The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[24KaratGold]

Hi, we're back! I've just sent off to Unca Tim two pics of me in Hawaii, one at the beginning of a kayaking trip, and one while hiking in the middle of the Kilauea caldera. My son and I went snorkeling and played with dolphins on Wednesday, kayaking and more snorkeling on Thursday, and hiked 8 miles or so on Friday, once across the caldera and once across a recent lava flow to get to an erupting lava vent. Saturday we found a black sand beach with some basking turtles, and hiked through a lava tube. We got home today, and we're exhausted! LOL He has a midterm tomorrow, and I have to get back to work.





I've some more pictures to post later, perhaps, maybe one of my son. These two are of me. I'm so glad I had lost 45+ pounds before making this trip -- I shudder to think what kayaking and hiking would have been like otherwise!

Thanks, Unca, for posting the pictures.

[bk]

24k, you are absolutely glowing! MF + Hawaii = very good for you!! I looove the blonde hair! Tell me more about that kayaking!! Sounds like a load of fun!!

[Nancy]

24 K ~

A-lo-oh-HA!!!

Great pictures and we are happy to hear that you made it to and from Hawai'i after your delayed flight. You two sure packed a lot into your four day trip, Kiddo!

Yup, 45 pounds makes a BIG difference - Imagine! If you were to plunk 45 pounds of lava rocks into a backpack and haul that around on your 8 mile hike...I'dda been passed out on the lanai for a few days after that one!

We're raising our cranberry mango tropical shakes in your honor.

P.S. Of course we have little paper umbrellas in our shaker jars

[dlr2424]

24K...WELCOME BACK!!!!!.....I'm sure you had a wonderful time....isn't Hawaii gorgeous.......... ......thanks for sharing your pics....look forward to hearing all about it.........

Donna...dlr2424

[LilMsTexas]

WOW...I didn't know you were a BLONDE BABE!! You look like you were having the time of your life and I'm so happy that you completely enjoyed yourself. I would love to take a trip like that with my sons someday. Maybe you should go back to Hawaii when you reach goal and do some before and WAY AFTER pictures Awesome job girl!!

CHEERS!
Christi

[scrabbler7]

24K - glad to have you back! And of course, we are all just a teensy weensy bit jealous.

Your golden hair now matches your golden name!!! Love the pics -- you look fantastically happy!

I will be waiting for more details since who knows if I will ever have the chance to go to Hawaii!

[raederle]

Hi 24K!! Christi has a great idea-- you gotta go back once you're at goal to post the "at goal" photos-- what a great excuse for a return to Hawaii!!!

Sounds like you had a great time, and it shows from your smile! You are so lovely in those pics; at goal you will be a maneater! (Wasn't that an awful Hall & Oates song...? Oh no... Now it's going through my head!!! Make it stop!!!)

Glad to have you back!

[DonicaB]

You're right Scrabbler, some of us are a bit jealous. But at the same time, I'm so glad you were able to go 24K. It sounds like you had a fantastic time. I am anxious to see more pictures of your trip. I think it is great that you and your son could spend time together sharing in this beautiful experience.

You are looking great. Keep Shakin'

DonicaB

[want2Bthin]

24K-
You look great. I am glad you had a good time. Welcome back.

Angelia

[Mrsshrinkinglady]

24K,
You look great!! That trip had to have been awesome!!
Getting to share such fun with your son must have made it even more special!!
Welcome back!!
Shrink aka Mary

[24KaratGold]

Aw, you folks are so nice! Thank you for your kind words. I guess my hair really has lightened to almost blond -- I generally describe myself as a redhead, or maybe a strawberry blond. I did rent a convertible over there and we drove with the top down as much as possible, so that had to help with lightening my hair, too.

I thought about posting a "before" picture of me 45 pounds ago, but there's only a few and they are truly awful. I can really see a difference when I look at "then" and "now."

Someone asked about kayaking -- I have to say that I found kayaking much more tiring than hiking. I guess my lower body strength is much better than my upper body strength. Hiking 8 miles was easier than kayaking 3. It was really cool being out on the open ocean, though, and the water was so clear you could see to the bottom.

Karma still works, by the way. My son had been teasing me beforehand about how he was sure that I was going to tip over, and he chose one-man kayaks for us rather than a two-man one, commenting that that way he at least would be fine. So . . . guess which one of us tipped over and ended up in the water?

Oddly, I got a little queasy on the kayak. I say "oddly" because I have been on the ocean many times, in all sorts of craft, large and small (though never in a kayak before). On the way out I thought maybe it was breakfast -- we started the trip at 8, and an hour earlier I had had half a papaya dribbled with lime and a spot of honey, and a chocolate RTD MF shake. But once we landed at the black sand beach, and I lay down on the sand for about ten minutes, I was fine, and joined everyone else snorkeling. On the kayak trip back to the lagoon at the hotel two hours later I got queasy again.

I'd still do it again, though. It was worth it!

There's a 170 foot water slide at one of the pools at the hotel. I went down it a couple of times, and my son got my picture. Even though that swimsuit is a size 18 instead of a 24, I think I'll pass on posting THAT picture, though.

I like the idea of making a return trip to celebrate achieving goal! The next kid down thinks that it will be his turn then. The son who went with me on this trip is thinking about transfering to the University of Hawaii at Hilo, though, to study vulcanology, so he might be the first one back anyway.

I started right back on MF today, and have been 100 percent compliant so far. I did show a small gain on the scale, and hope to have it all gone by Sunday. Someone at home did comment that my legs look more muscular than they used to, and of course with all the walking I've done lately, plus the snorkeling and hiking, that makes sense, so maybe at least part of it is the replacement of fat with muscle.

Thanks again for your compliments!

[bk]

Well your hair is awesome! blonde for summer and red tones for the winter! no dying necessary how cool is that?! i go into my stylist every 6 weeks religiously for a chopping & coloring.

i still think the kayaking sounds fun. a friend and i are thinking about some whitewater rafting type stuff, which would be VERY interesting! and the 170 foot water slide! i haven't been on one of those since i was a kid!

and if i were you, i'd force my kid to transfer to hawaii for school move in day, move out day, parent's weekend, spring break, etc. etc.! heheh. okay, okay, he might be far away. but he would turn into your own personal tour guide for the islands!

[Nancy]

I say ditto to that one!

Kayaking is fun and bk, whitewater rafting is funner still - but are you aware of the motto, "Paddle or Die!"...

We have gone several times on the Deschutes River in eastern Oregon. Every time my husband gets boinged into the water.

One time we lost him on a pretty serious rapid and he got trapped under our raft. It was terrifying to me to see his hands pushing up on the bottom of our raft. He popped up gasping for air and we hauled him into the raft after he floated down a short drop.

Our daughter is an excellent swimmer. She began taking infant swimming lessons at 6 weeks and continued with lessons through age 12 years. The same weekend her Daddy got boinged out, she got caught in some rapids while body surfing through them and I watched in horror from the river bank while her Daddy and others pulled her to safety...

Talk about living life on the edge...

Leopard Woman prefers lounging her lithe body on the chaise lounge in her hydrangea blue resting room reading love sonnets and thinking thinny thoughts of her Forum Family…

[bikipatra]

ah, we all aspire to be "lithe"...ok maybe Dean doesn't but the rest of us do!

[armeewyf]

Girl! To do all that hiking, you have to be in TERRIFIC shape! Way to go...I am expecting lots of walking and bike riding on vacation in June...Hopefully I will be up to it! Take care-Lee Ann