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Monday 13 June 2011

Dukan week 16: sometimes life gets in the way, huh?


My weight fluctuated like the stock market this week; up, down, up, down. But in the end, by Friday, I was at 81kg, so, another 500g released into the fat ether. The photo above and the two below were taken by my eldest daughter yesterday, Pentecostal Sunday, just after Church. I'm very happy my neck has slimmed down and my cheekbones are apparent now, and not hidden behind a wad of adipose tissue.
I'm trying for demure, did I pull it off?

While taking the photo, my daughter cleverly used part of the staircase to hide one hip and thigh... good girl!

So, here's the proof:
As of Friday 10 June 2011, 81kg. 
Oh happy moi!

I am having this incredible pleasure in trying on clothes, because THEY FIT ME. I know I need to firm up, I still jiggle like a bowl full of jelly (or Jell-O, for my American readers,) but it is still coming off, very very slowly, but then, the Grand Canyon wasn't created in a day, now was it? 
Nor Rome. 
Nor the current financial mess the USA finds itself in. (Oops, no Politics, sorry.)

I said this to someone today, and I think it bears repeating here. What do you want to look like next year at this time? Do you want to be closer to your ideal weight or do you really want to be where you are right now? Heh, no judgements, it is after all, your life and YOU are the one that lives it, no one else.

IF you want to lose weight because you are depressed or miserable about your appearance, then simply just begin, NOW. I mean right now, not next Monday or next weekend or next month, or when you get paid, take the first step right this instant. Then the next instant, just continue. Keep stringing the moments together and YOU WILL get where you want to go. Yes, it takes willpower. Yes you will have to face up to WHY you overeat and gained weight in the first place and NO, that will not be easy, nor will it be comfortable nor will it be over in an instant.
But time will pass, whether you want it to or not and next year will be here before you know it, so, you might as well be doing something constructive in the meantime.
YOU just need to have confidence in YOU.

Go on, do it. And then come back here and let me know how you are doing. I'll try to find a cheerleader outfit and some pom-poms and cheer you on.
Well, ok, I'll do that AFTER I firm up the thighs....

Hugs and quiches from Kitty x

18 comments:

Pip said...

Well done gal. I'd say your looking pretty darned good.
I think demure would be a good word for that particular shot but what always appears obvious to me in all your pics is your smile.
It never looks forced, though I'm sure it often must be difficult, but you have an infectious smile.
Whenever your postings contain a pic of you beaming out at me I cannot help but smile back.
After our week back in France I had gone up by 4lb but 4 days later that 4 had gone and another one too! The only difference being no tempting French cheese and no wedding parties, friendly get togethers or frites to be naughty over.
I'm now a couple of pounds below my original target weight but despite being allowed a host of previously disallowed things I'm mostly not eating them. No pork or lamb but I am using a bit more olive oil in cooking but butter has not appeared in the house and only the occasional bit of bread but then it's wholemeal.
But I am eating a lot more fruit which I really missed. Convincing myself that no matter what Dukan says it's good for me.
I have noticed how much thinner my arms and legs are so that's one area that I hadn't thought about before.
Had my haircut just before our break and even my hairdresser commented on my new slimmer form.
Quite makes your day doesn't it.
Hells bells I only meant to put a brief comment up here and seem to have got carried away.
Anyway, well done to you and keep smiling - it makes for a happier day for me!!

Kitty said...

Pip: Thank you so much for the compliments! I LOVE to smile at people, I love to laugh, I love to share good times and happiness.
Yes, sometimes in the past, it's taken all the effort I could muster to continue smiling when I was dying inside, but, those days are past and I will accept nothing but clear and fine sailing in the days ahead for me and for my family.
I'm happy and it shows! :D

Yes, having people remark on my new slimmer form is always a boost. It DOES make my day!
The biggest change is how 'feminine' I've turned. I no longer slouch about in sweats and shapeless men's T-shirts. I wear pretty blouses, trim trousers and all the lovely skirts I've not managed to even do up until now. I LOOK like a different person and certainly FEEL completely different.
Good things ahead, certainly. :)

I'll keep smiling and you have a great day!

Hugs and quiches from Kitty

Living the frugal life in France said...

Your photos look lovely. you look ver happy. I have not seen any of your older pictures before you lost your weight;
I am just coming up to my 3 week weigh-in.
I spent yesterday evening trying on my clothes from over 3 years ago, some fit and some will be there for me in a few months time.
I had forgotten all the lovely colours I used to wear!
Inspiring words, I do think you have to get your head into the right place to start.
You said you lived in Cheshire - were you in Chester? That's where we lived before moving here.
Sue

GaynorB said...

Congratulations Kitty. You look great in the photographs and should be pleased and proud that all the hard work - and any regime is hard work - is paying off.

I wonder whether like me, you have a whole nearly new wardrobe of clothes waiting to be worn, in smaller sizes!

auntiegwen said...

You are looking AMAZING my dear, a great inspiration. I am still zumba ing and walking when I can and I feel firmer but scales still now moving as quickly as I'd like. Thank you for your very inspiring words, you've given me some much needed motivation.

As always, lots of love from your auntie xxx

Friko said...

Congratulations, you are doing well.
Keep it up and you'll get there.

Metropolitan Mum said...

Look at you - you look gorgeous! I am happy for you that the diet seems to work. My mother has always struggled with her weight, and she was always slightly depressed about it. One reason why I vowed to never go more than four pounds over my ideal weight. However, it's never too late to start making changes. And now seems to be just the right time. My fingers are crossed for you. xx

Deborah said...

This made me smile for a raft-full of reasons, Kitty. Your photos, i nwhich you look perfectly lovely, your scales, which must be the only things along with a blood pressure machine that are better the lower they go, and the fact that you're now the cheerleader. That's what happens when you turn the corner and run smack into success. Sorry, that was a bit cliched, but you'll forgive me for it.
Well done! You really look terrific and I'm very glad for you.

Pip said...

I read this today online and thought you might be interested in it, sorry it's a bit long :

The most common form of diabetes can be reversed by nothing more than a severe low-calorie diet, a study has found.

Type 2 diabetes, which affects around 3.5 million people in the UK and costs the NHS an estimated £9bn a year, is caused by high levels of glucose in the blood and is linked to overeating and obesity.

Researchers say the "remarkable" discovery proves that a simple eight-week diet can do away with the need for years of expensive medication.

Professor Roy Taylor, of Newcastle University, who led the study, said: "For many years, it has been assumed that type 2 diabetes is a life sentence.

"It's chronic, it's progressive, people need more and more tablets, and eventually they need insulin. It's a downhill slope.

"However, we have been able to show that it is in fact reversible."

In the study, funded by the charity Diabetes UK, doctors selected 11 type 2 diabetics and used a powerful scanner to monitor fat in the pancreas which regulates blood sugar levels.

The patients were then put on a strict diet of just 600 calories a day consisting of slimming shakes, non-starchy vegetables, tea and zero-calorie drinks.

After just one week, early morning blood sugar levels had returned to normal among the group.

After two months the fat in the pancreas of each patient had returned to normal levels and the pancreas was making insulin normally.

Three months later, after going back to normal eating with advice on portion control and healthy foods, seven people remained free of diabetes.

"The insulin-producing cells in the pancreas have gone to sleep in type 2 diabetes - they are not really doing very much," explained Professor Taylor.

"As the level of fat in the pancreas has reduced, we have seen these insulin-producing cells come completely back to normal, and that is truly remarkable."

Retired lorry driver Gordon Parmley, from Stocksfield in Northumberland, spent four years on daily medication for type 2 diabetes despite being only 2st overweight.

The diet worked and 18 months later he is still free of diabetes and does not have to take any tablets.

"It was very tough. I was hungry all the time. It was a starvation diet and food was on your mind all the time," he said.

"At the end of the eight weeks when they said that my pancreas was working again and producing insulin and that I could come off all the tablets I was on for the diabetes then it was absolutely fantastic, it was like winning the lottery."

The researchers, who are publishing their findings in the Diabetologia medical journal, say anyone who wants to try the diet should consult their GP first.

Deborah said...

Are you doing OK, Kitty?

GaynorB said...

Where are you Kitty?
I'm missing your missives!

Deborah said...

Kitty,
Thinking about you today - not for the first time - and wondering how you're doing. Everybody goes AWOL from blogland now and then, but your absence is a little bit worrisome.

Kitty said...

Sue: I hope your 3 week weigh-in was a happy one for you. This regime just works for me, period, and even though I have gone into consolidation for the summer, it's still causing my shape to change... and for the better!
Both my daughters were born at Countess of Chester, and I adore that City with the Rows, the Cathedral and the Walls. I lived in Weaverham, near Northwich while I was in Cheshire.

GaynorB: Thank you! Yes I DO have an entire wardrobe of small-sized clothes, which I am now able to wear! Most are over 25 years old, bought when I was working in Retail and all of them are classic styles with really good quality; linen, silks, wool, rayon. I never bought 'Fashion' items but things that would last. With my Employee discount on special days I was able to buy top marques at a fraction of the cost. I took full advantage at the time and I'm so glad I did! I spent a quarter of my income on clothes and shoes at the time. OK, so I have nowhere really to wear my Liz Claiborne silk dresses but at least I know they fit me now should a fancy soirée opportunity ever arise! :)

AuntieGwen: You're lovely, you are. xx
I cut back on the weight loss because my body needs a chance to 'catch up' with toning. My wobbly bits were getting wobbly bits, rather like a Dali Surrealistic painting in the flesh. I was seriously frightened glancing at myself nude in the mirror and thought, "Must firm up!" So I am focussing on just that and it's working quite well. You mentioned Zumba on your Blog before, I must look into that, I've heard great things about it from others.

Friko: Thank you and welcome to my Blog, I appreciate the comment! I do keep reminding myself that it's one step at a time, one day at a time and it seems to be working. :)

Metropolitan Mum: You're the wise one to keep your weight under control, I do wish I had through the years but just never had the consul or the focus. I guess I got that with age, like a Maturity Gift package. It's never too late to make changes, unless you're dead, and I'm not, so... I'm continuing to make them! Thank you for the crossed fingers, it's bringing me much needed luck in other areas of my life. :)

Deborah: You're a sweetheart, thank you for prodding me into activity. I've had a few rather hard blows in my personal life and I guess I needed to just step back from most all of my online activity for a bit and focus on Real Day-to-day Life. So I avoided even reading other Blogs and that brief break helped. I appreciate the fact you were concerned about my absence, it's what made me realise that THIS Virtual World is also very much a part of my Real Life; the friendships and connections found only within this electronic space. I can't ignore the fact that I DO care about many of the people with whom I have established connections within Blogland... and that many of them care about me. It's also important to recognise that fact and celebrate it. So, I shall! xx

Thank you to all who have honoured me by reading and commenting and I apologise for the late response. I send you all lots of hugs and quiches xx :)

GaynorB said...

Hi Kitty,
How are you? Hope all is well with you and your daughters.
Where are you? Come back soon!
Gaynor x

trump said...

Id like to invite you folks to come to Amish Stories for a recipe for "Famous Pennsylvania Dutch Sticky Cinnamon Buns" along with a book signing schedule for Amish fiction writer Wanda Brunstetter for Pennsylvania and Ohio as well as a contest to meet her. I hope everyone so far is having a great weekend. Thanks everyone. Richard from Amish Stories.

Pip said...

Hi Kitty,

I've been away in LBF for over 7 weeks and now back. A tad worried that you hadn't posted much while I was away. I hope you are OK and just taking a rest.
I've been eating too much cheese, French bread, the odd plate or two of chips and just about everything I'm not supposed to eat.
Got on the scales last night on my return and thought they must have gone wrong, kicked them and jumped on again, same reading. Despite all my naughtiness I had only gained 2 pounds.
There's hope yet.
Looking forward to you getting back to writing. I miss you and your smile making postings.
Please come back soon.
Pip

Deborah said...

Hi again Kitty,
You've been in my thoughts for weeks now. I hope you're doing all right and that your continued absence is only for the reason you mentioned in your July 21 comment.
Just wanted you to know that you're missed over here in the opposite corner of the country.
XX Deborah temptationofwords *at* gmail.com

Ani said...

Amazing results! I think the bottom line of it all is just to be healthy through eating healthy and exercising. It's one of the many things that Americans haven't realized yet. -Lola from Et tu, Tofu

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