Welcome to Debbie-Dabble Blog!!
I am so happy you decided to stop by!!
I am now posting
TWICE a week !!!
I will be posting on MONDAY and FRIDAY!
As always, click on each picture if you would like to enlarge it....
Today, I will be looking back on a One Year Journey that started on June 1st, 2022 toward living a healthier life...
And I also will be looking back over the last 6 months and reviewing My One Little Word for the year which is SHINE!!!
In my last post, which was an extra post I did on Wednesday, I shared my Memorial Day Tablescape.....
And a few New Buys....
Click
HERE if you missed that post!!
I was thrilled that our Dollar Tree stores finally got the Spring Bee Collection Dishes in.....
She was quite taken with my Rhododendron
also!!
Thanks again, Cecilia!!
Thanks so much, Bev!
Please stop by to link up to these charming parties!!
Happy June!!!
June is considered the official start of Meteorological Summer...
I do pray that it is not such an extremely hot, dry and humid Summer like last year's was....
My Auto Immune Diseases come with Heat and Sun sensitivity so I am usually stuck in the house with the air conditioning blaring for most of the Summer.......
I experience swollen eyelids, hands and ankles...
I had hoped that losing weight would have helped this but apparently to no avail....
I do not experience any swelling in the Winter.....
One personal note before I get to the Nitty Gritty....
Joe was lucky once again in getting back some of the money he spends on the PA Lottery.....
A $1000 Winner....
As always, we share the wealth with our kids, our church and money went into our own Christmas Club and Emergency Saving Club that I keep cash for....
On October 4th, 2022, I did a post finally revealing what I had been up to since June 1st...
Click
HERE to read this post....
I waited to share this because I truly did not expect to even lose the 20 pounds that I initially hoped to lose!!!
In the above post, I explained my reasoning for why I felt I needed to change my lifestyle and become healthier....
I had lost 25.5 pounds at this point....
I followed that post with another one on November 1st, 2022...
Click
HERE to read that post!
In this post, I explained how I was losing weight by formulating a Plan that fitted me and only me....
With IBS, I can not eat the foods that are considered to be "GOOD" for me....
I had lost 31 pounds by then....
One of the reasons why I embarked upon this Journey toward a healthier life was I would be turning 65 years old in 2023!!
For years, I vowed I would lose weight by the time I turned 50 Years old.....
55 years old...
60 years old....
BUT I never did!!
So what changed????
RETIREMENT!!!!
I have been thoroughly enjoying my Retirement and felt that this time is truly the BEST time in my life because I finally get to do what I want to do!!!
Now I had the time of my life during the Pandemic and I most likely would have Stayed Home during the first 2 years after I retired if it was not for the Pandemic....
After dealing with the general public for 41 years when they are at the Worst, when they were ill, I had reached my highest stress level and needed a break from People!!!
I spent 2 years catching up on a lot of things that I wanted to do but never had the time to do so when I was working....
In fact, I am still doing that!!!
Last year, 3 years after I stopped working, we were also debating about selling this house and moving to an apartment...
This is the apartment of my dreams in the Apartment Complex that you have to drive through to reach our Townhouse development...
This is where both my sons live...
1040 square feet....Just a bit smaller than my 1300 townhouse that I have lived in for 46 years now....
I would be able to fit most of my furniture in to this 2 bedroom, 2 bath apartment with a patio where I could still have my flower pots...
I was so ready for a NO MAINTENANCE life after being a homeowner for 45 years !!
The second bedroom is large enough to be my Craft Room/Sitting Room...
All appliances and Gas heat and water included...
BUT....
Joe did not want to move!
DARN!
That was when I realized that if I had to stay in this house, I needed to take control of my life and make big changes....
I would find it very hard to continue to live in our townhouse with 13 steps to walk up to from our parking lot and a second story....
I did not want this house to be like an anvil on top of my head, weighing me down...
I originally hoped to lose 20 pounds by the time I turned 65 years old....
After reaching a 31 pound weight loss by November, I then set my sights on seeing how much I could lose in One Year's time....
With the Holiday Season approaching, I wanted to simply not gain any weight over the Holidays like I always did in past years during the month of December....
I held my own just gaining one pound....
Not bad....
I started to lose weight again in January but it was really going rather slowly.....
I hit a few plateaus that took forever to get over but I persisted even though I had my moments where I was disappointed...
I had wanted to lose at least 60 pounds in the year....
I have fallen short of that ...
BUT....
A total weight loss of 50 pounds in a year is a great accomplishment!!
And I will take that!!
I chose the title for this post "Feeling More ALIVE at 65 and SHINING"!!!
WHY????
Because it is the honest TRUTH!!!
This 50 pound bag of sand represents the weight that I have lost....
How could I possibly NOT feel better without carrying that around ???
My ortho surgeon always told be that 50 pounds of extra weight is an extra 200 pounds of pressure on your knees....
Long story short, even though I recently fell and was experiencing left ( not my operative knee) knee pain, I am now still walking for exercise 5 days a week after walking our Grand Pups in the mornings....
Never thought I would ever be able to do that again...
My balance issues have resolved as my chronic hip and back pain have lessened greatly....
I can now walk up and down steps "normally" and not one at a time like I did for almost 10+ years....
I no longer get Short of Breath with exertion....
I am more active than I have been in a very long time....
I feel more mentally acute....
I feel more creative in my thinking...
I LOVE "Playing House" as my home has always been my biggest Passion...
AND...
I am HAPPIER!!!
I actually do feel more ALIVE than I have in the last 20 years since I started to become plagued with chronic health issues and chronic pain....
And because of that....
I think I have definitely been SHINING this year!!
I have completed a lot of projects that I wanted to do, been more creative in my crafting, decorating and gardening and have been going out a bit more!!
I have even gotten over my fear of having my picture taken!!!
As far as my Birthday, I do not publicize it especially on Face Book as all those Birthday wishes on your Timeline are quite the enticing bate for Hackers...
Have you ever noticed how many times accounts get hacked after one wishes someone a Happy Birthday on face book???
Plus, I truly HATE the attention...
It used to drive my Mother nuts...
She would always say to me " Well, I hope you at least celebrated your Birthday in some way"!!
Because when she sold her home 3 months after my Dad passed away, I stopped having big Birthday celebrations with extended family including her...
Just a simple celebration with my little family...
So yes, even though my 65th Birthday was a few months ago, I did celebrate it with my family of 5!
We had our usual pizza party where I chose my favorite....
Sicilian with bacon topping from local eatery, Norm's...
Joe got an Ice Cream Cake for our family of 5 to enjoy....
I loved the snowman since it was in the Winter.....
We held my Birthday celebration on the weekend before the actual date since it just works out better for everyone....
And I even used one of the gift cards that my son Jim and our DIL Danielle had gifted me for my Birthday on my actual Birthday which I usually never do!
To Olive Garden.....
I got my favorite, Chicken Alfredo!!
Joey got Baked Ziti...
And Joe got Chicken Parm with spaghetti....
Since I prefer to eat in the privacy of my own home, not having been out to a restaurant in about 15+ years, we always do Take Home....
A good amount of bread sticks......
And look at the salads!!
Plus packs of Parm Cheese and mints to cleanse your palate between courses!
Perfect because I would not be caught dead in a restaurant for my Birthday and have them sing to me!!
A Fate Worse Than Death in my book!!!
Another wonderful aspect about turning 65 was that I finally was able to go on Medicare with my AARP supplement!!
It saved me almost $600 a month....
Much less then what I paying for my own private insurance through the PA Healthcare site, Pennie!!!
However, Joe quit his part time job at that time so we actually did not save anything....
The story of my life....
SIGH!
So yes, MOM, I DID celebrate my Birthday!
MY WAY....PRIVATELY!!!!
And I heard from all those who mean the world to me either by email, a phone call, a FB Private Message or seeing them in person and that is all that matters to me because frankly, all those Birthday wishes on FB would make my skin crawl!!!!
Which is why I block my Birthday from being published and block others from writing on my timeline....
LOL!
I am thrilled that I even made it to 65 years old!!!
Especially as I am a Cancer Survivor....
This is the picture that I have been using as my "Before" picture....
It was actually taken in June of 2020 and I only consented to having my picture taken because my great niece was graduating from high school....
I had stopped allowing my picture to be taken when I started to gain weight so there are few pictures of me from 2000 to 2022.....
After all, How in heaven's name did I let myself end up looking like that when I used to look like this even after having 2 kids?????
I was too embarrassed after seeing THAT picture to allow any more to be taken after that....
But this is me now, 50 pounds lighter!!
These jeans are the only pair of pants that I own that are not too big on me !!
I do have capri's that I can wear during the Summer....
The biggest change is in my face, I think....
LOL!!
Thought you would get a chuckle out of that one!!
And I thought you would get a kick out of this....
Here I am wearing the same top as in my BEFORE picture...
The tan capri's were donated to the Soup Kitchen Clothes Room last year so I have a pair on that actually I can finally fit into after 10 years...
I will still keep this top because I do like it and I would rather where loose fitting clothes than tight clothes that show every lump and bump as my Mother used to say!!
It has not been easy and on top of it all, I have also encountered those nay sayers....
You know the ones who secretly want to see you fail.....
Also those that never give my posts on this subject or pictures of the way I have looked along this journey a "LIKE" let alone a comment on FB...
Believe me, I know who you are and it is okay....
I understand that the reason why is that you feel insecure in who you are....
Believe me, I have been there....
BUT that is not my intention....
My intention is to show others that if I can do it, so can you!!!
And there have been those who have criticized the plan that I developed for myself and how I am going about losing weight....
Giving me unwanted advice about what they themselves did and what they think I should be doing as if I have never thoroughly researched what I have been doing....
At first, I felt like I needed to defend myself, explaining my reasoning and research and actually inform them that I was not asking for advice.....
But there was a few of them that just could not help themselves....
At 65 years old, I realized that my own personal PEACE is more important to me than anything and anyone else....
Maybe I was shining too brightly for them that they felt they needed to give me advice and put me down!
And that is their problem and not mine....
SO....
Even though my policy was not to unfriend or block anyone on Face Book other than family ( since I felt that most others were mere acquaintances and not that important to me), I did exactly that and found My PEACE again!
I also understand that after a life time of getting unwarranted advice from family members on who I should be, what I should do, how I should act and especially How I Should Raise My Sons, it is a hot subject with me....
And that is my issue.....
BUT I still want what is left of my life to be peaceful and as stress free as possible.....
I am even not speaking to a neighbor who kept giving me grief.....
Now that this one year journey is over, where do I go from here????
Hopefully, THINNER like it says on my scale...
The changes that I have made in how I view Food .....
Are now part of my lifestyle....
This is no longer a "diet"!
I no longer glamorize Food and found that by leaving Food and Cooking Face Book groups has helped immensely with that as I realized that the majority of people who belong to those groups are part of the Obesity Epidemic in America....
I will tell you that even with losing 50 pounds, I am still considered to be "Obese" as my BMI is 31, but down from close to 34!!
I hope to get that BMI down below 30 and no longer be considered "Obese"....
It may be a slow and trying process but I am game for it!!
After all, I made it this far and did better than I ever imagined....
Plus, I want to be "Me" again...
The person I was once before I started to gain weight and I became someone that I hardly recognized.....
I hope that maybe I have given you a bit of Inspiration....
Most senior citizens, especially in NEPA, are viewed as frail, timid, stupid and in need of someone caring for them....
Well, I do NOT think so!!
Again, I truly feel that this is the very BEST time of my life and I look forward to seeing what is ahead for me!!!
How about you???
What ever it is that you want to do at whatever age you are....
I hope you.....
Because after all....
On MONDAY, I will be sharing how I decorated the top of the TV Entertainment Center for the Summer Patriotic Holidays....
I hope you will stop by to visit again on MONDAY!!
Stay safe, healthy and most of all, HAPPY!!
Thanks to those who took the time out of their busy day to spend a little bit of time with me!!
If you do not have a blog, PLEASE
give me some way to reply to your comment, maybe by including your email in your comment. If I can not find a way to
reach you, I will reply on the post where you commented so please check
back......
I am linking up to these parties:
Please take some time to visit these terrific hosts and all those joining in on the fun!
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You have done so well Deb, with you walking and losing weight. Keep it up. I love the before and after photos. We just looked at a downsizing condo yesterday, but decided not to make an offer as there was so much upgrading that needed to be done I don't think we would of got our money back out. It was a life lease property and I'm not certain about that. We will keep looking, and at least I've started to make lists of downsizing now so that is a start.
ReplyDeleteYay you! I say whatever works for you is the right plan for you. I have tried so many different eating styles over the years trying to find one I can happily stick with and keep the weight (mostly!) off. I found I had to ignore a lot of the food posts and things too otherwise I really want to make it and eat it. I struggle a bit with having a resident baker in the house but I've gotten really good at literally eating just a bite to give me that taste and walking away.
ReplyDeleteHi Debbie - I LOVED this post! Sooo happy for you and that is an amazing weight loss - especially when you add in your other health issues. I bet your knees and hips love you right now, and good on you for aiming even higher. It's so much harder to lose weight as we age (thanks to our metabolism being as slow as a wet week), so you are to be admired. I'm sorry that you've had people in your life who haven't been supportive - that must have been so hurtful, but good on you for perservering and shining your light. I loved all your quotes and I can hear your happiness and pride in your achievement shining through your post.
ReplyDeleteLosing 50 lbs in one year is absolutely amazing! Your attitude and determination is inspiring! Continue enjoying your retirement and those you love the most! Love your Blog!!
ReplyDeleteAmazing work with your weight loss journey! I love your healthy mind map....I am a mind map creator as well...a great way to jumpstart any goal 😁❤️ I am posting twice weekly also, Fridays and Saturdays. Happy Pink Saturday!!!
ReplyDeleteHey Debbie!
ReplyDeleteYou look just terrific! I really admire your determination and life changes. 🌟 You truly are shining!
It's been awhile since I've commented, but I do want to say your yards are both so very pretty. And as always your house is a delight to visit. I sincerely appreciate you sharing your home.
Blessings, Linda🪴
Ps. The tops you wear are simply gorgeous. Are they by Alfred Dunner? I have got to get out and find some new things..🙄
Sounds like you're really creating the life you want to live for yourself: Go You! Aww, but sorry you didn't get to switch to that apartment: it's really cute! I'll tell you, after cleaning out my in-laws' retirement home down in Ocean County NJ, the best gift they could have given us was to downsize more BEFORE they became incapacitated. When they both retired in 1997, they downsized from a 4 bedroom/4 bathroom 3,000 square foot faux colonial to a 1100 square foot 2 bed/2 bath cottage-style place in a retirement community. BUT: their main hobbies became thrift shopping, yardsaling, flea marketing. They loved decor, especially patriotic, christian knickknacks, especially lambs and bible verses on plaques, and small appliances my FIL always said he was going to refurbish and resell. They pretty much packed their house solid: both the dining area and the breakfast nook became storage, as did the spare bedroom and the walk-in closet in the main bedroom. Finally even their garage was packed solid and they had to park in the driveway. Imagine being lucky enough to have a garage (I don't, where I live) and not being able to use it!
ReplyDeleteWell, about 5 years ago their memory and mobility issues meant they needed to move to assisted living, and my husband and I were left to clear out their home so it could be sold and the money used for their care. HOLY. COW. It took us every weekend from February to June to declutter, AND THEN we discovered they also had a storage unit!!! I would never do that again, it was exhausting. Had they already moved to a smaller unit-- there were really super cute 750 sq ft garden apartment units-- it would have been so much easier and less stressful. The smaller units had adorable screened in patios and such pretty sitting areas with a bow window in the bedroom. The bathroom was handicap-accessible and had attractive high quality tile.
Sadly, they just didn't bother moving to a smaller place before they needed assisted care living. It was a really nice facility, though.
God bless you!
ReplyDeleteI just turned 60… and hold you as a SHINING example! You go girl!
Amazing! It sounds like you feel great and you certainly look fabulous!! Thanks for sharing your story with us, it's very motivating!! Hugs to you!!
ReplyDeleteYou look fabulous!!! Congratulations!!!
ReplyDeleteKay,
DeleteThanks so much for stopping by and for your very kind words!! Have a great weekend!!
Hugs,
Deb
I meant to leave my name…”Anonymous on June 3” is me…Nina!
ReplyDeleteNina,
DeleteThanks so much for taking the time to stop by and also for your very kind words....It has not been easy but it is so worth it because I feel so much better...
Hugs,
Deb
Congratulations, Debbie, and three cheers! You're doing it right, looking great and have so very much to celebrate. I know that's a hard road -- but you make it look easy (or easier than it probably is). And, with many things, if we turn them to habits, not so bad. I love this post. Happy Birthday belatedly and much joy. (Love the table settings!)
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome and outstanding journey. Well done.
ReplyDeleteI visited you via FARMHOUSE FRIDAY 303
If interested feel free to visit my entries for this week: #45+46 as I would love to invite you to come and share your posts and you will have an opportunity to get featured.
We're open Monday through Saturday every week.
You will find the linkup information (1) In the Top bar under Blogging: Weekly Senior Salon Pit Stop OR 2nd image In the sidebar
We hope to meet you there virtually.
Happy (belated) Birthday! Congrats on your weight loss and healthier living! Thanks so much for linking up at the #UnlimitedLinkParty 115. Pinned.
ReplyDeleteSandra,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for stopping by!! I am glad that my journey can inspire you!!! It is not easy and I still have a way to go but I feel so much better which makes it all worth it.... Let me know how you are doing when you start your own journey....
Hugs,
Deb
Congratulations!!! Isn't it great to finally feel well after struggling so long! I can relate to the freedom it brings and the resolve to keep going. Kudos to you!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteFirst, Happy belated Birthday Debbie! You are rocking and rolling on your journey! Losing weight is not always easy, don't I know it... but once we set our mind to it, the sky is the limit! I think that applies to most anything in life. 50 pounds in s year is quite the accomplishment too so give yourself a pat on the back. Thanks for letting me know about the green juice/water bottle. ;)
ReplyDeleteDebbie, I totally applaud your healthy lifestyle changes, the results, and that you did what was right for you. I have fibromyalgia, and possibly an autoimmune disease as well. I am working on diet, reading the latest research, and being on my own best advocate. (I talk about my health issues on my other blog - Following My Muse.) You’ve done fantastic work, and you are definitely an inspiration. I’ll be featuring it on this week’s Traffic Jam Weekend.
ReplyDeletexo
Michelle
Happy Belated Birthday Debbie!! Wow, you look amazing I'm so happy for you.
ReplyDeleteThanks bunches for sharing this with Sweet Tea & Friends this month sweet friend.
Debbie, I am SO PROUD of you! As I've told you before, you inspire me. I am glad that you've found some peace by tuning out the naysayers. You are a glorious example of a SHINING LIGHT! Way to go on losing 50 pounds. I'll be glad to celebrate with you when you reach your ultimate "goal weight"--but for now I'd say you look great and it sounds like you feel great, too. I'm so very glad for you, and I appreciate your wonderful example!
ReplyDelete