A thousand words ...

Janna and I heading out to the
Biggest Loser casting call in
Portland, late March 2010.

Here we are on January 30, 2011 ...

Sometimes the tale of the scale and the measuring tape doesn't give our mind's eye the true story. As Janna and I approach the 50lbs gone mark, it helps to prepare for the hard work it will take to reach the goal by looking back to see how far we've come.

Voices

In a moment of sisterly solidarity I agreed to join Janna in the 35th running of Bloomsday on the first Sunday in May. Me! The woman who has spent the first Saturday in May for decades enjoying the Run for the Roses, aka the Kentucky Derby, where the thoroughbreds do the running on four legs. In 2011, Janna and I will join friends we've made in the OptiFit program on the famous 7.46 mile Bloomsday course, which includes the ominous Doomsday Hill and over 50,000 participants. From 9 a.m. start to the course closing just 4.5 hours later calls for walking about 2 miles per hour. Yikes. It's a realistic goal for nearly three months hence. What's funny is to be aware of the voices in my ear. On one shoulder the out-of-shape, overweight Kerri with four coronary arterial stents, who carries nitroglycerin tablets at all times is saying, "YOU CANNOT DO THIS!" Today I'm vowing to start giving the positive, can-do Kerri a bigger voice in my ear.

'tween

I have a large wardrobe of sparkly evening wear that came in handy to emcee gala events like the Festival of Trees Senior Social and for the years I judged state pageants in the USA system. I've been to the Miss America Pageant and the Miss USA Pageant a number of times. Hobbing with the nobs like Donald Trump. So this week is the Post Falls Chamber Banquet and while I've passed the emcee torch this year, I will be on stage during the presentations of the big awards. Less than a month ago I pulled this beautiful beaded gown from the back of the closet and tried it on. When last worn in 2004 (pictured) I was stuffed like a sausage into the beaded bodice. So I was tickled that upon trying it on in early January, it draped and flowed like it should. I picked it up from the cleaners today and tried it on again. Oh my. It hung loose on the top and is definately way too baggy to wear again. I went into the closet in the Museum of Formal Wear, where hangers hold not only my sparkly tops and gowns but those that are collected through the years when one has three daughters.

I tried on jackets, gowns, and sequined sweaters until a large pile of beautiful things was there on my bed. All far too big to be worn. Bittersweet to find myself 24 hours from an event with nothing to wear. But alas, there was one champagne-colored crushed velvet long dress that I'm not sure I ever wore that will work. (It did work!-pictured on right) I can assure you that by the time the next gala event comes along, I will have found my former formal wear new homes via Ebay or Craig's List and replenished the closet with pretty and petite sparkly attire.

All Wet

An important component to revising my life is to add regular physical activity, ie: exercise. Exercise is a word right up there with diet that sounds like punishment to me. So several weeks ago I went back to the pool. For me swimming is a treat, I love pools, lakes, rivers ... anywhere I can get wet. Bonus points if the sun is shining and I'm outdoors, but this is January and I live in North Idaho so the pool at McGrane Center at KMC is a great alternative. I buy a 12-visit punchcard and spend an hour two or three times a week putting myself through the paces, jogging in waist-deep water 100 times from one side of the pool to the other. The styrofoam dumb bells add resistance to working my arms under water. I stretch and kick and thoroughly enjoy myself the entire time. Today was cause to chuckle ... the swimsuit that I filled out to stretched seams last summer is now hanging loose and baggy. Good thing there were few people in the pool with me since the five inches I've lost off my bustline made exercising a little precarious. Bye bye swimsuit, time to dig a bit deeper in the closet for one that's a few sizes smaller.

Baby Weight

When your youngest child is 34 years old, it's impossible to blame excess weight on pregnancy gain. In fact, I never gained more than 30 lbs during any of my three pregnancies. This is a photo of me ten days after giving birth to my youngest daughter in 1976. Even as a new and nursing mother my weight was back to a normal range. How I came to be considered morbidly obese took years and adding several pounds a year in the last decade or so.
Today I'm within two pounds of being at my lowest weight in quite a few years but still only halfway to my goal. My journey will be lifelong. Baby steps.

Perky

In this numbers game that has become my life since last fall, most numbers have been related to the scale. I had the story of the shoe size a few weeks back but the latest measurements were cause for another chuckle. Since October I've lost two inches off my neck circumference. Hard to notice that my winter scarves are getting loose. :) But the other numbers were fun to know as well ... down four inches on my waist and three on my hips. Nice. My favorite shrinkage area might be one that most would find alarming but I'm finding to be most noticable. I've lost 5 inches from my bust line. Woo Hoo! A new and much smaller bra has been added to my wardrobe. The difference between matronly and downright perky is in the inches.

One step at a time

Perfect timing for an aquaintance to share her inspirational story of losing 147 pounds over the past year. I've spent the past three months getting my relationship with food in perspective, thanks to Optifit. Now the key to making it the rest of the way is to MOVE, to get this old body of mine in motion. Wanda Brust's experience is testiment to the incredible results that come from doing just that.

The Power of Words

I received a great gift in my in-box right before New Years. Jessica DeHaan, owner of Express Employment Professionals and a fellow Chamber member, took a minute to compose an email which lifted my resolve.
"YOU LOOK FABULOUS Kerri!!! When I saw you at the Chamber luncheon last week, my goodness- YOU GO GIRL! I’m sorry it has taken me a week to send you a message. Congratulations!"

 The power of simple words, spoken or written sincerely, is incredible. I intend to make it a point to do the same with the friends and associates in my life this year.