Do ever have one of those days when you have a plan to walk or do some form of exercise, but you talk yourself out of it? In these kind of moments, we have a choice: to feel good or to feel lousy. What's to debate? Why would we chose the later? Push through your resistance and do it anyway. Choose to feel good!

Selfie in my car.

Yesterday was one of those kind of days for me. Yesterday I chose not to exercise and for the whole day I felt crummy. When I got up in the morning, I decided not to walk as I had planned to do at 6:30, but I promised myself I'd walk later in the morning. The next thing I knew, my morning was over. I promised myself that I would walk later in the afternoon.

At dinner time I told myself "Okay, for sure, I'll walk right after dinner."

I don't know what the weather was like for you last night, but where I live it was as if a tropical storm had blown in. The storm ended early enough for me to walk before dark, but I didn't. I went to bed feeling lousy.

This morning started off like yesterday. I had walking plans, but as soon as I got out of bed, I started looking for reasons to get out of walking. Weather? No, it's gorgeous outside, so this excuse wasn't going to work today. As I walked down the stairs for my morning coffee, my ankle hurt a little. Yes, here's a valid excuse not walk today. I'm off the hook another day.

Really? "Off the hook" Who are you and what did you do with Theresa who loves to walk? No, I was not off the hook, because yesterday I had set myself up for success when I made an appointment to drop my car at the shop: I told them I wouldn't need a ride, because I was going to walk home.

Early this morning I put on my sandals, instead of my sneakers, and drove to the car shop. At the shop, they asked me a few questions and then said they'd see me later. 

Oh. They think I'm going to walk home.

Oh. I can't ask for a ride now.

Just because I set myself up for success doesn't mean I didn't have some resistance to my plan. Resistance or not, I had to walk home. I just didn't have it in me to say I had changed my mind and ask for a ride.

Despite my lack of enthusiasm at the car shop, I enjoyed the two mile walk home. Despite the fact that I wore my sandals, my ankle didn't hurt at all. You see, I set myself up for success in that way too - I chose sandals that I can walk in for miles.

On some level, I really wanted to do this walk. I mean who doesn't want to choose feeling good over feeling lousy? I just had to get out of my own way and just do it.

When I walk back to the shop, I know I won't have any resistance, because each time I choose to walk, I feel great and I want to do it more. The same applies when I make excuses not to walk - I then find myself on a path that supports feeling lousy.

I choose to feel good. Next time I am resistant to sticking with my exercise goals, I'm going to push myself to do it anyway and to remember how good I always feel later. I'm using the same tactic I use to push away food cravings: pushing away thoughts of resistance that prevent me from exercising. Tap, tap, tap.

What about you? Do you have tactics that you use to support you choosing to exercise?

08/29/14 Update: Yesterday I really did do it - I walked 25,477 steps! I didn't plan to walk that much, but by the end of the day I put in 11.19 miles. And - I wasn't sore yesterday or this morning! This is what I love about my FitBit - I get badges when I reach milestones!

August 28, 2014

Once in a while perfection happens and when it does - for a brief moment - all is well in the universe. I had such a moment today while eating a warm hard-boiled egg. After taking a second bite of my egg, I realized I was holding the most perfect hard-boiled egg I've ever cooked. I've had moments like this on my key weight loss journey. I suspect you have too.

Perfection comes in mysterious ways, even in hard-boiled egg. Photo by Theresa

Yesterday was a perfect day. I didn't plan for a perfect day, but as my day unfolded, I accomplished the small goals I set out for myself and there was even room for spontaneity. Looking back, I contribute my "success" to keeping things simple. I stayed out of overwhelm, which is easy as long as I refrain from multitasking, and I stayed focused on my goals for the day. Oh, and I stayed on program: I ate clean and I exercised!

Perfection? Yes! Does this happen every day? No.

Two days ago I didn't meet my daily goal of  walking 10,000 steps. I had good intentions, but I didn't see them through, so I fell short. Perfection? No, but I am still moving toward my goal size because I continue to choose to exercise. I let go of my perfection expectations and I accept that some days I'm not going to meet my daily walking goal.

The spontaneous event that happened yesterday: I said yes to an opportunity to walk just ten minutes after getting home from walking with a key-friend. Consequently I walked over 17,000 steps yesterday. I wasn't making up for the day before, I walked extra steps because of a spontaneous invite and because it was fun.

Perfectionism is not in the equation when it comes to food. Life is imperfect, but I get to choose what foods I eat. When I choose to ignore the rules, such as cheese is a condiment or that there are limits with yogurt, I am making a choice to postpone reaching my goal size.

The key weight loss program is about lifestyle changes, it's not about perfection. When we fall short of our program goals, we have the choice to keep moving forward or not.

Let go of perfection. Let go of mistakes and stay the course. Live your best life by choosing to:

• stay on program
• exercise
• learn maintenance

August 26, 2014

A key friend asked this question today: which is harder: losing or maintaining? Hard is what I felt about going to college at age 37, but I did it anyway. In a cartoon class I took a few years ago, I looked around at how well others were drawing and I said to myself "this is really hard," but I did it anyway. In following this program, hard should not be a part of the equation.

Cartoon by Theresa

It may be hard to get back into the river, but if we don't get go off program this isn't an issue - so stay in the river! Take out the hard part of your equation and stay on program.  Besides, going on and off-program is not part of this program. Once and done as Julie says. Lose your weight once and be done.

When I hear myself saying how hard this program is - I know I'm in trouble. One of two things are going on when I'm thinking how hard this is: I'm in my head too much or I'm eating something off-program.

If I'm in my head too much, it means I'm not trusting my body enough. When I constantly think about what to do to stay on program, I stop and ask myself: am I eating something I shouldn't be?

About a year into this program, I discovered that sometimes I was over thinking this program and when I did this I often used the word hard. One day while talking with another key friend about how hard this is, I realized something wasn't right. This program wasn't hard before, so what's different now that it feels so hard? I decided to review what I was eating and sure enough I found I was eating something not on program. Something that I hadn't been eating before, but somehow thought I could eat. I immediately stopped eating that food and that took hard out the equation.

Just this week I discovered something that was hard for me: giving up yogurt. I'm taking it out of the equation. I loved my Siggi's, but I'm giving it up now that I understand:

Yogurt is to be eaten the same way as vegetables: always with a with big chunk of meat.

I've been eating yogurt immediately after my dinner and I can't imagine eating yogurt along with my meal, so I'm giving it up. I don't know why I didn't understand this concept sooner, but I'm telling my little mean girl to hush, what's done is done. I'm moving forward, as I can't change the past.

I'm also giving up yogurt because a part of me doesn't want to give it up. But the biggest reason I'm giving up yogurt:

If you feel you are losing slowly or on a plateau, you should not eat yogurt.

Tap, tap, tap. I'm pushing away the cravings to have this treat because my desire to reach my goal far outweighs my desire to treat myself to yogurt. Besides, yogurt isn't meant to be a treat.

Back to the question, which is harder: losing weight or maintenance, I say take the question out of the equation and find the source of what feels so hard. 

If you're obsessing or thinking about how hard weight loss or maintenance is, perhaps you need to stop and ask yourself: what's that really all about? Is it possible that what's really hard is pushing past your fears and trusting that your body knows what to do to lose weight and maintain your goal size?

Tap, tap, tap. I'm pushing away the fears of how hard maintenance might be, because on the other side of maintenance is where I want to be. Whatever I have to face to get there will be worth it.

I'm never going back to the size I was when I drew this cartoon!

Cartoon of myself when I was a size 30/32. Cartoon and photo by Theresa.

August 20, 2014

In today's post, PJ writes about the profound effect Julie's program had on how PJ sees and defines herself. Many of you reading her story will resonate with much of PJ's experience. Like many of us on this program, this time feels different for her. Her journey begins with gastric bypass surgery and ends at her goal size on maintenance with Julie's program.

2003 – Size 30/32                     2014 – Size 10

Shame Resilience

As a woman struggling with many emotional issues surrounding weight, I feel that my experience with the Key program and Julie has triggered a monumental shift in how I see myself. I have been interested in the subject of identity (who we believe we are, how we see ourselves) and the relationship between identity and feelings of shame since reading Brené Brown’s books, The Gifts of Imperfection and The Power of Vulnerability. As a doctoral student, I have written about and studied issues surrounding shame, especially in terms of developing shame resilience – how do we overcome views of ourselves which lead to feelings of shame, changing the old scripts which we play over and over when it comes to the many issues surrounding weight and eating.

After reading a post on Facebook regarding shameful feelings related to making poor choices, I wanted to share my experience and how I have come to understand my journey.

In terms of looking at issues surrounding eating, including what I eat and why, Julie had a most profound effect on me in relation to my beliefs about who I am – how I see myself and define myself. My struggle has been a long one, as most of you can relate to, but this time feels very different for me.

In 2003 I had gastric bypass surgery and went from a size 30/32 down to a 10 over the course of 18 months or so. It was a great time for me, but then bad habits crept back in and my weight started to increase after 5 years of success. I kept trying to get things under control, but nothing was working – juice fasts, high protein/low carb, intense exercise.

Finally, as I watched a friend succeed with Julie’s program, I decided to give it a try – it couldn’t be more drastic than surgery! By the summer of 2013 I had rebounded to a size 16 and was extremely fearful of not being able to stop, ending up even heavier than I was in 2003.

I am not sure exactly what happened through the hypnosis portion, but I feel like a different person with a better understanding of how my body works and a connection to my inner spirit. My personal identity (who I believe I am) shifted. The only way I can explain the difference is through the use of a picture.

2003 – Prior to Gastric Bypass Surgery (33 years old) – Size 30/32

This is a picture of me at my highest weight prior to my surgery – I was traveling through Scotland and took painkillers every day just to be able to walk to enjoy my trip. Before seeing Julie, I never would have shared this picture as I still felt like “that” person and experienced immense shame in being “her.” Now, I don’t feel like the same person and I don’t experience shame when I look at that picture. While I don’t understand exactly what shifted, I do understand how shame works and can make an educated guess.

Shame results from a negative self-evaluation about who we believe we are – our identity as an individual (as opposed to guilt which arises from a negative evaluation of a behavior – not tied to our identity).

So I would see my obese self and it would trigger all those negative self-evaluations – lazy, undisciplined, and stupid. While I understand at a cognitive level that I am none of those, these feelings would arise anyway. (Really, how can I complete a 30 day juice fast and still believe I am undisciplined?)

Brené Brown identifies specific ways to build a resilience to shame, including developing a level of critical awareness about your identities (we all have multiple identities), where they come from and how they are affecting you.

I think that through Julie’s guidance, I was able to develop a level of awareness about my identity tied to weight, which was linked to societal views of overweight people as well as my experiences in my family. The awareness, I think, comes from learning to listen to our bodies (I think of this as my inner spirit), not all of the information coming from society and our experiences with our families. Somehow I was able to let go of those external views and give my inner spirit a higher priority in defining my identity related to weight – which is now centered on healing and balance, not command and control.

Developing shame resilience can be a powerful tool in overcoming negative self-perceptions.

I have spent a lot of time reflecting and thinking about the major changes beyond what we are eating when we are in the river – letting go of the numbers (calories, nutrition information, weight), which are externally imposed upon us, and learning to listen to our bodies.

I think opening up communication between the subconscious and conscious allowed me to not only become critically aware of the external pressures regarding weight/size, but let go of them, taking their power away. I work with these ideas regularly, using meditation to reflect and develop self-compassion.

My final thought is to let go of those expectations and pressures which are harmful and causing unwarranted shame. Listen to your body and follow your energy which will guide you in healing – not just your body but your spirit as well.

PJ 

2005 – 18 Months after Surgery (PJ with her sister) – Size 10/12

2013 – 10 Years after Surgery – Size 16

2014 – 7 Months after Julie (44th Birthday) – Size 10

August 14, 2014

Losing weight has helped me overcome a number of fears. But what about looking ahead? What fears arise when I look ahead in my life and all I can see is empty space? I've been working on this piece for a few months. Over time I added and deleted stories about how losing weight has helped me overcome fears, but the piece didn't feel finished. A recent life transition has given me the final piece to this story.

Photo by Theresa

The one thing about empty spaces--their very existence seems to send a message that you are ready for something new to arrive. - Martha Johnson Why Not Do What You Love

The Ice

Last winter I was walking on ice when suddenly I realized I was walking really fast--on ice. Walking on ice was a big challenge for me when I was a size 30/32. One freezing cold January day, more than a decade ago, I stood frozen in the middle of a hill on a side road. I was literally frozen. I could not move. The road was solid ice and I was afraid to move. No--I wasn't afraid to move--I was afraid of falling. I was afraid I would fall and not be able to get up. I couldn't budge an inch. Suddenly a man appeared out of nowhere, offered me his arm, and escorted me to the other side of the road where the ground was flatter and the snow was softer. He disappeared as quickly as he appeared and I never saw him again.

It's a great feeling no longer fearing that I will fall. I don't know when this change happened, but it was a great discovery to realize I have one less fear in my life.

Long Pond, Richmond, RI.

The Hike

At the end of May a couple of friends invited me to join them on an 8 hour 7 1/2 mile hike. My only hesitation was a project deadline a few days before the hike. Not wanting to make a promise I wasn't sure I could keep, I told them that I couldn't commit until the week of the hike. Meanwhile, I asked for more details about the hike and that's when fear hit me. There was a long list of details, but the first two freaked me out:

• Waterproof hiking boots or trail shoes REQUIRED!
• You will need to be reasonably fit to enjoy this hike. That said, if you engage in a normal level of activity, you should be fine. The first mile is very strenuous however.

I'm confident that I'm in the "reasonably fit" category, but I didn't have hiking boots. I told myself, There's no need for me to freak out, I can buy waterproof hiking boots, but what do they mean by strenuous? Slippery trails? Muddy trails? Rocks? I can do this! I told myself. I am not afraid! 

It was not feat that kept me from going to this event. After learning there were no bathrooms on this all day hike, I decided this hike wasn't for me. After seeing this photo a friend took along the hike, I was even happier with my decision.

This snake is a fear I have that I can live with.

The Hill

It was a gorgeous Sunday morning. My friend and I hiked walked about a half mile from the lake house through the neighborhood to the Mohegan Quarry. At the beginning of the trail lots of tails were wagging at the dog park. A few minutes later, the trail took us over a half dozen rocks, where skunk cabbage announced we were crossing through a wetland. We never saw another person after that until we crossed back over the wetland. It was incredible walking the sunlight dappled trails all by ourselves.

I looked up at steep hill we were about to climb and I realized I was hesitating for a moment and then remembered: Oh, I can do this! Sometimes it isn't until I reflect back and realize I just did something that I used to be afraid of doing, but I'm not anymore. This was one of those times. I had to remind myself that I no longer needed to be afraid of going up a hill and that I would be just fine when the time came for me to go back down the hill.

Two hours later, at the foot of that same hill, I turned and looked back up the hill and smiled. I hadn't hesitated for one second about going down that hill. It was only when I reached the bottom that I remembered my earlier hesitation.

It was the memory my body has of such hills that made me hesitate. My body remembers how physically challenging hills used to be for me. Today I look at this photo and ask myself what hill?

The hill. Photo by Theresa

Empty Spaces

My big transition that I mentioned a few weeks ago: I was laid off from my job. I see the empty space (the transition) as an opportunity to dream big and to change my life yet again. I'm not afraid of the empty space. Yes, there are moments when this feels scary, but I tap those fears away the same way I tap (push) away urges for foods that are not on program. Successful methods that work in one area of our lives can be applies to other areas. Tap, tap, tap!

My weight loss journey has prepared me for this transition. I've changed my life in so many ways since starting this program. All those non-scale victories built a strong foundation and not having to deal with all that extra weight is a big bonus.

After more than three years on this program, my autopilot is to set to healthy eating and exercising and that's exactly what I've done through this transition. Not once did I think about meeting up with my old buddies Ben and Jerry or going on an eating binge. Instead I spend my time networking and envisioning my new life.

Seize the moment to step into the unknown and be not afraid.
Photo and quote by Theresa.

What about you? What challenges are going on in your life that your weight loss journey has helped motivated and inspire you to take on? Tap away (push away) your fears, whatever they are, and keep moving forward. You can do this - you can do this program and when your life gets interrupted, you can stay the course because you have this.

All those times that you felt it was "hard" and you pushed through the tough time and stayed the course - those moments can help you push through other challenges you have in life. Tap, tap, tap!

challenges hard hiking non-scale victory push away push away urges tap tap away the scale weight loss weight loss journey

August 12, 2014

Today is my fifth day of not meeting my daily FitBit goals and so I decided it's time for me to start pushing myself physically by committing to run a 5k. I didn't train for any of the events I did this year and consequently I walked more than I ran. I'm ready to start training to run an entire 5k. It's time for me to step up!

My 5k & 10k events from 2011 to 2014

After a race is not one's best moment for a photo, but I'm glad I had these photos taken. These photos represent more than just a moment in time. They provide a visual of my weight loss journey and they serve as visual reminder of how I felt during and after each event: I felt incredible!

There was a time when a five to ten minute walk was too much for me. So the fact that I did those last three events with no training is amazing. Just the same, I wonder if I had trained, what would my time have been and how much better I would have felt had I had pushed myself to the max. Mind you, at the time I was pushing myself as hard as I could, but if I had trained...

I'm not beating myself up here. My average time to finish a 5k has been around 45 minutes, which is far greater than the mere few minutes I used to be able walk. I want to find out what my peak performance is by running an entire 5k.

I'll go online next week and find an event that is far enough out to give me time to run through the full 9 week Couch to 5k program and I'll find a friend to run the 5k with me. I know myself well enough to know I do better when I run with a friend. My biggest reason for not getting in my daily FitBit goal is because my walking buddy is out of town. This is not a good reason, but I'm just telling it like it is.

The good news is that my walking buddy is back next week, so no more excuses. The other good news is that I plan to do my four mile morning walk with my friend (five days a week) and run three days a week. This is stepping up!

What about you? Are you ready to step up your fitness program? You don't have to run a 5k, but you do need to exercise to help your weight loss progress and to allow yourself to be as healthy as you can!

So come on - step up!

August 08, 2014

I've asked myself this question many times since I started this weight loss program: what's your rush? The simple truth is: I'm not a fast loser. I've set weight loss goals for myself, but I've come to realize a timeline that I create does not work on this program. Besides, this isn't a race, so what's the rush?

What's your rush - this isn't a race!

I want to be at my goal size, but I'm not there yet. I accept where I am today, a size 14/16, which is far from the size 30/32 that I was three and a half years ago. What slows down my weight loss? Plateaus. Plateaus are part of the weight loss journey, as this is the body's way of healing.

When I experience a plateau, I take time to pause and review the foods I'm eating, to check in with myself and see if there are foods I need to eliminate. I may have "gotten away" with eating high fat foods or  too much cheese when I was a size 30/32, but I didn't really get away with anything. Instead, I slowed down my weight loss and often put myself on a plateau. When I eliminate foods that I was eating too much of or too often, or OMG foods are inappropriate, my weight starts dropping again. Yes, there have been a few times that I discovered I was eating foods that are not on program. For example, I was eating dried green beans for a whole summer only to be reminded "no dried foods."

What about you? Is it possible you're eating foods that are not on program? I encourage you to take an honest look at what you're eating. Two easy targets: cheese and fats, but there are a few other areas to review.

Are you treating cheese like a condiment? If not, your body will hold onto the weight no matter what else you do. Many of us take time off from eating cheese. Consider not having cheese for a month. Does this idea freak you out? All the more reason to do this. If someone said, don't use parsley for a month, would you freak out? It's a condiment. We can live without condiments, including cheese.

Are you mindful of how much fat you eat? Here's what's important to understand about fat:

• If you take in too much fat, the body stores it, which is something you do not want to happen.
• When you eat protein, it takes an equal amount of fat from the body (yeah). 
• If you aren't consuming much fat, the body takes the fat from fat it previous stored, which will result in weight loss (yeah). 
• Consume too much fat and you quickly deplete the protein deposits you made and the new fat will then be stored as fat on the body (oh no).

Think about giving up or cutting back on cheese and fat as preparation for maintenance - when we will add new foods and then take them away as we learn to cycle in and out of the weight loss mode and into maintenance, weight loss, maintenance, repeat, repeat, repeat, until our bodies gets that this is our new size.

Yogurt is a food that I found problematic. For some reason I deemed yogurt a food I could break rules with and I ate yogurt more frequently in a week than allowed. I ate it alone. I made desserts with yogurt too. No overeating yogurt. Only eat yogurt with protein. No snacking. No deserts. Follow these rules and avoid causing a plateau. Break them and you hit a plateau. It's that simple.

08/09/15 update on yogurt
Julie has always said to go by only what you heard from her, however at the refresher I went to a few weeks ago she made an exception: the yogurt brand she recommended has changed and now includes ingredients that triggers food cravings. She no longer recommends that brand. She says we can buy any brand of plain yogurt - no vanilla or any flavor at all.

It's essential to balance your meat-to-veggie ratio. Do you recall the metaphor about army men or piranhas? Regardless of which analogy you relate to, or if you don't relate or remember either, know this:

• It's all about about balancing your insulin. 
• All carbs, including veggies, spark insulin production. 
• The only thing that balances insulin, is protein. 

The foods I mention here were my trouble areas, but you may have others. What are they? Stop eating them now!

The other thing is we must do is move. Are you walking or doing some form of exercise on a regular basis? If you aren't exercising, this may be a big reason for a plateau. Without enough physical activity, the fat will not leave your body. Find a form of exercise that you can do and start today.

You can do this! You can reach your goal size. Figure out your trouble areas and eliminate them. Many of us call this "eating clean." No grey areas, besides this program doesn't have grey areas. You're either on program or you're off. There is no third option.

August 07, 2014

This statement is so true for all of us on this journey: Don't wait until you've reached your goal to be proud of yourself. Be proud of every step you take toward reaching your goal.

Be proud today! - Photo by Theresa

Be proud of every single step and every single choice you make to stay on this program.

Be proud every time you look in the mirror.

Be proud every day, every week, every month, and every year that you stay in the river (on program).

Be proud when you realize another non-scale victory, such as no longer needing a seat belt extension on airplanes, crossing your legs for the first time in eons...

Be proud when you see victory: your goal size.

Be proud as you play the game of maintenance--learning how to cycle in and out of the river.

Be proud.

July 27, 2014

One year ago today, I began a journey that  changed my life in ways I couldn't even have dreamed of. I walked into Key Hypnosis and met Julie Ann Kibe. Get rid of all your preconceived notions of hypnosis, because this was nothing like that. She just talked and talked, and while my ears heard normal conversation, somehow my mind and body heard more--they heard how to heal. Somehow, in a room full of people, she dismantled the giant roadblock in my mind, that had made me morbidly obese for over 20 years.

July 2013 vs July 2014

I don't know exactly how much I've lost so far, as no scales are allowed... over a hundred pounds would be my guess...but I don't care what I've lost. I care what I've gained. I've gained my life back. I now love my body, flaws and all. I don't care if parts sag, or are too big or too small. I take pride in the strength I'm discovering in it. I giggle that I'm now able to cross my legs. I smile when I carry four bags of groceries up a flight of stairs, and I'm not out of breath at the top. I still hate long walks, and I may have grumbled all the way through last week's 5k walk/run, but I entered it, and I completed it.

My husband, family, and friends all tell me that the biggest change is not my outside, but my inside. One year later, I now try new things. I dare to excel. I've gotten a promotion. I've bought a house. I've traveled on a plane. My anxiety attacks have subsided from a freight train roaring through my body five evenings a week, to an occasional anxious twinge. My size has gone from 32 jeans that I couldn't zip, to a tight but zip-able 18 jean.

A few months back, I had the opportunity to thank Julie in person. I'm paraphrasing, but this is the gist of what she said. She humbly equated it to her being the person running behind us, holding on to our bike seat, while we learn how to steer and pedal. She said that once we have our balance, she lets go, and off we race on our own. That may be how she looks at it, but in my mind, this woman saved my life. I've heard people say $600 is too much money to spend on a "weight loss" program. For what I've gained from this, $6,000 would be a bargain. Thank you, Julie. You gave me my life back.

July 20, 2014

All my life, my weight has kept me from doing stuff.

I have a friend who has followed me on my journey and is one of my cheerleaders. She is one who keeps encouraging me, and tries to help me see the new me.

She has been trying to get me to go kayaking.

NO WAY!!! I won't fit in the kayak, I will sink it, I am afraid I can't get in and out of the thing, and so on.

Joann persisted and on Tuesday I gave in and went.

The whole way to the lake I had a stomach ache, and all those negative thoughts kept running through my mind.

I met Joann at the lake and she knew right away what I was thinking.

I didn't want to disappoint her so I was brave while voicing my concerns.

I stared that ole kayak down and decided that those old thoughts were not going to get the best of me.

Cautiously, I got in. I am sure if anyone besides Joann had been there, they would have laughed at my un-gracefulness, but I got in!

I realized I did fit, PLUS I had room to spare!!! Imagine that!

I took it slow, getting used to the feeling. Once I was comfortable off we went around Crystal Lake. Slow and steady, talking and enjoying the wonderful day!

I can not believe I did it!!! When I think back to all the things my weight kept me from doing as my children were growing up, I could just cry. My weight held me back from so much...

Julie, I am forever grateful to you for giving me my life!!

I may not go skydiving, or bungee jumping or even ride a rollercoaster. I am not that brave, but the wonderful thing to me is, that if I wanted to, I could. I would fit! I wouldn't sink anything! I wouldn't get stuck in anything!! I wouldn't break anything!!!

That is BIG!!!! REally BIG for me!!!!

I did it!!! I did it!!!!

July 16, 2014

We make a lot of decisions about food on this program. How many times have you stopped for a moment to ask yourself: Should I eat this? Or: Can I eat this? Or contemplated over: Just this once? The choices we make in those moments accumulate and ultimately make a large contribution to our success. There are other decisions that factor into this equation, such as how we see and think about ourselves and our bodies.

My choices took me from here to here.

My success on this journey is a directly correlation of the decisions I've made at key moments.

There were many moments when I paused to consider my decision.

Moments when I was involved in an activity and I paused and said to myself "I can't do this," and then I pushed past my fear and just did it.

Moments when I jumped into an activity without a moments hesitation.

Moments when I jumped into an activity without hesitation only to discover "oh, I really can't do this!"

The further along I am this path, the less time I spend thinking about my food choices. Eating this way is embedded in my life. None of these decisions are hard. Sometimes a food calls out to me and I may pause for a moment, but the moment passes and my journey continues.

Sometimes choosing to do a physically challenging activity is hard for me. I had a three-week-moment of debating about going with a group on a difficult hike. After changing my mind several times, I chose not to go. It's good to know your limitations. Mine include a 10 hour hike with no bathrooms. (It's a funny story and I promise to post it sometime.)

My weight loss journey is about more than losing weight. It's also about challenging myself to push beyond my old boundaries, beyond my old ways of thinking, and to stop thinking of myself as an obese woman: I am not an obese woman anymore.

It's about choosing to stay on program when those moments of temptation arise. The accumulation of my choices, what to eat and what activities to participate in, are what helped transform me from a size 30/32 to where I am today.

A moments decision can make or break you on this journey. Choose wisely. Stay the course.

Red Dress Run/Walk in Hartford 07/12/14

Before publishing this post, I toggled over to my email and saw this message from Linda:

In 20 minutes I am about to do something I have never done in my life!! I wouldn't have fit, number 1, I would have sunk it, number 2. I am going kayaking. I am scared, as the mean girl is still telling me that stuff. BUT, I am going to do it. 

Now that's what I'm talking about! You go Linda! Go push your limits and go have an incredible time!

July 15, 2014

Meet Donna. Donna reminded me what it was like when I was too a newbie. As I read her story, I filled with excitement for her, for me, and for you. She tells your story and mine. The wait list. The wondering if this will really work. The undeniable changes in our bodies. The startling new ways we start to see and think about food. The uncharted road ahead.

Uncharted road. Photo by Theresa

Donna posted this comment on Plateau Strategy and I instantly knew her story had to be brought to the surface so none of you would miss it.

I am a relative newbie ... having begun my journey to a new me on June 10th. I have completed my three sessions and I am so totally blown away by how my life has changed in four short weeks.

First of all, I will acknowledge that I do realize that everyone's experience is different. I can only comment on mine. I am astounded by how this whole thing works. I am an adult, life-long dieter. Gain weight ... go on a diet, lose weight ... gain it back with a little more, repeat. Tried every diet out there and was just about ready to admit I was going to be overweight FOREVER.

A very overweight friend told me about Julie's program, and I was intrigued. Could this work for me? All it took me was overnight to decide, why not give it a try. So I checked out Julie's website, was shocked and horrified to learn I would be on a waiting list for up to six months. OMG, I am so ready NOW! Please!

But, I used that time to read this blog, and pray that this would work for me too! As I said I have tried every diet program and, as with most diets (as Julie explains), you should find success, but when you plateau and then begin to gain again all hope is lost. So you try another, and then another and so on.

So here is my experience after four weeks, and I will continue to post as I go through the next weeks and months and maybe even years!

In answer to two of the four questions that Julie asks, I would like to lose 70 pounds and be a size 8.

Well, after my first session, until this very moment as I write this, I have had no cravings for anything that I should not eat. I have had no trouble controlling what I eat and the quantity that I eat. And I keep repeating the mantra "eat when you're hungry, not when you're not" to myself. Can't get it out of my head. Pretty cool, eh?

That being said, I wish I could say that I have dropped a size or two. But, in pants anyway that is not the case. I have lost significant inches in my midriff area though, and consequently feel as though I am making progress. Have dropped a size in tops ... YEAH! I do feel trimmer, does that makes sense? Very encouraged.

We had a huge family 4th of July party that I did worry about. What would I eat, how could I not have alcohol? Well, I survived! I had a burger, steak tips and corn on the cob and was as happy as a clam. Stayed away from desserts, not even tempted to try them. Not tempted to try anything I know I should not be putting in my mouth.

Speaking of burgers ... I will share a burger suggestion that I tried recently that was so darn good, I could eat them every day. I sauteed baby spinach and mushrooms with garlic and a little olive oil. I made two very thin hamburger patties, put the spinach/mushroom mixture in the center; patted the edges to seal it and grill. OMG, so good. Really try it, yummy.

Well, that is it for now. I am so very grateful for this blog. It is so nice to see how everyone else is doing and get recipes and incentive.

-- Donna

Congratulations Donna - your life is about to change in ways you can't even imagine. The fact that you're only four weeks in and you can see and feel changes is worth celebrating.

As you drop weight, you may find it doesn't come off the way you expected. Weight comes off in it's own way and in funny places - like your feet. Who knew your shoe size could get smaller? And the hips, oh the hips! They seem to be the last to go, but stay the course and they will.

One morning you put your ring on your finger and it slides right off.

Another morning you look in the mirror and the face looking back at you will be transformed. Perhaps you remember that face, perhaps it's new to you.

You won't always be able to see the changes, but know they are happening. Take photos on a regular basis to help you see changes you won't see in a mirror.

Sometimes the weight loss slows down and you plateau for a while. This is part of the journey for many of us, as our body pauses to heal. The plateau will pass and your weight will drop once again.

I look forward to hearing more from you on your journey. Thanks for the recipe too!

July 11, 2014

I made this delicious perfectly grilled corn on the cob recipe for dinner tonight. My only regret is that I didn't photograph it before we ate it! You can eat as much corn as you want as long as you eat an equal amount of meat. Keep your meat/veggie balance intact, as too many vegetables will slow down or stop your weight loss.

Recipe by Bobby Flay

Total prep and cooking time: 25-30 minutes

Directions

1. Heat the grill to medium.
2. Pull the outer husks down the ear to the base. 
3. Strip away the silk from each ear of corn by hand. 
4. Fold husks back into place, and place the ears of corn in a large bowl of cold water with 1 tablespoon of salt for 10 minutes.
5. Remove corn from water and shake off excess. 
6. Place the corn on the grill, close the cover and grill for 15 to 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes, or until kernels are tender when pierced with a paring knife. 
7. Remove the husks and eat on the cob or remove the kernels. 
8. Optional: spread butter over the corn while hot. 

Source: Food Network

July 06, 2014

Having a body that is capable of optimal performance is priceless. I'm learning that being the right size for my body can do far more for me than just looking good. I may not be at my goal size yet, but my body is definitely working for me these days.

Transitions are a natural state of being. Look how beautiful this one is!
Photo by Theresa

I'm in transition. Things have changed in my life and I'm not ready to write about the details yet, as it's all so new. The details don't matter. What matters is how I'm handling the transition. I'm handling this as best as I can. As I navigate through new territory, I stay connected to my incredible support system and to my spiritual side. 

I'm proud to say that during this transition there has not been one time that I told myself I deserve to treat myself to X, Y, or Z foods. I deserve to be healthy. Treats do not solve anything. They never have and they never will. I know what my life would be like today if I turned to sugar and it would not be pretty. I would shut down in a comma-like state-of-mind. No thank you.

My key program is deeply rooted. When my transition began, I automatically continued my exercise goals and I automatically continued to choose healthy foods. Sometimes autopilot is a good thing. 

My energy and focus wane throughout the day, but my overall state of being is good. I often feel as if I’m having an out of body experience. Perhaps I am. While I have moments when focusing is a challenge, I also have moments of clarity and feeling well grounded. 

One of moment of clarity is realizing how much my weight loss plays into all this. I can’t imagine how I would deal with this transition if I had not taken off so much weight. Today, at size 14/16, I’m in a good place physically, mentally and spiritually. At size 30/32, this transition would have been far more difficult.

This is another non-scale victory.

Stay the course and allow your body to work for you instead of against you.

July 03, 2014

It's funny how a memory just pops up in your mind. Not funny in a laughing out loud kind of way, but in a strange way. One moment you're peeling a hard-boiled egg and the next moment you're mind is a million miles away, remembering something that happened years ago--as if it was happening in the present moment.

That's what happened to me this morning while making deviled eggs. I picked up the first hard-boiled egg, tapped it lightly on the counter top, and then gave it a roll. Right then a memory of peeling hard-boiled eggs with my Uncle Bill popped into my head.

As I peeled the shell from the egg in my own kitchen, I was transported to my twelve or thirteen year old self in the kitchen standing next to Uncle Bill.

"Give it a light tap on the counter" Uncle Bill instructed me, "and then roll it. That's right! Now peel it. See how easily the shell comes off?"

I've peeled a million hard-boiled eggs since I was a teenager. I'm not sure why this memory surfaced this morning, but it was as if Uncle Bill was standing right next to me, instruction me how to peel an egg.

Standing in my own kitchen, I grabbed my iPhone to take photos of today's egg-peeling event. I didn't realize until that moment that I had peeled four eggs and the last egg was in my hand partially peeled.

I had the idea that I could capture my memory and make it into a short video. I was silent as I set up my iPhone camera and recorded a closeup of the fork in my hands breaking up the cooked egg yokes, adding a spoon of mayo and then mustard. I cracked black pepper over the dish and then sprinkled salt on top.

As the camera continued to roll, I stuffed the eggs. That's when I imagined my mother's critical voice.

"They're messy looking--some have more filling than others. And what about the paprika? Where's the paprika?" Mom's deviled eggs always looked perfect. Mine? No paprika. No perfection.

I picked up my iPhone, zoomed in on my finished product and snapped a few stills before popping a deviled eggs into my mouth. 

Messy looking and void of paprika, these deviled eggs were delicious.

Mom and Uncle Bill are brother and sister and, like their father and two of my brothers, they had diabetes. My grandfather and my Uncle Bill were thin men their whole lives. Neither of them ever had weight issues, unlike my mom and my diabetic brothers. Diabetes was just one of several health issues my mother, her father, her brother, and her oldest son (my brother) had going on when they passed away.

Four years ago my nurse practitioner told me, with an authoritative certainty, despite the negative results from my annual diabetes test, "you are going to become a diabetic."

"No!" I told her with my own authoritative certainty.

I always knew I would never become a diabetic, despite my mother's family history of diabetes, because decades ago I decided to claim my father's genes, as there was no diabetes or Alzheimer on his side of the family. As if one can really make such a claim.

When my memory of Uncle Bill and Mom surfaced this morning, I thought of their struggle with diabetes and how neither one of them was willing to give up sugar. 

I remember Uncle Bill checking his blood sugar level, taking his medicine, eating lunch, and then eagerly waiting to bite into a piece of pie. I'm not sure of the exact order of those events, but as I sat beside Uncle Bill at his kitchen table, I would silently stake claim to having my father's family genes.

I don't remember if my mom took medicine for her diabetes, but I vividly recall my grandfather injecting himself daily with a needle. I also remember him using a lot of Saccharin.

I was excited about making this memory into a video this morning, but it seems deviled eggs aren't the only thing in my life that lack perfection. Technology got the better of me. My new iPhone won't speak to my desktop computer, so I can't get edit my video or record my story. Well I know I can figure this out, but I don't have all day to do this, so here I am writing my memory instead.

As I finish writing this piece, I think about my life today and I can't help but ponder a few what if questions. What if I hadn't changed the way I eat? What if I hadn't loss all this weight? What if I was still a size 30/32 instead of a 14/16? Would I have become diabetic? Or do I really have my dad's gene's?

Lucky for me, and it really isn't about luck, I won't ever know if I had stayed on the path I was on before this program, the path where I communed with Ben & Jerry daily, if I would have become diabetic. Family history and statistics have a strong case against my claim.

What I do know is that eating the way I learned on this program, I will never become diabetic. Paprika is still an option, but perfection is debatable.

Mom and Uncle Bill

June 28, 2014

Friday night I took my measurements and went online to look at a size chart. OMG. Have you ever done this? When I looked at the chart it says I'm supposed to be...I'm none of the sizes listed! My measurements are not on the chart! According to the charts (and I looked at several), I am three different sizes (my bust, hips, and waist are not in the same size and the size between each is wide; no pun intended). No wonder I'm not finding clothes that fit me.

Then and now

I feel like wearing girly-girl clothes. I'm SO over wearing black and white--I want vibrant colors!  I have a handful of summer dresses and a ton of blouses, but I want some short skirts. I recently dropped another size, so I just need to find the place where my size exists. Size doesn't matter, but where oh where are clothes my size?

Last summer I discovered Dress Barn, but everything I liked was a size 8. My trip there yesterday lasted 2 hours and I left empty-handed. I can see things there fit better, but nothing in the styles I want.

To boost my morale, which was low after not having any success at Dress Barn, I went into my photos and pulled a photo from my days of being a size 30/32 to post here next to my current size. I'm telling you, a photo is worth a thousand words.

I know I've said this a million times on this blog, but it's worth repeating: take photos and take them often!

Looking at myself in the size 30/32 photo next to a photo taken last month, there is no denying my transformation. Wooohoo! As big as I may some days feel--I am not the size I used to be. I have come a long way. Sure, I wish it was faster, but it is what it is and I'm so far from a size 30/32.

I also booked a refresher, because I want to reach maintenance and I need a boost to help me get there. Yes, I'm having success dropping weight again, but I want to push through to the finish line. I called today and have an appointment for next month.

To those of you reading this: do whatever it takes to stay the course to make it to your finish line. However long it takes - you are worth it.

June 23, 2014

I have been on Julie's program for well over 2 years. Still have not strayed, fallen off the wagon, or cheated. Still going strong, and just have a peace inside of me that I WILL get to my goal.

I have noticed in the past few months I have begun an unusual habit. Certainly not a normal one in my book or in my husband's.

I have begun smelling food. Yup, you heard me right!

If my dear husband goes to eat something unusual, or that looks really yummy, I have to smell it. Poor Greg, he can't have a dessert without my sticking my nose in it first.

We were on vacation at an all inclusive the end of winter, and my dear hubby enjoyed a few desserts. Well, he enjoyed them AFTER my nose was in them!

Why do I smell food? Who knows! BUT I must say, some of the fragrances are absolutely delightful. They do not provoke a craving, I just enjoy the smell.

I was telling Theresa about this habit one day, and she likened it to smelling beautiful flowers. We love to smell a fragrant flower but it doesn't mean we are going to eat it. At least I am not going to!! Even though before Julie, I could have eaten everything in sight!!!

I work in a bakery now, have since before my trip to Italy in the fall. I love to bake and seeing no one eats it at home, it is the perfect job for me.

I guess I can pinpoint my strange new behavior as starting in Italy. My father ate the pastries and desserts. He kept telling me they were not sweet even though they sure looked sweet to me. Thus began my smelling food habit.

On an average day at the bakery, while stuff is baking I can not smell it. I figure Julie must have something to do with that. But once in a while I just have to stick my nose into something and smell it. My co-workers find it funny that it doesn't make me want to eat it, but I just enjoy the fragrance.

These are just some of the beautiful flowers in my garden.

Hopefully my food smelling habit doesn't get to out of control!! One of my friends, laughingly said to me, "I sure hope you can contain yourself in a restaurant and not start smelling everyones food! I can see you at therapy now for food smelling!"

LOL! Gotta love your friends!!!

I am going for a refresher this week and plan to ask Julie about this food smelling thing. Will keep you posted!

June 09, 2014

Two months ago, I spent a few hours with three of my key friends / blog contributors and we had a blast. We had a nice lunch together and then walked for an hour or more   something none of us could have endured before this program.

Selfie: Linda, Jennifer, Alaina, Theresa

We met at Johnny's Bar & Grille for lunch. All of us ordered the same thing: bone-in salt and pepper chicken wings, fried Brussels sprouts, seltzer with lots of lemons, and an extra large order of laughing and talking. The staff were fabulous and they were so kind to take our photo again and again until they had one with just the right light.

Alaina, Jennifer,  Theresa, Linda

After lunch, we walked across the street to Mount Holyoke College to tour the beautiful library and to see the Dale Chihuly sculpture Clear and Gold Tower. After the our self-tour of the library, we headed outside toward lower lake.

As we walked across campus, the laughter continued. We were all so relaxed and it was a beautiful day, so I pulled my camera. I had to seize the moment and do a photo shoot of everyone. It was an honor to capture the fun spirit of each of these women.

Usually I would insert a "before" photo next to these photos, but this time, I want to let the photos speak for themselves.

Alaina

Jennifer

Linda

Theresa

When my photo was taken, we didn't realize the video button was selected and consequently we recorded a rather funny moment, but some moments are not to be shared beyond close friends. This was one of those moments.

June 06, 2014

One of the great things about this weight loss program is that I don't think about food all the time. Yes, I plan what I'm going to eat, but only when I'm going to buy groceries. This doesn't mean I don't have a strategy, it just means I don't need to obsess about food.

Finnian asked:

Hi I have a question about some of the strategies or "tricks" as you refer to them...In the sessions I attended she never said anything about "tapping away hunger" or "don't wanna want it" can you explain to me what these things mean?

Tap, tap, tap, is not a phrase Julie uses. During one of my initial sessions Julie described a technique to use when we have sugar cravings. As she spoke about sugar cravings getting stronger and stronger, one of her hands moved closer to her body and then she gave us the suggestion to push away the sugar cravings. Over the years that I've been following this program, I turned that concept into the phrase tap, tap, tap, which I use as a reminder to push away cravings. 

I don't know about you, but I like having energy to do other things in my life instead of thinking about my next fix, I mean meal. In order for this to happen, having a strategy helps.

What's My Strategy?

My strategy is similar to Nike's famous brand statement, I just do it. I follow the plan as Julie taught me and after three years of just doing in, I don't have to think what I'm doing - I just do what I've trained myself to do. Sure, there are days I wonder about what to cook, plenty days in fact, but this program is a way of life for me.

To get to this zen-like place, I did a lot of thinking along the way. I was full of questions that only I could answer. The question that kept coming up again and again was Why am I on a plateau?

I asked my key friends for their sage wisdom about plateaus and what they do when they're on one. In response, they asked two questions: 1) what are you eating? and 2) when are you eating? Let's take a closer look at what they had to say...

What are You Eating?

We tend to get in a rut and eat the same foods...change is good. Think about what you're eating and change up the foods. Breakfast for example, should not be the same every day. When we repeat the same meals, our bodies think "oh no, another diet" and it starts storing fat because it thinks we're going to starve it.

• Army men - if you're eating anything that will bring out the army men, stop now!
• Too much milk - try two weeks of cutting your milk and see if this makes any difference.
• Cut back on the vodka - the caution here is if you drink to much, you may end up eating things that you will regret in the morning.
• Big coffee drinker - scale back.
• Are you only having breakfast foods for breakfast? Mix it up and have chicken for breakfast.
• Are you eating the same foods - it's essential to eat a variety of foods or your body thinks it's on a diet and holds onto your weight.
• Cheese - it's a condiment and the sooner you accept this and treat it as such, the better for you. 
• Cook simpler.  We don't need to make complicated meals three times a day. Keep it simple. Simple doesn't have to be boring, it's just less work. Less work means more time for fun. Fun is good! Go have some fun.

When are You Eating?

• Eat only when you are hungry.
• Stop eating when you're full.
• Milk - while we are not limited to how much milk we drink, we were warned NOT to drink milk by the gallon. 
• Pepperoni - now that I’ve become a meat lover, I've given up pepperoni as a regular item on my menu. When I started this program I didn’t like meat AT ALL and I asked about pepperoni and was told it was allowed. A few months ago I decided I want to drop another size more than I want pepperoni. It's all about free-will.
• Condiments - a wise key friend recently said: Julie gave us meat and veggies, not meat, veggies, and condiments. We are allowed condiments to enhance our foods, not have the whole bottle. Also essential: “nothing sweet to the lips” means if a condiment (or any food) tastes sweet, we shouldn’t eat it. I no longer using Marie’s salad dressing and I’m looking for new ways to enjoy tuna and chicken — am I really going to say it aloud, omg, yes — without mayo!
• Eating the same food daily - variety in our foods is essential. I make smaller dishes instead of large batches that I ate over the next few days.

What to Do if You're on a Plateau?

1. Accept that plateaus are a natural part of the weight loss process. 
2. Have patience. Your body plateaus so it has time to heal.
3. Look at your fat intake. Are you eating a lot of bacon, hot dogs, butter, mayo? Cut way back on fatty foods. 
4. Get moving - find a form of exercise that you can do and start moving. Set goals for yourself and keep to your commitment.
5. Be gentle with yourself. This is a learning process. Along the way, you may discover things you are eating that are not on program. Realize your mistake and move on - today. There are no tomorrows - we only have today. Seize the moment.

Image source: Fitness Health Wellness Professional Fitness Institute

June 05, 2014

My brother and his wife were invited to celebrate the birthdays of a couple we've known for over thirty years. Both the husband and wife turned 80 in May and to celebrate our friends invited four couples to join them on a cruise. My brother was not able to go and I was invited in his place. All I had to do was pay for my ticket to Florida and back, and to bring along at least two formal dresses. Who am I to say no to such an incredible invitation? What's a girl to do? Start looking for formal dresses of course!

View from my balcony on the Oasis of the Seas.

A few weeks after I accepted this fabulous gift, something incredible happened: one of our key friends posted a notice she had 8 bags of clothes ranging from size 12-18 to give away to the first person who contacted her. I responded right away and we arranged to meet at her house.

I spent about an hour on her front steps, listening to her inspiring weight loss story. After our visit, she brought the bags out to the steps and I loaded them into my trunk. As I walked toward my car with the last bag, I heard her call out from inside the house.

"Hold on! I have some more."

I looked up and saw her coming out the front door with her hands full of beautiful dresses. I'm so grateful and fortunate to have made this connection.

Back home I sorted through the clothes and put the items that were too small into a bin, I wrote a note and placed it on top before closing the lid. The note read: beautiful clothes that will fit me soon.

The dresses she handed to me were size 12's and 14's and too small for me last summer, but I was optimistic they would fit me by the time I went on the cruise.  I hung the dresses in the left side of my closet, next to other clothes waiting for me to fit into them.
As summer turned to fall, I kept pulling the beautiful dresses out of my closet and holding them up to me in front of my full length mirror. I could see they did not to fit yet; my body was wider than the dresses.

January, February, and then March passed, and each time I stepped in front of the mirror, the results were the same: the dresses were still beautiful and still too small.

The first of April, after having lunch with some of my key friends in South Hadley, I invited Jennifer and Linda to my house to get their opinion on a formal dress I had bought for the cruise that I was unsure of how it looked. I felt it clung to my backside too much and in the end I returned it. While they were at my house, I put on a black dress from my key friend for them to help me determine if it was too tight.

They agreed with me, it was too tight. I showed them the other dresses and said how sad that they too were to small. Jennifer suggested I try them on, but I said no; I was positive they would not fit. After they left, I decided to try them on and I was shocked--I could get into all but two of the dresses. I would not go outside my house in any of them, as they were way too tight, but I could fit into them.

What shocked me so much was that these dresses looked so small. I was in awe. Am I really that small? Despite the fact that they were skin tight - the fact that I could get into them was incredible.

Tick tock. Time was running out and I still had to get my formal dresses lined up.

A friend in New York sent me a dress that she was confident would fit me and that it would look incredible. When it arrived, I tried it on and she was right. The floor length red dress was a beautiful color on me, but it needed to be shortened and altered to fit me better. I asked around for a good tailor.

One dress down, one more to go.

Two summers ago I bought a few beautiful dresses and they're too big under the arms. I decided to take them to the tailor as well. I was lucky again, as prom season was closing in and the tailor would have just enough time to finish my dresses on time.

Meanwhile, I kept trying on those size 12 and 14 dresses right up until a few days before I left. They fit much better, but they were still too tight. In the end, those beautiful dresses did not go in my suitcase. It turns out that I had exactly the right number of pretty dresses to bring with me.

This cruise wasn't only about dresses, although I have a ton of photos of me wearing all my beautiful dresses. There were a couple physical challenges I gave myself while on the cruise that I could not have done prior to losing this weight. I'll share those stories and more in the weeks ahead.

Meanwhile, here are some photos in my beautiful dresses. This first photo was taken outside of the Ritz-Carlton in Naples, FL, where the first of many birthday celebrations took place. I felt like a celebrity when we arrived. Getting out of a stretch limo in a short dress while others are watching, was interesting!

Did you ever get into a stretch limo in a short dress?

This is the beautiful red dress my friend gave me.

This is one of the dresses I had the tailor make smaller.

Same dress in 2012 and 2013, which I had altered before the cruise.

I couldn't resist showing this same dress that I had altered to wear last Halloween.

Buying a dress off a street vendor in Jamaica was not possible when I was a size 30/32. And, at the insistence of our host, I bought the hat the same day from another vendor. There was a time, when the hat would have been the only thing on the street that would fit me.

The big birthday celebration was in Cozumel, Mexico.

This is is the other formal dress, which I had in my closet.

Ten of us traveled on the Oasis of the Seas to Haiti, Jamaica, and Mexico

June 01, 2014