Wow, time flies when you are trying to keep op with everything! I has been 7 weeks since my surgery. I have lost a total of 54 pounds :0) I can’t tell you how amazing I feel. I have lost 2 full pant sizes and 3 shirt sizes. The pounds are just melting away and I can’t keep up. I started with my new trainer 3 weeks ago and he is awesome…mean, but awesome :0)

Seeing my body change is a new experience for me. I have to be honest…I am not liking this “transition” stage. My body is shrinking but with that comes some skin issues that you anticipate, but I never really thought about until the other day when I saw it in the mirror for the first time. I have to tell ya, I broke down in tears. I am so grateful for the surgery and the great changes that are happening, but at the same time, it is difficult to see your body like this. I can’t help but think about long term. It immediately popped into my head about who is going to want this sagging body?!?! I talked to a few people and prayed about it a lot. I was really sad for a few days and then I realized something…I want this saggy body! I have been working way too hard and made a life-changing decision. My body is a story of my journey and one that I need to be proud of. So it isn’t perfect, the important thing is that I love it and it doesn’t matter who else will accept it. This is a very emotional experience and one that can quickly get you down if you let it. I am going to be proud of what I have and show off all of my hard work and determination.

Someday I want to be swept off my feet, but I want him to love me for the person that I am and not the way my body looks. He needs to love and accept all of my wobbly or saggy bits as they are a part of me. I know I may need to have some work done but it will only be because I want it, not because I think that is the only way someone will finally love me and want me. I deserve much more than and in fact, we all do. Being loved for who you are is the best love of all. We were created by an amazing Savior and he made us the way we were supposed to be. I am proud of his creation and am working on making it more healthy so I can enjoy everything in life that is on my journey.

Self acceptance is the hardest thing in the world. We all have parts that we wish we could change. The point is you should love exactly how you are now and remember, we always have the opportunity to fix or change whatever we want. Ask for guidance and you will always find yourself on the right path…His path. We will never be given things that we can’t handle or that will put us in harms way. We are only given things that will make us stronger which will make us realize our own strength and determination. So, believe in who you are as you are. Accept who you are, as you are because God has made some pretty incredible creations and we are covered in His fingerprints. That is something to be proud of and you should want to show it off to the world.

I will no longer get sad about how my body is looking. Instead, I am going to be proud of the changes and show it off…saggy bits and all! Confidence and love of yourself will allow you to be an inspiration to others and you may not even know you are doing anything. People notice when you are strong and confident with yourself and there is no reason for you not to be…we are all amazing creations!

As always, I leave you with this thought…
“You must love yourself before you love another. By accepting yourself and fully being what you are, your simple presence can make others happy.” ~ Unknown

Hello :0)

I know it has been forever since I have been on here, but I promise it was for good reasons. I have spent the last couple of months preparing for surgery and finally on March 17th, I had Gastric Bypass! It has been an amazing experience, once I got past all of the pain :0) Two weeks prior to surgery, I had to go on a 90% liquid diet and I lost 16 pounds. I had my 2 week check up on Tuesday and I have lost 16 pounds since surgery, for a grand total of 32 pounds! I feel great and my skin looks amazing! I have also noticed that I have a lot more energy. I have been staying active and following the rules. This is definitely a lot of work. It takes a lot of planning and I mainly cook at home, which makes it very easy to stay on task.

I will be posting pictures soon because I want you all to be a part of my journey. Thank you all again for your continued support. It definitely makes things easier knowing that you have a lot of people behind and that you are not alone.

Now that things are getting back to normal and I have done some major revamping to ChaeMae, LLC…you will definitely be seeing more of me on here. I know I have been saying that, but this is a new leaf and the only way to go is forward. I have set many new goals and I know this is definitely the year for Chae :0)

I am very excited about this life change. I was very scared going into it, but now that I am on the journey, I can see that it was the best decision that I have ever made. I am getting healthy so that I can be as successful as possible. I also have several ideas up my sleeve ;0) I always leave with a thought so here it is…
“Fear of failure must never be a reason not to try something.” ~ Frederick Smith

I think it is time to give an update and get back to blogging. Things have been so crazy, but they are like that for everyone. My holidays were wonderful because I got to go home to Michigan! It was so nice to be with my amazing family. I also, just recovered from a terribel cold that had me out of society for about a week, but the doctor gave me some killer antibiotics, so it cleared it right up and I am back to my Sassy self :0)
Okay, here are the updates. Finanacing has been approved, so we wil be moving forward on the journey of surgery. We are looking at the 1st or 2nd week of February. I have re-instated my gym membership, so I can get a jump start on the crutial workout plan that will soon become a huge part of my life. Granny and Grandpa will be here by the end of next week to help get everything ready for the big day and they will be here for about 4-6 weeks to help with recovery. My little apartment is going to be full! Maggie will have a long visit with her Aunt Sharleen, Uncle Doug, and Uncle Robert. They are going to take such good care of my little miss while I get my routine down and then can get everything situated for her to return home. I am so thankful for them because it is going to be such a huge help. They are truly the best!
I am also going to be doing a women’s class at church caleed “God, Girlfriends, and the Glamorous You!” I am so excited to get that in motion. I will also be looking into working with the Youth Director and begin working with the high school kids about self-acceptance, self-esteem, and self-confidence. I have may blessings flowing my way in 2010. I can’t wait to see where this amazing journey takes me. I will be back soon with more information and updates. Thank you to all of you for your continued support!
As always, I leave you with a thought…
“13 For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. [1]
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.

17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
I awake, and I am still with you.”
~ Psalm 139:13-18

Hello Everyone! Once again, TIME has gotten away from me. I think I am going to apologize with every blog, but I am sorry for the delay in updates :0)
So, let’s get started…I had a great meeting with the surgeon. He took away all fear I have of the surgery, well, most of it! I am definitely an ideal candiddate and he agreed with my primary doctor that it is definitely medically necessary. There is some bad news, my insurance does not cover the suregury, even though it is medically necessary. So, we have had to take another route because I need to have this done, and I am attending a seminar on the 22nd with the Flagler Hospital Bariatric Center in St. Augustine. So, it looks like that is where I will be heading to have the surgery and recoop for a week. I have decided taht I am going to share the journey with all of you. I will blog (I know…I know), post pictures, and video of everything. It is going to be quite a journey. We are looking to have the surgery in mid-late January, but I will post the for sure date when I know it.
On to other things…I am going home to Michigan for Christmas! I am so excited to be with Granny, Grandpa, Jen and the kids that I can hardly stand it. I love the feeling of being home for the holidays…it just doesn’t seem right when you are not.
As for ChaeMae, we are taking a new approach. Starting in January we will be working with some marketing folks who will help us develop our brand. I tried doing it on my own, but I am just now known well enough to do it without help. So, hopefully this helps everything get going in the right direction. This is where my heart is and I am going to do everything I can to make sure that it is a success. Thank you to all of you who follow my story and have supported through-out everything. Bigger and better things are yet to come and I have all of you to thank for that.
Until I post again, I leave you with this…
““Being happy doesn’t mean that everything is perfect. It means that you’ve decided to look beyond the imperfections.” ~ Unknown

It had been almost a month since I have been on here. So much has been going on and unfortunately, I haven’t been able to update my blog. Hopefully things will settle down soon, but I wanted to give everyone a quick update.
I am preparing for my first speech on
Wednesday evening. I am so excited and nervous! I really hope this gets me more speaking engagements and hopefully, more of my books will make their way out into the world :0)
I also have some news to share…the weight loss challenge has been put to a stop. I had my annual check-up with my primary care doctor and unfortunately I didn’t get very good news. Even though all of my blood work came back ok, my HDL (good cholesterol) is at a hazardly low level. What that means, is I am at a very high risk for a heart attack, especially with my size. With my level being so low, it has elevated my blood pressure and now I am on medicine for that. So, I have to take measures to get this under control because I am really scared. The most effective way to get my level up to a healthy level, is to drop a significant amount of weight. The decision has been made and I meet with the Gastric Bypass Surgeon on Tuesday. I have had such a range of emotions. I am so scared but I have to do what I have to do to get healthy. I have been very lucky that I have had no other problems and I will go into this with no major health problems. I know this is the right decision and I have done all of my homework. I will keep you up to date on the process. My life is about to change…
This has been a lot for me to process and I have been trying to figure it all out in my mind…it is why I have been absent and I am sorry for that. I will try to be better…promise!
As always, the quote…
“I can do all things through him who gives me strength” ~ Philippians 4:13
I know that I will need to walk in His strength through this journey. I promise to be better about updating…