Sea of Opportunities

 Wow - what a year 2025 has been.   I've accomplished so much -  Who is that person?   I'm having a really hard time with my identity now.   I see myself in the Ring camera and it doesn't look like me.   When you've been super obese, seeing yourself as a normal person, well, my brain just isn't making that connection yet. I did get an email this morning from Zozo Fit  that if I made my end of the year video - I'd be entered to win $500 !  How cool would that be !! Here's my end of the year video:  Pretty cool right?   You don't "NEED" the super suit to do scans, but I still have my original suit when I weight 300+ pounds - maybe they'll send me a new one if I win LOL  My coach with Macros Inc is running a new 6 month Challenge starting Jan. 5th.   I've gotta say I'm super excited to be working with her for another year.   She doesn't take clients anymore - she's moved up the corporate la...

 If you've never checked out Daily Om - I highly recommend it.   Lots of good information - and you pay what you can afford.    "How I hope to feel as a result of clearing what no longer serves and supports me is______." I hope to feel free.   The clutter has really sucked the soul out of my house - and the clutter, while not all mine, is suffocating.   I have a 4,000 sq foot home, and we probably use 1/4 of it.  maybe more since the kids do sleep in their rooms at night.   But I could have a beautiful home, with a gym, and a lounge for gaming, a sewing space, a comfortable, functional kitchen, and a back porch to relax on.   It's in my grasp - I just need to do the work and clear what no longer has a purpose in my new life.   "What I hope to let go of is______."  Years of accumulated stuff.   Did I buy stuff to replace the emotional attachments that were missing in my life?  Maybe. ...

It's really been an eye opening week/month/year.   Looks like my final weight loss for the year will end up right around 75 pounds for the year, and 165 pounds total.   Holy fuck batman.   I did it.    I'm not quite done yet.   I've talked to my Macros Inc coach, and we've agreed that I can shoot for another 15 pounds down.   Guess what - that'll be my high school weight.   I'll have lost exactly 50% of my starting weight.   I'll have lost a full person.   May I never find them again. Macros Inc is starting a new challenge Jan 5th.   Not the 1st, or 2nd, but the 5th.   For 6 months.   If I really, really buckle down, in 6 months I can make huge changes.   I've already told my coach I don't want to win - and I also uploaded photos of veggies to doubly make sure I cannot win - but I can win for myself.  I can sit down and figure out real prizes that I w...

  Whenever I decide to do a blog post - it's usually so I can remember something later.   First thing I do is go to my recent downloads for a photo. When I went to a photo for today - all the recent uploads were different colored Fruits and Veggies.   I'll share some down below - but the photos are part of a challenge in one of my Facebook Groups.   I've talked about Macros Inc often  - it's been my nutrition go to throughout.   I've been through different trainers during my time with my MI Coach, from Eddie across the pond writing my Erg workouts, to Phil who had the biggest heart and got me to start believing in myself, to now Andrew - who's young, and just getting started, and knows enough to keep me from hurting myself.   But all through my journey - my Macros Inc coach has been there.  Well, for an instant she wasn't - and we never figured out why.  My calls for help went unanswered, and instead of calling out a ...

 Instead of just restarting an old blog like this one, or continuing on with my website, I decided to close down the website, move the blog type posts to this one - and then keep everything here.   I was going to transfer this one - but since this has 2 decades worth of posts, never mind the recipes - it'll be easier to transfer it here.  Off to do just that.   I'll be back with daily/weekly/monthly posts?  Or am I just wishing?  

  Stats from June 26th SW  360    2018 SPW  275.8   12/16/24 CW - 226.2 GW  - ??? Ready - that was my last Blog Past - from June of 2025.   Today is November 21, 2025.   Want to see my numbers?   Stats from Nov 21 SW  360    2018 SPW  275.8   12/16/24 CW - 198.8 GW  - ??? Oh yeah - 161 pounds down.  I've worked hard to get here.   Still using  Tirzepatide as well as other peptides, and wow, never felt healthier.  Funny how these little vials contain what looks like nothing - but then they can change your entire life.   If you've never researched Peptides - and you're interested in improving your health - do some research.   I'm glad I did.   Goal Weight - I think I'll know when I get there - but wow.   Wonderful.   Do you know how fucking Wonderful that feels ?    Still putting the work in at the gym...

 Yep - still on my GLP-1 journey.   Did a little something different and ordered some Tirz peptides from China.   I've been using direct from Eli Lilly - at the cost of $500 a month.   Expensive yes, but safer than some of the other stuff these pop-up health shops are now selling.    But I'm trying something new - but that'll be another post.  This post is all about changing a mindset.   I'm hardheaded, I'll admit to that.  I like things done right, and right is usually MY way LOL.    These little envelopes ae filled with cold, hard cash.   I don't remember how much - it's been that long.  But I know the smallest bill I used was a $100, and I do think the Sub 2 has a bill in it that was pulled from circulation in 1969 (or the dead one - I'm not sure which).     These numbers represented either State or World records at the time  (I'm old) and I like to aim high.   I wa...

 I know I've already discussed how much I love my waist beads for helping me keep track of weight loss - it's only a tool, but just like the scale - it helps ME - and that's the point.   I recently had someone turn up their nose that this set of beads had been around my waist for nearly 2 years.    2 years of showers, ocean water, pool water, camping, regattas, hiking - pretty much life - and the cotton thread that holds the beads - still white as the day I put them on.   Adinkra Expo – Adinkra Expo That's where I bought mine - mainly because the offered a 60" length - which I needed .... in the beginning.   Now I don't, but since I bought a bunch my first order - I can now make bracelets and anklets with the leftover beads - so it's a win.   So no, they don't get dirty, and no, it's not disgusting that they tie on and you never take them off - as long as you shower/bathe regularly.    GLP-1 journey - still at it.  ...

Sorry I've been MIA, but with 2 graduations, and then moving my son home who hasn't really been "home" for 4 years (and had a rented storage unit at college that was packed), so I've been hustling.    I did manage to go camping last week - and wow, what a difference now that I'm no longer super obese.   I was able to not only kayak the first time I tried, without tipping over, I also paddle boarded.   And then, to top it off, I switched from the kayak TO the paddleboard while in the middle of the lake - transferring my body weight with just my arms.  Oh, and one set of my waist beads fell off while camping.   I just stood up in the tent and they slid right off.   This was the set I put on at 280 pounds, so yes, super excited about that.    I did have food poisoning 2 weeks ago where I saw a new weight low - but not counting it as I know I was dehydrated!   I did go back up, but not as much as I thought it would....

 Sorry I've been MIA - but  2 graduations, 1 Championship Row in the Grand Finals at the Dad Vails Regatta, and tons of driving, but they did it !!!  Leenah graduated with her Masters in Business Administration, with a focus on Human Resources, and Adam graduated with his Bachelors of Arts in Fine Art and a certificate in digital arts.    A prouder mom could not be found on Mother's Day.    They both wore a stole with the Egyptian flag on it for their dad - I think he was extremely happy, although his knees still bother him.   Knee replacement #1 coming up later in 2025.   Other than driving tons of miles and eating out for every meal for over a week  - I tried to stay up with my meds - although I think I missed a dose.   Either way - I took half a dose today, and I think that's what I'm going to continue doing - taking half a dose every 3-4 days.   It seems to work better for me that way - I never get nasua...

 My coach at Macro's Inc talked me into entering their 90-day challenge, pretty simple really, you send in a starting photo, and whomever makes the biggest progress wins - real money!!  Now for me to share a photo of myself on social media?  Doesn't happen often, and rarely happens without one of my kids in the same photo.   But here is my entry photo  The note was to show the date, but also a note to my MI coach Hannah who has more faith in me than I do myself.   Anyway - challenge has been entered.   My weight Sunday was 243 so that's where I'm starting - let's see what I can accomplish in the next 90 days.  Weight Loss - Still taking 7.5  Tirzepatide, not real sure what this one is compounded with, but my excema is clearing up from my hands, so that's good.   Dropped another 3 pounds since the last time I posted here - about 10 days ago, so happy with that.   In checking my last few weigh ins, I'm steadil...

  Down another pound  - but this time it took 10 days.   The last couple of weeks I've been feeling less and less like the meds I was using was working.   Monday I decided to not finish the last vial from Mochi, and I didn't open the remaining vial that had also come from the Aequita pharmacy, so decided to try the new vial from Empower.   Just like that I dropped another pound since Monday - which is really only 3 days?   Hoping the weight starts going back down again, kinda makes me wonder about the strength of the remaining Aequita meds I have - won't be using them, but I will hold on to them - I'm wondering if I can get them tested for pureness.    Other than that - had a myoxid cyst removed from my finger on Tuesday.   It's what they call a leaky joint - to be honest - it was disgusting, even though it was my finger.   The fluid that came out was perfectly clear, but jelly like.  Finger is bandaged...

 First off - weight loss journey.   Haven't really lost anything in the last couple of days - always is like that around shot day (yesterday)  Still on the 6.6, have another month of meds still from Aequita, but I'm actually kinda wondering if I should skip the last vial - really hard to do though - its expensive.   I finally did hear from Empower Pharmacy - they finally got my script sent in from Mochi - from March 19th - nearly a month later.   Crazy.   Not that it's filled - I actually emailed them and requested them not to fill any scripts for me from Mochi - I know Mochi will try and get the money back from all the people that disputed their credit cards - if I allow them to fill this one script now - a month later - that would give them the right to collect both the membership fee, and the script - and since the doctor that actually prescribed the meds has never even met me - they'd have a fight on their hands.   So - I h...

Well, that was easy enough - I'll let these continue to root for another week - and then stick them on my back porch until it gets warm enough to move them outdoors.   I'll most likely plant them up in recycled containers so that when I give them away next year, I'm not actually losing any money except the potting soil!  Happy to have been able to produce 14 new trees from my cuttings.   I could have done many, many more - and I may next year. Not sure if I mentioned the ongoing rehab - finally got the floors in what will be the living room, finished.   I was originally going to go with Vinyl, but our floors weren't exactly flat, and our installer was decent enough to bring that to my attention, and show me what I'd end up with.   He was right, I would not have been happy.   Ended up going with real wood, and gotta say, I'm happy.   Of course, now I have to go on a deep dive to see the best way to take care of this floor....

 Lots of news to share this week.   Only .4 of a pound lost since March 25th.   Need to move more for sure, plus I've been lax on getting my water in.   Meds still keeping the food noise at bay, but some trashy eating when traveling plus slacking on getting my protein in - taught me a lesson.   Need to keep up "all the things" in order to continue dropping weight at a quicker clip.     Now - Mochi.   I was happy that I went with Mochi to start my journey.   They seemed reliable and affordable, and professional.   My opinion of them have changed greatly since March 25th - only because more investigation has led to some interesting discoveries.   First - the pharmacy that was close - owned by the same owners of Mochi - that sent up some red flags.   And then all of the people on Facebook complaining that they haven't been sent their meds (some since February) and they have been ch...

 I'm sure there is tons of mis-information (** and REAL information - don't get me wrong) going around so I'm putting out everything that I've heard, and experienced, first hand - do with it as you will.  So one of Mochi's compounding pharmacies - Aquita - VOLUNTARILY stopped filling prescriptions because they were not able to follow the guidelines - they had people filling the scripts that were not eligible.   Now - people are coming at me saying it was kids filling scripts - how can I put that in my body, etc., etc., etc.     When I was in high school, I worked for Thrift Drugs (are they even still around?)  I was very good at my job.   I became a department head at 17 yo.   I often subbed in the pharmacy department - sometimes as a cashier, but many a time I was behind the counter helping to get scripts together.   Did that mean I was filling them?   Nope.   The pharmacist did that.   ...

 Remember these ?   Stuck them in some dirt a couple weeks ago?   Seems like they are putting out roots quickly !  Sad to have to cut off these baby figs, but I want the plants energy going into roots and eventually leaves and a stronger tree, so the baby figs are going to come off today.    These are all from the white figs.   The brown turkey figs have shown no growth, no nothing, so they are still in their zip lock bags holding moisture.   Might put them on top of a seeding heat mat if they don't start to show signs of life soon. Today I'll go out and trim the rest of the trees before they really start to grow.   Last couple of years I just let them grow free - but they've gotten so tall and so wide that it's hard to get all around them, I'd rather have fewer amazing figs so will be cutting off some of the older growth.   Took my Mochi shot today.   Also ordered another 3-month refill - only bec...

Had a good birthday weekend.  Reserved a room at a nearby casino/hotel with an indoor adult only pool area.   Pool area is much smaller than I remember, they added a stage and stuff for nighttime entertainment, but that really took away from the daytime pool atmosphere.   I was able to relax and unwind, Leenah came to take me home (a day early, I missed my bed).    She took me to dinner first, I had stuffed lobster, it was amazing, I actually didn't eat it until yesterday, but even reheated it was so good.   Supposed to take a drive up to see my son this upcoming weekend, so my schedule will be screwy again.   I think this shot will be week 14 - tomorrow the 19th I'll do a full dose and I should be on regular schedule again.    Where I get my shot - Mochi - one of their compounding pharmacies has voluntarily ceased operations temporarily.   Mochi seems to be able to take it in stride and keep going, so hopefully ...

 Schedule is a little screwy, since I took a 20 ml dose on Monday - by Thursday I knew I'd need my full dose.   So I did the full 50 ml of the new  strength - 6.6 mg + 1.0 mg / .5ml and immediately felt like I did when I first started my journey.    Still focusing on getting at least 100 g of protein in each day, that the minimum - my goal is closer to 130g, but I am finding it hard to get down that much food.   It's funny - if I eat too late - like 7 pm or after, when I wake up in the morning, my stomach is still full.    On the homefront, the  hubs spent some more time in the hospital last weekend - went in on Friday complaining of a pain in his back.   He's been complaining some since he got back from Columbia, come to find out he had blood clots again.   It's not the first time, he's had blood clots after he took his first Covid Vaxx - while I'm not exactly happy about the results of Mrna in his system, it wa...

 Actually took a shot late last week - the food noise was breaking through in a big way, so I was planning on taking 1/2 dose on Thursday, but the needle loaded so easily right to the full does, so I just went ahead.   It was still working well when it came time for my normal shot on Saturday, so I skipped it, and just finished off that bottle today (only .20 ml left out of a full .50 ml shot)   That's the extra that Aquita (the pharmacy) sends.   My next bottle is up in strength - 6.6 mg + 1.0 mg / .5ml.    For those new to my blog, I get my GLP-1 from Mochi - it's compounded, Tirzepatide + Niacinamide.   Niacinamide is one form of vitamin B3 (niacin) that plays an important role in energy metabolism and cell health. The cost of GLP-1s is what stops most people from using this amazing medicine.   For Mochi - I pay $199 every three months just for the "membership", and then $600 for 3 months worth of Tirzepatide.  ...

 Very little loss this week.   I did overeat one day - had to force myself too, but when there is carrot cake involved, it's still hard to say no.    Leaving my previous numbers here as I weighed in at 256.8 today, which is only .2 of a pound down this week. I did try a new injection site today - couple inches to the left of my belly button.   I've seen some people track where they inject to see if there is a difference - so this is the first time I've done anything other that my thighs - lets see if anything changes. I have noticed that the food noise is slowly coming back.   No where near as much as it was - but when I'm bored, I do think about food.   Sigh.   Luckily for me, my husband was traveling in Columbia over Valentines Day - so no chocolates.  Leenah got me a flower subscription for Christmas from the local high school - they are beautiful.    Off for another successful week - need to start liftin...

 When I started going through menopause - or premenopause - or whatever - I started losing my hair.   The more I dieted, the more hair went down towards the drain.   Since I already let my hair go natural back during Covid - my hair was about 60% white ?  100% white from the front, which I actually love, although it doesn't have the same texture as my hair used to.   Anyway - one of the things I've found very beneficial on my journey is Vital Proteins Collagen Powder.    Click on the photo, and if I did it correctly, it should open up in a new window on Amazon - where I get it.   I'm not sure if it's available cheaper elsewhere, tbh I've never looked around.   Since I started using this to up my protein - even though this isn't exactly the protein you need to build muscle, it does build back your hair and nails.  I got the one labeled "advanced" because it contains both Vitamin C that helps with collagen producti...

 This really is un-freaking believable.   This just kills your hunger issues and the food noise - pretty much completely.   A tad bit of nausea every now and then, kinda like you get when you have a great cup of coffee but you already have an acidic stomach and the coffee didn't help?  So an update - there are still rumors going around that Tirz and all the other weight loss meds might become unavailable.   Mochi is telling us no - because each of our prescriptions is compounded.   Let's hope so.    I have lost 18.8 pounds since starting this  - that's over 2 pounds per week!    Now - I remember what I felt like when I was 230 and lifting weights and boxing and rowing and biking and doing all the things.   Looked something like this -  That left photo was probably pretty close to my highest.   Sigh - I had so little respect for what I put into my body.   Anyway - see those bicep...

  This is my current setup in my "spare" living room.   In the lower right hand corner of the room is my sewing station with my sewing machine, material, cutting boards and ironing station.   This used to be the kids "game room" but now that my oldest is gonna be graduating college soon - I'm taking it over.   I do need to put down some flooring and re-arrange - that will come.   For New Years I bought myself a new Peleton Bike and got rid of the Concept 2 Dyno (left against the wall) so No Excuses. Oh - AND DRUMROLL - weigh in this morning - down that 2.2 pounds this week hitting a 100 pound goal once again (third times a charm, right?)   This is the first time I've done it with medical assistance though (Tirz through Mochi) so let's see how low I can go!   There have been rumors about not being able to provide compounded Meds after mid-March, so keeping my fingers crossed.   They have made such a difference - w...

  Missed a week blogging!!!   Sigh Still on Mochi -- Tirzepatide + Niacinamide with a dosage of  4.4 mg + 1.0 mg / 0.5ml Just ordered my third refill - my eighth shot is due Feb 1-2 and I've been super happy with my results so far.  What I am trying this week - splitting my .5ml shot in half - so Saturday I took 30 ml, and maybe today or tomorrow I'll take the other 20 ml, give or take.   I'm hoping that this calms down those little voices that start whispering on Thursdays/Fridays.   Nothing like the constant food noise that I used to deal with though!  Side effects - I haven't had any.   I did have a couple days of acid heart burn, but if you saw how much coffee I drink - it's understandable.   Plus I don't have a gallbladder - it was given to some chickens in Egypt - long story :)  Weight loss so far - I started my Mochi journey December 16, 2024 at 275.8 pounds, and I weighed in this morning at 262.2 .... so ...