Losing and Loving it, and a Tattoo

Last year, the company I work for during the day moved into a new set of buildings and one of the rooms was turned into a gym. They outfitted it with everything you can imagine. Treadmills, ellipticals, weight machines, circuit training, etc. They even hired a personal trainer that you can either attend the free classes that they pay her to have, or you can pay her for personalized classes. I managed to lose quite a bit, around 50 pounds. I spent most of the year having personalized classes, but ended up having to quit because I kept getting severe migraines. Terrible migraines. They got so bad, I lost all of my motivation and just stopped going to the gym all together, started eating terrible again, and just fell off the wagon. I gained some of the weight back, but thankfully not all of it.

After seeing a chiropractor, a pain management specialist, attending physical therapy, and eventually a neurologist, I finally started getting the migraines under control. Since May 31st of this year, I have been able to get back into the gym regularly. I go four to five times a week and walk on the treadmill. I started at thirty minutes and am now up to an hour a day.  I also watch what I eat. I do around 1200 calories a day for food and about 200 for Gatorade. I drink G2, not the regular which is loaded with sugar. Over the course of almost three months, I have lost 27 pounds, perhaps more, but I am only weighing myself once a month if I can help it. I know my mind and if I weigh myself every week and don't see a change, I'll lose the motivation, so once a month is all I am allowing myself. It's worked though. 27 pounds is a lot. 

If anyone asked me what I am using for motivation now, I'd have to answer several things. One, my body. I'm getting older and my knees and feet are hurting more often now. I am tired of always aching. Two, I know it's going to get harder to lose it the older I get. Three, I'm tired of being alone. I won't go into the sad story of my life the last eleven years, but I want someone special in my life. And I know I won't feel comfortable enough to seek that out with being the weight I am. So this is definitely a motivating factor, as well. 

During my trek to find a relief from the migraines, I ended up having to endure some very painful shots in my skull. They were extremely unpleasant, but they showed that I could sit through them. While they didn't last long and may be a different story from a tattoo, it gave me the motivation to want to sit through getting one. After thinking about it, I know what I want. I want one that I won't regret, something that means something to me, and I can wear with pride. Knowing that it's going to be something I will have on me for the rest of my life, I decided to make it something intimately connected to me and the one I came up with is the same as the one Kasey has in Chasing Seth. I have always had a love for wolves. Even when I was younger, I loved them. They're beautiful, majestic, magical creatures, and with Kasey being one of my own characters, it makes sense to have it be something connected to me in such a way. So I am going to have the image from Kasey's back done on my inner forearm/wrist. I intended to have it done in September when I went to visit a friend, but the trip fell through and it isn't going to happen now, but that's okay. I'll see about having it done here at home. A friend recommended a local shop that has some amazing artists and I have already seen some of their work. I have to contact him and see when I can make the appointment. 

Gotta run. Have more edits to finish on Love & Snowball Fights, a gym session to attend, and work to do! Hopefully more writing to do as well. Love to you all! 

Kisses, 

~J.R.~