Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Haven't Posted Much Lately...

I have just been so busy that it's hard to find time to blog.  I WILL add some things but they will have to wait until the craziness that is the last 10 days before Prom is over.  However, I had something super duper happen today.

Take a look at this....

What about this...times two...

What do these two things have in common?

A friend of mine at work asked me yesterday if I'd lost more weight.  I told her I doubted it.  She told me she really could see a difference, especially just recently.  Well, today I had to park in a different area of the parking lot and it just so happened that I could stop by the Fitness Center at work and use the scale.  Now, it's always a little higher than what the doctor says, but I just go by it so when I actually go to the doctor, it's a pleasant surprise to be even lower.

Well, with all deviled eggs I ate on Easter, I thought for sure I'd be at the same crappy weight I've been at for the last 2-1/2 months (less the 2 pounds I just recently lost last week).  However, when I got on the scale, I was shocked to learn that I'd lost another 5 pounds!  So, 7 pounds in about 10 days.  I was so happy, I could hardly contain myself!  Hopefully this plateau is gone for a while!  That makes a total of 40 pounds lost since the beginning of September!

So, what do the potatoes have to do with all of this?  Well, about 12 years ago, I went on the Atkins diet with Mr. Spock.  (Wow...if only I'd known then what I know about my body and protein!)  Well, I lost 83 pounds in 10 months.  But, at first, the going was hard.  When I'd finally lost 20 pounds, we were in the store and I was complaining that I didn't see a change.  I didn't feel any different.  It was then, that he went over to the produce area and brought back two 10 pound bags of potatoes.  He handed them to me and I asked him why he was giving those to me when he knew we didn't eat carbohydrates anymore.  He told me he wanted me to feel what 20 pounds actually felt like.  I was slightly impressed.

Then, when I hit 40 pounds lost, the same thing happened in the store again.  But this time, it was two 20 pound bags.  And I could really tell this time.

So, although I didn't go to the store today and pick up two 20 pound bags of potatoes and carry them around the store, I did recall how great that felt and it inspired me to smile a little more today!

I recently was able to buy some shirts in a size smaller than I've been buying them in.  That was nice.  I'm down a size in jeans/shorts too.  It's just sad that 40 pounds doesn't really make that much difference in clothes sizes though when you're this heavy.  Hopefully another 10 pounds or so and I'll see a bigger change.

I never thought giving up meat and beans and all that other protein stuff would really work for me, but I guess it has.  Finding out I have gout wasn't the happiest thing in my life, but making this change has really been for the better.  I've lost weight, I don't hurt from the gout, and I can walk all the way in from the far north parking lot to my desk on the far south side of the building without having to stop now or be out of breath.  Yay!

I have a bunch of "Goodbye Gout" boards on Pinterest with recipes of gout-friendly vegetarian meals I have collected.  Here are a few of my favorites so far that I have tried and LOVE.  Clicking on the recipe name will take you to the recipe.

The Mushroom Melt - SERIOUSLY - the BEST grilled cheese sandwich I have EVER eaten (photo and recipe courtesy of ClosetCooking.com)
Asparagus with Feta Cheese - make without the lemon zest and juice - unless you love lemon (photo and recipe courtesy of OnceUponaChef.com)
Spicy Stir Fried Broccoli Stems - be sure to read my comment on cutting the broccoli stems (photo and recipe courtesy of KalynsKitchen.com)
Green Onion Green Chile Rice - a nice comfort food (photo and original recipe courtesy of KalynsKitchen.com)
Tomato Basil Mozzarella Salad - only use half the olive oil it calls for (photo and recipe courtesy of SweetSavoryLife.com)

Seriously...looking at these pictures, how could you NOT become vegetarian!?!?  They look SO GOOD!  And, all of these TASTE GREAT!

I plan on continuing to blog about my progress with becoming "gouty vegetarian" in hopes that it will help others who are struggling with this very painful problem.  But tonight...I'm just going to enjoy the satisfaction and feeling of accomplishment of losing 40 pounds and knowing I'm no longer carrying around those two 20 pound bags of potatoes!

3 comments:

Leslie said...

Good for you Kristin keep up the hard work that is awesome.

Kristin said...

Thanks Leslie!

Cindy said...

I'm so proud of you. Keep it up. You inspire me!