I've needed to lose weight for years. As I approached a weight that was almost unbelievable to me, I decided that I had to take action. Why I waited so long, I don't know. Until I had 4 children it was never an issue for me. Then life got real busy...4 kids, 2 brain injured...5 jobs between my husband and I to pay for the accident that caused the brain injuries...busy church activities...and the list goes on and on. Before I knew it, I was getting very overweight. Now being the tall girl that I am, I could carry a lot of weight but one day the scale, that does not lie, let me know that something needed to be done.
I started looking on line because Google knows everything right?. I had no idea what to believe. All the information was contradictory. It finally just made sense to me one day that I needed to eat less and move more. That's where I started. I didn't lose any weight but I started to feel better.
Then the company that I work for offered a 17 week Weight Watchers program for employees. They took the fee out of our checks every other week and if we met our weight loss goal, they reimbursed us all but a few dollars of it. I figured that WW had been around a long time and had a proven track record so I signed on the dotted line.
The very first thing they called this weight loss program was a weight loss journey. I had already decided that I was not going to count points for the rest of my life so it was no journey for me. For me, this was more of a weight loss experiment. I exercised a minimal amount during the 17 weeks and learned what and how much to eat. I ended up losing 13 lbs. and getting my reimbursement. I do love a challenge!
Since then, I've continued on-without counting points- to lose weight and I added an exercise regimen to my daily routine. As of my last weigh in, I have lost 47 lbs. My goal is 100 lbs. which would put me at the weight I weighed in college. A lofty goal no doubt but doable with time, patience, and the grace of God.
I pleasantly surprised the Dr who had me with one foot in the grave and one on a banana peel when he saw my cholesterol levels 6 months ago. I bargained for 6 months to get it down without medication and it dropped 43 points! So now I will not have to take medication for my cholesterol and he is happy as a clam that I dropped so much weight.
Through all of this, I've made a few observations.
I can bend over, tie my shoes and pick up spent brass without suffocating. A most pleasant development. Breathing is good.
I can actually see my toes in the shower. If I suck it all in, I can see my legs too! O happy day!
I can tie my towel around me and it actually closes in the front! That's big when you're standing in front of a mirror!
The scale is my bestest friend.
The scale is my worstest enemy.
People closest to you will not notice that you lost weight and if they do, they won't say anything except my youngest daughter who says pretty much everything she notices. Gotta love her honesty!
People who want to lose weight will notice that you did but won't ask you how you did it. Instead they will try fad diets and end up gaining weight.
There are no longer lumps in the front of my nightgown. This is both encouraging and disheartening because some things I would have preferred not to shrink have shrunk along with my belly. Oh well.
When you lose weight you lose weight in your feet! My feet are swimming in my shoes! I guess it's time to buy new!
I'm get cold a lot more and a lot easier. Guess the fat layer just aint what it used to be. Thank goodness for under armor!
Since eating real food, processed food tastes horrible to me. Like last Friday my body told me I just had to have some Pringles. Since it was a cheat day, I bought one of the very small containers and ended up eating only 4 chips before giving the rest to a co-worker and drinking a quart of water to get rid of the taste in my mouth. Sorry Pringles, but you are history.
You really can swallow 2 big fish oil tablets, 6 garlic tablets, 2 turmeric tablets, a multivitamin, and two smaller pills for various symptoms all at once! It feels like my jello chuggin days at VCU where we competed to see who could swallow the largest number of jello squares in one gulp. I maxed out at 6 but my best friend could do 10! The kitchen ladies liked it because they didn't have to recycle the jello! LOL!
My knees don't hurt as much. My back doesn't hurt as often. My hip can take a lot more standing. What the chiropractor couldn't do, losing weight did! That and the diatomaceous earth I throw in my smoothie every morning! If you want to get your pound of dirt that they say it's healthy to eat every year, I recommend this stuff. I feel great!
I don't recognize myself in photos but am pleasantly pleased when I realize that it's me! LOL!
It's a miserable day when you wear old pants to mow and forget a belt! LOL! You can just imagine that sight. 3 steps. Stop. Pull up pants. 3 steps. Stop. Pull up pants.
Losing weight does not help with stretch marks from 4 children. I guess I'm scarred for life. But to me they are kind of a badge of honor in that I produced life and left something good on the earth.
Some clothing can just not be taken in no matter how hard you try.
I've become the health fanatic that I always made fun of before. Age has a way of changing you and helping you realize that you're not indestructible! In fact, it can quickly convince you of how vulnerable you really are!
The I need new wedding rings argument, the kind with diamonds, just went down the toilet. The old, original I-married-a-poor-dairy-farmer rings suddenly are fitting. But there's a lot of sentimental value to them. Like scripture says "do not despise small beginnings."
I wish I would have done this sooner, but that's water under the bridge. When I sit by the creek at lunchtime I almost always think about the fact that the water passing by me will never pass by that way ever again. It reminds me that I have to make the best of each day because I will never pass this way again. Every person that I talk to, everything that I do, needs to be the best that I can muster because I may not get a second chance to be a blessing, to help a neighbor, to further God's Kingdom, or to experience something God has left for me that day. It's a good way to live.
I started looking on line because Google knows everything right?. I had no idea what to believe. All the information was contradictory. It finally just made sense to me one day that I needed to eat less and move more. That's where I started. I didn't lose any weight but I started to feel better.
Then the company that I work for offered a 17 week Weight Watchers program for employees. They took the fee out of our checks every other week and if we met our weight loss goal, they reimbursed us all but a few dollars of it. I figured that WW had been around a long time and had a proven track record so I signed on the dotted line.
The very first thing they called this weight loss program was a weight loss journey. I had already decided that I was not going to count points for the rest of my life so it was no journey for me. For me, this was more of a weight loss experiment. I exercised a minimal amount during the 17 weeks and learned what and how much to eat. I ended up losing 13 lbs. and getting my reimbursement. I do love a challenge!
Since then, I've continued on-without counting points- to lose weight and I added an exercise regimen to my daily routine. As of my last weigh in, I have lost 47 lbs. My goal is 100 lbs. which would put me at the weight I weighed in college. A lofty goal no doubt but doable with time, patience, and the grace of God.
I pleasantly surprised the Dr who had me with one foot in the grave and one on a banana peel when he saw my cholesterol levels 6 months ago. I bargained for 6 months to get it down without medication and it dropped 43 points! So now I will not have to take medication for my cholesterol and he is happy as a clam that I dropped so much weight.
Through all of this, I've made a few observations.
I can bend over, tie my shoes and pick up spent brass without suffocating. A most pleasant development. Breathing is good.
I can actually see my toes in the shower. If I suck it all in, I can see my legs too! O happy day!
I can tie my towel around me and it actually closes in the front! That's big when you're standing in front of a mirror!
The scale is my bestest friend.
The scale is my worstest enemy.
People closest to you will not notice that you lost weight and if they do, they won't say anything except my youngest daughter who says pretty much everything she notices. Gotta love her honesty!
People who want to lose weight will notice that you did but won't ask you how you did it. Instead they will try fad diets and end up gaining weight.
There are no longer lumps in the front of my nightgown. This is both encouraging and disheartening because some things I would have preferred not to shrink have shrunk along with my belly. Oh well.
When you lose weight you lose weight in your feet! My feet are swimming in my shoes! I guess it's time to buy new!
I'm get cold a lot more and a lot easier. Guess the fat layer just aint what it used to be. Thank goodness for under armor!
Since eating real food, processed food tastes horrible to me. Like last Friday my body told me I just had to have some Pringles. Since it was a cheat day, I bought one of the very small containers and ended up eating only 4 chips before giving the rest to a co-worker and drinking a quart of water to get rid of the taste in my mouth. Sorry Pringles, but you are history.
You really can swallow 2 big fish oil tablets, 6 garlic tablets, 2 turmeric tablets, a multivitamin, and two smaller pills for various symptoms all at once! It feels like my jello chuggin days at VCU where we competed to see who could swallow the largest number of jello squares in one gulp. I maxed out at 6 but my best friend could do 10! The kitchen ladies liked it because they didn't have to recycle the jello! LOL!
My knees don't hurt as much. My back doesn't hurt as often. My hip can take a lot more standing. What the chiropractor couldn't do, losing weight did! That and the diatomaceous earth I throw in my smoothie every morning! If you want to get your pound of dirt that they say it's healthy to eat every year, I recommend this stuff. I feel great!
I don't recognize myself in photos but am pleasantly pleased when I realize that it's me! LOL!
It's a miserable day when you wear old pants to mow and forget a belt! LOL! You can just imagine that sight. 3 steps. Stop. Pull up pants. 3 steps. Stop. Pull up pants.
Losing weight does not help with stretch marks from 4 children. I guess I'm scarred for life. But to me they are kind of a badge of honor in that I produced life and left something good on the earth.
Some clothing can just not be taken in no matter how hard you try.
I've become the health fanatic that I always made fun of before. Age has a way of changing you and helping you realize that you're not indestructible! In fact, it can quickly convince you of how vulnerable you really are!
The I need new wedding rings argument, the kind with diamonds, just went down the toilet. The old, original I-married-a-poor-dairy-farmer rings suddenly are fitting. But there's a lot of sentimental value to them. Like scripture says "do not despise small beginnings."
I wish I would have done this sooner, but that's water under the bridge. When I sit by the creek at lunchtime I almost always think about the fact that the water passing by me will never pass by that way ever again. It reminds me that I have to make the best of each day because I will never pass this way again. Every person that I talk to, everything that I do, needs to be the best that I can muster because I may not get a second chance to be a blessing, to help a neighbor, to further God's Kingdom, or to experience something God has left for me that day. It's a good way to live.
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