I Recognized The Person In The Mirror - It's Been A Long Time

Over the past few months, I have been dieting and releasing some weight. I did well for the first two months, plateaued over the third month and have started losing slowing this past month.

More than pounds this past month, I have noticed inches around my middle leaving at a faster rate.

I was complaining to Princess Five this week that I wasn't having the best week as I had some fatigue and stomach issues this week, and was frustrated that I wasn't losing more weight each week.

With the exception of one week, I have lost at least some weight every week since starting this on January 31, 2020. I weigh myself every Friday and just put it on a paper to keep track of how I am doing.

I went all out for three months and lost and then didn't lose and was starving hungry by the third month. I shifted around some vitamins and supplements, and I think that helped me where I am losing again slowly.

When I was complaining, Princess Five said, "I think you losing a pound or two a week is a good way to lose weight. You look healthy and are glowing and have more energy. My reply was that no one even notices that I have lost weight, or if they do, they aren't saying anything about it. It was a day or two later when I know what she said was true.

I have a friend I have known for many years, and she has always had a weight issue. I ran into her at a store this week the day or so after I had that conversation with Princess Five. I almost didn't recognize her. I did a double take and was in shock and how drawn she looked. Her skin was hanging off her.

I asked her how she had lost the weigh,t and she said she and her mother had gone to Mexico and had stomach reduction / stapling surgery. I asked when she had the surgery, and it was the end of January which is when I started my diet.

She had lost 50 lbs. but her skin was just hanging off her. She said that she threw up for months and can only eat a tablespoon of food at a time. She said she can't tolerate many foods anymore and we compared what we could eat finding that it was many of the same foods that we could both tolerate.

My thought was she could have saved herself so much money and body stress if she would have just gone on that diet anyway, and not had the surgery.

There is a lady in our congregation at church who has lost over 110 lbs. eating better and walking each day. She is looking so healthy and glowing. Today at church, she had all her kids and grandchildren in the pew with her, and she looked so cute in a adorable dress and happy being surrounded by her family. I ran into her walking tonight and shared with her how proud I was of her doing it in such a healthy way and how she was an inspiration!

I was wearing a pair of capris today while walking that I have had for a few years, and I kept having to pull them up as they were sliding down and hanging on my hips. I had just gotten them out of the wash but they were loose. I then was looking at a picture of when we went to the airport to pick up Princess Four from her mission to Japan just over 2 years ago, and I was wearing those capris in the picture at the airport. They were tight on me in the picture, and I realized that I have lost more inches in the past week or two because I wore those capris recently as I had to retire a few pants I was wearing at the time that were falling off me while walking. Several times, I had to catch them before they were at my ankles. I started wearing a belt with them, and then finally went into some smaller sizes and raided my closet for the pants that used to be tight or not fit well.

If they were stretched out, I would have thought maybe I wore them gardening and stretched them, however, pulling them straight out of the laundry pile, I realized that I may have not lost much weight last week, but I did lose inches as those pants are now loose and baggy. I had Princess Five take a few pictures and you can see the pants are rippling in places. There is lots of fabric at the hip and side seams to the point I can take a fist full on both sides.

I will need to go through my closet and remove some of the clothes. I tried on about six different dresses for church today. A few I can take in to help them fit better, but others are in a 'give away" pile since I didn't wear them when they fit.

It feels good to be releasing weight and getting thinner. Yesterday, I looked into the mirror and thought, "Oh, there I am!" like I have been staring and someone other than myself for the past few years. It reminded me of Robin Williams in "Hook" when they are squishing up his face and then say, "Oh there you are!"

I hope I can continue to release the weight and feel better. Now, I just need to figure out a cure for the parasites so my gut and body can heal! Won't that be a beautiful day!

Have a Blessed day and stay safe!