Hi, My name is Winter and I'm an...

Ok, I decided well before I started blogging that what I'm about to do is something that I possibly should, could, and need to do. Not that I couldn't get by and do just fine without doing this, but the more accountability I have out there, the better. Also, I am partially motivated by my favorite reality show, The Biggest Loser (as seen on NBC). The idea being, if I just put myself out there, there may be ridicule but the support and encouragement would far outweigh the bad (no pun intended). So without further ado, I shall complete the title: Hi, my name is Winter and I am an addict. Ok, before anyone goes balistic and my mom has a heart attack, it's not drugs. I am addicted to food, preferably junk, and Dr. Pepper (coke, dr. thunder, mr. pibb, mountain dew, and any other form of sugary carbonated beverage). I have struggled with my weight since I was 11 or 12 and there was one time in my life (since that age) that I was healthy and felt good about my weight. It was my junior year of highschool, I was a size 12 and weighed about 157 pounds. However, I started gaining the weight back my senior year and have not stopped. I now weigh (yes girls this is incredibly embarrassing and difficult to do) 248 pounds. I am 5'8 1/2" and my target weight should be 140-160. To add insult to injury, a little while back I had my body fat percentage done, which was..............40% (NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!)
My measurements...I'll keep to myself for the time being! : ) Ladies I haven't completely lost my mind!!! Jessica would this be something to add to the real woman list?
Now, the reason I have put myself out there is to ask for support. I need help and accountability and prayer! Now this may seem insignificant compared to so many other needs and request out there, but I feel this is a matter of life and death for me. I know if I keep on the path I'm heading, statistically, I'm in line for diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and just generally bad health. I want to feel better about myself, better than I ever have and I know that I have got to get this weight off in order to get to that point.
With all that said, I want to give mad props to my amigos at the Lambright that I know will and have been supportive of me, and they are: Chad, Jamie, Kate (whatup!), Nicole, Meghan (what what), and my card slidey guys : ) What I ask of all of you is PRAYER, and if you think about it ENCOURAGEMENT.
Thanks so much, and just so you know, it's been 36 hours since I last had a sugary carbonated beverage. (Thank God for coke zero!)

Kinda like an Ice cream tester...who's lactose intolerant!

You know there are things, in and of themselves, that are bad or embarrassing, when they happen. However, when compounded by other things, such as a job title, they can seem so much more worse. For example an ice cream tester who is lactose intolerant, a pirate who gets severly seasick, a dog groomer, who is allergic to dogs, an Orkin man who screams like a little girl at the sight of a bug, or a deputy sheriff who, on her lunch break locks her keys in the car and then has to call the sheriff's department to come and unlock her vehicle as she waits outside in the cold to wait for a deputy because she refuses to walk back inside the subway so that everyone knows the deputy has locked her keys in the car which would only add to the humiliation she is already experiencing and would only get more of when she walks in the doors of the sheriff's department! Now it may seem like I'm speaking from experience, but that would be preposterous!! I could and would never do a thing like that, I'm just saying wouldn't that be bad if it did happen!

I know you're all wondering....

Ok, I know everyone wants to know where I am and what I'm doing. RIGHT!!! Well, if you look at my profile you can see I'm back in Ruston, moved into a small house and living by my lonesome, which has it's good points and bad. Whenever I get lonely I just start talking to one of my personalities, then it's all gravy ; ) No seriously, right now it's not so bad because I'm hardly ever there. I'm working at the Lincoln Parish Sheriff's Office m-f 8a to 5p, then I go to the Lambright Sports Center from like 6p- 9 or 10p and do massage. Yes, I am licensed and official. However, some of you may be wondering why I'm working at the sheriff's dept. full time and doing massage in the evenings. A couple of reasons: 1) massage is not a reliable career 2) no insurance or benefits (anywhere you work, you are considered a self-contractor) 3) if you work at a spa that advertises outrageous prices for massage, don't think that the therapist is getting anywhere close to that amount. Case in point: I worked at a spa in a casino in S'port the prices were $55 for 30 min., $90 for 60min., and $120 for 90min. The spa made 60% of everything I made...you do the math. Now, you may say that's still alot of money, but that is pre-taxed and there are no set hours...I could have 15-20 hours of work (might have happened once) or no hours of work (happened more than I care to count). Lastly 4) although massage seems very glamorous and wonderful, which it is if you are receiving it, emphasis on RECEIVING. It is not so glamorous giving, and I have a few examples of that too, and yes there were a few opportunities for me to make some "extra money"...if you know what I mean (I passed on those, FYI) .
So that's where I am (in a nutshell) and if any of you happened to be in Ruston look me up and try a massage or maybe we'll do lunch!!!

My first blogging experience...

Hey what's up everyone! This is my first experience with this blogging stuff, so bear with me. I recently discovered from my friend, Shonnie, that if I want to know anything about anyone that I have ever met in my entire life (or maybe just my friends from Tech) that I just need to blog. I, of course, thought Shonnie must be into this "new age" stuff like astral projection or ouija boards. However, she explained to me a little about the blog world and showed me all her links. I was very excited to see that you guys had not been abducted by aliens, as I figured must have happened to ya'll. Anyway, I'm very excited to read up on everyone and see what everyone's been doing. Now, I do want to send a shout out to Michael and Meg... took you two long enough to figure out ya'll were supposed to get married, I knew when I was what at Tech. I know you two are great for each other (Meg I'll be praying for you ; D, you know I love you Michael).
Ok, it's almost 5pm (quitting time) so I gotsta wrap this up!

In His Loving Arms!!!!!!
Winter