Hello! It's been a hot minute. 8 years. 96 months. 2,940 days. But who's counting?

EVERYTHING has changed.

#1 is that I'm off social media. It was a long time coming. I felt addicted. I didn't think I could actually step away. It hasn't even been a week and it feels like a loss - but also like freedom.

I thought restarting this blog could be a way to stay in touch. Or I could be sitting here on this beach all by myself. Either way - beautiful.

I sat with this idea all week - and the idea to revive this same blog - full of the past and history and things and some people who don't even exist anymore[for me]. Should I erase those past posts? Pretend they and the memories don't exist? I think the answer is obvious and I found it in the inspiration for "boffo panda" from Anne Lamott:“... I thought the secret of life was obvious: be here now, love as if your whole life depended on it, find your life's work, and try to get hold of a giant panda. If you had a giant panda in your back yard, anything could go wrong — someone could die, or stop loving you, or you could get sick — and if you could look outside and see this adorable, ridiculous, boffo panda, you'd start to laugh; you'd be so filled with thankfulness and amusement that everything would be O.K. again.”

Anything did go wrong and everything is okay. Again. 
All these things happened to me ~ and for me. But mostly because of ME.

Onward! 

This is the new rule at my house (and within earshot of me).

I'm practicing it for myself, for sure.

I didn't lose 72.5 pounds (and more to come) only to put myself down because of this, that or the other thing.{and I'm always gonna have a bigger bottom than top - it's just part of my sexy self}


And I don't want to hear people I love beating up on themselves either.

I will be enforcing this. With ruthless compassion.

I hope you will too.

xo

p.s. And it's more than "beating up on myself (or yourself). It's deflecting compliments or negating them by saying things like, "but I've got a lot more weight to lose".

AND it's 74 pounds now! :D

p.p.s. Let's include strangers in this too! Stop making judgements based on how someone looks. 

This photo (taken this past Sunday, May 13) surprised me.



Usually I see a photo like this - and I ask the person to remove it from Facebook. I look at my face, and my body and then I usually need some time to myself.

The first thing I thought when I saw this was, "I look normal!".

Not that being overweight (which I still am) isn't normal. I just didn't have one bad thing to say or think (even with messy hair, no make-up and a spatula in my hand). It just is. And I love that girl.

Even more surprising was this photo I saw the other day. It was taken 1 month and 1 week before I started this weight loss journey.


Holy crap. This made me feel depressed for a few moments and then I got it. I've lost 72.5 pounds since this photo was taken.

Here are some things to NOT say to someone who is losing/ has lost weight:
{not ALL of these have been said to me...}

* you look SO MUCH better
* you better slow down/stop now, you'll float away
* you better slow down/stop now, you'll lose your curves
* don't get too thin
* you skinny bitch


So, what are some things to say to someone who is losing/has lost weight?
{ALL of these have been said to me....}
* you're kicking ass at the weight loss!
* you look great, gorgeous!
* holy crap, you've lost weight!
* I'm proud of you
* you're inspiring


 Thank you for the love and support. It's making a world of difference for me. xo