Confessions of a Chocolateholic: A 25-Year Struggle With Weight

 
Warning: For the purpose of telling a story, this particular blog contains a bunch of pictures of me. I personally found it pretty unnerving to see my face over ten times on a single page, so I thought I'd save you the shock and give you all a head's up.

My "weight-loss journey" has been a long one. I wasn't always overweight. Though I was over 9lbs when I was born, as a child I was pretty skinny (or at least average if nothing else).

Little newborn me:

Mama Seal, brother seals, and a little flower girl version of me at my cousin Michelle's wedding (totally still diggin' that pink frilly FG number):

I think it was around 3rd grade when I started gaining "the weight". I'm not quite sure what it was that changed—I was an active kid and well-known as a tomboy. Perhaps it was a slowing metabolism or maybe I started eating more cupcakes and candy—whatever it was, the weight seemed as though it was there to stay.

MOH Brandi and I in 3rd grade, right as I began gradually putting on pounds:

In junior high I was wearing double-digit pant sizes. By high school I was 5'8" and a size 20, weighing in at over 230 pounds. Over the years I had completely lost interest in sports and went from a tomboy to that kid who was always scheming to get out of P.E. class.

My HS Senior photo, at my heaviest:

I looked in the mirror and, although I thought I had a pretty face, I cringed at what I saw—I wasn't one of those beautiful girls who was confident with my extra curves. I was unhappy and, as so many over-eaters do, found comfort in food—cheese and chocolate put a smile on my face.

MOH Brandi and I during our college years:

 Somewhere between a size 18 and 20 while studying abroad in Spain with friend Christina:

About a year after I came back home from school I "turned a corner". I was tired of feeling sluggish and ugly and done with failing at losing weight. People ask what changed for me mentally and I really can't attribute my new-found determination to anything other than an extreme desire to be healthy and to not fail.

For months I counted every calorie that went into my body and worked out tirelessly. I started by walking two miles a day and 50 pounds later was able to run almost 7.5 miles at Bay-to-Breakers in San Francisco. As mentioned in a previous post, it was after my first Bay-to-Breakers run that Mr. Seal and I started dating.

Me, at a size 12 shortly thereafter: 

Bridesmaid Sarah and I being goobers:

During the first year of engagement, I put back on about 15lbs. Bummer. Though I definitely could have made wiser food choices, I can't say I regret that time. We were happy, and happy for us entailed no gym and lots of date nights with pasta, pizza, cheeseburgers and chocolate cake.

Post 15lb weight gain at our engagement party, with MOH Brandi yet again:

As 2011 rolled around, the novelty of eating whatever I wanted wore off and I began to feel uncomfortable with my physical appearance again. I always knew I wanted to lose weight before the wedding but after gaining back some of my previous pounds I really wanted to lose for me and for my health.

To kick off the new year the healthful way, some of my family and friends started a weight-loss support group and every week we meet at my auntie's house to weigh-in and discuss our diet and exercise habits. I cannot tell you how successful this has been. Well, actually I can. With their support, both Mr. S and I have gotten back in to eating healthy and exercising regularly and I am happy to announce that I am officially at my lowest weight as an adult.

Currently a size 10 weighing in at 170 lbs (and on my way to losing more):

Losing weight is more than just about feeling fabulous in a wedding gown. I can truly say that had I still weighed 230lbs when I met Mr. Seal, we would never have started dating. Now, before you get angry at the Sealman, he is not the reason I say that—in fact, he vehemently disagrees and claims that he would have found me attractive at any weight. I say this because when I was 230lbs I completely closed myself off to the opposite sex. As trite as it sounds, it's true—I didn't love myself and therefore didn't feel as though anyone else deserved to love me.

So like I said, losing weight is not just about the wedding—it is about being healthy for our future kids and feeling good enough about myself to let Mr. Seal continue loving me.

Have any of you struggled with weight? Did your wedding jump-start a weight-loss regimen?

With love,

Miss Seal

(all personal photos)

"The DiMaggio Difference": Choosing the Church

When it came time to decide what kind of ceremony we would have, the decision was not without thought. For a short breath we considered doing a "room flip" and having the reception and ceremony at the same locale, but it seemed like too much work, and extra work means extra room for error! (Extra room for error means extra anxiety for Miss Seal). Plus, Mr. S and I were both baptized Catholic and the traditional side of me really wanted to have that big church wedding like my parents had.

My parents' San Francisco wedding:

 

After a lengthy and thoughtful discussion with my Sealman we decided to also marry within the Church.

With the decision made to have a big church ceremony, the next step was to figure out which church would set the stage. Having the ceremony at the local parish in which I was baptized was not an option—I just wasn't comfortable asking my guests to drive 30+ minutes to get to the reception site. And seeing as how Mr. Seal was baptized in Brooklyn...well, you can understand why that was out of the question!

We looked into Mission Dolores in San Francisco, the beautiful location of my parents' ceremony, but they couldn't accommodate our Friday wedding. So that was that.

Then I remembered my cousin Sharla's wedding. In March of '09 I was a guest at her wedding in the North Beach area of San Francisco and I remember being blown away by the beautiful church in which she wed her husband.

I have no idea why this is the only picture I have from her ceremony, as it obviously does it no justice (you can kinda see the interior of the Church in the background, no?), but I thought I'd introduce you to the eldest Brother Seal anyhow:

Sooo, hive, meet Sts. Peter and Paul—as it so happens this is the same church where Joltin' Joe DiMaggio wed his first wife, Dorthy Arnold back in November of 1939 (he also posed for pictures on the Church's steps after marrying Marilyn Monroe at City Hall):

Image via Flickr

Image via Sts Peter and Paul

Personal photo

Now, this would be an incomplete post if I didn't explain why all of the aforementioned details are of extra importance.

I'd like to enter into evidence a little something I refer to as, "The DiMaggio difference". Okay, so that's kind of a big name for what I am about to explain, but whatever, let's roll with it.

The DiMaggio Difference:

Image via NY Daily News/Photo Credit: AP

1. Joe was born in the small town of Martinez, California—about 30 minutes east of San Francisco. As it so happens, I was also raised in this cozy town of 36,000. And being the birthplace of the Yankee Clipper is one of Martinez' most prized claims to fame.
2. As you know, Mr. Seal is THE biggest Yankees fan I know. Informing him that we had the possibility of marrying in the same church as Mr. DiMaggio was quite the delight. Though Joe is a native of the West Coast, he spent his career in New York as a Yankee and according to Mr. Seal...that makes him a New Yorker.
3. Joe and his first wife not only married in Sts. Peter and Paul, but they were married on November 19...only 8 days after our wedding date (albeit 72 years earlier...but you get the point)
4. Lastly, Joe was a SEAL! Prior to the baseball big leagues, Joe played in the minors for the San Francisco Seals. 

Young Joe as a Seal:

Image via ninety feet of perfection

In light of all of the obvious coincidences, we made contact with Sts Peter and Paul. And after some e-mail correspondence with one of the Fathers we decided to "accept fate", if you will, and send in our deposit. So now we will appropriately be following in the footsteps of a man that very much embodied both the East and the West—much like Mr. Seal and I.

Well, except we'll stay married, of course ;)

What made you decide on your ceremony location? Tradition? Convenience? Joe DiMaggio?

Lots of love,

Miss Seal

Chasing Platinum: The Reception Hunt

Have you ever watched "Platinum Weddings" on WEtv? You knooow, the one where couples spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to make their wildest wedding dreams a reality? Well I have, but really that's not saying much 'cause I've given just about every wedding TV show out there a shot. Yes, even CMT's "My Big Redneck Wedding" thanks to MOH Meghan.

Our favorite cake from "My Big Redneck Wedding". I think it has flair, no?:

Image via CMT

Anyhow, I find "Platinum Weddings" to be kind of a depressing show to watch some times. Some of these people spend millions of dollars on their weddings and while I am a firm believer that people should spend however much (or however little) they'd like on their wedding —I think after a certain point it's possible to be excessive. Maybe I'm just jealous that I won't be giving away blocks of gold as favors at our wedding. Anyway, some of these "Platinum" couples spend an average couple's entire wedding budget on the flowers alone! Ahh, but I digress.

So, with that being said, I was totally inspired by this show. I know, I know...think of me as a pleasantly surprised skeptic! One of the couples (Brittany & Shahram) got married and had their reception at a gorgeous site in San Francisco. According to the wedding planner who initially showed them the site, it was the former Federal Reserve Banking Hall and has lots of history. The architecture was gorgeous and I was in love (again).

Image via WEtv

Sigh. This was undoubtedly the venue of my dreams and although it would comfortably fit our 250 person guest list, I was firmly convinced it was out of reach. We went on looking at venues in the East Bay Area (a bit closer to where I live) but nothing, absolutely nothing, compared to The Bently.

Eventually, with some encouragement from beautiful Mama Seal, I took a tentative step toward our San Francisco dream and e-mailed the venue coordinator. The cost was about as steep as I imagined but I didn't let that discourage us from at least taking a look at the place—I mean what could it hurt to look?

Mr. Seal and I hopped on BART (our local metro) and headed out to the City. The sight we saw upon arriving was, for lack of a better word, breathtaking.

Let me share. Without further ado, I introduce to you The Bently Reserve (cue Debussy's "Clair de Lune"):

No really, cue up the music! Press Play!

 Is the music playing yet? 

(C'mon, I'm cheesy but go with it—I promise it's more amusing this way)

 

  Above images via The Bently Reserve

Image via Checkers Catering/Photo by Choco Studio

Image via The Bently Reserve

I left in a daze. Two weeks later I brought Mama Seal and two of my aunties to see the venue in person. With the Mama's "seal" of approval, we signed the contract and put down the deposit the next day.

So, even though I convinced myself, as I always do, that dreams are not reality—I have my dream reception venue. Though it was more than we were originally looking to spend, it is absolutely worth every nickel. I didn't compromise when it came to who I would marry, so why would I compromise on where we would celebrate our marriage?!

That's all for now kiddies!

Did you have a dream reception site? Did you talk yourself out of it? Were you inspired by a TV show?

xoxo,

Miss Seal

(personal photos unless stated otherwise)

Poems and Ribbons: Crafting My Way Into the Hearts of My Maids

As mentioned in my previous post, when it came down to choosing the lovely ladies whom would stand by me on my wedding day I decided on the magic number 10. With the ladies in mind I then had to decide how I would ask them.

After fighting off my excited urge to call them up and blurt out, "HEY! WANNA BE MY BRIDESLADY?!", I decided to undertake a craft project. Like Miss Lox...I am not naturally crafty, and this was quite a commitment.

I thought these were ADORABLE, but way too venturesome for inexperienced me, so they got axed:

Image via OnceWed/Design by Rifle Design

I am definitely creative but I lack endurance and patience, both of which I've come to realize are seriously deadly shortcomings in the DIY world. Undeterred by my track record, however, I cautiously made my way to the craft store. I decided my first project should be a relatively simple one and I mentally decided on a one-page, layered card design. Considering it had been years since I DIYed anything, my crafting purchase for the 10 cards was quite large.

My supplies:
1 Absolutely useless paper cutter
1 Pair of life-saving scissors
3 Pairs of decorative scissors (the kind I overused in 4th grade)
1 Hole puncher
1 Glue stick (the kind weird kids ate in kindergarten)
1 Pckg of glue dots
2 Rolls of (slightly tacky) frilly black and white ribbon
1 Roll of red satin ribbon
1 Pckg of black and white scrapbooking paper
1 Box of (unfortunately yellowish) envelopes
1 Black permanent marker
5 Sheets of alphabet stickers

Okay, so with my supplies in-hand and my determination at an all-time high, I decided to attack! First, I started with more familiar territory and I wrote/acquired poems. Poems I can do.

I started with my two Maids-of-Honor and their poems came out adorable and packed with lots of inside jokes and emotion. The next eight bridesmaids' rhymes, which I attribute to a surprising determination to finish the project coupled with rapidly waring patience, were completed with slightly less fervor.

MOH Meghan's poem (we were college roommates and I've known her since middle school):

    My Dearest Dudie, we’ve been through it all
    The ups the downs, the climbs the falls
    You’ve held back my hair, on nights gone all wrong
    And lalalalala’d to our favorite song.

    Many of memories, together we’ve shared
    And I’m pretty impressed by how well we’ve fared
    Too much vodka, or too much champagne
    Too many mornings in the bathroom with pain

    But we always pull through it, we always endure
    Endless nights writing papers when coffee’s no cure
    We’ve laughed, we’ve cried, shook our heads and we’ve sighed
    (Tell any of my secrets and I’ll swear that you’ve lied!)

    Now the time is upon us, we’re settling down
    I’ve met the man, and I will wear the gown
    But I need someone special standing there by my side
    On the magical day that will make me a bride

    What I am requesting, perhaps you might guess
    On my very special day, you will wear a special dress...

    Will you be my Maid of Honor?

In future posts I will be happy to give better step-by-step accounts of my DIY projects (should there be any), but this one was done over a year ago and probably could have been completed much more efficiently. So, for now, I will give you a more summarized version of my endeavor.

At the time...I wanted a black, white and red themed wedding, so this served as the color inspiration for the cards. I started off by trying to cut all the black cardstock-like paper to size. As it turned out, the cheap paper cutter I purchased was way too small and way too dull to cut my paper. This was when I decided to cut all the paper with scissors, by eye—I am such a rookie.

I printed out the poems and cut the borders with the decorative scissors and pasted them to the black cards. I hole-punched the top of the cards, slipped ribbons through the holes and tied a bow. I finished them off the lazy way—by sticking letters spelling out their names to the top and...voilà!

I'm not sure why I printed the poems onto computer paper first instead of directly on the white paper I scalloped around the edges—this left a visible line where I glued the two papers together. Silly me, another rookie error!

The final step was to gussy up the envelopes. At this point I was pretty exhausted so I was quite pleased with how easy this was. All I did was wrap the red ribbon around the stuffed envelope and secured them in place with the glue dots. I then tied a bow, wrote the name of the bridesmaid on the front with the permanent marker and (three hours later) I was aaaalll done.

So that just about sums up how I survived my first wedding-related craft project unscathed (with the exception of a few dead brain cells and lost sleep). 

The ladies:

• Brandi - Maid-of-Honor, buddies since 2nd grade
• Meghan - Maid-of-Honor, friends since middle school, college roommate
• Andrea - friend, lovely cousin
• Carina - twin, friend since 8th grade
• Karina - crazy face, first friend at my previous job
• Kelli - first communion co-graduate, real friend since 6th grade
• Maria - friend, future sister-in-law
• Megan - my lovely friend since the 3rd grade
• Sarah - curly-haired buddy since 4th grade
• Tracy - friend, future sister-in-law, first reader/supporter of my blog

 7/10 of the Bridesmaids (+ me in the middle)

How did you ask your maids? Are you a natural DIYer? What was your first wedding-related craft project?

With love,

Miss Seal

(all personal photos unless stated otherwise)