THE HEALTH JOURNEY CONTINUES

This marks a year since I celebrated losing 100 pounds by writing about my journey to good health. Find that post here: HOW I LOST 100 POUNDS

I wasn't sure I wanted to write about such a personal thing but was ultimately glad I did as many wrote me to ask more questions, tell me they were inspired, and to share their own success. 

A year later I am officially down 111 pounds from the high of 256. My current weight of 145 is perfect for me. Good clothes fit well, sizes small to medium, 8-10, just right. My doctor is pleased with all my numbers. I am happy and healthy.

The other day I walked past a house I pass just about every day. The woman who lives there was watering flowers at her mailbox. As I passed she said "Your transformation is astonishing. I've been watching you and hoped to talk to you."  Then she asked the usual questions, how much weight, how far do you walk, what do you eat? I gave her my business card so she could check out these few posts about my Health Journey if she was interested.  I thanked her for her kind words and walked on. Her words resonated with me--my transformation IS astonishing to me too. Other than earning the title United States Marine, this is the accomplishment of which I am most proud. And that's saying something at this point in my life. And it only took 70 years!

Today:

A year ago there was one bit of advice I left out. I call it the "10% plan". When I explain it to people who ask me how they can lose a lot of weight, they all say "that makes sense". So I will share it today.

It would have been impossible for me to say "I am going to lose 100 pounds" when I was 256. But I did say "I am going to lose 10% of  my weight". I tracked everything I ate in My Fitness Pal and still do, every meal, every day. And I walked around the block once and hoped I could get home. I started.

256 - 26 = 230   Goal #1. I made it and said "Now for the next 10%".

230 - 23  = 207   Goal #2. OK, now I am close to being in "One-derland", go for it.

207 - 21  = 186    Goal #3. I hadn't been this small in 20 years. Can I do another 10%? Let's see.

186 - 19  = 167   Goal #4. Wow, just 11 more pounds and I can say "I Lost 100 pounds." Let's go for that.

167 - 11  = 156  Goal #5  I was not sure I could get lower than that and felt great. It was 26 years since  I  weighed 156: October 25, 1997, I remember it so well and what I was wearing.  And how I felt.

156 - 11 = 145 GOAL #6, Last and Final. Body Mass Index says I am "normal" weight. And the last time I weighed this I was 24 years old wearing my United States Marine Corps uniform.

There is a 5 pound "buffer" to being 150. When I eat out or travel for a week or more, I am often up 5 pounds. I get right back on track and in a few days I am where I am supposed to be. 

It was FUN to use my 10% plan. I am a "numbers person", so this appealed to me. I set no deadlines, I just took it one day at a time. 

It seems important to show that a year later I am still fit and healthy. I have not regained those "lost" pounds. By the way, they weren't "LOST", I worked them off every day with a healthy diet and lots of exercise. I pounded them into the pavement!

I still walk at least 1-2 hours a day, 7 days a week. Three days a week I work with free weights to build muscle. In hot weather I look like this:

In wet or cold weather I look like this:

                                                    

I workout at hotels when I travel:

Recipes have been shared over the years. Find all of them under the  RECIPES tab above. Some are holiday sweets, many are healthier fare. I eat smart and healthy 99% of the time. That's enough.

A few posts about my weight loss journey have been posted over the past year. For convenience, they are all available under the HEALTH JOURNEY tab above.

Photos tell the story best. 

Here are my 4 appearances as Guest Artist on The Quilt Show with Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims:

2018

2019

2020

2021

Birthday photos for the past three years:

2022

2023

2024

My FAVORITE PHOTO  and my least favorite photo combined:

Before and After 2011-2023

A year from now I will do another update on my Journey to Good Health. Come along with me. You can do it. Just start. It's never too late to change your life. If you want your life to be better a year from now, it starts with what you do today.

My motto remains: BE STRONG, BE PATIENT, BE HAPPY.

Feel free to share this with anyone who might want to hear it:

Barbara

WHILE I'M AWAY

 I am just returning from a glorious CRUISE to Alaska where I taught 60 amazing students a great quilt. It will take a few days to get unpacked and write the blog all about it. 

In the meantime, here are a few of my favorite posts from years gone by you may have missed. Enjoy!

RED AND WHITE WRAP UP  probably my most meaningful post

A QUILTERS LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT Are you ready?

BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE QUILT SHOW TAPING  One of the four times I have been a guest on The Quilt Show with Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims

SEW-A-LONG PROJECT Want a small quilt that teaches you a lot? This 5 part Sew A Long has it all

I will be back soon with Alaska and so much more!

Let's quilt.

Barbara

HALF SQUARE TRIANGLES TWO WAYS

 Half Square Triangles (HST) are important building blocks for many quilt blocks and designs. I use them a LOT and I bet you do too.

This latest project has a pieced border of HST, all from the same two fabrics:

Oh, My Stars with my choice of pieced border

When I need a lot of HST from the same two fabrics I love to use the GRID method. It involves drawing a grid on the wrong side of the lightest fabric then sewing on both sides of the drawn diagonal lines. I call it a SEW FIRST METHOD.

To get 24 HST from two fabrics use this GRID:

On the wrong side of the lightest fabric draw the grid 1" larger than the finished size of the HST. My HST's are 3" finished so the grid is 4".  Cut the fabrics 12" x 16" to get this grid that makes 24 HST.

 NOTE: I added 1/4" around the outside edge so I cut the fabrics 12.5" x 16.5". This was TOTALLY UNNECESSARY and just created extra wasted fabric. In the future I would cut fabrics 12" x 16":

Starting at the upper right corner diagonal sew 1/4" away from the diagonal line. At the edge of the fabrics pivot and turn to continue down the next diagonal line. Pivot and turn at each edge--I did the outside lines first. When back at the beginning switch to the other side of the drawn diagonal lines--again pivoting at the outside edge of the fabric. SO--this means you only have ONE START and ONE STOP--just keep pivoting and sewing until it's done.

Here are the lines are sewn:

Cut apart on all the drawn lines. Press to the dark fabric and "trim to perfection":

3.5" perfect

Making 5 of these large grids gave me 120 HST. To make the remaining 4 I needed I used my other favorite method--the Half Square Triangle Ruler.  This is the CUT FIRST METHOD.

I cut a strip of both fabrics 3.5" wide, placed them right sides together, and used the Half Square Triangle Ruler to cut the HST pairs ready to sew. I tend to cut the strips slightly larger than 3.5" so I can "trim to perfection". Cut exactly 3.5" if you prefer:

Chain piece the 4 pairs of HST. Put the the flat end under the needle first--no point to get drawn down into the hole in the throat plate:

Again, press to the dark fabric and trim to perfection. 

I took me longer to write this than it did to do all the steps.  Of course, there are more ways to make HST. These are my favorites. The GRID method is perfect to make a lot the same. The HST Ruler method is perfect to make a few or if you prefer to "cut first", then sew.

Here is one of the borders all done:

There will be a RED "floater border" between the middle of the quilt and this pieced border. More about that when I get there. If you are curious about that now I have a TUTORIAL on the process: The Magic of Floater Borders

I hope you find this helpful. 

Let's quilt.

Barbara

TINY STARS TWO WAYS

 A recent quilt project had me making a LOT of tiny stars, 4" each. Known as the Evening Star or the Morning Star, I chose to make it from Flying Geese units, 1" x 2" finished. I have a TUTORIAL for  making Four Flying Geese at Once. 

I found the easiest way to trim those small flying geese units to exactly1.5" x 2.5" was with the Bloc Loc ruler designed for that size:

After making about 30 of the 126 I needed I was reminded of the Tiny Stars blocks I had made for swapping with others. The points don't go to the outside edge of the block which is good when working with blocks made by several other people.  The stars "FLOAT" on the background:

Regular on the Left, Floating on the Right

The floating stars are SO MUCH easier to make, faster, less fiddley. Find the instructions on this previous post: TINY STARS BLOCK SWAP

Each of these stars is trimmed to 4.5" including seam allowance so finishes at 4" when sewn into the quilt.

I used both types of stars in my project--the FLOATING STARS are at the intersections of the sashing. I think they look fine:

The project is coming along nicely. Now there are borders to make:

The layout I am working on:

The pattern is Oh, My Stars! by American Jane patterns.

Let's quilt.

Barbara