Big 30

Big 30

My birthday was on July 17th. I turned the big three zero. It's a scary concept to leave your twenties behind but it's inevitable. I was also nervous leaving my teens entering my twenties so I will get over it.

My birthday week was decent. My mother took my son and I to our summer home in Port Clinton for the weekend. My son drove me crazy to the point I relapsed on alcohol. The 14th was just a bad day and my son insisted to "test" me. We went out for dinner and being vegan, they didn't have any vegan options at the Mexican restaurant we went to so I decided to have a cheat day. I had a beef and chicken burrito with all the additives (lettuce, tomato, sour cream)on the side I didn't want to make my mom feel bad but not being used to meat anymore the meat tasted unbelievably salty and greasy to my taste buds. I also ordered a $5.99 20 oz. Strawberry Margarita. I had two of them plus finished hers.

We also went to Walmart to pick up a few things. My mom bought me a tank top and a pretty necklace. I managed to score a Linkin Park and Van Halen cds I also scored both Jump Street movies, Indian In The Cupboard, and Pixels in their discounted section. My mom is going to get me a "big" gift too but I just picked out a Lindor Cleveland Indians jersey for $46 since i'm a big Indians fan.

On my actual birthday we just had a little special meal and a vegan cake. My mom made Vegan Pad Thai which was amazing and bought a Vegan Carrot Cake from Whole Foods which was very rich and delicious. My aunt had come over and she even brought me a present of a top and leggings that although cute were nowhere near my size. Regardless it was nice she stopped by and we talked a little about the Bible, and how I'd still like to spend time with her this summer. Maybe go for walks/hikes together. She also expressed how I should get into grooming after seeing my fur-baby's new look.

I haven't drank since the 17th surprisingly and am finding other things to substitute for my alcohol cravings like ginger ale or seltzer water. I can't wait to get my Jersey after my mom's financial problems get figured out.

A Journey To Finding My Faith

A Journey To Finding My Faith

So many of my prayers have been answered by God, including some of my more selfish ones (God forgive me) God had spoken to me yesterday. I'm not saying I was hearing voices from mental illness, he more or less spoke to me through my impulsivities and thoughts. I walked past a religious store down the street named Christian Arts & Sciences due to this "idea".

I met a kind older gentleman who was volunteering there that i got into discussing sports with and I got to hear a life story Bless his heart. God gave me the impulse to purchase a King James edition Holy Bible from the nice old man. I picked one for 3.50 but God told me to put it back on the shelf and go with the more expensive one. It was 8 dollars plus tax. I didn't have cash on me at the time and he didn't know how to work the credit card scanner so I told him "there's an ATM at the gas station about a block and a half down the street. I'm going to run there and take out some cash and i'll be right back to buy "that" Bible from you. He smiled and said "thank you so much i'll be here waiting for you" so i left for the atm, took out the lowest it'd provide ($20) and had to pay a $3 withdrawal charge.

I sighed slightly but knew it was for the greater good (you can't put a price on finding your faith) and walked back to the store where the man was standing looking at the Bibles. We talked for a few moments and I completed my transaction with him. We bid each other farewell and for me to come by and chat again and that it wouldn't have to be about religion. I smiled at him and left the store. So now i'm the proud owner of King James Holy Bible that after the withdrawal fee at the ATM cost me $11.64 more than I could afford (I really had $0 available to my name).

When I got home, I opened the Holy Bible to start Genesis 1:1 and read to 7:20 My son looked at the book and asked what it was. I told him it was the story of how God created the world and all living things. He actually wanted me to read some to him which surprised me a bit. I got through most of the first chapter before he got distracted by a movie he was watching.

I put on music and God said I wanted to listen to Christian Rock, which, I actually enjoy anyway. I discovered Owl City was Christian Rock and I've always loved their song Fireflies. So I enjoyed the music while reading until it was time to sleep.

This morning I put the Bible in my purse to read at work. I'm actually going to get back to reading after this blog entry.

*The moral of the story here is that God does speak to you to get you on the right path to finding your faith, you just have to be listening to hear his guidance when you're ready.

Rapid Weight Loss

Rapid Weight Loss

My starting weight a couple months ago was at 291 lbs. A Month later it was 277 lbs. Now it's 264.4 lbs. I finally got a fitbit and it's been amazing! It's actually the best arm & a leg i've spent on an electronic device. Below is a summary of what it monitors. Calories burned, total steps for that day, stair cases climbed, miles of walking for the day, and active time. It does tons of other neat things too.

I have been losing all this weight primarily by walking. Sunday I had walked 19,544 steps which is 8.3 miles, Monday I walked 11k steps which was 4.3 miles and yesterday's stats are in the picture above. I've also been drinking way more water than i used to and i've successfully been vegan for over a month which gets easier for me every day. I also take One A Day Woman's to supplement my required nutrients so that's all helping a great deal.

You'd think losing weight so fast would be awesome, and to a certain degree it is. The problem though is losing weight so fast, you also lose muscle mass. I can actually feel myself losing it. My arms feel weird and I feel weak often. The cure to that is strength training. Weight lifting and such. I don't have anything for that so I guess i'll have to get a gym membership just to use their weights.

Another con about rapid weight loss is the loose flabby skin you get from it. That can be solved with toning exercises. I googled yesterday what a burpee was, not that i'd physically be able to do one for a while anyway. I have Shaun T dvds so i should really do those more if even only for 15 minutes a day. Sorry, I'm thinking out loud. 

My goal weight is between 165 lbs -145 lbs. I haven't weighed that little since I was 18 and on ADHD Medication. I believe it was Adderall and it suppressed my appetite. I'm hoping to get there by around this time next year. fingers crossed!