Out with the old and all that…What did 2022 teach you? That question has been rolling around my mind this week. I can say it’s been a solid year. I’m fortunate in that way. I turned 52 this year. My daughter celebrated her first year of marriage. My husband and I celebrated our tenth. My son became a real estate agent. All good things.
I traveled to Florida a couple times. I’ve traveled more since Covid than ever before. Interesting to note that.
The past day has taught me that it’s more than okay to remove people from your life who are clearly not for you. I’m the type of person who’s a forever friend, so I sort of expect others to be. They’re just not, for the most part. Expectation is officially lowered. Check.
That’s not to be a Debbie Downer. That’s to be a Realistic Rita. The older you get, the smaller your circle of trust becomes. It’s not a bad thing.
How much better it is to have a small group of people who you can trust than to have a large circle of people you’re not sure about.
This year I flourished, modeling clothes online and loving it. Who’d have thought I’d be doing that at 52? I sure didn’t. I didn’t write enough. It’s been a challenge. More on that later.
I lost 13 pounds. I didn’t think I’d do that either. I’d never before struggled with weight. Having Crohn’s, I’ve usually struggled to keep weight on more than anything. But…menopause.
Like many women, menopause dumped a dozen mystery pounds on me and I was not feeling myself. I felt out of sorts but when I looked in the mirror, I didn’t like what I saw and I didn’t like how I felt. There’s something quite important about feeling good in your own skin. I’m the age where we give very few f’s but I still want to feel confident in my jeans, you know? I’ll admit I was buying clothes thinking they’d fix the problem. They did not.
My sister turned me on to a low-carb lifestyle and my gosh, if that wasn’t the ticket! From around my birthday in June until sometime in October, I lost 13 pounds. It wasn’t hard and I know how that sounds, but it really wasn’t. I simply lowered my carb intake. I met and exceeded my goal.
Never have I ever had a sweet tooth. Then came Menopause and she screwed me over with a sweet tooth. I still eat sweet things sometimes, but I’ve figured out a way to eat low-carb sweets. Did you know you can make delicious cake without sugar and very few carbs? True. I’ve found some great, easy recipes for meals and such that are low or no carb. I’ve learned to adapt my new lifestyle when I eat out (salads are my friend), and a really great part is…
My inflammation in my intestines went WAY down. That’s not to say the Crohn’s is playing nice, but having lower inflammation is so important and I am pleased. How would this affect my intestines, you may wonder? Sugar is an inflammatory so giving up 90% of my sugar intake plus the med I’m on made this important improvement.
I’m starting 2023 feeling lighter, looking better, and more in love with my family than ever. The pugs are good. We aren’t without some challenges, but we are happy. We are healthy and safe. God is good and I’m so glad.
Stick around and subscribe as next year we will talk more consistently here about relationships, toxic friends, beautiful + affordable fashion (especially over 50 since…I’m over 50), chronic illness, menopausal weight loss, and more! Don’t forget to connect with me on Instagram where I share about these things on a daily basis!
I hope for a grand 2023 for you, my friend. May you be exceptionally blessed.
Love,
