Why is it, when I'm on a liquid diet that every commercial on TV seems to have food on it? Stupid Burger King, Sizzler, and Little Ceasars. COME ON!
On a side note, vanilla shakes are way better than the chocolate ones. And the strawberry ones are terrible.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Monday, December 28, 2009
The first day of the rest of my life...
T minus 7 days. My liquid diet starts tomorrow. The purpose? To shrink the area around the liver to provide easier access for the surgeons. My diet for the next 7 days consists of clear liquids, protein shakes, and sugar-free Jell-O. I could have popsicles, but considering I'm already freezing my keester off in sub-zero temperatures, I think I'll venture for peppermint tea instead.
I'm glad I have such a great support from my husband. This would be so much harder without him. Honestly, I don't think I'll find it such a struggle considering I'm practically TSWLCofU's poster child for the next 3 years. I'm glad to do it, being that it's such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Not to say I won't have my moments, because I'm sure I will. But this really does start off the new life I'm about to lead.
Goodnight and wish my good luck. I'm off to enjoy my very last Skor bar :) I promise to savor every tiny bit of toffee.
I'm glad I have such a great support from my husband. This would be so much harder without him. Honestly, I don't think I'll find it such a struggle considering I'm practically TSWLCofU's poster child for the next 3 years. I'm glad to do it, being that it's such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Not to say I won't have my moments, because I'm sure I will. But this really does start off the new life I'm about to lead.
Goodnight and wish my good luck. I'm off to enjoy my very last Skor bar :) I promise to savor every tiny bit of toffee.
Monday, December 21, 2009
It's the little things....
I've had quite a few conversations lately about what I'm "looking foward to" after I lose a lot of this weight. Here's my short list:
- Bracelets and necklaces without 'extenders'
- The burning of my shapewear
- Crossing my legs comfortably in a car, at a desk, everywhere
- Riding in an airplace seat without sucking in my breath to click the seatbelt
- Feeling more secure about singing in public
- Less achey feet
- Feeling like "me" again
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
I'll be signing autographs in the hallway....
I had my first "celebrity" moment. today *although it's hardly considered celebrity status if a farmer from Axtell recognizes your name from the commercial and then realizes you're his claims adjuster*.
All the same, it was nice that someone out there heard the commercials and voted, rather that just all my FB friends of friends. He even told me he voted for me. How sweet. I said thank you.
All the same, it was nice that someone out there heard the commercials and voted, rather that just all my FB friends of friends. He even told me he voted for me. How sweet. I said thank you.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
The Promised Photos
The hubs, myself, and Dr. Christina Richards
During the taping
The hubs was testing out the flash. What a cute leg!
Before the taping.
After the taping.
Friday, December 11, 2009
A few minor details...
- Approximately 900+ people entered this contest, not over a thousand, which I was originally told.
- 5 finalists were chosen by the staff of the Surgical Weight Loss Center of UT
- 36,157 votes were cast (of which, I received the most...obviously)
- The other 4 finalists are being given a chance at a discounted surgery.
- My surgery has been scheduled for January 5.
- I wore more makeup today than I have in an entire year, guaranteed.
How many cameras were on me?
I had a live interview today on KSL Studio 5 where I was announced to the WORLD (okay, maybe just a signifacant number of UT housewives/homemakers/homebodies...oh yeah, and all those I asked to tune in) as the winner of the lap band contest. Our 4 minute segment truly felt like 30 seconds.
Darin was so great, as was Shannon who worked with the hospital in making all of this happen. Everyone there was so kind and friendly. I really enjoyed it. Maybe after all this weight falls off I'll look into the TV industry! Look out, Brooke! ;)
My husband was able to go with me, which I was so happy about. He got up at 4:30 this morning to go to his work to see if he could get the time off, which they so graciously allowed him to do. He is a great support which is so incredibly important to the success of this life-change. Another shout out to my wonderful aunt who so willingly looked after our sick little babe who refused to sleep.
Here is the clip, I really do mean what I said about social networking. I credit the results of this contest to you, my blog readers and FB buddies.
Ok, they say the camera adds 10 lbs....wow. Now I can really see how desperately I need this surgery. Have I mentioned lately how grateful I am for this incredible opportunity! What a blessing!!!
**I'll post photos of the studio visit tomorrow.
Darin was so great, as was Shannon who worked with the hospital in making all of this happen. Everyone there was so kind and friendly. I really enjoyed it. Maybe after all this weight falls off I'll look into the TV industry! Look out, Brooke! ;)
My husband was able to go with me, which I was so happy about. He got up at 4:30 this morning to go to his work to see if he could get the time off, which they so graciously allowed him to do. He is a great support which is so incredibly important to the success of this life-change. Another shout out to my wonderful aunt who so willingly looked after our sick little babe who refused to sleep.
Here is the clip, I really do mean what I said about social networking. I credit the results of this contest to you, my blog readers and FB buddies.
Ok, they say the camera adds 10 lbs....wow. Now I can really see how desperately I need this surgery. Have I mentioned lately how grateful I am for this incredible opportunity! What a blessing!!!
**I'll post photos of the studio visit tomorrow.
The Power of Social Networking and a Witty Facebook Status!
I figure I had better start this sometime. I heard about the Free Lap Band Contest by watching KSL one morning. In a "shot-in-the-dark" moment, I entered online. About 2 weeks went by and I honestly forgot about the contest. But, about 8pm one evening, I heard my cell phone beep that I had a missed call and a voicemail. I listened and was stunned to hear that I was a top 5 finalist and had been selected from over a thousand entries. They asked me to come to SLC for an extended appointment the next day. Thanks to a wonderful friend and a supportive husband, I was able to go. I met with a psychologist, a nutritionist, the surgeon, and an exercise expert. Apparently, they were trying to determine if I truly qualified for the surgery, which I was informed 2 days later that I was indeed a top 5 finalist.
I was thrilled, and scared. Was I really ready for this type of life-altering opportunity? Perhaps not, but it was ready for me.
I was informed that the top 5 were going to be listed on a website where the community could vote for the winner after reading our stories. Radio and TV ads were done with our photographs.
Here are the answers that I entered from the beginning of the contest:
HOW HAS OBESITY AFFECTED YOUR LIFE?
I often feel secluded within myself. I find myself withdrawing from activities, which if I weren’t obese, would be so much fun for me. I feel as though I’m holding myself back from my full potential. Some of the excuses I’ve made are, “If I were thinner, I would have gone for that promotion,” or “If I weren’t so fat, I would compete in local sports.” I used to compete in local sports like softball and volleyball, but now I feel as though those activities are impossible.
WHY SHOULD YOU BE SELECTED AS THE WINNER?
I’m tired of my weight being who I am. I know I’m more. I want to be seen as more than “chubby” or “sweet”. I miss the Callie Robbins before the weight. I feel like I gained the weight because of issues years ago. Now that I have let go of the issues, I need to let go of the weight, but I need help doing it. I want a second chance for my daughter who I would like to raise to respect a healthy lifestyle. She was a miracle in my life and I want to be healthy, so I can enjoy so much of it with her. Mostly I want to look in the mirror and LOVE what I see. I want to reflect how I feel inside, a woman of value. I would love that every person who enters this contest to win it, but I know that’s not possible. I just have the hope in my heart for a second chance at living and that I can prove I can do it right this time.
WHAT GOALS DO YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE IF YOU WIN?
I don’t have huge goals. I have a lot of small desires. I want to play with my daughter and not get worn out after ten minutes. I want to be able to exercise and not feel like my world is closing in on me. I hope to someday run a 5K and eventually a half-marathon, maybe more. I want to be healthy enough to have more children, which I know weight loss would help with. I just want to LIVE LIFE like it was meant to be lived.
The first day the contest was posted live, I didn't even know about it. It went live on a Saturday, but I had it in my head that it wasn't going to be posted till Monday. On a whim Saturday evening, I opened the webpage and found that I was at 0%, while Christine Ishmael was at 40%. All the others had small percentages. My heart dropped. I couldn't believe it. I started voting. But even after a few votes, I realized this was bigger than me. I needed help.
No one wants to admit they are fat. They know it in their hearts and their heads. They don't like to hear it out loud because they already assume everyone is talking about it. They feel it everytime they look in the mirror and everytime they try on clothes. However, I don't think anyone wants to hear those words from their own lips, especially admitting it to the world. I discussed with my husband about sending an email to my friends and family and perhaps posting it on Facebook to ask for help in voting. He told me to do it, and promised that I would get the support I needed. I eventually swallowed my pride and sent the email. And, I'll tell you, the response was incredible. Like my friend, Josh, said to me today, "If you've made peace with your decisions, your family and friends should support you, because they love you." He, along with a few others, was my greatest support. After sending the email, my % went from 0 to over 40 in less that 24 hours. After the first week of voting, the percentages were removed from the website. It became my power hour! Some of my good friends posted on their FB pages very clever statuses, asking for help. It was fun for me to read them each day. I really felt so overwhelmed by the incredible support.
It's amazing how many friends came out of the woodwork. I'm so grateful. FB is awesome and my friends/family are awesome! The suspense was terrible over the last week of no %'s. But, the end came finally. I thought the winner was going to be notified on the 7th, but no phone call ever came. My husband called the office, because you could still vote on the website. They told him the contest was indeed over and the winner would be announced on Friday, the 11th. I was pretty bummed. So, on Wednesday when I saw a missed call from the clinic, my heart started beating like crazy. I had a voicemail from Sandee, the contest lead. She told me to call her back so she could tell me who the winner was. I called her back and she told me I WON. I started bawling. All the voting really paid off and I realized I had the best friends in the world. TRULY!
Then my thoughts turned to all of those who didn't win. And I started crying for them. I know what rejection feels like. And this, was the ultimate rejection to them. Talk about dangling a carrot in front of you for so long. Being able to smell it, see it constantly and knowing it was so close. And then, it is ripped away and you don't even get to taste it. I wish we could have all won, but that's not the way it works. I wish them all the best. I pray they get the chance to change their lives as well.
I was thrilled, and scared. Was I really ready for this type of life-altering opportunity? Perhaps not, but it was ready for me.
I was informed that the top 5 were going to be listed on a website where the community could vote for the winner after reading our stories. Radio and TV ads were done with our photographs.
Here are the answers that I entered from the beginning of the contest:
HOW HAS OBESITY AFFECTED YOUR LIFE?
I often feel secluded within myself. I find myself withdrawing from activities, which if I weren’t obese, would be so much fun for me. I feel as though I’m holding myself back from my full potential. Some of the excuses I’ve made are, “If I were thinner, I would have gone for that promotion,” or “If I weren’t so fat, I would compete in local sports.” I used to compete in local sports like softball and volleyball, but now I feel as though those activities are impossible.
WHY SHOULD YOU BE SELECTED AS THE WINNER?
I’m tired of my weight being who I am. I know I’m more. I want to be seen as more than “chubby” or “sweet”. I miss the Callie Robbins before the weight. I feel like I gained the weight because of issues years ago. Now that I have let go of the issues, I need to let go of the weight, but I need help doing it. I want a second chance for my daughter who I would like to raise to respect a healthy lifestyle. She was a miracle in my life and I want to be healthy, so I can enjoy so much of it with her. Mostly I want to look in the mirror and LOVE what I see. I want to reflect how I feel inside, a woman of value. I would love that every person who enters this contest to win it, but I know that’s not possible. I just have the hope in my heart for a second chance at living and that I can prove I can do it right this time.
WHAT GOALS DO YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE IF YOU WIN?
I don’t have huge goals. I have a lot of small desires. I want to play with my daughter and not get worn out after ten minutes. I want to be able to exercise and not feel like my world is closing in on me. I hope to someday run a 5K and eventually a half-marathon, maybe more. I want to be healthy enough to have more children, which I know weight loss would help with. I just want to LIVE LIFE like it was meant to be lived.
The first day the contest was posted live, I didn't even know about it. It went live on a Saturday, but I had it in my head that it wasn't going to be posted till Monday. On a whim Saturday evening, I opened the webpage and found that I was at 0%, while Christine Ishmael was at 40%. All the others had small percentages. My heart dropped. I couldn't believe it. I started voting. But even after a few votes, I realized this was bigger than me. I needed help.
No one wants to admit they are fat. They know it in their hearts and their heads. They don't like to hear it out loud because they already assume everyone is talking about it. They feel it everytime they look in the mirror and everytime they try on clothes. However, I don't think anyone wants to hear those words from their own lips, especially admitting it to the world. I discussed with my husband about sending an email to my friends and family and perhaps posting it on Facebook to ask for help in voting. He told me to do it, and promised that I would get the support I needed. I eventually swallowed my pride and sent the email. And, I'll tell you, the response was incredible. Like my friend, Josh, said to me today, "If you've made peace with your decisions, your family and friends should support you, because they love you." He, along with a few others, was my greatest support. After sending the email, my % went from 0 to over 40 in less that 24 hours. After the first week of voting, the percentages were removed from the website. It became my power hour! Some of my good friends posted on their FB pages very clever statuses, asking for help. It was fun for me to read them each day. I really felt so overwhelmed by the incredible support.
It's amazing how many friends came out of the woodwork. I'm so grateful. FB is awesome and my friends/family are awesome! The suspense was terrible over the last week of no %'s. But, the end came finally. I thought the winner was going to be notified on the 7th, but no phone call ever came. My husband called the office, because you could still vote on the website. They told him the contest was indeed over and the winner would be announced on Friday, the 11th. I was pretty bummed. So, on Wednesday when I saw a missed call from the clinic, my heart started beating like crazy. I had a voicemail from Sandee, the contest lead. She told me to call her back so she could tell me who the winner was. I called her back and she told me I WON. I started bawling. All the voting really paid off and I realized I had the best friends in the world. TRULY!
Then my thoughts turned to all of those who didn't win. And I started crying for them. I know what rejection feels like. And this, was the ultimate rejection to them. Talk about dangling a carrot in front of you for so long. Being able to smell it, see it constantly and knowing it was so close. And then, it is ripped away and you don't even get to taste it. I wish we could have all won, but that's not the way it works. I wish them all the best. I pray they get the chance to change their lives as well.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
