new year, new gear & new look.

8:00 on New Year's Day and I'd say things are off to a great start.

We rang in the New Year by counting down together and then watching SVU until we fell asleep.

And it was the perfect NYE.  For this year, anyway.

I cooked a New Year's dinner, which was actually a success.

(I didn't love the marinade I used for the chicken, but the veggies were mm mm mm!

And healthy, too.  Which is always a plus.)

Aaaaand... 

Things look a little different around here, huh?  Thanks to Rekita (who I've known for a while and is the sweetest person ever!) from Designed Lovely Studio, I have this brand spanking new look for my blog.  It's still Hunger & Happiness, but I started thinking... I think I have those in the wrong order.  So I decided to make my first rule (hence, Rule No.1) to always be happy.  I think I put that on the back burner sometimes with everything I have going on.  Working out, eating right, working a full time job, saving for the wedding, sweating for the wedding, etc... Often, I forget to stop for a minute, be thankful and just be HAPPY.  So, this is the new look of the blog and the new motivation for my life.  To be happy, then healthy and then hungry.  Because honestly, former fat girls never stop being hungry.  Hell, most skinny girls are always hungry.  So there you go.  Just a little prioritizing for the new year.

I woke up this morning down to a perfect and even 241.0, which means I am down 70 pounds total!  I can't believe it's only 30 more to go until I reach 100 pounds lost.  2013 brought me surgery and I really hope that 2014 will bring me lots of hard work, new goals to reach and my best body ever.  I'm ready to work for it!  Plus, there is a little thing called OUR WEDDING happening in October, so I have a legit countdown to get this body ready.

[edit]  whoops!  forgot to talk about my new gear!

Old Navy had an amazing sale today on all their workout gear.  I also checked out the clearance section, just for good measure.  I got 2 pairs of long yoga pants and 2 more pairs of fitted capri workout pants.  I think they were only $10 each!  Which was awesome.

I also got this shirt for $2.99 off the clearance rack!  I was pretty excited.  Partly because it looks like a mockingjay (nerd alert) and partly because it had a deeper meaning.  New Year, new freedoms.  Free from everything that was 2013, good and bad.  No looking back.  Free to take 2014 and make it the best yet.  It's blue and it's soft and it's my freedom shirt.  Like I said, finding the deeper perspectives here people.

Lastly, I have some goals I want to reach this year.  Some of them are weird (you'll see) and some of them are pretty typical.  Nevertheless, I want to challenge myself.

2014 GOALS

1.  Fit into Nike running shorts comfortably.

2.  Tone my legs.  (of course I want my whole body to be toned, but I've always wanted great looking legs!  Gene The Personal Trainer is aware...)

3.  Start jogging/running.  Nothing crazy-  just get myself more comfortable with moving my body that way.

4.  Complete a 5k by not only walking. The Race for the Cure Breast Cancer run is probably not going to be an option because we will either be getting married or on our honeymoon, but I'm sure I can find one sometime this year that I can complete.

5.  Get my weight to 160 by the wedding.  (I realize this may not be doable OR I may look exactly how I want before I reach this weight BUT-  I am setting this goal for myself so that I work HARD.)

6.  Continue my gastric bypass journey.  Surgery may be well over, but there is definitely a gastric bypass lifestyle to maintain.  I want to make sure I eat the right foods, continue to workout and push myself physically, and start attending support groups.  It gets emotional sometimes and I know talking with others who have been through the same thing will help.

7.  Continue to share my journey with you all.  The comments, support and encouragement from friends old and new mean more than any of you could EVER imagine.  So thank you, thank you, thank you!

Happy New Year!

I will, as always, leave you with my weight progress.

SW:  311.0

CW:  241.0

- 70 lbs