favorite seasons....

We have officially entered my favorite time of year... fall leaves, cooler temps, a chill in the night air, working in the yard, jumping in huge piles of leaves...

I love fall!

Silly as it is, fall also begins my Christmas shopping season. Since we celebrate Christmas with Scott's parents and his brother's family of 9 at Thanksgiving, I have to get an early jump on it! I love Christmas shopping. The idea of putting a smile on their faces because I have tried to find something that they will love or enjoy...

My two favorite times of the year... fall and Christmas...

empty closet

I am a minimalist...
Don't get me wrong, the Sublett family has a lot of junk... but when it comes to "my junk," I have a 6 month rule... If I have not used it, worn it, or needed it in the last 6-9 months, GET RID OF IT.

 

When it comes to my closet, I have followed that rule religiously. I have never understood having sizes from 10-20 in your closet. That would have been depressing to me over the last 17 years. After gaining the weight from 1994-1995, I have been a size 20-22. I had NOTHING in my closet that I could not wear at anytime. I could fit into everything in there. There were no "skinny" clothes or chubby clothes... it was just all ready-to-wear-fatwear.

 

Yesterday was my support group meeting... I've lost a few pounds, so I knew I had a few items that were getting bigger... but I tried on 7 shirts before I could find a nice shirt that I felt okay in... My favorite go-to shirt (my favorite pink gingham from Talbot's) looked huge. I could wrap it across my body like a wrap-shirt. A wonderful feeling, but alarming when you need to get dressed! So, I decided when I got home, I would try to go through my closet a little.

 

...I need to go by the goodwill and my secret closet today....

I have three garbage bags of clothes to consign and 47 hangers that are now empty in my closet and empty drawers too.

It is true that I need to get rid of clothes that no longer fit - but I am not ready to go crazy shopping. I have no use for a new wardrobe that will not fit in a month or two...

I stopped by Goodwill this afternoon. I was able to grab a couple of pairs of jeans... they will tide me over until I am ready to go shopping again!

Love all of you - thank you for your support and well wishes. Having the support of friends and family has made this so much more of a fun ride!

 

a new attempt

I have exercised before... I have been in classes, worked on machines, gone to the gym at 5am, run to zumba at 7pm, bought a big ball to workout on, walked and jogged on a treadmill....

but it did not work and I quit.

 

 

but here's to a new attempt....

 

 

I think I have officially lost my dern mind.

 

I started walking immediately after surgery. I have a huge desire to get smaller as quickly as possible. I try to walk a little farther every time I go... The farthest I have walked is 5.2 miles.

 

But, tonight I did something, that for me, is very brave.

 

I signed up for a 5K. I understand that it is just over three miles. I have done this several times... but never in front of people. I certainly could never imagine paying to "get to" run it...

 

However, on October 27th I will be walking/jogging my first ever 5K in Raleigh, NC. I hope and pray that it will be the first of many. I pray that I enjoy it. I want to rock it out and have a new hobby.

 

...a hobby that will change my life for the better...

 

Here we go... want to attempt a change for the better along with me? Sign up... www.colormerad.com

 

(I am signed up under the team named SublettCraziness)

one month

My surgery was August 9th at 10am... It was a long day... I had a trusted friend/nurse/sleepover buddy. I had my man. I had my parents. I had several friends emailing and texting well wishes and words of encouragement. It was the day that would forever change my life....

 

One month has brought many changes. I no longer can eat supper in 15 minutes... unless I only want to eat 5-8 bites! Meals last from 45 minutes to an hour now. I no longer want sweets... I long for meat. I have discovered that I can still eat popcorn as long as I steer clear of the kernels. I have had no episodes of being sick. I have been very careful about what I eat...

 

I have gone out to eat with my friends and family... I am getting used to the weird looks when I say, "no drink for me"... the server asks me at least 3-5 times throughout the meal if he/she can bring me a drink.

 

I have learned that I should ask for a "to go" box immediately, or just share with someone... When at Olive Garden last week, I ate four bites of Jessica's meal... and then one piece of chicken from my mother's dish... I am a cheap date.

 

I no longer have any desire for alcohol... I do, however, LONG for a diet mountain dew...

but have resolved myself to never again taste it.

 

 

Most importantly, I am losing weight. I can only see it in my face though... I know that my clothes are getting bigger. I no longer stretch t-shirts as I put them on - they fit right out of the dryer.

 

I have lost around 25 pounds this month.

 

I am walking a lot. I am trying to get my family to do it with me... but other than maybe 3 or 4 times, I am on my own... But that is okay - I am learning to enjoy the solitude and the time to unwind and think... I will return to exercise classes this coming week. I am nervous about them, but looking forward to lifting weights and toning.

 

so - I am one month out from getting my vertical sleeve... I still only have one regret.

 

I wish I could have had the surgery years ago...

 

(I do secretly still wish I could have had gastric regardless of what was "best" for me - but only because I want to lose weight faster!)

back in the saddle

So, we are back in the saddle again! School is back in session... homework has returned and reared its ugly head... I am back at work... It always cracks me up how I forget how difficult it is to get three kids up, fed, dressed, lunches made, out the door, go to work, get three kids from three different car lines, and start homework.... then around 5pm, panic over thinking about what I will feed the family!

This year, I am trying to be more deliberate...

• more deliberate in my teaching - more planning, more fun, more smiles and laughter...
• more deliberate in my cooking - better choices of food
• more deliberate in my shopping - trying to do the majority of buying from the perimeter of the grocery store
• more deliberate in my free time - more trips to the gym after work and more walks/jogs in the evening with my kids

But I need to be more deliberate in many areas... I need to be more deliberate in finding time each day for a quiet time. I need to be more deliberate in being a more positive person and adding light into friends' lives. I need to be more deliberate in NOT being so critical.

Being back in the saddle is good in a lot of ways, but I need to change my saddle.... No more slipping into old habits and ways...

Let's all make a strong effort to treat ourselves and the people around us better...

I would rather strive for it today than regret missing the chance tomorrow....