I'm back

I apologize for the delay in posting. Things have been crazy between work, school, wedding planning, etc. 

I had a health scare a few months back that has really gotten me back on the band wagon when it comes to my weight loss. When I was in high school I was diagnosed with hyperthyroid disease. This is a pretty common disease that affects a butterfly shaped gland located near your voice box that regulates hormones that controls how every cell in your body uses its energy. If you have ever had thyroid issues, you know that these diseases can cause you to be extremely lethargic and experience weight problems. Thyroid disease is not a major issue if you care for it properly either by medication, radio-active iodine therapy, or having the thyroid gland removed. I have not been on thyroid medication for about 4 years now after undergoing a round of radio-active iodine therapy. A couple years ago I lost my health insurance due to a job loss. This kept me from visiting my doctor and monitoring my thyroid disease correctly. 
A few days before Christmas my fiance and I were lying in bed and my heart began skipping beats. It was not just one or two beats here and there, but a couple beats at a time. This went on for about 20 minutes. I could not breath and the fear of not being able to breath only caused me to panic, making my symptoms worse. I went to the doctor the next day. They ran some tests, after finding that my blood pressure was 164/106, thinking that my thyroid disease was flaring up again. All of my thyroid levels came back normal. Since then I have really been watching what I have been eating, increased my workouts, and started taking beta-blockers to help control my blood pressure. 

Since then I have lost about 10 pounds! My mom gave me two new pairs of jeans for Christmas that I now have to dry on high heat and wear a belt with, otherwise they fall right off of my hips! In addition, I went wedding dress shopping last weekend with my mom and sisters. The bridal consultant helping me said that the line of bridal gowns I was looking for ran very small so judging on my jean size (22), my gown size would be a 26. Well...I found my gown! It is a beautiful Alfred Angelo gown and guess what? When they took my measurements, the consultant suggested ordering a size 20! I am so excited! Now my goal is to lose even more weight before that wedding gown arrives so I will get my money's worth in alterations!