NOT ME MONDAY!!!!!

Have you ever felt stupid because you asked where puddles come from? Well friends, you are NOT alone. Lets share today what we certainly did NOT do this week.

I most certainly did NOT comment on the fact that is was hailing at my sisters house and say this thing "Wow the hail looks like frozen rain." No I would NEVER say that....I know that hail IS frozen rain.

I certainly also have NOT waited for months to get windshield wipers. No I am responsible and know that if one is falling off, I really should get the replace. Really I am NOT that lazy. I really know that by NOT having windshield wipers it can be dangerous. I have not bought some new ones. (NOT!)

On a fun note, I certainly did NOT buy myself a Coach purse for my birthday. NO way! I would NOT do that. My mom also did NOT comment "Em, Dave Ramsey called.....he misses you!" I am good at budgeting my money, I certainly would NOT get a adorably cute Coach purse to celebrate my birthday!

Don't worry, this is NOT my new purse!

Join me and let me know what you did NOT do this week!

Just a Pinch

I thought I would take some time to answer an additional question you might have had about the surgery. Many of you have asked similar questions or had similar concerns for me. (I am grateful for these by the way) One of the most pressing questions many have asked is...

How are you going to have kids post Gastric Bypass (GBP)?

This is a really good question, and my guess is that many of you were wondering the same thing. It is a common question because if GBP surgery is to help people lose weight by basically cutting the food intake drastically, how on earth could my body sustain a life? I am grateful for everyone's concern for me and of course, eventually, the well-being of a child. Here is what the research I have found looks like.

1. Based on research, there is not significant evidence that people who have children after bariatric surgery have a higher risk than those who did not, as long as the following precautions are taken.

• You are nutritionally balanced. Meaning all of your vitamin and mineral levels are within normal limits.

• You have stopped losing weight and you have been at a stable weight for at least 3 months.

2. One must also weigh out the consequences of carrying a baby while one is Morbidly Obese.

• Higher risk of miscarriage is present for those who are overweight
• Extreme risk of gestational diabetes
• During delivery, babies tend to be large, causing labor to be more difficult
• The chance of needing a cesarean section is much, much higher.

I would have to honestly say that I have come to the conclusion that having GBP surgery is not only beneficial for myself, but it is also going to impact my children in the positive as well.

As far as I have researched, as well, I have not found anything that indicates higher miscarriage rates among those who have GBP surgery and those who have not. Because those who have the surgery and then have children is such a small percentage, a lot of research has not been done. What they do have is sufficient for me. Only time will tell.

I hope this answered all of your guys' questions. If you have any further ones, let me know. I am enjoying the research as well and answering your questions!

Some Birthday Cake!

What better way to celebrate a BIRTHDAY than tell what I am thankful for at twenty-four!

Here it is, the top 24 things I am thankful for!

1. Jesus and his abundant Grace and everlasting Love
2. My Family (Even when they wanna get in "slap fights")
   
3. My Amazing Friends! Core four at 24:)
4. An Amazing Church I am a part of!
5. Birthday Cake (24 candles is hard to blow out)
   
6. Sunrises and Sunsets
7. The Beach (Great place to see Great Whites)
   
8. My Education
9. My Job
10. A Beautiful Home that I live in (So what it is a condo....it is still cute)
    
11. Shopping (let me make a note, I bought myself a new Coach purse for my birthday. I am quite excited)
12. Target
13. Flowers ( I LOVE LOVE LOVE FRESH FLOWERS)
    
14. Seaglass!
15. Memories (too many to name)
    
16. Music
17. Movies (National Lampoons Christmas Vacation/Zoolander)
    
18. Laughter
19. Honesty
20. Fireworks
21. Airshows
22. Hot Air Balloons(I wanna ride one so bad!!!!)
23. Thunderstorms
24. And My Wonderful Faithful Readers!
    

Hope you all enjoyed my list. Thank you for all of the birthday wishes! I had a fun time with family this weekend and will be having more celebrations to come next weekend!

A Splash of News!

Well first off, it is official I have ALL of my CHRISTMAS shopping done! That is right, I have actually gone out on Black Friday and did all of my shopping for under $100! That's right, this is who I bought for. My sister, mom, dad, stepmom, two nieces, grandma, grandpa! I cant even believe it. I saved over 50% on all of my items that I bought! I am so so so excited!

On for Thanksgiving, I had a fantastic time with family. I truly enjoyed all of the time that I have shared with family!

Also, it is almost my birthday! I can't believe I am going to be 24 years old. That is right 24 years ago I was born. I think that was the only time I was actually thin! Hehe I was born a normal weight and it was all down hill from there!

Now to the gastric bypass, 30 days from know I will be having surgery. Many more people keep asking me if I am nervous, am I having second thoughts, am I sure I am ready? Well to answer those questions, here I go. Am I a bit nervous? A little bit. I still have peace about it, but man oh man I am making a HUGE commitment. Am I having second thoughts? No, I know that it needs to be done, and know that it will be for the better, but again, nervous. Am I ready? The answer is no! I have a lot to prepare for and a lot to buy while I am in the hospital. Food being one of them. I mean I dont need a lot of food, hello gastric bypass remember?!? But I do need to find some good protein powder and some other clear liquids.

I must say in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I am so grateful for the last few good meals that I get to have. Funny I know, but really I am enjoying food so much more knowing that it will be a while before I get to eat anything really yummy, and after surgery, I will be saying goodbye to sugar, carbonation, and fried foods forever, but honestly it is worth it to be healthy.

I guess that is all folks, I will be keeping you guys in touch with more developments in what is going on in my life.

That my friends is "The Scoop"

There IS Such Thing as a Free Lunch!

It always makes me laugh at when I want to write a blog post but don't know what to write and days I don't feel like it, God gives me something to talk about. Whether it is what I am learning or what, He always seems to show me something.

I just finished the book by Brennen Manning Ragamuffin Gospel. If you have not read it, I highly suggest that you do! I am always so in awe with what God shows Authors to write about. I do not have that gifting though I wish I did!

Let me lead you in the path I have taken the past few weeks reading this book. In a nutshell, the book is about the "Gospel of Grace." Easily put, Christ came into this world to take the punishment for our sin which was death. Basically end of story. When you think about it, one would think that we should have to earn this atonement for sins. We should work work work to get it, but as Scripture tells us, and Ragamuffin Gospel, Christ has given us Grace; His undeserved favor. His grace is renewed every morning and there is nothing that I, or you, can do to earn less or more love and grace from God.

Let me give you some history as to myself. I never understood this concept. To get something, you must earn it, is what I was always taught. "Nothing in life is free", or "there is no such thing as a free lunch" are terms I always hear. But then I began to hear that grace is free, it is a gift that is undeserved, but a gift. I can't lose God's grace and I did NOTHING to even deserve it. I fail everyday. I am sure that I fail people everyday. My life is not perfect and to be honest I would like to lie and say that it is. But let the truth be known, I suck at life. But I have a Savior who has paid the price for my mistakes and given me a free pass to spend eternity with Him.

How did this all happen, you might ask? Well let me tell you, He chose me! In my sin and rebellion, there was no choosing God. He showed me His grace, His perfect love, and His Son. I think so easily we can get caught up in a specific prayer, a filled out "commitment card" or some other man created thing to assure our Salvation, but that is not what God calls us to do. We are called to believe and with that believing our lives will dramatically change. I believe when we begin to fully understand the price that was paid for our lives, we will begin to change and be transformed. When this happens, we begin to understand more and more the gift we have been given. Do not get bogged down with the religiosity our culture presents, but simply accept the free gift Christ has given and believe.

It is not what you do or how you do it that will earn you eternity with Christ, but having a willing heart to respond to His gift in worship and fellowship with Him.

Our "free lunch" is greater than food from the earth, but it is sustenance for eternity.

Enjoy your night my friends! You are loved!

Things I love.....FOOD!

So I really only have about 35 days left to talk about food and how much I LOVE IT! I mean really, I love to attempt to cook and I love to try to back. You see how I put in "try" I am not really good at it, but I enjoy trying.

As many of you know I am a HUGE Dave Ramsey fan. He is the financial peace guru! His plan has shown me how to be a good steward of my money and how to plan accordingly. Since his financial peace class, I feel like I ALWAYS have money, so I am using it to get out of debt.

AND since you know I love food, and saving money, I have discovered the BEST place to grocery shop for really cheap food. It has all the normal brand foods for way less. Also, I am in LOVE with the bulk bins where everything is really cheap! Any guesses?????? Well folks, let me tell you what place I LOVE! Ready for it? WINCO!!!!! If you do not have one by you, it is worth traveling a long distance to! You will love it!

So if you love food as much as I do.....which you probably don't, you will love winco.

Ok there is my small plug for a HUGE store!

NOT ME MONDAY!!!!

Ever think that you were middle eastern because you were from wales? How about paint your fingernails with lip gloss? Well friends you are not alone! This week's NOT ME MONDAY comes in a bit sparse because truly I did not do too much!

One thing I will share that I did NOT do. I certainly did NOT decide to put 3 bags of trash in my car to drive down to the dumpster in my condo. No way I am NOT that lazy!!! I like fresh air and exercise. To make matters worse, I also did NOT forget to take that trash out of my car until I reached the bank. And NEVER would I ever think to throw away my trash in their dumpster at the bank. Really I would NEVER do that. It is just NOT my character to do something like that.

Would you join me in NOT ME MONDAY and share the things you certainly did NOT do this week?

Enjoy your week my friends!

The Stew...your questions answered

I am never one for count downs, but I thought I would share something....

37 days until my surgery!

Since the cat is out of the bag essentially about my decision for Gastric Bypass Surgery, many people have asked many questions. The most asked question is, "am I scared?" Well I thought I would take some time to answer that question and some other frequently asked questions about this procedure. Please email me with any further questions and I would be thrilled to answer them on the blog, theskinnyongettingthinny@gmail.com

Are you scared?
I would have to answer this question on both ends. Yes and No. The yes....well I am nervous because I really do not know what to expect. As silly as it sounds, I am most scared about losing some hair. That is a common side effect of rapid weight loss. I would be lying if I did not say it worried me a bit. I guess this worries me the most because it is not something that I can control. The amount of water and food I take in is something that I can control. Exercise is something I can control, but hair loss is not. I am nervous about that because I already have very fine hair and there is not a lot of it. The no....I am at total peace about the surgery. I have prayed about it and know that God has paved the way in my life, so I am excited for it!

Why not the LapBand?
There are two different weight loss procedures currently that are popular. There is the LapBand, where they put a band around the top of the stomach to constrict it and it can be inflated for deflated. The pro's of this procedure is that you do not have to change your eating habits as much, just eat less. Most people do not have to worry about vitamin deficiencies either. The Gastric Bypass is where they actually cut away a huge portion of your stomach and bypass the upper intestines. There are huge risks associated with this surgery. The most common is malnourishment and/or vitamin deficiencies.
So why choose the Gastric Bypass? With much discussion with Dr. C and the staff, it has been proven that Gastric Bypass has a more successful weight loss overtime. I also know that for myself, I need the drastic life changing approach. I want to know that I can't ever eat a certain food again. I really feel like the Gastric Bypass procedure works best for my specific circumstances.

What can and can't you eat?
When I get out surgery, for the first week or so I will be on clear liquids. That means basically chicken broth, tea, sugar free jello ect. Remember though, my stomach will only hold enough food to put in a ping pong ball, so one can of soup will probably last me a whole day if not a few days.
One to two weeks post op, I will be eating thick liquids, as in thick soups and things like that.
Once I have met with the Dr, he will instruct me as to what I can start trying to eat in my diet. Basically everything is tryable, but not all going to be tolerated.
Now on to what I cant eat, Sugar, Soda, Bread,Rice,Corn and basically anything my body does not tolerate. Once people have the surgery, your body changes as to what it actually craves and wants to eat. So only time will tell as to what I am actually eager to eat.

How long will you be in the hospital?
2-3 days depending on how I am doing.

Who will take care of you?
My mom will be my nurse until I get better. I live on the second floor at my house, so I need to make sure I am capable to go up and down the stairs with out passing out :)

Why now?
I really feel like the Lord has worked some true miracles in my heart prior to have this surgery done. I had to realize prior to anything that He cares about me regardless of what I look like. I had to really understand what the Bible says about beauty and to consider myself beautiful. It was not until I was 21 years only that I truly felt beautiful. The Lord had to give me His eyes for me to understand what beauty is. With out that, I truly feel like I would have decided to do this surgery for the vanity and not for health. I am also young and want to get married some day and have children. With that said, I want to be in the best health for children and to live my life healthy. There is no way I would be able to raise my children and have any energy until I get off the excess weight off.

How much do you want to lose?
This is a good question.....I want to be healthy. It was mentioned that they want me to see me at a size 10. That is basically cutting me in half, which seems so wacky! So I am thinking I would lose about 180 lbs. Wow can't believe I will be losing a whole backstreet boy......See you later Justin Timberlake:)

What are you most excited about?
WOW I can say so many things, but I will narrow it down to one. Beside the health component, I am so excited to feel thin. I have NEVER known what that is like. I am so excited for that!!!!!! I can't even believe that will soon be a reality for me!

Thanks for listening tonight and I hope that answers your questions.

That folks is "The Stew"

A Heaping Spoonful

WOW I would be lying if I said that I did not have a good night.
I am utterly amazed time and time again at God's perfect timing in things!
A little background on things. My church is throwing a conference called Contending for the Gospel. It is this weekend, come out Saturday 9-2 or Sunday night!

Needless to say really, IT IS AMAZING! My life is changed after one night. I truly am so grateful for my church and its desire to see our Valley changed. (Side note, it is really funny and still weird for me to say I live in the Valley. I am a SD native at heart:) What an amazing thing I get to be apart of! Let me basically touch on the key points of the messages I heard tonight.

Everything in green is word for word from the speakers....not my own words, though I wish they were:)

First off, the Pastor S talked on the power of words. Words can be many things, idle, hurtful, insignificant, or they can be truth, significant and life changing. The Gospel message of Jesus is the Truth, significant, and when truly affected by it, LIFE CHANGING.

Listed below are the 6 Core Gospel truths.

1. 1st Advent of Christ. (Christ being born)
2. The Passion of Christ (Christ dying on the cross)
3. The Resurrection of Christ (just as a note, many Christians stop there, but Pastor S argues more is substantiated in the Bible)
4. The Ascension of Christ
5. Christ Intercessory Ministry for us2nd Advent of Christ ( His coming again)
6. 2nd Advent of Christ ( His coming again)

But How does this impact our world?

It is our responsibility to take this Gospel and share it with others in our actions and our deeds. It is not about arguing for the humanitarian efforts in our world, or making a secular government into a Christian one, but it is for the truth of Jesus Christ to be shown through our own lives and spill onto others. Our words speak volumes! We must use our words and actions purposefully. Do not be idle my friends. Be in community, seeking to give back to a church. Do NOT be a seat warmer in church and do nothing. Do NOT be out of community. The church needs YOU! Live out God's purpose in your lives. It is nothing that we can do, but what God desires to do through you. So you must be ready to be poured out this His lost and dying sheep

Are you letting God work or are you being idle?

As another pastor stated tonight "Be willing, want to, and worship the God who made you." My dearest friends, do not be decieved in thinking you have anything to do with this, God is working through you, but you must be willing to allow Him to move.

I pray that this is a challenge for all of us, myself included. I must be willing and want to serve the Lord and allow Him to transform me!

And there is your "heaping spoonful" of what is on my heart.

I look forward to your input and learning how God is using you! Email me at theskinnyongettingthinny@gmail.com

Just a Dash of Use(ful/less) Information

Let me educate you on something....that does have a purpose in the end...
The Ping Pong ball.....hmmmm

The international rules specify that the game is played with a light 2.7 gram, 40 mm diameter ball. Generally, it is the most-used ball. The rules say that the ball shall bounce up 23 cm when dropped from a height of 30 cm thereby having a coefficient of restitution of 0.88. The 40 mm ball was introduced after the 2000 Olympic Games. However, this created some controversy as the Chinese National Team argued that this was merely to give non-Chinese players a better chance of winning^{[citation needed]}. A 40 mm table tennis ball is slower and spins less than a 38 mm one. The ball is made of a high-bouncing gas-filled celluloid, colored white or orange, with a matte finish. The choice of ball color is made according to the table color and its surroundings. For example, a white ball is easier to see on a green or blue table than it is on a grey table. Stars on the ball indicate the quality of the ball. 3 stars indicates that it is of the highest quality, and is used in official competitions.

• The volume is 32000π/3 ≈ 33510 mm³.
• The surface area is 1600π ≈ 5027 mm².
• The circumference is 40π ≈ 126 mm.

(IF YOU READ ALL OF THIS, KUDOS, BUT USELESS) Do keep reading though....
In more or less words...it is small and has a lot of rules attached to be useful.

Why is a ping pong ball relevent?!?!

Lets take a guess here today....how much can you fit in a ping pong ball?

Sure isn't.....
The California Burrito I just ate.
My cup of soup for lunch
My eggs for breakfast or my toast
Or my Diet Coke

Hmmmm How about the size of a new stomach? That's right ladies and gentlemen, that is how big my new stomach will be post Gastric Bypass. Jealous yet?

I didn't think so :)

And that my dear friends is just a "dash" of Use(ful/less) Information

Truth from the Cellar on Beauty

As many of you might not know, my life has been thrown some pretty rough challenges. My weight has always been the center of really tough debates in my household when I was a kid. From having 2nd helpings of food thrown away to never feeling good enough and to even being told that "fat girls don't do ballet." (This in fact crushed a dream that at almost 24 still has not been full-filled,) one can imagine I have spend some time meditating on everything that I am not and will never be. Here is the list I came up with.

I will never be.....
The best sports player
The best cook
The prettiest
The skinniest
The best wife
The best mother
The best Christian
The best friend
The most fashionable
The richest
The most powerful
The most dependable
or the most humble

But this list is so small compared to everything that I know that I am. I have been given the freedom in Christ to understand that everything that I am lacking in the world is nothing in comparison to the many gifts and graces God has given me. There are many things that I am not, but here are many things that I am......

I am.....
His Child
His Prize
His Love
His Joy
His Creation
His Passion
His Beautiful Daughter
His Beautiful Princess
His Beautiful Servant

For this I can proudly say makes up for everything that I am not. For in this I find my life complete. I have been created to serve and to love Christ. Without His perfect LOVE and His perfect life, I would be nothing.

I am blessed beyond words to be given the opportunity to share my life, challenges and all, with each and every one of you! Though my battle with weight will soon come to an end, another door to soul will surely open.

Let me leave you this one verse that I pray touches your heart....

Ecclesiastes 3:11
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

YOU my dear readers are Beautiful!!!! Take on this world knowing that truth.

And that my dear friends is "Truth from the Cellar"

NOT ME MONDAY!!!! (A Tribute to the Gourd Award)

For those of you new to blogging, I borrowed this from MckMama's Blog. On monday's I will be posting embarrassing things from the week that I certainly did (NOT) do. Remember, these must be true things that you did NOT do. No made up stuff here, true and legit things I did NOT do!

For example, I certainly did NOT put on my fake wedding ring I keep in the car to discourage a guy from looking at me while we were at a stoplight. I certainly did NOT also drive with only my left hand and let it gleam in the light either. I am not that kind of person, I did NOT do that.

Also, I did NOT pee my pants laughing at the photo distortion options on my BIL (Brother in Laws) Mac computer. I also did NOT laugh at myself for more than 1/2 hour. No I would never do that. I am a mature 24 (almost) woman who finds laughter in more mature things....NOT Mac computer photo distortion programs.

Nope NOT me!!!!!

While doing laundry I did NOT try to wash my Halloween Costume seen below in the washing machine not realizing the black felt would not stay on. I did NOT still decide to put it in the dryer to "save" for a later date. I would NEVER do that since it only cost me $10 to make. Really I am NOT that cheap....really I promise!

Now would you join me in adding your NOT Me Monday?

Fry Me Up Some Top 10 Reason's

I can imagine some of you might not know what is is like to have to deal with weight related issues....LUCKY! Well some of you, I can only imagine, have dealt with these issues your whole life like myself and have many stories to share.

I want to give you some insight as to some random, yet comical reasons why I am excited about this surgery. Remember these are not the only reasons, just reasons that might make you smile.

Enjoy My Top 10

#1 I look forward to taking up only one seat on an airplane. (Personal space, please!)
#2 I finally get to sit in the back seat of a car, with two other people.
#3 Say goodbye bigger water bills for more laundry. (Save the whales:)
#4 I wont have to say excuse me every time I have to squeeze past someone.
#5 I will save money on replacing furniture I break. ( How do I budget that Dave Ramsey?)
#6 Better gas mileage in my car.....(I don't know if that is true, but lets go with it:)
#7 Look out here I come Bounce Houses and Ballet.
#8 Even Rollercoasters will be more fun. (Scared to death, not scared to die)
#9 STILETTOS. I don't have to worry about snapping off the heal.
#10 SHOPPING SHOPPING SHOPPING! Did I say SHOPPING?

Hope this was fun to read. Enjoy:) I would love to hear your reasons too:) Email me at theskinnyongettingthinny@gmail.com or post a comment to the Blog.

And that friends is "The Skinny"

The Scoop of "The Skinny"

Welcome to my Blog!

You may be asking yourself, who is the person and why am I interested in this blog? Well let me try to answer some of your questions.

Who am I?
I am almost 24 and like many of you have dieted and tried to lose weight for many years, only recently have I actually been given the opportunity to have the Gastric Bypass surgery to give myself a "second chance" if you will, at continually living my life with some "minor" modifications.

Who is the blog for?
YOU and myself. This blog is created for anyone who had dieted and been discouraged. Those who are down and out and frustrated by the media's attention to beauty and lack of respect. This blog is for those who are curious as to what a Gastric Bypass journey looks like.

This blog is also for myself. I am eager to share my triumphs and battles as this journey I am about to embark on is a real life altering experience.

Why am I writing this?
My desire is for this to be a place where I can share my story of success and empower those to do the same. I also desire to show people that true beauty is possessed on the inside. My hope is to encourage people of this and that someday you too will find peace and comfort in your own skin.

I guess the real question is this.....
How did it all get started?

Like many of you, I can imagine, weight has been an issue for my whole life. I have struggled and struggled to do it the "natural way" that is diet and exercise. I have dieted, exercised and done all I truly feel I could to lose weight....and it would come off.....then come back on.....then go off.....then come back on.

I realized how important it was to be healthy. (Let me be clear, in no way shape or form do I want this be misconstrued as about looking good. Added benefit yes, motivation, no!) One day I want to be married and have kids. I want to be able to run around and not get fatigued. I feel trapped in the body I am in. I would relate it to the Little Mermaid who just wants to have legs to walk on land....well except for giving up the voice.....I am too loud to want to do that :) So anyway, I have always wanted to feel like I can move around and exercise with ease and not feel trapped.

That leads me to a few months ago....Since my dad had Gastric Bypass, I was pretty sure I knew what I was getting into. That was until of course my first meeting with my doctor. 6 month supervised diet, 12 viles of blood, psych eval, gallbladder ultrasound, full physical, ect ect ect. The list goes on and on, though I still knew I wanted to do it.

Well about a week ago all of my information was submitted to the insurance and I was told it could take up to 30 days to approve or deny. But, in one short week I was approved for surgery and booked! Ladies and Gentleman, I am pleased to announce my surgery date of DECEMBER 28, 2009!

I am extremely excited and ready to share my journey with you! I will be updating this blog as much as I feel fit. I do have a lot to talk about and eager to share it with my readers.

So, that is the Scoop of the "The Skinny"