30 Days Post Op.....

Ahhh.

So, as of yesterday, I was 30 days post-op. Thirty days ago, a hot surgeon opened me up, and CHANGED MY LIFE.

At this point, I am 27 lbs lighter since June 20th, 2011. I last weighed in on 7/13. I plan to weigh again tomorrow and see where we are at! It is so crazy...I eat an egg, and feel full beyond belief. I drink a protein shake, and it takes me about two hours to finish it! I am beyond grateful for all of the supportive people who have stuck by me this whole time, and cannot even begin to imagine what I would do without the encouragement and support. It's truly amazing how many people will think to check on you when you take on something like this. You learn who really cares about you, and who really celebrates your achievements WITH you.

I have a best friend that MAKES MY DAY. She drove me to and from surgery, and had a mini meltdown when the nurses rolled me to my room after surgery (as you can very well imagine, I was a HOT mess, apparently groaning about my shoulder pain!), and honestly, that's just the beginning of the list. We have a fabulous new condo together, and now that she no longer lives in Bakersfield, things are FINALLY back to normal. We just celebrated the past weekend with a day at the Del Mar Throughbred Club Horse Races (thanks, Corky!), and then spent Sunday with her boyfriends wonderful family at Glen Ivy Spa in Corona. Nothing like being painted in green goop with your bestie to get the bonding going! Lol. It's so nice to have her here again. I feel better when I go home, and I look forward to everything we do, because we always MAKE it fun....regardless! Give us some gossip mags and beach towels, and we will make it happen! :) You can see just a glimpse of how we get down, complete with our oh so glam "My Fair Lady" style hats at the races this past weekend below(I snuck one of Lidia in there too! That girl is quite the anchor in the 5 years I have known her!):

As far as StupidHead is concerned....

Ahh....sometimes I just wish I could write him a REALLY long letter, and be able to vocalize everything that I think to tell him throughout the day. It's kind of annoying, really. I realized that he is one of the males in my life who can actually GET UNDER my skin, and I freaked out a bit. It's not really my style to stress over a dude. It's not my style to give a rip about whether or not they are upset with me, or I hurt their feelings. The lines of this friendship have just become so beyond blurred. And I am just as guilty as he is. I could say no....I could ignore the calls....but I never do. I decided last night that I was going to address the fact that we've overstepped the appropriate friendship boundaries after a small tiff last night, and then BOOM! He goes and starts on about all the things he likes about me. It was straight out of a chick flick...."I like that thing you do with your nose, that face you make when I annoy you? And I love it when you're angry, and then you just vent and go right back to being all sunshine and rainbows. I hear songs when I'm in the car, and just picture you smiling and singing along...."

WTF? The worst part? I remember pretty much every word he said. Which only means that we are really screwed here. So I need to start lining 'em back up again! I need to find someone that I really want to invest my time in. Maybe someone I'd actually consider fighting for. Someone I would go out of my way to express my feelings for, in the hopes that I could keep them.

OR! Maybe I can just act a straight fool for a little while! :) Gotta make sure I can keep up with all these guys....settling down in the midst of so many changes and achievements could be a little foolish, after all! Time will tell.

In the meantime, I'm gonna keep stalking the Victoria's Secret website, and adding swimsuits to my shopping cart in preperation for my Sports Illustrated cover! A woman's work is never done!

I'm thinking that this could be it, seeing as it's my color and all. ;)

The Liya Push Up Halter Top suit from the "Beach Sexy" line at VictoriasSecret.com. I'll take HECK YES for $500, Alex!

Love and Lipgloss!
XOXOXO <3

Oh Surgery....How Thou Stresseth Me Out...

Whew.

Decided I wanted Weight Loss Surgery(WLS).
Went for my consulation with the surgeon, Dr. Mark Takata (or Mark Ta-HOT-a.) on March 8th.
Had everything else by April 10th...psych eval, nutrition consult, etc. And on May 17th, I learned that my surgery was APPROVED by insurance. (I only had to call and pretend to be my surgeon's scheduler, Nicole, like 4 times!).

Seriously, I complain about all the shenanigans, but then I have to remember that most people have to wait more than a YEAR to complete all pre-op appointments and weight loss programs to get approved. With persistence, determination, and perpetually pestering people (say that five times fast!), I have ARRIVED. June 24th is the big day.

You think I'm too vain for my own good now? Those car and storefront windows won't have a CHANCE when this is over! ;)

Since it's been awhile since I've blogged, let's recap the most recent and significant events that have taken place, shall we?

1] My "sister" and one of my best friends, Chelsea Quinn left for bootcamp on May 23rd. While I miss her terribly, I am so ridiculously proud of her and the steps she is taking to improve her life. She is a resilient and determined woman, and I am so grateful to have a person like that in my life. It's so refreshing, after some of the dead weight I've carried around(no surgery pun intended ;))

2] I joined plentyoffish.com, and I've got MAD hoes on that site. I'm not gonna front. My being on that site is beyond useless, because I will never meet any of them in person. I do it for the attention. It's a huge ego boost to post a pik on there, say whatever you want, and then see your inbox flood. And they all start by telling me I have a gorgeous smile, and ask why on earth I think I need to lose weight. Lol. Can you say Ego Boost?! It makes me even more determined to drop all these lame guys and start fresh post-op. Anyone who didn't make their move before better not try to snatch me up after, mark my words!

3] In the midst of planning for life altering surgery, I was faced with the need to plan a move. My landlord/roomie is combining households with family members, so I needed a new place by July 1st that was adjacent to work, since I'm sans vehicle at the moment, and that was affordable. Enter Alex Ard [aka, the BFFF] and her boyfriends AMAZING family. Her boyfriends cousin [hellllloooo Jerry Springer status] was looking for a roommate, and seeing as I know their family somewhat, they agreed to let me rent a room with my OWN bathroom for what I am paying now. And guess what? It's only 2.3 miles from the office! You know what that means? It means See Sondra Sprint to work! So convenient, so perfect, so grateful that opportunity made it's way into my life! How can you NOT have faith when things like that happen? I was panicked over finding a place, and had 65 year old ladies on disability who grew their own weed responding to my ad! Then, go on a lovely weekend trip to Santa Barbara, and BAM! Done deal. God is GOOD!

4] I am terrified about this surgery. No lie, as much as I am excited about being healthy, and being in Sports Illustrated someday [go ahead and laugh, don't be jealous when I steal Kim Kardashian's man!], all this talk they do right before about catheters, site tubes, anesthesia, injections, protein shakes, and blood clots, and 6 week liquid diets makes me beyond NERVOUS. So much to learn, so much to remember, and the part that scares me most is the fact that I have 23 years of habits to break. Mindless snacking, drinking with meals, eating when I'm NOT hungry just because it's there....I'm definitely not worried that I won't be able to do it. I guess I just worry that it's not one of those things I will be able to do perfectly right away. I hate that. But, alternately, I LOVE the new vanity lights in my new huge and amazing bathroom....as well as the mirrored doors on my new huge and amazing closet that takes up a whole wall of my bedroom. And if that isn't motivational, then I don't know what is, dang it!

5] I am absolutely addicted to reading the blog by Shelly Vicarri, entitled The World According to Eggface. She had gastric bypass surgery 5 years ago, and looks RIDICULOUSLY GREAT! She is a whole new person, with a new attitude towards not only food, but life. She gave me hope for life after surgery. She tailors recipes to be everything a post-op needs, without sacrificing flavor and enjoyment. And let's face it, this Black and Italian girl needs FLAVOR! She is absolutely wonderful, and I can't help but wish she was my neighbor. If she lived in San Marcos with me, I'd beg her to do start a support group for North County. I've been taking notes from everything she posts, and making sure that when I get to eat solids again, I follow her lead. She needs to publish a cookbook like, YESTERDAY.

Check her out here!


Even if you're a size two, you'll be addicted to tons of her recipes, and wish you NEEDED to drink protein shakes! Now, if only I could find the Max Protein that she uses....AHHHH!

5] Let's talk about StupidHead for a minute, shall we? StupidHead would be the guy that is a best friend to me. Honestly, he is a boyfriend. He is a boyfriend that doesn't know how to ask me if he can be my boyfriend. Let's be real....even kindergarteners know how to write those cute little "Will you be my Girlfriend" notes! But me, I get the scaredy cats and crazies and looooosers! Crazy. I love this guy. Am I in love with him, no. Mainly because I find it hard to fall very hard for someone who won't even tell you they want to be with you. He calls me EVERY single night, texts me EVERY single morning, drives up to see me, has been supportive through all this surgery business, and just recently started an argument with me because I was talking about one of the guys on plentyoffish (and then calls back to apologize and tell me he just is really jealous when I talk about other guys. WTH?) but he doesn't see me as girlfriend material, clearly.

Which is ok, right? Because any man of mine better know how to ask for what he wants! A closed mouth don't get fed! [Unless he wants a protein shake......]

I think that is about it. After surgery, I'll be making this mainly a weight loss blog. That will be my life, so that will be what I have to babble about! I want to thank all my loving friends for all of their support on this journey. Your prayers, and words of encouragement mean the world to mean, even though some of you may not agree with what I am trying to do.

I love you all so much! Don't forget to check out Eggface! I'm not playing! It's amazing!


<3

Battle of the Bulge...2011 Style!

Alas, here we are.

Yet again, I am coming to you with visions of Sports Illustrated full page spreads and centerfolds, bikinis, spray tans, and fabulosity in its thinnest form!

Nope. Not taking before and after photos, or promising to post progress reports like last time. You know why? Because I cried every time I realized that no matter WHAT I did, I am accountable to my readers for showing progress that isn't being made. And it's not that I don't try...because I DO. But, you see, according to my new favorite primary care physician, Dr. Hubbard? Some people are juts BIG. Point blank, period, the end.

Now see, me? I don't buy all that. Sure, I've never been SMALL. And it seems no matter what I do, be it medically supervised diet drugs, Zumba [like my life DEPENDS on those dang salsa steps. I have dance battles with my teacher, and of course as a result? She LOVES me.], gym memberships, or even indulging in my favorite spray tans just to create the ILLUSION of weight loss...I get nowhere.

So, after a couple of years of research and hesitation? It's Bariatric Surgery time.

I originally thought I'd go with the Lap Band, but given the sheer petrification I experience even LOOKING at needles (I almost passed out getting my round 2 Gardasil shot today, and yet, I walk around pretending to have a GUN in my Betsey Johnson Bag!), it doesn't seem like quite the fit for me. My surgeon feels my commitment level is right on track for a band, and that's saying a lot, because the band is an assistive device...it does NOT guarantee weight loss without ample effort. Yet, Dr. Takata feels that a Sleeve Gastrectomy, although a new and upcoming procedure by comparison, will be much more beneficial for me. Less post-operative care, and more post-operative results! Basically, a sleeve procedure is Dr. Too-HOT-a....I mean, Takata, cutting out a large portion of my stomach and stapling off the remainder, leaving me with a stomach relatively the size of a banana.

So, in theory, I can eat a banana, and be FULL literally. I am allergic to bananas...but you see my point! The risks are definitely still there...but I guess that's to be expected no matter what. After all, this is an operation that is going to CHANGE. MY. LIFE.

Change is good. And I am going to be GREAT with all of the extra opportunities afforded to me by a thinner life. My Dad, who has been complaining about how he doesn't understand why I'm so big my whole life, acts like this is the worst idea ever. It's hard for me to NOT go off on him...seeing as I BEGGED to go to Fat Camp for years, and homeboy did NOT hook it up. The Boy thinks I'm being TOO drastic, and keeps saying "I think you look great just the way you are...why would you wanna change?" and yet, he is a personal trainer! With the body of a GOD [hence, why I can't quite seem to hold the ignorant comments(along with my body) against him].

The crazy thing is...I'm not UNHAPPY being "fat." I try to tell myself I am, but really, my biggest problems with it boil down to vanity.I was Prom Princess, had tons of friends in high school and dealt with minimal teasing. I don't have any obesity related diseases, nor have I ever been ridiculously limited physically. I played basketball, I cheered, I did Colorguard, and for crying out loud, I climbed a 45 degree mountainside in tennis shoes last month! In the freezing cold! Lol.

But the fact of the matter is that someday, when I'm a mother (Lord willing?) and wife and I'm too exhausted from carrying around all this weight to play tag with my kids, or take my dog for a run, or go do some fun exciting rock climbing date with my husband? It'd ruin me. So I'm looking at this as a preventative measure. I am 23 years old. This is the time for drastic measures, because I am still at a point where I can bounce back and actually ENJOY it.

After all, how many of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition cover chicks are over 30? HA!

I WILL get my centerfold.

And I'll send each and every one of you a signed copy. Hide it from your men. Just saying!

<3

Ahhh.....Spring!

So, Spring is almost here!

Being that I am a Spring Baby, I can't deny my love for the season.

However....I am NOT a fan of Spring Cleaning. Until now, maybe!

BzzAgent has made me a very happy girl once AGAIN with the new SC Johnson Spring Cleaning Campaign.

With products from Glade, Pledge, and Scrubbing Bubbles, I am on my way to actually being EXCITED to tackle my bedroom and bathroom woes!

I actually have used the Glade scented oil candles, and love the way the scent spreads through the room. I am excited to try one of the three Spring scents in the collection. There's "Sparkle of Spring," "Jump for Joy," and "Bring on the Blossoms." Should be awesome! On top of that, I have a desk and dresser that Pledge could do wonders for...and Scrubbing Bubbles? As if the commercials weren't enough, the stuff leaves a toilet spotless.

Glade 4 oz candles became a favorite of mine over the holiday season...amazing holiday scents, and they burn up to 22 hours! That's up there with some of the top brands, but waaaaaaay less expensive!



This? This is going to be FUN!

If you're not an Agent yet, maybe this will make you wanna join. Cosmetics, Smartphones, Burt's Bee's, and now cleaning stuff? Yeah. you know you wanna!

BzzAgent.com

What the heck are you WAITING for?

Not a Girl...But I May FINALLY Be A Woman.

First, let me just say, I will ALWAYS love that dang song. Britney Spears, your tragically messy life is a cry for help, but the Baby One More Time album, and "Crossroads" shaped my life. Lol.

Secondly, I am dead serious about the whole Finally Being a Woman thing, as well.

It seems like life is all about self realization and revelations of the heart. You make a mistake, you learn a lesson. You miss an opportunity, but create several for others. It's a crazy ride, and for every thing you seem to come out of better, you deserve to be grateful...and you deserve to be proud.

I was talking to my older cousin Kirsten earlier today about relationships. She made a comment about how I never claim any of the guys I talk about. I explained to her that I am pretty much NEVER in a relationship, so claiming them would be a lie. I went on to explain that the guy I brought up is truly just my friend. I pointed out that although I originally felt something more for him, ultimately, he is Friend Zone material. He doesn't have the capacity or guts, or balls, or courage or strength to tell me he cares about me as more. So basically, I figure he must not. After all, as I always tell anyone, when a guy REALLY wants something...he goes after it. It would be JUST my luck to get the one guy who is literally not going to. But, alas, I think this is just one of those "It is what it is" things. And I don't mind.

Point is, I don't take the initiative to do all that legwork for a man anymore. You know, back in the day, I was obsessed to the point of obnoxiousness with someone. And the interesting thing is, when I FINALLY snapped out of it....I realized I had kinda remixed him and made him into someone he pretty much never was...and most likely never will be. Best part is, I believe he and someone that is supposed to be one of my closest friends are lowkey shacking up. Not that I have time to warn her. I learned the hard way, and she watched the whole thing. Her bad!! Lol.

Anyways. When I really looked at it (without the rose-colored glasses), I realized that by mis-reading and mis-translating everything he said, I made myself believe maybe there was hope for this thing I wanted so badly to come to fruition. Maybe he was just being a wild man in his teens and twenties and gettin it it where and whenever he could! Maybe he was just scared to love me, because he didn't wanna be different from all his single friends. Maybe he was waiting for me to change. Maybe I needed to change to be what he wanted, and what he needed.

But guess what? I was being absolutely RETARDED. For years, in fact. Hot mess. To the point where he knew what he could do and say to keep me hanging on, without making any promises that maybe I was just a little bit closer to having him and making him all mine.

Now, being completely honest with myself, I have to admit that no matter WHAT he did, I am the one who is responsible for the mess it caused. We probably still could have been friends, but I let the frustration and rejection kill a piece of me. The piece that had become a believer in something that seemed so real. It's hard to accept that you created someone so desirable, rather than them actually existing.

So now, I go on about my life always thinking every guy is a little bit of a joke, until he proves otherwise. Trouble with that, is that between the amazing ones with girlfriends, and the coworkers who try to get in my pants before they go home to their girlfriends they LIVE with...it's hard not to hold a bit of a grudge. But I've become unreasonably realistic since then. I evaluate what men do, and say, and their approach. If he grabs my ass before he even knows my name, you can believe I'll act a fool. If he asks my name and buys me a drink, I'll probably be mad he didn't grab my ass.

It's all kinda...well, all over the place. Lol.

But guess what? I've grown into someone who won't be so enamored with a figment of her imagination that it ruins her. And let's face it...that's way better than being the girl that has her head so far up her ass that no one wants to grab it, regardless.

<3

Pink Lips....the In for Spring! :)

Yes. Pink lips. Whether fischia, watermelon, peony, or pale pink be your vice, I have got you covered! CoverGirl has continuously provided us trendy, yet financially challenged fashionistas rock the most relevant trends with amazing, quality lip color at a fab price!

The new CoverGirl Lip Perfection will actually IMPROVE the health and softness of your lips in 7 days! So not only are you the trendy, fearless girl with the pink pout, but you're the girl that has healthy, supple, and gorgeous lips even when the color is gone! Where I'm from, we call that a Win-Win situation. :)

On another note...some of you may wonder how to find the pink that is perfect for you. Obviously, a nude pink on me is a no bueno, unless maybe we are talking my signature "Nymphette" from MAC Lipglass. But for my fair-skinned friends? Rock it! A nude pink is straight off the runway all the time...it's classic! And for my brunettes with a little Katy Perry in their blood? Rock a fierce fuschia, and relive a teenage dream! :) For the mixed girls in the building, a mauve or slightly purple pink or even a bright and bold watermelon really will set off your skin tone, and brighten up everything and everyone around you! For my blacker the berry girls, berry is the key! Keep the purple undertones, and make it work for you!!


Also, when pink comes into play...there are two ends of the makeup spectrum. You can make the pink lips the main focus for a day at the office, but if you're hitting the town, don't be afraid to play up the pink pucker-up with an equally bright and vivacious eyeliner and subtly sparkly blush. It's about being young, gorgeous, and worth the spotlight!

You know you wanna!

Love and Lipgloss!

<3

Valentine's Day...whatev!

So, it's almost here again.

Another year went by, and I somehow managed to alienate myself yet again from all the lovely hustle and bustle that is a RELATIONSHIP. Some say I'm crazy, but I think I'm merely talented. Lol.

Alas, I am not bitter. Actually, I kinda love V day. I love love. I love hearts. I love red and pink and white. I love candy. I love people giving me candy and cute lil cards. So it's not such a bad deal!

This Valentines Day? I got another sweet deal up my sleeve! CoverGirl has teamed up with Facebook to help us send adorable candy heart messages to friends! And as if that wasn't cute enough? 1,000 lucky girls will score a free Lip Perfection lipstick....one of the HOTTEST, and newest products from the CG family.

But don't bother reading more of this...you have hearts to send!



Have a FABULOUS Valentine's Day, and spread the LOVE!

XoXo

Smartphone. Free. Yes, I DID That!

BzzAgent Business, once again.

These people, I swear! They just keep giving me COOLEST free stuff, and let me go crazy telling the world about it!

One of the most recent campaigns I joined was the Windows powered HTC HD7 phone. With the largest screen on the market, it's seriously a great phone for a phone junkie like me. It's got netflix, a super amazing 5mp camera, and a video camera that may as well be a hand held camcorder. The Windows 7 operating system is beyond user friendly, and there is a Zune player built in. I'm in HEAVEN!

More dish on the phone that makes me wanna sing? (No, really. I make those videos you see of me singing on it!) Check it out at: http://www.htc.com/us/products/hd7-tmobile

And if you wanna be a part of the BzzAgent team, and get free products of your own, just for telling people about them? Knock yourself out!



Don't say I never did anything for you! :)

Love and Lipgloss!

Sondra Jo

Sweet Escapes.....for LESS!

Ever feel like just getting away?

You just want to get out of town for awhile. Maybe you wanna be alone, or maybe you wanna be with the girls, or the one you love. Either way, I have found a little-known travelers paradise that may interest you!

SniqueAway.com is an EXCLUSIVE, invite-only hotel site that offers only 4 and 5 star hotels at rock bottom prices. Truth is, for most people my age, it's still too expensive...but isn't everything??

The interesting thing about sneak away (aside from lavish accomodations that allow you to vacay like the stars without making the money they do!) is that it's free to join....but you HAVE to be invited.

Never fear! I got your back!

http://www.sniqueaway.com/invite/SondraHo

There's that. Click, and go crazy! You can at least dream about all the wonderful places we can go after I win the lottery. Or after YOU do, for that matter! You can opt in for weekly emails, daily alerts, or even alerts that let you know when spots you've got your eye on are dropping prices and helping you make that one romantic, luxurious night possible. You know you wanna!

Love and Lipgloss!

Sondra Jo

You Know I'm ALL About the Trends!

So.

If you didn't know, I am part of a Word-of-Mouth marketing company panel that allows me to get new, exclusive products from well-known and top-of-the-line brands and services that most of us are all aware of as it is. All I have to do for this? Tell the world about it!

The newest campaign I've joined is the Cosmopolitan magazine campaign. I can subscribe to get Cosmo for $5 a month, and get Marie Claire every month for just $5 more!

Let's recap.

$10= 12 months of two of the best mags ever in my mailbox! LOVE it! The other thing is, if you "like" Cosmo on Facebook, you can upload a pik, and they have the cutest virtual journey to becoming the next "Fun, Fearless Female." It's a pretty great idea, and lots of fun if you have some free time! Plus! There are tons of daily freebies after you're a fan of the page. And let's face it, Cosmo freebies are up there with the best of them!

So, to uphold my BzzAgent promise, I am sharing the Cosmo love with ya'll!



Check it out, and hopefully you love it as much as I do!