Asking for help!

 http://www.gofundme.com/8hpaw4

 Hi guys! I'm asking for help. I want to go to beauty school to become a nail technician. This is the school I want to go to. It's the most affordable one in my area with the best reputation. http://www.centraltexasbeautycollege.com/

 I need to jumpstart my life again, by doing something new. I've been out of work since last summer, and even though I send out 3 resumes and job applications each day, I haven't gotten any nibbles since January. I need to learn a new skill to get back into the workforce. This wasn't a random decision. I want to be a nail technician so that I can make people feel pretty, and happier about themselves. I want to help them cheer up after a rough week, or celebrate an event coming up, like a prom or wedding. I'm also very good at painting small things, like collectible dolls and gaming miniatures, so I think I have the chance to really show off my artistic side by painting really fun nails for people.

 Tuition is $3500.00 and the toolkit and books add up to $500.00. I'm only asking for what I need. Please consider helping me change my life for the better. Thank you!

Keeping Up Appearances

Things are looking up for me and Hubby.  It seems that while our weight loss stalled, we lost some inches around.  On a whim, we tried Old Navy, and for jeans I am hooked!  I was surprised to see that they carry 18s, and to my great pleasure, I fit in their 14s in the right cut!  They have 3 different jean types and mine is the sweetheart.  They look great and I even like the name.  Had a great fit for shorts too, but I'm not pleased enough with my legs yet to show them off.  I'll look for some capris.  Baby steps.

Hubby's had a victory too, he's down under the 40s now!

In spite of this weight-loss and size loss, I'm feeling pretty down about my appearance right now.  My sister's been bumming too, so we started practicing makeup every day.  I'm tackling eyeliner, because I've never had a steady hand.  We're also trying different colors.  We're even using the scary eyelash curler.  The biggest challenge for me is not picking at my nail polish.  I'm on day 3 and they still look okay.

The Mall is a Whole New World!

Today Hubby and I went to the mall.  It was miraculous.  We went to a ton of stores I'd never set foot in before.  Stores for skinnier people.  We stopped at 7 different stores, and learned about their size ranges.  Many were still too small, but now I like Rue21 and Body Central.  Rue21 has great prices.  I was very pleased.  Also, Hubby looked great in a kung fu outfit!  He didn't want to try clothes on, but he couldn't resist the kung fu outfit.

A day in the life of my tummy.

A lot has changed in my eating habits, daily schedule, and whatnot, so I think I should write it out here for future sleevers to get an idea of their fates.

I start my day around 11 AM with a cup of protein shake and a bunch of vitamins.  They're either chewable, or very small.  I take stuff like a big ol' multi, vitamin D, vitamin B12, Iron, things like that.  If I'm particularly hungry, I'll grab a slice or two of deli meat.  I like turkey the most.  I also fill my water bottle with filtered water, add a little lemon juice and salt, and some flavoring.  Dasani Drops are my favorite.  Then I go about my day.

February Review

February has been a very difficult month for me.  I'm still losing weight, but my hormones have been an absolute jumble and the dramatic change has made some of my other medications be too much.  Yay for losing weight.  Boo for having a hard time staying sane and awake.  It's been frustrating and upsetting.

I know I should be grateful for becoming thinner, and this is something other people dream of, but that doesn't make it an easy transition.  Oh, I did lose that pound I gained.  Turned out to be no big thing at all.

I still have my thyroid problem, no improvement there.  I'm also starting to feel my acid reflux problem again.  Might just be me freaking out that's causing it.  Might be that I've been adding a few carbs here and there.  Turned out I wasn't having as many as I should.  And I'm still struggling with under-eating.

I'm reviving my dolly blog.  If you're interested, you can find it here: http://jobeesdollies.blogspot.com/

1.5 lbs

I've gained some weight back.  I've been told that this is perfectly normal and happens to everybody.  I've been told not to worry about it and it will go back down.  Weightloss is not a perfect slope, but a natural hill with bumps and divots.

None of that changes the fact that I'm very worried about gaining some weight back.  What did I do wrong?  Am I eating too many carbs?  Do I need more vitamins?  Is it going to continue to get worse?  Did I stretch my stomach?  Am I going to go back to the weight I was?  This has me very freaked out.

Stuff for future-sleevers

Dumping syndrome is something that people say only gastric bypass patients can get, but it can happen to us too.  I had too many sugar-free puddings in a few minutes and experienced it myself.

If you don't follow the rules set by your doctor, nutritionist, surgeon, the professionals who help you; you will gain weight.  I've slacked on the rules a bit, eaten when I wasn't really hungry, had a few carbs, and I've gained a pound back.