The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[Lizabette]

JUNE 21, 2006.

I go away from the boards for awhile and come back to discover this wonderful new thread. How terrific...a place to put into words whatever one feels, and with pictures, even.

I loved the beautiful pictures of Diana and Mike on their wedding day and her amazing story of their ongoing weight loss experiences…so touching and inspiring. Others I have read, but not nearly all. I look forward to reading them all soon.

My special wish before I reach my goal is to see the gorgeous (yes!) faces of each one of you on your avatars. Then as I check back on the forums, I can see something more than an emoticon or graphic, etc. (nice as they are). I truly feel closer to you all when I can match up your face with your posts. Sentimental, I know, but hard to love a faceless person!

May and June has been a harrowing two months in many ways…the loss of a beloved older sister, trips, reunion, much company, etc. Through it all, I can proudly say that I held my ground. No, I could not be perfect, due to scheduling, water issues, many other circumstances, but I landed on my size 7.5 feet, having maintained my weight and even losing a few pounds

That tells me that I do not have to allow pressures, emotional and otherwise, to cause me to go berserk and stuff myself with unhealthy food. We know for a fact that excess food does not satisfy the hurting soul, or relieve our emotional and stressful issues. Just the opposite!

Now on to my journal. If you can’t or don’t care to read it all in one sitting, maybe you can come back some day and read again. I think the idea is to add to it when the spirit moves. It might be a great tool for me to remember my faithful supporters and journey by.

I am 76 years old, and to my knowledge the most senior person on MF. My husband Bill and I will be celebrating our 60th Wedding Anniversary this October 2006. I don’t mind saying that I gratefully celebrate my age and longevity of marriage.

As a naïve youngster, I saw the 60’s and 70’s as being near life’s end, having one foot in the grave and the other foot slipping on a banana peel! But somehow, I’m still standing tall at 5’1’’!

And, hey, we older folks ("experienced", as Nancy often says) can get away with saying and doing what other unfortunate souls might not be excused for doing. We can be eccentric, grouchy, forgetful, obnoxious, stubborn, hard headed, etc. and people will simply raise their eyebrows, shrug and sort of overlook us…you know ‘senility’ and such.

Our life has been one long adventure after another. We have been so blessed to have served in the ministry for over 50 years, served as missionaries for a number of years, traveled to almost every nation, and through every state in the union, and including all the provinces of Canada. I have shared some of this with Nancy, whom I consider my “soul-sister” having much in common with her and Terry, concerning the ministry. (Hope she doesn’t mind) Truth be told, “We’ve been around the block a couple times!”

Since our retirement about 12 years ago, and relocation from Oklahoma City to beautiful Hot Springs, Arkansas, my weight had kept rising until I was stopping just short of 200. Whoa! My husband was becoming seriously concerned about my health. I weighed 10-15 pounds more than he did and that was embarrassing enough. Like so many, I was a yo-yo person, adding weight and losing weight on diet after diet, with only short-term success. What terrible trauma we perpetuate on these God-given bodies of ours!

“Where is that 16 year old bride that I married?”…He would say …really a tough love statement showing great concern for my deteriorating health. Besides being obese, high cholesterol and too high blood pressure and worst of all sleep apnea. I was quickly heading downhill.

So at some point, I told myself that I wanted to give that neat trim girl back to him, as a 60th wedding anniversary gift.!

And that’s where Medifast came in. As a stroke of destiny through magazine ads, we decided to give it a whirl.

I began this MF journey with a hefty weight of over 195. At this point in my trip I have temporarily lost over 47 pounds of hateful, unhealthy fat. Temporarily, of course because my goal is 135 or less, depending on how I feel when I reach that lofty place…

More later...

[SharonR]

I have always loved reading what you have to say. You have such a gentle loving spirit about you. I always get the feeling that people gravitate to you. I'm right huh??

I think what you are giving your husband is a gift of a longer healthier life, it's truely wonderful.

I also love how you embrace your age and share it openly. I myself love having birthdays, I feel the older I get the better I become. I know people when they hit 30, 35 or 40 are depressed and miserable. I say celebrate life, it's only a number!

You are doing a wonderful job on the program, I look forward to hearing more success from you!

I just wanna hug you!

~ Sharon~

[DntCryLilEmoGrl]

Lizabette! I am so happy you are back! glad to see you are still holding you MF ground! what a great post...really. i think alot of us younger ones always fear getting older when we shouldnt, we should worry about taking care of ourselves so we can be around longer. and I will get my picture into unca . im right near my 20# so im going to take an updated pic then and send it *hugs* again im glad you are back here!

[Diana]

Lizabette!!

It never ceases to amaze me the unknown depths of people in our lives! I am encouraged in so many ways. You beauty has so many facets.

How was the reunion?? I bet people were surprised and impressed!

Where did you and dh serve as a missionaries?

(Thank you, too, for the compliment.)

[Lizabette]

SHARON and LILEMO,

I'll take every hug I can get. Thank you for your kind words. You are both sweethearts!

You know, we hear often that age is a state of mind. But whatever age or stage in life we're in is a special place.
Let's treasure every moment of it... And every person who is in it with us.

I was asked one time how we can get people to like us.
I believe that if we assume that the people we meet will like us, most of the time they will.

LILEMO, I will be looking for your picture avatar. I know it will be 'gorgeous'!

SHARON, I trust you are right about me...I appreciate your saying such nice things.

DIANA, You jumped in here, too. DH and I were missionaries to the loving people of the Philippines. I'll go into it more about how we were run out by death threats from the terrorists there a little later in my journal. I'll also say more about the reunion and other things. Sweet of you to ask.



Lizabette

[Lizabette]

June 22, 2006

I tried on the outfit that I had worn to my 50th anniversary celebration in Oct. 1996, and it was almost too loose! Hey, I wanted to wear it for my 60th. It is a black pencil slim skirt, with a beautiful sequined jacket. Unless, I can alter it someway, I will need to get a new outfit to wear. Forsooth!

DIANA asked me about the family reunion this month. Yeah! The reunion was members of my DH’s family side. We were actually part of the senior members since most of the elders had died…and there were lots of younger people and children there. Those that remembered us remarked how well DH and I looked, etc.

DH’s sister, who I really wanted to surprise, was literally astonished at how much I had changed and kept complimenting me on the way I looked and saying how proud she was of me.

She had been trying on her own to lose some weight herself for the special event. She had a hard time turning down food that was not on her self imposed diet (a version of WW) and gave in to temptation quite a bit.

Points out that it is no easy matter to do this on your own, entirely without the support of others. Made me happy that I had you all to help keep me on track…really I don’t believe I could have done this without you.

At my last doctor’s visit recently, not only was my weight down, but my cholesterol was within normal range…better than in years. My blood pressure is great and much lower than before. I am not using my CPAP machine for sleep apnea and doing okay with that. In fact, everything has improved. Doctor was so pleased (She had been trying to help me lose weight for years) and said to keep doing what I am doing.

As LAURADR who has lost 90 pounds, has said, “If you want a reason to be on Medifast, this is it!”

On my trips and several excursions the last two months, I did fine on the program. I took my food supplements along in a box and stuck with it quite well---never really going out of ketosis, so I wasn’t the usual starving woman on a trip…where I could easily gain five pounds!

Aside from DH, I am probably my own best fan. I am happy with how I looked and felt comfortable in my clothes. When I used the ladies rooms at hotels, etc. I did not quickly turn away from the mirrors, as I have for so long. I was actually proud of myself. DH brags on me to everyone almost to the point of embarrassment. He’s the one who also helps keep me going.

There is a key that helps me on a trip or event. As long as I don’t take the first bite off program, I will be fine.

Remember I promised myself that I would give DH his 16-year-old bride back as a 60th anniversary gift. When I made that promise I had no idea what it would take for me to do it…but then, I HAD YOU! And you know it is not that far off.


All for now…

[jump4joy]

Please let me say, Lizabette, that I've enjoyed reading your posts and getting to know you a little better.....you are such a lovely person, inside and out! I put up my avatar because of you, even though I dislike having my picture taken.

Thanks for your wise insights on aging. At 49, I've been feeling a little glum about the changes I've seen as I've been leaving my youthful prime behind. My hubby has often commented recently how "old" we're getting. Thanks for the renewed perspective, dear Lizabette!

Joy

[Lizabette]

I put up my avatar because of you, even though I dislike having my picture taken. Thanks for your wise insights on aging. At 49, I've been feeling a little glum about the changes I've seen as I've been leaving my youthful prime behind. My hubby has often commented recently how "old" we're getting. Thanks for the renewed perspective, dear Lizabette!
Joy

JOY

Your name is so sweet, just like your avatar. Thanks for putting it up for me! I know others like it just as much as I do.

Love your long hair---you look much younger than your age. My dear late mom used to say, "You can go ahead and get old if you want to, but not me!"
She always had a young spirit, even though her life was very hard at times.

It is a good feeling to look back on your life, and feel that you wouldn't change anything, because you did your very best with what life afforded you.
We have so many blessings to count, and the good far outweighs the bad!

Thank you again, angel girl,



Lizabette

[Lizabette]

JUNE 23, 2006

The floor in my closet is starting to pile up with clothes that are bagging on me. Gotta get a box to put them in to take to a church thrift store that helps the needy.

I may even look for something to fit me, 'cause right now, I'm needy, and scraping the bottom of the barrell. But I do have a couple smaller tops that I thought were too nice to throw away. They fit now. But wont for long.

Today was a little different day for some reason. My schedule seemed a little off. Well, one thing...I tried mixing a shake with a carbonated drink in my shaker and guess what! It exploded! All over my kitchen!

There was a little bit left in the bottom of the shaker which I drank, just before getting on my hands and knees to clean the rest of it off the floor and cabinets. Then I remembered that I had read somewhere not to do something like that!

Did I let it deter me? Naw. I rinsed out the shaker and shook me up a chocolate pudding cool as a cucumber. Still, DH said he wondered what the commotion was all about.

Seems like since we got back from all our goings and comings that I haven't caught up on reading the forums. I know I haven't been much of a help to anybody lately. And I know I've missed a lot of good things, but that is the price we pay for not sticking around.

I've especially enjoyed reading the journals. Sorta like having a personal chat with you individually, and getting to know you better.

Well, night is coming on, it's after 11 p.m. here central time. It's not quite tomorrow yet, so have a good night's rest. And children,do watch what you mix in your shaker.

Yawn...

[dede4wd]

Lizabette, I'm so glad you're posting on the journal! I've missed you terribly and your insight and wisdom has DEFINITELY been missed! I'm so sorry about your explosion, but I know you ended up cool as a cucumber!

I want you to know that I would not have gotten through my plateaus without you! You are such an inspiration to me and I love you dearly! Big hug!

DeDe

[jump4joy]

Today was a little different day for some reason. My schedule seemed a little off. Well, one thing...I tried mixing a shake with a carbonated drink in my shaker and guess what! It exploded! All over my kitchen!

There was a little bit left in the bottom of the shaker which I drank, just before getting on my hands and knees to clean the rest of it off the floor and cabinets. Then I remembered that I had read somewhere not to do something like that!

Oh, Lizabette! I think that the Exploding MF shake is a rite-of-passage.....that happened to me on my first go-around. You'd think I'd learn, but I tried shaking a cocoa with hot water once too and KA-BOOM!

Joy

[DntCryLilEmoGrl]

i agree with dede lizabette... you really do help people around here and its nice your back *HUGS*

[Lizabette]

When we went with our guests to Little Rock to former President Clinton’s Library we got there about lunchtime. We figured there would be loads of places to eat close by. But the only place available was this pricey Luncheon Buffet going on. Adventurous, inquiring beings that we are, we ventured in.

I marched past the bountiful dessert displays, cowardly averting my eyes. The beautiful dining room settings, with tables surrounding the room, laden with the fanciest displayed foods you can imagine. (This is the former president's Library Dining Room, after all)

And to my culinary delight, there was an over abundance for this consumate MFer!

Oh Joy! I chose the succulent salmon, artichoke hearts, asparagus, and tender greens, I confess I went overboard on the veggies, but when do I get artichoke and asparagus at home. Never! And all the Starbucks coffee I could drink.

Actually, Mr. Clinton was in town for a fundraiser of some kind, and staying in his penthouse on the Library's top floor. We were told he might show up to eat lunch. Not to be.

I won’t soon forget this delicious experience, and the ambience was well worth it at twice the price. And well, the tour through the Library was fascinating and informative, too, but that’s another story.

But the BIG story is that I felt so good in the skin I’m in!

Well, I’m going to do something I thought I would never do again. I’m going to go swim suit shopping soon. DH and I plan to join the Y again for exercise classes. I want to do the ‘line dancing’ and the water aerobics again like I did several years ago.

Tried on my old bathing suit and mercy me, it swallowed me up! No way would I be seen in it. And I am not going to get it in black again. Maybe purple.

And I am making you a promise right now. I promise you that I will NOT pose in it for my “after” picture.

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!

[Lizabette]

Gotta add my thanks to my dear friend DEDE for missing me while I went traipsing around. All the while, stealing into the 60# Club, but I forgive you...'cause I love you!

JOY is fast becoming my understanding buddy, You so kindly let me know I am not the only one in this crowd to cause Medifast 'explosions. '!

You are so sweet, LILEMO. Thanks for your kind words.

What would we do without each other? I sure don't want to find out!

BIG HUGS TO YOU ALL!



Lizabette

[MyFriendTT]

Lizabette, I have so enjoyed ready your journal. You are the most wonderful soul. You are inspiring to me.

I'm so sorry about the loss of your sister. My sisters are some of my closest friends and I know that I would be so sad to be without them.

I also have a CPAP machine and I'm hoping to give it away once I'm down to my ideal weight! Congrats on being so healthy!!!

And, I just can't even imagine being married to the same person for 60 years! You are so blessed to have found someone to grow and share so many experiences with you.

I look forward to hearing more about your journey.

Take care,

TT