My Adventures in Weight Loss @ Weight Watchers Week:14

This post will be short.  I've had a bad week.  No sleep, thanks to IEHP deciding to change my meds.  Thanks Obama for giving them the power to do it.  According to them new "health care" laws mean that they can change my perscriptions....REALLY??? When did they become drs.? When did they look at my case file? I'm assuming they didn't because they would have known that the reason I was on the beta blocker that I was on was because the previous one had made me REALLY sick. Like almost died sick. I talked to my dr. and agreed to try the new one for a few months.  Yeah it's gotten to the point that I can barely sleep, and it's not like I can just stop taking my heart meds.  Fortunately I see my dr. two weeks from now so hopefully he can get me back on the meds that work and don't make me sick.
Add no sleep to everyone around me seeming to think I'm their personal pity party planner. I don't mind being supportive and being there for people.  I understand people need to vent. I'm glad they feel secure enough with me to do so.  But sometimes I just get overwhelmed and I need to vent or cry and not be everyone's hero. Ya know? I did figure out one neat trick though.  When I turn the topic of conversation to myself and what I need to vent about or whats been bothering me, for some reason people just disappear. Funny huh? Maybe by the time anyone reads this I will have found the perfect words to say to make everyone else's problems go away.  Or at least found someone who doesn't mind me crying back on their shoulders too.  I know not everyone around me is like that, and there are people I can cry to, but right now it just feels like the majority of conversations I've had this week, heck this summer, revolve around other peoples problems and I'm just really tired. Plus because of how I feel about being everyone's shoulder I don't want to put someone else in that position.  *sigh*

Now I just realized that I've made all my readers become that person...*double sigh*  and now I just realized that my post wasn't that short at all....

Sorry.

Anyway back to what I'm really here for, my weigh-in this week.  So that was actually a good thing.  I lost 1.4 lbs. and now I'm back to being only .4 lbs away from my 10% goal.  Keep your fingers crossed that I can lose another 1/2 a lb by next Friday.  Also on a positive note I think I'm going to have to find another pair of pants to start wearing to the weigh ins. These are getting just a bit too baggy! Yay!

Thanks for following me on my journey so far!

8/30/13

8/30/13

Weight: 190.4 lbs.

My Adventures in Weight Loss @ Weight Watchers Week 13

This was my freak out week.  It was my first appointment with the Dr. who had recommended that I try Weight Watchers in the first place since I started the program. I took my weight record and folder with me so the Dr. could see that I had actually been going and not just starving myself and taking a bunch of water pills the weekend before my appointment.  My Dr. was super impressed.

AND

I get to stay on my regular meds!!! Yay me!! (The Dr. had said if I couldn't lose it I would have had to change certain ones and I REALLY wasn't looking forward to my other options)

He did say that he wanted me to be careful and not lose too much weight too quickly.  My goal weight is 130 and I want to try to reach it around February of next year. (This year? Setting these posts to go up a year later sure messes with my time frame. lol) He said that if I am only at 170 by Christmas that that is above and beyond good. and not to push myself.  But I'm following the program and it's not like I'm exercising or anything beyond the physical therapy.  I told him that too.  He said just to not beat myself up if I don't reach my goal on my timetable, and to not push myself. 

The meeting was good too.  I lost weight this week. Not the whole 4lbs from last week, only 2.6 lbs.  But that's ok.  Overall I felt better this week too.    

So it's also my 12th week...So what do you think? Can you see it yet?

8/23/16

8/23/16

Weight: 191.8 lbs.

Readers For Retts Event Invite

Hi guys so this is my first time doing this, so please be gentle! The awesome author Rae Z. Ryans and I will be co-hosting an event together!The event is called Readers for Retts. We decided to set it up to help spread the word about Rett's Syndrome and introduce the families and girls suffering from this awful disease. (If you want to find out more about Retts itself please feel free to follow this link and see what it's about. To actually meet a sufferer of Retts click here.)

Now onto the details of the event:

We are currently seeking authors, bloggers, Rett families, and small businesses to help us spread the word about Rett Syndrome. We are looking for people interested in opportunities to host families, hold interviews, and spread the word about this disease affecting families and their daughters. Also we planning to pair up Rett's families/girls with sponsors who will offer giveaways on their behalf.

Some small info on what is Rett Syndrome?
QUICK FACTS:

    —Debilitating neurological (movement) disorder that predominantly affects females. (Boys generally die from it because of the genetics involved)
    —Baby girls are born "normal" but begin to lose acquired skills between the ages of 1-3 years old.
    —Caused by a single gene mutation that leads to underproduction of an important brain protein.
    —The leading genetic cause of severe impairment in girls - most cannot speak, walk or use their hands.
    —Despite their physical disabilities, girls with Rett Syndrome are believed to be functioning mentally at a much higher level than previously thought.
    —As prevalent as Cystic Fibrosis, ALS and Huntington's.
    —Another little girl is born with Rett Syndrome every 90 minutes.
    —Rett Syndrome is a potentially REVERSIBLE disorder. Research has proven once protein levels are back to normal levels, symptoms subside.

Now back to the event. The awareness party will be held on Facebook,so yes you will need a Facebook account to particpate as a sponsor for the even. However if you don't have one, but still wish to help spread the word, we can work with that too. Time and date:  We plan to start the event October 3rd @ 10 a.m. CDT. However the length is still up in the air until we find out exactly how many sponsors and families we have to work with. We are planning it for October as it is National Rett Awareness Month.


If you are interested in participating or spreading the word click on the link and fill out the form below.



Readers For Rett's Event Form

I also have buttons to share if you want to set up your own post to help promote this event. Please just email us a link to the post once it is live if you do so we can give thanks at the event to all who have helped in any way. Also we are asking if you do have a Facebook account/page to change your profile pic to one of the buttons to help spread the word.

<center> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/706338589438524/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Readers for Rett Syndrome" src="IMG LINK"/></a></center>

<center> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/706338589438524/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Readers for Rett Syndrome" src="IMG LINK"/></a></center>

<center> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/706338589438524/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Readers for Rett Syndrome" src="IMG LINK"/></a></center>

<center> <a href="http://reviewsfrommyfirstreadsshelf.blogspot.com/2014/08/readers-for-retts-event-invite.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Readers for Rett Syndrome" src="IMG LINK"/></a></center>

My Adventures in Weight Loss @ Weight Watchers Week 12

I was feeling sick last week during the meeting and it carried over into the rest of the week.  Still not feeling completely myself so this weeks update will be short.

So I gained back all the weight I lost last week. Not cool.... But honestly I was so sick this morning I really didn't care. I mean I was sad about it, but I wasn't going to cry. Plus there was this nice woman there who said I was looking really good. That helped me to feel a bit better.
Altogether I gained 4 lbs. this wee. : P

8/16/13

8/16/13

Weight: 194.4 lbs

My Adventures in Weight Loss @ Weight Watchers Week 11

So this last week was utterly crazy.  I don't uber-plan my meals, but I do make sure that there are ingredients and easy recipes available so I can keep on track.  It helps that I have a stand up freezer.  That is, it normally helps, until somebody leaves the door open!!! Over $300 worth of meat down the drain.  All the chicken and the fish! (Not to mention the beef.)
I had a few things in the regular freezer, and of course the boxed and canned food, but I have been trying to stay away from that stuff.  Higher points and not as much actual food per serving.  Then the boyfriend in an effort to be sweet bought us all pizza.  Good pizza.  Deep dish, extra cheese, pepperoni pizza....

Needless to say I ate it.

He made the comment that it was probably going to use up ALL my points for the week, for life even.  Yea I ate it anyway. lol.

Despite the change to my dinner menu, I did try to stay on track for the other meals.  Plus I tried to drink more liquids.

Then came Wednesday.  Yeah, last concert in the park, last chance to get cheese steaks, candied almonds, and fresh made doughnuts.  Um, so needless to say I went waaaay over my points on Wednesday.  But it was soooo worth it!

So I got to the meeting and I was feeling really sick.  Not sure if it's my meds, or just that fact that I didn't sleep well. *shrug* But I was light headed and my stomach hurt.  I just wanted to hear that I hadn't gained any weight.  And guess what?  I hadn't! In fact I'd lost 3.4 lbs!!! Like seriously OMG!  I am only .4 lbs away from my 10% goal! Plus I've lost over 20 lbs!  I think I actually see a difference in the pics this week.
What do you think?

8/9/13

8/9/13

Weight:  190.4 lbs.

10 Steampunk Bundles Up for Grabs!

"What is steampunk?"

The easy answer is that steampunk stories are set in the 19th century Victorian era when steam-driven technology was primary, corsets were tight, and tea was a formal affair. But that's like saying science fiction is about spaceships… when the genre is much broader, deeper, and more amazing than that. (And yes, steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction.)

With a thriving real-life steampunk culture that is very do-it-yourself in inventing characters, costumes, and gadgets, the real answer is that steampunk can be virtually anything you want it to be. It's this tremendous devotion to creativity that actually drew me in to writing steampunk in the first place (along with the gorgeous costumes!). In this steampunk bundle, we have an east-Indian fantasy romance, a Asian-flavored pirate love story, a Shakespearean retelling, two stories set in a common world with a floating island, a young adult adventure about a lightning invention, and a story that uses Arcane Science in the modern world. These stories are perfect examples of the truly rich diversity of steampunk stories… while each also portrays a world where steam technology shifts the ground under their character's feet.

We think of the Victorian era as being somewhat repressed, but it really was a time of tremendous change: class divisions, and the aristocracy it supported, were being challenged by the everyday men and women who were bringing about amazing technological advances. Science was on the rise! And the beautiful costuming and formal traditions of the past were coming into conflict with those first hints of the modern world. Steampunk stories in general resonate with readers not just because of their fun, escapist fantasy—a flight into the past when things were simpler, adventures were fought with sword and gun, and social strictures brought some order to the world—but because the upheaval wrought by technological change still resonates with our real lives today.

What is steampunk? It's a story like any other story: a chance to escape the world for a few hours, to live in the wilderness of an author's imagination, to adventure, to fall in love, to die for one's friends. It's classic storytelling in a visually rich, emotionally gripping era that still resonates with us today. Plus you get to rollick about in corsets and top hats, inventing gadgets and saving the world from the villains who turn that fantastic steam technology to their own dastardly purposes.

Strap on your goggles and prepare for the ride! – Susan Kaye Quinn

The initial titles in the bundle (minimum $3 to purchase) are:

• Black Mercury by Charlotte E. English
• Zelda Pryce by Joseph Robert Lewis
• The Machine God by MeiLin Miranda
• A Midsummer Night's Steampunk by Scott E. Tarbet

If you pay more than the bonus price of just $10, you'll get another three books:

• Lumière by Jacqueline E. Garlick
• Third Daughter by Susan Kaye Quinn
• Fall of Sky City by S.M. Blooding

The bundle is available for a very limited time only, via http://www.storybundle.com. It allows easy reading on computers, smartphones, and tablets as well as Kindle and other ereaders via file transfer, email, and other methods. You get multiple DRM-free formats (.epub, and .mobi) for all books, but after the three weeks are over, the bundle is gone forever!

It's also super easy to give the gift of reading with StoryBundle, thanks to our gift cards – which allow you to send someone a code that they can redeem for any future StoryBundle bundle – and timed delivery, which allows you to control exactly when your recipient will get the gift of StoryBundle.

Why StoryBundle? Here are just a few benefits StoryBundle provides.

• Get quality reads: We've chosen works from excellent authors to bundle together in one convenient package.
• Pay what you want (minimum $3): You decide how much four fantastic books are worth to you. If you can only spare a little, that's fine! You'll still get access to four thrilling titles.
• Support authors who support DRM-free books: StoryBundle is a platform for authors to get exposure for their works, both for the titles featured in the bundle and for the rest of their catalog. Supporting authors who let you read their books on any device you want—restriction free—will show everyone there's nothing wrong with ditching DRM.
• Give to worthy causes: Bundle buyers have a chance to donate a portion of their proceeds to charity. We're currently featuring Mighty Writers and Girls Write Now.
• Receive extra books: If you beat our bonus price, you're not just getting four books, you're getting seven!

StoryBundle was created to give a platform for independent authors to showcase their work, and a source of quality titles for thirsty readers. StoryBundle works with authors to create bundles of ebooks that can be purchased by readers at their desired price. Before starting StoryBundle, Founder Jason Chen covered technology and software as an editor for Gizmodo.com and Lifehacker.com.

For more information, visit our website at storybundle.com, Tweet us at @storybundle, Like us on Facebook, and Plus us on Google Plus. For press inquiries, please email press@storybundle.com.

Promotional Book Tours is giving away 10 Steampunk Bundles from Author S.M. Blooding ( be sure to like her on Facebook) Fill out the form below to enter!
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My Adventures in Weight Loss @ Weight Watchers Week 10

After last week, this week, I was REALLY depressed.  I mean people noticed I'd lost weight, I noticed my clothes fitting better, and then I get hit with a weight gain instead of weight loss. Not happy.

I mentioned to the boyfriend that maybe it was because I had been walking more and because of that maybe I had changed some of that excess fat into muscle.  His reaction?  "Muscle? Really?"  Ok now don't bring out the pitchforks. He's been really supportive of my weight loss endeavor.  He also has repeatedly told me that he doesn't care whether I lose weight or not I am beautiful.  He even has willing been a guinea pig for the new 'healthy' recipes I've been trying out.  Even with his greatness, the comment still made me want to throw my purse at him, lol.

So I tried to be hyper vigilant with my food choices this week.  I've been back on track writing down what I've been eating, but I mainly stuck to salads and fish. Of course then I threw out my hip and back again between Tuesday and Wednesday and spent all of Thursday not moving, so that kinda cancelled out any extra walking or anything.

So the meeting is back on track though.  Debbie is back. I don't want to imply anything bad about the person who came in to cover for her, but you could SOOOO tell the difference between the two.  I think it is mainly because she is familiar with the group so it just feels more comfortable.

Another bright spot....I lost 1.8 lbs!!! That means I lost the .8 that I had put on last week, plus an extra lb.! So it's like last week didn't even happen! Yay me!

8/2/13

8/2/13

Weight: 193.8 lbs.