Just A Small Share

Every year, my husband and I travel the entire length of the Oregon Coast to do what is called, "Quilt Run 101".  Thats because you travel the highway 101 all up and down the coast.  I have posted about this trip each year since I have started this blog.  You can read more about it here.  Every year I try to have a theme or specific project that I will be buying for on this run.  This year, I wanted to get backings for future quilts.  During these type of quilt runs, many if not all the shops put several bolts of fabric at 50% off, and more if you take the whole bolt.  I really scored, I managed to get 12 backings (anywhere from 5 to 12 yards) for as low as $3.00 a yard to $5.00 a yard.   That piece on the front left is Fig Tree by Moda, and I got it for $3.00 a yard.  And the far end piece on the right is French General by Moda and I got it for $3.98 a yard.

Not having the backing fabric for a lot of my finished quilt tops, has kept me from completing the quilting.  With this very reasonable buys, I can now concentrate on getting some more tops quilted and meet my New Year's Resolution of quilting one top a month!

I have worked very hard the entire year of 2014, to lose some weight.  Here I am at my heaviest, on the Quilt Run 101 about three years ago.  The clothes I am wearing are size 3X and 22-24.  Not my proudest moment.

 I remember having my picture taken about two years ago when I visited my favorite quilt shop on the coast, Jane's Quilt Patch.  

The picture on the left was from two years ago, and I had lost about 20 pounds from the picture above, and the picture on the right is from this weekend.  I am now wearing a size large, and 12-14.  I am still not where I want to be, but at least I got my doctor to remove "obese" from my chart!  What is frustrating to me is when looking at the pictures, it doesn't look like I have lost 70 pounds!!!  I have really worked hard and struggled to get thinner, and it really doesn't show.  ARGH!!!  But I will tell you that I feel 100% better, I have so much more energy, my self confidence is stronger than ever, and I have been able to stop taking several medications (like cholesterol, inhalers, and lowered NASIDs).

If you are curious to what I did to lose this weight, I totally cut out white processed flour and sugar.  Serving sizes are no bigger than my fist, and I kept my calories to less then 1000.  Really simple, easy peasy!

I have lost the weight slow enough, that the excess skin has had a chance to stretch back so I don't have the sagginess that often comes with massive weight loss.  I kept my loss to 2 3 pounds  a week.  By losing it this slowly, it also helps in keeping it off, and not yo-yo ing up and down.  I kept a journal, recording my weight weekly, and planned out meals a month in advance, and stuck to that menu, which also helped me stay on track with losing the weight.  I don't consider this a diet, but a life style change, and will continue to work on losing some more weight, and staying healthy too!

Warmest...