Change in Plans...

Instead of hosting the group here, we are moving to Facebook.  Even though I love it that I have had this blog for like.... ever..... there is a reason that technology has advanced.  The back and forth of a Facebook group makes a lot more sense for what we are trying to do.

BUT you're not getting by with just getting an invite to the FB group.  In the past, lots of people have joined my FB groups with a simple click and never posted, so you need to write an introduction on this post if you want to be part of this!  See you on Facebook .... AFTER you've written your intro.  :-)

Updates on Our Journeys

As some of you know, I lost a lot of weight and did really well preparing for a 5K back in 2018.   That ended abruptly in a way that was very traumatic for me. I instantly lost my trainer and had all kinds of junk happen to our family that caused me to stop all of my progress.  I stopped paying attention and gained back everything that I had lost.  I couldn't make myself work out because it was a huge trauma trigger and I zoned out for a good part of a year, even though I was going through the motions and working out some.

Fast forward to April of 2019 and I was at my daughter's wedding and realized how crappy I felt.  I could barely move.  Walking was hard and while I loved being part of that day, I really felt like my health was keeping me from enjoying it fully.   A few days after we returned I went to the endocrinologist who told me that she needed to start me on some new meds for my diabetes -- going from 2 meds to 5.   I started taking them and felt absolutely horrible.   I mean I felt awful!

One day I woke up and thought "I am taking all of this medication in order to be able to eat carbs.  What if I just stopped eating carbs?"

I said something online about Keto and a couple friends really encouraged me to try it.  So I started in June with the goal of losing 20 pounds before my son Leon's wedding in September.  He had asked me to dance with him at his wedding and picked out a song, and I knew I could not possibly do that without losing weight.  (I have never danced before, but even standing through a song I knew would be hard.)

So I did it.  I dropped the 20 and went to his wedding.  On the trip I didn't pay attention and when I returned I had gained the 20 back ... plus 2.   AAAAAGH.  I gained it all back in about 9 days.  Crazy!  So I started back up again and lost that 20 by Thanksgiving, but gained some more back over Christmas.

Finally, on January 13th I started a no cheat challenge with a fiesty competitive person at work and she and I have cheated only a few times in 4 months.   I have managed to lose 27 pounds since January 13th and am 40 pounds down from where I was in September.   I have a goal to weigh less at my son Rand's upcoming June wedding than I did at mine.  I am only 10 pounds away from that goal.

All this time I have done this by just eating Keto and not adding exercise until the last two weeks when I started a very slow exercise plan in my own bedroom (easing the trauma triggers from the gym).  I am starting with a 6 minute Low Impact Seated Chair workout for the morbidly obese.  I stand for part of it, but seriously that is where I am starting.  Along with 3 sets of four arm exercises with 12 pound weights every other day.  My goal is to increase the amount of minutes by the week and the number of reps in each set.

So.... how about you?  What is your food plan?  What is your diet plan?  Share any of your history you would like to as well.  I know that sharing online is not necessarily comfortable at first, but once you get used to it you'll realize that the more you share the more accountable you can become.

The 2020 "You Can Do This" Challenge

Welcome to The 2020 Challenge.   This is going to be a fun group of people.  I opened up to all of my Facebook and we have people who don't know each other at all but all know me.... which means you are a diverse group.   Some of you I will see almost daily (when I'm done being sheltered in place) and some of you I haven't seen for 30 years.  Some of you have never been with me in person but have read old blogs, heard me speak, or have read my books.   I'm excited about us getting together to encourage each other.... and for you to meet each other.

Here's how it is going to work.

I will write a blog post each day and you comment on it.  I chose the blog intentionally because it means going somewhere besides Facebook and intentionally thinking about this every day.  About once a week we will have a Zoom call to hang out and "meet each other" and talk about our progress. The calls will be fun.   They won't seem like a support group or a Weight Watchers meeting because .... well just because I lead them and I am way too sarcastic for that kind of thing.

When I post I will be very transparent about everything (kinda how I do things) but expect you to only share what you want to share.

 Here are some guidelines of the group.

1).  This is a place where we encourage each other a lot and hold each other accountable.  You report what you are going to do and then later what you have done.  You choose your food plan, you choose your exercise plan, you decide how much you want to lose -- or if that isn't your goal, you choose how you want to change your lifestyle to be healthier.  We cheer each other on.

2). This is not a place where we judge each other or disagree about the methods or plans of others.  The point is that we all choose our own goals and we push each other to achieve them.   I have seen this work multiple times over the years.   Things get derailed when I try to set your goals or choose your diet or exercise plan.

3). This is not a place to try and sell some product or meal plan or essential oils or anything else.

So, this post is all about introductions.   So tell us who you are and a little bit about you.  You don't need to get into the diet or food plan stuff yet.... just introduce yourself to everyone in the comments so we can see who all is here.  You can put how you know me if you want, but that's optional.

I'll start.   So, I'm Claudia and I'm 56 and have battled with my weight all my life.  My son Tony, now 25, said to me, "Geez Mom, you've been on a diet since I was like 5 years old."  To which I responded, "Can you imagine how big I would be if I hadn't been?  I'd be on My 600 Pound Life!"

I am a mom of 12 adopted kids, the grandma of 9 awesome kids, and a pastor's wife.   I have spent the last 20 years working in adoption related fields and currently am a Chief Officer at a Family Service Agency.  The majority of the last 25 years I lived in Minnesota but came to Virginia 4 years ago for this position.

I love to work.... it's probably my hobby.  I used to write books but now nobody buys them so I'm done doing that. :-).  I also used to do a lot of speaking (including standup) but have cut down on that as well.  I see myself as being fun and positive and I'm pretty competitive.  Not sure how many social skills I currently have after being "sheltered at home" but I hope I am still those things when I get let back out into the real world.

And oh yeah -- I don't proofread.  :-)

Ok.... What about you?  Tell us whatever you want to about yourself.