Delicate Flower (Whole40 Results)

While my results from the Whole40 are nothing dramatic, I'm still pleased with myself for completing the 40 days, and I did lose weight. 

Because I forgot to weigh in on Day One (after my trip to Puerto Vallarta, where I'm sure I gained a lot of weight), I'm going off of my weight on July 20th (almost two months ago); since then I've lost 11.3 lbs, most of that likely water and "temporary" weight from the junk food.

However, I am only 1 lb under my weight from the Whole65 (which ended on my birthday). So, I did lose actual weight, albeit not very much. I also lost an inch off my waist, two inches off of my hips (where I carry the majority of my extra pudge), and a half inch off my thighs.

I'm glad to be headed in the right direction, however slowly. It does encourage me to not go overboard during this time off (I actually have a couple of weeks, what with the Paris (I leave on Wednesday...holy cats) and then the Ashland trip at the beginning of October. When I start my next one I don't want to have dug myself a junk food pit to climb out of...although I do look forward to a couple of treats. Tonight, in particular, I'll be enjoying a Sangria Swirl with some friends after we close Love's Labour's Lost.

So much has been going on - LLL is coming to an end; I've started workshop rehearsals for Matthew Briar; the Paris trip is fast approaching, and unfortunately, Panda is very sick. I've been paranoid and militant about not getting sick and not getting germs on me, which unfortunately has caused some upset in the house, which of course causes stress, which is supposed to encourage cold germs to knock you on your ass...I'm trying very hard to breathe and get through this without getting sick.

I've worked myself from 0 to 13.1 miles. I'm going to France for the first time in twelve years, and seeing a friend whom I *never* get to see. I've lost one hundred and thirteen pounds to get to where I am now.

I. Am. Not. Getting. Sick. Not right now. Not this time, universe.

You hear that, stomach? You hear that, throat and chest? I'm going to stay healthy if it fucking kills me!

Which means that I have yet another reason to not go overboard on the treats (especially the alcohol): NO GETTING SICK. Not before international travel and my first half-marathon ever.

In other happier news, I worked a parade with the Shakespeare folks yesterday morning, and it was really fun (although it was both the shortest and the fastest parade in which I've ever participated.) We dressed up in some pretty pseudo-Renaissance fairy-looking costumes and handed out flyers for next year's season and had a great time watching all the other groups and floats. And when I saw the photos that my friends had taken, I actually kind of liked them. We all look really happy and pretty. Including me. This doesn't usually happen (I can't take a photo to save my life, not only am I unhappy with my weight but I have trouble making natural nice-looking faces in photos). But I'm happy to see pictures in which I like seeing myself, especially when I'm smiling.

Angie is so much better at selfies than I am (I'm in the passenger seat)

Flower Girls! I'm second from the left

Happy smiles!

As my summer with Shakespeare in the Park wraps up tonight, I am a little blue and will miss the fun people I got to work with on LLL. It didn't move my heart as profoundly as Julius Caesar did, but I'm still really thankful I got to be on the team and dance around to 90s music while reciting some beautiful poetry with some brilliant people.

Today, Love's Labour's Lost. In three days, Paris. After that, Matthew Briar (with a little Ashland thrown in for flavor), the November trip to Disneyland, A Christmas Carol, The Country House, and then Filmapalooza, which we've just heard is going to be in Seattle in March! We're bringing Stonewood (best picture of San Jose in 2016, WHUT) and it's going to be a fun fun time at the film festival.

There's an absolute ton of things going on. And I'm exhausted and feeling delicate and paranoid (can't get sick can't get sick) and excited and nervous and then more excited, and seriously sincerely grateful. 

The depression and rage still come and go sometimes, although since cleaning up my diet they're not nearly as crazy as they used to be. 2016 has been one crazy bipolar motherf$#%er of a year. But I am really thankful to have had some wonderful, happy, funny, and profound experiences to give me perspective. I'm holding on to the good memories as hard as I can. 

I'm calling summer 2016 my Purple Summer. It started from the design perspective of Portia and Princess (and was happily alliterative with their names) but it has more meaning than that, too. So much more has happened this crazy summer.

Purple Summer ends on Wednesday when I leave the US and autumn begins on Thursday when I arrive in France. I'm excited to see what adventures the rest of 2016 has in store for me.