Obviously I parked like a jerk

I don't know what it is lately. For the last two months I have had to instances where I have parked too far to the  left and as a result someone couldn't get in their driver's seat because the driver's door wouldn't open enough. I hate it when that happens to anyone. I'm usually pretty careful how I park. However, the two times that has happened I was in a hurry. I know that's no excuse. Last time this happened I was at my last job and the person who couldn't get in was my very jovial co-worker, who I consider an outside of work friend, who was nice enough to wait for me to get out of work to get in her vehicle. She got out of work thirty minutes before I did. She's an awesome person.

Today at my new job I parked a little more to the left than I should have. I had no problem exiting the vehicle. However, when I came out to leave I had to climb over the seat to get in to the driver's seat. That's something I couldn't do a while ago, but I have lost enough weight that I can:-) Thank god we have an SUV so it's big enough that I could kinda stand (with my back to the ceiling) in it and walk across the seats. It's not something you want to do but I actually enjoyed it because I was really amazed how well I could maneuver and squeeze in.

It's the little things;-)

Changing it up

I've kinda been having some control problems in the last two days or at least what I think are control problems. I need to save points for three different events this week. I demolished 16 weekly points Monday night. Yesterday at work I went to the cafeteria, for the first time in two weeks, and I bought three cookies and a Odwalla bar. I ate them ALL. It was 18 points. It was on top of my breakfast and lunch. I was worried about losing control and then I realized something.

It's ok if I eat a lot in the afternoon! I can just eat a smaller dinner! It's not gonna kill me. Besides I can eat fruit and veggies if I need to. I've been to keeping to my routine in fear that any deviation will cause me to go in to a tailspin. However, I'm gonna be ok. I think that this is due to the fact I have my smartphone with the WW app and it really helps. This is a big step for me. I've been basically doing the same thing for the last ten months. I usually eat a small breakfast a small lunch and a big dinner. Now I seem to be heading off in a different direction.

Stay tuned.

Thanks for reading.

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Life at 385 Reference Material

1. Walking
2. Bed
3. Clothing
4. Sitting 
5. Shopping

More as I think them up

Life at 385: Sitting

When you think about someone who is overweight you usually see them sitting in font of the television. Yes, it's a stereotype but it is true in my case. Sometimes sitting is not that easy when you are extremely obese. First thing with sitting at 385 is that I was afraid to sit down sometimes. It would have to be a very sturdy thing to sit on, like metal or stone and I would relax and not be afraid to sit down. I avoided sitting down sometimes because I was afraid of the chair breaking.

At one of my favorite restaurants they have very wiggly wooden chairs that creak when you sit on them. I would go from chair to chair trying to find one without a wiggle. It was usually pretty unfruitful. I would love it if I had the option of sitting on the wooden benches they have. Whenever I went to a restaurant I would always request a table and not a booth. I was screwed one day when I walked in to a local diner and asked for a table to find out they have chairs with arms and the arms dug in to my legs.
 
I was also afraid of fitting in certain seats, like at the movies or a sporting event. My legs would start to lose sensation after a while.  When I sat in a regular movie or venue seat I would have wiggle in. I would have to move side to side slightly while sitting down. I would of course love stadium seating at a movie theater. I always would put the arm up on the side where nobody was sitting. Unless I was with Hubby, then it would be the opposite. Not matter what my arms usually would not go on the arm rests because I was so fat and at my highest my gut would prop me up.

As far as transportation, I would have to take my winter coat off to drive our car because the seat belt was so tight. Hubby would fall into the driver's seat after I drove because the car seat would be so far back, I used to like to take the train to see my Mother every year for her birthday. I don't do it anymore because my work schedule doesn't allow for it. I do love taking the train. Most of the time the train is quiet and you can sit alone so there's plenty of room. Well, at least once I had to share a seat with someone. I assume he was a college student and he didn't seem too thrilled to be sitting with me. This was probably some time in 2009. He got on in Schenectady and I was getting off in Albany. That was the longest 30 minute high speed train trip ever. One year I went to go up for my Mom's Birthday and I had to take the bus. Well, it wasn't very comfortable to say the least and that was just one of the many reasons I will never take the bus again, even thin. The last time I flew in a plane I was 308 lbs and it was very tight and uncomfortable so I didn't even think of flying at 385. I don't know how really overweight people can do it. Yes, there's buying an extra seat but that's expensive! It just can't be comfortable. I remember sitting with a lady on one of the parts of my last plane trip and I had the window seat. I had to get up to use the bathroom. Talk about awkward. If I remember correctly she got out of her seat to let me out and back in. She was a really nice lady though.

Didn't even try sitting in lawn chair or outdoor lounge chairs, unless they were completely plastic or the XXL type. Those have a weight rating of about 300 lbs, but I sat in it anyway. The bar below the front of the seat dug into my legs when I sat in it. I went to a "Alive @ Five" to see Bo Bice of American Idol fame in summer

of 2008 and sat in that chair. It was painful.

I don't even want to go into sitting on the ground or floor but for the sake of being a completist I will.The last time I remember sitting on the ground close to my highest weight was July 2010.

Hubby and I at Cooperstown on Induction Day 2010

That was the day I attended my first Cooperstown  Induction Ceremony. It was bucket list thing. It was also probably the first and last time I'll see one of my beloved Expos inducted in to the NBHOF.  We didn't think we'd need our chairs so we didn't bring them. So, I sat on the ground that day. Granted, I had started to lose weight on my own in March of that year. Well, I had to sit back holding myself up with my hands. I could not sit straight up because I had to make room for my stomach. My stomach would literally push me back. I couldn't fold my legs in either. So that made my uncomfortable situation even more uncomfortable. I had to keep shifting around because I was so uncomfortable. There were many standing ovation moments so I had to keep standing up and sitting down and that was a huge production. I can only imagine the view the people behind me got.

Getting buckled in to the Comet

Sitting in an amusement park ride was unthinkable and that's the love of my life, riding roller coasters. If it wasn't for the Great Escape employee whom helped me buckle my belt in October of 2011 when I rode a roller coaster for the first time in six years I might not have been able to buckle the seat belt myself.

So yeah. The more I lose the more I can't believe it was that bad. I really wasn't living.

More life at 385 to come. Sorry it took so long to get this one published.

Time to catch up.

So I've been busy with starting the new job and writing and giving the speech so it's time to play catch up.

About the new job:

I showed my before/100lb picture to my new bosses, who just happen to be nurses, and they were so impressed. I have been doing a good job of avoiding the Cafeteria. It's like it's not even an option. I like sitting in the lunch area on our floor, it's quiet. However, the first day I could not avoid the cafeteria. They gave me a FREE LUNCH! WOO  HOO! So of course I couldn't turn that down. I had pizza. Yeah, not the best choice but it was the fastest. I only have a 30 min lunch and I work on the top floor. As a footnote, I really like my new job. I do miss my former co-workers and various other things about my former job but I don't miss the work itself.

FYI, my new job is going VERY well. I'm seriously kicking butt.

About speaking:

I did my speech today at the WW Grand Opening/Open House and I think I did a great job. I know Hubby and my leader were very proud.  I'd post the speech on here but  it had some personal stuff I'd rather not share on the web. However, it did include a good portion of what I'd all ready written on here in the How did I get here? post. I showed my 30/32 jeans and the picture of my husband and I at Fenway and my paper clips. I even shamelessly plugged my blog;-) I failed to mention about the fact the Fenway picture wasn't my highest weight and I didn't mention I rode the roller coaster in October, but I had a 14 min speech written and I found out literally minutes before I went on that I had to cut it to 7 mins or less. So I really rushed through it and skipped some stuff.

I received a gift as a part of being a speaker. I got the WW Ready Set Go cookbook.I'm not a big cook but after looking at the pictures in the book I might just have to start to be a cook. It all looks so good.

I passed my leader:

Yep, you read that right. I surpassed my leader's weight loss by one pound. I now have lost 111 lbs. Nine more to my halfway mark!

Anywhoo...that's all for now. Thanks for reading.

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I Gotta Get Writing

So I've been busy lately. March in general seems to be becoming a very busy month for me.Hmm...I think I finally have a life and because of that I've hardly written what I'm going to say when I speak a week from today. Saturday next week is of course the big Grand Opening/Open House at the new WW meeting location.  Still need to time the speech, rehearse it and I want to memorize it to. Good luck with that, eh? Geez. I need to figure out what to wear too!

Went over my points Friday night. I blame The Merry Monk *wink* which we tried for the first time on Friday. However, I did walk a lot and I never once thought I needed to stop. I didn't whine once either. I walked at a brisk pace and didn't get winded. Walking was very comfortable. I walked two blocks to get to The Merry Monk, and back. I walked a lot trying to buy a smart phone that same night. Had to go to two different Wal-Mart stores on two different ends of the 'burbs of Albany because the one near us was out of stock of the phone I wanted. I thought the first one had it, but I was wrong. Wish I had known that, the guy there was a total jerk. However, we were very successful at the second one, the guy was so much nicer too, and I am so happy to be the proud owner of a smart phone.

Now that I have a smart phone. I feel like I'm finally living in 2012! The WW app can can be a bit temperamental but I'm loving my new phone. I expect to manage my points much better now that I can use the app.

That's all for now. Thanks for reading.