Merry Christmas!

Wishing you all a Very Merry Christmas!

A Bouquet for Cheryl Finished

This brings my total finishes for 2009 up to two! Yep, I think there were only 2 this year. Still have to wash this and pick out a frame for it.

Thanks to all of you that commented on my last post. I hope I can be an inspiration to those of you that want to move to a more healthy lifestyle. As I said, I am continuing my journey. I went back to the doctor Monday and he released me. So I can start back to my Spin classes. I am putting in for my regular classes starting in Jan.

A wonderful little RAK Fairy sent me 4 awesome charts. I can't share what they are yet cause it's a secret. I was so surprised! 4 HAED charts! OMG! The ladies over at HAED are just so wonderful! I'll update on this when I get the okay.

I have taken on the responsibility of Moderator of the Our Friends' HAED SAL Blog. The girls that had it were bogged down with other things and they needed someone to take over, or it would have been disbanded. I said I would do it. I don't know how well I will do it, but I'll try. I've never been a Moderator for a blog before, there are 100 members and a waiting list a mile long. I just hope I can keep up with it.

Till next time...
Happy Stitching!

Final Numbers

Okay here's the final tally!

weight down 18 lbs.
% body fat down 5.1%
waist down 7.5 inches
hips down 5.5 inches
chest down 4.5 inches
biceps down 1.25 inches

Over all inches lost 18.75

I am so happy with the results! Proved to me that when I finally stick to something it works. I just have to put in the effort.

Parfaits

Here's what the Parfaits looked like.
I think they were a hit! Most of the ladies asked me to email out the recipe.

I had a nice time. We all got our Dimplomas for graduating the class. I was voted 'Best Transformation' and got a certificate for that. I was very surprised. It was fun. One lady made a pasta salad with fresh red & green peppers and Dream Fields Farms Pasta. Very low GI and only 5g of digestable carbs per serving. It's very good and you can't even tell it's not 'regular' pasta! I have to get the recipe for the dressing she used in it. Lots of fruit and veggies.

Now on to the results! I don't have my mesurements yet. They will email them along with our before and after pictures, soon. Most of my measurements didn't move that much, some not at all. But I know it tapers off, plus I have to get back to spin classes, I'll get come back to that. So DRUMROLL.....
My total weight loss after 11 weeks was 18 pounds!!!! WOO HOO!!!!! That's the most I've lost in years!!!

I have my next appointment for my back on the 21st. I have already decided that even if he tells me again that I can't go back to class, I'm still going back starting in Jan. I will just not do any bending or anything that will cause my back harm. If I can't do 3rd position on the bike then I can do 2nd position. I'll do the weight training parts, and all that. I just won't do anything that calls for bending. So when the Jan. schedule comes out, I'll be on it! There you have it.

Thank you for following me and commenting! Anna asked about Rosy in silks. I did the conversion myself. Vikki has a good conversion tool on her site Floss Converter. I just typed in the DMC number and it tells you the corresponding silk number. It took a long time to do it for Rosy since there are so many colors, but I was determined to stitch her in silk, so I did it. Another thing about Rosy, I am stitching her along with her 3 counterparts all on one piece of fabric. I blogged about it way back when, when I first started her. See this post New Start SAL - HAED and this post Silks! if you're interested.

Tonight is the Last Meeting

For my 12 week Transitions weight loss classThey will take our final weight and measurements. Also an “after” picture. We are each supposed to bring something good to eat. I am bringing my new favorite breakfast (in mini versions). I call it a “Dr. Oz Parfait”, cause I got the idea for it from his show. Side note: I am a Dr. Oz fanatic. I record his show everyday then when I have time I watch a bunch of them back to back. Okay, back to my favorite breakfast. I layer Greek yogurt (plain, 0% fat), fresh strawberries and blackberries, no fat added granola (I like to use Bob’s Red Mill Original Whole Grain Natural Granola) about a tablespoon, and top it with about a tablespoon of agave natural sweetener (low GI). YUM! I went to a party store and got some 5 oz. clear plastic cups and I’m going to make tiny individual parfaits. They should look delicious. I hope that I can actually make them look as pretty as the picture I have in my mind. If they come out nice I’ll snap a pic before I take them to the meeting. Depending on how awful the pictures of me (before and after) are, I might post them as well, maybe. So wish me luck tonight! I think I did pretty well in these past 12 weeks. I know I’m down to a size 8 jeans. I even have 2 pairs of 6’s that fit well! WOO HOO! I am only 5 feet tall… 5 feet ZERO inches, LOL! So I need to be a good size 6 or so, or else I’m a square! (As tall as I am wide!) The main thing though, is I FEEL better. I will post my results when I get them. I plan to stay on track. I’m not down to my goal yet, I don’t think. Doesn’t matter anyway, I need to eat healthy all the time, it needs to be a natural part of my life, period.

On to stitchy stuff! I worked on Curly Tailed Rosy this past week. I hadn’t touched her since Feb. She is being worked in HDF silks on 28 ct. Jobelan (white), 1 X 1. Here’s the before and after. The after pic doesn’t show the very top, it’s rolled up on the frame, I was too lazy to use the scanner and just snapped a pic while she’s on the rods.


I'm working on Moon Fantasy StoryKeep now. I'll have a pic of her soon.
Thank you for reading and keeping up with me!

It's been a while

Since I've posted. What can I say? Nov. & Dec. are busy months around here. I worked on my Freebie SK, Moon Fantasy a bit. Here are the before & after:

Stitched some on Bouquet for Cheryl (before & after):

And Dark Cherry:

I may pick up Curly Tailed Rosy next, haven't given her any attention in a very loooog time!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We went to my SIL's. My MIL had her other knee replaced on Nov. 13th and she was in rehab for Thanksgiving (she did the first knee last year, at Christmas). They only let her out for 3 hours that day so dinner, which should have been at my house (it was my turn), ended up at my SIL's. They are in the Poconos (PA), we are in Central NJ so MIL wouldn't be able to make the trip. It was also my MIL's birthday she turned 83. God bless her, she's a trooper. She is now out of rehab and back home (lives with my SIL). They said she is doing really well. Walking better every day.

I'm supposed to be putting up the tree today, and I have to hit the grocery store... Don't know if I'll get any stitching in for a while! Hope to be back with new pics soon!

Happy Holidays!!!