177.0 Phil Did It!

My brother-in-law just wrote me about his recent weight loss - 40 pounds lost since the middle of February. He's an impressive guy and I really admire him for facing the music and getting the weight off. He's done it in a totally different way than I did. And, I think each of us has to find our way in this world of weight loss. I had written and asked him to describe how he had lost the weight to share with all of you. Here's what he wrote:
"Yo Sue!
re: my weight loss. Started with stringent Atkins for 10 days, then modified it with the Dukan's diet and South Beach without cheating on the 'forbidden' stuff in each of the three. After while it was easy because my gut had shrunken enough to fill easily. I drank lots of water, limited my wine consumption to only one daily (or none) or just have a whiff of it. No hard liquor which I seldom do anyway, no sweets, and ate lots of eggs. Greek yogurt with fruit was the dessert. Have had probably five glasses of beer since Feb 15 when I began the diet.
This is my renaissance year. I turn 80 and I do not want to be a fat old man, since I was not a fat young man. I weighed 207 this morning after a nice eating period yesterday. I will get to 200 soon and then I will review how I feel and look. 205 was my goal.
I get lots of positive feedback, esp. from P and that's helpful. I am wearing clothes that haven't fit for 10 years. A new wardrobe without visiting Men's Wearhouse (I guarantee it!) or JOSEPH A BANK for the twofers.
Thanks for the help!"

176.6 Hearing Voices!

Do you ever wake up and have a feeling or hear a voice telling you what you need to do? This morning here's what I heard: "Get up and walk!" I tried to ignore it. I was so comfy in bed. But it kept after me! Finally I rolled out of bed, pulled on my clothes and walking shoes and headed out. And, of course, it is just what I needed! It felt great, I became so in tune with the beauty around me, and I'm so glad I paid attention. I wonder where that voice has been because I got really lax about walking. No matter! I'm going to get going with the walking with or without the voice. (My walking friend is out of town!)

176.2. Busy Days

We have house guests so things are a little busier than usual. So, I may not blog everyday for a while. But, I'll write as often as I can.

It is a challenge, a continual challenge to stay in control while celebrating birthdays, etc. Tonight was my friend Loretta's birthday. We ate here at home and had a great time, but there were special foods and it is often tempting to just give in. But then I remember that I don't want to gain the weight and that small amounts work for me.

Tomorrow I'm going to shop for some new clothes. That will act as great motivation to stick with the program!

175.6 I Forgot!

I think this is the first time I totally forgot about writing a post for the blog. It's 10:20 pm and we just arrived home after eating out with friends. As we were driving home it dawned on me I hadn't written a thing, or worse yet, even thought about writing.

But today was a good, but very long, very busy day and I just wasn't home except to race in and change my clothes and head out again. And, I probably ate one of the most delicious meals I've had in a long time... beet salad, halibut with asperagus and a skinny decaf cappuchino coffee!

Good night!

175.4 The Balloon In The Backyard

I know this really looks creepy, sort of like Minnie Mouse at age 68, but I became intrigued with this mylar balloon that Jeff brought in from the backyard last night. He was ready to pitch it, but I wanted to keep it so I could write about it today. Why, you ask, as did he! Because I always wonder where helium filled balloons that escape into space end up. I've had them slip from my grasp and I know my kids have been brokenhearted when that's happened to them. I remember wanting to tie the string around Alee's wrist but relented when she didn't want me to do that, and then seeing her little hand open up and watching the balloon fly away. Oh my, lots of tears.

So I think about the adventure this balloon has had, including having to pose for me so I could take this picture. I wonder about the little girl who let go of the balloon. Why was she given the balloon? What was she celebrating? Had she just received it, or had she grown tired of it? And, if the balloon could talk, what would it say about its hopefully amazing journey before landing in our back yard?

I think we are all always on journeys, some that we choose to take and some we find ourselves swept up in without ever having consciously made the commitment to travel that particular road. And, why does one journey end, as another or others take its place? I don't know, but this poor tired balloon surely sparked my imagination!

175.4 The Last To Know!

Truth be told, I think that my body and my mind like 175 a lot more than 170. For you die-hard fans, you'll remember what a hard time I had losing those last five pounds so that I could claim my crown for losing 80 pounds. But if you look over the past several maintenance months, I've been hovering around 175 much more than 170. I remember Lynsey suggesting that maybe 175 was where I wanted to be during that struggle to move from 175 to 170. I think she was right. Now the challenge becomes to stay at 175 and not give myself permission to go any higher with any sense of comfort.

Maybe everyone knew this about me but me. Sometimes I am the last to know!

175.6 Charlee Chooses Healthy!

I've decided that when Jeff and I leave our little dog Charlee home alone, she listens to Jennifer Scott's hypnosis CDs. She must! Today when we came in from church, plant shopping, and grocery shopping, I was starving. I opened up a small bag of sugar snap peas, a favorite snack food of mine, and took out a heart shaped chicken dog treat (Newman's finest) for Charlee. She wanted the peas. I put one of each on the floor and she ran off with the pea pod. I knew she liked them, but not to the exclusion of the organic chicken flavored dog treat! She's into healthy eating, obviously!

And so the salt saga continues. I dropped down again this morning, and was glad to see that. And, so it goes!

177.0 True Food!

There's a new restaurant fairly close to where we live (nothing is really very close) called True Food. Rumor has it that Dr. Andrew Weil, the noted expert on natural health and wellness, is the brains behind the menu. I love this restaurant. Jeff thinks its way too healthy and never feels satisfied no matter what he orders. Last night we both had a fresh kale salad with a delicious lemony, parmesan cheese dressing, and I fear it was loaded with salt! So maybe this place isn't way too healthy after all. I also had salmon and quinoa with diced beets. It was so good, but why the bump up in the weight? Oh well, lots of water and I'll be fine by tomorrow, I hope!

Cactus flowers on my walk yesterday. Click on the photo twice to get the full effect!

175.4 Vitamin Stages!

I'm staring at my bottle of Centrum Silver vitamins and seeing "50+" on the silver label. I can remember when I graduated to the silver mixture, and how I really resisted the notion that I was ready for the last stage vitamins. There is nothing beyond silver!

But that was 18 years ago and now I wonder what the big deal was. I'm glad there isn't a black label! Now that would really be depressing. And I do recognize that our bodies change over time and need help in different ways. But since I feel so much younger, I'm wondering if I can go back to the basic Centrum vitamins rather than the silver. My hair isn't even silver, thanks to my hair stylist! There is nothing silver about me except occasional silver jewelry.

Here's a quote that I love that is taped next to my computer: "Live each day as if it will be your last. Learn as if you will live forever." (M. Ghandi) Come to think of it, there's a chance that I already shared this quote in a past post. Hmmm..., maybe I should stick with the Centrum Silver!

176.4. It's Up To Me

The travel weight is coming off, thank goodness, but I have a lot of traveling/being away from home plans this summer. I need to really focus now on how I am going to manage this maintenance lifestyle while I'm away.

Most of my time away will be with family and they are all very supportive of what I'm doing. I'm the problem! Rather than have anyone cook, I'm too quick to suggest that we eat out, and I need to reign that response in. They are all good cooks! I can cook, Jeff can cook, our kids can cook, their partners can cook. Even four year old Julien (in the picture) thinks he can cook.

What is quite amazing to me is how quickly this weight is coming off in spite of the fact that the exercise piece is fleeting during this period of time. (That will be featured in another post once I come up with a good excuse :) ). And what that shows me is the damage that salt and wine can do.

I really am looking forward to these trips to visit our son's family, to visit our daughters, their guys, and pets, and to welcome our granddaughter due sometime in late June! Oh, and to go to the wedding of the daughter of very dear friends! It's all up to me to stay smart and in control of what I eat and drink. If I can lose 80 pounds, I can do this!

176.8 Now That's Better

And, my mood is better, even though it is a gray, rainy day here. I watched every mouthful yesterday and drank lots of water and feel much better today. One thing I certainly know is that eating out is a killer because of all of the hidden salt. In one of the places we stayed near Canyon de Chelly our restaurant choices were Burger King, 5 stars, and the Holiday Inn restaurant, 2 stars. There was no really good choice!

I met Jennifer at the Paradise Bakery this morning and she challenged me to think about what my purpose here on earth is all about, why do I think I am here. I think it is a good question for all of us to think about no matter what our age, and I don't have a quick answer. I do think my gifts, if I have any, are that of being a teacher and a mom! And, I think I can be effective as a teacher and a mom as long as I am here. But what am I going to teach? I will certainly continue teaching ESL, and there's no reason why I can't reach out and help others lose weight. I do know all about ups and downs and what works and what doesn't work when it comes to weight loss. I'm going to continue thinking about Jennifer's question and listen to my inner spirit to help me figure out more about my purpose.

178.8 Unexpected Fatness!

Is everyone as moody as I am? I just read my last post and wonder where that person disappeared to. My down mood isn't really reflective of seeing that number on the scale today - that is scary and upsetting - but rather that number is reflective of my mood. Lots of things are weighing heavily on my mind right now and I need to get a grip and realize that this is temporary and that I can regain my weight loss and my good spirit. I also have to knock off drinking wine. This trip was full of wine drinking triggers and I thought I could get away with it. Obviously, just as I've written many times, I can't. The wine equals freedom to eat what/all I want and so that's that.

We did have a good time. The scenery was absolutely breathtaking and often startling, revealing itself as we turned a corner or started down after climbing several hundred feet up a curving highway. Just thinking about these sights makes me feel better.

175.2 More Unexpected Riches

Yesterday I entitled my post Unexpected Riches. I've been thinking about that idea ever since these words popped out of my fingers unto the computer. I don't know if/why my life seems so full of unexpected riches right now. My hunch is that it has a lot to do with how I am viewing my life these days, rather than any actual change in my life experience. I wish that I could have had this point of view, this attitude, during much more of my life. I think I was pretty overwhelmed with the minutiae of everyday living raising my three wonderful children, working, dealing with my back issues, etc. I've had a great life but I don't think I appreciated so many aspects of it, especially the little things that really do make up the fabric of our lives.

So I'm going to keep experiencing my life as a trove of unexpected riches. It simply feels right! And I hope you'll experience some unexpected riches as you live your lives.

We're leaving tomorrow for a trip and so will probably not blog until next Tuesday.

175.6 Unexpected Riches!

Out on my walk this morning, I suddenly saw this and found myself trying to figure out what I was looking at! As I walked closer, it became clear. I was looking at two quail eggs.

What is so surprising is that they were laid basically out in the open, right by the sidewalk and within about 5 feet of the neighborhood mailboxes. What was this Quail mother thinking?!

Here's a close up view. They are about 2" long and really quite beautiful. Because they are so unprotected it will be amazing if they aren't broken, eaten, terribly disturbed. I'll be terribly disturbed if they aren't intact tomorrow morning.

We have a lot of quail out here and their song is very distinctive and I have come to love it.

So being on a mission to maintain my weight loss means that there are often surprises awaiting me as I walk.

174.6 Getting Ready to Get Away

We are getting ready to get away again. This time we are staying fairly close to home rather than heading to Boston or Memphis where are kids are. We are driving up to the Four Corners area where the states of Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and Colorado come together. There are some very interesting Indian ruins to visit including Canyon de Chelly (pronounced Canyon de Shay). We've wanted to do this ever since we moved here about six and a half years ago and are really looking forward to it. I'll be checking out the Indian jewelry, as well as the artifacts in the area. And, we'll be spending some time in Sedona on our way home which is always wonderful.

It feels like we are heading into vacation time with this trip and trips to Arkansas and Boston already planned. I love to go, but I have to keep my wits about me when we travel because of so many food options. Just yesterday Jeff reminded me that we needed to buy a lot of apples so we could take them with us. From experience I've learned, and I guess he has also, that being prepared with good healthy food keeps us both out of the trap of eating too much "impulse" food. I just made that up but it does describe that trip through CVS or a fast food place to help get rid of the hunger pains with unhealthy quick fixes.

This morning on the radio I heard that new research shows that cutting calories is the best way to reduce arthritis pain. Why didn't they just ask me instead of spending $$$$$ on research? I still get a little stiff when I sit too long, but I am in a pain free zone now compared to when I was lugging all of that extra weight around.

175.4 Beautiful Day

Happy Mother's Day to all! It's been a beautiful day here. I've had great conversations with each of my three children, brunch at Talking Stick Casino (absolutely delicious and very reasonable if it weren't for those greedy slot machines :)), and Jeff, the chef, will prepare dinner for me. It's been a wonderful day.

176.0 Sitting Pretty!

I'm sitting in a spa sipping a skinny latte from Starbucks. It's the booby prize since the aesthetician I was scheduled to see is a no show. I'm disappointed since Linda and I planned this event several weeks ago in our ongoing battle against aging. We got in on a great promotion that included the elusive facial and an hour long massage. Linda is getting her massage as I write and I don't know if she will be able to have a facial or not. Just when you think you've planned so nothing can go wrong....

What I'm more blown away by than the no show aesthetician is how young most of the customers are and how young all of the employees are. Why wasn't I getting facials on a regular basis in my thirties? (Probably because I wasn't living in Scottsdale, AZ!) Maybe, just maybe, I wouldn't be facing this face if I had been.

Well, the outcome couldn't have been better. Linda got her facial. I did get a massage, a wonderful massage that ended with my feet wrapped in hot towels. And, I wasn't charged for the massage. Furthermore I walked out with a gift certificate for a free facial. Maybe plans aren't all they are cracked up to be. I'm sitting pretty (except for the pop up in my weight :( - lots of reasons, no good excuses)!

175.5 Staying Put and Moving On

We are a realtor's nightmare. Between Jeff and me, we know exactly what we want in a new home and we agree with each other on almost every aspect. In other words, we are quite inflexible.:) We need a very specific site for the pool so there will be a lot of sun on it for most of the year. And we want an open kitchen/great room combination, rather than a separate kitchen, dining room and living room area. And we want good views, low maintenance, and a great neighborhood. Hmm...I think I've just described our house!

So why are we looking? We think we want one more room and a little more storage. What we have learned in this search process is that we don't want to leave our community. We've lived here for almost six years and love the people, the beauty of the area, and we feel settled. Our realtor is going to continue to keep us in mind as new things come on the market. Maybe she'll find that perfect home, but the biggest obstacle in the search is that we aren't sure we really want to move.

It's about change, something I've written about many times in this blog. It is hard to make new friends at our age. We don't have the magnet of children to attract folks. When we had our little kids all I had to do was take them out for a walk and we'd come home with all sorts of connections and soon to be friends. We have Charlee and she is adorable and dynamic, but maybe not an easy friend maker. One of my friends told me that when she was ill, close friends as well as people she hardly knew were there to help her in any way they could. I don't think that automatically comes with the perfect floor plan very often.

175.4 Tenacious

Today was my last day until next fall to teach my ESL class. It's been the best year that I've had there because I allowed my inner spirit to open my heart to each of my students in a much more personal way.

After telling my friend Sally all about my class, the inspiration that I receive from being with these wonderful people and how determined they are to learn English no matter what their age, she reminded me that she had a framed photograph in her home that she had taken and entitled Tenacious. She said that she thought it would be wonderful to share the photo with my students and she made up twenty note cards with the photo on the front for me to give them today.

They loved receiving the photo. Several of them said that they would put it where it could be seen first thing in the morning. They were touched by the fact my friend had done this for them. And they are a tenacious group, determined to keep trying to master this wonderfully difficult language that we speak so easily.

So thank you Sally, for the thought, the time, and the cards. You made a big difference in many lives today, an important and positive difference.

And, yes, being tenacious has played a big part in my weight loss adventure and now the maintenance phase. I've kept one of the cards for myself. I don't think Sally will mind.

175.0 What's Eating You?

This morning I had breakfast with Jennifer Scott at the Paradise Bakery. Although we try to meet weekly there to catchup with each other, we hadn't seen each other since the day of our TV event, about 3 weeks ago, so we had lots to talk about.

Finally I admitted to her that things have been a little rough and that last night, even though I felt full after eating my dinner I wanted to eat and eat and eat. I ended up finishing off a few crackers that were in the pantry, and then ate two apples without stopping to breathe between bites. She just looked at me and calmly asked, "So what's eating you?"

I think that's an interesting play on words and a good question. I'm not sure that I know all that is eating me, but I'm thinking on it. Like everyone on this planet, I'm constantly juggling joys, challenges, opportunities, sadness and disappointments, and some times I'm better at juggling than at other times. Two apples aren't a big deal in the scheme of things, but that feeling of insatiable hunger does disturb me. Jennifer asked me if I had experienced that feeling before I lost all of the weight, and I responded that I was in that state a lot of the time and just ate. I didn't try to fight it and I just medicated myself with food, as needed. So now I'm aware and conscious of when I move into those times when I just want to drown in food.

Something will always be nibbling at me. I think that's a fact of life. I just have to be aware so that I don't nibble back unconsciously to the point where I lose control.

175.6 Whatever!

We live about 3 miles from the town of Carefree. I saw this car parked on Easy Street there and couldn't resist taking this picture of the license plate.

Whatever is an interesting word. For me it connotes that whatever it is that is under discussion isn't worth dealing with. So is this an okay attitude? I guess it depends on what the crux of the matter is, but for weight loss, I'm not sure it is helpful. But I do like the relaxed feel of this word that can reflect a calm, easy approach to life. It can also reflect a don't bother me attitude that doesn't always serve to produce the best outcome. So, for whatever it's worth, I'm not sure I want a license plate that says whatever.

174.6 This Blog

It's funny how loyal I have been to this blog. Unless I am traveling, I rarely take a day off, and rarely want to. Well, on the days when my weight is up, I do wish I had never agreed with myself to post my weight, but this keeps me honest so it is good for me to put it out there.

So why am I loyal and what do I get from writing it? It's all about me. I have a joke going among some of my friends that it's always about me. This makes me smile because I was raised to, among other things, never talk about myself. So being able to freely chat about myself and my life has been a real trip for me. Does it matter to anyone else? I doubt it. When I started I was hoping that as I lost the weight, it might inspire others to join me on this adventure. I can think of a few folks that I think have found some inspiration to do that, but not the number that I thought this blog might attract. So once again, it is all about me.:)

What have I learned? The really unexpected and wonderful gift that writing everyday has presented to me is being so much more aware of all aspects of my life - interactions with friends, the beauty of the area, the part that my inner spirit now plays in my life, the ups and downs of my emotions as I face life everyday, and of course, the underlying excitement that still fills me when I see an unexpected reflection of this thinner person and realize it is ME! Knowing I want to write something everyday puts me on alert for something special that may play out in my life on any given day.

I'm toying with the idea of moving the emphasis from Susan's Losin' to Susan's Livin'. I'll let you know if I make that change, but first I have to figure out if and how I can do that and not lose the thread of all of these posts. I think moving on will be a good thing.

175.2 Sunday Morning

About a year ago I wrote about Jeff and me planning special events together that we would consider a date. Well, this morning we went on a date. We started out at a funky, wonderful restaurant in Old Town, the old section of Scottsdale that is very western, called The Breakfast Club. We waited about 40 minutes to get in, but it was delicious and worth the wait. And then we started walking all around the area. I took some pictures of downtown, and Old Town Scottsdale that I hope will show some of the reasons I love this place. What I usually show are pictures from my desert neighborhood which is about 40 minutes north of where we were this morning. (Click on each picture to enlarge it.)

We do have water in Arizona.

I love this one because you get the feel of the old west with Nordstrom in the background! This is my kind of place!

After walking all around the area, we ended up at the Fashion Square Shopping area and walked another mile or two looking for the perfect handbag for me, and thanks to Jeff and his iPhone, we found it! It was a beautiful day here and we had a great date! And, I got lots of exercise walking!