Welcome to another edition of Carol's Corner. I'm hanging in there. Not loving all this inactivity and my house is a total disaster but there is really nothing that I can do about it, so taking one day at a time hoping the next five weeks will fly by somehow. At least one good thing I see my size 10 jeans still fit and I can still wear my awesome belts. When I'm fully recuperated and (bootless) I'm going back to Weight Watchers and get back down to my comfortable place. Shannon Mimzy Lewis wins this ensemble with, ” Walking On The Wildside.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chose this Royal Blue and Pearl tone jewelry set I made to complement this and of course my awesome Lapis and Sterling ring that is one of six I had custom made by a jewelry artisan I know.

 

 

 

And then we have another of my favorite watches from my watch collection. Gotta find a few new ones to add to it soon.

So tonight I have a treat for you. This is a second installment from Kathleen Gust Ranstrom of the Leslie Sansone group of which I am also a member. So first let's refresh your memory with a couple of her before pics. Then prepare to be blown away by her bikini pics.

 

 

So like I said, be prepared to be blown away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now take it away Kathleen!

Here I am eleven months after beginning the Leslie Sansone at home walking program and 77 pounds lighter. My journey began in the doctor's office on March 2, 2014 at my physical. My blood pressure was super high and I was obese. The scale read 241.5 and my doctor said you need to go home and diet and exercise, lay off the drinking ( Oh Coors Lite and I had a love affair), lose 30 pounds and come back and see me in six months.

Poor me! I walked out of that office scared. Just how was I going to lose 30 pounds and diet and exercise with my busy schedule?

Eating well wasn't hard. I began simple with lean meats, fruits and veggies and low fat yogurt. I dropped 10 pounds in two weeks. The mystery was finding an exercise program that I could sustain long term and get me fit in my hectic schedule

One day I brushed off a Leslie Sansone DVD I had bought at Target the year before…..never even opened it and remembered thinking Leslie doesn't offer enough exercise in the waking video to get me fit. But to begin getting in shape it would would work. The first walk was power mile with weights. Holy cow!! It was love at first mile….I was hooked right there and for the next six months I walked to the four, two mile programs on the DVD (see pic) and I committed to only 30 minutes a day and did them six days a week. 30 minutes was manageable… I could sustain that.

 

 

The weight came off and it wasn't slowly….I joined Weight Watchers after the first ten pounds fell off so I could weigh in and be held accountable. Here I sat in on a meeting and thought huh, it probably would be productive to come to the meeting once a week for support; have ever since and never miss. Weight Watchers helps change the relationship with food and helps with accountability by issuing a point range based on height and weight. It has been extremely successful for me on a weekly basis.

After 50 pounds fell off I was under 200 pounds and looked and felt better and I was at a point where I could build my fitness up a bit. So I ordered my second DVD, Belly Blasting with a Pilates floor routine at the end. This one helps to shape, sculpt and tone your abs, butt and back…..the first time I did this DVD I found the rest of those 625 muscles Leslie had been talking about! The neck has a lot of muscles and it took some time for me to get used to the belly routine and planking….but ladies it sculpted that tummy you see in the bikini shots so it worked.

Beside those two dvd's and Weight Watchers I also focus on getting lots of rest….it's made a huge difference in my energy and ability to manage exercise and working and family. I think the sleeping well and consistently is the final key to getting fit….beauty rest says it all!!

Now I am down 77 pounds….Note the before picture in which I carried a lot of weight all around and heavy up top, especially the breasts….and ladies am I glad to drop those beasts and wear a 36C for the first time in a decade!! It's the small victories that assist in larger ones to help carve out the final goal, which in my case is to be in the lower range of my Body Mass Index which is 140 for me or a 100 pound loss and achievable by summertime.

The journey to weight loss has been amazing and fascinating. I blamed my obesity and hot flashes on menopause which I haven't begun yet, but what was happening was my endrocine system was over working….now I don't have hot flashes or any symptoms at all. The blood pressure is back to normal and my face is youthful (all the sweating and rest is a natural cleanser and nourishment for the skin) and here's the bonus:

Look at the picture in the bikini again….it is worth a thousand words even though I have said way more than that by now!!!

I took that picture for fun on my birthday January 31, 2016 when I turned 52. It was a hit on The Leslie page and everyone wants the answer to my success and I will tell the sisters in sweat again….Four rules of thumb for the magic elixir ingredient:

1. Eat well and as holistic as possible and never go back to eating processed ever….

2. Exercise five days at least to two miles of Leslie walking dvd's….and make sure you sweat and that weights are included in two sessions a week.

3. Get plenty of rest and consistent rest….beauty rest.

4. Always keep a positive perspective and discipline about the above ingredients…and make sure to record all your successes in writing and especially pictures on the Leslie Sansone group (or whatever groups you belong to) because we are all here to support each other.

The magic isn't a pill… The magic is you Sisters in Sweat!! The struggle to keep weight off in our culture is a constant discipline, but find it in you to get moving and get fit. Be the ambassador to others by showcasing a leaner, fitter, healthier you….it's so worth it all trust me, and thank you Carol for showcasing my story a second time around.

When I reach a 100 pound loss the Sisters In Sweat will be the first to know! Love and success to all!!!

So there we have it ladies. Thank you Kathleen for sharing some more with our readers, and as they say, ” A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words!” And in this case truer words were never spoken. Enjoy and savor every moment in that bikini girl!!! To anyone out there who thinks it's too late or can never be done? Think again! You can be sexy, fit and vital at ANY age! Get out there and make it happen. Till next time, God Bless!!