Little Woo Hoo Moments

A friend has a special event coming up and needed some clothes for it. So she came over yesterday and tried on my leather skirt and leather waist cincher. It still blows me away that I can look at her and think.... Wow, am I really almost her size?
See, that's a good thing. I consider her normal sized - not thin, but not fat.
I've never been normal sized. And I know I'm still not.
But here's the thing. The skirt almost, but not quite, zips up on me. It was just a bit loose on her. So we're not the same size, but we're close.
And that's hard for me to grasp.
After losing more than 100 pounds, I still have this tendency to see myself the way I was before. Is that because back then I didn't really see myself as I was? I think that's possible. The pre-weight loss surgery photos mortified me. I had no idea I looked that bad.
But now, I also have a had time conceptualizing myself.
I still look at others, or stand next to them, and think of myself as huge in comparison.
I still look at clothes on the rack or hanger and think, "There's no way that's going to fit on my fat ass."
Then they DO !
And yeah, I can say fat ass. No big deal. I think every woman has thought of themselves at some point as having a fat ass. I KNOW i had one, and still do.
I was obese since childhood.
But that is changing.
And that led to another "woo hoo" moment the other day.
I was attending a freelance writing seminar by SPJ, in one of those auditorium-style classrooms at UTA.
I though, "Uh oh, I'll never get this little desk over my lap."
When I was 17 and attending TCU, I could sit in those auditorium style seats, but that little desk would not sit flat over my belly. There just was too much belly in that seat.
So when I attendede the recent seminar, memories of college came flooding back, and I sat down with a bit of dread.
I needed the desktop to take notes. So I reached down, and pulled it up into place, hoping no one would notice when it didn't fit right.
But it did. It laid flat. And there was room to spare betwee it and me.
And I couldn't help but grin, because I knew that at 43 I was smaller than I was at 17, but this was the solid, hard proof of that.
Ok, so it's kind of embarrassing that I was that big at 17. But what an accomplishment now.
And today, I worked out with a trainer at the gym. He's going to put me on a program he swears will help me really kick off the weight loss that has now slowed down quite a bit.
I still have a long ways to go, even after losing 107 pounds.
That said, if anyone out there is curious about weight loss surgery, particularly the RNY (gastric bypass), feel free to ask me about it.
Between that, and getting regular exercise in, my life has changed dramatically.
And I'm happy to share the good, the bad and the ugly about it.

Weight Loss Surgery Thins Bones?

Interesting article from the Associated Press today that says weight loss surgery may cause bones to thin and become brittle.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/06/15/health/main5090808.shtml

Ewwwwwwwww.

Something about Collin County has always bugged me. I thought it was just the pretentiousness. Now I know what it is.
I learned today that Plano is the home of the Cockroach Hall of Fame.
Yep. That's really something to celebrate all right.
Me thinks that's one museum i won't be driving across the Metroplex for.
http://www.pestshop.com/cockroaches.html

Eating Healthier

The other day, I got back to the gym after several weeks away, and went with my best friend. Afterwards, we went to Rockfish Seafood, where I had the most wonderful seafood soup. Today, I made my own version.
NOTE: This makes a huge pot, for dinner for 3, and lots of left overs to freeze in individual meals.
Here's the rough recipe.
Enough margarine to coat the bottom of a large stock pot
1 large onion, chopped fairly large
3 stalks celery, chopped fairly large
1 bag of baby carrots, each halved
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can chickpeas (garbanzos), drained.
1 pound of uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 bag of small scallops
About 5 pounds of potatoes, peeled and cut into large bite size pieces
one pound of catfish nuggets, but into large bite-size pieces
various cod, whiting, any fish to taste, about 1 pound.
Salt and black pepper to taste
about 2 tbsp italian seasoning, about 1/4 cup of dried parsley
About 2 quarts of water

Melt butter in stockpot, add chopped onion and celery, cook until tender.
Add water, canned tomatoes, canned chickpeas (garbanzos) carrots and the seasonings. Bring to a boil and cook about 10 minutes on medium high.
Add the potatoes, shrimp, scallops and fish, turn burner to lowest setting, and let simmer for about 1 hour.
Turn burner off and let sit for the rest of the day.

Why am I blogging?

Because I seem to have a lot to say, and a lot of time on my hands these days.
I am Stephanie Sandoval, reporter for The Dallas Morning News for more than 13 years, until I was laid off in April.
There, I covered primarily suburban cities, most notably Farmers Branch, Carrollton and Grand Prairie, though I also covered a wide range of other stories and issues.
Sadly, newspapers are on a downward spiral, and many of my colleagues around the country are also struggling to find ways to put our amazing work ethic, talent and skills to use in different fields.
I'm currently seeking freelance writing work, as I continue to search for a job or consider training in an alternative field.
Meanwhile, I'll be using this site to blog about everything that comes to mind, whether that be life in Arlington, TX, getting healthy, life after weight loss surgery, finding good buys at a time when many of us are pinching pennies, being a 43-year-old BBW in the dating scene - and who knows what else.
Feel free to join in the discussion an time.