Quick Post

Yah sure... a quick post.  

First off I have to say I am OVERWHELMED by the outpouring of support, likes, positive comments I have received in the past few days from my family, my friends, my clients and even from people I have never ever met or know in any way other than through the internet.

Wow.

I had over 800 views of my little blog in 2 days.  That is a record for me. I posted my side by side picture on the facebook page Single Dad Laughing Health Club and over 180 people liked or commented.  Postively.

On my own facebook page I posted the same side by side.  120 likes and comments by friends and family and friends of friends.

I have had random people who I do not know ask me for guidance.

Me.

5 months ago I was 190 lbs and horribly out of shape.  I hadn't any confidence in the world that I would be able to lose enough weight or reshape my life and if I did I assumed it would take months and months of ups and downs.

It didn't.

5 months is not a very long time really for me to have seen results.  And yes it has been hard work as you know if you've been following my blog.

If I can do it - any of you can do it.

You can.  Yes you can.

Look what I have accomplished in this relatively short period of time.  I joined a gym - BIG step.  I met some AWESOME inspiring people who pushed me and gave me the right information to make this happen and work.  I learned that I could push myself physically to do things I honest to god never ever thought I would do or even had a thought about. Running for one. Yes I am still running a bit then walking and then running.  But I AM doing it.  Weight lifting.  For strength and toning.  Not to be big like Ahnnold (Swartzenegger) but for the positive physical aspects of being stronger.  Stronger enough that I carried my own kayak up and down to the lake.  Stronger enough that I could help my husband with the heavy motor.  Important stuff!!  Climbing up and down my friend's stairs.  I never ever thought I would do that. Ever.  Let alone a total of 900 steps in one go.

And I feel GREAT!!  I feel healthier, I sleep better, I do not snore anymore.

And we eat really well!  There hasn't been anything in our new way of eating that has been a let down or hard to swallow. Literally.  We like the way we are eating.  It is clean eating and you know what?  If I'm out somewhere or at some event and I eat something that maybe I shouldn't have, I practice moderation and I do not beat myself up about it.  Tomorrow is another day and it's ok.  This isn't about deprivation.  It's about living.

And I'm LIVING.

I can run and play with my grandkids now.  It's not uncomfortable to bend down or crouch.  Who knew that so much would change.  Important changes.  

And people are asking me for advice.  What am I doing?  What diet am I following?  What do you eat for breakfast? Lunch? Dinner?  Everyone thinks that a "diet" is the key.  No.  Diets are not the answer because they do not work in the long term.  Changing your relationship with food and sugar is the answer.  It works.  I just had someone say "I go to the gym all the time and never lose a pound.  I eat no little to no carbs."  It's only part of the equation.  It's that nasty hidden sugar in the processed foods.  It's the carb loading at night - whether you realize its a carb or not.  It's the sum total of everything I have learned over the past 5 months and it works.  I am the proof of that.

Thank you again to those who gave me the guidance and the tools to do this.  I am not done by any means.  The journey continues.  I still have some lbs to lose and inches off my waist to go.  Overall I am happy with the way I am looking.

Thank you for your encouragement, your kind and funny words, for the love.

I love all of you.

Here are the latest figures.

Start               Jul 29  Sept 18       Oct 17

Wht -190         162     155               152.2

BF% -47.8      33.4      ?                  30.23%

W -40.5"         32         32                31

B -44"             39         38                38

H -46"             39         38                38

Arm -15"         11         11                12 (muscle...baby)

C -18"            15.5       15.5             15

Th -26"          20.75      20.5             20.25

Holy - numbers still going down (up in one - thats ok)

Differences:

weight 190     152.2         - 37.8 lbs

BF%    47.8     30.23        - 17.57%**

bust      44       38             - 6"

waist    40.5     31            - 9.5"

hip        46       38            - 8"

arm       15       12            - 4" +1= -3"

calf        18       15           - 3"

thigh      26       20.25      - 5.75"

Total inches lost - 36.25
Total BF lost - 17.57%
Total Weight lost - nearly 38 lbs

When I first started and saw my 47.8% BF I cried.  I wasn't even ON the chart.  Today I am on the chart and I am sitting at the "women age 40 - 60 30% BF is considered excellent"  WHAT?  Now I just need to work on getting my waist to hip measurement within the healthy ratio.

I no longer have high blood pressure issues, my cholesterol is normal. I do not snore. (Yes I mentioned that before - it's a big deal really.)

I am happy.  My husband is happy.  My kids are happy.

Next time, who knows...a recipe??

Debbie

Picture Update and A Recipe!

Today is just over 5 months since I started on this journey.  I have had a lot of encouragement and so many kind words from so many people.  I even have people asking me for help and advice.  Me?  I don't even believe that I have been able to do this let alone giving guidance to others.

I guess when I see the side-by-side comparison it does really hit home just how overweight and tired I looked.  And old.

 I have to state that the weight is wrong on the before picture.  My fingers slipped and I didnt notice til I uploaded from the site.  It should read 190. Still a lot of weight.  

The after picture is accurate.  Even after my summer vacation, visit with my parents and Thanksgiving weekend I still am on the losing side.  Yay.

The downside - although most people would say the UPSIDE - to all this is that I don't have many clothes that fit me.  Certainly nothing from before does.  I am down 5 sizes in pants - from 18 or XLG to 8 or small/med.  That isn't an easy take in project on pants.

Shirts are another issue.  They literally HANG on me.  Sleeves are past my knuckles.  They look ridiculous.  Yes I can whip the sides up on my machine but do I want to?  After all most of these are things I bought to HIDE my fat.  COVER up my lumps and bumps.  And as such they still give me that feeling.  I don't want to hide under my clothes.  I want my clothes to be complimentary and flattering.  And classic.  So now I am trying to plan what I buy.  I don't want to spend a huge sum of money.  Thank god for outlet malls and discounted clothing.  It matters little to me if it is from last year's stock.  Good classic pieces never go out of style. I am looking for any input for puchases.  I know that good black pants and a crisp white shirt are key.  I have one pair of good bootcut jeans in a dark wash from Banana Republic that I picked up for 16.99 - yes you read that correctly!!

Fortunately I have a couple of things that I stubbornly hung onto in the belief that I would maybe someday wear them again.  Like the black raw silk wrap shirt in the above picture.  I made that to wear to a friend's wedding at least 10 years ago.  And because I had made it and loved it I kept it tucked away.  Thank goodness as it worked for what I had in mind for today.  I also have a few leather and suede pieces that now fit.  Good classic styling.  But you can't (or can you?) wear leather or suede everyday.  I need everyday wear for my work.  I like to be comfy and I have to take dye transfer from fabrics into consideration.  So that means usually blacks or dark colours.  Does that mean leggings will still be on the horizon for me? And yoga pants?  

Shoes too, I am thinking a good pair of brown leather boots, maybe a nice pair of black ballet flats. 

Wardrobe essentials - a pair of straight leg jeans?  Yes.  A blouse or two, one for sure white.  I would like maybe a plaid one as well.  Those seem to always stay in style for fall/winter.  I know that I will have to build my wardrobe fairly slowly - after all money is a big consideration.  But the outlet mall is where I will be spending most of it.  I'll keep you posted on what I buy and put it out there for your input.

I have had a few requests for recipes.  I am not nor do I pretend to be an expert but I do know what we have tried, loved and what works for us.  Today I will share a delicious steak recipe.  I have served this for company dinner.  Easily doubled but I find that the dressing does go pretty far.

Steak with Blueberry Roasted walnut Spinach Salad (2 people)

A good cut of steak - filet or tenderloin about 4 oz per person
bag of fresh spinach or bunch (about 8 oz)
1/2 cup fresh blueberries (or to taste) divided in 1/2.
1/4 cup roasted walnuts (to roast heat a small frying pan to med and gently toast walnuts stirring constantly to prevent burning)
1.5 tbsp raspberry vinegar
1.5 to 2 tbsp olive oil
sea salt
fresh ground pepper
feta cheese

1. Prepare salad dressing.  Take 1/4 cup blueberries, half of the walnuts and mix together using a mini food processor.  Add the raspberry vinegar and the olive oil til it is nice and creamy.  Add sea salt and black pepper to taste.  

Put a goodly amount (about 2 tbsp?) in the bottom of a large bowl.  Add the rinsed spinach and mix together so the spinach is well covered.  Add more dressing if needed.  Set aside while grilling your steak.  The remainder of the dressing will keep in the fridge for about a week.  You may need to stir it well before using it.














2.  Grill steak to desired doneness.  You can also pan fry using a little salt in the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking.  Medium Rare/ Medium is best.








3. Place spinach on dinner plate.  Slice meat on the grain and place on top of the spinach salad.








4. Sprinkle the rest of the blueberries, the roasted walnuts and feta cheese over top of the steak.
Enjoy!!

 Next Time - maybe a numbers update and another recipe!
Debbie