Lilypie Next Birthday PicLilypie Next Birthday Ticker Lilypie Next Birthday PicLilypie Next Birthday Ticker

Want to be notified when this blog is updated? By subscribing to my blog, you'll stay up to date with my freebies, my life, my kids and much more.

Enter your Email


Powered by FeedBlitz





This is me on 1/5/00 at 370 pounds & gaining.


And this is me now. :) (180)

I have never been like everyone else. For a lot of kids being fat is something they never have to think about. Something they never have to worry about, and lucky them. But for me, that was VERY different. I thought about it every day of my life, what I ate and didn't eat since I was 10 years old. I started gaining weight rapidly. I ate less then everyone around me but I was the one gaining weight on a daily basis and getting bigger. I had people telling me to eat less and exercise more. Eat less when I was eating less then all the other kids already?

I'm surprised I didn't end up with a eating disorder too. As the years went by the weight went up and up. When I graduated from school I was already 270 and a year later when I married my hubby I was up to 310. Can you imagine being that big? Try picking up a 50 pound bag of dog food and walk around for a hour. See how tired you get from just 50 more pounds. Of course with my weight going up so quick, my health went downhill. I was going to the Dr every week for things. I couldn't paint my toes nails much less even see my toes. I would get out of breath walking from the car which was parked in the closing parking spot to the Store entrance. My ankles were so swollen they looked like balloons. My Dr finally discovered that I had low thyroid. Started me on meds which helped me not gain weight so fast but about nothing else....

After my hubby graduated we moved to San Diego for his job. Imagine being 350 pounds now and living in a city where everyone is obsessed with looks. I'd go out in public and hear comments n snickers n laughing. After a while I couldn't take it and would only leave my home when absolutely needed. I was a prisoner in my own home. Now I just moved to CA so of course I was extremely homesick as ALL of my family lived in AZ and they were my support. My hubby was busy with his new job n well not very interested in me anymore, n who can blame him? I had such bad sleep apnea that I would stop breathing 113 times in 1 hour. I was dying and I was invisible to everyone. This is were the thought of killing myself came in. I could no longer handle being so big that I was not really living at all. Well, one day I was online and just happened upon a website that saved my life in every way possible. WLS. Weight Loss Surgery. And NO, It's not a "EASY WAY OUT". It was either WLS or die a slow death. What would you choose? I choose WLS. I choose life. I'd either die on the table or come out in a better situation. Not much really to lose. I went into surgery weighing 371 or more.

Well It worked. One and half years later and ALOT of exercise, I was 205 pounds lighter. I weighed 165 and I was happy and healthy and most important I was living life again. All my medical problems were gone. WLS saved me. Saved my life and made my kids possible! Yup, 2 years later I had my first child and 4 years later my second. I gained some baby weight and I was at 218 before starting my exercise and diet routine. WLS was just a tool for me and that's all. It gave me the chance to have a normal life. It doesn't mean that I won't gain weight back, I know, because well I did. I gained a total of 50 pounds between my two kids. But my kids are worth it and so I am. So here I am again WORKING to get weight off. Weight loss is not easy for me. It never will be. I was always have to work harder then everyone else around me with normal thyroids. But I'm ok with that. If I didn't go through everything that I have gone though then I wouldn't be me and I wouldn't have my kids who are my life. They are a big part of why I am trying to lose weight again, So I can around longer for them.

My Current stats & Goals -
SW - 218.9
CW - 193.4
GW1 - 199
GW2 - 189
GW3 - 179
GW4 - 165
GW5 - 150

I feel 160/150 is a good weight for me, even with me being 5'3 since I have large heavy bones from being so overweight at a young age. I was 165 before getting preggo n a size 12. I felt VERY comfortable at that weight. I'm doing pretty well with my eating and exercise, now it's just time for the hard part - sticking to it!

If you have any comments or questions about my story, feel free to contact me. :)

jamie@jamies-designs.com









































Tuesday, September 26, 2006

New Product Release, A Freebie, & Creative Team Call

Good Afternoon. :) Today as been a lazy day for me. I got up this morning, got dressed, got my kids dressed, got them breakfast, teeth brushed, and then took them to school. Afterwards I headed to my chiropractor appointment. I got my normal adjustment that I get every three weeks. My neck is starting to feel better now. I'm icing it now. I haven't been sleeping well because my muscles in my neck and upper back have been spazing out on me. Ugh. Then I got some coffee and headed home. Since then I've been playing on my computer instead of cleaning like I should be. Bad Jamie. lol Anyways!

I'm having a Creative Team Call. Info is below. :)

I'm looking for 4 to 6 creative scrappers for my first creative team! I require 2 Layouts/projects to be done with each kit, and a minimum of 2 projects posted each month. If you are interested please email me at jamiesdesigns@freewill.tzo.com with a short note about yourself and a link to your on-line galleries.

Requirements of the CT team are:
1. Have fun!!!
2. Do two layouts per kit per month (So if you get two kits from me do 4 Layouts and so on)
3. TRY to Post and be active at TSG forums/galleries (I know we all have busy lives so I don't expect you to be there 24/7)
4. Upload your layouts to the scrapping garden and credit me and my kits.
5. Upload creations to at last 2 other galleries with the appropriate credit. :) (Link to my kit if possible)
6. Write brief reviews at The Scrapping Garden about the free kits you receive (when I say brief I mean 2/3 lines or paragraph at the most)

Submission due midnight PST on October 1st. Team members will be announced by the following week. Can't wait to see all the great layouts!!!!!Thanks in advance!


A Freebie For You!
Cute Pastel Frames. Made just for my blog readers.
I hope you guys like them! Enjoy!

To Download, Click HERE


New at The Scrapping Garden - Marble Overlays

Set of Marble Overlays. Play around with the opacity for the layer you put the
overlay on, colorize it, or even increase or decrease the brightness. You’ll be amazed how many looks one overlay can give you. Personal or Commercial Use ok.


In this kit you get:

Set of 6 marble overlays. 300dpi, 12x12.
Available Now!
Only $4.99!
Marble Overlays


Sunday, September 24, 2006

Good Morning :)

This is a bio I just finsihed for TSG. It's kinda a Layout Bio. Anyways, I really like how it came out to I thought I would share it here with you. :) What do you all think?

I also have another product up at The Scrapping Garden. The other day I was searching for a note for one of my many layouts and couldn't find any so I decided I need to make this pack of notes.

Journal It Pack By JamiesDesigns - $4.50
Click HERE to go to TSG

Journaling is one of the most important parts of a scrapbook page. Pictures speak a thousand words, but sometimes it's just not enough without the history behind the photos. Use this Journal It Pack and all the different notes, papers, and notebooks in it to journal your precious memories.
Kit Includes:
2 Bulletin Boards
1 Burnt Parchment
1 Parchment
1 Envelope With Card
2 Index Cards
12 Different Notes
4 Notebooks
3 Notebook Papers
1 Paper Pad
1 Scroll
1 Polaroid
2 Push Pins
1 Thumb Tack


Friday, September 22, 2006

Happy Haunting Quick Pages


Two wonderfully spooky Stickits to scrap those "Hanuting" Photos in a snap!



I love the way these turned out and I hope you guys do too!

Want em? Click HERE! :)

Wednesday, September 20, 2006


This was my first themed kit and is my first I have put up at TSG.
I have just joined TSG and already love it there! I had a lot of fun with this
kit and making all the elements. I hope you guys enjoy it.

Click HERE to go to my store at TSG! :)

Kit Includes:
13 Papers
3 Bows
3 Fibers
3 Brads
3 Buttons
3 Eyelets
1 Folded Ribbon
3 Frames
1 Knotted Ribbon
3 PaperClips
1 Photo Mat
5 Ribbons
3 Rick Rack
5 Tags
1 Slide
3 Staples
1 Torn Paper
1 Witches Hat
1 Spider
1 Pumpkin
1 Gravestone
1 Jack O'Latern
1 Ghost
1 Bat
1 Cat
21 Labels

Monday, September 18, 2006

6:40am - Good Morning I think. Ugh. It took mt forever to fall asleep, I couldn't get my mind to be quiet. I think I finally fell asleep at around 12. Anyways, So my weight loss has been at a stand still because I've been being a bad girl ever since my surgery in June. So Starting yesterday I started to follow the tips below. Read em n tell me what you think! BBL Gotta go do the norm morning stuff!

3:40pm - So I decided to go for it and start scrapping my designs. I have been waiting for a while now and a few days ago decided to go for it. :) I will be selling my digi scrap designs at http://www.scrappinggarden.com/ They are a newer Digi Scrap Site but the Admin and members there are very nice and everything looks and seems great. I have submitted 1 kit and one Quick Page Pack and waiting for approval. :) Below is a LO using one of my "StickIts" aka Quick Pages.

Friday, September 15, 2006

Mornin

Good Morning. I woke up serveral times last night from my back hurting. Woke at 6 am and decided just to get up and get ready. I did try to get back to sleep but my back wouldnt have it. boooo! Gah, I miss sleep. I really need a sleep number bed but cant afford it. We finally got the settlement for my back and its really upsetting. They are only giving me $2500. Most of that will go toward medicals bills. I swear they cant put a price on the pain i was and am in and if they had to it should be ALOT higher! Argh. Anyways, I'm off to take my girls to school this morning and Try to exercise. Sometimes its hard around TOM because my back hurts worse. I might end up coming back home to work out, We'll see. Anyways, BBL



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Scrap Stuff -
Where did my baby go? These pictures make me smile and sad at the same time. Ugh. Aint she cute?

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Busy Day

Today was a busy day. Got up and showered, got the girls ready and feed and then took Trinity to school. After me and Nova went to a few stores, then Storytime, and then we stopped at McDonald's to get Novalee some lunch. Afterwards we went and picked up Trin from school and headed to Party City where the Girls picked out their Halloween Costumes. :) Trin picked to be a Angel and Novalee picked a kitty costume. Both are super cute!

My Newest Layout -


Not sure if I like how this came out but the pictures are cute!

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

I'm back!

Okie so I have been kinda missing in action with alot of my online friends and defnitely with my scrap blog! Bad Jamie. :( But I'm back and plan to start posting here more often.

So I'm trying to decide weather or not to start selling digi scrap and if so, where? Anyone got any input or advice for me?

Also working on updating the look, info, and feel of my blog. :) Hope you guys like it.