Serpentine (Obelisk) 572 grams (1 pound, 4.2 ounces). Lebanon Gem Show November 18, 2017

Jennifer, a Shadow Selfie Hilton Head, South Carolina, April 2017 __________________________________ Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other. – Walter Elliot ______________________ If 5 May 2016 was the day I decided to lose weight, then May 11 of the same year was the day I acted by going back to Weight Watchers and committing to losing 66 pounds. I have been known to make promises to myself and then not do the difficult work of following through, but this time I did. Today, I celebrate my one-year of perseverance, and, so far, a 62-pound weight loss. I have attended 52 meetings in a row, some of them away from home. I didn’t always feel like going, especially when I had a less than stellar week and/or was on vacation, but I have come to realize that the lousy weeks were precisely the times I really needed those meetings. In my 5 May 2017 post , I outlined some of the strategies I used to help me through my weight-loss journ

Jennifer (Before, 2010) and Jennifer (After, 2017) But it's not just about "looks" -- That's just superficial stuff. It's also about  physical and psychological health. ___________________ I don’t focus on what I’m up against. I focus on my goals and I try to ignore the rest. – Venus Williams __________________________ Back in 2011, I started this site as a diet and exercise space, but then I gained my weight back (and then some). It was as if my arrogance, self-importance, and faux expertise brought me down a few notches, so I decided to broaden the site focus; I began writing about other topics of personal importance. So, for the most part, I have backed off on diet topics. But now I return to the topic of Diet Talk for a good reason: today, May 5, 2017, is the first anniversary of my decision to attempt, once again, losing weight and, most importantly, keeping it off. I remember that day well: as I was being fitted for a CPAP mask, I made

Jennifer, April 22, 2017 Do I look like a certain stereotype? ___________ Today, I got an inkling of what it must be like being an African-American in the United States of America. It was cold and raw today, so I wore my hoodie and mittens. As I was checking my phone before finishing up my walk, I heard this angry voice behind me: “Hello? Hello? Can I help you with something?” At first, I ignored it – he couldn’t possibly be speaking to me. I didn’t know him, and he had no reason to speak to me like that. Again, he yelled, “I said, ‘Hello, can I help you with something?’” Confused, I turned around, and said, “No, I’m fine.” A young man – maybe mid-20’s – in shorts and a t-shirt, stopped short, obviously embarrassed. He slunk away. Why this happened didn’t hit me until I was about two blocks away; yes, this is what it’s like being white in America – on a visceral level, we just don’t get what African-Americans experience every day. It took m

Composite by Jennifer Semple Siegel, created on 9/12/2001 _________________________ My story is unremarkable, but my horror was not. At 8:46 AM, I was asleep when Flight 11 hit the North Tower. My husband nudged me awake. “The World Trade Center is on fire,” he said as he flipped on the TV, an old black and white portable. “A plane crashed into one of the towers.” I jumped out of bed, memory of the 1993 WTC bombing smoldering in my brain. Terrorism? “When I went into the shower, Katie Couric...,” he said. “By the time I was out...this.” “Terrorism,” I said. “They're not saying. Could be an accident.” But I knew. I could feel the hate vibrating in my bones. A sense of panic. I dressed without showering and went into the living room. I flipped on NBC. In living color, we saw the second plane slice into the South Tower. 9:03 AM, Flight 175. Yes. Terrorism. Jerry had classes and left for school. On a Monday-Wednesday schedule, I stayed home alone.

In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility. – Eleanor Roosevelt _______________________ My life has taken a dramatic turn, and it all began with a hinky treadmill. No worries and definitely no treadmill accidents – this is a positive turn of events. Let me elaborate by beginning with how I handled my Sioux City vacation this year. For the first time ever while visiting family, I did not fall completely back into bad eating habits. Yes, I did step off program slightly (mostly planned, sometimes not so much), but never to the extent that my stomach hurt and felt bloated. And I did not need one stinkin’ Zantac – a first for a “back home” vacation. For the first time ever , I returned home from vacation with a significant weight loss, despite the fact that I wasn’t always on track with mindful eating. I can point to four possible reasons: I conti

Close to Goal ______________ Do not be in a hurry to succeed. What would you have to live for afterwards? Better make the horizon your goal; it will always be ahead of you. – William Makepeace Thackeray _________________ I am always close to goal because I have set small achievable goals that can be reached quickly. I may have a large goal in mind, but if, on a day-to-day basis, I concentrate on the small goal, the big goal will eventually be achievable. When it comes to weight loss, setting a large goal is a fool’s mission. For example, saying, “I’m going to lose 100 pounds in six months” is unrealistic, and sets one up for failure. Even setting small weight loss goals can be frustrating, given the day-to-day scale variables. But saying, “For one week, I will eat in such a way as to facilitate good health and sensible weight loss. I  can  control what I feed my body, but I  won’t  worry about the number on the scale. If I eat well and use fewer calories than