Day 3; I Am Thankful for my new body...

Thank you! 

This is a first!
The first good thing that has come from my perfect storm is my new body.
19 months ago I got motivated and started losing weight.

I'm now 35 lbs lighter and have dropped 3 sizes in jeans.

Some people say "wow, you've lost weight!" to which I reply "thank you for noticing!!! :) :) :)

Some people say "wow, you look GREAT!" to which I lie, "thank you, I feel great!" :)

Some people just stand there and look at me and I can tell they're not real sure what it is, BUT something is different. I just smile!!

Things to remember:

This is not my first time to lose weight,

I'm not where I want to be,

I will never be in my 20's, 30's or 40's again,

I'm not to old to be SEXY!!!,

I can wear a bikini, but not like I wore it 36 years ago,

What motivates me might not motivate you,

I can do hard things!

How did I do it??
I lost over 85 pounds about 25 years ago. I was the mother of 4 and heavy.

I lost all my weight using a book called "Lower Your Fat Thermostat".
Actually, I lost it all using the cookbook. Chicken and broccoli, chicken and broccoli...

I had to CHANGE MY LIFE-STYLE!

The premise of the book is that your body thinks that it should weigh a certain amount. Lose some weight and your thermostat will kick in and you feel like you're starved! It needs you to be at your "set weight".


SECRET; Lower the thermostat.

The book is all about lifestyle changes.
Everything in my pantry had to be weeded out and replaced.
I walked every day. EVERY DAY, rain or shine, cold or hot.
I had to re-learn to cook.
My cajun heritage of white rice and oil based gravy with every meal had to be laid aside.
No gumbo, crawfish etouffe, no dessert with every meal...
But the program does not believe in hunger.
I ate well, I ate often, I ate as much as I wanted. I did NOT go hungry.


Sounds so easy. NOT!!! I've been required to do some major difficult stuff in my life, but losing weight is at the top of the HARD TO DO list!!

Weight loss is different for everyone but for me it is all in my mind. I didn't mind or care what I looked like so when I would consider losing a few pounds I would always find something I liked more; like bread or dessert! Lots of bread and lots of desserts!!

I hit "mid life" like a brick wall. Unfortunately it followed immediately after losing my home to a hurricane, and 50 years of tough life stuff! I didn't like what I saw in the mirrow. I remembered the cute, sexy little thing I was in my halters, daisy dukes and bikini's before I married.
19 months ago I was neither cute nor little and most of my body hadn't seen the sun in 33 years but all of a sudden I cared. I cared big time!!
I didn't want to be a frumpy 50 year OLD woman. I wanted to be cute, tiny and sexy (and my time was running out!)
That's called motivation!!!

Now, this is what motivates me:

  

Going from a tight 14 to a tight 8, and I like this a lot!

I've still got fat. 

I still have "love handles" and cellulite.
And I've got a scar from my belly button, down...

But I am NOT fat. 

I just have more fat to lose.

My motives are not always pure,

but I'm purely happy with being admired, 

looked over, and desired!

I have tasted SEXY, 

and no piece of bread, bag of M&M's or CinnABon w/nuts

can compete with the way that word tastes!

So where did I start?
I started with giving up everything white. It wasn't as difficult this time because brown rice, whole wheat bread, turbinado, no MSG, no trans fat were already a part of my life.

What I had to give up was portion size and sugar.

So that's where I started. No white, no sugar & portion control.
I filled in with popcorn (made the old fashioned way, in a pot w/nearly no oil), yogurt w/granola and fruit.

I treated myself to 2 fat free devil's food cookies a day to satisfy the sugar cravings. Now I rarely eat 2 a week. I just don't crave sugar now that my system has detoxed. My stomach has shrunk so portion control is now easy too.

It gets easier!
I knew that from experience.

I took it one step at a time.

My current fight is "unrealistic expectations".
It took me weeks to get up the nerve to take a picture of my body with my scar and all the other perceived imperfections.

I'll be honest; I really want to look 16 again. 
I have to go way back because I had my first baby at 17. So it's been a long, long time since my body was perfect. (as perfect as you can get when you're not "model" material!

When I look in the mirror I don't see my cute size 8 butt, I see the extra fat on my hips and the fact that my legs giggle when I walk.
"Unrealistic expectations" 

I can wear this!

I have a waist again!!!

I am a hot, sexy beach babe again!!

I am revolutionary!!!

Other struggle:

I have hit a wall.
I eat little, I eat well, I drink water (all the time)

I can't get past the 35 lbs. and I still have 15 to go.
I MUST EXERCISE!

Problem:

I hate, despise and deplore exercising!!
I struggle with serious depression and find it difficult to do anything.

I work all week just to get 30 min of housework done.

Solution:

I LOVE TO DANCE!!

So I dance!

As much as I can make myself move, I dance.

The last 2 weeks have not been good. So if I hear even one song that moves me, I get up and I "get down"!

Favorite things to dance too:

The soundtrack from Pride and Prejudice. 
I love it! 20 minutes of ballet, 30 with 5 lb weights and then a cool down.
Perfect!!!
Goal: 3 times a week. Currently I'm struggling for 3 times a month. 

But I'm taking it one step at a time.

Other favorite:

Santana's "Into The Night".

I don't care how depressed I am, I can't help but throw my hands in the air, do some serious hip shaking, free style, all over the place dancing every time that song comes on!!
I would change some of the words if it was up to me, but nothing moves me like this song does!!

I think I've covered everything I wanted to share. I don't know if my "journey" of 35 pnds will be inspirational to anyone. But I'm inspired to keep going. I think I'm beautiful and sexy. I like my body where it is and I'm excited to reach my final goal!!

Mustn't forget! It helps to laugh!

"Into The Night" santana

http://youtu.be/JtJixQAcf_w

I'm not going to type all the words, it's the beat that moves me. 

But I will share my favorite verse:

"Like a piece to the puzzle that falls into place,

  You could tell how we felt by the look on our faces,

  She was spinning in circles with the moon in our eyes,

  No room left to move in between you and I,

  We forgot where we were and we lost track of time,

  And we sang with the wind as we danced through the night"

Happy dancing!! elle

"Just The Way You Are" bruno mars

http://youtu.be/LjhCEhWiKXk

"Her eyes, her eyes

  Make the stars look like they're not shining

  Her hair, her hair

  Fall perfectly without her trying

  She's so beautiful

  And I tell her everyday

  I know, I know

  When I compliment her she won't believe m

  And it's so, it's so

  Sad to think that she don't see what I see

  But every time she asks me, "Do I look Okay?"

  I say,

  When I see your face

  There's not a thing that I would change

  'Cause you're amazing

  Just the way you are.

  And when you smile

  The whole world stops and stares for a while

  'Cause girl you're amazing

  Just the way you are.

  Her lips, her lips

  I could kiss them all day if she'd let me

  Her laugh, her laugh

  She hates but I think it's so sexy

  She's so beautiful

  And I tell her everyday

  Oh you know, you know, you know

  I'd never ask you to change

  If perfect's what you're searching for

  Then just stay the same

  So don't even bother asking if you look okay

  'Cause you know I'll say

  When I see your face

  There's not a thing that I would change

  'Cause you're amazing

  Just the way you are.

  And when you smile

  The whole world stops and stares for a while

  'Cause girl you're amazing

   Just the way you are

  The way you are

  The way you are

  Girl you're amazing

  Just the way you are"

And so are YOU!! You're amazing just the way you are!!
YOU GO GIRL!!! 

Let's all go girls. Onward and upward...elle