Thursday, December 17, 2015

Success!

When you send me emails sharing that you have lost weight, your blood tests are better, you can now play with your grandchildren, or you are no longer diabetic, I am reminded why I continue to share my life with you via this blog.



In 2009, I was so uncomfortable at one hundred and eighty-three pounds, I could barely squat down to visit with this hungry little squirrel looking for a handout. Notice how carefully I cropped the picture at that time so as not to show my girth. I was in denial! 

Fast forward to 2012 on another visit to Brevard, North Carolina. My fashion sense and confidence are improving, and I have lost more than forty pounds.



It was easy to slip into the habit of eating mindlessly and then dressing in whatever was stretchy and comfortable every day. I lived this way for a few years, and my health suffered greatly because of it. (Not just my physical health but my mental health as well.) I had so little confidence that I didn't even want to leave my home. I was deeply depressed for several years.

If you have visited my blog before today, you know that I now have lots of wonderful friends, loads of confidence, and a fun-filled life that I could not even imagine ten years ago. Being healthy, both physically and mentally, has allowed me to fully enjoy life and overcome the depression that dominated my life for several years. 

Sharing fashion tips and style inspiration is a fun part of publishing this blog. I like everything in my closet now, and getting dressed for any occasion is a snap. My style has evolved as I research and share with you what I learn. Dressing this almost sixty-year-old body with style and grace is an entirely different project than dressing my thirty-year-old one. I firmly believe that the most important thing I share with you is the inspiration to learn to eat to properly fuel your body for your best health.

I will continue to share what works well for me and use myself as an example. I hope that you will also be inspired to find what works well for your body and that you can start to enjoy better health and more joy-filled life.

At the link below is a new hearty soup recipe I recently found. I added it to my collection of basics and enjoyed this one as my late day meal. I often add frozen or fresh vegetables near the end of the cooking time. The grain farro is a wonderful substitute for pasta. (I soak the farro along with the dried beans.) I also experiment with the ingredients and spices to add variety and new flavors according to what looks good at the grocery store on the day I visit.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Your story never ceases to amaze me. What an inspiration you are!

Unknown said...

Don't you dare quit this mission :) I have followed you for the last couple of years while doing a midlife makeover after an unwanted divorce...I lost forty pounds without trying on a plant based low carb diet similar to what you advocate, went off of high blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol meds and avoided three surgeries in the process for related pain issues, etc. Redid my wardrobe with a alot of help from you AND actually finally completed a master's degree Friday. Never underestimate who you might be touching out there in the cyberworld - there have been times when you were really a source of encouragement for me! We women need to stand together to avoid that over fifty sense of invisibility. Thank you - You GO girl!!!

Susan said...

Thank you so much for leaving this comment, Sandra Thornton! You are awesome! Congratulations upon all you have accomplished. Keep shining!

Unknown said...

I find your journey very inspiring. Keep showing us before/afters because they are so easy to relate to!

Cristine said...

Susan, your honesty and encouragement are helping me so much. Without going into details, my very difficult 50's has led me to many dark days in this decade. But at 59, I am determined, determined! to turn this ship around and create a good life again.

Every time you post about the journey to your confidant, fun, successful life you've created, you give a gift of hope to those of us who are struggling. Blessings.

emmapeelDallas said...

One of the things I love most about your blog is your absolute honesty. When I see how you've transformed your life, it makes me think perhaps I can transform my life. Thank you, Susan.

Ruth Robbins said...

This is such an inspiring post! I have begun watching your videos as well and you are a wonderful example of how it's never too late :-) I am 54 and smoked heavily for 37 years and also ate and ate anything I wanted because I'd been skinny all my life. But I learned I had cancer two years ago and quit smoking, gained over 40 lbs and yet it's been fun and rewarding taking off that weight and finally learning what it means to eat right and take good care of myself. My health is better, am in 15 months of remission, and everything is getting better! I think as we get older and our bodies change and things start to feel weird and achy or we get new twists and turns, we can either get depressed and just give up, or see the challenge and fight back -- maybe some of us need a wake up call to get that challenge going! But it's so rewarding to get to this stage in life and feel like now we are truly in charge of our own destiny and can do so much to change outcomes. Thank you for this great blog!

Unknown said...

I'm sitting here sipping on my morning java, reading the comments to your wonderful blog, listening to Christmas music and feeling most grateful.

I'm aching all over, not because I am unhealthy, but because I have a vicious personal trainer who has been particularly pushy lately. I take up less of my chair. About a hundred pounds less, actually. My blood pressure is perfect, by heart rate is that of an athlete, and I have no dis-ease of any kind. I certainly could not have said that two years ago.

Thanks to Polyvore and Pinterest, I create awesome, stylish outfits for the emerging new me that I adore wearing when I happily go to various events. I love clothes again (although you already know, Susan,that I am mighty peeved that all of your inspiration has totally trashed my financial planning! I now own leather leggings... there's no budget line for that!! LOL)

Yep. I live a different life today.

And what role do you play in all of this? You are my daily reminder that living gracefully, enjoying my new body, and enjoying self expression in the form of fashion and beauty is GOOD for me! It's not a waste of time, or a misuse of resources, it's fun! And it brings joy to others, too. Both men AND women smile when they see a well turned out older woman... and who doesn't like causing a smile?

You have made a positive difference in my life, Susan. You have given me a place to come to where I can stoke the flame of my inner fashionista, and enjoy watching all the other members of our community start to play with the little niceties of good living (whether they do it in joy our doused with vinegar, that ARE doing it!) You and I have a great deal in common, so watching your story unfold is a bit like my internal dialogue.

And I enjoy dissing your shoes. Your shoes just need a good diss now and then, and I'm not jealous you can wear 'em. Nope. Nuh uh. :D

Thanks for being you, and for being accessible. I needed that. A lot.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Cathy said...

Thank you for sharing! I've been in a slump for the past five years, gained weight and felt like a slug. I found your blog about a month ago and it has inspired me to take more interest in how I look. I forgot how much I enjoy fashion and shoes and how frumpy I had become. Thanks for the inspiration and for your honesty.