Reaching a goal...

I want to say Thank You to God first then to my husband, my mom, our family, my friends here on Facebook and at work for their support.  

This is a lifestyle change not just a moment to lose weight. This is and must be a lifestyle change so that I can get off of my diabetic medicine. That is my goal. Seeing my new numbers in November will be key to any changes I need to make in my lifestyle change to make this even more successful. I have been working on making healthier choices. I am watching my carbs and I am also taking ACE by SABA. I am watching the amounts I eat making sure not to overdo it. Every once in a while I have an ice cream or a piece of pie---Key Lime pie is my weakness. I have to say I also found something else I like Strawberry Cream Slush from Sonic. However when looking at the carb and sugar content I decided very quickly this was something that I cannot make a habit but every once in a while as a treat will be okay.

I feel so much better and it is only going to get better. Ray and I have a plan for sitting on our porch when we are in our 80’s in our rocking chairs drinking Root Beer. Besides the fact of having to purchase clothes I have also had to have my rings sized from a 9 to a 7 1/2 .  This has been an awesome feeling. Today marked me hitting one of my goals.

WOW!! Ii feels good to look at the scales this morning. I am 42 ½  pounds down since Feb. 7, 2012 the day we started the Biggest Loser completion at work. I went through my weight history at my doctor’s office and I found that in August ’09 I weighed the most I have since Sept. 2000. In August ’09 I weighed 254 lbs. which is 57 lbs down. This morning I went below the 200 mark with 197 lbs. I have lost from a size 24 to a size 18 with a couple of 16s. I have been able to purchase some XL shirts and a dress out of the ladies department as well as a pair of jeans size 16 from the ladies section not the women’s section.  

It is not just about the sizes of clothes or sizing my rings. The best part of this is how I feel, watching my sugar numbers go down and knowing I am doing something to improve my health. Improving my health is not just for me it is about living longer and being here for my husband and family. I love my husband, our children, their spouses and our grandchildren!

There is still a road to continue down but I know with God all things are possible, it is God that has given me the strength to be able to do this.

These two pictures were taken about a year apart.

September 7, 2011

 September 26, 2012

 

 

Clothes Go Bye-Bye!

July 3, 2012

I am sitting down to write this in a couple of sittings because I have cleaned out one closet now to clean out the second. Each closet is at least 6 feet long. One closet has 2 bars in it.

Well I did it! I have begun the closet clean out. I will post pictures with this also. It feels good. I went out to my closet in the laundry room, took off my capris and started trying on pants, shorts, capris, tops and skirts. I emptied half of the closet. It feels good to have done this but it also feels good that I found some clothes that I had not been able to wear in several years and they fit. I think one of the most welcoming moments was I put on a pair of my size 22 pants which allowed me to realize where I have come from. It was most definitely a WOW moment for me.

Now to move on to the last closet with 2 bars.

Closet number 2 that is in our bedroom is finished. I think that I can put all of the clothes I have left in one closet on 1 clothes bar but I only have about 4 pair of jean capris, 1 pair of pants, 1 pair of white capris, 1 capris suit-(jacket, capris, shirt), dresses and skirts and lots of shirts.

Now that is complete and clothes have been given it away it feels good. There were a few things that I had to ponder over but making myself really think about it I did the right thing.

I go to the doctor on Thursday July 5, 2012 for the complete results of my lab work. I already know that my A1C is 6.2 which is the lowest it has been since I was diagnosed with diabetes which was in July 2005. I am excited about it.

I am posting a picture of how many clothes I gave away. They are in Ray’s recliner in the picture. I am also posting a picture of me in the pants I found.

30 pounds down, sugar level so much better and still working on both.

Clothes and My Dilemma

Hello again!

Well I have officially purchased some size 18 capris and shirts! Super excited!

I have lost a couple more pounds!

I am having one dilemma ---I recently went through my closets and I donated a lot of clothes. Now that I am seeing a difference in the way my clothes are fitting brings about my dilemma. I go look at my clothes to pick out a shirt and I look at the shirts I have and realize that I have very few that fit the way a shirt should fit. I have worn baggy shirts to cover up me up for so long but now that I see a difference I want to wear shirts that fit better but still are long to give me that cover I still need. You would think that I could just walk to my closets and get rid of the shirts that don’t fit anymore……but I can’t. I am not sure why but I can’t. Ray has asked me several times about being scared to not have them. Ray is so supportive and just tells me he does not care what I look like as long as I am healthy so we can be 80 sitting in our rockers on our front porch drinking Root Beer, he is incredible about all of this. I do not have plans to regain my weight by any means. I have got rid of the pants that don’t fit for the most part. I have kept some of the 22 capris because I can wear a belt with them. I don’t want to purchase a bunch of clothes in smaller sizes until I reach the weight that I desire. Back to my dilemma—getting rid of these shirts that I own which are baggy on me. I know some may say just go in there, take them, put them in a trash bag—donate them. For me it is not that easy,,,,maybe they are my crutch I don’t know.

As I have sat here and typed this up I have had the thought come to my mind to go in there ---with Ray as my support—put them in a bag but then put them in storage for  a while. At least they will still be “mine” and I will know where they are for a while. 

I have not kept up with watching what I eat like I should but I am maintaining my weight. Now is time to get back on track and get this weight back in the disappearing mode. I love the changes I feel and see. I feel better—I can bend over forward to tie my shoes, paint my toes and things like that. I see my collar bone that was hid for a while.  My feet have lost weight, my fingers—it is the little things as well as the big things like being able to wear a size 18 womens I asked the question recently as to what is the difference between a size 18 ladies and 18 womens so I was told there is a big difference because the women’s size clothes are made fuller.  I was never sure what the difference is but now I know.

My sugar numbers are still down from what they were. I used to wake up with my morning sugar level around 190 now I wake up and I am under 120. I am careful about how much sugar I eat and drink. It took me some time to adjust to the feeling of having a lower sugar level because it had been so high for so long. I felt like I was going to become a pin cushion because I was testing so much because my body was used to staying with a high sugar level all day and since March adjusting to being at 110 during the day or in the 90’s I was testing often to make sure I was not too low. I only had a couple of incidents where I went below 80, those were in the evenings at home. Now I am used to my new numbers and it feels good. I used to dread going for my lab work and then to see my doctor for results but at the end of this month I go in for my labs and visit….I am excited!

For now this is how things are going with my weight loss and my diabetes.

I am still a winner even though I came in thrid...

We just completed Biggest Loser at work. I came in third…but for me I am first because I still win because I am making changes in my eating, bringing my blood sugar numbers to the best they have been and on top of it I have lost 26 lbs as of now.

This is just the beginning. Most of my pants and capris are size 22 and I can take them off without unbuttoning them.  I tried on some jeans today the first pair I put on was a size 20 they  fit so I tried on a size 18….I could button them they were just a little tight. I did not buy any but it felt good. On March 24, 2012 I started taking a supplement called ACE. Since I started taking it I have lost 21 lbs. I feel so much better and know that I will continue to feel even better as I continue to lose weight.

There are days that I feel deprived but I know that I can do this. I recently read somewhere that one night a week should be a free night with some moderation.  Tonight we went to Chili’s I ordered beef fajitas. I ate one with guacamole, cheese, meat, fried onions and tortilla. It was so good. Then I fixed a second one and ate about 2 bites. I was done.  We stopped and got ice cream at Marble Slab. I got a medium cup of sweet cream with strawberries. I left about 2/3rds of it. The 1/3 that I ate was great but could not eat anymore.

Even though I feel like I am deprived at times and at times I am so hungry it is all worth it. I want to be healthy so that when my awesome hubby and I are in our 80s we can sit on the front porch and drink root beer. Unless I make changes to my health at this time I will not be healthy sitting on that front porch.

I am so blessed to have family and friends that support me in my weight loss and making life changes with my eating as well as my health.  I know that I still have some road to travel to get to where I am healthier but I will get there this time. I look forward to getting rid of clothes and getting to buy more in smaller size.

I see the changes in my body in weird ways. For instance I have collar bones that are appearing, my rings are too big, my ankles and feet and my boobs. I know there is a difference in my waist cause of my pants and the way they fit.

Keep watching for new updates as I go down this road to getting healthy and hopefully getting off all my diabetic meds.

Things have been going well. My blood sugar numbers have been better. It takes so much self-discipline to stay on track. I can do this. Today went by Dairy Queen with my mom she wanted a blizzard, I got an unsweet tea. I need to get some exercise going now. I have been allowing myself one small piece or 1 bite of something sweet aftr dinner. I have been waking up with much lower blood sugar numbers. I am having to be careful because I have gone low a couple of times.
I just wanted to update things on here. I will update again soon with some numbers.

Once again...

I have been at this spot before but not with such desire. I went to the doctor in February for my follow up appointment for my lab work. Well it was not good. My A1C was 7.6. My doctor told me that because of my history if I do not lose weight and get my numbers our of control I will be forced to go on insulin shots. I am on oral medication at this time. I do not want to have to take insulin shots. I take a Byetta shot now but it is helps my body do what it is supposed to do with the insulin my body makes. Taken correctly it is a good thing. I have to get serious with this. I know I have said this before but by Junes lab I have to have made some changes.
Today I had toast and a banana for breakfast. I had one enchilada for lunch with some beans & strawberries. I had steak, green beans and a small baked potato for dinner. I took my medicine like I am supposed to. So far my numbers for my sugar today are 126 two hours after breakfast, 148 a little over two hours after lunch, 131 before dinner and 121 two hours after dinner. I have drank unsweet tea and ice water today...I am sure not the amount of water I should but at least not soda or sweet tea.
One of the problems I have been having is waking up above 160 in the mornings. I will see what it is in the morning.
My goal is to lose at least 80 lbs. I am doing this in steps so the first one is get where I was when Ray and I met. I am not prepared to post my weight numbers on here at this time.
Please follow me on this journey and feel free to share any thoughts, suggestions or anything with me.
Take care.