I Lost 100lbs! Best Weight Loss Tips!
March 29, 2022
I lost over 100lbs in a year ( 45 kg since last January) & have 50/60lbs to go! Weight issues have been a life long challenge since I was a teen ( and faced my first rape, incest and sexual assault) and now I am 70! I've also traveled while sick & dealt with severe health issues for years. It feels great to finally be mastering this challenge of many years, feeling fantastic, but still more weight to lose when we move to Europe in May! I plan to write an ebook about all I have learned on this long road and hope it helps others. The bad part of being very obese, is one has to diet severely for a year or more before one can even tell ANY weight was lost. Finally, I can start to see a bit of progress as I have moved into a more normal range of chubby! For 30 years, I put all my energy into getting and raising a child well, now I finally have time to put energy into me!
Even during my many slim years when I modeled for Ford Models in NYC & Europe and acted in films, TV & Broadway, I struggled mightily with weight, starving and using laxatives and often going up and down 30lbs. In my extended family on both sides, ( for generations) half the people have the slim genes and half have the fat genes and I got the fat ones. In fact, all my siblings have had extreme issues with weight during their adult years, even though we were normal weight, slim kids.
When I was trying to get pregnant with Heavenly, I prayed for a beautiful, high soul, but also one that would get the skinny genes as I knew life is so much easier, if one is naturally thin in our society. I didn't have a huge problem until my mid 30's when I got extremely sick in 1989 after a trip to the USSR with a peace group & I gained 40lbs in a couple of weeks & quickly gained 100lbs and was very sick for a few years with CFS. One doctor told me that most people would be dead if they were as sick as I was! I couldn't work so had to move back home for a few years. It was a devastating time as I lost everything, but eventually rose again "like a phoenix from the ashes" and learned much from those painful years.
It is insane that I have lost 100lbs four times in my life, ( and kept it off for years a few times) but it became most challenging after I had Heavenly at 48. I lost 100lbs before having her and gained very little during my pregnancy, being super careful to give her the best nutrition while in the womb. But the stress of being an old mom with a super active baby ( she walked and talked at 6 months and was running faster than me at 9 months due to my gimpy, permanently damaged knee) had me backtracking to old bad habits of eating comfort food and carbs to combat stress.There are not that many photos of Heavenly and I together, because I was the main photographer, but also because I was ashamed of my obese body. Kind of ruined the aesthetics for my critical eye. I am even a little afraid to put these photos on the internet for all to see.
I hope this is the final time as maintenance is the tricky part, but I think/hope I have mastered that too as I've done this in "lose-then-maintain" spurts, so practicing along the way and reprogramming my whole system on every level. I wish I had been born naturally skinny like my daughter Heavenly or my mom, but we all get the karma we get. Fat really served me for a while as protection and I loved being invisible, but now it is in the way of my long healthy life goal! I use to wear shorts that both my husband and teen could fit into in Asia and now all my clothes are huge on me and getting purged in our move to Europe.
The biggest tip and help for me was through Babinetics weight program and working with Bertrand Babinet I never would have been able to do this without his help & he has helped so many. I have known Dr Babinet for over 40 years & he is Heavenly's Godfather. It is extremely hard for females to lose weight past 60 years old, and I did consider getting Gastric Bypass surgery which many friends have done and likely an easier route if one is older. But I really hate getting surgery, (when I do have surgery I fight the whole time I am under, to wake up & it feels like I am buried alive), so I wanted to try losing it and shifting this hard karma/challenge for me forever. Part of my motivation was to not die too early for my child's sake. There are so many advantages for a child with mature, experienced, older parents when young, but now I want to be around for her and also want to enjoy this freer, empty nest period of my life. Luckily, I grew up with 4 great grandparents, so have old genes on both sides and I actually have eaten very healthy for most of my life.
Dr. Bertrand Babinet and Babinetics weight loss program
Failure and Disappointment can be part of the process!
I was very ill for years during the mid 2000's and even when I could only eat about a cup of organic goat kefir and 2 raw egg yolks a day for years because of the debilitating pain & digestion issues, I still did not lose ANY weight. I first started the Babinetics program in 2016 and miraculously I lost! Sadly, though I would lose slowly and yet gain fast every time I went on maintenance, so I got very frustrated and discouraged as it was so hard to lose and so easy to gain. I had lost 100lbs when Covid hit in March 2020, but that threw me for a loop as it threw our shopping out of wack, and I was at high risk because of age and weight and the uncertainty of it all gave me anxiety, along with my exhaustion of years of strict dieting and slow process. I tried to eat like a normal person and immediately gained all the weight back very quickly. I was thoroughly discouraged and felt hopeless, but I had been through this before and prevailed, so knew I could again. Perhaps, my best asset is I am very tenacious and believe if there is a will there is always a way.
On Jan 1 in 2021, I got my mind together and began again, determined to reach my goal for myself and also now to protect me from the worst of Covid as it most damages people my age and people with weight issues. I already spent years with a painful and debilitating illness, so did NOT want to do that again with long covid. I had to work harder! Who knew that thanks to the pandemic & skipping hair cuts, that my hair now is the longest it's been since high school & I never expected to grow it or like this long style in a million years, but now, I find it kind of fun & easy for this new blossoming me.Plus, I love breaking rules, like the conventional thinking that "old women" should not have long hair.
My biggest tip for huge weight loss? Make it fun! That is my goal for this next decade, no matter what life throws at me, I am determined to live in in joy, fun, loving and adventure!! A new me is emerging and I plan to make the most of it and share everything I learn with you!! Any questions? I can't wait to share the final "after"photo when I reach my goal and then again a decade from now proving I have mastered maintenance which may well be the hardest part of dieting for someone who has been obese!! Without extensive plastic surgery, I will likely never have the great body or face I had in youth, but I am super grateful to be lighter, more vibrant and healthier!
I lost over 100lbs in a year ( 45 kg since last January) & have 50/60lbs to go! Weight issues have been a life long challenge since I was a teen ( and faced my first rape, incest and sexual assault) and now I am 70! I've also traveled while sick & dealt with severe health issues for years. It feels great to finally be mastering this challenge of many years, feeling fantastic, but still more weight to lose when we move to Europe in May! I plan to write an ebook about all I have learned on this long road and hope it helps others. The bad part of being very obese, is one has to diet severely for a year or more before one can even tell ANY weight was lost. Finally, I can start to see a bit of progress as I have moved into a more normal range of chubby! For 30 years, I put all my energy into getting and raising a child well, now I finally have time to put energy into me!
Even during my many slim years when I modeled for Ford Models in NYC & Europe and acted in films, TV & Broadway, I struggled mightily with weight, starving and using laxatives and often going up and down 30lbs. In my extended family on both sides, ( for generations) half the people have the slim genes and half have the fat genes and I got the fat ones. In fact, all my siblings have had extreme issues with weight during their adult years, even though we were normal weight, slim kids.
When I was trying to get pregnant with Heavenly, I prayed for a beautiful, high soul, but also one that would get the skinny genes as I knew life is so much easier, if one is naturally thin in our society. I didn't have a huge problem until my mid 30's when I got extremely sick in 1989 after a trip to the USSR with a peace group & I gained 40lbs in a couple of weeks & quickly gained 100lbs and was very sick for a few years with CFS. One doctor told me that most people would be dead if they were as sick as I was! I couldn't work so had to move back home for a few years. It was a devastating time as I lost everything, but eventually rose again "like a phoenix from the ashes" and learned much from those painful years.
It is insane that I have lost 100lbs four times in my life, ( and kept it off for years a few times) but it became most challenging after I had Heavenly at 48. I lost 100lbs before having her and gained very little during my pregnancy, being super careful to give her the best nutrition while in the womb. But the stress of being an old mom with a super active baby ( she walked and talked at 6 months and was running faster than me at 9 months due to my gimpy, permanently damaged knee) had me backtracking to old bad habits of eating comfort food and carbs to combat stress.There are not that many photos of Heavenly and I together, because I was the main photographer, but also because I was ashamed of my obese body. Kind of ruined the aesthetics for my critical eye. I am even a little afraid to put these photos on the internet for all to see.
I hope this is the final time as maintenance is the tricky part, but I think/hope I have mastered that too as I've done this in "lose-then-maintain" spurts, so practicing along the way and reprogramming my whole system on every level. I wish I had been born naturally skinny like my daughter Heavenly or my mom, but we all get the karma we get. Fat really served me for a while as protection and I loved being invisible, but now it is in the way of my long healthy life goal! I use to wear shorts that both my husband and teen could fit into in Asia and now all my clothes are huge on me and getting purged in our move to Europe.
The biggest tip and help for me was through Babinetics weight program and working with Bertrand Babinet I never would have been able to do this without his help & he has helped so many. I have known Dr Babinet for over 40 years & he is Heavenly's Godfather. It is extremely hard for females to lose weight past 60 years old, and I did consider getting Gastric Bypass surgery which many friends have done and likely an easier route if one is older. But I really hate getting surgery, (when I do have surgery I fight the whole time I am under, to wake up & it feels like I am buried alive), so I wanted to try losing it and shifting this hard karma/challenge for me forever. Part of my motivation was to not die too early for my child's sake. There are so many advantages for a child with mature, experienced, older parents when young, but now I want to be around for her and also want to enjoy this freer, empty nest period of my life. Luckily, I grew up with 4 great grandparents, so have old genes on both sides and I actually have eaten very healthy for most of my life.
Failure and Disappointment can be part of the process!
I was very ill for years during the mid 2000's and even when I could only eat about a cup of organic goat kefir and 2 raw egg yolks a day for years because of the debilitating pain & digestion issues, I still did not lose ANY weight. I first started the Babinetics program in 2016 and miraculously I lost! Sadly, though I would lose slowly and yet gain fast every time I went on maintenance, so I got very frustrated and discouraged as it was so hard to lose and so easy to gain. I had lost 100lbs when Covid hit in March 2020, but that threw me for a loop as it threw our shopping out of wack, and I was at high risk because of age and weight and the uncertainty of it all gave me anxiety, along with my exhaustion of years of strict dieting and slow process. I tried to eat like a normal person and immediately gained all the weight back very quickly. I was thoroughly discouraged and felt hopeless, but I had been through this before and prevailed, so knew I could again. Perhaps, my best asset is I am very tenacious and believe if there is a will there is always a way.
On Jan 1 in 2021, I got my mind together and began again, determined to reach my goal for myself and also now to protect me from the worst of Covid as it most damages people my age and people with weight issues. I already spent years with a painful and debilitating illness, so did NOT want to do that again with long covid. I had to work harder! Who knew that thanks to the pandemic & skipping hair cuts, that my hair now is the longest it's been since high school & I never expected to grow it or like this long style in a million years, but now, I find it kind of fun & easy for this new blossoming me.Plus, I love breaking rules, like the conventional thinking that "old women" should not have long hair.
My biggest tip for huge weight loss? Make it fun! That is my goal for this next decade, no matter what life throws at me, I am determined to live in in joy, fun, loving and adventure!! A new me is emerging and I plan to make the most of it and share everything I learn with you!! Any questions? I can't wait to share the final "after"photo when I reach my goal and then again a decade from now proving I have mastered maintenance which may well be the hardest part of dieting for someone who has been obese!! Without extensive plastic surgery, I will likely never have the great body or face I had in youth, but I am super grateful to be lighter, more vibrant and healthier!
« previous | | next »
Comments
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.
The comments to this entry are closed.
Such a huge accomplishment!
I’ve had similar struggles to yours…and am in the middle of a “trying again” cycle.
What I wouldn’t give for the figure of my twenties!
But we must continue on to be there for our kiddos! Xo
Posted by: Lucretia | March 29, 2022 at 03:13 PM
Hang in there Lucretia with the "trying again" phase as I know and understand the challenges! I do hope we can meet in person before we head off to Europe.
Yes, living a long good life for ourselves as well as our kiddos, is def motivating. As much as I hate covid, it has also motivated me to get and stay slimmer.
When you feel discouraged at least be happy you don't have to lose as much as me!! lol Always something to be happy about!!
I sometimes go for a morning walk-on the beach at Annenberg if you even want to meet and walk together there, let me know!!
Big hugs!! xoxo
Posted by: Jeanne | March 29, 2022 at 07:15 PM
Also thanks for your kind words and encouragement Lucretia!!
Posted by: Jeanne | March 29, 2022 at 07:16 PM
How brave of you to post your story and photos. I never knew of your history before your first marriage. I was shocked.
I knew of my first wife's verbal abuse as a child by her father, who was a hard-core alcoholic.
People who have suffered trauma in their youth will often gain weight to hide from predators and to be able to feel safe in the world.
I'm glad you found something that works for you. You look terrific. Burn those old clothes, other than a few you want to keep as a reminder and an incentive to never wear again.
Congratulations on your achievement of the first step. You've accomplished so much in your life. I admire you.
I, too, was born with my father's genetics. Stocky, barrel chested, with man tits. When my mother took me to buy pants, the sales person always said, "Looks like he needs a husky size" Husky sizes were for children who were too fat for normal sizes. Like the Big & Tall Store, but for kids. I hated shopping for clothes.
I was able to lose 70 lbs on the Atkins diet, but it took the unexpected death of my second wife to find the motivation. I had no appetite for a year or more.
BTW, the link above to follow via the comment feed is broken, it just goes to your blog page.
Posted by: Norm G | March 29, 2022 at 08:37 PM
Thanks for your kind and wise words Norm!! Glad to see you have mastered this issue and big health issues too...no easy task!!
Thanks too for the heads up with my tech issue here. Not sure how to fix, but I will keep trying. We will soon update and fix this blog and website...a major job..so bear with us for now.
Posted by: Jeanne | March 30, 2022 at 12:39 PM
I'm so proud of you and so amazed at your will power. Having known you for 35 or so years, I shouldn't be, I know.. but love of food is different than most things since the same thing that sustains us can undo us! It's hard to find a balance between those two pulls!
BTW, you look wonderful with curves again!
Posted by: Deb | March 30, 2022 at 04:33 PM
Aw, thanks so much Deb, you are too kind!! Out of all the addictions, food and weight is indeed the hardest, because you can not just go cold turkey like you can with cigarettes, drinking or drugs. One has to eat and each body reacts so differently to food. I saw it so clearly in my own family where those with skinny genes ate the same as those with the fat genes, but only the ones with the fat genes got fat! Sigh. That said, there is always perfection unfolding and despite being hard lessons to learn, perhaps the hard ones we learn are the most valuable. I've been working on this one for 50 years, so I hope I am finally mastering it!! We will see!! i am happy to be healthy and enjoying my curves and extra energy again! We will have to dance and celebrate when you come visit in Europe!!
Posted by: jeanne | March 30, 2022 at 07:32 PM
Amazing story and wonderful that you know this holistic doctor. I assume any diet that is so effective involves eating very small amounts of food. I see that he has his supplements to help. Just curious about what you do eat while on the diet?
Posted by: Rick | June 08, 2022 at 11:47 AM
Thanks Rick!! I am on a low calorie, low fat, no sugar diet, so my choices are limited, but the supplements help cravings I think and I do not find it too restrictive for the most part.
There is quite a bit of choice despite the many limitations, and I tend to eat a LOT of salads with a small amount of chicken breasts as my protein. Sometimes I will have white fish as my protein.
In the winter I sometimes make my variant of "pasta" using things like cauliflower "rice", Zucchini "noodles" or hearts of palm "noodles" or "rice".
Lately I have been boiling the chicken breasts up ahead of time and I really enjoy the "broth" I make doing that.
I tend to have a small bit of strawberries, apple or blueberries for desert.
I also have a chocolate "meal replacement" I use and enjoy ( helps my chocolate cravings.
So I find it fairly easy and then I do "maintenance" phase on a keto diet which is a whole different way of eating and I enjoy the change and then being able to have some cheese, avocado and keto bread.
Posted by: Jeanne | June 11, 2022 at 09:24 AM