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Introduction Text HI MY NAME IS JENNIFER - and I AM 78. "When the Japanese mend broken objects, they aggrandize the damage by filling the cracks with gold. They believe that when something's suffered damage and has a history, it becomes more beautiful." (Barbara Bloom) I had been getting around in a wheel chair for five years and putting on so much weight after I became disabled. I no longer cared what I looked like and became virtually housebound. Eight or nine years ago I joined SP and began to walk a little with a walker. I decided and even posted about it, that I was going to take the long way round to the bathroom. 24 steps instead of 8. I had to do it several times a day because of the sudden increase in water consumption. 8 glasses a day, I thought I would drown in all that fluid! That was my first exercise really in several years, and I was so happy to lie down after that. I have to tell you that sometimes I did not even have the muscle strength to turn over in bed. It would take me 5 or 10 mins just to lie on my other side. I am not saying this for sympathy by the way, that is just the way it was. This was not due to weight, but a health condition, however I was eating for comfort for about five years. Then a friend joined Spark. She was so excited, I joined as well. This was the beginning of a new way of life. I have tried several different eating plans since joining Spark, I lose weight very slowly and about 4 years ago I found one that works for me personally. I have tweaked it a bit to find something that is just right for me and I know exactly what to eat and how to eat it now to maintain my weight, and also to bring it back down to base when there has been some celebrating going on. I have found a way of eating that is enjoyable, healthy and because I do not feel deprived of anything I have no need to stop following it. That had been my life long pattern on every diet imaginable. But in truth I had never thought of making any of them a way of life. It was always to lose the weight so that I could back to eating 'normally'. In those days I could always lose easily, but never thought of actually sticking to some diet for the rest of my life. So finding a way of eating that I enjoy is just one of the blessings. In those early days I gradually got into daily walking, slowly increasing my steps over a couple of months up to a 100 a day at one time and began to walk in the garden. After using the walker with lots of rests on the seat, I began to walk with the stick, then finally four months into SP - wonder of wonders I was getting round the garden without either. I increased my daily walks until I reached 200 a day which was my first goal. What an achievement that was. The next thing was going outside the garden with my caregiver for half an hour once or twice a week. I was then even able to do a little gardening some weeks. This was wonderful for me. My aim had been to walk up to the dairy and also go on the bus alone - but I had reached my limit in that first few months regarding exercise at that time. If I did more I ended up back in bed again exhausted for days at a time. When I had been in Spark for a couple of years I was still on blood pressure pills and they were really disagreeing with me and while searching on line for some kind of natural alternative, I came across Quantum Healing and found an article that really interested me. The guy had been using certain methods to heal his body from a chronic condition that had left him housebound. He spoke of what he did and the results he had discovered. I began following the system he described and found that my health improved amazingly and I was able to walk up to the dairy and go on the bus alone. Life has opened up in so many ways since that time. I began to go back on the water - I love being on a boat and even managed a day trip away. Some time later my son and I went on holiday and I was able to walk around and do so many things. My walking reached a mile a day some days and then I would take a day to rest. Since joining SP I have lost over 50 lb and am under the 200lbs. I feel healthier and can move so much more easily. My Doctor has been amazed with my progress all the way through and so far my numbers are good when I have my checkups. He did not know about Spark people, he had never heard of it. He has now. I have diabetes 2 and blood work is still good. Diabetes and blood pressure are still doing fine without medication and I am feeling better than I have done in many many years. Happy travelling alone and go all over the place most times without any walking aids, although I am able to get wheel chair help if I need it, especially to save all the walking at airports. Traveling is a favourite and these days am pretty active all things considered. Gardening is once again is a joy and I can even use the big spade for digging as long as I go slow and not like a bull at a gate. Been maintaining now for the last 3 years or so. No longer am trying to get down to the weight I had planned on. Unrealistic and also requiring a way of eating that was impossible for me to sustain and have any kind of joyful life. I use a medical plan that suits my health issues and do not feel hungry or deprived. Doc is happy and needless to say so am I. Spark people was the catalyst for all this wonderful living I have been able to do that was far beyond anything I had dreamed of on the day I joined. The seventies are becoming some of the best years of my life so far. Who knows what the "80" may bring? There is hope for every single one of us my friends. Jennifer PS a little update - this is year 4 of maintenance and I am finding it less easy to maintain my weight this year. I gained over Christmas and this has always been quite easy to lose. This year it is dragging on. Maybe it is time to change my eating plan again. I have read that changing a routine kick starts the metabolism and that following any set pattern tends to lose it's effect.

Over 50 lb of weight have disappeared over the last 5 years, but far more importantly I have not been so well in a very long time. I love Spark People and have made some wonderful friends along the way. I would like to maintain my weight loss and maybe lose a few more pounds along the way, but above all I want to live a happy and peaceful life for as long as I am given.

I drink at least 6 - 8 cups of fluid a day. I follow an eating plan that is helping with my health issues as well as allowing me to lose weight. I am responding to blogs. I am writing blogs. I belong to several Teams. I post on the Team Boards.

I live in New Zealand and am a great grandma. I have 5 kids, 9 grandkids and 7 great grand children at the last count. :) My life has turned around these last few years in Spark People and I have met some amazing people and made really good friends.

One of my favourite books is the Prophet by Kahlil Gibran. I enjoy the garden and nature. Love flowers and birds and the ocean and trees. These days my hobbies include travel, eating out, gardening, writing, crosswords and all kind of word puzzles, TV and assorted computer games.

Add a Link "Give thanks for everything until you are absolutely sure it is not a blessing in disguise." Eastern Proverb. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Be the change you wish to see in the world.." Mahatma Gandhi. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Quitters never win and winners never quit." Anon ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Make the decision to enjoy today. Do what you need to do for tomorrow - but live fully in TODAY. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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