13.1...

I WILL have one of these on my car one day.  Watch me do it chicas!!

 



For those of you who aren't familiar with this sticker, don't feel bad.  Up until a few months ago, I had no idea what it was either.  Have any of you ever seen this sticker on someone's car?  Or maybe you have one of your own, which would be awesome!  I started seeing them a lot more often, and never thought to ask anyone what they meant.  My bestie Cat finally filled me in, and told me that the sticker actually stood for 13.1 miles, the length of a half-marathon.

 

13.1 miles!!  Omgosh.  There's actually a 26.2 sticker also, which, of course you guessed right, stands for a full marathon, or 26.2 miles.  Smaller runs include a 10k and a 5k,  6.2 and 3.1 miles respectively.  I've never been a runner, but omgosh those thoughts have been in my head so much lately the past few months.  I think it's partially because of my lifestyle change over the past year, and trying to be healthier and more active...but a lot has to do with reaching bigger goals that I have for myself.  It just pushes me even further that my best friend is a runner, and just completed another half-marathon again about a week ago.  She's been training for several months now, and she is amazing!!

 

Now you all know my usual routine has been Zumba, and occasionally going walking.  It's been great for me, and gives me so much energy.  I even mentioned once that I leave Zumba feeling like I can take on the world...with an 'IDGAF' attitude!  For the past few months I've been trying to switch up my routine a bit.  I feel like I may be reaching a plateau soon, and I want to make sure I feel comfortable trying other types of activities.  I actually started alternating my work-out days between Zumba, and walking/jogging at the track.  Don't get me wrong chicas...I'm starting off on the verrryyy bottom, and at this point can only jog for about a minute each time, but I'm going to do it!  You have to start somewhere right?  Even if that means walking, jogging, and switching between the two as you go along.

 

A few weeks ago I started hearing about a 5k that was going to be held here in town.  The minute the thought was put into my head, I started reading about it everywhere.  I debated and debated, giving myself all sorts of reasons NOT to do it.  'I haven't trained long enough', and 'I don't have anyone to do it with me; I DON'T want to do my first 5k alone', were the main things going through my mind.  I even visited the registration site online several times, but never signed up.  Cat tried her best to convince me for several weeks before, but I was held back in my own insecurities, as usual.

 

Well guess what?

 

 

I did it!!

 

And omgoodness did it feel A-MAZING!!!  The excitement I felt when I crossed the finish line was crazy!  Not to mention how I felt the remainder of the day.  If you've ever heard people use the phrase 'a runner's high', it is sooo true.  You feel like you're buzzing, and everything takes on a positive spin.  Maybe it's your attitude carrying over into what you're doing and who you're around, but it definitely gets you happy and moving.

 

Here's what happened...the night before I was at home, totally having a Blockbuster night.  I had already decided I was not going to do the race the next day, since I didn't have anyone to go with me.  I hadn't really mentioned it to anyone, other than my close family and best friend.  A few people I had asked either had to work the morning of the race, didn't want to pay the $20.00 fee, or just didn't want to do it period.  This was the second annual Running with the Bulls 5k, supporting a local food distribution center called Val Verde Loaves and Fishes.  After reading up on it, I learned that if you took 5 non-perishable food items with you on the morning of the race, you would be entered to win several different cool prizes, including a brand new Ipad.  Plus, you were still allowed to register late that morning, which was great for procrastinators like me.

 

That night, Cat decided to interrupt my movie and try to convince me again.  She gave me some great advice, and told me to get to bed at a reasonable hour, just in case I decided to change my mind the next day.  I showered up, layed down in bed, and set my alarm for 6:00am, with all sorts of thoughts running through my head.  Was I really going to do this?  Was I physically capable of doing it?  What if I'm the only person walking?  And the dreaded question looming in the back of my mind...What if I'm the last one to finish?!?!?

 

Insecurities...I knew I had to overcome them.  The next morning when my alarm went off, I knew what I was going to do.  I got up, got dressed in my favorite work-out gear, had a power breakfast, and was out the door and on my way.    When I got to the site, I was totally not expecting what I saw.  For starters, I had assumed that since this is such a small town, there would be very few people.  I was completely wrong!  There were so many people there already, I almost turned around and went back home.  But instead, I parked my car, took a few deep breaths, and made my way to the registration line.  I got my bib number, turned in my food donations, and blended into the crowd of runners stretching and getting ready for the start of the race.  To my surprise, there were people of all different ages and body types there.  A few people appeared to be alone as well, and that made me feel a lot better.  I finished stretching, and the race started.

 

Chicas...I walked the entire race.  Power-walked, but yes, I walked it. 

And I couldn't have been any more proud of myself when I finished it!!  There were actually tons of people walking along.  Children with their parents, groups of girlfriends gossiping with each other, a few single mommys and daddys with strollers, and even the mayor of my lovely little city!  I figured since it was my very first 5k, I didn't want to over-do it. 

 

I see a lot more races in my future, and I know I need to take it easy, and pace myself. I will get there one day!  Baby steps chicas...'poco a poco'.  You really have to experience the feeling for yourself.  I'm sure you'll be hooked just like I was.  I felt soooo proud coming home, and telling everyone I saw that day about what I had accomplished just that morning.  My family was super supportive, and continue to remain encouraging on a daily basis.  My best friend Cat...well she deserves her own special mention as well. 

If it wasn't for her consistent nagging (in a loving way of course) :)), and her words of advice, I don't think I would have decided to even give a 5k a shot.  So thank you Cat!  You're my best friend for those reasons especially, and I've truly been blessed with the 15+ years we've had as friends so far.

 

 

On a different note, I know I've been a little M.I.A. lately, but November is my audit month at work.  Yikes!  So you only imagine that it's been crazy busy. 

State audit + holidays = CRAZYNESS

 



I've still been weighing in at my WW meetings every week.  Here's a little update with my results from the past few weeks...

 

 

Officially down 133.2 lbs. yall!!  I am beyond psyyycchheeedd!!  Quick recap:

 

10/30/12 - gained 1.2 lbs.

11/6/12 - lost 1.6 lbs.

11/13/12 - gained 2.6 lbs.

11/20/12 - lost 6.6 lbs.

 

Talk about all over the place huh?  That's what stress at work does to me.  I'll be the first to admit that I am an emotional eater.  But regardless of where I'm at after a weigh-in, I always pat myself on the back, and look foward.  There's no point in looking behind you, especially when your past was what was making you unhappy.  The way I see it...if you keep looking over your shoulder at what 'could have been', you're going to miss all sorts of opportunities passing you by...or you're going to run smack into a wall and get stuck where you were before.  Either way is a no-win.

 

Forgive yourself, and move on.

 

Focus on living a happy and positive life.  I know I am!!

 

The loves of my life...they make my heart smile!

My beautiful sister and I...YES we were kitties at SeaWorld!

Mi familia...enough said.

I was a pretty cute kitty if I do say so myself!

Halloween night...LMFAO!!!

 

Hope everyone has a blessed and wonderful Thanksgiving tomorrow!!

 

 

Be blessed...and stay blessed!!!

 

xoxo,

❤Nica



It's all in your head...

Half-way through the work week, even closer to Halloween, and I still don't have a costume for my annual party I have at work.  I thought I had a great idea, but last night when I tried to put it all together in a practice run, it resulted in an EPIC FAIL.  lol

 

I'm heading up to San Antonio this weekend, so I really need to get my booty in check and find something.  I'm out of options here in town, unless I want to go this route...

 

Ummm wait...what??  I think I'll pass.  lol

 

Aside from searching for a costume, I'll also be taking my niece and nephew to SeaWorld with the familia.  Every year during the month of October, SeaWorld puts together some scaarrryyy fun for the Howl-O-Scream event.  Check out the link I provided if you can.  They have some pretty awesome areas of the park to visit this year.  I am sooo looking foward to it.  I freakin' love Halloween!  :)

 

I also went to my Weight Watchers meeting/weigh-in yesterday afternoon.  I've really grown to appreciate all the members in the group.  They are always so supportive of each other, and a few of them have become great friends of mine.  I love the fact that we are able to laugh with each other about the day-to-day struggles we experience, and at the same time feel confident that noone in that meeting is judging you.  We recently got a new group leader a few weeks ago, and she's been doing a great job so far!  My previous leader Nancy was just as awesome.  She kept me motivated the entire time since I started on my journey back in January, and I appreciate everything she did to show continued support and encouragement.  Here's to you Nancy!!

 

 

The pic on the left is of Nancy and I during the meeting when I reached my 100lb. weight loss.  She did a little presentation, and gave me a certificate.  Such a memorable day!!

 

The pic on the right is of my Zumba instructor Andrea and I, after one of her amazing work-outs.  This girl is just sooo full of energy and positive light.  Muchisimas gracias Andrea!!  Chicas, if you haven't tried Zumba yet, I highly recommend that you do, and soon!!  If you love music, and you love to dance, then this is definitely the work-out for you.  It doesn't even feel like you're exercising!

 

I couldn't have come this far on my journey without the help of these two amazing women.  If you ever get the opportunity to have inspiration such as these people in your life, feel very very blessed chicas.  Thank you ladies!!!

 

My weigh-in went pretty well yesterday, aside from the fact that I over-indulged in margaritas this past weekend at a quincienera.  lol  That's what happens when you haven't had a drink in awhile, and you're around friends and family.  Ya gotta love any party that has a frozen margarita machine on hand!!  Yummm!!!

 

 

I lost 2.2 lbs. this week!  I am sooo beyond psyched chicas!  This year has been life-changing for me, and I can't help but try to encourage others towards a healthier, positive lifestyle.  It really makes me happy that my family has adopted some of the small changes I've been making.  It's easier to make smart decisions when you have people around you that support you, and love you unconditionally.  And that's all it takes!  Really yall', if you ever feel alone, or that you don't have anyone around for support, don't ever hesitate to head in this direction.  Send me a message or an email, and I'll do my best to help you in any way possible.  It's a mental game chicas.  Thinking positive will attract good things into your life, and before you know it, you'll be moving foward towards whatever goal you have your heart set on.

 

We all have our bad days.  Hell, I have them pretty often sometimes, but you're feeling how you're feeling at that moment for a reason.  Does that even make sense?  lol  Ride out your emotions, and feel them.  Don't bottle them up and ignore them.  That's only going to make it harder on you when they resurface again.  And chicas...they always do.  We know this.

 

Stay positive my friends!  Have a great rest of the week.  :)

 

Ohhhh...one last thing...just for a quick smile.  This week is 'Red Ribbon Week' at my chiquita's school.  Every day this week the school has a different theme for the kids to participate in, such as 'crazy socks day', 'crazy hat day', etc.  Today was 'crazy hair day', so I got up extra early to help my niece with her hair.  She insisted on the color purple, so that's exactly what we did.  I have to say though, she should have just worn her hair straight out of bed!!  This is the REAL crazy hair!!

 

 

Poor baby was still half asleep!!  lol

 

 

Be blessed...and stay blessed!!!

 

xoxo,

❤Nica

Tick tock...tick tock...

Where is this time going lately??

 

It feels like the year is nearly over, and I still have sooo much to do.  I know with the upcoming holidays, the time is just going to swing by even quicker.  It seems like every day is just hustle hustle hustle, and I never even have a moment to breathe for myself.  Yikes!!

 

First things first, let me give you all my updated WW weekly weigh-ins from the past 2 weeks.  I think I've been doing fairly well with my tracking, although I know I have a lot of room for improvement, especially when it comes to the weekends.  Lately, I barely even glance at my iPhone throughout the weekends to track my food.  No bueno.  :/

 

 

At last week's weigh-in (10/9/12), I lost a total of 4.2 pounds.  I have no idea how I did that chicas.  The only thing I can think is that I am underestimating the amount of activity points I count for Zumba.  It's a little hard to determine sometimes, because Zumba isn't listed as one of the 'workouts' under the activity list on the Weight Watchers website.  I do eat any activity points I earn, and very rarely go into my extra weekly 49 points.

At this week's weigh-in, I lost 1.2 pounds, making that a total of 126.6 pounds thus far!  Last week I was also awarded another 25 pound ring for my keychain, which was reallly exciting!  I got to speak a little about my journey so far, and I can only hope that my progress will inspire others to stay on track, and never lose hope that the program really does work.

 

This entire year has been a true blessing for me chicas.  I cannot stress that enough.  I am thankful to God for putting me on this path, and helping me stick to it.  I know I am making the best decisions for my future.

 

Cheers to a new week, and in moving foward!!

 

In other parts of my life, work is getting crazier every day.  I'm planning my annual Halloween party, and getting ready for audit next month.  Before I know it, the holidays are going to be here, and we'll be starting another year!  I'm still not 100% sure about a costume so far, but I will definitely be dressing up...it's tradition for our fiesta at work!

 

Here are a few pics of my life over the past week or so...

 

My babygirl's 'candycorn' nails I did for her...I loooove my niece, but wow...these didn't last but one day tops! lol

A trip to the pumpkin patch on a Saturday afternoon always calls for pictures!!  They had a blast...and so did I trying to get my nephew to look at the camera just once!! lol

My yummy breakfast I made the other morning...only 5PP chicas!  2 points for the whole-grain bread (2 slices of Sara Lee 100% Whole Wheat), 1 point for the ham (1 ounce of Hillshire Farm Ultra Thin Honey Ham), 1 point for the cheese (1/4 cup HEB fat free shredded cheddar cheese), and 1 point for the three egg whites.  I crisp the ham a little in the skillet, and grill the veggies in the same pan, so that they are warm and soft when putting together the sandwich.  When the egg whites are cooked to your liking, add in the cheese so that it melts perfectly.  No oil is needed...just a little non-stick spray, and you're good to go.  The spinach, tomato, and banana are all freeeeee...which makes for a filling, delicious breakfast!

I also made these steamed dumplings one rainy Saturday afternoon.  I'll be posting the recipe soon.  I always have fun experimenting with the WW Recipe Builder on eTools.  I take any ideas I have in my head, throw them all together, and try to reduce the PP value.  It's challenging, but I think I've put together some really great recipes so far.

 

I also celebrated my bestie's birthday a few weeks ago.  We had a blast!!  Good friends, dinner, drinks, flamenco dancing, and lots of great memories!!

Love you Cat!!  Here's to many many more years of BESTfriendship.  :)

 

The only update I have with The Fisherman is that I'm reaching a breaking point.  I haven't really spoken to him in a few days, because he made me really mad over the weekend when he wouldn't answer a simple question!  It was just something I had never asked him before, and he became soo defensive.  Believe it or not...in the short time we've been 'talking', I've never asked him what his last name is.  It's honestly just never come up, and for whatever reason, I thought about it while I was on the road this weekend.  We were in the middle of texting each other, and I just flat out asked him 'By the way, what's your last name'?  His response??  'Why?? Uggg!!'.  Ummm wait...what??  Warning sign, I know chicas.  So I'm going to let things play themselves out..and I am definitely not going to hold back from saying exactly how I feel from now on.  I know what I want out of a partner, and I'm honestly more pissed off than happy half the time we talk.  Ask and you shall receive, right?  Even if it's not the answer you want to hear, it still helps you moves foward.

 

By the way...I finally updated my progress pictures!!  Make sure you click over to that page and take a look.  It's amazing what positive thinking can get you...put your mind and ❤ to it, and you can accomplish anything!!

 

Have a great week chicas...it's almost Friiiiddaayyy!!

 



Be blessed...and stay blessed!!!

 

 

xoxo,

 

❤Nica



Ummm wait....what??

That's exactly the reaction I gave the lady in the UPS office earlier this week when I was dropping off a package for work.  I see her about once every 1-2 weeks, and she always has the same smile on her face.  Although I don't know her on a personal level, she always seems very friendly, and we conversate about different topics including our cars (we both drive Toyota Camry's), mutual friends, and life in general.

 

But this week was different.  Before even saying hello, the first words that popped out of her mouth as I walked into the building were, 'Just how much weight exactly have you lost??'.  To which I quickly and excitedly answered, 'Over 100 lbs. since January!'.

 

Guess what her next question was??  Don't know??  Let me break down the remainder of the conversation for you....

 

UPS Lady:  'Wow mija!  Which weight-loss surgery did you have done?'

Me:  'Ummm...I didn't have surgery.'

UPS Lady:  'Oh wow, that's great!  So what pills are you taking?'

Me:  'Ummm...I'm not taking any pills either.'

UPS Lady:  'Ay mija...are you sick?'

Me:  'Not that I'm aware of.'

 

Now...mind you...after I was able to erase the look of shock from my face, I did explain to her that I had been on Weight Watchers for the past year, and taking Zumba classes weekly.  However, I seriously didn't know whether I should take her questions as an insult, or a compliment.  It was kind of like a double-edged sword.  No matter which way I looked at it, this woman was automatically judging me, and assuming things about me, without giving it  a second thought.

 

These types of scenarios happen to me almost on a daily basis now.  I'm still not used to it.  The majority of the time, people are not as direct as Miss UPS, but will still most definitely make a comment about how my appearance has drastically changed, and what I did to lose so much weight.

 

Don't get me wrong chicas, I didn't leave upset at her, and I most certainly didn't go all crazy latina on her.  I actually used the opportunity to teach her and inform her about this fantabulous lifestyle I've been sticking to over the past year.  And that would make the second time that day I openly discussed my WW journey with someone.

 

Right before my UPS visit that same day, I had stopped to pay a bill (Hey...this chica has to handle hers!!), and it was almost the same situation.  When I walked into that office, the girl helping me said she almost didn't recognize me when she saw me getting off my car.  Wow.  I am totally not seeing what these people see, and I don't know if that's a good thing (because it will keep me pushing foward towards my ultimate goal), or a bad thing (self-love..still working on it...).  This lady was a lot more subtle about her comments, and basically just had a ton of questions about WW, and how the program works.  We actually had a pretty long talk, and in the end, I remembered I had some cards in my car from last weeks meeting for a 2 week free trial of eTools.  I quickly ran outside to get her one, and I'm hoping the next time I see her she'll tell me she got to try it out, and that she loves it as much as I do.

 

Two more times today alone chicas.  Once at the grocery store, where I ran into a friend of the familia that hadn't seen me in quite some time.  She was just amazed at my progress so far, and even said she was going to tell her friends about me.  The second time was at my Zumba class tonight.  A few of the ladies pulled me aside before our warm-up, and asked me how I was losing so much weight.  I gladly shared the info. with them, and they had so many questions!  They even asked to see some 'before' photos I had in my iPhone.  I thought it was funny because one of the ladies even asked me if I ate 3 meals a day!  She couldn't believe it when I broke down my meals for today, and told her exactly what I had eaten.  'This Mexicana has to eat her tortillas, and drink her Cokes!  No diet foods for me!'  she told me.  I just smiled and answered, 'Well this Mexicana still eats her tortillas and drinks her sodas, just in a smarter way!'. 

 

Yes I'm on my Weight Watchers soap box right now. I seriously love this program!

 

What I do appreciate out of all these different people, is that they all end up telling me the same thing.  That I look soooo happy when they see me now, and that they are extremely proud of me.  I'm proud of me too!  I'm learning to remind myself of that every time I start to feel down about a situation, or when life just doesn't go the way I had planned. 

 

This week has definitely been trying, mainly in regards to several issues within my familia.  I always feel like I'm taking care of someone elses needs, and putting myself last.  Self-love is a long process, but one that I'm glad to finally be on board with.

 

On a more positive note, I had an awesome NSV this week chicas.  I was doing some online shopping, and finally ordered some jeans I've been wanting from Torrid.

 

Photo courtesy of Torrid

The NSV part was that I was able to order a size I haven't worn in years, and fit into it too!  I never thought I'd be as excited as I was that day, when I got my package in the mail.  These jeans are awesome too by the way.  They are the Broadway Ankle Zip Stiletto Jeans, just in case any of you chicas are in the mood to do some online shopping while wasting time at work tomorrow browsing the internet at home.

 

I also wanted to share my WW weekly weigh-in from this past Tuesday.

 

 

Yeaaahhh buddy...down 2.8 lbs. this week!  I was absolutely psyched, especially since I had worked so hard at earning my activity points, and tracking my food.  I am getting back into the swing of things...and I'm going to use all these opportunities I've been blessd with to give as much love as I possibly can.  Regardless if it's in the form of teaching someone about Weight Watchers, accepting others for who they are, or dealing with life's daily problems.

 

 

I'm off for the night chicas...it's waaay past my bedtime, and tomorrow is my Friday!  I'm heading up to San Antonio for the weekend to celebrate my bestie Cat's b-day, which was earlier this month.  I'm going to try my best to take as many pics as I can, to share with you all when I get back on Sunday.  I want to try to give you all more of a glimpse into other parts of my life as often as I can.  Oh and by the way...things have not improved with The Fisherman.  In fact, I seem to have taken on an 'IDGAF' attitude towards him this week.  We'll see what happens...

 

 

Be blessed...and stay blessed!!!

 

xoxo,

 

❤Nica



It's the freakin' weekend baby...

This week has just dragggged for me, partly because I was a MAJOR procrastinator the majority of the time, and because I have been 'on-call' for work since last Friday afternoon.  I hope you chicas had a more productive week than I did!  Let me catch you up a little on what's been going on en mi vida lately...

 

I've had familia visiting from out of town this week, so that's been pretty entertaining.  My aunt recently had a baby boy, and let me tell you, it takes me back to when my niece and nephew were babies too.  Middle of the night feedings, diaper changes, bath times...I'm trying to prepare for the next one my sister is having pretty soon.  I don't think I had ever mentioned it, but yes, my sister is currently preggers :).  She's my only sibling, so I couldn't be any happier for her.  I absolutely adore those two angels.  They are my world chicas.

 

 

I cannot wait until number 3 comes along for my sister.  She doesn't know what she's having yet, but I am secretly hoping for another little girl :).  Only because I would love for my chiquita to have a younger sister, just like I do.  Sisters are special, and I will dedicate a post to mine one day soon.  These two make my days happy, and I can't imagine my life without them now.  I would give them the world if I could, but for now I'm sure they're satisfied with watching Monster's Inc. (their favorite movie right now),  building forts made out of blankets, and dancing with their 'ta-ta' to every Yo Gabba Gabba song out there.

 

This week a 'certain someone' started texting me again, after about 2 weeks of not speaking.  I think I may have mentioned several posts back about having some dates set up.  For privacy purposes ;), I'm just going to refer to him as 'The Fisherman'.  I'm using that nickname for several different reasons, but mainly because of a certain tattoo he has, and because of something that was said to me during a tea reading I had a few months ago.  (Yessss I said tea reading.  Future post on this topic.)  I'll have to do a separate post on him entirely, and how it all got started.  Needless to say, I spoke my mind to him during a conversation we had earlier this month, and he didn't seem to like it very much.  Let's just say, I put him on check.  I can become very disinterested in someone quickly if they don't make a move, or show me somehow that they are interested in me.  Don't get me wrong chicas, I'm not saying I like for things to move from A-Z just like that, but I have to know what you're trying to get at.  I do not enjoy getting mixed signals, and that is exactly what The Fisherman has been doing since we first met nearly 2 months ago.  We'll see what happens...and the only reason I'm even mentioning him in an actual post, is because the situation is beginning to irk me.  He seems to be a little different this time around, the context of his text messages, the words he's choosing to use during our conversations, how often he's communicating with me...but do people ever really change??  I don't know that I'd want him to either.  I've always felt that if someone is meant to be in your life, they will be, on their own free will.  Plain and simple.  Why force something that isn't quite working?

 

 

 Aside from all that, this weeks Weight Watchers weekly weigh-in has come and gone again.  I had a small gain this past Tuesday, and I am more that okay with it.  I had an amazing weekend before that, and wouldn't change anything about it.  Anything involving mi familia, a party, drinks, and some good music makes for a fantastic time.  :)

 

 

I gained .6 lbs. this week chicas, which still leaves me at 115.2 lbs. total loss.  This week I've been doing pretty good with my tracking, and I'm finally feeling a little more like myself.  I even managed to go to Zumba twice, and am going to try to make it to this evenings class if I can.  I also racked up 13 activity points, which is not bad considering I'm taking my time getting back into the swing of things during class.  I have to remind myself that it's only been about a month and a half since I had my gallbladder surgery, and that I need to take it easy.  My Zumba instructor Andrea can't put it any simpler...'poco a poco', or 'little by little'.

 

With that said, I'm officially off the clock...well until I get the next phone call at least.  Hope you chicas have a great weekend, and stay out of trouble!  (well..a little trouble won't hurt you too much...it will be our secret! lol)  Enjoy yourselves, and be safe!!

 

 

Be blessed...and stay blessed!!!

 

xoxo,

 

❤Nica



A part of me is missing...

And believe it or not, I'm glad! 

 

Chicas...let me tell you...gallbladder attacks are NO JOKE.  In case you've been wondering where the hell I've been, well let me start from the beginning...

 

Let's rewind to August 3rd, a little over a month ago.  Prior to that awful Friday, I had been feeling pretty crappy that entire week.  I was getting some unusual pains late at night, that would disappear in the morning.  I wasn't sure what was going on, but I did know it felt similar to how I was feeling when I went to the ER  in July.  I ended up going to work that Friday, and by 11:00am, I could no longer stand the pain.  I don't even know how to describe it, other than 'sitting in my chair with my head on the desk cringing in half hard to breath' type of pain.  lol  I literally got up, walked out of my office, and miraculously drove myself to the ER here in town.  After a few tests and A LOT of blood work (I am ALWAYS a hard stick :/), I was told that I was having a severe gallbladder attack.

 

YIKES.

 

And WOAH that pain.  Just like that, I was admitted to the hospital, and scheduled for surgery possibly the very next day.  I pretty much spent the next 24 hours drugged up to relieve the pain, and laying in a hospital bed hooked up to an IV.

 

Fast foward about a week, and I'm home after surgery.  Gallbladder and gallstones removed.  Recovery from this surgery has been terrible for me chicas.  I had an allergic reaction to one of the medications, and broke out in hives for several days.  The itching STILL hasn't fully gone away, but at least the hives have.  I still don't feel like myself.  It completely threw me off track, and I'm still struggling to get back into my normal routine.

 

I still haven't been able to return to my Zumba class, and just this week alone, I finally started tracking again.  I missed a few weeks of WW weigh-ins, but it felt good when I did return.  Here's a quick update from the past month...

 

I didn't get to weigh-in on 7/31/12, or on 8/7/12.  I was out of town that last week in July, and didn't make it to weigh-in.  The first week in August, well I was still recuperating from surgery.  On 8/14/12 I decided to weigh-in, even though I had not been able to follow the program much.  I had lost a total of 7.4 lbs., which I expected since it had been nearly three weeks since my last weigh-in, and of course I had been sick.  On 8/21/12, I weighed in and had lost another 2.2 lbs.  Then on 8/28/12, I had my second gain of 1.6 lbs.  I did expect that since the week before I had pretty much gained my appetite back, and was really just eating anything I wanted, and not tracking.  (Plus I had an awesome weekend with my bestie Cat, and got to go see JLo & Enrique Iglesias in concert!  Another post on that coming soon.)

 

Like I mentioned above, I finally shook myself out of the haze, and tried to get back on track.  Yesterday's Weight Watchers meeting was awesome, especially since we had a guest speaker.  It was amazing to hear one of the veteran members speak about her success, and how she had finally met her goal.  I weighed in also, and here are the results...

 

 

I lost 3.8 lbs. this week chicas!  Yaaayy me!!  As you can see above, that puts me at 114.2 lbs. total loss.  :)  I am beyoond excited, and proud of myself.  I know this little push is going to kick-start me back into gear, and I am soooo ready!

 

Set-backs, no matter what they are, are always a blessing in disguise.  We don't always see them for what they are in the beginning, but trust and believe that eventually everything will fall into place, and it will all make sense.  Don't let set-backs keep you rooted into the ground.  Then you get stuck, and it's so much easier to say 'F-it!', and start feeling bad for yourself.  I know I'm going to take that set-back I had a month ago, and use it as a stepping stone, hell...maybe even a trampoline, to just jump back into my happy frame of mind.

 

Positive thinking chicas...it makes the world go 'round.

 

 

 

Be blessed...and stay blessed!!!

 

xoxo,

❤Nica



Miss M.I.A....

Hi there!!  I know I know, I feel like I've been away far too long as well.  Believe it or not, I had a good blogging flow going there for awhile, and it was so therapeautic for me.  Just when you think things are looking up, you get HIT.

With a broken laptop.

Yikes!!  And it looks like I might have to send it off too...which is definitely no bueno.  Right now I'm sitting on my cousin's comfy sofa, using her computer to update real quick.  I definitely missed everyone though!  I feel like I've been missing out on so much not being able to catch up with all your posts!  It's just not the same on the ipad I have at home either.

Anyhow, I have to make it short, but the main thing I wanted to share with everyone was my WW weigh-in from earlier this week.

I did it!!!  I reached my goal of 100 lbs. lost!!!  102.4 lbs. to be exact.  This past week alone, I managed to lose 5.6 lbs.  All I have to say is...Zumba does a body goooood!!  You would not believe how freakin' excited I have been this week.  I celebrated with some friends and family, and took some time for me.  Everyone needs a little me time.

With that being said, I'm gonna keep on pushing foward, in hopes to reach my ultimate goal one day.  I don't care if it takes me months, or even years...I WILL get there.  It seems like things are starting to turn around for the better in some parts of my life.  I think it all comes down to the positive attitude I've been trying to have, and having the support of mi familia, y mis amigos/amigas.  And I can't forget to mention the never-ending support I receive from Him on daily basis...

Hope eveyone has a great Sunday evening, and an even better week!!  I will try to update as often as I can while my laptop is under construction, and hopefully that won't take too long.  :/  On a brighter note...wish me luck...I have not one...but TWO dates this week.  I can't wait to see what the future holds for me now!!

Be blessed...and stay blessed.

xoxo,

❤Nica

WW Weekly Weigh-In

Hey gorgeous ones!  Happy Wednesday...happy hump day...happy who cares because it's almost Friday!  And Friday the 13th at that!  I am definitely looking foward to this coming weekend.  My body has been back at the office all week, but my mind is still in vacation mode, thinking of sleeping in, swimming, road-trips, familia, and good eats.

Yesterday was my WW weekly weigh-in day, and let's just say I was very surprised with the results.  I know I know...the number on the scale definitely does NOT define me.  I just can't help but be excited, because it brings me even closer to a huuuggee goal I set for myself earlier this year.

Yeaaahhhh buddy!  I lost 3 lbs this week!!  As you can see above, that puts me at a total of 95.6 lbs total loss since January.  The reason I was so surprised is because I didn't exercise as much as I usually do.  Thinking back, I may have only gone to 1 Zumba class, and went walking another night for only about 30 minutes.  I normally rack up about 35-45 activity points for the week, which for all my non WW chicas out there, translates to more food points.  This past week, I only managed to earn 15 activity points, and best believe I ate up every last point.  I guess I need to take my own advice sometimes, and give my body a rest.  It's not going to hurt me if I take a week off now and then, nor will I allow it to get me off track.  Honestly though, I did feel it, in terms of the amout of energy I had.  I felt like I was draggiinngg alll week long.  Exercising really does give me that energy boost that I love, and not to mention, puts me in such a great mood.  I leave my Zumba class with an 'I can take on the WORLD' attitude.  I have been thinking about switching up my routine a bit, because I would love love LOVE to be able to run a marathon one day.  Maybe start alternating between Zumba a few days, and walking/jogging 1-2 days, because chicas...I am nowhere near marathon material right now.  One day....I will get there.  Positive thinking is KEY.

My tracking wasn't all that great either, but it's okay, because I realize that I am going to have days/weeks like that.  I am not perfect, and all I can do is continue to put my heart into reaching my goals.  On a positive note, I had a few NSV's this week that made me feel

A-MAZING.  NSV's are non-scale victories, or in other words, all those little things that happen on your journey that mean the world to you, for your own personal reasons.

Some of my NSV's for the past week included:

1.  Being able to fit into clothing 2x smaller than what I was fitting into back in January.

(You have no idea how excited I was in the dressing room...I think shopping is my new BFF.)

2.  Getting compliments from friends and family, and finally being able to just smile and say 'thank you'.  I can't always do that.  Some of my fellow WW members will understand why.

3.  Giving myself a break, and letting my body rest for a few days.  Yes...even though I kept thinking, 'I should be at Zumba' right about now', I did need the break.  And going easy on yourself is not the easiest thing to do.  At least for me it isn't.

Love love LOVE Nicki...and these quotes are perfect for today.  It's been raining all week over here, and the clouds are starting to roll in as I'm typing.  Better get back to work before I'm forced to leave.  Office in a flood zone= no bueno.

Have a good one chicas!

Be blessed...and stay blessed!!

xoxo,

❤Nica