182.3 A Lot To Think About

My last post was about the man collapsing at the Y while working out. I walked in my neighborhood yesterday rather than returning to the Y - I know, I will get over it - and I realized that if I collapsed where I was walking (except very close to my house) not many people would know me. So I really do need to get some form of ID to wear when I exercise. But isn't that what old people do? Or, maybe it's what smart people do. As my 69th birthday approaches, I have lots to think about. I never really thought about all I'd have to think about as my age increases. But on the other hand, there are so many good things to think about. No matter, I should get an ID.

Dinner With Friends

Last night we had dinner with friends. They've known us for several years and Annis has been one of my faithful blog readers, cheering me on throughout the amazing weight loss adventure. She made a wonderful meal for us and I want to share it. I don't have a recipe since she made it up, but basically it was chopped tomatoes, chopped tomatoes in tomato sauce, kalamata olives (pitting them was the hardest part of the recipe), oregano, BASIL, and cooked, well drained spinach all mixed together, served over linguine. And, we sprinkled feta cheese on the top. It was filling, delicious, and very healthy. And we had great conversation and music to go with it! It was a special evening!

181.4 A New Taste Treat

A couple of weeks ago I visited my wonderful, inspirational friend Barbara in southern California. She, like my sister Priscilla, has managed to keep her weight under control for most of her life. She told me about one of her new favorite combinations that she eats for breakfast and/or lunch. I came home and tried it and have been hooked ever since. I feel compelled to share it :).

Mix about 1/4 cup Greek non-fat yogurt (Greek yogurt is much higher in protein so you'll feel fuller longer than if you use regular yogurt) with 1/4 cup non-fat or low fat cottage cheese. Then add sliced fresh tomato and about 1/4 to 1/2 of an avocado. Add salt and lots of pepper and enjoy! She feeds this to her 18 month old grand-daughter who loves it. I also the eat the yogurt and cottage cheese combo with fresh berries. I sprinkle Splenda on it and think it's heavenly.

I have a hunch that you'll really like both of these options if you like yogurt and cottage cheese. Oh, I just remembered... I also ate it with fresh figs and that was so good!

180.6 Sleep and Exercise

I woke up this morning weighing less than I have in a while, and realized I had the longest, best sleep I've had in a long time. So many of my gal pals complain along with me that we can't sleep through the night. I've never asked them about how much they exercise, but now I'm wondering if, in spite of all of the hormone issues that I read get in the way of a good night's sleep, a lack of exercise also plays a part. For me the real challenge (there's that word again) is about balancing what I do in terms of exercise while taking care of my arthritic spine. One reason I love the elliptical is that there is no impact so it is gentle on my whole system while at the same time it gets my heart rate up and just feels good. But I do need to walk so that there is some impact to strengthen my bones. So here's the question... why do I sleep better after doing the elliptical for a half hour versus walking briskly for a half hour?

On that note, I'm heading out for a walk.

182.4 It's Late!

I think this is the latest at night that I have written a post for this blog. I had a great day, a busy day, and we just returned home after being out with friends. So life is good even if my weight isn't where I want it to be.

My walking buddy has returned and we walked this morning. It felt great and we are heading out tomorrow morning, too. But before long, Jeff and I will be flying to Boston and my routine will be totally thrown up in the air - in a very good way! We'll be with our east coast family and that is always very special. I think I will be careful about what I eat (lots of great seafood), but wait until we return and then put some serious thought and ENERGY into getting back to where I want to be!

181.2 Is This Okay?

A week ago I accidentally spilled bleach on my favorite pair of black cargo shorts from Chico's. I loved these shorts and am brokenhearted that I can't replace them. Chico's doesn't have any more black in my size, nor can I get them on line. If you can feel devastated by this kind of loss, I do.

Wednesday I went shopping and bought a top that I just love! And today I went and bought another top, just like the one I bought on Wednesday. (I know that this behavior was triggered by the bleach incident.) This is not a T shirt. This is a special top to wear with dress pants or jeans, depending on my mood and/or the occasion, and it is distinctive. I have bought several pairs of the same pants/jeans if they fit well, but I've never done it with a special top.

I just told my daughter Miranda about my purchase and how I felt like I have done something bizarre and extravagant, and that I feel a little guilty. She listened well and then with a smile in her voice agreed that it was okay, but cautioned me that two were enough! Love that girl!

181.2 Craziness Abounds

No, I haven't started the 17 day diet and am still reading the book. One thing I've picked up on while reading it is the fact that the author has repeated the phrase "you have to believe that this will work" several times already. I totally agree with that. And often just believing will help make success real as illustrated when people are given placebos, for example.

I woke up this morning with a swollen face. I still look a bit like the creature from the black lagoon. Our physicians' office here has Saturday morning hours so off I went and came home with prednisone. Since I had added nothing new and/or different to my diet yesterday I'll never know what triggered this allergic reaction. Looking on the positive side, my wrinkles have almost totally disappeared. I'm supposed to go to a dinner party tonight but feel less than good. In fact, I feel worse than I look. I'm not sure whether I'll go or not. I'll go to sleep for a while now and see how I feel when I wake up. But I do wonder what caused this! I like answers.

178.8 A Stressful Patch

I'll just put this out there - I feel like stuffing myself and I'm not even hungry. But I am stressed out! Today I saw my PCP who is so great. He answered all my questions, reassured me about all my fears, and ordered an MRI for my neck. I love this doctor. As I was leaving, he put his arm around my shoulders and walked me to the exit. I was able to get an appointment for the MRI today and have just returned from having that done. That's all good, but it was hard to ask if what showed up on the CT scan that suggested I had had a stroke was related to indications of Alzheimer's. He said no. And if all I have is a pinched nerve in my neck (or two) what then? On top of all that, I saw a dental implant specialist today who wants to charge me $2000 more than my general dentist estimated! Hello! What's up with that!!

So I'm sitting here eating Vic's Lite Salt Popcorn. It's time to put it away and go get in the pool and do my work out. Tomorrow is going to be a much better day!

178.0 The Spirit Piece

Within the posts of this blog I have often referred to Jennifer Scott, my spiritual and clinical hypnotherapist, and the impact she has had on my life, both with the weight loss and spiritual awakening. Jennifer just wrote an ebook called That's The Spirit. Go to Amazon kindle and put in Jennifer Scott That's The Spirit and check it out. And yes, there is a bit about me in it :). I am quite awestruck that she was able to do this and had the courage to share her story!

Moving here was such a shot in the dark and yet I marvel at all the wonderful people I have met out here. It really wasn't a shot in the dark. I believe I am exactly where I am meant to be, and am living a very exciting life, one I had never dreamed of.

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!

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.

175.4 A Timely Conversation

One of my good friends who had lost a lot of weight recently told me that she is eating out of control. She described her weight loss as one during which she felt very deprived and she just can't sustain it any longer.

We talked about how factors such as gray weather, illness, and the resulting lack of exercise caused by the illness all contribute to a feeling of depression and then wanting to eat to feel better. She said she's rereading Geneen Roth's book Women Food and God to help inspire her. And I suggested putting notes in the pantry, a way of planting reminders that really helped me during my weight loss. I still have one hanging in my pantry that tells me I'm doing great, but to eat an apple rather than anything in the pantry :).

And if you read my post from yesterday you realized that I was feeling rather down about maintaining the weight loss, so having this conversation on the heels of writing that post was very timely. I do feel better today. I had a good night's sleep and the sun is shining. I've already walked with my friend and will do my water workout this afternoon before I head out for a meeting. I've also invited my friend to come visit me to enjoy the sunshine. I hope she'll come soon. And I hope you are having a great day.

174.6 A New Attitude!

I just passed my online driver's course and test! It was a great review of all of the rules and facts about driving in Arizona and in general. So maybe being stopped for speeding was a blessing instead of an expensive curse (over $400). Very few car repairs and/or hospital bills/funeral expenses would be less than $400. Isn't there a song about having a new attitude? I think I just got one!

We are off to Boston for about a week to see family and friends so I won't be posting regularly! "See" you later.

174.6 You Never Know!

I forgot! I totally forgot about my blog today and now it's after 9 pm! This post may take the prize for being latest to go up. But it's been a crazy, good day. A lot is going on and to be honest, I've been working hard doing an internet course to fulfill my driving citation obligation! That sounds pretty fancy for having to go to traffic school for speeding! But now you can do it online which is more convenient than spending 5 hours in a hotel function room.

I've just come from a gathering of absolutely wonderful people who have become treasured friends. When we moved out here 5 years ago we thought we were going to be giving up a lot for some great weather and a chance for Jeff to play a lot of golf. What we didn't expect was the opportunity we've had to meet such caring, intellectual stimulating, and interesting, fun people that our lives are now filled with. I've said it before:). You never know!

174.2 Wonderful Response, Great Friend!

One of the many things I've learned is that you don't always know what another person is thinking, or how they view you or others. I have really appreciated all of the encouragement in the form of comments, emails, etc. This morning I received the following email from a very good friend that I've known for about 35 years and was filled with gratitude when reading her message. Here's what she wrote:

That is a great video, Sue. It was too short, but it was really good. I know you are pleased with the results of all the time and work spent on losing the weight. I'm used to seeing you as you are now, so it was a surprise to see those "before" pictures that are painful to you. For me, I'm happy that you are happier being back to the thin person you used to be, but as a good friend, I love you no matter what your weight. Your weight never even "weighed" in to our friendship from my point of view.

Thanks, JoAnne. Thanks for reminding me about what really matters between friends.

173.4 Seeing Is Believing!

Well, yesterday was my big day! It's amazing how much energy was expended for a 4 minute segment on TV. If you cut and paste this address you can see Jennifer Scott and me discussing hypnosis and my 80 pound weight loss.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_58Ru__xNo

I thought it was good. Obviously I might have said things differently, etc., if I could do it over again. But who was that really fat woman whose pictures were shown while I was talking? I did send those before pictures to the station to use, but I had never seen them on a 52" screen like we have at home. Yikes! And what if I had never lost that weight, never experienced feeling so much healthier, younger and happier? What if I had settled, just sort of stayed the same?

I really hope that this TV appearance will help inspire others to lose weight and change their lives! Thank you Jennifer for your patience, your support, your hypnosis expertise, and your wisdom. Thank you.

173.2 Little Things + Joy

I know this is really odd, but that shouldn’t surprise any of my readers☺. As I told Jeff after trying on my latest purchase, I am filled with joy because I can wear clothes that I can buy at Costco! Yes, I do shop at much more high end stores, but there is something about getting a great buy at Costco that looks good and fits well that excites me. Is that like being a cheap date? Whatever! It’s a real spirit lifter for me as is the fact my weight is continuing to slowly drop back to my new normal of 170!

Hope you are having a great weekend. It's gray, dark and gloomy here which means I have to work a little harder than usual to stay emotionally up! Maybe it's time for a nap? :)

173.8 At Last!

You know, you never know. I know I have used that line in several of my posts, and again it has become extremely appropriate. When I started this amazing weight loss adventure back in February of 2008, and when I started my blog in August of 2009, I wasn't planning on being on TV. But Jennifer Scott (www.jscotthypnosis.com) received a call from our local ABC station to talk about her work with hypnosis. She's invited me to appear with her on the program Smart Family in about a week.

What's really funny to me is that all my life I have been waiting to be discovered. At UCLA I was very quiet and never told anyone that, as I walked the streets around the campus, I was waiting, expecting to be discovered.:) How and why I was worthy of being discovered was never made clear to me, but it was an active dream of mine. Since that didn't happen then, I gave up on that dream and although it's been a joke between Jeff and me, I rarely have thought about my desire to be discovered way back then.

So now when I'm 68 years old, I finally get to appear on TV. Am I nervous? OMG yes! Am I excited? Of course. And, I have to seriously lose a couple more pounds. Over the past few days I have increased my water drastically because I haven't been feeling very well, and look what happened. So I'm pushing the water and doing all the right things, and hope to be looking good and sounding somewhat articulate on the big day.