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Introduction Text Hello and welcome to my little megabyte of Spark Peoples World. As I am entered my fifty-fourth year of living with my body, I not only had to redirecting my efforts on changing my lifestyle, but acknowledging that my health and body gave out requiring medical intervention of scoliosis surgery on February 3rd 2016. I now have rods running the length of my spine. On February 17th, 2017 I had to have neck surgery to fuse C4-C7 after cleaning and replacing the deteriorated spinal disc and cushion material. My thyroid still isn't working properly which in turn increased the level of medication I was taking. And now my knees and hips are giving out because of the underlying health issue of carrying the ballooning weight gain ( 81 lbs. overweight, even the doctor is now concerned ) has to be addressed. I am have no choice but to rethink and change the goals I'd most wanted to achieve during a year... It is slow and painful, but I will achive my goals 1) Reach a post-op weight of 150 lbs /Build a strong core. 2) Never take up smoking again. I stopped smoking on January 18th, 2014, cold turkey. 3) Never have to give up my wine. 4) Live, laugh, love, ride my Harley again someday and create opportunities to wear purple with a red hat. My long term goal is set to losing weight and maintaining 145 lbs according to the doctor. But in the meantime, I would like to mainly focused on getting past the pain from the surgeries for levorotoscoliosis ( meaning that the vertebrates are not only curved into an "S" shape, but also twisting/rotating to the left) and spondylolysis (spon-dee-low-lye-sis) which is a stress fracture or deterioration of the pars interarticularis (disc) in a vertebra. Yes, yes it is painful, some days are worse than others, but I can now stand for more than 15 minutes, walk and exercise a little bit. I am not going to believe the negativity of people who do not understand my invisible disabilities. When I joined this site I was looking to find motivation and support. Instead I found much more than that. I found out why I keep failing in my battle with the bulge. I was trying to work on all areas of my life at once, and what I still need to do is to start small and focus my attention on the one area for improvement then gradual small goal to work toward the most immediate and significant goals that will have the biggest impact on the quality of my life. Of course the one significant area was to lose weight and keep it off. But, my friend the big weight loss "secret" is not easy, and it is not a simple solution. It's not in simply popping a pill or to stop eating a certain food item. Unfortunately, there are no quick fixes to weight issues. However, I can offer you something that is so much better and healthier in the long run. SparksPeople.com! Yes this website can show you a new, more fulfilling, empowering lifestyle. Yes, it will take work, some may struggle a bit ( I have a lot), but overall it is a much longer lasting, well-rounded solution guaranteed to work for everyone who really wants to change and is willing to make a few new lifestyle choices. So Step 1. Create a mission statement and vision statement. This describes an ideal destination or end result. Step 2. Use brainstorming and do research, use the SparksPeople tools. I got ideas about what I want, desire, and need so I can achieve this, then organize and prioritize what is most important to you. Step 3. DO IT! These are my statements. My Mission Statement: Live life to enjoy all the pleasures and happiness it has to offer, while at the same time living a healthy lifestyle. My Vision Statement: With continuous development of healthy habits, research of healthy foods, exercising and accountability, weight is loss and the body and mind grow stronger. I am putting away the old motivational visual board and am making myself a new updated visual board where I place and read these statements daily. My reason, is as I have grown and changed so have my goals both short and long term. From what I am experiencing, I believe that in order to lose weight and keep it off, one must following few basic rules: Accept, Connect, and Educate. Accept yourself as you are now, and love yourself enough to make some difficult choices and decisions. I have seen how important this step is for most, if not all, people to successfully lose weight. In my opinion, the most important part of keeping weight off is self-acceptance and self-love. Connect with others and share the good times and the bad times, can't do it all by yourself. Educate; keep on learning about what you can do to help yourself. Each step takes time, energy, support, effort, and a wholehearted desire to change. As previously mentioned, this is not a quick fix. Everyone's journey is unique and takes varying amounts of time to accomplish. I am not able to say, "Oh, it's easy. It will take one month of this, and two weeks of that, and voila!" It can take anywhere from weeks to years depending on where you are on your own individual path. Your life will change from the inside out. You will grow more confident and comfortable in your body and in your life. ABOUT ME ~My Interests ~ General A thru Z way too many to list here you see... I enjoy all sorts of needlecrafts, reading, archery, camping, fishing, gardening, landscaping design and horseback riding, scuba diving, DRT( Daughters of the Republic of Texas -13th Generation Texan), OES (Order of the Eastern Star), DON (Daughter of the Nile) and being a member of the Red Hat Society. These are just a few things I like to do. I am so looking forward to ride Harley's with my husband in 2017 My favorite hobbies are "Geocaching" Check it out at www.geocaching.com, "Letterboxing" www.letterboxing.org or www.atlasquest.com & photography and hunt for "Grave Headstones" at findagrave.com NOTE: I did not put dieting as an interest; I believe it is a lifestyle. After spending time searching various forms of philosophy and religion, I choose to observe everything and believe little. My personality is one of truth seeking, nature respecting and supreme being accepting. I am a very open minded person, but I am also well grounded. Tolerant and flexible, I appreciate most lifestyles and viewpoints. But I also know where I stand firm, and I can draw that line. I am open to considering every possibility - but in the end, I will stand true to myself. Lastly, I don't judge anyone, so don't be judging me. It's not just a moral thing to overcome but human nature too. Music: Uhmmm, I have a wide range of music taste from country western, rock, jazz, alternative, new age, meditative asian, and some blues. Sorry but can't take rap or hate music. Movies: Action, adventure, and some chick flicks... Television: CSI- Vegas, Law and Order, and SciFi channel if I have time to I watch any TV. Books: Like reading Sci-fi to gothic vampire romance novels (yeah the horror mushy stuff *laughs softly*). Most books written by Ann Rice, Dolores Stewart Riccio and Nora Roberts. Heroes: People who are true to themselves and to the world around them. "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God/dess. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God/dess that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we subconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." If you are reading this sentence "GOD Bless You!" and Thank You for caring enough to read it.

My long term goals are to lose 81 lbs. Remain Smoke free. My short term goals are broken down 2 pound loss per month July 1st 2016 starting weight 232.6lbs

Creating a healthy lifestyle for myself. Finding what works for me! I will work at keeping a positive outlook by practicing my Yoga, meditation and Tia Chi. My goal is to become a much healthier person, therefore a better life mate to my supportive and loving husband, to become active again in my social circles and be more loving of myself as I am. I want to enjoy the little pleasures of my life.

~About Me~ I think I am a unique 50+ year old native West Texas female with a friendly smile and a mischievous playful nature. I never claimed to be normal by anyone's standards but my own. Find most people's standards to high for an imperfect world. Mother of 2 young adults, one young lady (Daughter) and young man (Son). Step Parent to 3 young men, who accept me as one of the family. Lived in Odessa, Tx for most of my life. But now reside in Central Tx. I met someone very special, we fell in love and married January 13th, 2008. Our families have blended well together, all 4 young men and 1 young lady, my husband and myself. Laugh often, Live healthy, Love who you are, Dream your dreams, and pray for the strength, courage & willpower to achieve your goals to become the person you want to be...these are the only words of advice I can give anyone these days.

Yes even I have days when I am down, depressed and even teary eyed, but then my dog gives me a lick on the hand, my husband hugs me and tells me he cares and my young adult children will even smile. Any one of these signs lets me know that I am blessed and all will be good in the end.

Add a Link The pain of being overweight is soothed by the effort of exercise and eating healthy. " I am not always slow moving, but when I am, it is because I am practicing Tai Chi."
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