Dreams…and a Recipe!

Goodness gracious.

It’s been a minute, but I am back! A couple of weeks of long nights leave me using every extra second to sleep, catch up with shows on Hulu, or try to do something fun! But, here I am!

First, let’s share the yummy snickers-esque protein shake I made the other morning and posted on the SeeSondraSlim status on Facebook! And, if you haven’t, you should totally search “SeeSondraSlim” on FB and “Like” the page! About 30 more likes, and BAM! 100 fans. Which means….BAM! Another thing crossed off of my “23 Things to Do Before I Turn 24” list. Help a girl out! Now then…on to the protein shake!

What you need:

8 oz soymilk (I like Silk unsweetened. Vanilla or chocolate works fine, as well).

1 scoop chocolate protein (I prefer the GNC generic, it’s pretty good without a ridiculous aftertaste).

1-2 tbsp. powdered peanut butter OR 1 large tbsp or peanut butter

2 tsp Torani sugar-free caramel syrup

What you do:

Well….I just toss it all in my handy dandy Magic Bullet cup and hit the road. You can add ice before blending, and you can use a regular blender. You can mix it by hand, but I imagine the peanut butter would be kinda strange that way! Either way, it’s honestly AMAZING! Even for breakfast. And one scoop of my protein powder has 25 g of protein. 8 oz of Silk has 6, so I get 31 g of protein just in one shake! And I am supposed to have 65-80 a day! Not too shabby!

There are tons of other variations. Powdered peanut butter makes me happy (I like PB2. You can find it on Amazon, or at some specialty retailers. Trader Joe’s has a form of it, as well). I plan to do a spin of this with vanilla protein and sugar-free raspberry syrup….kinda PB and J, I’m thinking!

Next!

Well….in addition to having the list I previously mentioned, I also have a few major things I wanted to accomplish before this year was over. The following, I am proud to say have been accomplished:

1. I got a cute place with my bestie.

2. I got my weight loss surgery.

3. I got a new job.

4. I bought some amazing Nine West almond peeptoe pumps for $18. Very retro, very chic. Perfect for my November 8th Boudoir photo shoot. That wasn’t actually on the list….but I needed a way to sneak it in there, and share. LOL.

5. I started my book/memoirs. It goes in a few directions, so I’ll have to keep editing as I go. But all I can say is this: NOBODY is safe. My life is crazy, and at some times, utterly UNBELIEVABLE! So, I am going to include it….because it’s MY life. It’s what shapes me, and what I learn from. Why leave it out, just to spare some people’s feelings…when they had absolutely no regard for mine? I figure as long as I don’t use their real last names, I should be safe from lawsuits….right?

There are a few things left, and they are in the works currently! SOOOOOO close! Keep me in your prayers! It’s driving me crazy, how fast the months are passing by….but it will all work out!

1. Pay off all of my debt. This will be DONE no later than Monday, thanks to a helpful contribution from my father, who recently has a penchant for giving me some of his hard-earned active duty money he has been making. Thanks, DAD!

2. Get my new car. An opportunity has presented itself, and I am on the fence. Whether I go with the new, almost irrefusable option or with my original plan, I’m telling myself I’ll have my car by November 15th….my absolute LATEST deadline.

3. My Vegas trip. It’s the first year in quite a few years that I haven’t gone. And I am VERY excited to embark in less than a month, and have some fun with my friends. My wonderful mother is letting me use her timeshare…so we get to chill in the lap of luxury, and have a blast for a weekend! WOOO! ( I already bought a Jessica Simpson all-sequin dress that is slightly too snug in anticipation. It’s a wrap!)

4. Getting my new laptop. Alex and I are already pumped for Black Friday! So, you know I’ll be making that dream a reality, but it will be a reality on a budget! YES!

There are still a lot of things in the works. My mind is constantly in overdrive, making plans, lists, budgets, budget revisions, payment plans, and so on.

But I know all of the stressing, hard work, and speaking things into existence will pay off.

In the meantime….I’m going to keep going crazy, and hoping the rest of the year is good to me. No complaints so far!

I really appreciate everyone’s feedback and ideas. You guys are AMAZING, and I could not be as dedicated to my journey, or the documenting of it without all of you. Please share your ideas, comments, feedback, and recipes! You’re always an asset to this blog!

‘Til next time!

XOXO

For the Sake of the Update….

Hey there, everyone!

Whew! The last week has been INSANITY! But, I have no complaints.

Started the new job, and it is fantastic. More money, less stress. And, I work with my bestie! It really doesn’t get much better than that! I wear scrubs to work every day, so my worries about all these baggy clothes have been somewhat alleviated. Now, I just have to get to a point where I can stop quenching my shopping thirst by buying accessories and shoes. But, on the bright side? I now have a VERY chic black bag, and tons of cute jewelry. And JC Penney’s has had a ridiculous shoe clearance the past two weekends, so I’ve been getting $50-65 heels for $4.97 and 2.97! What!?!?!?!

In other news, the List is coming along. I got the new job, I got the bangs, and now? Now the big stuff. Hoping to have my new car by November, at the latest. My deadline is so far out mainly because a) Dad’s contribution to my down payment has been decreased and b) I want a bigger down payment, so now I’ll have to save a bit more than I originally planned. Thank goodness for the pay increase!

Come to Momma! 🙂

Don’t ask me why, but I am utterly in love with this car, since the first time I drove one. It has amazing mileage, amazing safety ratings, a Dodge engine, and a lovely turn radius. And 5 people can fit comfortably in it! Nice!

Next? Thanks to Groupon, the Boudoir Divas of San Diego have expedited my photo shoot dreams. Thirty minute shoots in one of their AMAZING settings are currently $99 through Groupon, and include seven enhanced images. Yes….I said ENHANCED! In other words, I get to look like I have no cellulite, rolls, or white legs in seven shots of fabulousness. Deal is only on ’til tomorrow, and they only have a limited quantity. So, if that’s something you’d love to do? Hop on it! You know I’ll be posting piks! I have decided to do the mini shoot as part of the “before process”  and still spoil myself with the big photo shoot after I reach my goal weight…Alex and I just know that the whole thing will be a ton of fun, so we are going for it!

My outfit will be MUCH different. Lol.

Check them out, and see all of the lovely work they do. The Boudoir Divas Website has all of the info you need to start planning your very own sexy photo shoot. If nothing else, do it for YOU!

Current projects? Still working on completing the decoration of the new room and condo, planning the finer details of our trip to Vegas at the end of October, and trying to budget the next three months, in the hopes of being a bit better at saving money. I can MANAGE money…..no problem. But SAVING money? Not quite so easy. With more money in the future (although, a car and insurance payment and going back to buying these ridiculously expensive gas has me a bit worrisome), I am thinking of a master plan that will eliminate all debt painlessly, and leave me with a stash in the bank for the big Italy trip I plan to take in 2013.

Watch out! You know how I get when I reeeealllly want something!

That’s all for now, but I want to give a huge thanks to everyone who has “liked” SeeSondraSlim on facebook. Your input, encouragement, and kinds words mean a LOT! Don’t be afraid to leave comments and suggestions on the page. And of course, tell your friends, whether they are considering weight loss surgery, or not!

Love you all! ‘Til next time!

XOXO

Rising to the Occasion

I am a ball of HAPPY right about now.

I wish I could articulate these emotions effectively, but no lists could really do it justice. So I’m just going to freestyle, and see where it takes us. Please be patient with me. 🙂

First? A few AMAZING things have happened to me in the last 48 hours.

1. I got a new job! It was sudden, and miraculous! I have been pretty much miserable where I was, hanging on merely because a] a job is necessary to pay bills. and b] you don’t just jump ship when things get bad. Especially not for nothing. I was patiently waiting for a sign, for a move, for an opportunity. I submitted a few resumes, including one at Alex’s new office in Oceanside. I kept getting updates from Alex that they were going to call me in for an interview when things slowed down. I was trying to be patient! Someone quit Friday, Alex called me and told me to get ready for a 2pm interview, and BAM! Took a long lunch only to end up being hired on the spot for a new job. And let me tell you…I kept saying I wasn’t leaving for something adequate? Well….MORE pay, Tuesdays are HALF days! 2 hour lunches, Happy environment, and there are babies at the on-site patient daycare center to play with when you’re bored! Bonus? I work with my BESTIE, and we can go to the gym at lunch! Or shopping….or to get pedicures….whatever!

2. I woke up yesterday, and decided to weigh myself after my shower. Idk why, because I usually weigh on Wednesday. But, low and behold, that scale went RIGHT to 255 lbs. AKA….THE FIFTY POUND MINI GOAL HAS BEEN REACHED! I am very proud, and very excited. I’ve decided to go ahead and get the reward tattoo with my first official San Diego Spine and Rehab paycheck. Two big blessings in two consecutive days. I am ecstatic! Also, I threw caution to the wind and started the SeeSondraSlim page on Facebook. So now, you can go “like” it, and we can be the very best of friends! 😉

3. Ahh. I’m not even sure how to start this one….but a very good friend came to visit me yesterday, and brought one of my Mommies along. I was a bit dismayed to see that the subject of the “….All You’re Ever Gonna Be is MEAN!” blog was also with them. Now, as I said before. Bitter? Not me. Resentful? No longer. Disappointed that I was completely blindsided by this, and somewhat irritated? Definitely. But you know what? I had a moment of “WTF?” (with my head turned in the opposite direction of course, and kept right on going. Gave him a hug, and used my common sense. If these people are going to flaunt what they have in front of me, then I guess that it’s clear: There is no salvaging this friendship. There is no REAL friendship there. I’d like to think a true friend would be honest with me, and tell me she was making this move, when she said she was coming to visit. It’s common decency. Consider the other person’s comfort and feelings. Whether I should have feelings towards it or not is irrelevant. The fact is, it bothers me….yet, she didn’t really care. No harm, no foul. I’m a grown woman….but more importantly? I’m a lady. My mom and aunt would have been very proud of the way I handled myself. Part of me wanted to act a fool…but I just didn’t really have it in me. There is far too much joy in my corner right now. Don’t get me wrong. I still love her, and am forever grateful to her for being there when I needed someone. But I think I just have to accept that unfortunately, time and distance make things different. Didn’t work out in my favor, but if she’s happy there doing what she does, and I am happy here without him? So be it.

4. As far as his mother coming, that was awesome! I had missed her so much, and it was so nice to spend time at the mall with her, doing what we do best: SHOPPING! She is so motivating. And she truly seems happy for me, and proud of all I have done. And when I speak of things I plan to do? She simply said “You always do everything you set your mind to.” That was just the little extra encouragement I needed. Regardless of any disgruntled feelings I have for the other two, and their quite frankly, DISRESPECT….I am just really glad she was there, and that we got to catch up.

5. Alex is seriously the best friend a girl could ask for! You should have seen her face when I realized what was going on! Her mouth hung open, and I had to say “Fix your face!” as they entered! PURE COMEDY! And then later….”Sondra. You’re WAY too good for him. Look at what you thought you wanted to end up with!” Heeyyy…what can I say? I was young! Lol. Not to mention the fact that she was a total trooper hanging out with people she didn’t know. If she hadn’t been there, I don’t know that I could have been so composed! And she made sure her boss gave me a shot as soon as the opportunity arose? There really are just not a lot of sincerely amazing people like that anymore. And I am beyond grateful that one of them is my best friend.

Life is good….even when little things mess you up. Anyone who has known me for awhile will tell you that I have always been a fighter. But sometimes, it’s really nice to have people who fight with you. I still have a long way to go in terms of all the things I have set out to do. But I just can’t ignore the fact that it all seems so much closer within reach now that the new job and the first mini-goal are out of the way.

Never let them tell you that you can’t make it. Never let your mistakes dictate your potential, or the way people treat you. And you know what else? Unless you’re at the gym, never let them see you sweat. A struggle is a very personal thing. People who know and understand you will know the difference….but everyone else can mind their own business and watch you rise to the occasion!

‘Til Next Time!

XOXO

I Can’t Believe I’m Doing This…

I mentioned in my WLS Meet and Greet post how I was insanely inspired by my new friend Denise that I met in Temecula. Let me tell you: Denise has been an AMAZING inspiration and motivation to me in the little time that I have known her. Quick recap? She started her Weight Loss surgery journey at 430 lbs, and has a before photo in her chonies. She has done SUCH a great job of keeping herself focused and motivated, and already lost more than 200 lbs. We are facebook friends, and that girl just keeps me going! Always words of enthusiasm and encouragement from her end. I adore her!

It takes a lot of guts to not only to show those photos to others, but it takes a LOT of courage to face those images yourself.

And so, I have decided to challenge myself. I am officially going to be that brave, and not only take, but POST those photos. I will update them every 30 days, and maybe we will be able to see the progress as it happens.

I have always avoided these types of things. It’s hard to see that number on the scale…and it’s hard to see photos and criticize how big your knees are, how flabby your arms look, how jiggly your thighs are…the list goes on. Sometimes, you just have to take a step back, and focus on the progress, rather than how much is left to be done. With that in mind, I figure if I keep those photos updated, where the world can see them, I can not only inspire others the way Denise inspired me (at least, I HOPE I can), but I can keep myself motivated.

As of today, I have lost 48 lbs. That’s like, two one year-olds. CRAZY!

I don’t know about you, but I think that’s quite the 11 week post-0p accomplishment! 🙂 [FYI: I actually took these at 7 or 8 weeks post-op, but I’ve really been struggling with the idea of posting them. But as someone told me the other day: You never know WHO you are inspiring. I’d hate to think that I stopped myself from getting someone else started!]

Here goes nothing……

Front View....

Side View...

Aaaand the Back View....aka "Sondra, your butt is getting smaller!"

Ok. That was kinda painful….but at least it’s only going to get BETTER from here!  And hey, at least I wore pants! 🙂

Let me just add really quickly before signing off that ALL of you have been an amazing source of inspiration, motivation, and enthusiasm. It is truly appreciated and cherished, and I love you all!

‘Til next time!

XOXO