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Like you don’t lie about your weight… As of today, September 15, 2011, I weigh 253 pounds. Yeah, no kidding, that is still a lot to weigh, especially at 5’7”. But. I lost 61 pounds to get there. When I started my weight loss journey, I was at my heaviest, 314 pounds. I hear the…
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Tag Archives: top postsCare Package Ideas for Military Spouse Appreciation © Tara Crooks A recent survey conducted by Army Wife Network of nearly 2,000 military spouses revealed some interesting findings when it comes to celebrating and appreciating the military spouse. Participants were asked to vote on (or add) their favorite item that would be included in a “military… The military wive's and spouses are always under appreciated, there strength allows soldiers to have strength. It allows them to have the ability to do the job and know that things are taken care of back home. Thanks for the work and for keeping the home fires burning. Hello Ladies! Hope everyone is doing well! We are anxiously awaiting spring here! First, let me start off by saying how much I have enjoyed helping out with our company’s FRG! It has been quite rewarding. I always look forward to our activities and the chance to see my husband and his fellow soldiers. It… I have been an Army wife for 5 months, and my husband has been deployed for 4 of them. I have only attended one FRG event as of yet. My FRG leader didn't even introduce herself to me, there weren't enough seats for everyone and I had to sit with my kids in another area entirely. FRGs have really bad reputations around here. I hope yours is different but so far, I don't care to spend time with anyone I've met on base. These reasons are just for me, but since you asked… Sometimes I don't go to FRG meetings because I know there's nothing important to discuss. If it doesn't involve news of my soldier, sometimes I have better things to do. Second, I work during the day. FRG meetings held at say, lunch, aren't worth it to me because by the time I get there, the meeting is over and I missed out on my lunch period on the way to the base. The honest, blunt truth…hope for a deployment. Okay, I know that's ridiculous and something you would never do. In my experience as a NG wife, the only time there is a surge of spouses/families/friends that attend FRG meetings/events is when there is a deployment. My husbands unit deployed to Katrina and (I wasn't in the picture at the time, but I was told) the FRG attendance skyrocketed. As soon as the soldiers returned home, it went back to only a handful of wives. I joined the FRG and there were only 5-10 of us in regular attendance. As soon as the unit deployed attendance went up to 30-50 members. And it didn't happen until the soldiers actually deployed. When the unit is home we tried to have events and regular meetings, but to no avail. Unfortunately, the regs make it really hard to do much. The FRG is really meant to flourish in an Army community. Without that community you are so limited in what you can do to keep up the interest so people will stay involved. Good luck! I think it's hard when the unit isn't deployed. My husband has been active Army for 6+ years but never deployed until recently. Our FRG was awful. There basically was no FRG. There were no activities, no phone calls, no events or emails. I wanted (and needed) support but it wasn't there. Now I'm in the opposite situation in that we have an active FRG because his unit is deployed but I'm not at his duty station so I can't get involved. I think that it's probably easier to get spouses involved when there's a deployment coming up but it's tough otherwise, especially when everyone isn't centrally located around one post. Can you plan some fun kids' events (Easter egg hunt maybe?) to draw them out? I know that I greatly underestimated the value of support from my fellow military spouses until now when I'm stuck in the middle of this deployment. I would like to get involved, but my husband thinks we'll just be “volunteered” for a bunch of stuff. We live off-post, so I haven't really met anyone. He will deploy in a few months and I'll be here by myself. I know that FRG's get alot of compliants. Being an FRG leader in the past, it's hard work to keep and FRG running. The purpose of FRG is to help provide information a Family Member needs…it's not to CATER to people's needs. It's not a babysitter, a taxi, or bank. It's to support and give thanks for our Soldiers and give the materials/websites/local information to HELP achieve and support the FAMILY MEMBERS —with the end result of letting our Soldiers do their job. If there is no childcare during FRG, look into CDC providing childcare…you'd have to pay. Or volunteer to become the FRG childcare coordinator. If you are a resourceful person–then maybe you don't need to attend FRG meetings…but then their are some spouses that are not resourceful…so you being at the FRG, making contacts and friends…again you're helping your fellow members. Remember all FRG members are volunteers and give their time to make a better unit and Army family in general. And if they are not doing their job…complain and find ways to make it better. Maybe that is what your current FRG needs….a volunteer who cares and wants to help rather than destroy. Thanks for your responses ladies! My husband will actually be deploying soon so I guess that's why we're baffled by the lack of interest in our FRG. I got some good suggestions over at the facebook page also! There were a lot of mixed emotions on this which is something I wasn't expecting! Hey ladies! I wanted to thank you all for responding to my previous post on FRG and attendance! You girls are great and I want to thank you all for what you do to support your soldiers and their fellow soldiers! Let me start off by saying how much FRG means to me, not necessarily because of what I do, but because of what it means to me. FRG is a way for me to give back to the soldiers that give so much to me. It's a way for me to support them and their families, it's a way for me to get to know the soldiers that will be working side by side with my husband, and it's a way for me to get to know the families or those soldiers. The Thunder Run has linked to this post in the blog post From the Front: 03/04/2010 News and Personal dispatches from the front and the home front. I feel your pain. I understand completely. It is like that on a Bn level as well. I do kid friendly get togethers, coffees newsletters, emails you name it we are lucky if we get 4 or 5 people to get involved. No one wants to help out or attend. We had a huge party once and 150 people RSVPed to say they were coming and bringing food and only 60 people showed up. Even if I send out an email and ask for a reponse still nothing, it got so bad my husband held a meeting and gave a lesson in RSVP Manners. I don't know what to tell you except it is everywhere even my friends who are stationed all over are going through the same issues. They are lucky to get 4 or 5 people show up. I would recommend having FRG meetings off post for those who don't live on post. I would also recommend having it on a sunday evening around 4pm, when most people don't work or have bday parties to attend. It's also a great idea to open FRG to people other than just wives. FRG stands for family readiness group and what some people consider family can be a wide range of people. Try to include the parents, aunts, close friends, grandparents, and even girlfriends (some gf's are more involved than some of the wives I've met…). Having the FRG meetings off base will allow all other family members to join in on the fun and you might find some REALLY helpful extended family members that have just been waiting to reach out and help and get a support group of their own. Remember, it's not just wives that need support… A deployment is just as hard on a mother and father as it is on a spouse… Food for thought! I'm new to this blog, but I just have to comment here. My husband is army and deployed. We have 4 young children and I homeschool my oldest, first grade. I have found FRG to be virtually non-existent. I have a good network of ladies from PWOC and if it were not for friends from post and pwoc, I don't know what I'd do. As far as expecting FRG to be a babysitter, taxi, or bank, that's so not what we need. But, when there is no break in sight and you have to go to the doctor and you can not get a sitter, CDC is a complete joke. There is never space available and childcare is not offered for homeschooled kids. I'm not asking for a babysitter for free and to be catered to, but for emergencies, there really should be more support for the families of deployed soldiers. I have completely withdrawn my children from CDC because the enormous hassle of trying to get 4 kids in for a physical just to fill out the paper work to register them every year. It takes so long that 4 months goes by and now you only can use CDC for 8 more months and then repeat the process again – with no childcare -while filling out all the information in a teeny tiny office that's so not kid friendly! It's just easier to hire a nanny service and pay through the nose when you absolutely need help. If I even did hear of any kind of FRG on my post, I don't know if I'd even go because it's a job to get 4 little ones out of the house, go to a meeting with out childcare and listen to information that mostly does not pertain to me. I agree in that I would rather get a phone call if there is information I need to know. FRG also needs way better marketing. Good luck with your meetings. I hope FRG can be something families will benefit from. To the anonymous I don't know which post you are at. At Fort Stewart our CDC DOES allow Homeschooled kids for FRG meetings, doctors appointments, emergencies, etc. As a Battalion Advisor I make sure that the families that I know homeschool realize that this is available for them. Also, don't forget that some of this is free during deployments. Good luck and don't give up. Im an army wife of 7 years now and i have had two experiances with frg.. one.. it was really awesome, the ladies always kept us informed and up todate.. and the other where before i became the leader there wasnt an frg.. in that case i volenteered to be the leader. I have found it tough as the unit im a leader for is a non deployable unit. Its a Drill Sareant unit.. im lucky to have 3 people at the meetings.. its very fusterating! Been an army wife over 12 years and have been FRG leader in many levels. It is so hard to get anyone to attend or show interest. Tried everything. I am trying to remain positive, but it is frustrating since I can't do everything myself. Noone wants to help out at all. I do newsletters, frgsite, emails. I try to plan events that are childfriendly since we dont have alot of funds for childcare and still nothing. Noone wants to volunteer and help out noone wants to go spouses functions that we make child friendly. I have tried everything that I can do. There are spouses that refuse to get involved, refuse to answer or acknowledge emails and I know some of them dont have young kids at home nor do they work during the day. They are missing out. So I guess it is better to just have 4 or 5 people show up then alot that dont want to be there. personally i dont want to attend frg meetings when my husband is not deployed because we barely have time to spend as a family as it is after the long work hours and field time.. im not going to give up more family time to attend what i feel is an unneccessary meeting… our frg plans things like doing fundraisers that require us being away from our husband, and they wanted to have a bar-b-q as the guys came in from 2 weeks in the field.. our guys are tired, dirty, and just wanna go home, they dont wanna have to pay $5 for a hot dog at a bar-b-q that was funded by their money and wait while their wives are stuck at base cleaning up…. of course we dont want to be involved… the only thing most wives want from the army is more time with their husbands, things that interfere with that i find simply annoying and frustrating… I would like like the FRG to contact me! I gave the FRG leader my email last december and never have heard anything. Yesterday afternoon I stopped at the Commissary to grab some things and I found myself in the health and beauty aisle. Without thinking, I grabbed my husband’s brand of body wash, popped it open and inhaled deeply. The next thing I knew I was clutching the bottle with tears running down my face. I rushed… Dear Sarah, Don't feel too crazy. Believe it or not I do the EXACT same things! I found myself leaving his dirty towel from his shower before he left hanging over the curtain rod for the longest time because I wanted to feel like he was still around. We send each other shirts back and forth sprayed with perfume and cologne and keep them zipped up tight in a zip lock bag. And yes, they are treats…I only snuggle with it on really bad lonely nights. I save all emails, pictures, texts, and recent calls just to see his name. The funny story about the cologne on tshirts is that we didn't think of that right away and I had to buy him deodorant and send it to him because they didn't have his brand at the PX on base in Afghanistan and I opened his deodorant and rubbed it ALL over a shirt before I boxed it up and sent it to him..of course I added a little note “just so you know it smelled just like you and I had to open it and rub it all over a shirt, I just didn't want you to think someone had been using it”. He thought it was so sweet and decided that we should send each other shirts with perfume and cologne. Don't feel too crazy. Believe it or not I do the EXACT same things! I found myself leaving his dirty towel from his shower before he left hanging over the curtain rod for the longest time because I wanted to feel like he was still around. We send each other shirts back and forth sprayed with perfume and cologne and keep them zipped up tight in a zip lock bag. And yes, they are treats…I only snuggle with it on really bad lonely nights. I save all emails, pictures, texts, and recent calls just to see his name. The funny story about the cologne on tshirts is that we didn't think of that right away and I had to buy him deodorant and send it to him because they didn't have his brand at the PX on base in Afghanistan and I opened his deodorant and rubbed it ALL over a shirt before I boxed it up and sent it to him..of course I added a little note “just so you know it smelled just like you and I had to open it and rub it all over a shirt, I just didn't want you to think someone had been using it”. He thought it was so sweet and decided that we should send each other shirts with perfume and cologne. I use David's deoderant and switched to his brand of razor a long time ago. I have a sort of shrine, for lack of a better word. It's a valet set-up that has different t-shirts and hats on it…in rotation, kind of like a store window. I think we all sleep with laptops, or I sleep with my smart phone. And I have his last clothes still folded and sitting on the dryer, because I couldn't bear to put them away and “settled in” till next time. I'm sure there's more. The craziest thing I do is keep it all in, especially knowing there's so many of us out there that are like us going through the same. Thanks for putting it out there Sarah! You are not alone! We're all part of the crazy club, I think. When I am missing him, I go sit in his truck – smells like coffee, sweat, fuel, the field….we all know 'that' smell. A friend (non-military) suggested I get it detailed for him as a gift. NO WAY! That is my refuge, my reminder of all that is him. I sleep in his most prized t-shirts (I would never have that luxury while he is at home), use his pillow, still wake every morning wishing he was beside me. You're not crazy. These things are a right of passage as a military wife and being love with a man who is a part of something bigger than himself. If you weren't doing them, then there might be something wrong with you. I can't tell you how much this post just meant to me. I had one of those cry myself to sleep nights last night – one of those I lay down and can visually and mentally recreate how his hands feel on my skin, the sent of his breath, the sound of his snore, the way he sleeps – and I lost it. It's like you hold it together all day, forced to be strong – but it the sadness and anxiety just lay right beneath the surface ready to bulge up. Then you smell a cologne ad thats his, or you touch one of his teeshirts, you watch military movies, you read books he loves, you sit in his truck because you feel somehow connected when you are miles apart. Thank you for writing about this – it made my heart feel a little bit safer tonight knowing someone else is going through the same thing. Mrs. B~ That's what I'm always saying. When people ask how I am, they want to hear, “Fine.” I say, if I'm doing fine something isn't right; I'll be fine when he gets here… Sarah, Star, Kelly, everyone else: It's a military wife thing that others (even our guys) don't understand. I know that if Matt knew that I did something like that – he would tell me it was gross and to wash his shirts right away. I kept a shirt that he had worn while home on a pass before leaving country. I would sometimes slep in it. I sprayed his pillow with his deodorant and cologne. Like Star, I even switched to his razor. It's just something we need to do. Wow… I am a National Guardsman's wife so I'm not around a lot of other military wives. It makes me feel so much better that I'm not the only one that sometimes sits in our closet to find a shirt that still smells like him or I keep a bottle of his body wash in the bathroom just so I can smell it. I'm glad I'm not the only crazy lady walking around Wow, I deffinately feel better now. This is one of those harder nights when I dug through my husband's closet for his old ragedy sweats that before I would beat into the washing machine with an entire box of baking soda and now I am currently wearing them. My mom origionally went through all joe's stuff and boxed it up for me because we were going to move soon and out of sight out of mind seemed like a good idea at the time. Now I have a house full of empty boxes and I wear my husband's shirts to bed. At least I'm not the only one. I received an email from my 1st Grader’s music teacher requesting that all the children who have family members overseas this Christmas to bring the photo to the Holiday Music program and hold up the picture while they sing Bring Him Home Santa. My heart stopped. I can certainly see how this teacher might think… Ugh – I can see the teacher meant well – but after reading the lyrics, I think that is HEART BREAKING. I'm an Army Wife, with no children…yet, but even I wouldn't want to sing that song. I don't think people realize how many times they stick their finger in open wounds while trying to be supportive. as a school teacher, i have taught both on- and off-post. being an army brat and now army wife, i am extra sensitive to things like this. however, your son's teacher may not have taught of it this way. maybe send her a note letting her know your take on it? i appreciate all the musicians out there re-making chrismtas songs to reflect our soldiers and their families' situation this holiday season, but i personally find no comfort in those songs (nor “i'll be home for christmas”). many times civilians mean no harm, only want to support, but never see how it may go astray. hang in there and remember, christmas is about being with the ones you love, whether it's in december or april. That is sucha sad song, and it's so real in that it is what the children hope for, and the spouses too. My heart aches as I read it. Secretia Dear Sarah, Try to talk her out of having that song in the performance!Things like that have a longer effect than just during the show!My daughter was in middle school & Dad was deployed.She finished all of her work & decided to write to her him. The substitute took the letter away and told my daughter that she can't waiste HER valuable class time by writing notes! Needless to say my daughter broke down in tears and ran out of the class! I was livid! I went to the school & had a talk with the sub, the councelor & principal. I really hope you discuss this song with the teacher. I'm pretty sure that you aren't the only mother of a military child and if it was me and I talked to her and we couldn't come to a compromise than I would just keep my son home. Theres no point in putting him through that hurt that he is already experiencing more than he needs to be. Lucky for us my husband is home this Christmas, but last year was a different story. Yet as I read the lyrics the tears come down my face as if he was still downrange. I agree, the teacher means well.. but I would talk to her about it. You don't want the kids to think that Santa can bring their mommy or daddy home. Only to be sad on Christmas day. -Candy The Thunder Run has linked to this post in the blog post From the Front: 12/09/2009 News and Personal dispatches from the front and the home front. They pulled the song from the program! Thank you all for your kind words and support! I actually posted the Bring Him Home Santa vid on FB (and my own site) this morning. It always makes me cry.:( Am going to share your column on FB too. Thank YOU for your service, and a BIG AuntyBrat hug to your son. Ouch. You have a VERY valid point. My son is 9, in the 3rd grade, and is convinced Santa is real and can bring him anything he wants- ANYTHING. I would have a talk with the other military mom's to get their feelings about it, and then speak to the teacher. It's a lovely, heart-felt song, and I'm sure her heart is in the right place… but I don't think she thought it all the way through (the song selection itself or the pictures). It will just bring tears, sadness, and heartache. Oh yay! Wow! I'm glad they pulled the song, and I'm sure the teacher meant well by trying to support our heroes, but that song… So sad. I can't imagine my babies having to sing those words and being in the audience listening to it. Just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes. My husband will be home this Christmas, but last year and next, well, that's another story. We are our children's biggest cheerleaders, support system and attack dogs. As long as we are there to fight for them and let them know we care, no song in the world can get it the way. Way to stay up for your little ones and have the program changed!! GOOD JOB!! |
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Awesome! i gained a lot during my pregnancy and it's not over yet (popping out the baby in 6.5 weeks, hopefully), but my husband and i already agreed on my personal 2 hrs me-time and his 2-hrs quality time with his daughter as soon as i can go back to the pool. i miss swimming and working out there.
So all the best to you and keep up the work out!
Awesome accomplishment, keep on keepin' on, you're definitely an inspiration! Soon you'll have to get another ID because you won't look like your picture!
I loved reading this. So proud for you! God BLess
Awesome. Just awesome. Since I also have a two year old who considers being within arms length necessary to his survival, I totally get it.
Maybe we should start some sort of online way to virtually work out together
I find winter the toughest to maintain my weight loss. 
Kudos to you!
That is so cool! I loved reading your blog. I can relate w/the two yr old on my hip. One great thing about that 2 yr old is that he's 30 lbs so you get an upper body workout w/out even wanting one daily. Keep up the great work!
Kudos to you! I have been on every diet in the world and even went to a Dr. and got a prescription and it actually helped me knock off 40 pounds. But when i couldnt afford the medication anymore, guess what-within a year i gained it all back.Im also a very lazy person with a arthritic knee and every other health thingy you could possibly think of, but i know deep down i HAVE to get moving. Its the only thing that will take it and keep it off. And diet! I work for a restaurant and very little healthy food so i dont eat there, which is hard enough cause we know that unhealthy food is soooo tasty!!! But please keep sharing your journey and we will all get through this together. We are Army wives, the toughest wives on the planet!
Loved reading your story.. I am at my all time high of 280 and i go to the gym after work but it gets old after working all day.. are you still in Korea.. I am at camp humphreys.. I would love to talk to you more about somethings that you think might help me, just helpful advice..
What an awesome story! I thought you were writing about me until you got to the actual part of losing weight lol.
What an inspiration you are. I am glad that you have found something that works for you & you enjoy. Hopefully, one day, I can write & say the same thing.
Way to go! Good luck luck on your journey, and here's to getting a new ID card with an even lower number on it! I haven't weighed my ID card weight in quite a while, but I'm working on it too:)
Awesome. Keep it up, mama. As someone going through her own weight-loss journey, I commend you. I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers.
One thing that has been helping me, not simply dieting but just changing my lifestyle, being more active and eating healthier. I can't stand bland foods so the whole “salads, no dressing” bleh bleh bleh type of dieting never worked for me. I got this book from Amazon–”The Mediterrasian Way” by Ric Watso and Trudy Thelander and “The Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight and Eating Great” by Pam Anderson–amazingly delicious and healthy recipes. And my hubby LOVES everything I cook. If you try them out, you have to let me know how they are for you.
Best of luck to you. You have a cheerleader over here!
Thank you so much, ladies!
Yes, I'm still in Korea, Tiffany B. You can find me on FB. My name is Emily Ann Grace.
Way to go you!
I'm not really all that unhappy with the number on the scale, but I am SO unsatisfied with how in shape I am. My husband is a very outdoorsy person. He likes to bike and hike and run and do all those other things that just THINKING of sends me to the kitchen for a cupcake. I've attempted to go biking with him before, and try as I might, I can't keep up. I'm done after about a mile at a snail's pace, and he's frustrated. I would LOVE to work out and build my strength/stamina so that we could do things like this as a couple…
But like you mentioned here, I'm making every excuse not to get started. I think an in-home workout might be the thing for me too. (My biggest excuse is that I feel SO silly and shy about going to a public gym.) Point being, I'm going to look up these DVDs. Thanks for this post!
Loved to read about your decision to loose weight and most of all of your success and the fact that even the upheaval of PCS'ing couldn't derail you from your purpose. The only thing that worries me is your closing statement, celebrate with something you love by all means, but don't go on a binge. By the time you finish your weight loss journey you'll be another person entirely, with binges behind you. May I suggest that you celebrate how strong you've been, how far you'll have gone and the incredible determination that you'll have had. BTW I'm not some “always been skinny and tiny” girl speaking. I completely identified with your “the scale must b broken” moment. I too am working on loosing weight, I finally got to my first target weight and on to phase two! I wish u much continued success on your journey, and congratulate u on being so brave as to begin it.
This is freaking awesome! I'm so proud of you! I started on a weight loss adventure this summer. I've lost 8 pounds – but seem to get stuck around the point where I am. It's frustrating. I've recently realized, it has a lot to do with what I eat. I LOVE junk food. I hate left overs. I'm trying to now make a meal plan for us on a monthly basis so that I won't have an excuse to eat out (and I don't do fast food either – YUCK). I'm inspired by you! Thank you for sharing!
I too, am so proud of what you have accomplished. Astonishing. I would love to be in a Kickboxing Class with you then.
Good for you! I have always been an average weight, but always weighed in at the high end of my “healthy” weight, so for my wedding I did TurboJam and I lost about 20 lbs, bringing me almost to my goal weight. Whenever I’m feeling fat or weighing a little more than I want to, TurboJam is the one workout that I know will work! Keep up the good work! And good luck!
[...] does, right? Well, I used to in September of 2011. By March of 2012, I made it all the way down to 230 pounds, which is still fat, but it’s the [...]