Ima Fox

Stopped in at Target after work yesterday. Got a couple of new things to work out in. A new sports bra - its reversible. Workout capris - not reversible, and a tank top with built in support - which is not enough support for my girls. LOL. The tank top is a bit snug in the tummy, but the sports bra fits perfectly and the capris fit nicely too. I'm gonna have to double up on the bra with the tank top. Both are a Target XXL, which is an 18/20. I'm much more certain I'm an 18/20 on top than I am on the bottom. Although some of my 24s are now loose. I'd be willing to bet I'm nearing 22 territory in the bum area
 
I also got in the mail via Amazon, a protective armband for my phone (a Galaxy S5) so that I can lift weights without sticking my phone down my sweaty gross bra (because I cannot workout without my music at the gym. Gym music is universally horrible - unless you go in the morning and then they play classic rock or 80s. Most of the time its all "EDM/technofest/I just took a Molly, yo" when I go in there after work). The armband fits around my arm (yay), and is blue with a reflective strip around it in case I ever exercise outside (which if you knew me you would know that this is laughable since I generally do not do nature because there are critters and bugs and hair frizzing humidity).
 
I plan on really working on my arms tonight. I am wearing this woven top today and the arms on it are tight. Everywhere else on the top fits nicely. But my arms are going to be a real challenge. It seems a disproportionate amount of fat decided to deposit itself in my tricep area. So the more I can do to firm up the muscle and tighten the skin the better. As much as I contemplate plastics in the future, in the present, I am of no financial means to afford them. So rather than worry about financing them, I am just going to hit my tris hard with kickbacks and dips and whatnot.

I woke up this morning thinking of all the things that I can't have. Not the greatest, most positive thinking, but that is where I was. So I decided to go off a thread here and focus today on what I will gain.
1. freedom from food
2. smaller clothes
3. the ability to buy cute clothes anywhere for MUCH LESS MONEY
4. more room in my suit case (fat clothes take a lot of space!)
5. getting in and out of the bathtub without getting stuck.
6. sitting at a booth in a restaurant without getting stuck or feeling my gut hang over the table
7. more comfortable in movie theatre seating
8. better sex
9. look better
10. feel better
I will have to continue adding to this list in the days ahead to keep my mind on the positive things rather than the negative.
YOU CAN DO THIS, SHARI!!!! REMEMBER YOU ARE STUBBORN - LET THAT WORK FOR YOU!

I have an old navy water bottle that holds 25 oz of liquid. I take this thing everywhere. It fits neatly in my backpack. Fits in all the water bottle slots on the equipment at the gym. It's convenient. My goal is to have 25 oz down by my lunch hour (12:30 - so by noon). That way I can drink the other 25 oz by the time I go to bed (10pm-ish). So that is 50 oz of water. Plus my two 11 oz protein shakes, that puts me at 72 oz of water a day. Sadly, I often fall short of this. I'm just not that thirsty. LOL. I'm going to have to have some kind of water challenge. Right now, at 11:49am CDT I have maybe 6 oz of water left in the bottle. I've already had one of my protein shakes. So I'm ahead of the game.
 
I'm also re-introducing fiber to my diet. Initially, when I got out of the hospital I was doing fiber supplements in my water and metformin and well, lets just say that it was a gastrointestinal disaster. I would not wish that on my worst enemy. So on my surgeon's advise, he told me to stop taking the metformin (since my blood sugar was in the low 70s or 60s even when I was on it). I also stopped the fiber, since even off the metformin I was having the same explosive issues, as it were. But this week, I've opted to reintroduce the fiber slowly. Only one scoop in my water bottle for now. Next week, a little more, and the week after that, even more.
 
Lastly, my in-laws are coming this weekend. I wonder if they will notice I've lost over 30 lbs? I hope so. My parent's did when I saw them last month. But then again I see my parents much more frequently than my in-laws (Don't get me wrong, they are lovely people, but they are in Iowa and my parents are much closer - only 60 miles away in NW Indiana) I also hope they don't drag me to Blues Fest. Chicago loves a summer festival. But festivals are full of people. I just want to go to the gym work out, and go on about my business without having my routine disorganized too much. But, it will be nice to see them, I just find socializing exhausting at times!

I need new pants. All of my pants are size 26W, save for a couple of pairs that are 24Ws. The 26Ws are all giant and fall down which is comical when you see me walking down the street hiking them up every five seconds (I know, I know.. get a belt and call it a day. I don't like belts). The pants I have that are 24s can all now be buttoned, but they are a touch too muffin toppy in my estimation. Bu then again, that could all be me and my head. Even when I was a size 18W in my head I was still a 26W. I do have one pencil skirt in a size 24 that looks awesome now. It's kind of fancy for my casual office though. But I suppose I should wear it while I can, before I shrink out of it.
 
Still at 274, total of 32 lbs down post surgery. Am steadily doing around 40 minutes of cardio at the gym. Only one more week until I can lift weights again. I own you, next week. LOL. I'm going to be all about the DOMS and whining about said DOMS to my husband.