Summer 2009 Bike Ride

These pictures were taken last year, summer of 2009. I have a 3 wheel bike, and we were able to go riding a couple of times, not far, but was nice to go. I am SOOO looking forward to riding farther, and easier this year! My kids think I need a different bike? Will see! Just can't wait to go!
More later.... love to all... Eydie =)

4-25-10 week 20 pix

Good afternoon my Dear Friends and Family!!! Here we are enjoying the April showers! Yes, we've had just the most beautiful days, and now yesterday and today some rain, nice gentle showers, but so nice... you can just see the grass greening up, and the flowers are sprouting up, and the trees are budding, the fresh new green leaves about to burst! Ahhh, the joys of spring here in Northern Minnesota! One of the things I am SO excited about, is getting my bike out again. This summer, I will be able to ride it SO much better. I had gotten one of those 3 wheel bikes, and we had gone a couple times last year, but I was only able to ride a little ways. In fact... I have a picture that was taken then, I will see if I can post it here. Ok... that didn't work, so will post the picture of our bike trip in another post.

Anyway, I am now -130 pounds lighter! (-81 since surgery December 7, 2009 - 20 weeks ago)YaHoo!!! I just can't wait now until my weight loss and my actual weight meet! To actually lose a whole person! Kind of a neat thought!!! I am enjoying so many new moments. Things I just don't think of everyday, but then have a "WOW" moment! I was at the clinic last week. After I got registered in, I was headed for the elevator, then realized, I've NEVER taken the stairs in the new building (built last year).... now I could probably do it with no problem! So, up I went... YES!!!! Then back down when I was done with my appointment! So now just will use the stairs! Another "moment" I had last week. The kids had an activity, I was standing chatting with some other parents, no place to sit, then a while later I realized I had been standing there for about a half hour!!! Any other time, I would have had to go back to my van to sit down because I wouldn't have been able to stand for that long!!! Oh yeah, this is just so great! So many great things, but... one that I am SO pleased with? Not only for myself, but for others. So many have written that I have helped inspire them to eat healthier, or to exercise, etc. Oh I just am so thrilled. If I can help even one person to be healthier... how awesome is that?!?!? So, I have been working on another project, along this line. I have been in the process of creating a health newsletter on-line. It is to share some thoughts, ideas, information, tips. etc on the things I have learned through reading,classes and experience. So, I have my newsletter here, a work in progress and I have titled it "HOPE".

H = Health
O = Optimism
P = Perseverance
E = Energy/Exercise

Our news these days are SO full of dramatic things, discouraging stories, things that bring us down. I want to have a place where others can be up-lifted, and inspired, bring a smile into their days! I include healthy recipes too. So please feel free to check this newsletter out as well.

http://hope4younewsletter.wordpress.com

Well everyone.... I hope you are enjoying the spring time too!

Here is a thought: There is no danger of developing eyestrain from looking on the bright side of things.

Love to all... Eydie

4-20-10 Tuesday

Ahhhh.... such a fabulous day! Our temperature was all the way to 71 degrees!!! Can we actually think it's summer time in Minnesota??? Everyone is getting into the planting mode. We just want to see the bright green sprouts appearing! We hardly dare to though, as we can still get snow and frost in May! Oh well... we sure are enjoying these wonderful days!

I have lost yet another pound! Slow and steady! I am now at -78 since surgery... for a total now of -127.

I want to include a little saying here that I found, and it goes along with our sunshine!

"It's the Songs you sing and the Smiles you wear that make the Sunshine everywhere."

Have a wonderful day!
Love, Eydie =)

4-18-10 Sunday

This is a picture of the kids and I and one of their friends (William) on Friday evening. This was our first picnic of the season! It was such a beautiful evening! Notice everyone else is in their t-shirts, but I was actually very chilly, so I have on my sweatshirt. Oh well.... still enjoying the spring time here in Minnesota!

Oh... in this picture I have my own food. I have roast beef, and a few pieces of cauliflower and broccoli. The kids have chicken strips.

I have lost another pound! YeeHaa!!! It is going a tad bit slower now, but slow and steady wins the race! I surely am NOT discouraged at all. I am still on my program... guess you could say. Not really following a diet at all... just a whole new way of eating! I eat protein, and produce! So... proteins... then I will eat a tiny bit of fruit or vegetable. We were to a picnic on Saturday, and I had 1 hot-dog, and 2 baby dill pickles. That was my complete meal, and I was very full! Today we went out to lunch with some dear friends, and I had 1/4 cup cottage cheese, and a little vegetable dish (tomatoes, green peppers, cucumbers, onion and baby carrots). There was maybe 3 pieces of each item, and then I didn't even eat all of that.The extremely awesome part of it all? I just am NOT hungry! I am completely satisfied!

So, I have now lost -126 pounds total! That is -77 since surgery in December!

Well, I hope this finds you all having a wonderful spring! It feels SOOO good to be able to get outside and enjoy these bright and sunny days! The kids start their baseball season tomorrow night! So begins our spring time sports!

All for tonight... you take care and I look forward to sharing more soon! Thanks once again for your love and support! You are the greatest team!
Love, Eydie =)

4-15-10 Thursday

Where is the time going? Wow.... seems I just am not getting to my computer as much anymore! I actually think it is due to so much more energy! Is that possible??? In the evenings, when I get my precious little kids to bed and they are sound asleep... then it is my "mom time". That is when I would come out to the computer, and here I am! Now... they are off to sleep.. and mommy is off to work... around the house! I have gone through some of my cupboards. Also, have gone through my closets again! So it is actually kind of fun to see what all I am getting done around here! But... I am going to keep this blog going!

I have been doing fabulous still... feeling SOOO great! I have had some little issues with low blood pressure now. Feeling light-headed... a bit whoozy! But, doctors now think I am still getting dehydrated! I am getting in the recommended amount (64 oz a day) but they think my body just requires more! Yikes! I just have trouble eating what I should, then to add all this water... it just fills me up SO much! But.... still doing great! I have not had anything that I am not suppose to have! No caffeine... No sugar... No carbination! My foods??? Protein and Produce! I eat a lot of turkey, chicken, roast beef, cottage cheese and protein shakes. Then I do add a little fruits and veggies. My calorie intake now is around 400-500 a day. Doctor says I can be as much as 600-800. Maybe in time but I am not going to rush that at all! Right now I am completely satisfied, so thats so good! Who woulda ever thought 500 calories A DAY would be ok for me??? Before 500 calories was just a good start to a MEAL!!!! Anyway... I am onto a whole new life... a whole new way of looking at food! I have NO cravings at all. AMAZING!!!

Well my support team here... thank you again for your encouragement, I truly appreciate each one of you!!!
Thank you.... love to all... Eydie =)

4-9-10 new pix

I just had to post this picture! I have been asked by SO many people if now that I've lost weight, will I wear pants, will I buy my first pair of jeans now? Ha, no I won't buy jeans. I like my dresses, but I do wear pants, or shorts, or like these capris... while I exercise! So yes, I do own a few pairs of "pants".

Also, I have been asked if I've cut my hair... since it doesn't really show in my pix! I always wear it up in a clip, so no... haven't cut my hair, it is still long, about waist length.

Well.... so glad to be back in touch on here. I have even up-dated my weight loss charts, and added a new one for April now. I am at -76 loss since surgery, and a total loss of -125. I can hardly believe it! But as always... it is all about my health, I feel SO good! Weight loss is just an added bonus!

All for now... love to all... Eydie =)

April Weight Loss Chart 2010

So far I am at -75 loss since surgery on December 7, 2009 for a total loss of -124

Date:
April 8, 2010 -76 -125

4-8-10 week 17 pix

Hello again my Dear Purple Team!! Wow... it has taken me a bit to get back into the swing of things here on my computer since getting back to Minnesota! I came home to 658 emails.... tons of pictures to go through, and some are still getting processed, so anxious to see those as well when they come back. Guess I should have had a digital camera with me! Oh well.. next time! When I got back, the dryer wasn't working, the built-in microwave doesn't work, and the propane tank is bone dry! This morning it was 59 degrees in the house! Yikes... so this week I've been on the phone, getting everything put back together. So far, we have heat again now that the tank is filled, the dryer is working again (just a loose wire on the heating element... an easy, cheap fix... ha, haven't gotten the bill yet though!) the microwave is another story, needs parts, expensive, but still less than a new microwave, so it's gunna get fixed, parts are to be in on Tuesday next week.
I am back to my nutrition classes, and support group now as well. Feels good to be back to that too. Dietition says I am doing good, still on program and feeling great. I have had some problems with being light-headed... a bit dizzy at times, but maybe that is just all due to being "blonde"? When I get those "spells" of being dizzy, I just eat a little bit of fruit, and that helps somewhat. I am to see my regular doctor though as soon as I can, and try to get to the bottom of that issue. But all in all... I am feeling fabulous! I still HAVE NOT eaten anything I am not suppose to! No caffeine, No carbination, No sugar!!!! So... no pop, candy, chips, etc!!! Easter was NO problem at all. We were even at a big pot-luck! I had my 2 ounces of turkey, and 1/2 cup of mango! I ended up with about 1/4 cup of the mango though, as Benjamin kept coming in a swiping it! He just loves Mango! Hmmm... so sweet and juicy! But anyway... no desserts... and this year.. no Cadbury Eggs either! The best part... I don't even miss them! At this point, there is NOTHING that can ever taste as good as I feel right now! I am exercising. Doing some toning, strengthening, etc. Just feels SO good to be healthy again!
Well my Dear Friends and Family.... thank you for sticking by me here! Your love and support means EVERYTHING to me!!!
Oh... I just HAVE to share a moment here with you!!! Last night, we were getting ready to go to our bible study, I went to put on my nice shoes and took a step and my shoe literally flew off of my foot! I yelled, and everyone came running wondering what had happened to me! MY SHOE FLEW OFF!!! What happened???? It was SO big! I tried on 3 more pairs of shoes and the same thing.. they are TOO BIG!!!! So, I HAD to go to Walmart today and I bought another pair! I have gone down 1 1/2 sizes in shoes now! Clothes I am now down 6 sizes!!! Oh yeah!!!!
Ok.... all for now... take care ya'll. Love ya! Eydie =)

Pix from our trip

Here are a few picture from our trip.
One of Dad, the kids and I
One in front of a huge cactus in Arizona, near Phoenix
Then one in Texas, at the Palo Duro Canyon

We are back from the South!!!

We had a fabulous trip to Texas, New Mexica, Arizona & California!!! Oh, so wonderful to see family! Got to meet so many new people. Finally got to actually see where dad and mom live!!! Dad and Glenda have been married for over 4 yrs already! Now can picture them in Arizona.
I am still feeling great, still following program perfectly!!! I managed to eat well while gone! Everyone worked so hard to help and encourage me! A very special thank you to each one!
I now have lost 124 lbs total. That makes 75 since surgery December 7th.
Well I hope to be back on here regularly again now that we are back home!
Thank you also for all of your emails... still helping me!!
Love to all! Eydie =)