I Miss Blogging! Final Hot for the Holidays Weight Loss Post

Hey There!
I cannot believe that I have not posted anything since my year anniversary off cigarettes! Amazingly enough, I still do not smoke cigarettes and even though I think about them, I know that if I actually light up, I do not know if or when I will be able to quit again. I always try to remember that I am "A puff away from a pack a day habit" and I really do not want to go back to being a slave to Nicotine or should I say Nico-demon! When I went to the doctor's the other day he told me they were getting a ton of reports about Chantix side effects and all I can say is I am glad it worked so well for me. I am glad that I was able to take it and have it successfully assist me in my quit! Blogging helped quite a bit also. Support is always nice.

I really miss blogging but have been too busy to even post anything. Also, since I am working two jobs, I am feeling too lazy! I guess I really am an all or nothing kind of girl as I either really blog, work out, eat right, quit smoking or I don't. I have been kind of so-so with my eating plan but really wanted to post since its the end of the Hot for the Holidays contest. I also felt bad after a couple people were kind enough to e-mail me, and ask exactly where the hell I was. I figured I should at least check in.

First, I want to send a shout out to Christie O. over at "Baby Tea Leaves" Blog. She so rocks for hosting the Hot for the Holidays Contest. It is a really motivating experience to know even if I screw up for the week, someone else is going to motivate me to get on task for the next week. I do not know how much I have lost since the beginning of the "Hot for the Holidays" contest, but I do know that I have lost a total of 20 pounds since August 16, 2008. This week I lost two pounds which put me at 20 pound mark instead of 18! For whatever reason, I just like the sound of a solid 20 better!

Even thought my diet and exercise program is FAR from perfect, I have made significant changes that I can pretty much stick with. I STILL pack my lunch daily and do not eat a ton of junk! I have had only one meal in the school cafeteria and that was out of desperation! I try to avoid junk foods for the most part and have cut certain foods out of my diet completely or eat them really rarely. Soda is like a once a month treat! I could not go back to eating the way I was and when I have eaten a couple of really bad meals or I ate too much, I got very sick! My body just cannot process food the way it used to! That could be considered a good or a bad thing. For example, I went to Magianno's for Thanksgiving dinner and basically stuffed myself! The food there is AMAZING and it was "All you can eat." Lets just say I got SUPER sick and just because "All you can eat" is offered does not mean I need to take the restaurant up on it! I need to be able to see at least half my plate and then see the food on it! I do not think I will eat like that again any time soon. Anyway, thanks for all of the motivation Christie and fellow bloggers! I am not going to go nuts now that the contest is over...in fact my plan is to SCHEDULE more exercise into my week! I see these two women I work with walking around the school every morning like clockwork and the are literally MELTING away....since September they have lost a ton of weight and their determination has motivated me! I see them walking for probably a half hour EVERY morning no matter what the weather and the results speak for themselves! I have taken it as far as I can go with dietary change! I really need to commit to more exercise!

Anyway, for all of you who have been participating in this challenge, keep up the good work and congratulations to everyone on their losses.

Peace,
Fierce Diva

Happy Birthday to Me!!

Hey all! I actually made it...a year and one day off cigarettes! I have REALLY wanted one the last couple of days but I keep telling my head, "Thanks for sharing.....it will pass!" I kept remembering the pick of the lady smoking through her neck and pulled it up. It reminds me of the insanity of nicotine addiction! I have kind of resigned myself to the idea that I will probably always think of smoking but I don't have to light one up! I know how sneaky that evil drug Nicotine is....its always waiting for a trigger or a weak moment. Blogging has helped me as much as the Chantix has. I will have to keep posting. I decided to post the picture of the gross smoking neck more for myself than to shock others! Every time I want a cigarette I always think about this! If you are thinking about quitting, it really is worth it! Most of the time, I really do not miss this horrible habit!

Peace,
Diva

This Time the Revolution WILL be Televised!

Lets just say gay folks and people who believe in equal rights for all Americans in California have taken it to the streets....literally! Lots of people are pissed about the religious right paying millions of dollars to pass Proposition 8 in California which outlaws gay marriage. I must say, I knew it was gonna be on when the farm animal bill passed that gave chickens the right to a certain amount of space in a cage and the rights of gays to marry were taken away in the very same election! Many people are outraged and not just gay folk. The day a chicken gets more rights than me is the day its time to stand up and organize. Washington here we come!

Peace,

Diva

One Year Off Cigarettes Tomorrow Nomember 11, 2009!

When I began the process of quittubg smoking in September of last year, I never thought I would make it 30 days let alone a year! It was a rough start with lots of slippage and then I moved from the Nicotine Ptch to Chantix as my primary method of getting off cigarettes once and for all! Between lots of on-line support, (Thanks fellow bloggers!) a quit smoking program with a great facillitator, taking the drug Chantix and utilizing the on-line suggestions, I will have made it a year off Nicotine tomorrow! Talk about a miracle! I was as strung out and stung can be on Nicotine and STILL think about lighting up from time to time. Talk about an powerful drug!! When I start craving a smoke I use the suggestions I learned early on: I just delay the act of smoking, do something else or drink a glass of water and wait the feelings do pass....they do eventually! I have saved thousands of dollars and my health is a lot better! Yeah, I still miss the instant gratification of stuffing my feelings with a cigarette but I know that I made the best decision of my life when I got willing to do what it took to stay off Nicotine. I know that I am a "puff away from a pack a day" so I know if I pick up I might as well start lighting my money on fire and throwing it out the window! Not to mention that my body does not handle second-hand smoke well at all these days! I am the one who used to think that the idea of non-smokers were suffering from my second-hand smoke was government propaganda not to be believed! I was a smoker who wanted my right to smoke whereever and whenever I so choose to do it! Boy have my opinions changed! Don't get me wrong, I do not think smokers should be treated as social lepers but I do think that going outside to smoke is much better for all concerned!

Recently, I went out with some smokers to the protest to overturn Proposition 8 and there were a ton of people smoking...the second-hand smoke got me kind of sick! (Yep, tobacco companies LOVE to target minority communites...hence the high level of gay people who smoke...right up there with Asians! ) I later went and saw a band lay at a club in Hollywood and I watched the the guitar player as he was smoking onstage and playing at the same time and was wondering how cool did he think he was? It was a small club and the air quality was already bad! I am glad I am over thinking that cigarettes are cool! Some people still buy into the "cool" image but how cool is he going to look hooked up to an oxygen tank? Go figure!

To celebrate, I took the day off today since I have tomorrow off and am going to go to the casino to gamble a little bit! I have not been in at least three months! Maybe I will get lucky! Wish me luck! Gotta run and get ready! I think I will go play the slots in the non-smoking section....what a novel concept huh? Thanks for all of the support everyone and if you are thinking about quitting, it was one of the best decisions I have ever made!

Peace,
Diva

Election Day! Vote Obama!

I will be going to the polls today with tons of other Americans! I am hoping Obama becomes our new President and that Proposition 8 here in California does NOT pass! I want to live in a country where Civil Rights are guaranteed for all! We will see what happens! People have a right to choose and vote how they want. I mean, after all, it IS a free country. Hopefully common sense will prevail! Lets all go to the polls and exercise our freedoms as Americans.

Peace,
Diva

Fat Ticker Friday! Happy Halloween!

Hey All!

Well, I have indulged in too many sweet treats and gained a pound! I am not going to change my weight tracker unless the pound is still on when I weigh in next Friday! If I am still up a pound I will change my weight tracker to fifteen pounds lost. Call it denial, but I do not think I ate THAT much candy! I have eaten a bit more processed foods than usual so sodium could be at work here. A week of "detox" meaning no added sodium and healthy moderate carb should bring m back to where I need to be. All in all, I must say that the damage could be worse! Hope everyone did better than me and actually LOST instead of gained! Hope everyone is having a wonderful Halloween!

Peace,
Diva

PS: In eleven days, on November 11th I will have a year off cigarettes! Amazing huh?

Cameo Catch Up Blog Post!

Hey all,
I have had a bit of the stomach flu that has been going around so I have not really feeling too well or like posting much....for that reason I am labeling today is cameo catch up day!

First, I cannot believe that I have not lost any weight! I mean, having the stomach flu should have SOME benefits, but nope, apparently not for me! I am still at a 16 pound loss but in the last couple weeks, no loss, no gain! I guess I cannot complain. I have not done all that much in terms of meeting my weight loss goals so I can't really complain....but I am complaining! Oh well, there is always next week! The one thing I need to remember is when I work really hard on something, I achieve. When I half step and half ass, I accomplish very little! What a novel concept huh? Do something, get something! Do nothing, get nothing! I was more in the latter than the former so I guess I shouldn't be too upset! Besides, there is always next week!

The smoking thing was really hard a couple days this week. I wanted one so much I could taste it so I went back to my "quit class" to check in! I will have a year off the crap on November 11 and I really want to make it! It was cool to go check in...my facilitator was glad to see me and asked me to share with the class! Seeing people struggle hard to get a day off nicotine make me realize that delaying smoking a cigarette is way better than actually smoking one! I have not craved a cigarette in quite some time. Lets just say whenever I am under the weather, I want to smoke cigarettes and think about menthol's quit a bit! I don't really understand why it happens! Before I quit smoking, I would always crave getting high. I don't act on the feelings but they come up every time I am sick or rundown! I am feeling a lot better today fortunately.

Gotta run and catch up on some paperwork but first I am going back to bed for fifteen minutes!

Peace,
Diva