New pics

Here is a new pic of myself, taken last Friday. I can't believe how much I've changed!


Those are NOT my beers in the background! I do not drink beer. Ack!

This was me last June.


And this is me early September when I decided to start working on exercise and diet after finding out I have diabetes.


This was me several years ago when I was at my highest weight ever!


Yet here I am last week looking totally different. I am down almost 60 pounds now, and down around 80 pounds from my highest weight ever. Can you believe that when I saw this picture I almost didn't recognize my own face? I think I look darn good for being 50! That's my friend Stacy on the right. We were out watching a band and dancing for her 34th birthday!

I really do need to get a full length pic too. Working on that.

As you can see, I changed the hair too. Thanks to the forcing urging of a couple blog friends, I decided to let the awful perm grow out. Thanks Justine and Bridget!!! This is SO much better, even though it's not where I want it to be yet.

It's really odd to lose this much weight because I have never been succesful at weight loss before, but then I never really tried. In my mind, I am still that bigger girl. I still think of men looking at me like I'm much bigger. Now instead of being a proud fat chick, I am just chubby. It's weird to me. I still have 60 more pounds to go to reach my goal weight though, but if I don't reach that goal, I will still be thrilled at where I am right now.

The funny thing is that last week I joined a contest where I get a pretty darn good prize if I can lose the largest percentage of body weight. What did I do? I GAINED two pounds! lol I'm not discouraged though. It's part of the journey and last week was a crazy, stressful week. I am back on track this week.

Sorry, but no tablescape this week. I just didn't have the resources to get something around. Should be back next week.

I finally joined Facebook! If anyone wants to be my friend on Facebook, just let me know. Oh, I have NOT joined Farmtown or Yoville or any of the games on Facebook. I figure I already have too many time wasters!

More posts to follow!

Weight loss photos! And a snow day!

Okay, I promised I would tell you about my weight loss. I started a low carb, low fat diet in September when I found out I was diabetic. I also started walking, first at the local track, then on the treadmill at the YMCA when it got cold. As of earlier this month when I was weighed, I have lost a total of....drumroll please!!! 42 pounds!

People are finally starting to notice.

Here is a picture of me from several years ago. I was at my top weight then, which was about 20 pounds over what I was before I started dieting. I had originally lost 30 pounds, but 10 came back. So I am now over 60 pounds less than I am in this first pic!


Look at me now!


A few months ago for a Fashion Friday post, I had my son take some pics of me. This first is in a black jacket.


Here I am in the same jacket. Not sure if you can tell I am smaller in this pic or not. At least I don't have the goofy hair any more. People have told me that you can really tell my face is slimmer.


Here I am a few months ago in my date outfit.


And again, today in the same outfit. I'm still not sure this pic shows a big difference.


Looking back, I think I looked awfully big in this cream dress. The hair is just cracking me up. No more poofy Bozo hair for me any more!


I didn't put the dress back on, but instead wanted to show you my new tan pants. All my old pants are bagging on me so bad that I can't wear them any longer! These tan pants are a size 18! I wore a 24 before! Granted, they might run a tad large, but all of the size 20s I tried on at CJ Banks were too big for me! Even my skinny jeans are getting baggy on me. (Got the slacks on sale for $20 and the sweater set for the same!)

My son caught this lovely pic of me with my mouth open.

Anyhow, I have been carefully counting carbs. I avoid red meats, fried foods, and anything fatty. I wasn't big on those in the first place. I have cut way down on bread and added more fruit and veggies. I watch portion control too and have my dinner on a smaller plate. It really does help! I don't go back for seconds even if I am hungry. I tell myself that if I am still hungry an hour later, then I can eat more, but I'm no longer hungry by then. I have mostly cut out snacking. I allow myself one day a week where I am allowed to cheat moderately, but I find that I don't overdo it.

I haven't been exercising since I got sick. Until last week, I really don't think I would have been well enough to go to the Y, but I really need to get back there! Just so hard to get out in the snow and cold. Some people thought that I lost weight because of my illness and the surgery, but actually, the continued weight loss was consistent with what I was losing before it all happened.

Today was a snow day! My son's school was cancelled due to 7" of new snow. It was a pretty messy storm. I sure had a mess to clean off of my van. Maybe I should clear out the boxes in my garage so I can park there again! Anyhow, when I got to work, I found out that we were closed for the day due to the weather! Well, five other people also didn't know we closed. We ended up all walking to a nearby restaurant where we had breakfast and shot the breeze. I filed a few notes into client files, then went home. Nice to get paid for a lazy day!

Anyhow, here was what I woke up to this morning. Mind you, we already had several inches of snow on the ground from a week ago. I like when its fresh and unmarred though before the neighborhood kitties leave little footprint trails through it.


Here is my deck from my previous post.


And now look at it! Even more snow!


Here is my table on my deck from a week ago.


And now look at it! I estimate that there is about 15 inches of snow on it. I love the rounded top. It reminds me of a Hostess SnoBall!


See what I mean? lol


Thought I would leave you with one last pic of my patio. I really really should have at least taken the chair cushions in for the winter!


Hope you are all staying warm and safe wherever you are. And if you live where you don't get snow, enjoy these pics! For those of us who live in the northern states though, we are getting very tired of winter! I can't wait for spring!