#88 - I don't want to become the crazy cat lady!

I'm back after my long vacation! Hope you enjoy the post!!!

So... The crazy cat lady... You know who I mean. Those women that become so obsessed with their cats. No, not one or two cats, but three, four, five... or twelve cats. I honestly had this fear that being fat was going to keep me alone for the rest of my life, leaving me with cats as my only companions. Every once in a while I get a glimpse of the crazy cat lady inside me. Let me ask you this... Are you guilty of spending more on cat toys and cat food than you spend on yourself? Are the only pictures you take of your cats? When people talk to you, do you find yourself always talking about something so funny your cat did the other day? Be careful... If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be becoming a crazy cat lady!

I was uploading some old photos off my camera the other day and found that most, ok ALL, of the pics were of my cats! And no, it wasn't one or two pics, it was 45! What is that? Why on Earth did I feel the need to take 45 pictures of my cats? Well I suppose part of my excuse is that cat photography isn't the easiest thing. Your cat does something cute, you line up the shot, *snap*, and they move... So then you need to take another then another then another. You get the idea. I found that a lot of my pictures were strange blurred and out of focus action shots of my cats acting crazy. But still... Why do I need to take pictures of my cats so much? Answer? Well, maybe I am becoming a crazy cat lady lol.

Well maybe not too crazy yet, because I only have two cats. And I would not want any more cats in a house my size. I definitely won't become that lady down the block that takes in all the stray cats. NEVER! So I guess I have a limit. I guess I won't become that super crazy cat lady... maybe just a little crazy. It is funny though, when I go out with friends they talk about their jobs, their kids, their hobbies... I talk about my cats. OK sure I talk about other stuff, but still, it's a lot of cat talk. And I swear, I talk about the cats like they are my kids or something! "Guess what James did the other day that was so cute..." "Hazel is so smart, you should see what she does..." These are the kinds of conversations I have with people. I know, it's strange. But in the past it was all that I had. My fat kept me from meeting new people and going out into the world and doing things. So what did I do? I sat at home with my cats.

I really don't have that fear anymore, the fear of becoming the crazy cat lady. I don't talk about this much in my posts (cause I want to keep my private life private), but I've been seeing someone for the past 7 months now. As I've been losing weight my confidence has gone through the roof. I've gotten out there and started meeting people again, started living again. I met an absolutely WONDERFUL man. He loves me for me. It's so great to meet someone that sees the real me! He fills up my life now so I don't find myself talking about my cats so much. My poor cats were so accustomed to massive amounts of attention from me, but I fear they will just have to get used to less attention. And pictures? Well let's just say my camera is now full of pictures of my man and not of cats. Definitely a step in the right direction away from the doomed path of the cat lady.

So weight... update time!!! How am I doing? Well... I've been in Greece for a month! Give me a little slack! OK it's not that bad. I managed to maintain my weight loss in Greece. I didn't lose, I didn't gain. Actually when I first got to Greece I noticed right away I lost some weight, probably from an increase in exercise. All my clothes were looser and I felt lighter. But then I discovered Kinder Bueno, Kinder Delice, Sokofreta, Caprice, and, and, and... Basically all the yummy junk food Greece had to offer. Of course I loved the feta, the Greek salads, souvlakis (gyros), and baklavas too. So I put those few lost pounds back on. I just told myself to enjoy Greece and worry about the scale later. One thing I did though was to make sure that I didn't over eat. I just ate until I was satisfied. No pigging out! I think that definitely made a difference. You can still enjoy ANY food you like, just don't binge on it! But when all was said and done... I hopped on the scale the day after I got back to the states... and saw the exact same number I had seen when I left - 250. So there you have it.

Unfortunately a few days after I got back was Thanksgiving, the day Americans worship food. I was a bit bad. I ate what I liked - no diet foods or anything - but instead of stopping when I tummy said "no more", I took a deep breath and kept going. Big mistake! So this week I'm recovering a bit from a couple pound backlash. No serious damage, I just need to work out a little harder to rid myself of this holiday weight. Note to self: in the future say no to seconds!!!

Update: #85 - Traveling

I'm here, I'm here, I swear I'm here! I know it has been AGES since I posted! I'm still away in Greece on my long awaited vacation. I'm having the time of my life!!! Unfortunately, I have very limited internet access, hence my long absence.

I wanted to post a little bit about my trip and an update of reason #85 why I hate being fat. A few posts ago I wrote about the pains of traveling while being fat. Like traveling isn't bad enough, add a few pounds and traveling can be a nightmare! So before I left for this trip I was down 65 pounds from my all time high weight. Traveling at 315 was terrible! I couldn't fit well in airplane seats, the seat belts didn't fit. I felt cramped and uncomfortable and down right embarrassed. So I sucked up my pride and boarded the first plane I had flown in the past three years, and damn, I was surprised. To my utter amazement I fit comfortably in the airplane seat. Hum... a fluke? Did I happen to get the biggest seat on the plane that was roomier than the others? Probably not. I grabbed the seat belt and sucked my gut in. Again to my surprise the seat belt fit... not only fit, it was loose and needed tightening. Are you kidding me? Wow. Later in the flight the drinks and dinner came. Oh great I thought, now I have to deal with a tray table that doesn't open all the way cause my fat gut and thighs get in the way. I lowered the tray table and gasped a bit. It opened all the way with room to spare. Really? Wow again. I comfortably ate my sucky airplane food, beaming with amazement. I even managed to keep any food from falling onto my chest (a past hazard of having big big boobs). This is just a sample of my experiences on this trip. So far I have yet to find an instance where traveling was any harder for me than the average sized Joe. Don't get me wrong - I'm still fat at 250 - but it's just not as bad as it has been. This trip is really making me realize how far I've come and how you can feel truly better even shedding a few pounds.

There was also some discussion in previous posts about how accepting the Greeks are of fat people. I was a bit apprehensive. Well let me tell you... the Greeks are fat too. I walk around and see plenty of people that look just like me. I really don't feel out of place at all here. I am treated NO different here than I am in the states. Sure I get an occasional look that I'm sure is fat related, but I got those at home too, so no surprise. If anything I'm finding the Greek people much more friendly and warm than people at home, but maybe that's because I live on the East Coast where people are notorious for being a bit crabby and cool. I'm really loving the Greek way of life. I could learn a thing or two from the Greeks. Everyone walks a lot and eats pretty healthy, favoring fresh foods over anything processed. It's really making me rethink my cooking style and food choices. Honestly I could easily see myself living here in Greece quite happily. I love it. I love it so much, I actually extended my trip. I just can't leave Greece! Well not yet at least. Unfortunately real life calls and I need to get back to work. :(

But anyway, soon enough I'll be home and resume my regular posting. No worries, karaokekitty still has a lot to say about being fat!