Empty Chest Syndrome

Welcome to August everyone! It’s been a revolting 100 degrees every day this week and it has felt even hotter. I can NOT WAIT until fall. So, I got on the scale and due to my strict behavior over the last week, I was down 2.2 pounds bringing my total loss to 107.4!!! I am proud and feel like I earned that drop in weight. The bad news is, I probably won’t move much from that amount over the next couple of weeks because I’m going out of town this weekend and then the 15th-19th, I have orientation for the class I’m teaching and I received an email that they would be feeding us breakfast, morning snack, lunch and an afternoon snack. I don’t necessarily have to overeat during these times so I will do my best to stay in line but it’s easier said than done, especially when it’s in your face. The good news is that I lost weight, I know that if I still stick to my guns exactly I can lose and I also go down a point which will help me maintain through all the potential for screw ups the next couple of weeks. I am so pleased!





These are pictures of BLT Macaroni Salad. Obviously, this is not macaroni but the recipe called for multi-grain elbow macaroni and I didn’t have that so I used the whole grain linguini I had in the pantry and broke it up. This has GOT to be one of my favorite recipes in awhile. Anytime I get to eat pasta, I am happy and because there wasn’t much to it, I got to eat a good bit. Basically, you just toss the pasta with a wee bit of reduced fat mayonnaise, a little bacon, spinach and tomatoes. I am getting more and more OK with tomatoes but I discovered I still don’t enjoy a big hunk of cold, chopped tomatoes. I think next time I make it, I will definitely use sun dried or much tinier pieces of green tomato instead. I also added some chopped onion in mine for more flavor. It was quite tasty.

So, I know this is too much information and while I am happy with the results of my weight loss, I could stand to get a few pounds back in my chest area. In all seriousness, when I was at my biggest, I couldn’t lay on my back or my side because my breasts were so big they would literally choke me, I couldn’t breathe. Things have gotten much better now and that’s because, well, I no longer have any breasts to obstruct my airways. I saw this commercial once…it was a cartoon. A husband and wife went on a diet together and it showed his before and after in a few weeks and he was all skinny…her before and after showed her the same size with a much smaller chest. This is SO TRUE! I’m not really complaining but it is frustrating because I feel like I can never find a bra to fit right and the ones I have, they puddle around in there as if they are trying to stretch as thin as possible so they can cover as much room as they can. I have briefly contemplated “fixing” this problem with some sort of elective surgery but I think I’ll wait until I “fix” my financial problems before I do that…so it could be awhile. I think what I need to do is go to Victoria Secret and spend a ridiculous amount on bras so I can at least pretend. I apologize for the overload of impertinent and personal information but I feel like I’m not the only female weight loss boob victim out there. We should start a club.





This before and after picture for this week isn’t really fair because the before picture is bigger than the after. I’m bigger and the picture is bigger but it’s a bit distorted. I’m running out of full length pictures of myself from recent times. I’m hoping to take some this weekend. I took this picture a few years back with my friend Whitney. I remember we were at the playground near my parents house. We used to go there all the time and swing. I miss doing that…I may have to bring that back at some point. Anyway, I’ve come a long way…I bet my butt would fit a little better in the swings now!

I am headed to New Orleans this weekend for a girls trip! I will go ahead and give a pre-shout out to my roommate and bestie Cassandra. Her birthday is on Tuesday which is partially the reason we are going…so Happy Birthday Cassandra! I hope to have fun…New Orleans is one of my favorite cities.

I hope everyone has a great weekend.

I also ask that you keep my extended family in your prayers. My dad’s cousin Connie lost her battle with cancer this week so I hope that her close family and friends can somehow find peace.

Bye everyone!


“When I'm alone in my dark dark room,
I have to tell myself to,

Think good thoughts,
Think good thoughts,
Imagine what the world would be if we would just,
Think good thoughts,
Stop the bad from feeding,

I won't let the negativity turn me into my enemy,
Promise to myself that I won't let it get the best of me,
That's how I want to be
Na, na, na, na

I'm not saying that it's easy,
Especially when I'm moody,
I might be cursing like a sailor till I remind myself I'm better,

Cause words can be like weapons,
Oh and you use them, you regret them,
Oh but I'm not gonna let them take away my heaven

And when I start feeling blue,
I remember to tell myself to,

Think good thoughts,
Think good thoughts,
Imagine what the world would be if we would just,
Think good thoughts,
Stop the bad from feeding…” Think Good Thoughts-Colbie Caillat