Transformation Tuesday: Seven Months Later

Like a lot of women out there, I’ve been battling my weight for a long time. It started with pregnancy weight, and then there came stress weight (the life of a military wife), and then the weight just kept piling on.

I remember the first time I had to try on a pair of jeans with a double digit size. I practically cried in the dressing room. And then the sizes just kept getting bigger. I started tracking my BMI (body mass index) and had another break down when my BMI said I was no longer just overweight, but I was obese.

OBESE. I am 5’3” and weighed 185lbs.

Before: Feb 2012

I told my husband, who just stared at me. I don’t think the poor guy knew what to say. I held myself together long enough to beat a hasty retreat to my bedroom, where I had one heck of a freak out.

I felt like I had tried everything, and nothing worked. I had completed P90X and only lost 10lbs for pete’s sake! What more could I do? Every time I lost ANY weight, I gained it all back (usually with a few more for good luck, it seemed).

I was trying to exercise at least 3 times a week. I cut my portion sizes. I didn’t snack after supper. I thought I was doing it right. Later I found out, I was only doing it half-right.

Little did I realize the struggle my husband was having with his own weight. In the Marine Corps he was always pushing his weight limit, and like just about every other guy that gets out of the military, he let himself go a bit. He tried working out with me before, but always quit on me within a couple weeks.

Of course, without support, I quit too. I quit Insanity--twice.

Then one day in December, The Hubbs surprised me. He surprised me with Focus T25. We were gonna do it. We were going to get in shape, once and for all. We were going all in. We did the 7 Day Quick Start with the meal plan. Boy, did it make a difference!

I only lost 3lbs, but The Hubbs lost about 5. The benefit wasn’t in a jumpstart in our weight loss, it was getting our bodies used to eating differently and learning the moves in the videos.

We saw a new part of each other during T25. Some of it was great. Some of it wasn’t so pretty. I guess I get pretty intense when I sweat. But it was worth it. It was SO worth it.

We learned to eat clean (cleanER, anyway). We got into the habit of exercising 6-7 days a week. We finished the WHOLE program (a feat in itself). And, (drumroll please ...) I lost 20lbs and The Hubbs lost 25lbs. What-what?!

But the best part was, it didn’t stop there. We took what we started with T25 and let the ball keep rolling. I went on to Insanity and finally finished it! The Hubbs went to the gym to bulk up. I lost another 15lbs and he gained back almost everything he lost (at least it was all muscle this time--hubba hubba!).

I’m doing Brazil Butt Lift right now. I’ve only lost a couple pounds with this program, but, man, there has been a transformation in my body. And even more than that, there has been a transformation in ME. I’ve learned so much in the last 7mos. It’s not just how MUCH you put in your body. It’s WHAT you put in your body. Exercise isn’t just going through the motions. It’s about giving all you’ve got and then some. And most importantly--results don’t come easy. There is no quick fix. Especially not a permanent fix.

I’ve lost close to 40lbs, but I’m not done. There is still work to do. There are still things I WANT to do! I’d still like to lose another 10lbs. I want to become a runner. I want to do a Tough Mudder event. And I want to help others FEEL the way that I feel right now. I want to help YOU feel the way I feel right now.

Much Love,

You can join me on Facebook or Twitter.

Jesse's Girl vs the Scale & the Tape & the Grocery Store

So, I've been absent for awhile. Not gonna lie, I'm going through some things. Number one being it's still winter. (I'm so ready for July, it's not even funny.) Number two is this diet lifestyle change that The Hubbs and I have been doing.

And that's where the story starts ...

Obviously it didn't happen overnight, but my Oh Damn moment happened in early December. I stepped on the scale and it read 185 pounds. (Then the thing mocked me by asking if I wanted to save my weight to a profile. Yeah, right.) One Hundred Eighty-Five Pounds. The only time I have ever weighed that much was when I was 8-9 months pregnant with my third child. (At least then I got a cute little baby out of it.)

I was the heaviest I have ever been. (And on the frame of a 5'3" Asian woman? Not the prettiest picture.) I was so overweight, I fit the parameters for taking Lipozene--that was a depressing thought. I almost seriously considered quitting eating all together, but, let's face it, I like food too much.

On a whim (which he has many of), The Hubbs ordered Shaun T's Focus T25 (Late at night, while watching the infomercial--but that's another story.) without telling me. Apparently The Hubbs had an Oh Damn moment of his own and thought this would be good for both of us. (Isn't there a thing about husbands buying exercise related things for their wives???)

We did the Quick Start program. We bought supplements. We cut our calories. We got super cute workout clothes. We cleaned up our eating. The Hubbs started taking Sports Nutrition classes. We're lucky we haven't floated away with all the water we drink. We are the annoying couple that doesn't go out to eat, because figuring out what won't ruin our eating plan is a pain in the ass.

It's now been a little over two months. I've lost almost 25 pounds. That's amazing. That's a significant amount of weight loss. That is a major accomplishment. Until a couple days ago, when I realized (again) that I had an extra 25 pounds to lose. And, I have about 30 more to go. That's depressing.

I've reached an impasse in my mental turmoil. On the one hand, I'm really proud of myself for putting in all the hard work (and reading all those food labels is HARD WORK) and getting results. But then on the other hand, I'm really disappointed in myself for letting things get so far out of hand. I've done P90X. I've done Insanity. How did this happen?!

So that's where we are today. I've dropped two pant sizes. I've gotten rid of my old jeans. I still struggle with what to make at almost every meal. And I have one cheat item every day. Usually it's chocolate. I've been sick. The kids have been sick. The Hubbs is just getting over being sick. We made it through the holidays without gaining, luckily. And it took until well into the New Year for me to finally come to terms with the idea that I cannot compare my husband's weight loss with my own. Also, I gave in to the scale and I record my weight loss (and inches lost) every week.

That next 30 pounds? I hope to have it gone by the time I finish Insanity. Wish me luck!

Also,

Much Love,

10 Ways the Hubbs and I Are Alike

So yesterday, I told y'all about the differences that keep my marriage interesting. (That would be here.) Today here are some of the commonalities that keep the marriage strong. Some are deep and some are silly, but they are all what make the Hubbs and me "us."

10 Things the Hubbs and I Have in Common:

1.) We love music (especially country), me to a different level than the Hubbs, but it helps keep the car rides civil.

2.) We both agree on gender roles in our relationship. Basically, we should've been born in the 40s. He brings home the bacon (sometimes literally--he's done work as a butcher) and I cook it. It's not for everyone, even some of our closest friends, but it works for us.

3.) We are both children at heart. My husband likes to play with toys, and I like to be silly and pretend. Luckily, we have three kids who the Hubbs uses as an excuse to push all the "try me!" buttons in the toy department.

4.) Food. We both love to eat. I love that I can make whatever I want for dinner, and he won't think twice about it. Which probably works out well, since I'm Asian and sometimes there can be some pretty suspicious things on the table.

5.) We have a low tolerance for idiots. There seems to be a severe shortage of common sense in the world today, and unfortunately we have to interact with a lot of idiots in BFIowa. Which leads me to the next thing we have in common:

6.) We are both sarcastic asses. I can't tell you how many conversations at our house start with, "Oh. My. God!" or "You will not believe what the h*ll happened today!" Which makes you wonder about:

7.) The Hubbs won't admit it, but he can be a real softie. Lord help us when a kid shows up on our doorstep with a fundraising catalog. We won't turn anyone away if we can help. (Case in point: Just yesterday the Hubbs offered a ride to a guy that just got out of jail. Unfortunately, we were going the opposite direction, but he still offered.)

8.) We love animals. It's probably a good thing that we want to move to the country, because I would live in a zoo if I could. (The movie "We Bought a Zoo"? OMG, I want to live that movie!)

9.) Bonfires. We love everything about bonfires. The smell, the warmth, the food (especially s'mores!), the drinking, and the bonding. 

10.) Probably the oddest thing we have in common? Hardware stores. We love looking around hardware stores. He loves power tools & I love interior design. We once spent over 3hrs in a Menards, and we didn't see all that we wanted to, lol.

Opposites do attract, but you've got to have some things in common to keep the relationship working. What do you and your love have in sync? Link it up!


Oh, and check out the bestie's list here. She also did a post yesterday.

Much Love,

10 Ways the Hubbs and I are Different

June is pretty much the Month of the Hubbs. Between his birthday, Father's Day, our anniversary, and the anniversary of his graduation from Boot Camp, the focus is on him a lot. (Which he cannot stand!) How perfect that The Pioneer Woman did a blog post about the differences between her husband and her. I'm already thinking about my man, what's a little more blogging about him going to hurt? (Besides your eyes, for which I apologize. ☺)
You can find Ree's original post here.



Differences Between the Hubbs and Me:

1.) He loves working with his hands & doing "manly" labor.
Give me a book and a couch, and I might not move all day.

2.) If he had his way, inside our house would be ALL WHITE.
Simply put, I like colors. (He is not allowed to pick out paint, he is sent to the lumber yard with paint sample in hand and specific instructions, lol.)

3.) The Hubbs loves video games. I have been a Call of Duty: Black Ops widow on more than one weekend.
While I love Bejeweled & other Facebook games, I'm bored within twenty minutes. (Please refer back to #1.)

4.) The man likes bananas, yogurt, oatmeal, and Jell-O.
I have texture issues. All of the above feel nasty. Yuck!

5.) The reverse of #4: I love, love, LOVE spicy foods.
The Hubby is a big wuss when it comes to the spice. My mother will make special dishes just for him when we eat at her place. (Such a wonderful mother-in-law!)

6.) I think my husband can count his friends on one hand, and only a few know how he feels about them.
I cherish my family and friends. I have no problem letting them know it, either. (He makes fun of me for telling people that I love them--well, I do!)

7.) I enjoy cooking, especially for others.
My husband is not allowed in my kitchen.

8.) I love information and learning.
If the Hubbs wants to know something, he'll ask me. He knows that if I don't know it, I'll look it up.

9.) The Hubbs can't stand anything small. I think it has to do with his Alpha-manliness.
Give me something mini, junior, or a baby anything and I will squeal like a schoolgirl.

10.) In a word: Memory. (I'll let you guess which of us has issues remembering things.)

Those are only a few of the differences between us. They make life interesting, and some of our differences are complimentary. Like when we go out to dinner, he doesn't like tomatoes and I can't stand mushrooms, so we switch. If we had everything in common, we'd probably get bored. That's not to say we don't have some things we agree on, but that's for a later post.

This was such a fun thing to think about. So what about you and your significant one? What differences do y'all have? Link it up!

Much love,

Bringing Memories to Life

Today is our anniversary. The Hubbs and I have been married for seven years. We just finished brunch, and funny enough, he asked me if I have the ability to make memories come alive. The short answer is yes, I can.

Little does he know how often I relive the moment that we met. I can smell the smoke in the air of the bar, the cold chill and sweet smell of smoke machines. I can feel my heart pounding in my chest, and not knowing if it’s from the bass in the music, or from the rush of adrenaline as I tried to work up the nerve to walk over and say hi. I knew the second that I laid eyes on him, that he would be significant in my life. I can’t say I knew we’d be where we are today, but I remember thinking

“He is going to mean a lot to me.” And he does. He has given me my world.

I remember the look in his eyes the first time he told me that he loves me, and asked me to move in with him. It’s the same depth I saw when he was down on bended knee asking me to marry him. When he proposed, my breath caught in my chest. I had tears threatening at the corners of my eyes. Today, I feel the same shortness, the same tears threatening. I’m smiling.

The day we were married, everything was a frenzy. My family arrived early, my mother brought food (as always). My best friend was a witness. I remember how honored I was that she would take the time on her birthday, her own special day, to be a part of my happiest day. I was so emotional, so harried, that I know I didn’t even convey half of my gratitude for her.

When Medium was born, the Hubbs tried to stay with me as much as possible. I was so scared when he couldn’t stand to be in the room for my epidural. I was so disappointed in myself for not being able to withstand the pain. It broke what was left of my resolve that he left me with the anesthesiologist and nurses. It meant the world to me when, after he came back into the room, he told me how proud of me he was.

He is my strength, my rock. He’s the one that keeps me grounded. I’m a kite constantly reaching for the heavens, always dreaming, sometimes going off half-cocked. The Hubbs is the one that keeps a steady grip on my string, making sure that I don’t fly too high. Making sure that I will always find my way back down to him, and make my way back home.

I see our daughters in his chair with him, snuggled under pink and purple blankets. Everyone snoring, in what look to be the most uncomfortable positions possible.

I smell cupcakes, cookies, and cakes fresh out of our oven. With little hands reaching for icing and sprinkles decorating treats just so for Daddy. “For me?” he asks. “Yes Daddy!” they cry excitedly. “Oh thank you. They look yummy!” he answers.

The girls are running across our yard, hair catching the sun, to ride on the mower with him. “Daddy! Daddy! I wanna ride!”

We are all on a blanket, shaded under a tall tree in the backyard, enjoying a picnic of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cheese curls, Kool-Aid and popsicles. The girls make sure everyone has napkins, even Daddy (although he protests that he has pants for napkins), they giggle at his silliness. After lunch, there is a large tickle fight until the girls run off to play on their play set. The Hubbs and I watch them, in their youthful enthusiasm, grins on our faces. I find myself wondering if they’ll feel the same butterflies, pounding heart, and breathlessness I did when I first met their father.

So yes, Papi, I can make memories come alive. Happy Anniversary my Love.

Photo courtesy of Mary Decrescenzio Photography.

30DPC Day 27

Day 27: A picture of yourself and a family member

Since I'm usually the one behind the camera, about the only person I have pictures with is the Hubbs.

I love him, anyway.

This amazing photo courtesy of Mary Decrescenzio Photography.

Happy Snapping!

30DPC Day 14

Day 14: A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without.

Without a doubt that person is my husband. My Papi. The father of my children. The rock I cling to when life's waves threaten to knock me over. My protector. My sugar daddy. Defender of my honor. Most importantly, he's the little boy that watches my colorful kite flying high & holds tightly to the string, keeping me securely grounded.

Happy Snapping!

Find the list of all the challenges here.

30DPC Day 5

Day 5: A photo of your favorite memory

The Hubbs and I have so many fun memories, but the night we got engaged is my favorite. Apparently, my Papi had been planning on proposing for a while. I don't know how I never noticed. He bought a ring and managed to hide it from me. (I did the man's laundry back then ... again, how did I not see it???) He made reservations at a restaurant up at the lakes (in November) that we had to reschedule three times. The night we finally made it out to dinner, there was a blizzard. I was ready to just stay home, but the Hubbs was determined to make it. (Yet another clue I should've known something was up.) It took forever to get there, we had a fun dinner in a deserted restaurant, and we had a long drive home. By the time we made it through the door, I just wanted to throw on some pajamas and zone out at the computer. Which is exactly what I did. 

But the Hubbs had other plans. While I was at Pogo.com, he came over (I thought he was going to ask if he could get on the computer--I am so oblivious.) and put a little red box in front of me. My exact words were, "Are you serious?" I looked over at him, and he was down on one knee. He said his schpeel, and I said yes. The rest is history. I'm the woman who was proposed to while playing computer games. It's a great story we'll tell the grandkids.

Not everyone can have a computer game engagement.

Happy Snapping!

I Heart Reading

Since tomorrow is Dr. Seuss's birthday, today is Read Across America Day. This is an event that I can get behind 100%. I love to read. It's one of those things that goes hand in hand with loving to write.

I have always been a reader. My mother read to me often when I was little so that she could practice her english. I am so glad that she did. Not only does she speak amazing english, but I was opened up to a world of, literally, endless possibilities.

As I got older, I started to devour books. I loved Nancy Drew, the Babysitters Club, the Boxcar Children, anything by Roald Dahl--I could keep going. When I found an author I liked, I read everything by them at the library. (I still do this!) I used to fill my little red wagon with library books every week!

Choosing is so tough--reminds me of a mini-me :)

When I got to high school, the one genre I couldn't get into was classic literature--specifically British classics. That lasted until Sophomore year when our student teacher in Advanced English brought Great Expectations to life for me. He translated the wordy Olde English into terms that I understood. (It didn't hurt that he was a total babe, either!) Now, Charles Dickens is one of my favorite authors. :)

In 2004, I moved in with my, now, husband. He grew up hating reading--seriously hating it. I didn't understand. He didn't understand how I could spend ours at a time with my nose in a book. That was until we were at Camp Lejeune and he was assigned to guard duty at the ASP (ammo supply point). The men were at the duty hut for 48 to 72 hours at a time and worked 12 hour shifts.

You can only watch so many movies, and play so many video games.

The Hubbs came home one morning and told me that he had been reading.
What?!
My husband? Reading?!

I immediately interrogated him. What had he been reading? Who had he been reading? Did he like it? Why now? Did he want to continue reading?
It turned out that he was reading a novel about Marines (go figure) and he liked it because it was something that interested him. He also said he wanted to continue reading, but didn't know how to pick out more books he'd like. Using my library expertise I found a few authors he might be interested in, and chose a few for him to try.
I could see the memory of all the horrid things he was forced to read in school flash in his eyes. (He confessed he has a problem with reading comprehension.) For the first time since he shipped out to Boot Camp, my husband was nervous. I remember thinking, sheesh, they're just books! 

I told him very calmly, "It's okay, if you don't like it, don't read it. You can just try another one."

With those two sentences, I created a monster. In less than a year, he owned more books than I did! (I think he still does, actually.) The day he dragged me to the used book store in Jacksonville was one of the happiest days of my life.

the current state of our bookcase
I think it might be time for another one....

One of my proudest accomplishments is opening my husband to reading. Not only for his enjoyment, but because now I have a partner in advocating reading to our girls. It's nice to know that if I'm not around to read them a bedtime story, Daddy has no problem stepping in. (Although, Mommy is better at it I've been told.)

Reading together is one of the greatest gifts we can give our children for so many reasons, but mostly because it's time we get to spend together.


Tonight, we're finishing "Ramona the Brave" by Beverly Cleary. Happy Reading!

2012 Year in Review

2012 the Year in Review

It’s been a big year. It seems like they all are, anymore. One thing that doesn’t change is how quickly the time seems to fly by. If anything, time seems to keep moving faster. It doesn’t feel like we’ve been home for almost 2 years. It seems like we just left Camp Lejeune.

But I will say this, after being home this long, I think we’re finally falling into our places here. Finally figuring out where we belong in the civilian world. Some days it’s easier to see than others. We’re getting there.

2012 is the year that:

**We moved from Cherokee to Calumet. Now, the Hubbs is where he wants to be--as for the rest of us, that is yet to be decided.

**Medium started Kindergarten. Large is in sixth grade. Two down, only one to go! What does it say about us as parents when we admit to being excited that all the girls will be in school next fall?

**The Hubbs sold one house, then bought another.

**The Hubbs also bought and sold a few vehicles. My favorite is my van--yes, I’m perpetuating the Soccer Mom stereotype. But, my van is fully loaded, so I don’t care. Ha!

**ML came to visit in the Spring. Yay! We hadn’t seen her since we left North Carolina. We (especially me) miss her so much! I’ll see you soon!

**I got a job outside the house for the first time in, oh, about six years. It didn’t last long though, once our babysitter went back to high school, it was cheaper for me to just stay home.

**Medium became a Daisy Scout. This was a little self-serving since last year we were totally passed over at Girl Scout cookie time. We have gone a whole year without Thin Mints or Samoas. This will not happen again!

**The Hubbs retired. Technically, he retired a couple times. I think. I can’t keep up with him.

**Our house is slowly turning into a zoo. We added a new kitten and rabbit to the mix. I think next I’ll try to talk the Hubbs into things that live in aquariums. :)

30 Days of Thanks: Day 28

30 Days of Thanks

Day Twenty-eight: A Gift

I have been given so many wonderful gifts throughout my life,

but I’m afraid I’m going to have to be cheesy

and romantic for this one.

I am most thankful for the gift of the Hubbs’s heart

(and more materialistically, my engagement & wedding rings).

The Hubbs had said he never wanted to get married.

With the way marriages are today, I didn’t blame him.

But, I told him that for us to be in it forever, marriage was a definite for me.

Ring or nothing.

The man caved and proposed--ha ha!

In all honesty, though, around about our third anniversary the Hubbs told me

getting married was the best decision he’d ever made

& he would do it again in a heartbeat. ♥

30 Days of Thanks: Days 21-25

We were lucky enough to have Large with us over the Thanksgiving break, so I fell tragically behind in my thanks. I have to add that I am thankful we were able to have our little family whole over the holiday. ☺

30 Days of Thanks

Day Twenty-one: A Disappointment or Fear

I think I have the same fears as any mother. I’m afraid that my children will not be well-rounded, educated, and well-mannered members of society. Jesse and I have seen some of the brats running around the schools and playgrounds, so we try as hard as we can (without being dictators) to bring our children back to the way we were raised.

You know, like back in the good ole days.

Day Twenty-two: A Book

I don’t think I could narrow it down to just one book! I love almost all of them--especially the serials that I read as a kid. I can’t wait to share them with my girls:

The Babysitters Club

Nancy Drew

The Boxcar Children

Sweet Valley High (when they get a little older)

Goosebumps

Fear Street

Anne of Green Gables

The Little House on the Prairie

And some of my favorite non-series:

Little Women

Where the Red Fern Grows

Charlotte’s Web

How to Eat Fried Worms

anything by Roald Dahl,

Beverly Cleary,

or Judy Blume

Day Twenty-three: A Feeling

I love the feeling of romantic anticipation.

Which is definitely different from sexual anticipation, mind you. I’m talking about butterflies and your heart skipping a beat.

I’m happy to say that after almost a decade together,

I still get those butterflies when I’m waiting for Jesse to come 

home to me.

Day Twenty-four: A Photograph

With my best friend being a photographer,

this is easy to answer. I actually have more than one favorite:

my favorite photo of daddy and his little princess

my favorite photo of the girls -- this totally shows their relationship

my absolute favorite picture of the Hubbs & me

Day Twenty-five: A Luxury

Anyone that knows me,
knows that I am, basically, in love with our wood-burning stove.

Shoot, it can be cold and windy with a windchill in the single digits,

but it’s a balmy 80°F in our house.

It costs more money to cool our house in the summer,

than it does to heat it in the winter.

(It’s a good thing the Hubbs is awesome with a chainsaw!)