HappyHappyJoyJoy!

So I’m having a major problem in my diet, buddies. I have a drinking problem.  Yes, a major drinking problem. And what makes it worse is that I realize it’s a problem and an addiction, and yet I still can’t seem to stop it.  I drink, I drink all the time. And I love drinking, it’s so much fun and it tastes so good. And yet, I’ve never gotten drunk…

 It’s called “Soda”   You’ve all heard of that right?  Rootbeer, Pepsi, Cherry Seven Up…. and rootbeer, and cherry seven up. And then there’s more rootbeer and cherry seven up.  Did I get them all?  Yes, they are a major, major problem for me.  I NEED to drink water, this I know.  But soda tastes so darn good. And what happens? I’m not loosing the weight that I’d like. And yet, I cannot stop drinking this Soda.  Grrrr…..  HELP!   What do I do?    Any advice to give this pathetic blond soda drinker?     =)   I can’t stop!! 

Okay, enough drama for the morning. Yes, I’m exaggerating slightly as you can tell, but I’m still struggling with my Soda addiction and I’d like to be able to stop. It’s my weakness in life (besides loving Bob LOL~) and I have to work extra hard on this. But ANYWAY I hope everyone is having a happy day.  (Thanks Karen for talking to me on the drive to work this morning, your voice and jolly laughter made me so happy!! This blog’s for you!)  I wanted also to blog and let everyone know how much fun I have on Buddy Slim reading your blogs, your stories of weaknesses, tips, encouragements and triumphs.  It’s refreshing for me.  =)    Sorry I had to leave the Hotrod team for now - I’m not loosing the weight fast enough to make a difference for this team, and I’ve been so busy I tend to forget my weigh ins. But I will continue to work as hard as I can to be a slimmer and trimmer me.  GO JEN!   and Goooooo Buddies!!  Love ya all!

Have a happy happy, joy joy day!! Peace to you and yours!!

Jen Jen

Yet, I remain in gratitude…

Thanksgiving day was such a blast!!  Two incredible meals, two beautiful families whom I love with all my heart, and not to mention the two satisfied tummies of the JenBob. We played games (my sister in law bought a Wii - and it’s totally fun!!) and we watched football (YEAH, BABY - GO DALLAS!! Poor Detroit!)  and we took pictures which I shall share later on, and all got a little closer than we were before, praying together, holding hands, and speaking of the things we were truly grateful for.  But can I just tell you how thankful I am that it’s finally over?  LOL~  I woke up this morning feeling kinda fat again, and somewhat blah. But it’s my fault for not following through with my thanksgiving plan.  Perhaps I had too much fun and ate just a little too much.  Oooops!  I’m grateful for the food, and how yummy everything was, but now I’m eternally grateful that my gratitude for food can be over.  (LOL~ If that makes any sense!! )  I mustn’t lament. I must only press forward. Right buddies?? ( I should box more on the Wii - it really buffed up my arms, hee hee!)  I guess I just needed your smiling faces this morning, reassuring me that everything is going to be alright again.  You’re the best encouragement for a gal like me.   I hope everyone had a beautiful day yesterday with family and friends, and hope to talk with you all soon. Happy, happy, joy, joy!!

Peace to you and yours!!

Jen Jen

Yes, you are all just as sweet and beautiful as pumpkin pie with whipped cream.    =)

Mmmmmm, don’t you just love thanksgiving?  I sure do.  At least the dinner is a healthy balance of all our basic food groups, and I can still eat well this year - simply a little lighter on my portions.  I probably won’t loose much weight in the long run this week, but that’s okay. There’s always next week, right? I’m sure I’ll get some swimming in, I love the pool in the winter time!

I love this time of year, life is so good.  My hubby and I are enjoying our new home. My Dad is driving down from Las Vegas to spend the week with us, and my entire family will be together.  My husband’s family is slightly different, since we just lost his Daddy a month ago, his older brother and children just moved to West Virginia, and his younger brother and wife moved to Alaska, so the family is much smaller now. We made a choice that we wanted to be with BOTH of our  families this year, so we are having dinner with one family, and desert and games with the other.  I think it’s only fair that we see them both, due to circumstances. Don’t you think? We’ll try not to eat too much but I can’t make any promises to myself yet LOL~

Well, I just wanted all of you precious buddies to know that I’m grateful for the new friendships I’ve formed here, and the encouragement that you’ve all given to me over the past month since I’ve been here.  I’ve only lost three pounds in the short time that I’ve been here, but I already feel better emotionally as well as physically.  Isn’t that wild what your mind and attitude can do for you once you make a solid decision to change your life??  I think my attitude has changed about weight loss in general, thanks to this sight and the people here.   Thank you everybody for your friendships, and please have a happy turkey day!!   Count your many blessings and know that God loves and cherishes you all.  You’re all very special people - even though we’ve never met in person, I can tell that you are special and your hearts unique.   Love ya all!!!!!

Love, Jen Jen

Once upon a time, a 19 year old girl named Jen moved from her beloved hometown of Waialua, Oahu, Hawaii, to a cold lonely place called Denver, Colorado. She left behind her beaches, her boyfriend, and all the friends she’d grown up with, and she was so upset because of the move, and promised herself that she’d never be happy again.  Yet one morning, Jen decided to get out of the house and attend church services - just to see what this interesting city of Denver could offer her. She sat alone in the back and observed. This was a church for young, single adults and everyone was laughing and chatting with friends.  During Sunday School, Jen sat down alone once again and observed the handsome teacher who was winking at her (story for another day LOL~)  But sitting right across from her was a cute blond girl full of smiles.  This pretty gals name was Karen. She observed poor Jen sitting all alone, and she kept smiling and being friendly, later coming up to introduce herself.  Jen adored Karen and this was only the start of their new friendship.  Karen was so sweet, she knew so many men and woman, and she introduced Jen to all of them. Karen was very pretty, blond gorgeous hair and big blue eyes, slightly overweight but that didn’t seem to matter too much to her at all. Karen was running around, hyper and flirting with all the men.  She was so beautiful, and Jen was thrilled at how fun-loving she was.  Jen wanted to be just like her, and wanted to attach herself to this girl Karen forever.   So that’s exactly what Jen did.  =)   Karen helped to change Jen’s life - she helped to give Jen the self esteem and the happiness that she needed to make her new life in Denver more bareable.  And boy, was Jen ever so grateful that she had moved after all. Karen was so special, and will always be a special friend to her. 

The point of my blog today? Because one girl cared so much about those around her, she helped to improve the life of a lonely girl Jen - obviously me.  Karen left a very heartfelt and honest blog yesterday, and I know many of you have read it (Karen’s Journey - The Pain Behind the Tears)  She doesn’t even realize how many people she has affected, or how many lives she’s changed.  She has made such a difference. And it has never mattered how much she weighed, and it will NEVER matter.  Weight bears sorrow and pain on ourselves,  but it will never impact a friendship that is meant to be eternal. I needed to share this story because I read Karen’s blog last night, and cried. I see the pain behind her eyes, but she also needs to know the joy she has brought to my eyes.

So keep up the good work, buddies - continue to work hard and loose that weight. But never let your weight stand in front of the true person you are inside, and what you can offer others. We are all beautiful.  You, just like my friend Karen, can and WILL make a positive difference in the lives of others…

Peace to all!!!!!    =)  Let’s be thankful this week for our blessings!!

Once upon a time, there was a frustrated young gal named “Silly.”   She was overweight her entire life, and didn’t like herself much.  She really wanted to loose weight, but she decided that in the end she didn’t have the time nor the patience to acheive this goal.  One day she was laying around eating popcorn, snickers, and marshmellows, sipping on chocolate milk and watching TV when she came up with what she thought was the most brillant idea ever!!  She jumped from the couch and ran to the table, opening up her laptop and getting online to write an article.  She entitled this, “Fat people are the smartest!”  Silly went on to write that people who were big around the hips, butt and thighs obviously had bigger brains than the normal average skinny people.  What a smart theory! She concluded that she would continue to be “overweight” because her brain would be larger, and therefore she would continue to be smarter than all those boring, smaller-brained skinny people around her.  With that article written, she plopped back on the couch with another bowl of popcorn, content and satisfied with the sad, pathetic life…..

 Okay buddies, silly story I know!!  But this is what I heard on the radio this morning and it cracked the crap out of me LOL!  Someone said that a “study” was being performed and they were “learning” that bigger hips create bigger brains, and that in the end, it was okay to be overweight.  Can someone please give me a break!!  LOL~   I know that someone is simply trying to justify their weight gain, and I felt sorry for the people who are “studying” this. I just started giggling at my desk, knowing that I’d have to blog this and laugh with my friends online.  People are smart, and people are silly regardless of their hip size. No more justifying large hips when people can get out there and do something about it, right?  Let’s have fun with this one!!!

Anyway, have a good day, my sweet, sugar coated buddies!!  =)   Exercise and enjoy our world more than the couch =) Peace and Aloha to all…

Jen Jen

Welcome to a brand new week, buddies!! 

I have not been following my regular exercise program for the past few days because my husband and I bought our very first HOME and we finally got to move in.   YAY, YAY, YAY  for the JenBob.  (That’s what we like to call ourselves - We are the JenBob - We are One!!)  My husband Bob was so thrilled - for the first time in his 37 years of life, he has a real garage!  Sadly I think he has fallen in love with this garage and will love it more than he loves me.  LOL~  That’s okay, I love to see him happy.  He was diagnosed with Multiple Schlorsis a few years ago, and he’s been struggling often with depression and other side effects.  But dang, he is so happy now, and my heart rejoices with him.  =)

So anyhow, I worked on unpacking our bedroom yesterday, and getting things as organized as possible.  And one of the things that came with our new bedroom were two closets - one for him and one for her.  The sliding doors of the closets are covered with full-length mirrors!!!   Hence my title for today - too many mirrors!!!   There are also mirrors in the living room where we can put knick knacks and other fun things.  Again, way too many mirrors.  LOL~ Anyway, this didn’t really bother me until I showered before bedtime, and I suddenly caught a glimpse of myself getting ready for bed  in the mirror (in my snuggly pink PJ’s) and trust me, looking at myself at that moment was NOT a pretty sight.   Don’t get me wrong, I can be a cute gal, and I love myself and appreciate myself for who I am inside and out.  But I realized that I’ve been letting myself get too far out of control, and this was not me staring back at me with her mouth wide open in disgust.  Lines on my body, ew!! Most people at work don’t think I’m overweight at all, but I could really tell that I am!!   And no, it was NOT a very pleasant thing to look at.  I tried not to weep, and gave myself a quick smile before heading out of the bedroom and plopping down on the couch (hubby was still outside playing in the garage LOL~)  I hate looking in mirrors and I don’t do it too often.   Yet now, it will become UN-avoidable for me, living in this new house!!  And that can only be a good thing for my future!  =) So right now, I have no plans on taking the mirrors down. I know they will only encourage me to keep up with my efforts to be the skinny Jennifer that I once loved so very much!!  =) 

So, never too many mirrors.  Let the mirrors inspire us to love ourselves anyway, and to accomplish the goals that we share.   Love you all, cute buddies!  Have a wonderful, happy day!!

Aloha and peace to all…

The JenBob (the Jen of the JenBob clan)   

So…the quote my brother in law Larry sent me this morning is: 

“Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming, ~”WOO HOO what a ride!”~”

Dont’cha love that??  I believe that we should take care of our bodies and make the ride last as long as we can, but we also need to remember that stressing too much over our weight is not healthy for us, and it can sometimes take the pleasure away from enjoying our ride on earth. 

Simple blog today buddies!  =)  I love and appreciate you all, and will simply enjoy the awesome ride I am having here on Buddyslim with you all, trying with all my heart to look and BE my best.  Have a happy, happy, joy, joy day!!

Aloha and Peace to all!!
Jen Jen

Good morning, sugar-coated buddies!

How is everyone doing today? The sun is truly shining today in Denver! Like our sweet friend Shan, I also woke up happy this morning, and ready to begin a brand new day with a positive attitude (thanks for your blog by the way, Buttercup, it was truly inspirational!)   I know that happy people in the morning are pretty rare in today’s world (LOL~) so that’s why I want to be one of them, just so I can annoy people….

I got to work this morning and read an email from a very dear brother in law of mine. His name is Larry, and he is my husband’s younger brother. When he was a child, about 7 years old, he was riding his bicycle to school and he was hit by a car. After many years of surgeries and therapy, being paralyzed on his left side, walking in a leg brace and breathing through a trek in his throat, Larry has managed to prevail with a positive attitude. He now stands over 6 feet tall and weighs 445 pounds.  He always has a smile on his face. Sure, people make fun of him. The children stare up at him in awe, and some are afraid of him. (He’s so cute - he sounds just like Darth Vader when he breathes LOL~)  Yet through it all, his eyes still sparkle and he enjoys the world as best he can. He has been an inspiration to me. I admire him because he never complains about his accident, nor about his weight. Sure, he has cried. He has had thoughts of suicide. He struggles and wishes that he could be “normal” like others.  (What exactly is normal anyway???)  But he NEVER complains about the accident. He never says, “If it weren’t for that darn car that hit me…”   I’ve never heard that from his lips - EVER! 

So with that background story of Larry comes the quote from his email this morning which I really love.  It says, “Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.”  Don’t you love that?  Every person you meet will have a story, will have pain beneath a smile, anger and sorrow that we don’t know about. That’s why it’s so important to smile and love one another, no matter what they look like, and no matter how they treat you.   ;-)   People are so special. Sometimes we don’t realize how much…

ANYWAY,  just wanted to say good morning to all my sweet, sugar coated buddies and thank you all for your friendship and encouragement.  I WILL drink lots of water today.  I will stand in the sunshine and praise the Lord for my life, my weight and all. I will hit the gym this afternoon and leave some pounds behind in the pool (ewwww~ sorry to all the kids that swim there LOL~)  I will do my part for the hotrod team and continue in the challenge with myself.  I WILL loose weight…

Yes, indeed - the sun is shining in Denver!!!

Aloha and peace to all this day…  Jen Jen

My daddy had a red dot directly under his left eye. As a child, I loved looking at it, I would even touch it and try to peel it off his face.  I loved him so much, and I adored his red dot.  When I was a teenager, I developed not one, but TWO, red dots on my face and I was so proud.  One directly on the tip of my nose, and the other one directly under my left eye, just like my daddy.  How neat was that?  I showed all of my friends and bragged how much I looked like my precious father. I loved my red dots…

Time went on, and I grew older.  And of course, so did the dots on my face. Not only did they get old and boring to look at, but they also got BIGGER and bigger!  I stopped playing with the dot on my daddy’s face and quickly detested my own!  They showed up in pictures.  My nieces and nephews would say, “Aunt Jen, what are those ugly dots on your face” and attempt to peal them off. How dare they?  (LOL~)  I grew exhausted of seeing them, and knew I needed to get them off my face - they were no longer cool.

I went to a dermatologist (is that what they’re called?) and the nice handsome doctor used an instrument to peel those nasty red dots right off my face.  First they scarred. But then - they went AWAY!  Wow, my face looked great. I did the happy dance. Daddy’s dot was still there, but he looked cute in his now, and I didn’t need red dots in order to BE like him (looks aren’t all that, right?)  

One day about 3 months ago I looked into the mirror. The red dots were gone from my nose and left eye, but lo and behold - THREE more were beginning to form, and one directly on the corner of my right eye!  What?  Where are these coming from?  Not only are they on my face now, they are forming slowly all over my entire body??  Oh no, not more red dots,  I cried. Would I have to go back to the doctor and have him peel them off from me again?

So why am I telling you this story you may ask?  I’m still not sure why. But I guess it showed me that even though I try taking things off to look pretty, somehow these same things will continue to come back.  Just like my weight!! I may try to take it off, and sometimes it will have it’s revenge and come back, just like my silly red dots.  But it doesn’t matter in the end - I am still pretty and I am still me.  I can appreciate who I am, and what’s inside that counts.  Does that make sense?    Well, I’m not saying we shouldn’t try and continue to take off the pounds - we NEED to loose weight for our own esteem, health and sanity.  HOWEVER, even if we gain some back, or we feel weak and don’t live up to our expectations of ourselves,  we NEED to continue to love ourselves and give ourselves a break.  We are all pretty, and pretty darn special. And all of the people I’ve met on this website have great potential and are so very wonderful.  Don’t worry, it’s not the weight that matters in the end, even if it tries to get revenge. What really matters is our hearts, our souls and the way we treat others. 

Peace to one and all, my neat buddies!!!    =)   Until we meet again…