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| I do like the way my legs look in the skinny jeans bottom right. Those jeans are too big for me now:( |
- Yesterday was Transformation Tuesday, like it is every Tuesday on the web. I have never partaken in this celebration before, so I thought I'd give it whirl this week. I got my collage shared on Jason 2.0's Facebook page and I got several new "likes" on my own Facebook page in the process. So, between that, encouraging some people on Dr. Poon's Facebook page and getting to see for myself how far I've come, I think it was a successful endeavour to undertake.
- Yesterday I got a message from someone who suggested that I try to completely forget about the obese me. I know that she was just trying to be supportive and figured it would help me with my self esteem, but the truth is, I can ever forget who I was or where I started. Regardless of how I may have felt about myself then and still struggle with how I feel now, it's imperative that I remember what it was like to be morbidly obese. It's important that I remember how frustrating it was to shop for clothing, how unhealthy I felt, how slow and sluggish I was. And how much pain my body was in. It's true, I struggle with my self-esteem every single day. I always feel like I'm never good enough. I always feel like I can do better. But it's important to remember where I came from because I don't want to ever go back there. If I forget about the morbidly obese me, I may start to slip with my diet and my exercise. That can't happen because I refuse to regain any of the weight I've lost.
- On Monday I made some kick ass ribs in the slow cooker. I checked out Paleo rib recipes on-line and came across this one from George Bryant, The Civilized Caveman. It was not too shabby at all. Instead of the diced pineapple, I used 1/4 cup of 100% pure maple syrup. It was still good. I just threw the BBQ sauce in the crock pot with the ribs and 5 hours later, voila! The ribs were yummy and fall off the bone:) The recipe is here.
- The three questions I get asked most are 1) how long it took me to lose the weight 2) do I have loose skin and 3) have I had surgery for the loose skin. I have lost 153 pounds from my highest recorded weight of 310 pounds. When I began my lifestyle change in August 2011, I weighed 297 pounds. It took me about 16.5 months to lose 132 pounds. I started Dr. Poon's diet in September 2011 at 286 pounds and lost 121 pounds in 15 months. That's a confusing bunch of numbers right? During the last year (while on maintenance), I have lost another 8 pounds bringing my current weight to 157 pounds. I am curvy and have pretty muscular legs. I'm never going to be "skinny", and I don't strive to be that way anyway. I want to be healthy.
- I do have loose skin on my upper arms. I do not have issues with my abdominal area and I have not had surgery. Could I get a tummy tuck? Sure, it would smooth everything out and give me a perfectly flat and tight tummy. Perfection is over-rated and I can't afford that so I'm good. I'm not sure why I have been so lucky with my stomach. All I can think of is that running has contributed to this. When I first started losing weight, my abdomen was a hot mess. I never dreamed it would turn out as flat as it has. You use 4 abdominal muscles when you run. Maybe that really does have something to do with how well my stomach looks. I lost over 100 pounds 15 years ago. My stomach was not so flat then. I've had a baby since then and I'm much older (44 this year). My body is far from perfect and of course I notice all my flaws more than anyone else. I have not photographed my abdomen in a while. Since dropping 8 pounds, it has gotten a bit flabby. The skin takes some time to tighten up. I have noticed a difference in the past couple of months, and I will post new pictures after I join the gym in the spring. I'm looking forward to seeing how my body will change when I start strength training. You can see my old belly pictures here if you haven't already seen them.
- I ran this morning and it was -3C! It felt strange to not have to wear double tights, double socks, and to only wear two layers on top. I ran 8K, and since the snow was in melt mode, there was a ton of slush to contend with. My feet were soaking wet, but I'll take it. The temps are getting warm which means spring is around the corner right? Wrong! Mild temps are only around for two more days (with a ton of rain), then we go back to the deep freeze. Everything will freeze up making running tricky once again. I'm sure we're only having a major thaw right now so that Mother Nature can dump more snow on us. I want to kick her right the crotch.
- I sold my hubby's Around the Bay bib. Finally someone committed and gave me a down payment to hold it until I can transfer it after March 1st. I hate selling stuff on Kijiji. Just say'in...
- On Monday I likely saw Tanya for the last time until she comes back from Stockholm this summer. My heart was heavy for sure and I feel a little empty right now. My only regular running partner is gone. Alone again naturally:(
- I'm off to bed. I had an exhausting day and I have to run 9 hills tomorrow. I don't know what I'm gonna listen to. I finished the Wally Lamb book (and Elin, you were right, I hated the ending). So I suppose it's Classic Rock Q107! Till next time:)
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| My kick ass ribs:) |