April 4, 2016

March 25 was a momentous day in our Family History - my youngest son, Max, married Kimberly and I wanted to look my best for all the photos.  My goal was to have lost 50# by the wedding day.  I am not sure I did or didn't because I didn't weigh myself that day.  But two days before I was still 3# away from the goal.  It was hard to stay on plan during the days surrounding the wedding because I wasn't at home and I was so focused on the wedding prep and events that I didn't really prepare to eat right while away from home.  Our family was in charge of the wedding luncheon, which turned out just as I envisioned it, except there were a lot fewer people than we planned for so there were TONS of leftovers, which is what I was eating for days afterward.  And I have to confess, along with the Asian salad and the fruit salad, which were pretty clean (probably at least a little sugar in the dressings) I ate some of the cheese, and a few mini-desserts over the next few days.  And I had a couple bites of wedding cake, just to say I did.

So today I felt trepidation as I stepped on the scales. I was four pounds down from the last time I weighed in!  WOOHOO!  That was not expected, though I feel like my tummy is finally going down.  I have Type II Diabetes and one of the characteristics of the disease is belly fat - which I never used to have - I carried my weight more in my hips than my belly until the diabetes set in.  And it seemed like the belly fat was resistant to this diet - but now it seems to be coming off.

The lighting is a little dim, but this is a photo taken at the reception of Max and I dancing. The photos by the professional photographer are yet to come, so all I have are candid shots from smart phones.  The day was lovely! Each event turned out beautifully. And I felt pretty good - except by the end of the luncheon, my feet were unhappy, so I kicked off my shoes and hobbled around to clean up - I was so glad to take a short nap before the reception!  I lasted about 20 minutes in the expensive evening shoes I bought and kicked them off for the rest of the evening except to walk out to my car.

I stayed a second night with my friend Bonnie, and then stayed another night at my other son's to celebrate Easter with my grandson Christopher.  It was that extra couple days away from home that I kind of threw out my diet.

But once home again, I got right back on the wagon, so to speak.  I had a luncheon with a group of women here in the neighborhood who are doing WFPB eating - we do a monthly potluck and it is a delight to try dishes prepared by someone other than yours truly and be able to talk about how we eat without feeling like people are uncomfortable with it.  I made a delicious potato salad that I altered from a recipe on ProtectiveDiet.com I used apple cider vinegar instead of water in the oil-free mayonnaise and added horseradish, cucumbers, ripe green olives, and dill, all of which were very tasty additions! Everyone liked it and I had leftovers for a couple days afterward.

So the scales were a pleasant surprise this morning - whew!  I know a wedding is exciting and I loved every minute of the prep and the actual events, but it is also stressful and I think I ate too many carbs and too little leafy greens for the month before and struggled to lose any weight.  Perhaps it is in sheer relief that it is over or something that I am losing again.

But, a different kind of stress is setting in now that the wedding is over.  I feel like a big change is coming.  I need to get out of this apartment - it is so dark here, very little sunlight, and that is depressing - and last summer, it was so hot, and there is no air conditioner, I languished in the heat and hardly ever went outside - my spirits plummeted, I can't stand another summer like that so leave I must, but I can't decide what to do.  I am considering a move to Sunny Sedona, but have mixed emotions about moving away from my kids.  I hardly know my new daughter-in-law and my only grandchild is here.  But I doubt I can find anything in SLC at as low a price as this place that I'd be willing to live in - so I am very undecided and unclear what to do.  And that ambiguity is stressful.

But, that is life - and taking care of myself despite whatever else is happening has to be a priority.  I have been looking for a doctor or health care giver who will be amenable to my WFPB diet and work with me to get my glucose levels regulated as I am losing weight.  Got some good recommendations to check out.

I love the Utah State Capitol and grounds, and Joe (my doggy) and I took a walk on Saturday and made it all the way around the big block without feeling taxed at all, I can simply get around so much easier with 50 fewer pounds to carry, it is very refreshing!  Here's to the next 50!