starting Advocare, getting back in the gym, and eating clean is making me feel great. So I'm going to keep tracking my progress as I go. And try to get rid of that freaking pudge...  *wink*

SW: 311 CW: 207.5 -103.5 GW: 150 57.5 to go

Advocare Video Diary: Day 1

hey y'all! well, I did it. I filmed a video. God help us.
I realized while watching the video that my mouth is weird when I talk and I sometimes (most of the time?) sound very country, even though I'm a city girl. I guess that doesn't matter when you're from Alabama, huh?
just a few one things: the video is 15 minutes long.   I legit talk way too much.
anyway, hope you guys enjoy. if you make it through the whole thing, then props to you! and if you don't make it through the whole thing, but you've done Advocare, let me know how you survived the Fiber Drink.   dear Jesus, it's like being terribly punished...  *gag*
okay, here we go!    

Since October: Part 2: The Honeymoon

Hey hey heeeeeey.  It's been a while since I left y'all with my wedding story, so I figured I'd tell more of the story today.  These posts are really long, so we can work through it together.  I wanted to do a vlog, but let's face it... I talk way too much for someone who has no clue how to edit a video, so unless y'all are interested in a 20+ minute video, I will just type it all out.  (sidenote:  if you think you will watch a video that long with me just talking, let me know and I will totally do one.)
So when I last left you, we had just finished our beautiful wedding and were ready to jet-set out to the Dominican Republic for our long and glorious paradise honeymoon.  I will admit, I didn't take as many pictures as I would have liked during the honeymoon because we were mostly in the pool and/or looking a hot mess at any given restaurant (the resort had 10!) stuffing our faces with delicious food and alcohol. We stayed at The Excellence Resort in Punta Cana, which was GORGEOUS, but not really located in Punta Cana.  I mean, a 50 minute drive to the other side of the island isn't really where I thought the resort would be, but hey, it was totally worth it. Days 1-4 were perfection.   Day 1:  We got there early enough on the travel day to get some drinks, do some swimming, check out the resort, and then head to dinner.  

Day 2: We discovered the swim up bar.  SWIM. UP. BAR.  The three most magical words ever spoken at an all-inclusive resort.  We spent the day at the pool, at the bar, floating, at the bar, eating, floating, etc... you see the pattern.  We had dinner at the Asian restaurant and it was delicious.  Sushi sampler for the win.  I kept forgetting that we didn't have to wait on the server to bring the check because, hellloooo, all inclusive for the win!  (no seriously, I will never take another vacation that isn't all inclusive.  best. decision. ever)  After dinner, we got accosted by mosquitoes.  Ben wanted to take a romantic walk through the garden (bless his sweet heart, he's so romantic) and we realized we were literally being eaten alive by bugs and had to go to the "pharmacy" to get ointment for all our bug bites.  Hey, still worth it and still pretty romantic. 

SWIM.UP.BAR.YESSSSS.

Day 3:  Breakfast. Swim up bar. We also did some shopping at the souvenir shops they had and Ben bought some cigars.  The resort also had shows they would put on every night, so we headed to the bar and had drinks before the Disco show started.  It was extremely amateur and still extremely entertaining.

unlimited, all day long.

thank you, amazing beach waiters.

swim up bar directly behind me to the right.

rocking the bikini like I don't even care.

I also eventually drunkenly sat on those sunglasses and squashed them.

I also drunkenly found myself not caring that much.

#honeymoonstatus

Day 4:  Breakfast.  Reserved cabana on the beach.  The best thing ever is a covered king sized bed with huge, comfy pillows ON A BEACH.  I mean, can we say paradise?  We stayed inside the cabana all day long.  The staff would come around and bring us drinks and mini pizzas, so we legit did not have to move all day.  I read a whole book while in the cabana, took a nap, Ben took a nap, read the news, etc... We also swam in the ocean a couple of times, but the water was super rough, so we just lazed around all day long.  We had dinner at the Italian restaurant and it was incredible.  We also went to the Circus show that night, which was an extremely amateur version of Cirque d' Soleil, but it was really awesome and fun to watch.

best thing ever.

crazy acrobatics

Day 5:  Breakfast and then back to the room.  It was raining, so we decided to just hang out in the room and enjoy some relaxation time, since we had been going non-stop and in the sun for several days.  It was still raining but Ben wanted to go down to the swim up bar.  He went down and I told him I would meet him down there in a bit.  I didn't want to go, but it was our honeymoon!  I didn't want my new husband down there by himself, so I reluctantly put on my bathing suit and headed down to the pool.  I didn't take our pool bag with sunscreen, hats, etc... because it was still rainy and overcast. Once the sun started coming out, Ben decided we needed our sunscreen and towels, so we parted ways- him to the room to get the bag and me across the pool area to get towels from the pool concierge.  
THIS IS WHERE THINGS GOT CRAZY. this story is to be continued... (don't worry, it's already written and scheduled for tomorrow and I truly couldn't find a good stopping point, so there it is.)

Also, before I go, I'm back on the weight loss train pretty strong!  I've lost about 5 pounds since last week and I'm super happy about it.  So, I will try to post more about that as well.  I'll be posting my weight again so I can keep myself accountable and see my progress. Lots happening, people! What have y'all been up to?
SW:  311 CW:  206.5 GW: 150 all my love, always