I am housesitting for the owner of this mug. Muahahaha!

Day 124

Wow, that's one third of a year. This morning I weighted 163, but I made it to 161 a couple of days ago. Then I fell off the wagon over lunch at Chillis. I am noticing that that it takes two days to undo the damage of one bad meal. Not worth it. The hardest part if this is coming to the realization that if I want to be thin, I will have to basically starve myself for the rest of my life. But, I would rather be hungry than go back to where I was last September. 15 more pounds to go!

The newest addition to my art collection! I am so honored to be the first sale at my talented cousin's photography show!

She-ra enjoying her Christmas treat!

Day 72

Wow. Looking at that number is a little scary. This morning I finally broke back into the 160's...barely! I am at 169.5. That's a loss of 14.5 pounds in 72 days, or 10 weeks, or 2.5 months, depending on which sounds better. Yes, I am soooo proud to have made this progress, but Lordy it feels slow. Here's what I do...High fat/low carb. I have mostly given up all white foods and sugars, with the exception of a couple of special occasions where the white stuff was an integral and delicious part of a meal someone served me. I eat bacon and eggs almost every morning. I treat myself with organic dark chocolate pretty often. Drink lots of water, cut back on alcohol (but still average 1-3 glasses of red wine most nights) I have been doing running/walking/yoga on average about a half hour a day.

But, this is what is responsible for my weight loss: intermittent fasting. All of the above healthy changes are helping me keep off what I lose and generally feel much better, but it's fasting that is actually bringing the scale down. Whenever possible I skip dinner entirely, or maybe have a handful of nuts. It's not that hard once you get used to it, especially when you have loaded up on fat, protein and veggies for breakfast and lunch. If I can fast an entire day, even better. On those days, I will have maybe one egg for breakfast and nibble some nuts and raw veggies at lunch. All day is harder, but when you rid your body of carbs and sugar, hungry feels different. I don't get that "I will pass out, if I don't eat" feeling. It's more like noticing a need your body has and being able to say to it "I'm not going to satisfy that need quite yet, but don't worry, I will in about 10 hours".

So here I am, very proud to fit into this dress for a recent fancy event!

So, this is me on one of the happiest days I have had in a long time. I met this guy...he was different than the sort I usually go for. But, his sweetness and good looks won me over. He was showering me with compliments and made me feel like an amazon princess. In the meantime, I got a lead on a possible office sharing arrangement, lost a couple more pounds, and we had 4 days of the most beautiful fall weather here in East TN. This photo was taken last Sunday while I was on a bike ride with my cousin. The sun was out, the endorphins were churning and the possibility of love was tickling my insides.

Less than 72 hours later the guy broke it off in a FB message. He said he is a mechanic and an introvert, and I am a lawyer and an extrovert, and it can never be...blah, blah, blah. Heart crushed. The higher the climb, the harder the fall. And boy did I hit the ground with a thud.

5 days of mourning the end of about 10 days of bliss. Time to dust myself off and move on. Find more bliss.

Day 28

I have only lost 2 more pounds since returning from the Orchard. Quite discouraged. Too much wine, not enough exercise.

Day 16

I am missing the Orchard terribly. I may go back for a few days later this month, but for now, real life needs tending. So far, I have lost 8 pounds. What a great feeling! About 28 pounds to go, but just seeing the numbers on the scale going down makes me want to do cartwheels. This diet really isn't bad at all! Honestly, the hardest part is keeping to only 2 glasses of wine, its really easy to drink 4 on a typical night hanging out with friends. I also had a weak moment at a dinner party last week and ate a bowl of ice cream. But, I am not going to sweat it. It tasted delicious and overall I am sticking to the rules, losing weight and feeling lighter and nimbler!

Haven't been going full force with exercise yet and I need to find that discipline too. Been going on some nice power walks a few times a week, which has always been a part of my life and feels great. However, I am realizing that I need to kick myself into a higher gear if I am going to get my body back. So...that's my mission this week. Also, evaluating some professional prospects. I will be able to fit into some of my suits soon and I need somewhere to wear them!!!

By the way, the hardest part of leaving the Orchard...saying goodbye to this sweet young man. He's a firefighter and helps out at the Orchard on his down time. He taught me to drive the tractor and took me on the most amazing atv ride around the entire place the night before I left. Swoon...

Looks like I can now add "tractor driving" to my resume...oh and there's a trailer full of passengers behind me!

My view from the porch today. Right one doesn’t do the fog justice, it was much more dramatic and eerie!

Day 8

Today is hard. I wanted to do another semi-fasting day to squeeze as much progress as I can from my trip. Sweet craving is coming in pretty strong. The worst part is that the Orchard is deadly quiet and foggy. Nothing to do…no visitors, no hayrides, no apple picking.

I spent a couple hours reading on the porch till it got a bit too chilly. The fact is, I am just no good at down time. I like to have projects/work and then feel that I have earned my relaxation! Another truth I must face…just a week off the grid and I am missing my friends and family a lot. (Thankfully my friend Christine and her boyfriend visited on Saturday)

Good to affirm what I know about myself and I am having an enlightening, fun, and productive time here. Tonight…a sacred healing circle at the local yoga studio. Pretty excited about that.

Met and got a kiss from an amazing artist, Richard Luce. Those guns are hand made, carved from a single piece of wood! No power tools. The lady in the last picture is making bobbin lace. Look closely at those little pins.

Day 7

Wow!!! What a week. I don’t know what my weight is, but yesterday I comfortably wore a pair of size 12 jeans that were simply too tight to wear at all a week ago. Yesterday was my “cheat day” because a special dinner had been planned that I wanted to splurge on. Instead of a cheat day, I really only deviated from the diet at dinner. Even then, it wasn’t that exciting because I haven’t been craving any of the forbidden foods!

Honestly, taking myself away from my usual routine and smorgasbord of temptation has done wonders, as I knew it would. All of the “slow carb” foods satisfy my hunger and I am mostly not around any other foods, so it’s pretty easy. Today, I am at a historical re-enactment in Morgantown, NC. My friend said there would be sandwiches here for us and that we could eat the insides and discard the bun. Thank goodness, I insisted we pack a couple of cold chicken breasts, hard boiled eggs and cucumber slices. The offerings here were subway sandwiches, chips, and cookies. I had no shame carrying my red igloo cooler in and having my own little feast. Feeling obligated to politely eat what is offered is partly how I came to be in this situation in the first place!

On another note, this event is amazing…several guilds represented, demonstrating Revolutionary War era gun making, bobbin lace, basket weaving, etc. I walked into the plantation kitchen where they were demonstrating old baking techniques and offering samples of the most lovely sweets and breads I have seen in a while. The most temptation I have faced all week. I smiled politely, turned and ran right out of there!

Day 5

Feeling great! These apples smell soooo good. After sorting and bagging, then going on a hay ride with the school kids, my new friend and I called it a day and retired to cocktails on the porch. I could get used to this.