I had never really struggled with my weight. I've always been active one way or another, but having children and getting older seemed to throw a wrench into everything. My last two pregnancies really were hard on me, and left me all stretched out in all the wrong places and with about 42 extra pounds. In October 2003 I had some surgery to repair a huge hernia that went vertically on my stomach (my muscles had separated), and also in the process got a tummy tuck. This took care of about 7 lbs, and helped with that pregnant look, but I still needed to lose weight. Also somewhere along the line, I developed Type II diabetes, and later high blood pressure and high cholesterol and high triglycerides. Not something I wanted to hear, and I was very angry that all this should happen to me, ME, who I thought was pretty healthy. The truth is, from 1998 on, I had been overweight, not active at all, very depressed and not sleeping. I hardly drank any water, and lived on Coca-cola. I had enough kidney stones to share with the world, and I looked and felt like crap.

About 8 months after Zachary was born, I went to Jenny Craig to help me lose 20 lbs of baby weight. I was able to do it in the 3 months that they gave me, and I felt pretty good. In August of 2001 I went back to Jenny Craig to help get rid of Anthony's baby weight. It was still around 20 lbs. I was able to do it, in about 5 months. I was doing Tae-Bo at the same time, and Jenny Craig puts you on about 1200 calories, so I lost it all, except for about 4 lbs. But then it started creeping back, little by little, and by June I was right back to where I started. Heartbreaking.

I found out about the diabetes in Feb of 2003, and I tried to eat better and started working out on my Total Gym. My friend Alicia was studying to be a Certified Personal Trainer, so she used me as part of her study, and tried to help me with my diet guidelines and a workout routine. I didn't lose any weight, but my body tightened up, except for my stomach. It was very frustrating. People still asked me if I was pregnant. ARGH. Then I had the surgery, and it helped alot, except my weight was still way too high.

More stress, even less sleep, nothing was getting better. Then in February of 2005, Zachary wanted to take Tae Kwon-Do. It looked like so much fun, I wanted to do it, too. So we both signed up. I lost 7 lbs right off the bat, and that was it! I was tighter, but no weight loss. So much frustration!!

2005 brought a lot of change. Employment, divorce, and then Dave. Dave had worked out most of his time in the military, and had free weights and knew alot about bodybuilding, supplements, protein, working out, muscles... I asked him to show me how to lift using the free weights.  In the beginning of 2006, I tried Jenny Craig again, only this time through the mail (Jenny Direct).  What a waste of money. I couldn't get any frozen food, so everything was the shelf and canned stuff.  That gets tasteless REAL FAST.    In April I tried Quick Weight Loss Center.  Their food was awful!  They gave me some carb blocker tablets, some vitamins, and some metabolizer capsules, and I had to avoid certain foods (because of my diabetes, but it was things like CARROTS and RED BELL PEPPERS).  I would do ok during the week, then on the weekend I would eat regularly, and Monday I would be back where I started.  It was too hard for me.  Plus I HAD to go in once a week, and the nearest center was in Katy.  They would let me call in during the week, but I had to come in every Saturday.  Not working.   So I quit.  

Then in September of 2006 I found Tom Venuto's Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle book. A whole new world of education opened up to me!! I changed my diet immediately, and tried to keep a workout schedule. But unfortunately I wasn't getting enough sleep to do any good. I was definitely eating better, and getting healthier, but I was so exhausted from my work schedule I still wasn't losing any weight or building any (visible) muscle.

I never quit eating the "bodybuilder way" though. And I tried to get into a workout schedule, trying to find the right combination of things that would work for me. And I did lose some weight, not very fast, not much at a time, but as of June 2008, I had lost 14 lbs from 2005. Better, but not where I wanted to be. At least people didn't ask me (as much) "when are you due?" ARGH!! I hate that... I know the person asking me felt worse than I did, but it still made me angry.

January 2009, I tried Jenny Craig again.  I figured it worked twice, maybe it would work again, if I went to a Centre.  So I found one in Cinco Ranch that was on my way home from Houston, and scheduled my consultations on the days I worked in Houston.  I said I would give it 6 weeks.  After 7 weeks, and not having lost ANYTHING, I gave it up.  Plus, it was so expensive!!  It was costly before, but now I couldn't get by without at least a $120/week food bill (and I still had to buy groceries for the household).  It was again 1200 calories, but when I put the nutrition information in my calculator, it came out to be a 60% carb / 20% protein / 20% fat ratio!!  OMG, no wonder I was starving, and not getting anywhere!!  Since eating according to Tom's book, that just didn't cut it for me any more.  Plus being Type II, that was just WAY too many carbs for me!!  I spent the next 3 MONTHS getting my body back to normal!  When I quit eating Jenny Craig food, I gained 5 lbs!! ARGH. 

 June 2009. I think I've figured out how I should be working out. But I couldn't get the diet in synch. ARGH. Feeling great, tightening up in good places, but absolutely no weight loss!! Fell off the wagon for a bit. July 2009, trying it again. I think I've got it all working together now. I expect RESULTS!!!

This is my routine:

Cardio 6 days a week. I use Tony Little's "Gazelle." I really like it. I have a heart rate monitor, and I keep my heart rate up in my target zone for at least 20 mins, and give myself a 30 min total workout. I used to use his "Total Body Buttkick" tape, but my heart rate doesn't get up high enough any more. So I use my MP3 player.

Weight Lifting 5 days a week. Dave bought a Bowflex Blaze last summer, and I've been using that. I do upper body M / W, lower body T / TH, and total body Saturday.

I am on a 1450 - 1500 calorie "diet" with a 45/40/15 (protein, carb, fat) ratio, sometimes the carbs are a little higher, sometimes the protein is a little higher, but this seems to work well for me. I'm not starved, and I have plenty of energy. I eat every 3 hours or so, making sure I get protein at every meal.