Can't wait to be half of me for life!

I had my meeting with Dr. Bauer this morning to go over my blood work and to get the information to start my medically supervised weight loss. I know people are probably wondering why I don't just join Weight Watchers or just eat right and work out. I'm one of those people that needs someone to report to, someone to hold me accountable, and I need a strict plan to follow. If I can choose it on my own or just go to a meeting where you do a group session, I don't get much out of it. I'd probably benefit from a personal trainer as well, but that's just not in the budget.

Blood work results were better than I expected, the only thing wrong with me was actually pre-albumin (nutrition levels, etc...). Believe it or not, I'm actually malnourished. He said its more than likely a result of my years of yo-yo dieting. So, we're going to get back on track.

He gave me my first two weeks plan, which includes something called "Organic Frog; Greens Today"

Yes, it's MENS formula... and the libido/prostate thing is kinda cracking me up! But, it's a superfood and I have to drink it for breakfast and for lunch... I don't see this stuff tasting very good, but its nutrition at its best. I will post a picture after I make my first batch.

125 lbs to go!!! SO EXCITED!!!!!



Tomorrow is THE day!

Tomorrow is my follow-up appointment with Dr. Bauer and I am extremley excited and nervous all at the same time! I'm anxious to hear what he has to say and excited to get my meal plan. He told me to enjoy food last week, because soon it would all change... so, we have! However, I haven't eaten THIS bad in months. Olive Garden, Brooklyn Pizza, Tacos, Fettucini Alfredo... I'm feeling sluggish! I know I shouldn't have indulged this past week, its not even worth it. But, onto better things tomorrow and I can't wait to be half my current size next year!!! Update again tomorrow...

Where did the weekend go?

It's Monday again! How does that happen so fast and where does time go?

Thursday was my first appointment with Dr. Bauer of Bauer Family Medicine, he was unlike most doctors and explained everything to a T. Was patient with questions and really just got to know me. He did a blood panel and while my results are available on-line (how cool is that??), I have another appointment with him this Thursday to go over what everything really meant (can we say information overload on the internet?) and I'll start my weight loss program that day! I'm excited and ready! Sure, I know I'll have cravings and miss certain things, but its only food. It's not a human and the only thing we really need food for is nutrition. Why I have an emotional attachment to food is beyond me, but when I'm stressed/sad/feeling a little chaotic it's the first thing I turn to. With that said, I'm really excited for Thursday and to get off of this roller coaster.

Ironically, Friday was our bake sale fundraiser for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation! We raised $312 dollars in a 2 hour time frame, I was honestly overwhelmed with the support we received.

I baked a Pineapple Upside Down Bundt Cake and it smelled wonderful and baked beautifully!

This golden pineapple beauty auctioned off for $12.00!

I also baked an assortment of brownies and cookies for $1.00 grab bags and they went FAST! The hardest part of baking everything while being good is that I honestly didn't taste anything and was really worried about selling it off. However, everyone really enjoyed the brownies and cookies. Baking 6 dozen peanut butter and 6 dozen chocolate dunkers was definitely worth it. I'm going to love presenting the JDRF with the envelope full of money on April 12th and I can't wait for the 3 mile walk at Carowinds on April 16th.

Saturday the hunky husband went off to work and I cleaned and did laundry and treated myself to a $15.00 pedicure! I LOVE COUPONS! With all the rain lately, I was feeling a little bored all alone at home and decided my feet needed to be ready for spring. I do love a pedicure!

Sunday we met up with Daniel's Dad and his wife, QP (they are currently trucking their way around the US) and my brother in-law Chris, Lissette and their sweet beautiful girls (my nieces) Elizabeth and Eleonor. We had lunch at Lonestar Steakhouse (2 meals for $25 with an appetizer!) and then everyone headed back on the road. Daniel and I headed home for a bit and then went to my parents house for my Mom's delicious Yankee Pot Roast and some good family time.

We had something wonderful happen last week as well! The hunky husband is a full-time student at UNCCharlotte (GO 49ers!) and is earning his degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology so scheduling hours with R.E.I. was near impossible (5 hours a week just sucks!), so he's been interviewing here and there and everywhere and somethings finally clicked! He's taken a position with Southeastern Freight as a freight handler from 6pm-10pm M-F making some very decent money and it works with his school schedule, that's amazing!!! Also, he's been interviewing with Siemen's since November (his DREAM company and DREAM job) and had an interview with them again on Friday. So please, if it is your custom, keep us in your prayers. BIG positive steps for the Newbern household on the horizon! Daniel and I agreed I wouldn't speak of any of our BIG problems on here, but if any of you have ever had a spouse/partner in school full time and only one of you really working, you understand completely what good news all of this has been. 

I can't wait to see what comes at us next! Hopefully our 2 steps forward will stay that way. Now, only if the weather would cooperate...

Till next time... J

I neglected to tell you about myself...

So, after my first post, I realized that I'm dumping on people without telling them a single thing really about myself! So here are some basics!

Yankee born, Southern raised. I'm one of those transplants that moved to NC from CT when I was 4. I do consider myself a Southern girl, but I love my yankee roots! Nothing beats sweet tea on a hot sticky Carolina summer day or wearing shorts at Christmas.

I'm a hometown girl, Daniel and I live 15 minutes from my parents and 25 from his. I love knowing what's where and which back roads to take when traffic is horrible. Daniel and I actually went to middle school together, but didn't reconnect for a decade after that.

I went away to college at Western Carolina University (GO CATS!), earned my Bachelor of Arts in English with a concentration in Literature and a minor in Principles of Education and SWORE that I would never go back to Charlotte, swore that I would live in Asheville and never look back except to visit family. However, after living in the mountains after graduation, I realized that home really was where my heart was and headed back. Good thing I did, or else I would have never re-met Daniel. Should I rewind 15 years? Why not?

Daniel and I were in band together in middle school (complete DORK, I know) and actually sat next to each other. He was the shy and quiet kid... I've always been the loud outgoing one. I don't remember if we were friends or not, but I do know that I signed his yearbook, gave him my phone number and then he moved away and never called... don't blame him, I was a HUGE flirt.

Fast forward to 2008, I've moved back to the parents house and go out one night with some people from work and bump into this handsome (then bald bald bald) man who says he knows me. I say no you don't and walk away. But, he really does. He knew my name and where we knew each other from. It all slowly comes back to me and the rest is history.

This is us on Halloween, a few weeks after we started dating...



 We have been inseperable since then. We bought our first home together May, 2010 (he moved in and rennovated, I stayed at my parents), we got married July 31 and I moved in after that. It's been eventful getting used to living with a guy that's not my brother, but Daniel is so handy and so helpful. I married a manly man! We adopted a cat named Banx who makes every day entertaining, okay, mainly aggravating, but he's getting better.

Meet Banx, our Russian Blue mute maniac...



Day to day I work like most people, I'm a 9-5er with a job creating marketing pieces and client proposals for members of my development center. When I go home, I'm all for some reading, gardening, Zumba or just goofing around with my husband and friends. Wanna know more, just ask!

And, please leave comments if you have anything to say!

So... here we go!

I've been contemplating blogging for quite some time now. I've grown tired of Facebook (even though I use it frequently) and would like to post something other than a status update ranting that  "I despise Monday!" or the typical "Dinner with friends". My life just has more to it than that, and after chatting with other friends that have blogs, this might just be the proper place for me to be. I don't honestly know how often I will update this thing, or if I even have anything worth while to say. Mostly, this blog is going to address where I am now and what's been going on as of late. So... here we go!


The past 10 years of my life have been a rollercoaster of weight loss and weight added. Like many women, I've watched my weight ebb and flow... wait, ebb and flow isn't right. It's more like the tide. I have the tendancy to lose 25, 50 or even 100 pounds (sometimes more) and gain it back. I'm only 26 years old and it's my own fault. Honestly, I blame myself. Not fad diets, not Daniel (the hottie, hunky husband), not my genetics. Myself and only myself. So, this Thursday I'll be happily taking my butt to a new general physician. My OB recommended him so that I can get off of this rollercoaster for the last time. In the past 3 years I have gained 100 pounds. Yes, that's disgusting. Yes, I've been lazy. Yes, I've been eating wrong. So for those random "anonymous" people that like to leave negative comments, feel free to leave them. You're not saying anything I haven't told myself. While I don't intend this blog to be a weight loss/motivational blog, for the most part that's the biggest struggle in my life and always has been.

So. Day 1 down... let's see how may more I can do.