Flashback Friday – The 24W edition.

Friday!  Yay!  Had a nice day off just puttering around and doing things 😀  Started off the day with a good gym work out:

Walked 1 mile on the hamster wheel, then did my lifting:

  • Chin ups:  2 sets of 2, 1 set of 1 (and a lame attempt at 2)
  • Barbell split squats:  3 sets of 8 at 65#

Super set:

  • Barbell incline chest press:  3 sets of 8 at 55#
  • Lunges with bar:  3 sets of 8 with 35# bar

Super sets:

Super set:

  • Dumbbell pliet squat:  3 sets of 10 with 40# DB
  • Dumbbell pull over:  3 sets of 10 with 20# DB

Then I did an interval workout on the stationary bike.  Felt good!  I worked the weights harder today as I am taking a scheduled lifting break next week (which I do every couple of months or so).

I was all set for grains this morning for brekkie!  I actually did that work out fasted to see what would happen (nothing).  I was hangry, though.  I made some banana custard oats with a whole egg today:

Topped with some raw honey and PB.  Yum!  This raw honey has some bee pollen in it too, which was interesting.

I was able to get up to all kinds of stuff with not having to work.  I made some maple coconut pecan butter (like a liquid praline 😯  )

and got some slow cooker stew started for dinner.

Flashback Friday:  I was flipping through some old photo albums last week and I saw some photos that just made me freak out a little.  When I think about how my mind’s view of myself has changed, these photos looks so alien to me.

Here I am at my heaviest weight in 2002, standing in front of our first home (John was probably at his heaviest, too).

I loved that house and the garden I put in the back.

And then this photo, a few months later.  I know I probably had a bulky sweatshirt or sweater on under this, but the jacket (24W) is almost bulging:

Same smile though :mrgreen:

These 2 photos make me laugh a little because the first one is little head on big body, the second is big head on little body 😀  More and more the 2nd picture is becoming the norm in my head.  It’s just taken a couple years for that to happen.

Which leads me to this FAQ question set:

Do you track calories or record your food intake at all? (besides what you record on your blog) Yes, I use Dailyplate or Fitday to record what I eat.  I have been experimenting with not recording food a few days a week as an experiment, but I will probably always have some sort of tracking going on.  It’s kind of a habit now.

DO you try to stay within a calorie range? Try would be the applicable word here 😀  I can lose weight if I can get my calories down to 1500, but that is really hard for me.  Maintaining is around 1900-2100 most days, depending on activity.

Best advice for someone who wants to lose weight? If I could say something to the old me in that photo, it would be that it is never too late to start, and it isn’t impossible, and it doesn’t mean you have to give everything up or become a social outcast to change your eating habits.  Start small, as all the little changes add up to big results over time.   And that it takes time.  Patience is so important, especially when you have a lot to lose.  It takes a long time, but that’s okay.  But probably the most important thing is to speak kindly to yourself.  Never, ever talk down to yourself because you are worth so much more than the weight on the outside.  Positive talk leads to positive self-worth.

I went out and did some consignment browsing today, but didn’t find anything I wanted to buy.  I did bring home snacks for John and I.

There were a few snacks today.  Not a good day as far as following my ‘no extra snacking’ thing I was trying to implement.  This is really hard!  I am craving bread type of things for some reason.

The stew I put in the slow cooker turned out awesome!  The stew meat was local grass fed meat from the smokehouse and it was really, really tender.  With some biscuits!

All day of cooking and 20 minutes of eating. 🙂

All in all, a nice day and to know that I also have Saturday off feels like a real treat!  We are taking my folks out for breakfast if the weather is okay.  Think I will save my run for the afternoon.

Question:  What is one thing that you would tell  your past self if you could?

29 thoughts on “Flashback Friday – The 24W edition.”

  3. Carrie

    You look great Lori, you have come so far. I’m not unlike you in that I would tell my past self that it’s not to late to have big dreams and make them happen!
    .-= Carrie´s last blog ..Busy Bee =-.

  4. Kelly

    What an amazing transformation. What’s so great is that you look so happy in your before and after pics! And your husband deserves a big pat on the back as well. He looks so different now!

    If I could go back in time I would love to tell my old self to stop thinking so badly of herself. I found my old journal recently and the things I felt were so sad. So desperate and hopeless at times. I would tell me to love myself for who I am right then…not for what I “could” be.

    Thanks for sharing your answers. 🙂
    .-= Kelly´s last blog ..Wednesday Stuff & New Recipe =-.

  5. Kimberley

    Wow Lori! In the pic with the jacket on it looks like you have fake padding on. I can see how much your face has changed though, don’t get me wrong on that.

    The stew looks great. I am really missing my mistos since I have been off work. I am really looking forward to having one next week.

    Enjoy the breakfast with the folks!
    .-= Kimberley´s last blog ..The "Perfect 10" Challenge – Update #8 =-.

  11. Shelley B

    Wow, you look like such a different person now! When you look at those pictures, you really can see what a long way you’ve come – amazing!

    I had to laugh at “nosebreakers” – knew exactly what that is, except that we call them “skullcrushers” – any case, they are hard!

    Hmmm, I’d tell my old self to be nicer to my body – I might want to use it someday!
    .-= Shelley B´s last blog ..Friday Catch Up =-.

  13. Amy

    Wow. And congratulations! You have come so far. I love that picture of you in your Dr Oz shirt – you look so happy and vibrant. And what always strikes me when I see before and after pictures is that in most cases, the person looks so much younger in the after pictures. Being overweight not only makes you feel old, it seems to make you look old, too.

    What would I tell my old, fatter, self? I would tell her that the days go by whether she does something about taking care of herself or not, and she can never get those days back. And that she shouldn’t let another day go by without taking a step towards better health, even if it is a small step…
    .-= Amy´s last blog ..Workshops Rock! =-.

  14. Jinx

    I would tell myself to just ‘breathe’ . Take baby steps. Change your lifestyle not ‘go on a diet’ . Be brave. Theres more to life than that big bowl of icecream. Set yourself up for success not failure. Be kind to yourself. ONe mistake does not ruin an entire day.

  15. Susan

    First, I love your workout!! Isn’t it fun to make up our own? 🙂

    Weird, because you do look different now, but like you said, you still have the same smile. I love that Oz picture of you though – one of those ones that says a thousand words! Oh, and I watched that episode online a few days ago!

    I would tell Old Susan to “be yourself.” I was always pretending to be something I wasn’t and attracting all the wrong kind of people and things in life. It’s so much easier to go through life when you’re comfortable being who you really are 🙂
    .-= Susan´s last blog ..The Age Old Weight & Rep Debate =-.

  17. Robin

    Lori! Isn’t it amazing when we see photos of ourselves and realize the transformation? Congrats on such a healthy change. You are amazing outside, but more importantly, INSIDE!

    Yes, I do “loosely” keep a food journal, just a running record, not tons of detail: time of day, amount, kcals if I know or an approximation to keep me on track for the day. I also record # of glasses of water and # of fr/veggies, to hit the daily reqm’ts. Some days much better than others, but when I slip, I notice my calorie intake increases quite a lot.

    When dropping wt, I cut back to 1400/day, but normally, about 1500 – 1800 works best. Getting older requires fewer calories, I’ve read. Long run days = more calories, though.

    Advice to others? Portion control, cut out white items (flour, sugar, salt, etc…), and keep a food log.

    What to say to the old me: “Learn about weight and diabetes. Learn family history. Practice portion control and cut the cards. Try to avoid the type 2 diagnosis that’s coming.” It came at age 39. 🙁

    Thanks for sharing such an honest look back…You’re terrific and I’m glad we met via blogging. 🙂 Happy Weekend!

    ~ Robin
    P.S. I LOVE consignment shops!!!!!!!

  19. Leah

    I love this post! Your pictures are amazing. As I’ve told Diane and Steve…since I’ve only seen you as a thin person I can’t even imagine you that heavy and in a 24w.

    Note to myself both past and present: You can do it. You have it in you and you are capable of breaking free from an addiction to food. Just don’t give up!
    .-= Leah´s last blog ..Perfect 10 Update #8 =-.

  21. cammy@tippytoediet

    Love the photos!

    I’d tell my before self many of the same things you listed, primarily to forget about doing it perfectly and focus on getting it right *most* of the time. (And then I’d point out to myself that “most” means 85-95% of the time, not 51%. Just to eliminate any confusion. :))

    Have a great weekend, Lori!
    .-= cammy@tippytoediet´s last blog ..Some Friday Topic Hoppin’ =-.

  24. Flo

    Lori, you look so radiant and healthy in your “after” pictures. You are quite the inspiration.
    My mantra when losing weight was – “It’s never too late to be what you might have been.”
    I’d not change that because it’s the truth!

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