Saturday, April 9, 2011

Diving for pie

I had to get honest with myself. I could no longer deny how much weight I had gained. And, how much I actually loved eating. It was one of the last of the last straws before I lost the weight and kept it off for good.

Paige and I had gone up for the weekend to visit Amber at college. We had picked out a restaurant in Dinky Town to have dinner. It had great reviews and was supposed to be this cool, trendy place, but it turned out to be a dismal dining experience--one for which I had spent way too much money. We left the restaurant disappointed and hungry.
As consolation, Paul (Amber's then boyfriend, now fiance) offered to take us to Perkins for dessert. Getting wired on endless cups of coffee, we girls gabbed while poor Paul had to endure our manic stories. When we finally decided to leave, I realized I had been talking so much that I hadn't touched my coconut cream pie (topped with a generous amount of whipped cream--my favorite). No way was I going to leave that baby behind especially since I had been so disappointed by the meal I had earlier. I asked for a to-go container.

It was a cold January night, and Paul went to warm up the car. After a few minutes we braved the cold and took off running towards the car. Bad idea. I hit a patch of ice in my Dansko clogs and went down hard. My only thought was to save the pie. I landed squarely on the styrofoam container, flattening it and the pie onto the parking lot. While I limped to the car, Amber and Paige laughed hysterically. As they related the story to Paul, his only question was, "Is the pie okay?"

Dropping Paul off at his house, I began driving away when I felt something warm on my knee. I reached down and realized I was bleeding. And that I had blown out the knee of my jeans. I started to laugh, then cry. I sobbed, "These are the only pair of jeans that fit! And I just ruined them by diving for a piece of pie!"

I vowed to lose the weight. Stubbornly I hung onto that pair of jeans, ripped knee and all. I wasn't going to buy any new ones until I dropped a size. I bribed Paige into taking a before picture of me in a two piece. The fading skid mark still shows on my knee in the picture. That was three years ago. It took a few more painful experiences (which I'll share in future posts) before I finally figured out how to lose the weight and keep it off. I've gotten in shape, dropped 40 pounds and gone from a size 16 to a size 6. Okay, one pair of jeans is a 6, but still. I've lost inches everywhere, including seven from my belly. I look a whole lot better, feel better and don't have the aches and pains that I had attributed to arthritis. The best, best part though has been that I've learned how not to be obsessed with food. I eat like a normal person. (Normal as in someone not overweight and who doesn't struggle with food issues.)

How did you lose the weight, I am often asked. The simple answer is I move more, eat less. I got brutally honest with myself before I could successfuly lose the weight. I had been eating like it was Thanksgiving every day. And, I realized at my age I would have to break a sweat daily if I was ever going to get in shape. I've maintained the weight loss for a year. I eat whatever I want. I don't follow a particular diet or do nonfat, sugar-free, low-carb, shakes, or pills. I don't write down calories or fat grams. And, no, I'm not anorexic or bulimic.

If you are in the same place that I was, despairing over your weight gain and your inability to stop it, follow my journey of how I got my body and life back. Don't give up! If I, a middle-aged mom whose mantra was "it's never too late for dessert," can do it, so can you!

P.S. Sorry, I'm not posting that before picture, just trust me when I say it's not attractive.

9 comments:

  1. Yay! I'm so glad that you started a blog. I think that it's awesome that you lost weight, and I hope that others will learn from you :o) I love my auntie!

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  2. So very true! Eat small and often and you'll keep it off forever. You have always looked beautiful and still do. love ya debbie castro

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  3. Debbie, thanks. See, that's what I'm talking about. You have always been thin and have eaten that way. Finally, I figured it out! :)

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  4. Thanks, Karyn! It took me to pushing 50 to finally get it. I'm passionate about seeing other women get success too...probably means I'm just annoying.

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  5. I'm proud of you friend!!!! <3 <3 <3

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  6. Jacci...I am proud of your journey and am going to follow your blog. My problem is that when I read your posts... I hear Shirley. Love you and your mom. I am pretty sure this can work for guys too....at least I hope it can. Waiting to hear your weight loss "program" Russ and Deb

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  7. I'll keep you in suspense, Russ. I'll eventually get around to how I did it. It wasn't a program, and it wasn't rocket science. But then my take on that is those very same rocket scientists that design the rockets are most likely fat and sitting behind a desk.

    My next blog is about possibly the most embarrassing experience of my life. Well almost. I've had a lot. Stay tuned. I laughed myself silly writing the next one.

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