Civilian Transitions

It’s been a busy couple of months trying to get situated back in my home state, for my husband and myself. You know everyone says that it’s different transitioning into the civilian life after being around the military community… I always thought, well I haven’t been around it that long… 2 years is nothing in comparison to some  families you know? It is different though. I find myself longing for the friends we made, not so much the state or the climate (weather or otherwise) but the camaraderie which is something that can only belong in a community of people who have that commonality between them. I was never even truly integrated into what being a military dependent means, I was in this sort of limbo between deployments and living off post, so you can only imagine how those people who are in the thick of it every day for YEARS really feel once they decide (or the US military decides) that the civilian world is better suited for them.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m loving the freedom we have, being untied to anything. I’m loving that we’re home with my family, but I miss some things about military life that can’t be replaced, (nor should they be…) A lot of our good friends deployed this week, which is something my husband in particular is having a hard time with. We are both sad, and worried, and are proud of them at the same time, but Jay… He has this desire to be by their side, to want to protect his friends, and who can blame him? They train, and train, and train for deployments, and then those who get left behind regardless of the situation I’m sure feel a loss that many of us civilians can’t possibly try to understand.

Back to positives though, because while we miss our old life and the people who left such an impression on it, we must move forward. We’re still looking to find our niche’ in the private sector world, as well as other areas, and we’ve been for better or worse, couch hopping until we can figure it all out. Transitions are a tough time, but you would think at least I’d be a pro at it these days, seeing as I’ve spent most of my adult life transitioning to one place and the next in short amounts of time. I will say, when you have more than one person, it’s much more difficult in that area, but pays of in the end.

So for all of my readers out there in the big blue world, moving on and transitioning is tough but I’m hoping that your lives are going well. If not? Don’t you worry…there’s always tomorrow!

 

With love,

 

Kymlee

 

On the Road with Kym & Jay

here’s my youtube playlist of our little trip on block leave. We didn’t get a chance to film ALL of the states we went through, some we went through at night and you wouldn’t have seen too much. Anywhoo, there are 12 episodes. Come drive with us! Also, don’t mind our haggard looks, we went straight through and were tired and stuff…

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2BB9FA34C5023865&feature=plcp

Love you all,

 

xo Kymlee

Back in the kitchen!

So awhile ago I started posting recipes and dinner ideas, but then like everything else, my interest in it grew tired… also like everything else, I tend to come back to old ideas when I feel so inspired. Thus tonight’s post. I woke up on the wrong side of bed today, and have pretty much been reclusive all day, which is hard to do with so any people in our home mind you, so I decided to retreat to the kitchen.

Tonight I made a new dish, though I’m sure there are many variations out there, but this one was just a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of thing.

I’m calling it :

Honey & Herb Stuffed Boneless Pork

(Serves 6 people)

here’s what I did…

Ingredients:

* 6 one inch thick boneless pork chops

* toothpicks (usually 2 per pork chop)

* Frozen Green Beans (or fresh)

* 2 boxes of Stove Top stuffing (1 package in ea. box, flavor should be pork for better taste, but you can use any)

* Honey (approx 1/2 cup)

* 1 half stick regular salted butter

* Dill weed (3/4 tsp)

* Roasted Ground Coriander (1/2 tsp)

* Tarragon Leaves (1 tsp)

* Marjoram Leaves (1 tsp)

* Sea Salt (pinch) 

* Sesame Seeds (optional)

 

Prep & Cooking:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees

2. Start your Stove Top boxes according to directions on the box then let cool a little while you prepare pork for stuffing.

3. Get a 13 x 9 metal or glass pan and put foil (reflective side facing up) on the bottom of the pan (and cover the sides as well, this will make for easy clean up after and helps the meat cook faster.)

4. Take each individual pork chop and  make a pocket by cutting into the side of it (non fatty side) with a small sharpened knife. (I found this easier than with a butcher knife). The pocket should be about 2 inches from the edge into the pork chop meat so there’s enough room for stuffing and to secure with two toothpicks later.

5. Now that they’re all cut, start your honey and herb baste but putting your honey and butter in a microwaveable bowl and melting it together for approx. 1 to 1 and 1/2 minutes. Take it out of the microwave and add a small amount of water (about a shot glass full) and all of your spices to it while it’s hot (not the sesame seeds though), this will capture the flavor of the spices for a better taste, also, I gave you measurements but I actually eyeballed them and tasted and added as necessary. You should experiment and find out what tastes the best for you. When you make a recipe your own, it feels nice, instead of following a sheet of paper. Others also appreciate it when you take the time and effort in your meals to make them one of a kind.

6. When your baste is perfect, then use a baking brush to brush some of the mixture on the bottom of the pan which will of course get the flavor into the bottom side of your pork chops.

7. Go back to the pork chops and stuff them with your stuffing ( about 3 or 4 tbs full) then secure the flaps of pork on the ends with two tooth picks to keep the stuffing inside. This will also give your pork more flavor. Put the stuffed pork chops in the pan, arrange as necessary to fit.

8. Brush your honey and herb baste over the pork chops, don’t miss any spots. This will seal in flavor and keep the meat juicy while cooking. Then sprinkle Sesame Seeds over the chops. (optional) Honestly, those are more for aesthetic to me than taste…

9. Add the remainder of the stuffing to your pan in the spaces between the pork and the sides.

10. Put in the oven for approximately 30-40 minutes, depending on your oven. I usually check it every 15 minutes to prevent the meat from drying out.

It’ll look something like this:

Tips:

If you find that your meat is drying out a bit, put more of your baste on the pork, then put it back in the oven. This is the trickiest part of baking, keeping your meat juicy and still cooked thoroughly.

approximately 7-10 minutes before your pork is done, start cooking your green beans. We just had steamed green beans, but prepare them however you want. They should be done by the time your pork is done.

Take out of the oven and you’re ready to serve your family and/or friends some grub!

My hubby and roomies really liked this dish, and we even talked about adding more to it next time. Some suggestions for this recipe would be to stuff with cream cheese (original or herbal flavored) and stuffing, or even regular cheese such as monterey jack, or pepper jack and stuffing and ham or prosciutto. Make this recipe your own, have fun and be full and happy folks. Hope you like it!!!

With love,

Kymlee

Sometimes a girl just needs a small ice cream cake…

So today was strange. At work, it was pretty uneventful, until I got to break down the door to the office ninja style (without any damage I might add because I’m that cool.) Then I left work, and all of the sudden I was really irritated with life and people, even though I was my normal bubbly okay-with-the-world self at work. I chalked it up to hormonal imbalance and went home, watched John Carter, (by the way, why did that movie get such bad reviews, I thoroughly enjoyed it and the imagery was stellar…) then left to get dog food. At walmart. Where pretty much all the stupid people convene. Then I got into the line where the garden center is, because it’s usually the fastest and was closest to where I parked, and this little 97 year old woman was manning the register. There were 2 people in front of me, one with like 15 items and the other with 1. The poor lady took about, no exaggeration, 23 minutes to get the first lady out, and the second guy took like… 8 minutes. At first I was annoyed, but then I looked at this lady and I felt sad. I wondered where this lady’s family was, or husband… Why should she have to work at her age, she seemed so fragile. She should be happy in some form of retirement right now, not working a register with impatient customers. So I brought my dog food up to her and talked to her and smiled and laughed and told her to have a beautiful day. She got all funny/snarky and said, “oh I will, when I get outta this place…. oh boyyyy!” Gotta love that spirit. Kudos to that lady, and to all those other elderly people still working. I wish you didn’t have to work, wish you could be on a beach somewhere soaking up the sun and the tropical temperature.

Anywho, back to my point, which is that this day was strange. Awash with several emotions, happy, content, annoyed, impatient, guilty, loving, caring, hopeful, and then all of the sudden, very sad. I got home and made dinner, and then I started feeling very sad, for unknown reasons… Just a wave of unwelcome ugliness. So I left the house, I needed to get out, to breathe. I took a short drive, threw on some tunes, rolled the windows down and just drove. I happen to do this from time to time, I don’t even know where I’m going usually, I just drive. So I ended up crying, and then pulled into a park and watched a local little league play baseball with all their parents around cheering, for like 10 minutes, then I went to the supermarket to pick up paper goods before heading home again. While in the store my sadness waned when I saw the dessert isle.

Which brings me to my next point. About an hour ago I was here in my room, browsing the internet, laughing at stupid people’s stupid actions and eating a mini cupcake sized carrot cake, and a Carvel “Lil’ Love” ice cream cake…

 

…ALONE…

I’m so disgusted with myself. 

Well, to be honest, I didn’t get through even 1/4 of the carvel cake before I wanted to throw up. Then my hubby came upstairs and laughed at me, stole some cake, then took it to the freezer shouting to our roommates:

“DO NOT EAT this cake I’m about to put in the freezer, it’s Kym’s PMS cake and if you eat it she will dismember, eviscerate and castrate you in one swoop dudes. Don’t say I didn’t warn you…”

So I guess today has been a pretty strange day, as far as normal days go. You may run from this blog screaming “too much crazy!!!” now, I understand.

With love and a slight hormonal imbalance…

Kymlee

inside…

It seems as though I’m always coming back after a long period of time. I’m not quite sure as to why this is, but I know that the last few days have gone by and I’ve gotten the desire to write again. Thus here I am.

There are always many changes in my life, it seems as I make a new one another is about to rise up for the challenge. Opportunity. It’s a gift and boy is it so tiring, demanding and just plain hard. I find myself outside of my life looking down lately as if I’m not here as if I am a spectator watching it all unfold. Me, the ever emotional being I have been all these years, suddenly feel less and less. Everything is like another page, another stone to step on and I mostly feel like it’s neither okay, nor devastating. I barely feel at all.

Is that a product of aging or experience? Is it normal to feel so little about anything that you feel so monochromatic? I mean, I feel anger. At least that much I feel. Not all the time, but when I am angry, I am enraged. I’ve had an anger problem for years actually, but in the last year it’s gotten so bad that I actually thought I might hurt someone. I’ve finally been able to seek help in that area, so we’ll see how that goes, but in the meantime I’m a little estranged from basically, living. Not saying I don’t want to anymore, just making an observation that I don’t understand why I’m going through the motions, or how anyone is actually, if this is how we’ll feel for the remainder of our days.

Aside from the morbidity of those last paragraphs, I guess what could be positive in my current going ons wold be that I’m working again and pursuing things more seriously in the music industry. This life I’ve lived and continue to live has been so full and so intense with emotion. I wonder if this is the period in which my emotion nerves have frayed and now my mind is self medicating to keep me from insanity. Which makes sense, to me…. maybe not to you outsiders looking in. It’s like no one could ever grasp the amount of pain or joy or purpose that another goes through. When you all reflect on your lives do you feel like no one could possibly understand the “big picture” for you? It’s almost insulting to hear others tell you they understand. Yes, they may understand bits and pieces, but they can’t possibly KNOW your mind, your heart, your soul.

So what brings on this philosophical rhetoric? It’s what’s going on in my head on a daily basis, and no one knows it. Actually at work lately I’ve become more aware of how much people assume about one another. It’s funny to me that anyone could presume what’s running through my mind, or the severity of it at any given moment. I’m much quieter lately because I’ve been watching, and listening and realizing how trivial most people are. Unfortunately for me, I still try to see the best in them. Which usually leads to disappointment. I wonder when I will become a full blown cynic like the rest of the world.

Anywho, more to come soon. Don’t worry, I am okay in case you’re left baffled by the uninspiring mess you just read. Just placing thought in the open. Sometimes it’s easier to find an answer if you’re not trying to sort out what else is going on.

with love,

Kymlee

Awarded?! ME?!

It’s my second award and I’m flattered. Absolutely positively flattered that someone wants to keep reading my incessant ramblings about touchy feely warm fuzzy stuff. So thank you very much my darling Sami116 for recognizing my blog here after your award. http://theembarrassment.wordpress.com/2011/09/24/winner/

Okay so for the speech eau de acceptance’ (why is everything cooler with one of those little accent thingermahbobs over the top? Just sayin’)

I’d like to thank Sami116 for the award, I’d like to thank my darling lovely readers who keep me coming back to spew more warm fuzzies over the blogosphere, I’d like to thank my father, for being the very first motivational speaker I’ve ever heard, thus turning me into a more preachy female version of him, I’d like to thank my facebook readers who don’t subscribe but stalk my page thanks to my affinity for sharing my every thought via link on my statuses…. Lastly, I’d like to thank all the random silent readers who don’t comment, who come in from the weirdest traffic generators and reference points, but get to see my blog even if for only a split second… your hits make me smile

Alrighty in all seriousness, I’m thrilled to have won something. It gives me a chance to write more, yay!

So the rules of acceptance state I need to tell you  random things about me that you may or may not know.

<.one.3      I just started plus size/full figure modeling. It’s really a lot of fun, and I’m getting into it more than thought I would.

<.two.3      I freaking love Spaghetti-O’s… and lunchables (the pizza ones) and other random kid foods.

<.three.3   I am an official Army Wife. Yep. For reals.

<.four.3     I have planned not to have children for about 5 years or so, until we are settled and have a house wherever we end up. We really want to live in Seattle.

<.five.3       I’m going to be 25 on the 8th of October. (Holy shit!)

<.six.3         In my family, I am the eldest child of 7 kids, 6 of us living…(2 full brothers, 1 full sister (deceased), 1 stepsister, 1 half brother, 1 stepbrother, but we all consider each other FULL brothers and sisters because we’re family and we love each other that much. I miss them a whole lot!) AND I just inherited a sister-in-law when I married Jason! YAY!

<.seven.3    This one… you may already know…. I love each and every one of you. You’re all important and amazing in a unique way. I cherish the friendships I have, on and offline.

The next part of this award is honoring other blogs I read frequently… So here’s my top 10

http://momfog.com/

http://laplumenoire.co.uk/

http://adventuresinaubreyland.blogspot.com/

http://www.citylightscamonights.com/

http://invisiblemikey.wordpress.com/

http://zishaanshafi.wordpress.com/

http://thislittlethingcalledlife.com/

http://redriverpak.wordpress.com/

http://highlyirritable.wordpress.com/

http://alerttheaudience.wordpress.com/

To accept your awards my lovely bloggers I have listed follow the following

1.Post a link to the original award
2.Tell your readers seven random things about yourself
3.Award an undisclosed number of newly discovered blogs.
4.Send them a note or comment letting them know you nominated them so they can continue the cycle if they so choose

I Dare You to Move…

Today I got punched in the face by my own impatience.

The craziest thing keeps happening to me… Whether it’s in the store in the checkout line, shopping throughout  the store, waiting in line at the DMV, waiting in line for food, and other places where you tend to be around complete strangers, these random people look at me and suddenly get this urge to tell me intimate details of their lives. It’s like they look at me and they literally start rambling about their daily going ons, their husbands, their kids, their work schedules, how hard working 3 jobs is, how cleaning their houses is such a bother because they work so hard and come home and the kids didn’t pick up their rooms.

Sometimes they get into details about their health, their family members going through hardships. The weights of their respective worlds just comes out in a flash of run on sentances and tangents. This happened today, this has been happening more and more frequently in the last 2 months or so actually. It’s happened in smaller doses over the years, but I thought those times were anomalies or something.

 

Source: Blabbing

I was very disappointed in myself because of my initial emotional reaction to this phenomenon today because I got really agitated, and even though I was being nice and receptive as always and continued to outwardly engage her to continue her conversation, in my head I all I wanted to say to the lady who was talking to me about her random trials and tribulations was to stop laying her stuff out there because I didn’t know her and didn’t know why she was telling me all of these things as I was trying to get out of this store and get home to be a hermit and she was holding me up with her meaningless banter.

So I left the store after she was finished, and immidiately I felt like a jerk. Not because I acted like a jerk, but because I wanted to. I used to have so much more compassion in my heart for people, and I had a reaction like this subconciously?  Anyways, so I’m homeward bound and while driving I start thinking about the deeper meaning behind these random pouring outs from my strangers. Then it hits me like a lightning bolt straight to my heart and I start to cry. Not even lying, I started bawling my eyes out, and I’m not even crazy sensative like that.

I think…there’s no one in these people’s lives that will listen to them, to hear them struggle through the seemingly meaningless doldrums of routine life and they feel so alone. That made me realize this ever growing trend of less and less interpersonal relationships, more and more distance in or humanity and social skills that I’ve been trying to ignore, both personally and globally. We keep placing personal relationships with our fellow humans at arms length, so how much longer before we don’t feel the need to give a damn about each other at all. I know that’s really preachy sounding, but it’s true. There are so many people out there just crying out for help, for someone to pay attention and to validate their lives, and we go on day by day, ignoring everyone who’s not in our own personal circle of drama.

Source:  Alone in a Crowd

As I’m thinking about all of this, and crying and driving… all of the sudden one of those songs that has always inspired me to have purpose, started blasting out of my speakers. I Dare You to Move by Switchfoot. This song speaks to me about changing, in fact, part of the chorus says “…I dare you to move, I dare you to get yourself up off the floor…” which just makes me want to get out of my box and DO SOMETHING!

Lyrics here and song here:

http://youtu.be/EJq2G62yjGc

{Intermission}

… Okay I saved this article for a about 15 minutes to go change out the laundry and to run and get pizza for the guys for dinner tonight, and lo and behold, inside Little Cesear’s Pizza it HAPPENED AGAIN! ….

This young girl who was like… maybe late teens early twentys was sitting next to me as we waited for the workers to make our pizzas. She started talking to me out of nowhere about her love of crazy bread then went into loving sauce and then about her family and how they always go and get pizza together and then how hot it was outside, and on and on about other random stuff until the guy behind the counter called me up to get my order. She had such an innocent energy about her, just searching someplace mundane for something exciting. You might call this just being extra friendly, but I call it something more. Something that’s so tangible lately. Every day people are reaching out to just touch someone, to feel another presence there, maybe not for anything more than to know we’re not alone.

 

Source: Listen

I would love to know everyone’s thoughts on this whole thing. Have any of you experienced this lately? Have any of you felt others reaching out, and did you feel annoyed like I did in the beginning, only to realize what was really going on in the end?

I’m going to make it a point to listen. For real listen, not just pretend to listen, and when they search my eyes for something more, I’ll tell them they aren’t alone.

With love and an open & humble heart,

Kymlee

A New Identity…

It was an unexpected surprise to all… Saturday, the 17th of September, in the year… 2011

There was a slight breeze in the afternoon, blowing the spanish moss on that lone tree in the field where we said again we loved each other…

I looked into his eyes, and in front of four witnesses, I said the words that bound me to him forever.

My heart, my soul melded into his, and amongst the laughter…… the inside jokes and the banter of our officiant slash roomate, The Reverand Hoard, while my best friend that I named my brother and his mother who has accepted me as a surrogate daughter going on seven years now looked on, and our other roommate who we’ve dubbed our surrogate son videotaped our vows and antics…… there was meaning, there was purpose. Jason, my love, my life, became mine, and I his in the eyes of God, and the world, and I gained a new identity.

I have shed my old life, my old unfortunate love stories, and my surname, to move on with the life that I have come to know as truth and love and comfort with my husband. I married the man I always dreamed of but never thought I deserved and now my identity is not lost but newfound.

Awhile before we even met, I thought I may lose who I am by giving up my last name if ever I were to marry, I thought that maybe it would’ve been another thing stealing a part of me, but now that it’s happened, I am happy to share the last name of the man I love. To honor his family by accepting them into mine and recognizing the joining of our lives from two paths to one.

I am officially a Kopera. The elite group of people that are just as crazy wonderful as my own family. Who would have thought I’d ever fit in with another family so well!!!

So for all of my readers who are shocked by our sudden nuptials, be not afraid! We are going to have an actual wedding (it may not be tradtitional but still) but not until after we know what’s going on with the impending deployment. With all of the training and field work that Jason and his unit are doing in the months ahead, it will be impossible to plan a wedding before deployment. The schedule and the situation is too volatile and would most certainly turn into a disaster. Plus our family members are all up north, so it makes no sense to try and make them travel here, especially with a waivering time period. So instead of wait to be married, we did it now, for the fact that we love each other very much, we know that were going to get married in the future, and nothing was going to change that, and because we needed to take care of the legal aspects to help us through the deployment and to help us in planning our wedding etc.

That said, we do have some photos They aren’t professional but they document the happiest day of our lives thus far and that’s enough for me. Hope you enjoy these!

With Lots of Love and Happiness!

Kymlee & Jason Kopera

 

Health: A Mindset of Consciousness

I wanted to write another post reagrding health, as I just previously addressed my physical fitness, but I wanted to really elaborate on my mindset as of late…

Health. Something we always have in the back of our minds, but most of us don’t pay it any attention until something happens and suddenly our health is in question. We consistantly put things in our bodies that are not supposed to be there and then wonder why it is that we feel like shit, and we’re obese and have no energy etc etc. This world of instant gratification enabled us to cripple ourselves by order of convenience. It’s a sad thing. In survival, the majority of us would never survive on our own if left without the modern day conveniences that we all use, such as supermarkets, electronic items, fast food restaurants, internet, blah blah blah.

I’m going to give you some personal insight into my life pertaining to health.

For years I’ve struggled with heart issues, or what I was led to believe were heart issues. Since my preteen youth I’ve been experiencing Chest Pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, easy bruising, excessive fatigue, poor appetite, depression, mood swings, inconsistant sleep patterns, severe migraines, etc etc. I’ve been to numerous doctors, cardiologists, neurologists, you name it. I’ve had sleep studies, I’ve worn numerous heart monitors and I’ve done EKG’s and echocardiograms. I’ve been put on freaking BETA BLOCKERS as a teenager without an actual diagnosis.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve been put on Zoloft to release more ceratonin in my brain, which actually caused more harm than good. All medications that I have ever been given short of antibiotics I have actually taken myself off of completely because they were wrong in my body and I felt it. When I took myself off of Zoloft my headaches actually stopped for a good 6 months. I took the beta blockers for approx. two weeks and because they had such an adverse effect on me I stopped taking them. No change in the heart pain either during or after. Health has always been one big question mark for me. I’ve reached this point in my life where I just want to be completely healthy in all areas of my life. Physically and emotionally. I’m frusterated because I never get a difinitive answer.

4 days ago, I was officially diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. Here’s my issue with this diagnosis, I have friends who ligitimately have Fibromyalgia, even one of my blogger friends on this very site, who struggle with this disorder and yes, I do share some of these symptoms with those who have Fibro, but I know that I don’t have it. I feel it, I know something is wrong in my body and no one will listen to me because I’m a 24 year old female with ok lab tests that are seemingly normal. After doing more research on Fibromyalgia, I’ve learned that it is an exclusionary diagnosis in many cases. While there are individuals who actually do live and breath this disorder, there are many who are wrongly diagnosed because their doctors simply don’t want to do the tests that would find the real problem. A large percentage of persons diagnosed with Fibro were found years later to actually have advanced Lyme disease, also Rheumatoid Arthritis, or other problems that go unchecked and untreated for years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My doctor put me on Lyrica as a trial to see if it would help. So far I actually think I’m having an adverse reaction to the drug. She only gave me a low dosage of 75mgs that I’m supposed to take 2 times a day. In the 4 days I’ve taken it, I’ve only been able to take one pill per day, and I’m literally feeling horrible. My throat is tight, I’m completely off balance, almost fell over today actually, I’m so dizzy and nauseous, and my heart is beating faster and I feel drugged. I’m calling her tomorrow and telling her I’m not taking it anymore. Firstly I’m not going to medicate myself for the rest of my life with something that makes me feel worse than  I did before. I’d rather live with the pain and symptoms anyday. I’m also kind of against meds unless they are completely necessary for everyday living. I’m sure Lyrica helps some people, but not me. I don’t even take Motrin if I can help it. I have a problem with putting un-natural substances in my system. It took me awhile of research before I decided I would take that thermogenic I talked about in my last post.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My good friend TimeThief is a victim of this condition and she has been a heaven sent angel of information. She shares a lot of her research and updates about Fibromyalgia on her blog.

Read one of her posts here

http://thistimethisspace.com/2009/09/28/fibromyalgia-what-it-is-and-what-it-isnt/

and a link to all her posts about Fibromyalgia here

http://thistimethisspace.com/fibromyalgia-featured-posts/

I am emotionally and physically struggling with this diagnosis because even I cannot be entirely sure that I don’t fall under this category, but with my seemingly infinite craving for a finite answer, I cannot accept that there is no stop to what I’m going through. So in addition to my physical well  being, I am also attending counselling soon to promote my emotional health. No one I’ve talked to in my life really understands the pain I feel and the frustration level I am at now. For almost 15 years of my life I have had no relief and it’s taken it’s toll on my body, my mind and my spirit.

Yes…Kymlee, the forever optomist, is discouraged.

I do have the strength to get up and challenge the challenges I’ve faced, and to come out okay on the other side, but yes… I’m human and I do feel down sometimes just like the rest of the world. This is why especially right now, I am so focused on my personal health, and I think it’s important for me to share with everyonem that you should really take a look at your lives and really truly understand that your health is worth it’s weight in gold.

Treasure your bodies, don’t mistreat them. They carry you through such a long, and difficult life and to not take care of your body is only doing yourself a disservice. Be healthy, Be well in your mind and your physical selves. Take care to not push yourselves in the back of your mind because you don’t belong there, you belong in the front, where you can observe and tweak as needed.

Thanks for stopping by everyone, I love you all and wish you happiness. Cherish life.

With love,

Kymlee

The death of laziness

OKAY, so for like… 15 years, I’ve been  incredibly lazy and I blame my genetics! For so many years I’ve been able to get away with having a nice figure without working for it, and basically eating whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted without any adverse effect. Now, just shy of my 25th birthday, all of those bad habits have caught up with me.

I plateau’d at 150 lbs for about 4-5 years, in my 5’7″ hourglass frame, proportioned just right. Now… I’m still proportionate, thank god, but I have been steadily rising in the 180 lbs area. This is literally the biggest I’ve ever been. You know, I don’t think I would mind as much if I felt healthy.

I feel like absolute crap!

Funny thing is, I don’t even eat the garbage that I used to eat. I prefer home cooked meals now, and normally, the largest meal I eat is dinner, which isn’t really that big, I get so full so fast. My caloric intake versus my output in even daily activities is actually really not bad at all. I always put out more than I put in, but somehow I’m still gaining weight. I’ve been having some pretty serious health issues my whole life, and now they’re getting worse, so I’ve been doing much more testing and bloodwork to try and pin down the problem. I think I’m gaining some of the weight due to something in my body, because it just doesn’t make any sense that I am gaining so much with little input.

Anywho, back to the laziness… in the excersise area, I’ve always been lacking because basically, I’ve never enjoyed sweating like a pig or running and feeling like my ovaries are being ripped out of my body. The best workout for me was always hiking or dancing. I never did anything regularly though, and it is only to my disadvantage. So in the last 2 weeks, I’ve started a new workout routine. My goal is to get down to my healthy 145-150 lbs weight, with great core strength and ENDURANCE. It’s not about getting ripped for me, it’s about being healthy and being able to SURVIVE because you never know what is going to happen. I don’t want to be the fat chick who got left behind as a meal in the zombie apocalypse folks. Not this chick.  I want to maintain my hourglass figure, because lets be serious, I’m never going to be a stick, and I really love my curves! I’d love to look like one of my muse’s… the lovely Dita Von Teese.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…So in order to get toned up and slimmed down like Ms. Von Teese,  I have been doing Zumba  while taking this awesome Thermogenic weight loss supplement called OxyElite Pro  (and no I am not being paid by either party, I just linked up because I should give credit where it’s due…)

Firstly… Zumba is freaking amazing. I LOVE to dance, so I’ve been seeing the ads for this program on their infomercials, and everyone’s been raving about the classes, so ya… I was browsing craigslist one night and found that one of the Army wives was selling her kit for like 40 bucks. So my wonderful fiance Jason, knowing how badly I wanted it, goes and buys it for me! (wewt!) A month prior to this, I went out and bought that OxyElite Pro stuff, about a months worth, on reccomendation by my brother who’s been using is for like a year now with AMAZING results. They’re pricey, but worth it in my honest opinion. 30 days supply is 45 bucks and change at GNC.

 

 

My girl Becky and I started doing the Zumba program together, (and I will say it is much more motivating to have a partner to keep you on the regular routine.) I love love love love love it and I’m already starting to feel better. Don’t get me wrong, my energy still isn’t where it needs to be, I’m exhausted all the time, but I think it’s a health problem with whatever is going on with me. That OxyElite Pro stuff actually gives me this AWESOME energy boost to get me through the workout. If you want to read some reviews about it, check out bodybuilding.com because that’s the place I found the most variety in good, bad and indifferent true reviews of OEP in general.

 

 

 

I’m going to try and update my stats at least once a month on the blog, hopefully with photos, and once a week on my social networking sites. I think this will help me stick to my plan, because let’s face it, when you’re lazy, it’s so easy to just fall back into the same lifestyle you’ve been living. So now my darling readers, I’m asking you to hold me accountable just as much as I expect it from myself. Health, in this world of obesity and lack of care for one’s self, is so important, for yourselves in your personal lives, and to share as a message to everyone else. We need to inspire the world to expect more from themselves by standing up and taking charge of our own lives in every single facet.

 

STATS:

5 Feet 7 Inches

184.2 lbs

Hips: 44 inches

Waist: 30 inches

Chest: 37 inches

PHOTO of me on 8/13/2011:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you everyone for the support and love as I change my life for the better. Hope this is an inspiration for some of you to do the same.

With excited ambition whilst I toss the lazy me aside,

Kymlee