bluehills

I recently  moved to Washington DC.  I achieved my goal of going from 175 pounds (March 2007) to 125 pounds (October 2007) and then lost a few more pounds.  I’ve maintained about 122 pounds since then, achieving my mini goal of staying within 2 pounds of 120 until March 2009 which was my one-year anniversary.  My new personal goal is to get to 115 pounds.  I’m an avid walker…used to run until I had an ACL replacement and the doctor ordered no more running.  I miss my friends on Buddy Slim and am back online to get back to the healthy habit of logging my eating and exercising.

I haven’t blogged in months and I miss my friends on Buddy Slim!  I’m maintaining my weight loss…still at about 5 pounds below my goal of 125 pounds.  I’ve moved to Washington DC and bought a house barge at the Gangplank Marina and have a 10-minute walk to work.   My weigh in at my weight loss doctor next month will mark 12 months from when I started, and that will be my last weigh in.  I promised myself that I would do that for a year to make sure I’m on the right track.  I’ve maintained my weight loss just fine, and continue to eat healthy and walk every day.  It feels wonderful to feel so healthy and to enjoy life more than I have in a long time.  If I can do it, you can, too.

Just seven months ago, I was depressed, feeling fat and feeling very old.  At just under 5′ 1″, I had stepped on the scale to find I’d reached my all-time high of 177 pounds.  I had a fiance’ that was my “food and exercise” police, even though he’s overweight and doesn’t do much exercising.   His mom also let me know on several occasions that I was quite fat and had a “big butt”.  I hated shopping for clothes and absolutely hated when someone got me clothes for birthdays and Christmas because it was too difficult to find something that fit.  I would lie in bed at night on my side and feel my belly laying there beside me.  An old family friend told my Mom that I was getting that “old age” double chin.  I hated how I felt, hated how I looked, hated hearing the negative comments from my fiance’ who I thought should love me the way I was.  Then I realized it might be hard for him to accept me the way I was when I didn’t accept me the was I was.  And after several stutter steps trying to get going, it finally clicked. 

In March of this year, I went to a weight loss doctor who helped me get on the right track with a healthy diet and exercise.  I have lost steadily and easily, and in September I finally made my goal of 125 pounds.  However, I find it incredible that the weight is continuing to come off a little at a time.  I weighed in today and am now down to 119 pounds.  For the first time in years, I feel healthy, I feel tiny, and I feel sexy.  I have so much energy and I love shopping for clothes because I can always find something to fit. 

At the end of November I’m going on my very first cruise (San Diego to Alcapulco).  I’m so excited and have purchased two swimsuits, a sexy little black dress, shorts, and sundresses.  My fiance’ has no desire to go….so I’m going alone (with my daughter and her family) and I’m going to have a great time anyway.  In December, I’ll be turning 57…and I sure don’t feel it.  I qualify for 55+ senior citizen housing and can order off the 55+ senior menu at certain restaurants.  I have six grandchildren ranging from 8 to 16 years…and I don’t feel old enough to even have grandchildren! 

Here are some of my body composition numbers from my weight loss doctor from when I started in March and what they are as of today:

March 2008 - - October 2008

Weight:  175 lbs - - 119 lbs

BMI:  32.4 - - 22.6

Fat%:  39.0% - - 18.5%

Fat Mass:  66.8 pounds - - 22.2 pounds

Do I want to continue to lose weight?  As long as I’m eating healthy and exercising and not trying to lose weight, if it continues to come down, then maybe I haven’t found the weight that my body wants to be at.  My weight loss has slowed down, and I think I’m close to stabilizing…I used to maintain my weight about 115 - 119 pounds, and that’s where I think I could maintain it.  

Friends ask why I don’t go back to “normal eating” now that I’ve lost the weight.  I’ve learned a new “normal eating” and have no intention of going back to my old normal eating because that would also mean that I’d put the weight back on.  I used to love pizza, candy bars, fries, onion rings, cheese cake, ice cream, loaded baked potatoes.  I have found so many things that I love eating now…things that are healthy for me.  Instead of a 4-egg omelette, hash browns, and bacon for breakfast, I have a 2-egg omelette and fresh fruit.  Instead of a loaded baked potato, I love a baked sweet potato with a small bit of butter and Splenda brown sugar.  Instead of a candy bar for a mid-afternoon snack, I have a Fiber One energy bar.  Instead of a bag of chips, I will have 10 almonds.  I’m no longer tempted when I go out to eat with friends and family…they can order what they have always ordered, and I can always find something healthy that works for me and I normally order a “to go box” at the same time so when my order comes, I can put half of it in the box before I even start eating.

If you think you can’t do what I did, think again.  I thought that for a long time…loved watching “Biggest Loser” on TV and was inspired by their great losses…but you can’t get that inspiration from someone else, you have to pull it from inside you.  And when everything else seems to be falling apart, this is one thing that I know I was successful at, and no one can take that from me…it makes everything else easier to bear.

This is ridiculous!  Since March 2008, I’ve gone from 175 pounds to 122 pounds (53 pounds down), and have gone from a size 14 down to 2’s and 4’s.  Now I’m excited about finding some dressy tall black boots with heels for winter…since my calves were also muscular (okay…fat) and I could never find boots that would zip up over my “muscular” calves.  After going out this weekend and buying a size 2 suit, I headed to find my boots.  Can you believe that I still can’t get them zipped up over my calves???!!! I guess I have calves only a farmer could love.  I used to say I had calves only a cow could love…until someone made a reference to my weight and a cow…so my new revised saying seems so much better.  Anyway…..do any ladies out there have a similar problem and know were I can find boots that are made for those of us with “shapely” calves?

Here are pictures of me the past two summers.  I weighed 170-175 pounds.  I’m almost to my goal of 125 pounds and have gone from a size 14 (or XLG) down to a size 4 (or small).  I’m within just a couple pounds of my goal and feel great.  I was focused on losing the weight before my first cruise in November…but will make my goal long before then.  If I can do this, after all the years I’ve struggled, then you can do it too.  No fad diets…I ate sensibly and walked.

This first picture was taken in 2006 when I went to Mazatlan with my son and his family.  My daughter-in-law is a size 3 and I felt like a blimp walking beside her.  My 6 year old grandson, bless his heart, asked me, “Grandma, why are your legs so fat?”  I remember buying a dress that said “One Size Fits All”…only it didn’t fit me!

This next picture was taken last summer (2007) on a family houseboat trip down the Mississippi River.  I remember eating until I couldn’t eat anymore…my stomach was a bottomless pit!

And here I am now…within a couple pounds of my goal of 125 pounds.  I tried on my outfits from my Mazatlan trip and they literally fell off me.  Can’t wait to go shopping for my November cruise!

I spent the past few days sorting through my old clothes and have packed up all my large sizes.  Out they go!  I’ve posted a new picture…I’m just about to my goal with only a few more pounds to go.  I’m in a size 6 and feel fantastic.  It’s not been an easy journey, and my journey continues as I continue my weight loss, and then continue my new lifestyle.

My fiance, who was always so negative about me being heavy, always making comments and watching every morsel of food that went into my mouth, is thrilled.  In fact, he was also inspired and has lost about 15 pounds as well.  However, please note that I did this for me, I DID NOT do it to please him.  Over the past year, I had some scares with my heart and with pains in my legs…now I feel fantastic. 

Not only did I drop 40 pounds and 40 inches, but I’ve gotten comments that I look 10 years younger as well.  I love doing things with my six grandkids, but its even more fun now because I’ve been mistaken for their mother.  My son-in-law gave me a huge compliment…he said the reason he married my daughter is because he’s always been told that if you want to see what your wife is going to look like down the road, look at her mother.   Wow!  He made my day!

Good day….I’m wearing a suit today that is a “measuring stick” for my success.  I was wearing this suit before I regained my weight, and I’m back into it.  I’ve gone down from a tight size 14 to a size 8.  Yeah!!!!!!   I’m feeling good and very focused.  I still have more weight to lose, but this feels really good right now.  Also on a positive note, at staff meeting this morning, they handed around a bag of mini Hershey bars….I love Hershey bars….but I passed on taking even one of those mini chocolate bars all four times that the bag went around.  I didn’t feel deprived….I just felt good about sitting there in my size 8 suit!

Bad day…I just got notice from my boss in Washington DC that he wants me to come into DC for three weeks.  I was already planning that, but was planning on flying in and returning home on the weekends.  I know my fiance’ is going to be upset…and I hate being away from my elderly parents for that stretch of time.  At the same time, my boss just got me into a new position with the potential for upward movement and even the possibility of moving into management.  My staying there for the three weeks would be positive in that respect.  Still, I’m dreading telling my fiance’ and my parents…good thing I’m focused on my diet, because in the past, I would deal with this type of stress by going to the candy machine and “soothing” myself with chocolate.

When all else seems out of control, the one thing I can control is what goes into my mouth and onto my hips!

Well, I’ve been at this slightly more than two months.  I’m down 22 pounds and have lost 19 inches…and dropped from size 14 to 10.  I can’t believe how incredible I’m feeling.  All the excuses I’ve used the past 4 years….all the starts and stops….feeling fatigued, feeling sluggish, feeling old, feeling unattractive, having low self-esteem, and I’m not back to feeling good about myself, about how I look, and about how I feel.  The shortness of breath is gone, the thighs rubbing together…gone!  I have quite a ways to go; my doctor wants me to lose 50 pounds, so I’m not quite 1/2 way there.  For those of you who are struggling, I’ve been there.  I’ve gotten discouraged when the weight didn’t come off, or when I’d have a good start only to blow it, and then find excuses not to focus on getting back my body and my health.  My excuses included:

(1) I’m in my mid-50’s, I guess this is the body I’m stuck with.  The reality is that I wasn’t doing what I needed to do to get the weight off and take care of “me”.

(2) My father is heavy, and I must just take after him.  The reality is that my father is overweight because he overeats and isn’t able to exercise.  I can control what goes in my mouth, and I have my health and can start moving more and retrain those muscles!

 (3) My fiance is always on my back about losing weight, when he has put on weight himself!  Why should I worry about it if he doesn’t take care of himself?  Because this is about “me”, not about him.  The reason his criticism hurt is because I knew I wasn’t doing what I needed to do for me.  I can lose the weight and get into shape because it will make ”me” feel better…I don’t have to please him, I have to please myself.

(4) My metabolism has slowed with my age.  Reality is the doctor checked my metabolism, and I have a high metabolism.  So much for that excuse!

 (5) I travel full-time and there’s no way that I can eat healthy, track my food, and get the exercise I need when I’m traveling every week.  Reality is that for the past two months, I’ve been eating healthy, I’ve been tracking my food, and I’ve been walking a minimum of 30 minutes each day, and most days I find time to walk and hour or longer. 

 (6) I don’t have the energy to work out on the days I’m flying out or returning home.  Reality is that I’m walking on both days (either early in the morning, in the evening, or at the airport) and since I’ve been doing that, my energy has increased.

(7) I can’t walk like I used to because my legs and feet hurt.  Reality is that as I’ve been taking the weight off, my legs and feet hurt less and less.  Surprise!  Who’d have thunk!!!!

Anyway, I found I have no good excuses to not take care of myself.  I’ve blown holes in all of my excuses, and now the weight is slipping out of those holes!  This is the best gift I could have given to myself.  And I have “Buddy Slim” and all my buddies to thank for giving me the encouragement and focus that I needed to do this.  And my journey continues…..

Exercise Log

I can’t believe it!  I dropped another size and am down from a 14 to a 10!  And I tucked my shirt in and it looks fine.  What an incredible feeling…what a great way to start the weekend!

Down another 3 pounds!  I’m floating on Cloud 9!  Total of 17 pounds so far…