Day 10 -

     Today I woke up rather late. I planned on getting up earlier, but I definitely need my 8+ hours of sleep to function normally. Anyways, I woke up and the back of my thighs were really sore from yesterday's workout. To me, that is the best news! I am going to now get dressed and get ready to go out walking. I'm not exactly sure what the weather is like outside, but I definitely need to walk today. This weekend I will be at my step dad's house so I don't know when I'll have the opportunity to workout. I'll keep on updating this post until I leave for my step dad's tonight! Stay tuned.
     Again, thank you for the 1,400+ profile views. I had no idea that I could do this!
     It's around 4 o'clock here in Eaton, CO. Today for my workout, I walked 1 mile, did 5 sets of 10 lunge jumps, killer tens, 5 sets of 1 min./each Michael Phelps and 3 sets of 1 min./each Superman. These don't seem like a lot, but it's better than nothing! I definitely had to stretch after today because my legs especially were very tight. I'm pretty happy right now, probably just because I worked really hard today and I did good! Also, I took a shower and at a chicken wrap. Life is good.
     To be continued...

Day 9 - Mix It Up!

      Thought of the Day: Friends "June 20th: Good friends can talk together; great friends can dream together."
     I tried a few different workouts, and I'd just like to say that they were definitely a bit of a challenge! I did these jump lunges, and they seriously were very hard for me to do actually. I found this awesome idea on Pinterest where you write down different workouts on a Popsicles stick and then put it in a cup. Everyday you chose workouts randomly. I thought it was an awesome idea, so I am trying it out! I have about 38+ sticks in their, so lets see how this goes!
     I am kind of bummed out tonight actually. My cousin has an ear infection or something so we are unable to go to Eliches tomorrow. I guess everything happens for a reason?
     Tomorrow I am going to try and really do good in my workout. I haven't been slacking off, I just need to get back into a routine. I'm a horrid mess when I don't run on a schedule actually.
     This weekend I get to spend time with my beloved Jasmyn! I am so excited for this Friday night. It has definitely been too long.

Day 8 - Too Hot for June

     Thought of the Day: Friends "June 19th: No better relation than a prudent and faithful Friend." -Benjamin Franklin
     Man, it's not even summer yet, and it's already been in the 90's! If you know me at all, you would know that I do not do well when I am hot. When I overheat, I get in an awful mood, and I actually get sick. Since Monday, I've pretty much been a wreck, I'm not going to lie. I haven't been sleeping well at all, and when I don't get my sleep it completely alters my mood for the whole day.
     On the flip side, I did workout today. I ended up going to my grandma's house to workout since it was so incredibly hot out today. I walked/jogged a mile on the treadmill, and I also did 50 sit-ups and crunches. All I have to remember is tomorrow is a new day!

Day 7 - My Day Off?

     Thought of the Day: Friends "June 18th: Working out problems with a friend is a lot like working in the garden... it's hard work, but the result is beautiful."
     I have to be completely honest: I didn't work out at all today! It was over 100 degrees today, and it was even around 80+ degrees at 8am! I just felt like it was too hot to workout outside and too hot to even workout in my 80-90 houses. I feel bad, but Tuesday will be a lot better. I just need to stay positive I guess.

Long Weekend: Late Posts!

Day 4 - June 15^th
     Thought of the Day: Friends "I have a friend, who sees in me what none beside can see." -Phoebe Cary

     My cousins, my aunt, my brother, and I all went to Eliches all day yesterday. We plan on going again next Thursday, and I’m again so excited for that! It surprisingly wasn’t very busy for a Friday, and we all had a very good time. Adam and I rode the Slingshot for the second time, and it was even better than I remember. I also went with Kyle on his first-ever upside-down roller coaster! At first, he looked so extremely scared, but once it started going, he was so excited! I wish I could have video taped his reaction. What a cutie!

     I didn’t necessarily stick to my nutrition plan. We were at Eliches all day, so my normal eating habits were a little wack. Luckily, I just controlled the amount of food I ate. Even if you can’t eat all the good foods you want to eat because of some family event, you are at a party with friends, or you are out of town, just remember to eat less than what you should of the foods you are eating. Like a lot of the women in foreign countries who have a nice figure, they still eat all the foods they like, but they just eat a lot less of it.

     I definitely think I walked a few miles yesterday! Adam, Kyle, Ronnie, and I climbed the stairs to the Sidewinder about six times, so that was definitely a nice, little workout! We also walked all around the park a few times. I was sore when we got home, so that must mean something good!

     I loved the way I was able to embrace yesterday. Ya know, even though I was unable to workout legitimately yesterday and eat all my usual healthy stuff, I still did a pretty darn good job of staying true to what I wanted to accomplish. I also had a very great day, which is probably what really matters most.

Day 5 - June 16^th
     Thought of the Day: Friends "June 16th: Friends provide the anidote that cures whatever ails us."

     Luckily, I was able to sleep in until 11 today! It felt really good to wake up to the smell of eggs and hash browns that my step dad Craig was making for Ronnie and I. After I got all ready, I left at about noon and went to my dad’s house. We visited my Grandma Moore’s house for a little, got a few things from Home Depot, and then went back to his house. Supposedly, in April or something, they sold their house and moved into their old rental. I was so surprised when we pulled up to the house because I had no idea that he moved of course. The kids and I played on their swing set, hung out in their backyard tent, played dolls upstairs in their toy room, and then went for a bike ride. My butt hurts so badly because we rode about a mile. Overall, that was my only really good workout for the day. At least in worked out a whole different part of my body! My legs feel real good too.

     As far as food goes, I definitely didn’t stick to my health plan. I did have a good salad though!

     It’s incredibly depressing for me when I get to see my now five brothers and sisters on my dad’s side of the family. If it was up to me, I would be with them all day and every day. I absolutely adore them and love them in every way possible. Avery, 8, is such a little me. According to Avery, we look the same, have the same dad, favorite number, and favorite colors, like to do the same activities, and so much more. It warms my heart to be around her because I know she truly does look up to me. Any chance she gets she is always giving me a hug, and she is always looking up and smiling at me. You can definitely tell we are sisters. Tanner, 7, reminds me so much of my other brother Ronnie when he was that age. They both love tractors and trucks, and hanging out with their dads. They also have big egos, which is not necessarily a bad thing in their case. They like to be in control and they define their older sister as a bossy butt. Tanner is so adorable, and I didn’t notice this until now, but we have almost the same teeth! Abby, 6, is the cutest little girl I have ever met. She is constantly smiling and laughing. She told me that her favorite thing to do is ride her bike and feel the wind blowing her hair. How cool is that? If you were to ask any other kid what their favorite thing to do would be they would probably say playing games on their iPods. I find that ridiculous, but Abby is just so genuine.

Day 6 - June 17^th
     Thought of the Day: Friends "You can count on your girl friends for everything - from an emergency safety pin to a middle-of-the-night pep talk."

     In honor of Father’s Day, the Buderus family and I all left the house around 10 and went to Johnson’s Corner for brunch. I had the most amazing breakfast burrito, along with dad, Cris, Ronnie, and Grandma. We then came back to Grandma’s house to basically just spend time together at their house. I’m kind of bummed out that my Uncle Corey and Aunt Lois are not here, but there’s not much I can do about the situation.

Day 3 - Not My Best, But Not My Worse

     Thought of the Day: Friends "June 14th: Two may talk together under the same roof for many years, yet never really meet; and two others at first speech are old friends." -Marry Catherwood
     I didn't have a bad day, but I didn't have a completely good day either. I walked about 2.2 miles around 2:30, and I took about a minute off of each mile! I'm pretty proud of myself for increasing my pace. It felt like it was about 90 degrees out and you should have seen how disgusting I looked! :) I also did some ab work outs and I actually remembered to stretch a little! My knee is still extremely sore because I haven't been remembering to stretch.
     I'm really glad I went walking around that time though. I saw Hailee and Jennie, and Kenzie and Paige on their bikes. Their smiles really did brighten my day, and I felt like I stood a lot taller after they smiled and said hi to me! I was planning on just walking a little over two miles in the afternoon, and then I was going to walk two more later in the evening when the temperature cooled down, but there was a change in plans. I am currently at my uncle's house and I'm going to go to Eliches with them tomorrow. I also won't be able to walk tomorrow, but I will try and find time to workout maybe later in the evening!
     Even though I didn't work out as much as I planned, I'm definitely not going to beat myself up about this. I stuck to my nutrition plan and I feel pretty darn good. This weekend is going to be a bit of a struggle because I'm going to be at my uncle's house, my step dad's, and my dad's house. Instead of sticking to my usual food, I'm just going to focus on portion controls this weekend. Since it is Father's Day weekend, there is going to be a lot of yummy things out there!
     If you haven't already, follow me on Pinterest! I recently made an account and you will really be surprised by some of the stuff I post. This post isn't too long, but it's definitely to the point. I promise I will try and post tomorrow night when I get home from Denver. Keep checking back for more updates! Stay beautiful, as my friend Brooke always says!

This is a picture of me, my brother Brady, and my friend Felicia at the lake. This picture absolutely breaks my heart. I really didn't even want to post it because I'm so embarrassed of how I look. It's crazy though, because I personally don't realize how big I look. I know I'm way overweight, but it's hard for me to really think of myself as such a big person. In my mind, I'm a skinny, beautiful person. On the outside, obviously, I'm nothing but a disappointment.

Day 2 - I'm An Overachiever!

     Thought of the Day: Friends "June 13th: The ornament of a house is the Friends who freuent it." -Ralph Waldo Emerson
     Today, June 13th, I walked about 3.3 miles for my workout. My first mile was really difficult actually. My feet just hurt really bad, and I don't know if it is because my shoes are too small or because they have to carry all my weight. By the end of the first mile, I totally felt like I should have gave up. It was probably over 90 degrees out and miserable. I guess that's what I get for fast walking at 1pm, when it is the hottest! Anyways, my second mile felt really good. I walked past the sprinklers that were going off at the middle school, and it literally refreshed me. I'm actually really proud of myself for continuing to walk. By the end of the second mile, I decided to head home because I could no longer feel my feet. I drank a bottle of water and sat in front of the air conditioner with my shoes off for nearly 5 minutes. For some crazy reason, I was still on an adrenalin high. I put my shoes back on, turned my iPod back to shuffle, and headed out for another mile. I'm not exactly sure what pushed me to go the extra mile (literally!) but I'm very thankful for whatever it was. It made me feel good to know that I actually excelled my workout routine. It felt good coming home to my legs tingling and my lungs nearly collapsing. It's not that walking is such a big workout, it's just that it is so incredible hot out and my asthma was truly kicking my butt. I'm aiming to run at least one mile tomorrow!

This photo just screams my name!

     As far as the "diet" is going, I'm definitely on the right track! I put the little quotes around diet because I always keep in mind what my Food & Nutrition I teacher told me this year. She told me that everyone is on a diet, because a diet is defined as what a person regularly eats. I'm just changing my diet, I'm not going on a new one. Does that make sense? Yeah I know: probably not. I believe I stayed within my 1,500 calorie diet, or I went over just a little. I'm not religiously keeping track of my intakes, but I do check the labels and serving sizes before I go crazy. All I have to say  is that it's amazing how good food tastes when you are actually hungry for it!

     My workout probably wasn't as vibrant as it should have been. I'm not going to say that all I did was walk over three miles, because that alone is a huge accomplishment, but I should have at least done some more. All I have to keep in mind is there is always tomorrow! I know it sounds surreal, but I'm actually excited to go walking/jogging tomorrow. I was afraid of that... haha.

     Tomorrow I'm going to play around with the food at my house a little more. I'm going to try some new recipes I found on Pinterest, and just have a little learning experience. Ronnie's away at my uncles tonight, so I'll have the house to myself for most of the day. I have a counseling appointment tomorrow with Susan in Greeley, but other than that, I'm golden! Let me know if you know any cool and healthy recipes I should try!

I just have to keep this in mind.
Even though I'm doing this day-by-day post
for a year, I'm still going to continue
my journey to weight loss for the rest of my life.



     Because it is already 11:30ish, I feel like I could get some rest. I want to really work my butt off tomorrow, and I'll need all the rest I can get. One of my favorite feelings in the world is when my body is sore from a hard workout. In middle school, when I used to play volleyball, I loved the first couple days of conditioning because my body felt so sore, yet so refreshed. I love that feeling for some reason because I know I've physically accomplished something. Hope you all have a great evening, and again, thank you so much for reading Day 2 of my Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition!

Day 1 - Definitely a Success

     Thought of the Day: Friends "June 12th: Praise, when used sparingly, retains an everlasting value."
     I most definitely consider today to be a success! I woke up unwillingly at 8am to start the beginning of my better life. I fast walked 1.1 miles, did sit-ups and other ab workouts, worked on the upper leg muscles, and then passed out on my mom's bed. I think the smoke outside from the fire in the mountains and the heat exhaustion just really got to me. Still tonight, my asthma is killing me. On the bright side, this will be my hardest workout yet. I consider the first one to always be the hardest because it is always when you are at your weakest and heaviest. I've decided that I'm going to progressively keep upping my workouts. Tomorrow I'm going to walk 1.1+ miles, for example. The easiest way to keep improving is to keep excelling.
     As far as the nutrition part of my new lifestyle, I definitely think I stuck to my 1,500 calorie diet. The only thing I lacked on was drinking enough water, but that is something I can always improve on.
     As far as my "amazing" social life goes, I went to the Windsor lake today with my besties Tiana and Alyssa. We hung out in the lake, attempted to play beach volleyball with the Turrentines and the Dyers, walked out on this weird concrete dock thing, and hung out on the playground. We had a lot of fun honestly, with all the people we were with. I just hate all the smoke in the air though. Normally, it would have been a beautiful day, but the smoke just hung in the air like a bad dream. At least I didn't get sunburned though!

I shared this picture on Facebook. I like the perspective
of it so much. Basically, just remember that no matter
how slow you are going, with anything in life,
you are always progressing. You may not be the
best, but you are at least working towards it.
Hardworking people are who really make a
difference in this world.

     I'm trying to go to bed earlier tonight so I can actually enjoy my workout tomorrow morning. All I'd like to say for my last-minute statement is that no matter how far behind I am, I believe in myself that I can catch back up. I'm progressing slowly, but I just have accept it and embrace it. With anything in life, I can see the end of the rainbow. It may sound cliche, but it's absolutely true. You'd be amazed how different your life would be if you would go into every situation with a completely open mind. Like today, I had to walk by a group of boys practicing baseball. I knew a lot of them, and for a split second I felt embarrassed that they saw me working out. I felt like they would make fun of me and all this crap, but in reality, they probably didn't even notice me walking by! I'm not saying that losing weight is going to make people stop judging me, but at least they will judge me for who I am! Being fat is not who I am, it's just a pathetic part of me right now. All my life it has just been a crappy part. It's going to get better though: I know it will. The problem with me is I used to ignore my weight while everyone else always immediately pointed it out. I didn't realize how unhealthy I was, mainly because I just didn't want to. You guys reading this are mainly my motivation. If I didn't have so many supporting friends and family, I wouldn't be here today. Just remember that just by reading this you are changing my life. I hope you keep everything I say in mind and I hope you too can learn never to judge a person based on who you think they are. Keep in mind that everyone has a story, you probably just haven't given them the chance to tell it yet. Stay optimistic!
     On another note, if you ever want to go walking or jogging with me or anything, I'd love the supportive company! Keep checking this blog for new posts and new polls on the right sidebar. Hope you are having a great summer!

Extreme Makeover: My Journey Starts Tomorrow

June 10th, 2012
     Thought of the Day: Friends "June 10th: You never laugh at me when I sing along with all my heart to a cheesy song on the radio. Well, okay - you laugh, but not much. Thanks for loving me, cheese and all."

     Right now, I'm watching Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition on ABC. I've watched a previous episode, starring a man named Tony. This episode is on Jacqui, a thirty year old woman who is 200+ pounds overweight. Her BMI is over 50%, and she currently has polycystic ovarian disease, where she has issues with fertility.

     She had a record-braking final weight in, 365 days in the making.

100% relateable, don't you think? Photo by Brandon Cyrus

     At the beginning of the episode, she had a crazy meltdown. She locked herself in the bathroom, and anxiously cried as she looked in the mirror. Heather, Extreme Makeover Producer, finally got her to talk. Jacqui quotes, "I feel embarrassed that I had to look at myself; I haven't had to do it before. I feel sick. When you don't look, you can pretend like you're not so ugly. I just don't know if I can let people see me like this. [People] probably throw up. I feel bad for subjecting people to that disgusting image. You wonder why you are even here and why this is happening and why nothing can be changed and it just makes you feel very alone; just subhuman." She continues to stare at herself in the mirror, examining her imperfections and questioning why this is happening to her. Her eyes tear up as she touches her stomach and realizes how dreadful she feels and how even worse she thinks she looks. Her lips tremble as she talks and I can just literally feel her pain. It is such a familiar feeling to me, because I know and can relate to all of her words. I am in that same position. I have come a long way since I was younger, but I still look in the mirror and cry, or I still look at other girls and wish I could be healthy and happy like them. All my wishing has not gotten me anywhere, and it took me so long to figure that out. Nobody has any idea how hard it is to lose weight. It takes more self-discipline than anyone can ever imagine. I'd like to say that you can only relate unless you've been standing in my shoes, but now I know that everyone has their insecurities, inside and out, and we all wish and dream of a better life. We all have felt desperate and hideous at one time or another. Unfortunately, for people like Jacqui and I, those feelings occur more often then they should.

     She manages for a Health and Wellness company, and she often feels ashamed because they are making people's lives better and she can't get her own life together. This is entirely relateable, on so many levels. I made this blog to not only help myself and to document everything that is on my mind, but to also inspire and inform others about myself. I know that at the establishment of my blog I said that this was only for me and I didn't necessarily care what others thought of it. Looking back, I realize it is entirely wrong to think like that. I have always been a very giving and helpful person, and this blog has helped out so many others in ways I can't even comprehend. I do care what others think of me, like any normal person, but I seem to care a lot more about the positive things than the negative. I once heard some quote that said something like  'a girl will never believe your compliments when she's been put down so many times' or something like that. I used to be that way entirely, when a million people would tell me I was amazing, and just one guy that told me I was worthless literally ruined my life. It's amazing how those terrible insults can overpower the compliments. I find it rather ironic, really.

     Later on, she explained that she started gaining weight when she was about 14. Around that age, she was raped at a party. She used food as a way to cope with all her emotions. When these words spilled out of her mouth, I literally started balling. I know I am not alone. This complete stranger was struggling with the same things as me. My best friend moving away, my little brother being born, my dad moving back from Washington, my dog dieing, all the drama with my mom, completely switching friend groups at school, and dealing with all the drama that came along with each and every one of those situations really paid a tole on me. All of this occurred in the 7th grade, and things just skyrocketed from there. Weight gain, changes in grades at school, withdrawal from the activities I loved, and so much more was the direct result of all that stress and emotional buildup. It was just too much for me to handle. Miraculously, I'm still here today. Throughout the entire year, I had suicidal thoughts, and trust me, it's still not so easy to share this with you today. I struggled so much because I felt worthless, and too many people at the time were making me feel that way. I'd hate to point fingers, but I seriously felt abandonment from many of my friends, family members, teachers, and peers during a time when I needed them the most. I kept telling myself I wanted to die, but in reality, I just wanted to be saved.

     As the show rolled into Day 2 for Jacqui, she met up with a nutritionist along with her trainer Chris Powell. They made an amazing dish, which I would have loved to have eaten because it contained shrimp, pasta, and broccoli! They came up with a plan where for the next year, she will be on a 1,500 calories/day food intake diet, with low sugar and controlled sodium, at five small meals/day. She will be working out six days per week, at about 2-4 hours/day. Even though she will be eating healthy, I know that portion control is a big factor in successful weight loss. At her first 90 days, she will be at an approximate 3,500 calorie/day deficit, equaling a pound of fat loss every single day. In the words of Chris, "I know it seems a little bit radical and a little bit extreme, and it is to most people; however... those numbers are very obtainable." At first, I thought this plan was a little bit extreme. If she slipped up just the slightest it could really mess with her chances of reaching her goal. As I thought about it a little more throughout the show, this is a very realistic goal and a great way to start with weight loss. This first year is going to be tough for me, but I have confidence that it will get easier. I will learn so much about my body and how to take care of myself better. I want to live to be 100, and I feel like this is a great way to start improving my life expectancy. I took this quiz a couple of days ago on life expectancy, and it turns out that if I keep continuing this lifestyle, I will probably only live to be about 70 years old. From a different perspective, that is just a couple years older than my grandparents right now. I can't imagine losing them in a couple years, and I don't want to do that to myself or to anybody else when I become that age. I hope this weight loss will not only make me feel better about myself, but also improve my health on a long-term basis.

I was going to apologize for how long this post is,
but then I realized...

     By Day 7, Chris designed a fitness program perfect for her. Halfway through her first workout, she has a meltdown, where Chris can see that all of a sudden she is having a huge wake up call. She didn't realize how bad her health has gotten until she has to do the simple workouts. I can't help but feel for her because I know what it's like to have your body and mind give up on you. It is a scary and helpless feeling, and I don't wish anyone to have to go through that. When I would workout sometimes on my own, I would seriously lack motivation because I just couldn't push myself to my full potential. With almost everything in my life I have always settled for less than my best.

     As she was working out, she was on the verge of a complete meltdown. She felt as if she should give up because she physically couldn't perform like Chris was asking her to do. Chris had her stop and he asked her the most simple question. He asked her why she was doing this. He asked her why she was fighting through the pain to better her life. He asked her why she gets up in the morning, and why this will all be worth it. Her answer was that she was doing it for her husband so they could have a family together. For me, I am trying to lose weight for my family also. I don't want to leave them 30 years earlier than I should because I am so far overweight. I want to live to watch my children get married, and to see my grandchildren get married too. Mainly, I just want to lose weight so I can live my life! All these years I have set myself out of activities and not gone to events out of complete embarrassment. I want to show up at Eaton Days Summer 2013 and just wow all the people I know. I want to finally look into the mirror and smile, and really mean it. I want to feel happiness and be able to do the things I love without worrying about my size or what others are going to think of me. I just want to live a normal teenage life for once. I have never been at a healthy weight, and I want to change that. I know I will never be a twig, but I at least want to be happy and healthy. I'd love to travel the world someday and photograph all the beautiful things I see and meet many new people and try many new things. I can't do that unless I'm comfortable with myself. I'm so excited to grow up and actually live a normal life. You watch me. A year from now, I will no longer be this unhappy, fat teenager. I know it sounds crazy, but I wish they had a show like Extreme Makeover for people my age. I would love to be able to lose weight and share my story with many other people all around the world. I can't think of a better way to make an impact.

I don't care what your imperfections are.
Live by this rule only <3

     As the days continued, Day 270 touched me a lot. Chris said he was impressed because she was taking control of her body, and she truly looked incredible. My favorite quote that I had to steal out of this show was from Chris. He is such an inspiration to many, and now he is an inspiration to me. "Life starts at the end of your comfort zone. This is your challenge of the year, and you've got the weight loss thing down!" He said that Jacqui's true challenge was becoming comfortable with herself and having the courage to put herself out in front of people. He seriously nailed it dead on. Losing weight is not only about getting your body back to health, but it is also about learning to love yourself and to be thankful for what you have. The most confident people out there are the ones who have accepted their differences and embraced them. They don't sit and dwell on what they wish their life could have been. They keep their eyes and mind open and see life as a gift; a challenging and rewarding gift. Chris also encouraged Jacqui to finally sing again in front of a crowd. She was hesitant at first, but she eventually performed for a group of about 20 people who just happened to be in the middle of a conference. I was actually very surprised that the group was so encouraging and happy for Jacqui. Right now I have the television paused on her reaction as she hugged Chris after she finished singing. She wasn't pretending to be happy like she did in the past. She was actually smiling because she felt happy. She also felt relieved, and inspired. I want to feel like that again. I want to go back out on that volleyball court and set the ball like I used to in middle school. I want to go back to writing poetry, and drawing whatever my heart desired. I want to lose myself in a book. These are just a couple of the things I used to really enjoy doing. I know I haven't grown out of them: I simply have just forgotten how much they meant to me.

     One of her biggest dreams was to become a mother. She dropped from almost being infertile to having the capability to conceive a baby. I'm so proud of her for that. I worry about that here and there too with my weight. I worry that I won't be able to have children for some reason. If I was unable to have children, I don't know what I would do with myself. I've wanted kids ever since I was a very little kid. I'm just extremely happy that Jacqui earned the privilege of becoming a mother.

     Near the end of the show, right after her 9-months mark, she went into surgery to remove all the excess skin. Right before she went into surgery, she weighted 175 pounds. Throughout the 9 months, she lost 180 pounds: that's more than she currently weighs! I don't even know this chick, and I can honestly say that I am super proud to call her one of my inspirations. Obviously, if she can do this than I can do this! When she was going into surgery, she said that this whole year was definitely one of the hardest things she has done, but one of the most worth-while she's ever done with her life. She said that she finally is figuring out how to live, and that there are so many things on the horizon for her.

     By Day 365, all of her family and friends gathered to celebrate her success. As Chris gave the opening speech before he introduced the new-and-improved Jacqui, he said, "[When I met her] she lived in this prison of shame and embarrassment and she always doubted herself. The theme of her life was 'I'm scared, I can't do this'. Once she truly believed in herself, from that point forward, it was my job just to get out of her way because she was a juggernaut. She truly was my perfect client. At 6 months she had lost 40% of her original body weight. And when she walks out here tonight just feel her presents, feel her confidence; it's mind blowing."

     Once she walked out, the crowd of all of her friends and family just went wild. They all were so supporting and so helpful through it all, and I know Jacqui can't thank them enough. As she continued into her speech, she said, "I started gaining weight at a really young age so as an adult I've never seen my body has just a normal body. To see that I look healthy and strong, that kind of helped finish things off and I felt like I really got to a place that I wanted to be." Her goal weight was 155, and during this final weight in she surprised her friends and family with a total body weight of 146. She lost a total of 207 pounds in one year. Do you have any idea how incredibly remarkable that truly is? She thought it was impossible. In her words, "I could have lost any amount weight, but if I didn't chose to love myself and change my mind about who I was then I would still be just an empty shell of a person." This one episode especially made my heart melt. I'm looking at this thirty year old who is practically just like me. We think the same and have all of the same insecurities. It's so ironic that we are so alike. I can't wait to be in the same amazing situation as she is a year from now.

Summer 2012 is going to be the beginning
of something spectacular.

     Similar to Jacqui, I want to create my own video talking to myself in a year from now.

     It would be so moving, and I'm so excited to begin my journey officially tomorrow, June 12th, 2012!

What a Day

     Thought of the Day: Friends "June 8th: With girl friends, we dare to be who we really are."


This is just one of the many great people I became very close with this year. She is such an amazing person, and she has changed so much since elementary school. Miyela, I know I don't tell you this all the time, but I love you from the bottom of my heart. No matter what happens with us, I always have and always will have your back. You are a beautiful person inside and out. I am honored to call you one of my best friends!

     I had a pretty crappy day actually, I'm not going to lie.
     Brady was seriously being such a nuisance. He definitely redefines terrible two's, that's for sure.
     Also, it hailed and rained terribly in Eaton last night, and I was honestly scared for my life. We were under a tornado watch, then a tornado warning, then a severe thunderstorm warning, then a flash-flood warning. It was an absolutely crazy evening and I didn't appreciate it one bit. I'm just like Ronnie in so many ways I guess. I was so scared last night, you have no idea. Brady, Mom, Jordan, and I all were in the basement for awhile. Then, all of a sudden, our ceiling down there started leaking terribly, and I had to go upstairs to get a bucket and some towels. You wouldn't believe how loud it was upstairs. Over the noise, however, I could just hear my heart pounding out of my chance. I don't recall ever being so scared in my entire life. I was in a panic, and I just wanted it all to be over. I don't know if you know this about me, but when I'm really upset, I have a tendency to always close my eyes. Whenever the situation becomes too overwhelming and I feel like I just can't take it anymore, I close my eyes and dream of a better place. Whether it's awfully stormy outside, I'm getting yelled at by my mom, my friends are betraying me one by one, my dad is showing his true colors, or I'm beating myself up inside, closing my eyes takes me away from the situation. It makes me feel so much better to see the dark inside of my eyelids, and to feel a sense of security. It's actually hard to explain, and it seems as though Ronnie and I are the only two people I know that do that when we are upset.

I'm listening to this song right now, and it's surprisingly very beautiful.

Pet Peeves

     I'm posting about some of my pet peeves. This idea just randomly came to me, so I thought, why not?

Jehna's Pet Peeves

1. When people spell my name wrong
2. When people pronounce my name wrong; how does that work!?
3. People who talk to me on Facebook but never during school
4. Wyoming drivers, or just Wyoming in general
5. The noise a fork makes against a plate
6. Ignorant people
7. People who are two faced
8. When guys wear skinny jeans
9. The way seat belts go across my chest and restrict my breathing!
10. Toyota vehicles because there is nothing more disappointing
11. People who take up two parking spaces
12. When people sing over the music
13. The color orange
14. Girls who post half naked pictures of themselves on Facebook and a billion and four people like them
15. People who push their religion on everything
16. Girls who don't appreciate what they have
17. When people act ignorant
18. Bad breath
19. When people don't spell out all their words when we are texting
20. People who chew loudly
21. People who bully others for self pleasure
22. People who read over my shoulder when i am txting or messaging someone
23. Cops who pull you over for going 10 over the speed limit when their are other criminals out there doing much worse
24. When people finish a sentence off with "Ya know what I mean?"
25. People that snoop through my stuff
26. Girls who wear way too much makeup
27. People who read out loud to themselves
28. People who say cuss words at inappropriate times or for ridiculous reasons
29. People who constantly complain about being bored all the time
30. The noise nails make on a chalkboard
31. Guys who are too lazy to put up the toilet seat when they pee
32. Guys who "forget" to put the toilet seat back down
33. People who are ignorant
34. When you go shopping, you find a really cute shirt, and there is twenty shirts that are size XS or 3X and not a single one in your size
35. Celebrities claiming that they care about the environment or helping others
36. People who push me to wear a seat belt
37. Trying to grab a ping pong ball as it bounces away
38. When people don't say goodbye before we get off the phone and then they just hang up
39. When my mom or my grandma doesn't tell me that she loves me when we get off the phone or leave each other!
40. Girls who make a duck face in EVERY picture they take of themselves
41. People who think they are right about everything, when I know I clearly am! ;)
42. When people act ignorant
43. Girls who attend a sporting event and know absolutely nothing about the sport
44. People who abuse animals!
45. When girls think it is cool to call each other dirty names as a "friendly joke"
46. People who don't use smiley faces when they txt

To be continued...

June 6th 12:16pm

     I'm just updating some information for Prom for All and getting ready to go with my grandma for a couple of hours. From 1-3pm I will be at the Eaton Public Library helping out with their summer reading program. I'm so excited: this is definitely one of the best ways to volunteer, I think! I will hopefully update back with you guys later.
     Check out my drive Prom for All! I can use all the support I can get.
http://www.dosomething.org/prom
http://youtu.be/F-hM8u_K7wc
Facebook: Prom for All - Donate your gently used dresses!

Productive Summer So Far!

     I honestly feel bad for not posting in such a long time. My summer schedule has been completely crazy though! I seriously have multiple things going on every day. We are almost two weeks into the summer, and so far I've already accomplished so much. On the last day of school, I went out to ice cream with all my best buddies Alyssa, Tiana, Katie, Hanna, and Lexi. I went to Eliches on the 25th with my cousins and family. I spent countless nights with my cousins at their house and at my grandma's. I went to Eliches on the 2nd with all my friends, and spent that entire weekend with my friends Capreece, Tia, Alyssa, Tiana, and Amanda. I've gone to Ronnie and Kyle's baseball games and practices most week nights. I updated my blog a couple of times, but I really should have been more involved with it! I spent the whole day at the lake with Felicia and my mom. I went shopping with Grandma Cheryl and got coffee many, many times. I really have had a very productive summer so far. If you want to hang out with me at Eliches, go to the lake, or even just go do something simple and fun like bowling, I'm down for almost anything! Txt me or message me anytime, because I always have time for my friends.
     I'm not going to lie: this is not like my usual posts. I just want to clarify that I am still on the road to recovery, and I definitely haven't forgotten that!
     Right now I am messaging a long lost friend Kianna who moved away in elementary school. It's always good to connect with people I haven't talked to in awhile!

Yal said you were wondering how you could help me out. Now I have a great opportunity for you! This is an invite only event, so if you want an invite, just let me know and I will add you to the list! If you are already invited, consider inviting your other girl friends. Every dress helps tremendously.
Check out my event on Facebook!

This event allows ladies to donate their gently used dresses to girls who can't afford to buy their own. It would mean the world to me if you could simply donate a dress or two!

Check out my Facebook event for more information.

@JehnaHopePowell on Facebook

@PromForAll-Donateyourgentlyuseddresses