"Mom, I am dying. I love you." LAPBAND!

Hello HollEwud Bootycampers, Let me tell you. Yours truly Stephanie HollEwud, tried something new out. Lapband! For those of you who do not know what that is, its when they take a silicone tube and tie it around the upper half of your stomach to shrink your belly so you do not consume large amount of foods. I am now allowed to eat 1oz of food or liquid every 20 minutes for the next 2 weeks, with pureed proteins included, greek yogurt, low-fat ricotta cheese, and clear liquids. In two weeks I will be able to add solid foods, which is extremely exciting. So, thats just a little bit about that. Let me tell you about the whole process. Starting on May 22nd, I had to be on a shake diet. The first 7 days entailed me drinking 4 shakes called optifast, and one small meal a day. That small meal was to include 4oz of protein, a mixed green salad with fat free dressing, and a side of vegetables. Starting May 29th, I had to be on a full shake diet. 5 optifast shakes a day..NO FOOD...until surgery which was June 5th. Let me tell you, it was hell. I shook, cried, cursed and occasionally cheated with a handful of walnuts, because there were times I would get headaches and just couldn't take it anymore! Within those 2 weeks of formula diet and going to the gym I lost 22lbs! In two weeks! I know its craziness! These shakes lead up to weight loss surgery lapband day! Going into the Operating Room, I was nervous as all hell. Let me tell you I was just about crapping my pants. I am not even exaggerating. All I remember, is climbing on top of that cold operating table, them hooking an IV into me and saying "Okay Steph! The anesthesia is coming through, count to 10 and you'll be out." Let me tell you I sped count to 10 and kept saying, "I AM NOT OUT YET, IM NOT OUT YET, IM NOT OUT YET..." After surgery, my surgeon told me I apparently said in a delusional manner..."HOLY SHIT THIS SHIT IS CRAZY...ZZZZZZZ" and knocked right out after I said those words. Which, I promise you, I do not remember. Haha. The surgery consisted of 5 small incisions around my belly, including one inside my belly button :) I think its beautiful artwork :) I earned my tiger stripes and 5 incisions :) SO! COMPLICATIONS: during the surgery, the surgeons fell upon some complications. I had a hiatal hernia during the operation. This means, my stomach slid up into a hole in my esophagus and they had to shove my stomach back into its position, stitch up the whole, mesh it shut then continue with my banding. In which they inflate my stomach with carbon dioxide so that they can move around, lift my liver, wrap the band on, and then seuter it to my muscles...than they add the port which is burried in muscle under my belly button. The port allows the doctor to add or take out fluids to increase or decrease the tightness of the band, controlling my intake of food. Which, is an amazing and brilliant invention. So, since my surgery a week ago, I have lost a total of 27.4lbs which is REALLY EXCITING! and obviously extremely encouraging about how this is going to go. Unfortunately, after the surgery, they only kept me in the hospital overnight. Which, wasn't long enough for me. After I left, I was struggling severely with pain, nausea, constipation (sorry) and dehydration. I was in the hospital tuesday and wednesday for the surgery and overnight, and wound up back in the ER of Danbury Hospital for almost 8 hours on Saturday leading into Sunday. Saturday night came, I was unresponsive, couldn't speak, couldn't breathe, and was convulsing & shaking uncontrollably. I begged my mom to take me to the ER by hand gesturing, crying and moaning. We got to Danbury ER, and they took me in immediately. My heart rate had dropped to 40, I was freezing, shaking and just a mess. I was so scared. I couldn't speak. Approximately a half hour later I was under control with some Atavan, IV fluids and Dilaudid pain medication. They did a CT Scan, Xray etc. Everything came back fine. They did not admit me there, because my surgery was not done there. So they did a direct admission to Stamford Hospital on Sunday. When I got to Stamford Hospital (where I work), I just felt so relaxed. My surgeon knew of my troubles and was going to come in Monday to see me because he knew I was going to be Admitted, however, he came in on his day off to check on me for 5 minutes and talk to me. I love and applaud Doctor Daniel Davis. He is an extremely intelligent, trust worthy and just over all great guy. He made me completely comfortable, happy and at ease about this whole process. If anyone ever considered weight loss surgery, I URGE you to meet with him. He makes the whole process like a piece of cake ;) NOT LITERALLY BECAUSE YOU CANT HAVE CARBS! :) ANYWAYS, I ended up staying in the hospital til Tuesday afternoon and got discharged today. Thank God, those beds hurt your back and I was going completely stir crazy and bored as all hell doing nothing all day. But, they drugged me frequently and I slept 90% of my day away. On a serious note, let me tell you. I have no regrets. The pain and suffering I went through was worth it. I have already made encouraging process, and I am excited about what my future holds. My father would be very proud of me. I would like to say a very special thank you to my gorgeous and wonderful mother and also my dear friend Rachel Sack who have both stood by me AT THE HOSPITAL the entire time. Everyday through all of this. Rachel slept over the night of my surgery at my house, and then she dedicated herself to taking care of me and slept at the hospital the night after my surgery and stayed with me the entire text day feeding me jello and chicken broth from 1 oz cups! haha. My mother, stood by my side the whole time, transported me, took care of me and really helped me at the hospital and at home. The two of them are wonderful women and I love them truly madly deeply :) SPECIAL THANKS: I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS TIME TO ALSO THANK MY GRANDPARENTS BUNNY AND STEPHEN KOZMA FOR VISITING SEVERAL TIMES AT THE HOSPITAL AND SUPPORTING ME THOROUGHLY THROUGHOUT THIS WHOLE PROCESS. THEY ARE MY ROCK WHEN I AM UNSTEADY AND I THANK GOD EVERY DAY FOR THEM. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK GRACE CARPENTER (HUBINA) FOR SURPRISING ME AT THE HOSPITAL WITH A CUTE BALLOON, RACHEL WESELOWSKI AND CHARLIE BRYANT MY GOOD FRIENDS FOR VISITING WITH A HYSTERICAL CARD, MY SISTER JESSICA EWUD WITH GORGEOUS FLOWERS AND A BEAUTIFUL BALOON, MY BROTHER JORDAN EWUD, COUSIN CALEB CONNOR, AND MY DEAR FRIEND MEG BIELER WHO VISITED ME AND BROUGHT ME LEROY MY FAVORITE STUFFED ANIMAL PUPPY WHO I LOVE AND ADORE. HES SOOO CUTE! I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK BRIAN AND CHRIS EDGE FOR SENDING ME A GORGEOUS FLOWER ARRANGEMENT TO MY HOME, THEY MADE MY DAY AND PUT A SMILE ON MY FACE. ALSO TO ELIZABETH SACK FOR DRIVING ME TO THE HOSPITAL FRIDAY WHEN I WAS IN SERIOUS PAIN AND NEEDED TO GO TO THE DOCTORS. AMANDA JWEINAT AND AUNT ROBIN FOR THEIR LOVE AND SUPPORT. MY SISTER RACHAEL AND FUTURE BROTHER IN LAW RICH MUNKWITZ FOR CHECKING IN ON ME AND SUPPORTING ME FROM FLORIDA. ABBEY ZACHOS FOR COMING TO MY HOUSE THE DAY I GOT OUT OF SURGERY AND BRINGING ME AN AMAZING FLOWER ARRANGEMENT. DANIELLE COLE FOR SITTING AND TALKING WITH ME ASSURING ME ALL MY SYMPTOMS WERE NORMAL AND CALMING ME DOWN. and a VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU TO ALL THE 3 SOUTH NURSES WHO VISITED ME, MARYANN, THESSA, KIM, ERIN, AMY, KAITLIN, BRIONNA, AND MELISSA. AND A THANK YOU THE 2 SOUTH NURSES AND CA'S WHO KICKED ASS AND GAVE ME EXCEPTIONAL CARE. DOCTOR BENDL WAS AN AMAZING SURGEON ALONG WITH DOCTOR DAVIS. AND EVERYBODY WHO SUPPORTED ME ON FACEBOOK, I THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU ALL MADE THIS POSSIBLE. IF I FORGOT TO MENTION ANYBODY PLEASE LET ME KNOW SO I CAN EDIT AND PUT YOU IN HERE :) I LOVE YOU ALL! MWAH! A few more battle wounds from shots and IV'S

Ever feel like you don't have enough time in a day?

Ever feel like you don't have enough time in a day?

I swear to you, I wake up, go to work, eat and sleep.
I am having a hard time fitting in working out.
I know it isn't an excuse and I probably sound like a lazy ass.
But, the last thing I want to do when getting home from the hospital everyday is work out. i have been bending, lifting and pushing patients all day long. I feel like that is my work out! Haha. But, my food choices suck. They need to keep me away from the cafeteria. But a ban on me, and not allow me in there. I might start a riot or a food fight or something in there, so I get permanently banned...but then I would lose my job too, so that really is not going to work. :( Haha.

Yesterday, I went to the gym with my dear Nicole, but what did I do after? I ate. Confession: Buffalo Chicken calzone with grilled shrimp. Yes, the shrimp was grilled but the chicken wasn't. Lord knows how many points that was. I need some help and motivation to stick to a diet plan.

Who has some suggestions on what to eat? Yummy non fattening things? :)
I would love to hear them from you!

As always, heres me working out:

This is me with 8lb weights...I do sqauts, then punches left to right everytime I come up from a squat!

Arms out, side to side. Lift them from my side, to shoulder length and repeat.

Doing pushups on the squats bar. Can't do them on the floor quite yet. This is a great workout though!

This exercise, is one knee on the bench, with the weight on the ground you pick it up, and pull your arm up to your side, then back to the floor and repeat. :)


I also did the butt work out machine, but those photos are not being publicized :)

HAPPY WORK OUTS TO ALL!

XOXO HOLLEWUD.

Getting into a routine...

The past few days, I have been working out at the gym. Each day I go I add more time to the cardio part of my workout. I have been working up to jogging and running and it has been going pretty well.

Lately, I have grown an addiction for the weight machines and free standing weights over cardio. I feel like I want to tone this sagging skin on my arm as I progressively lose the weight.

Yesterday, I slipped up and ate pizza. My work bought it for everybody--and since I did not have to go pay for a salad, I just consumed pizza instead. I feel really fat and guilty for that...bleh!

So, today I will go and workout even harder at the gym and even swim some laps :) I will look hot for Rachael and Rich's wedding. ;)

I have to get myself into a consistent routine and workout plan instead of flip flopping it everyday. Any suggestions guys?

Here are some pics from the past few work outs:)

LEXIE, MIA & I AT TERRYWILE MANSION

ALEX & I JUMPING OVER A LOG AT TERRYWILE MANSION

I BE UP IN THE GYM JUST WORKING ON MY FITNESS--HE'S MY WITNESS

STRONGER.

BETTER. FASTER. SMARTER :)

WE'RE BACK! MONEY, MUSCLES & MARRIAGE!

HOLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAA BOOTY CAMPERS!! :)

We are back and better than ever! We have kind of gone incognito the past few months. But, there has been a ton of things going on. I don't know where to begin. I am back in CT, kinda been slacking since I got back, but I have lost a total of another 24 pounds since I have been home..I haven't gone up, but that number still sucks and is too small!

SO! Here's what is happening. I am back on the right track. Yesterday I had a yummy fruit salad, pretzels, and a chicken caesar salad, this morning I ate a cantalope. Yes, the entire thing. Sorry, mother. Please don't beat me.

Rachael and Rich are getting married! CAN I GET A HELL YEAH FINALLY! from all my booty campers please! We are so excited that he is finally going to be an official part of this family. The two love birds came home from Florida two weeks ago and we had their engagement party in long island which was a ton of fun! It was great getting to know his family and friends.

SO! NOW that there is a wedding in our midst, we all know what that means. EXTREME HOLLEWUD BOOTY CAMP TIME. I am talking, kicking our asses into gear here, really reaching for our weight loss and success goals. WE CAN DO IT. I want to be a size 12/14 for my sisters wedding. Which means I have a few sizes to drop by then. Which is potentially another 50-60 pounds. That gives me a year. But, I have a feeling if I set my mind to it and haul ass, I can lose even more than that! So, lets do it! Muscles and marriage I think so!

I also, got a job at one of the local hospitals. I love my job and taking care of people. My back sometimes starts to bother me, but thats normal. I am on my feet for 8 hours sometimes longer, pushing, pulling and bending with my patients. Sometimes my job is rough. My patients can tell me to go jump out the window and screw myself at times. Which, makes for an interesting convo when I go back in the room an hour later to bother them ;) They always put a smile on my face.

So, to start the week off HollEwud booty camp again this week, I went for a hike with my friends Lexie and Alex, through Terrywile Mansion in danbury! It was awesome!


ALRIGHT GUYS. I NEED YOUR SUGGESTIONS FOR FUN EXERCIZING IN CT IN THIS AREA AND FOR HEALTHY FOOD IDEAS! LETS GO I NEED YOUR SUPPORT! :)

There will be another blog entry later this evening with photos!! :)

I don't know where to start....

I haven't written here for 3 weeks. I am sorry! I have been busy and a lot has been going on physically, mentally and emotionally.

My total weight loss count at the moment is 41 pounds. Obviously, I am still working at it. I have kind of slacked in the exercise department and really need to pick it up. Yesterday, I went back to the gym, walked places, and swam laps. I gave it my all. I am going to repeat this today after I finish this post.

I went to a Certified Nursing Assistant Program and completed with my certificate. I also did my Medication Technician, Blood Pathogen (HIV), CPR and First Aid certificates as well! Thank you to my awesome grandmother Bunny Kozma. She has helped me afford the classes so I can go, and when I get a job pay her back.

Which is also something I am stressed about. I am lacking funds to get through here. I have to payback R, Rich and Nya for school, rent, gas, groceries etc. It's stressful. But, I guess I haven't taken full initiative to find a job here, because at first I wasnt supposed to find a job, just focus on my weight loss, but now money is gone and I have to look. But, I haven't wanted to find a job, knowing I have desires to come back to CT.

R and Rich have been fabulous and I have met some really cool people here. But, I miss my home. I miss my family and my friends. I hate missing huge things going on back home and I just feel really sad without them. I have been doing so well on my diet, and I have learned SO MUCH. THAT no matter where I end up I am CONFIDENT and POSITIVE that I will continue my diet and losing weight. NO MATTER WHERE I AM.

I have the right mind set; I am really wanting to do this. I love losing weight, feeling healthy and just looking better. Things won't be so different in CT. We go out to eat a lot here and I still control my eating when I go out and stay within my points. Yes, there has been temptations, there always will be, but I have developed a strong mind set and I won't falter it.

I am proud of my success and I am proud to continue my success. I love CT it has my heart, my family, my friends and memories. Nobody needs to be angry and disappointed unless I fail, WHICH I NEVER WILL. Have a little faith in me. I am a big girl, I will continue to make good decisions. I want to live a long and healthy life. Death is too "scary" to face, thats why I am continuing with this journey.

I love you all, thank you for continuing to support, love, pray and laughs with me!

love always,
STEPHANIE HOLLEWUD. XOXOX

its been a hell of a week!

This past week was very eventful! lots of working out, poker, laps in the pool and a rays baseball game!

The food eating has been so bad lately. I have been doing pretty well and on point...I did have pizza twice this week though which is out of the usual. I felt pretty guilty about it....I hate the feeling of guilt after I eat something I know is semi-bad for me.

We went to the Rays game on Wednesday! That was a lot of fun! We had box seats in the bullpen! I got to see and basically touch Jaso, Peralta, and Howell. It was awesome! Great game, we won extra innings in the 10th. Lots of fun! Pretty sweet!

Poker--well I am poor and can't really play, so that has kind of sucked for me. Giving up the love in my life :( lol.

Rich had a hockey game--they killed it. 10-0, complete shut out..nicely done. :) Love going to the ice hockey games...lots of sexy men ;]

So, guys any questions? About my exercise? About my dieting? I would love to tell more! XOXOXOX.

Thursday & Friday --- Classrooms, Poker & 30LB Goal met! :)

Hello Loves!

Thursday and Friday have been busy for me. Here's the breakdown:

Thursday:

(8:30am)

R: Hey Steph, wake up! Can you come help me at school at 12?
Me: Ugh, R you really had to wake me up this early to ask me that, couldn't you just wait til later to ask...
R: Is that a yes or no?
Me: Sure, let me go back to sleep though, I have another 2.5 hours til I have to get up and help you.
R: OKAY! THANKS!
.....10 minutes later my phone rings....
R: UHHH STEPH, I can only have helpers from now until 12, they changed it will you please come?
ME: UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. (rolls out of bed and goes to school with R)...

.....6 hours later I am still hanging up bulletin boards, funky colored letters, borders, cleaning off desks and tables and reorganizing R's room.

Then, I went to poker for two games and had a REALLY bad beat the second game...I would prefer not to talk about it, it makes me bitter. Let's just say this asshole pulls out Quad jacks on my flush draw and when I flopped a straight (almost a straight flush)...asshole. Can you tell I am bitter? Haha..



FRIDAY:



9:00 AM...

R: Hey Steph wake up come help me again.
Me: RAWR.
.....3 hours later my job was complete and R's room was perfect :) Kinda inspires me to be a teacher! :)

I weighed in this morning...30lbs down baby! EXACTLY do the point. :) So, that is really exciting for me...apparently I get a prize from Jessica, she left it with R. I cannot wait to get it tomorrow! :) Yay! I feel good, just want to keep trucking through it all :)

I came home the rest of the day and relaxed, cooked a healthy dinner for everyone and then relaxed...tomorrow I am going to Orlando early in the morning for an audition! WISH ME LUCK!

August 7th-16th...Busy times my friends! Falling off the band wagon!

Hey everybody!

I am SO sorry for not blogging the past 10 days! I feel so guilty! But things have been so crazy for R, Rich and I. We have had over 18 visitors these past couple weeks; so our time has been very occupied!

I am sad to admit that I did not hit my 30 lbs weight loss mark this past week, I know I have had A LOT of time to hit it, but I didn't. And it was only 1.4lbs....I feel like I let myself and my family down. But, it was so hard. VACATION = DEVIL. Because you think oh one piece of pizza here, one there a lollipop here won't kill you...ohhh no it sabotages you! I screwed myself over when my family came down because, ALL I wanted to do was throw away everything I learned the past two months and eat at 2am while playing poker!

But, it's okay. I can't kill myself over it...I just have to double and tripple time it ALL week and kick myself into gear...

ON A LIGHTER NOTE...

I did enjoy having my family down here all week...I have missed them so much and it was so emotional being with them. You don't know what you got til its gone and away from you...we did so many awesome things and had a lot of fun!

I FIT ON THE RIDES AT UNIVERSAL ANDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD GUESS WHERE ELSE NOW?!?!

DISNEY!!!! I FIT ON THE RIDES AT MGM!! It makes me so happy :) My favorite theme park and I am in the goods! :) So exciting...we did a lot of walking, swimming, amusement parks and just relaxing as a family...I will post tons of pictures the next time I blog...my mom still has all of them :)

I will not go back to CT unless I lose 50lbs....

SUNDAY-SUNDAY! ONE WEEK WITHOUT BLOGGING!!!

HELLO ALL!!

I am so sorry for not blogging this past week it has been CRAZY HERE! We have been preparing for our family that arrived on Friday! We will be in Orlando for a few days spending time with them. This week there was a lot of hard core exercising, dieting and activities (for I have a 30 pound goal loss to meet by August 14th!). I have lost 28.6lbs so far so I am only 1.4lbs away from my goal and over a week left to meet it! So exciting!

Lots of poker as usual for me and lots of yummy food.

Tuesday I went and visited my friend Natalie from CT who was staying in St. Petersburg near my home. We had lunch and dinner together I behaved! I had a grilled chicken salad with shrimp for lunch and a shrimp wrap for dinner! YUMMY! ALL in my WW points limits!

Thursday I played poker and I won the first game! Came in second place and made some money! THATS FOR YOU BRIAN EDGE!! I AM BRAGGING ABOUT WINNING!!! In the mean time I have been trained by Mr. David J. Bell! He is teaching how to bet, analyze, and calculate poker better. He also taught me some kind of silence is key at the table and just to listen and not give away too much information--with his help is how I won on Thursday! THANKS DAVE!!!

Saturday I spent the day in Orlando with my family, and today we are going out to celebrate Rich and my mommas birthday! Here are a few pics of the crew this far! MORE TO COME CHECK FACEBOOK!

Thursday-Sunday! Party Time!

Okay SO! R and Rich have been out of the house for the past five days because they went to New Orleans for Rich's 30th birthday! I have been having a lot of free time and fun times! My girlfriend Mel came up for the weekend and boy did we have a good time!

Thursday I went and played poker as usual with my buddies. Close but no cigar! LITERALLY! Because, I was close to winning, we played at a cigar bar, and I didn't smoke a cigar! haha!

Friday, I relaxed by the pool, worked out went to the gym and then Mel got here and we had dinner and went out in Ybor! We went to the Honey Pot! Oh my gosh! We had so much fun! I didn't even drink that much either, I stayed within my WW points like a good girl! Evidently, it was gay night at the bar which we did not know...I think I got hit on by more gay man that night then I have by straight men my whole life! Haha, it was funny. After, we then came back home and went night swimming at like 3am. :)

Saturday, we hung out by the pool, went to the gym and went out again. I actually worked for the next door neighbor, cleaning houses for a little bit to make some extra money I was desperate for. That night, we went to the Hard Rock with some of our friends, just to hang out at the bar and walk around. We didn't do any gambling..SURPRISE SURPRISE. Even though I was itching to go into the poker room, I fought the urge and stayed back. We came home and guess what...DID some night swimming again! This time it was 4am! Haha.

Sunday, we relaxed at home because it was an over cast day, ordered in some pizza and just relaxed. Mel left, I cleaned another house and then at night I hungout with our friend Dave and went and played poker. I made it pretty far last night--but no money. It sucks, I am poor, trying to make some good investments, it isn't working. Haha.

So, all the while there was a lot of going out and eating this week, I would say I still did pretty well. I lived off Boca Burgers, Pizza, Salad, and Eggplant. Not really that bad of a mix. You can eat what you'd like, even pizza if you are honest and stay within your points. I feel like I lost 3 lbs this week, don't ask me why I feel that way, haha. It is just my guess. We will see come tuesday! So far I have lost 23.8 pounds, lets see what happens at weigh in on tuesday!

xoxox <3

Monday & Tuesday: HOLY SIX! ;)

Monday:

I went with R to promote her Zumba classes at the Weight Watchers meeting...it was interesting to see people of all different shapes and sizes wanting to sign up. We met this women who had lost 122lbs and was still striving to lose a ton more. She was interested in R's Zumba classes. You go girl!!

It was a lazy day for me, lots of Millionaire Matchmaker, sandwiches, gym and relaxing. :) It wasn't really an eventful day. BUT, I did figure out my new favorite lunch.

2 pieces of whole wheat bread (1pt/each)
A tablespoon of Humus (1pt)
2 tablespoons of Kens Lite Asian Sesame Dressing (1pt)
2 slices of ham (1pt)
1/2 slice of cheese (1pt)


It was so delicious...Monday night I was nervous. Tuesday is my weigh in day and I hadn't been going hard because my back had been killing me. We shall see what happened! KEEP READING TO FIND OUT!!


TUESDAY:

WEIGH IN DAY!

I stepped on the scale...

Me: This can't me right (I stepped off then back on)
Me: Really? No. This thing is broken (I poked the scale a few times)
ME: HOLY SHIT! I LOST SIX POUNDS THIS WEEK!!


YAY! That's right guys. 6 WHOLE pounds this week. For a total of 23.8lbs. I really want to lose 30 by the time my family gets here. So, that means me going hardcore for the next 9 days!

Later that night I went to Riche's hockey game...it was fun, we won! Rich was in the penalty box twice for threatening to murder the referee because he made a bad call on Rich's best friend Adam. AW! What a bromance they have!

After, I went to the hardrock to play cards. I think I have an addiction...But I love poker!! :)

LETS CELEBRATE SIX POUNDS THIS WEEK!

Friday, Saturday, Sunday! Pasta and Poker :)

So sorry I did not blog for 3 whole days! I am a slacker... :)

Friday:

Gym, 30 minutes of cardio, weight training, chest presses, squats, crunches!
We hung out most of the day on Friday, and we stayed in for the night. We decided to have our own little poker game with R, Rich and I. We do this thing where we wear crazy hats to the game. So, I was the poker leprechaun, R was the Pirate Booty Captain, and Rich was the crazy cowboy! :) Needless to say, I was the chipleader until R came in and swooped my bounteous stack with some trips...GRR!

I am on a pasta kick..Friday night we had whole grain rotini with a delicious onion and turkey meat sauce. Amazing, One cup of pasta and a scoop of sauce for 8 WW Points. TOTALLY worth it.

Saturday:

I realized my back was killing me! I have no idea what happened. I was fine at the gym the day before and then early Saturday morning I couldn't even walk. I threw it out SOMEHOW being a couch potato. Not sure how that one happened...I feel like an old lady, and need a walker! Haha


Saturday, I went to the gym, then we all went out for sushi at Ciccio's which is walking distance from our house. It was raining, however, so we drove. We had mexican, buffalo, crab and salmon sushi rolls split between the three of us. HOW DELICIOUS. 2 pieces are 1 WW point! I of course consumed 4 points worth..you do the math with how many I ate ;] I then also shared a Spicy Brazilian bowl, which consisted of shredded lettuce, blackened chicken, corn, beans, salsa, onions, carrots, guacamole, and sour cream. It was so yummy! That was about 10 WW points thanks to the fatty toppings I chose to devour.

After dinner, Rich and I went to the Hard Rock Casino to celebrate my friend Pat's birthday. She does my hair at Aveda, and we became buddies! We played poker, slots and roullette! You know I can't stay away from the poker room :) That was a great and fun night!

Sunday:

You know what Sunday means...POKER NIGHT AT THE SILKS! Yes, that's right. MORE poker. I decided to take the day off from the gym because, my back was still killing me. I was in pain and couldn't even bare the thought of running on the treadmill.

We spent the day by the pool and then later in the night went and played some poker...none of us won last night. HOWEVER! I did have an amazing accomplishment...QUADS! That is the highest hand you can ever have in poker (besides a straight royal flush...I think haha). It was awesome. The crowd went wild, I racked in a ton of chips and then proceeded to lose all of them later on in the night when I pushed all my chips in and lost with my pocket Queens. Some man was sneaky and had pocket Kings. :( But thats okay.

Dinner, was the same. Pasta, with onion tomatoe sauce. SO delicious...I told you I was on this pasta kick :) That's it pretty much for the past few days! All of our hobbies, food choices and excitement! Lots of Poker and Pasta! :)

I am SO excited. My family comes down in 10 days! YES! :) PUMPED!


Catch you later,
xoxo Stephanie Hollewud

Day 36-37: Return of the Nazi

I have not told Stephanie this yet, so hopefully I get her to the gym before she reads this. I started teaching Zumba again this week and something inside me has returned: the Nazi! I am pumped. I somehow lost 1.8 lbs this week and Steph had a small loss as well but some of the momentum has dulled a bit. I have definitely slacked on the food.

I think it is a common occurrence. I have been exercising a LOT lately what with running that 5K last week and practicing new Zumba routines so I tell myself that I can slack in the food area. BUT I CAN'T. This is the worst pitfall for dieters, to convince themselves of entitlement toward food. I am NOT entitled to overeat...EVER. It is never okay to overeat, no matter how much you exercise.

Anyway, I am going to accompany Steph to the gym today, which I haven't done in weeks, and we are going to work it out! Also, I am going to hit the grocery store hard. Not having food in the house leads to me grabbing pizza and Wendy's summer berry frosty on the go (Me yesterday. True story).

I am planning chicken quesadillas for dinner tonight using this product:

Yields 3 quesadillas
1 package Tyson grilled and ready chicken
6 whole wheat tortillas
6 tbsp 2% shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup salsa (extra spicy for me!)
3 tbsp light sour cream (I refuse to eat completely fat free sour cream. It's repulsive.)
1 diced onion
1 diced bell pepper
1 package sliced mushrooms

-Sautee veggies in a frying pan with cooking spray for about 2 minutes.
-Fire up the grill and place tortillas on the slats for about 2 minutes each side.
-Put 1/3 package of chicken, 2 tbsp cheese, and 1/3 veggies on each of 3 tortillas.
-Cover each with another tortilla and let sit for about 2 minutes.
-Flip for 2 more minutes.
-Quarter and garnish with sour cream and salsa.
8 Weight Watchers Points! Delicious!



Also, as many of you know I have a deep love and passion for Zumba (videos to come). After 2 months off from teaching I finally began offering classes again this Tuesday. In response, I got the following email, which made me just so happy I could have cried.

I took your class on Tuesday with my sister, Beth (who had taken a class before with you and raved about it) and we had so much fun. You are a great instructor -- you keep the class fun and non-intimidating, while still making it a challenging workout. Also, you look incredible!

I'm planning to come next Tuesday evening since I can't make it tonight, but I think it will be my new Tuesday workout :)

Thank you again!!

Jeanine, you made my day!
-R-

Day 35: Tuesday! Walk, Walk Fashion Baby, WORK IT!

Today was semi-eventful...

It was weigh in day. I am really pissed off at myself for the number that came up on the scale and in my measurements..I don't really want to talk about it. But, I didn't gain weight, atleast.

I woke up and went straight to the gym. 30 minutes of cardio between the eliptical, treadmill, and bike. Then I did my chest presses, squats, and crunches. It was overall a great workout.

I came home and watched World Series of Poker, LIKE I have been doing for days, to study the skills and arts of playing. Totally rooting for Ben Lamb, I love him.

I then had a snack, and later went to R's Zumba class...it was fun! THERE WERE A TON OF PEOPLE THERE! Like 20-25 people! And the room was a little small, but it was still awesome. The fitness room had a huge window, and we were right on the water! It was gorgeous and dreamy! Lots of sweating and exercise! People asked to join our HollEwud bootycamp! HOW EXCITING! :)

We went to Sweet Tomatoes after...bad idea! Although it is a salad bar buffet, I still managed to gorge myself with breadsticks and snap at R when she told me to stop...I need to learn better self control with these things. I was doing so well, but have been slacking lately. I really need to get back on my A-game.


THATS IT FOR NOW!
LOVE,
S. HOLLEWUD XOXOXO

Days 32-34: Saturday, Sunday & Monday. Holy Business!

Sorry it has been a few days since the HollEwud girls have blogged. It has been really busy here.

Saturday morning we went to a "Dance to the Max" fitness class at the gym on our road.

Okay. Notes:

1.) Do not attend if you aren't a professional ballerina.
2.) Do not attend if you are not a professional cheerleader.
3.) Do not attend if you have no patience for "wanna be cougars" with fake boobies.
4.) Do not attend if you are not a genius who can figure out dance steps in 3 milliseconds.
5.) Do not attend if you have a short attention span or ADD.

...this class was ridiculous. I am talking handfuls of women who are dancing to old retro music that reminded me of David Bowie in the Labrynth. The instructor was moving so fast, not even teaching you the steps. I swear to you she was on speed or popped some ecstacy before class. It was just out of control.

Before class this women warned us, "Oh, you won't get it the first time but, just watch our foot steps and don't give up"...R ALMOST said, "I got this, I am a Zumba instructor." WELL, good thing she didn't because she would have felt like an ass. Halfway through a dance, I gave up on the dance and started doing my own booty popping routine...It could be possible the teacher got irritated...OH WELL.

...later that night, we went to see Drake at Universal Studios. But, the concert got cancelled, and we didn't figure that out until we got there. So R and Rich went to go ride rides, well...no luck there either. It started terrentially downpouring. I was caught in City Walk like it was a wet t-shirt contest. We made it home alive.


Sunday, wasn't that eventful. I spent my day for 9 hours playing poker at the Horse Track. I was in a tourney going for the $10,000 first place prize. I placed 14th/80. Not terrible at all. But, top 10 got paid out..I JUST MISSED IT! UGHHHH.


Monday, today was fun. I slept all day..went to the gym...came home slept some more and then made a yummy dinner! I made whole wheat rotini with a yummy sauce. It had a ton of veggies in it. Carrots, corn, mushrooms, onions and peppers. Nice and healthy! 7 points a serving. No parmesan cheese! Just lots of garlic powder and pepper flakes! YUM! Then, I went to Rich's hockey game. They won! GO PHANTOMS! :)

Busy busy bees we are!

Tomorrow is weigh in..I am nervous. I slacked a lot this week! I ADMIT IT I AM SORRY!

...we shall see.

...See you on the otherside of the weigh in <3

Lots of love, Stephanie HollEwud!

DAY 30 & 31: Time Flies

The past few days have been consumingly busy.

Tuesday: We went to Bush Gardens...in the pouring rain. Wearing jean shorts that are sopping wet = severely uncomfortable. I didn't have as much luck with the rides like I did at Universal Studios, so after I got my cardio in, I went back to the car for a nap.

Later that night we went to Rich's hockey game, where it was freezing cold (at an ice rink, go figure). I had to wear a NorthFace fleece in Florida! Who would've ever thought that day would come? We then went to Buffalo Wild Wings, also known as BDubbs according to Rich. Sometimes I question Rich; he's a bit of a weirdo :)

R and I behaved..I had 2 wings and a piece of a soft pretzel. R had about the same thing as me. Give or take one thing. Nicely done ladies!

Wednesday: Lots of errands were run. I sent out a package to my buddy Dan in Afghanistan. (HEY! I Spelled that right the first time!!!). He is over there kicking serious ass and serving our country. Thank you Danny!

Trivia night---ANOTHER proud night for the Hyde Park Yankees. We came in second place. Although, we were booed and accused of cheating because people are jealous of our intelligence, we had an awesome time. I think people just didn't like the fact that we had the word Yankees in our team name. They didn't get that we meant Yankees as in northerners, not the baseball team. Whatever, clearly we Yankees always finish on top! HA!

For the first time since I have been here, R and I DID NOT order or eat anything at the bar while playing trivia! WOOP WOOP! We then did our almost 2 mile walk home! Nice way to finish off the evening. On our way back, R pointed out this sidewalk chalk message. I think it speaks for itself.

Thursday: I got my hair done in St. Pete. I went to the Aveda School, and this woman Pat (who has done my hair before) took care of me. She asked me to be a hair color model for one of her classes. This means I got my hair done for free! But then I caved and bought 2 of the new gorgeous OPI nail polishes. Oh well.

After my hair, Pat and I ran across the street to the Chinese food place. I ate steamed chicken and broccoli with the brown sauce on the side (this eliminates the fatty saturation), and just barely dipped my meat in it.

(NO! I did NOT eat those fortune cookies! THANK YOU VERY MUCH)

Later that night, I went to play poker at the horse track, because I won a seat on Sunday to be in it, so it was free...GUESS WHAT!?! Top 10 winners won $350 seats to the poker tournament on Sunday, which has a $10,0000 first place cash prize. AND GUES WHO WAS IN THE TOP 10 BABY?! ME! This tourney coming up is HUGE. My skills are getting better and better and I am clearly progressing farther. Everybody was shocked I made it. I beat out 70 other people in the tourney! I was 1 of 2 women, and the youngest person advancing! What an accomplishment! My dad would be proud!

After, R, Rich and I went to Ybor to go to this place The Castle for Rachael's friend, Allie's birthday. Uh, hello. Filled with some weird ass people, let me tell you. Rich got into a dance off with a gothic gentleman who had a mohawk, plug earings, light up gloves and black bell bottoms that glowed in the dark. Rich thought it would be a good idea to up the challenge the young man and take his shirt off to compete. HA! Talk about funny. I tried to video tape, but it was too dark in there! R and I did fairly well with our alcohol intake and points, sticking with a couple shots and one point beers. Not terrible...AFTERWARDS KILLED US.

...Although Rich was pushing for a drunken tattoo of Betty Boop on his ass and was very close to signing the paper work, R dragged him out of the shop and pushed us both towards getting some food. We ate pizza. Oh no, I know what you are thinking. STEPHANIE YOU CAN'T HAVE PIZZA. Well, you are right. I can't. Not only did I eat pizza, but I had an extra thick slice with some meaty bullshit on it. I felt really guilty, but I had only had 15 points that day, plus the alcohol. So, it wasn't terrible and I dived into my bonus points, which I never do...

Overall it was a great few days, just really busy. I am feeling happier...but, I still miss CT.

Day 29: Thoughts and Favorites

Here are some things I am learning:

In order to successfully lose weight in the long run; no, wait. That's the wrong term. In order to be come slim for the long run I believe happiness with one's life is integral. Such factors as friendships, hobbies, goals, and interests are incredibly important. To wear out the cliched phrase, it's not just about weight loss. Some people are naturally thin. They don't have to work at it. It's not fair, I know, and it took me a long time to accept that. However, we can learn from these people. People who are naturally thin don't overeat whatever they want and exercise for 3 hours a day (those are the unnaturally thin people). The naturally thin people do EXACTLY the same things us weight-loss seekers do when "dieting" with one key difference. These behaviors such as portion control and daily exercise are a natural part of their daily routine, meaning they don't have to work at it. If it is natural for someone (like me) to be heavy because your innate behaviors include overeating and underexercising, it feels like a struggle to get to this new "thin" lifestyle. Yes, I can keep the weight off, but it's a daily struggle. Some of us just have to accept that and move on because feeling sorry for yourself because you were not born into the naturally thin category isn't going to help.

I just woke up with that thought today and wanted to share it. Here are some other things I want to share.

HollEwud Booty Camp 1 WW Point French Toast

Yields 4 servings:
3 egg whites
1 tsp cinnamon
4 slices reduced-calorie wheat bread
cooking spray

Whisk egg whites in a bowl. Add cinnamon. Dip bread in egg mixture and cook about 90 seconds each side in coated frying pan. Yes! They're only 1 point each! Hurray!

HollEwud Booty Camp's Favorite Trackers:

It has only taken me 10 years to learn this people, so I will italicise and bolden for emphasis: If you do not record what you eat, you will not lose weight. Got it? There is no way around this. I don't care if you're on Nutrisystem or Atkins or Sugar Busters or any other crazy diet concoction designed for failure. If you don't keep track of what you put in your mouth, the weight will not come off. Sorry, but it's a simple fact. Anyway, in ten years when you all come to this realization you can look at my (probably obsolete, by then) suggestions for trackers below.

1.)

Weightwatchers.com - It's unbeatable, simply stated. Every food imaginable is listed complete with nutrition facts and if it's not, you can put in your own nutrition facts and calculate points. It graphs your weight loss progress and exercise for you. It is simply amazing. Its one downfall is that it's very expensive. I pay $40 per month (yikes!) for the monthly pass which includes the online trackers as well as meetings. You can just pay for the online etools and not the meetings, but I believe it's still $18 per month.

2.) Myfitnesspal.com - Not nearly as great as WW, but still good.

I like MyFitnessPal because the ap for your phone is incredibly user-friendly whereas with WW, I find that it works best if I am in front of my computer and I can't always get there to track. MyFitnessPal has a more limited selection of foods to track and does so by calories (not WW points) but I can always find a substitute close to the food I am looking for. I also like it because when you are done tracking your food and exercise for the day it displays a message "If you continue like this, in 5 weeks you will weigh ______" which is very motivating for me on a good day. So it calculates how much weight you can expect to lose if you replicate a certain eating/fitness day. The best part? It's FREE! I love free.

HollEwud Booty Camp Dessert Favorites:

Even though I do not have a sweet tooth per se, life is simply not worth living without a little dessert sometimes. In CT, if I wanted a sweet treat, I had 2 choices: 1.) Break into Nya-nya's basement freezer supply of Friendly's and Edy's special edition ice cream favorites or 2.) Drive to Dr. Mike's ice cream, simply the best homemade ice cream in the world and order up a hot fudge sundae with extra whipped cream. Both are disastrous choices albeit delicious. Honestly, apart from things being fried, foods with sugar are the most unfairly high in WW points. Here are some substitutes that help us get through the day.

1.) Luckily here in the sunshine state I have yet to find a single homemade ice cream stand. Sad, I know, BUT what we do have on every block here are froyo bars! That's short for frozen yogurt, people. And I'm not talking about TCBY chocolate and vanilla twist ice cream-wannabes, there are lots of fun new flavors that ice cream just can't pull off such as acai berry, mango, original tart, etc. At roughly 2 WW points per 3 ounces, you can have a 6-oz serving for 4 points PLUS load it up with lots of 0-point toppings. All froyo bars have excellent fresh fruit toppings to choose from like berries, mango, coconut, etc. Not exactly a hot fudge sundae, but still a delicious treat.

2.)

"Novelties" - The safe desserts are found in the "novelties" section of the freezer at the grocery store. My favorites include Blue Bunny Sweet Freedom Krunch Lites (3 points) and Weight Watchers Giant Cookies and Cream Bars (4 points). Many "bad" ice cream companies are

now coming out with a 100-calorie edition such as Klondike. Note: 100-calorie often translates to "tiny" so choose wisely.




That exhausts my suggestion list for now. Steph, Jocelyn (maybe Katlyn if she can be persuaded) and I will be participating in the Picnic Island Adventure Run this evening. Check out the details here: http://www.tamparaces.com/PicnicIsland/registration.htm and cheer us on! Thanks to our grandmother and Virginia for sponsoring us!

Day 29: Why Can't I Stop Eating...EVER?

I know, I know. Today is Tuesday and it's weigh-in day! Steph lost...4.4 pounds this week, making it her second largest loss so far. She is now down 17.4 pounds in just 4 weeks. For those of you that are calculating, that's an average of 4.3 pounds per week AND it means that if Stephanie STAYS here and KEEPS IT UP, she will be at goal in just 11 short months, restarting her life at age 22! Isn't that incredible? One awesome decision can put you on a completely different life course! I m very inspired.

I somehow managed to lose 1 pound this week. Not impressive, but extraordinary if you took a ride in my back pocket and got a load of what I have been cramming down my throat. I am sure many of you struggle with the same things but two major habits kill me. And by kill me, I mean they approach me, tempt me, ultimately win, and have an uncanny knack for instilling self-loathing.

The first is eating out. On Steph's first week here, we avoided eating out like the plague. It was satisfying to have all that extra fast food money at the end of my pay period and it was comforting to cook at home. But then week 2 rolled in and, let's face it, this is Florida people. Standing over a stove or turning on an oven in 100 degree weather is just oppressive. And seriously, how many things can you grill besides meat? It just got tedious and boring so I cracked and went back to dining out "just on the weekends" and before I knew it, it was today (a Tuesday!) and we have eaten out twice! Unacceptable. I must be stopped. Please advise and if you are a Tampa friend, don't let me eat out...Katlyn.

The second issue is portion control. I have 4 witnesses that can attest to the fact that last night, I cooked in like a good little dieter. I invited our buddy Jocelyn over to tell us all about her adventures on her recent trip to South Africa. (She brought us these amazing jewelry pieces made completely out of recycled materials, making her just about the most thoughtful person on the planet!) I made a very weight watchers-friendly meal of whole wheat pasta and a light meat sauce made with mushrooms and ground turkey. When I went to serve the food, I served with a measuring cup. That's right! Steph and I each got exactly 1 cup of pasta and 1/2 cup of sauce for only 7 WW points! Wonderful, right? WRONG! It would have been wonderful, however ask me how many times I revisited that well-meaning measuring cup! Well, that's a trick question. I actually revisited it once, after which I just ignored the cup completely and used my hands to continually fill my bowl. That's only 4 noodles. I don't have to count that! One more spoonful won't count! That's hardly a forkful, basically nothing. Okay, I ate 7 points of pasta and sauce for dinner plus...I'll count those last few bites as 1 extra point. Sound familiar? If it does, phew! I am not alone. If it doesn't, well, I guess I am a lonely food addict. What else is new? Anyway, the point is that if there is food in front of me, I will revisit it and revisit it like an old friend until it's dead and gone. Help! I know I should put extra food away immediately, but I am afraid I would just hide in the kitchen pretending to put it away, when in fact, I am indeed putting it away...in my mouth. Obsessive, I know. But I am working on it.

So that's that. Steph and I have been arguing a bit lately, although today was much better. All the talk of leaving makes me feel abandoned and quite frankly, confused, considering the wild success she is experiencing. This past week, she made it clear on several occasions that she has no intention of staying at HollEwud Booty Camp past August, despite the fact that, as Virginia would say, if she made a grid, she would see that in just 11 SHORT MONTHS she could be at her goal weight! That's the thing that gives me hope though. These are just intentions. And we all know that intentions have the perfect ability to avoid fruition. So my fingers are crossed. However, I might need to whip out the secret weapon. I was not planning on unveiling it so soon, but desperate times...

R

Day 27&28 : Drama and Poker

Who doesn't like some drama? Or poker for that matter?

Yesterday, Sunday, we all kind of hung low. Relaxed, BBQ, pool and played poker.

Ryan (Rich's brother), got ahold of me and pushed me in the pool when I was still wearing my work out clothes. I went to the pool after the gym...it's a nice cool down.

Ryan: I'm gunna getcha
Me: NO NOT THE SHOES! NOT MY CUSTOM MADE SHOES! (I kick my feet and my shoes off within a milisecond before I got thrown into the pool)
Rich: Damn Steph, I'm impressed, you got those shoes off fast
Me: Well, they are important to me and I do not want to ruin them!

Virginia got me these amazing shoes before I left for Florida. She got me the exercise shoes because she believes in my fitness and success! She is pretty awesome.


Then, we went on to poker at the horse racing track. I placed 33rd out of 116 which is pretty awesome if you ask me. Rich finished about 34th. We did pretty well! There was this ignorant, drunk smelly old man at my table. UNFORTUNATELY. He thought he was all hood and badass because he was from NY and knew where Bridgeport was in CT. What a trash bag. He kept cursing, hitting on me and others, throwing chips, stealing chips and starting fights with people.

MAN: I don't give a sh*t. I've been married four times I do what I want! (Throws chips)
Me: I can see why you were married four times.

He went off on a rant but whatever. Toolbag.


Today, Monday, we were supposed to go see some Big Cats, but we couldn't do that because the people at groupon suck and screwed up the hours of operation for the Big Cat Rescue! SO, once again we relaxed, worked out, gym, pool, BBQ and poker with a lot of friends. We played Apples to Apples too! Always a fun game.

There was a little arguing today. I think it is a stressful environment for everybody. Having visitors all the time and not getting any time to yourself--even though our visitors are loved. It just gets hard. R and I argued about me going home, so did Rich and I.

I know they love me and they mean well. They have done so much and sacrificed so much for me to be here. They are great people and truly have been a blessing to me. We all went to church together on Sunday too...the service was great and powerful. I love singing about my faith! It is pretty liberating and just a wonderful thing to be able to inhabit.

Anyways,

I love you guys. <3

Stephanie.

P.s. I know I leave some things out, but just call or text me and I will tell you all you want to know!

Day 26: "It's a Rough and Bumpy...OH MY GOSH I FIT ON THE RIDE!"

Hi Guys--

Sorry I have not been the author of any blogs the past few days/times it was written. I have had a semi-rough past week, maybe a little bit longer than that. I have some indecision about staying in Florida. I have just been really unhappy lately. I miss my home and my family. I miss my friends and being with them all the time. I miss my old life. I DO NOT MISS THE EATING, THE WEIGHT AND NO EXERCISE. LETS MAKE THAT CLEAR!

I want to come home for a few days and visit, and then maybe permanently come back to CT towards the end of August. R and Rich will be going back to school in the fall anyways, and I have decided not to go back to school until January. There are a lot of things going on at home that I wish I could be home for including family drama, birthdays, new borns, and even sadder things. It is really hard being away from your loved ones when so much is going on back home.

I just feel like I am not meant to be away from my family and friends. That is not me. I am so involved with them and their lives and they make up mine, and its hard to be away from them.I miss my family and friends, I talk to them everyday, I am attached to them. And my life is so much different here without them---and I do not like it.

It is also hard with everything that happened the past few months with my father. I think about it constantly and its hard just being away from so many people who care about me. I never went to visit or say goodbye either. It kinda consumes me at times. I went and met with a psychologist to talk about my issues---she said she didn't think me moving was a good idea right away. She said I should have waited a year. Hm.

If I were to come back to CT, I WOULD NOT! be working at Toozy Patza...screw that. Although I have attained strength, willpower and understanding to stay away from food and cut myself off when I am no longer hungry, I just would not like to be in the environment ever again. SO, I would be looking for another job and continuing my weight loss journey from CT.

AND! If you believed in me losing weight in FL there is no reason you cannot believe in me losing weight in CT. I have had a strong drive for eating healthy and exercising and knowing whats right and not to eat. I have kicked R's ass a few times keeping her in check with food as well. I KNOW I CAN DO THIS.

I HAVE BEEN SAYING 21 IS MY YEAR! AND IT IS MY YEAR! I AM GOING TO GET THIS WEIGHT OFF ME NO MATTER WHERE I LIVE!! AND IF MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS LOVE ME THEY WILL SUPPORT ME IN ALL MY DECISIONS! This is how I feel! I am 21 and can make my own choices.

I refuse to get weight loss surgery. THAT IS CHEATING!

R has really set me on the right path and help dicipline me in a positive way. Rich has been very helpful and supportive too. I owe them a lot, they are fabulous loving and caring people. They have already changed my life by helping me lose weight so far and sticking me in the right direction. They are here when I need to yell or vent. Thanks guys, I love you! Don't ever think I don't. No matter what I do...I will always love you!

Prayers are appreciated.

ANYWAYSSS---THAT is just some of what is going on.

YESTERDAY! WE went to Universal Studios and I FIT ON THE RIDES!! I DIDNT FIT TWO YEARS AGO AND NOW I DO! LETS GET A HELL YEAH!! HELLLLLLLLLL YEAH!!!!

Me: R I am not even going to bother trying...I cannot fit on this ride.
R: YES you can. You have lost weight Steph you got this don't you even worry!
Me: R, I do not want to even try.
R: get on the ride! (she nudges me towards the Men in Black lane to get on the ride)
Me: I FIT I FIT AND I HAVE ROOM! OH MY GOSH.

...it was an awesome and exhilirating feeling. Definitely not one that I would ever want to lose.


Rich and Ryan (Rich's brother) decided it would be a good idea to do Fear Factor Live. YUCKY! They had to eat a blended version of old milk, ground beef, worms, ants, spiders and some other nasty crap. My stomach turned watching them...I was soooo not okay with it! haha

At night we went to see Boys Like Girls play...it was the happiest I have been all week. Jumping around and dancing, singing, and screaming with R was awesome. I totally loved it!

...did I mention we were super close and the lead singer is a sexy beast? OH! Because he is... ;]

Ryan actually bought his hat in this picture....R and I decided for the lack of humility to not buy ours :) haha

The rocket launch was amazing on Friday too. It totally changed my life. :)


That's all for now! Lots of Love, Hugs, Prayers and Kisses.

Stephanie. xo



And now, notes from R:

Here's the thing people. If you're reading this blog, chances are you have met Stephanie and care about her. I sure do. It pains me to read this blog because just 4 weeks in, it sounds scarily like she is throwing in the towel, giving up, after just 4 weeks. She needs encouragement and persuasion to stick it out. 4 weeks is a vacation, not a lifestyle change. She must stick it out, she MUST stick it out, she MUST stick it out. This is her best (and may be her only) shot. Also, I would like to add that these 4 weeks have gone amazingly well. Tomorrow is weigh-in day and she has continually lost every week, last week being her best. But she didn't come here to lose a few pounds; she came here to lose it ALL and start a new life because things weren't working well back in CT.

I understand homesicknesses, but it will pass. As a result, I think we need to work extra hard at getting Steph a job and getting her to go to school even if it means she just takes 1 class in the fall. In my mind, quitting now is not an option. Please hep me reiterate this to her, all of you that are following her progress and care for her.

Thank you!

Day 25: Shuttle Launch = No Sleep

This moment is a wonderful yet sad one. I am sitting on a sidewalk approximately 5 miles across the water from the shuttle Atlantis launch pad with about 1 million other viewers, 5 hours and 20 minutes away from take off. It's all quite surreal, not just because we are here witnessing history but also because I am killing the time by writing this blog from Virginia's iPad. It's really quite amazing that I am watching the indefinite end of our most innovative technology while using another technological medium. It's an ironic and sad moment for me and US history.

What I don't understand is how we can cut the space program as dramatically as we are. Technology will always, ALWAYS be the future! There will never be anything else driving our society forward and so, I am offering my dissenting opinion. I understand that everyone needs to cut back in these economic times but I also wonder what I am supposed to tell my students (at my creative science-themed magnet school) who want to be astronauts when they grow up. Not to mention the fact that paying the Russians 100 million dollars to transport our American astronauts to the ISS is utterly humiliating. Keep it up, America! Keep cutting science and technology and education! That's definitely the way to make sure this nation stays great; by killing its every possibility for advancement.

Now that that's out of the way. How is Steph doing? Steph's doing...well rather grumpy actually. She growled at us several times this morning when we awoke her at 2AM to leave Tampa for the launch and then has hissed at us every 15 minutes or so since. I don't blame her. None of us has slept and by us I mean Rich's brother, Ryan who flew in from Long Island for this launch, Virginia, fresh in from CT, Rich, Steph, and me.

Yesterday was an awful food day for me and I am still depressed about it. Breakfast started off okay but then we went to Cigar City Brewery for a tour and they force fed me beer which clouded my judgement, ending with me downing a cheeseburger, fries, and a milkshake from Frankie's. I drank a sangria at poker and then to top it all off, we ordered pizza around midnight. Just wonderful. Oh and did I mentioned that I haven't seriously worked out in 3 days? I cant believe Steph has let me get away with this!

But the hardest lesson I have learned is that it does no good to beat yourself up. Track what you have eaten (even if your daily total is 20 points over) and move on. Today is a new day and well-intentioned. I packed fruit, hummus, pretzels, and turkey sandwiches for the launch. Evil Virginia tempted me with Krispy Kreme donuts at the gas station several times but I resisted temptation! Don't let me forget to give Steph credit for her amazing will power. It must have been very difficult for her to say "no" whilst passed out in the front seat and drooling on herself. Great job, Steph! Keep up the great work!

Okay, I am exhausted and have to reserve enough energy to lift my eyelids for the 3 second launch. Oh and by the way, I don't know how these situations keep finding me, but just as I finished writing about my healthy snacks for today, a hot dog cart appeared out of no where and set up camp directly to my right. As in, I am touching the cart with my elbow right now. Wonderful.

Day 22: Interesting Distractions

First things, first. Today was weigh-in day #3 and I am pleased to announce that in just 3 weeks, Steph has lost almost 4% of her starting weight! It's amazing and I can hardly believe it. It's like 4% of her just fell off. It's completely due to discipline and hard work on her behalf and I am just so damn proud! Way to go Steph!

I have many tricks when approaching healthy eating, dieting, exercise, etc. However, when you are a food addict like myself, it's a little trickier than Cosmo Magazine titles such as "Get a Great Butt by Tonight!" I have been able to control my bingeing for 4 years now through dedication, meditation, breaking and forming new habits, portion control, etc. The largest contributor to my success, though, has been distraction. Yes, distraction. I will always love food. But I have discovered that I do not need to love food all the time. I can love it some of the time, 4 to 5 times a day in fact, and love other things in the mean time. Basically, if I were sitting around bored all day, I would be hitting up the fridge much more often. For food addicts, once you find a successful distraction which you find yourself returning to again and again as a substitute for food, you find that they have a name; hobbies.

When I was in college and doing nothing but eating nonstop, I was jealous of my friends who played instruments, wrote poetry, rode horses, heck even those who could muster the energy to read for fun. Why didn't I have any interests? Oh wait, I did have interests. They included ordering two large Papa John's pizzas at 2AM and eating them both...alone. That was my idea of a good time. Pathetic and sad, I know, but also true, I swear.

It's kind of a catch-22 though. You need to let go of food, just a little, before you can find your hobbies. And once you find them, you become a little less reliant on food for entertainment. At least, that's how it worked for me. I had no mental space or energy to contemplate what I was good at, enjoyed, or would like to be good at because my every waking moment was spent thinking about food and when I would eat it next. Once I graduated and started working 2 jobs, I no longer had that lazy college student schedule with all the free thinking time to be spent fantasizing about Outback cheese fries. I got into a schedule and found myself wondering about other things, like books and dancing and even gambling. Once I stopped obsessing about eating, I discovered my distractions.

Today, I am not the same sad lost college student with no interests. I am very happy to say that I love many other things in life including Zumba, poker, reading, and trying myriads of new things with friends and family. I am so much happier now that I have other things to love rather than just food.

Which brings me to my most recent "distraction." We, meaning Rich and I (and Steph, but only by force) have been intrigued by such ridiculous shows as Storage Wars and Auction Hunters. We got wind of all the auctions in our area and have started attending. Today, we are the proud owners of our first unit! Now, what does this have to do with dieting and exercising you ask? Firstly, it's a great distraction and a fun little summer project for us to clean out and sell items from the unit. Secondly, you try bending, lifting, carrying, shifting, and moving tons of crap in the hot sun all day and tell me you're not burning calories! I am not going to say how much we paid for the unit, because it's embarrassing. I did not bid intelligently and do not foresee making our money back. However, I am hoping it is just a rite of passage, that everyone's first unit is a total bust, not to mention a real pain in the rear to clean out. Steph agreed to come with us to help sift through everything and decide what to keep. We found some great drug paraphernalia, loads of unused prescriptions and oh, some gigantic brassieres. Rich even gagged a few times when we encountered what looked like feces rolled up in a shirt and a giant dead spider. Of course everyone blames me because I am the one that was determined to buy a unit today. So I get to live with the fact that we have found nothing but total crap (so far, Stephanie! We're not done yet, so shut up!) but it is a fun learning experience. Rich might also disagree but it just shows how short-sighted they both are.

My point is that today was a fun and healthy (albeit somewhat annoying) day out of the house. We had some great laughs and all showered twice when we got back from sifting through the unit. Who knows though? This may be a recurring distraction for us that might just blossom into a hobby.

DAY 21: LET FREEDOM RING!

FOURTH OF JULY was fabulous. I woke up for my morning workout at the gym. I was feeling pretty lazy but I kept at it anyways. R went for her run with Dolly. Dolly is kind of becoming a lazy ass. It is like we switched personalities. I am active and she's lazy now! Crazy dog!

We went to Treasure Island beach during the day. It was very busy with many weird people. It was like weirdo day at the beach. There were people burping, throwing shells at us, and opening beers with lighters while smoking cigs! I just don't understand people sometimes...and no I wasn't the one burping like a moose either! HA!

You would be impressed. I, Stephanie Hollewud did NOT drink anything! I had 1/2 of a 3 point Margarita (R's secret unbelievable low-cal recipe) and that is it! I controlled myself! This is just getting easier and easier! Yay me! R, well she had a few BUT she stayed within her points like a GOOD girl! Do you know CORONA LIGHTS are only 1 WW point?! AWESOME! Too bad I HATE beer!

We then came home for our 1 point WW hotdogs and 6 point turkey burgers (with cheese)! THEY WERE AWESOME! Eating healthy is easier than you think...I have become addicted to our 7 point salads with Ken's Light Asian Sesame Dressing too!

We then went onto the Fireworks on Bayshore. It was so beautiful. There were like 10 sets of fireworks going off at once that we could see all over the bay! OH MY GOSH! Just beautiful.

HOWEVER...There were crazy asses who were out running and exercising at 9:30pm on Bayshore when there were crowds of people waiting to watch fireworks. What's wrong with people? DEDICATED MUCH?! Which is good for them...but I mean come on! There were fireworks and it was Fourth of July. Get it done in the morning!

That pretty much concluded my day....

I talked to my friend Dan in Afghanistan. He is there until April 2012. Keep him in your prayers. I am sending him a package this week. I am really excited for that :) God bless the people overseas and in states fighting for our protection. Your dedication, service and love means the WORLD to us <3



I wuvv Elizabeth Sack :)