Fashion over 50: Vicki’s Back!

Hey, friends!  If you’ve been reading my blog for a few years, you will remember that I have a very close friend, Vicki, who I went to high school with and we have been best buddies for many years.

I featured her several times on fashion posts for the full figured gal and today I’m sharing more of Vicki’s story. I know you will love hearing from her again, this time even more from the heart on what she’s been through over the last few years, life’s ups and downs.  Along with all of that, Vicki has been on a quest for weight loss and I’m so excited to share her amazing journey.

Just as a reminder, here are a couple of shots from 3 years ago when Vicki was a guest on my blog with some fashion over 50 posts.

Vicki loves shopping at thrift stores and has found many things over the years to add to her closet.  I’m sure she will continue shopping thriftstores at times, but now her size has been altered and as she mentioned back then shopping in the Women’s department, now she’s shopping in the regular department, size 14.

Here’s Vicki 3 years ago, a pretty lady.

And here’s Vicki now!  I can’t wait for Vicki to share her story and I hope it touches many of you too. If you have struggled with weight issues or anxiety, you’ll relate to Vicki’s story.

Here’s Vicki…….

Thanks to Rhoda for allowing me to share my heart with her readers.

The storms of life can pop up when you least expect it, out of a clear blue sky, bringing winds and waves of adversity. I felt like I was standing, firmly, on a white sandy beach enjoying the beautiful view of a calm sea and bright future when, BAM, a huge wave of change rose up out of nowhere and crashed into me. The forceful wave pounded me down onto the ocean floor strewn with sharp rocks and broken shells, bruising my faith. Just when I got my footing and stood back up, BAM, a huge wave of loss and disappointment hit, knocking the breath out of me. Again, I fought to stand up, but more waves came, one after the other, each one stronger than the last. Finally, I was carried out into the deep, lost and alone, where sharks of worry, depression and fear lurked, seeking to devour me.

This sounds a little dramatic, but it’s how I felt as I tried to “stand” against waves of change and loss during one of my life’s storms, the greatest in 24 years. While many of our challenging circumstances were natural life events, they occurred within a relatively short period of time. I won’t bore you by expounding on my list of trials and tribulations, but Rhoda suggested I mention them. I’m sure many of you have experienced some of the same, and many of you have experienced much worse.

January 2016-February 2018

I began treatment for dangerously high cholesterol levels.

The shape of my nose changed after basal cell carcinoma surgery.

Our younger son graduated from college (9 year plan) and moved an hour away.

He married a wonderful young lady 3 months later, both joyous occasions!

My husband required 2 surgeries after an injury.

Two weeks later, our beloved 15 ½ year old Weimaraner died.

My precious 79 year old mother-in-law with Alzheimer’s moved from her home of 36 years two hours away to an assisted living near her daughters.

My 84 year old mother with Alzheimer’s was hospitalized 3 times in 6 weeks, and survived pulmonary embolism.

We celebrated our 35^th wedding anniversary and our 60^th birthdays.

Our older son and daughter-in-law and their 4 children, ages 1-6, moved 17 hours away from their life long home in North Georgia, to West Texas where he accepted a position at a huge church.

We closed on the sales of both our parents’ homes in the same month.

I experienced some concerning symptoms and assumed they were caused by the mental and emotional stress of the past year. But they progressed and after research, I determined the debilitating muscle pain in my quadriceps was most likely caused by the statin drug I was prescribed in January, 2016. I alerted the prescribing physician and halved the dose.

We traveled to West Texas to visit our son’s family.

Symptoms/side effects persisted and I discontinued the statin and returned to the one I had taken previously without any negative side effects. Quadricep pain disappeared but not the most serious of symptoms. .

My brother and I had to make a very difficult decision regarding our mother’s health.

Texas crew came home for Christmas, 2017.

During 2016 and 2017, my husband was dealing with his own challenges regarding his business, surgery, loss of our sons, our dog, his hobby, etc…In January, 2018, he was diagnosed with severe anemia. After numerous tests did not reveal anything ominous, I finally told him about my symptoms.

On Tuesday, February 27, 2018 I heard from God.

Yes, I heard from God. Not in an audible voice, but He spoke to me very directly that day. My anxiety level had reached an all time high. I had an appointment with our internist the next day to discuss my persistent symptoms of dizziness, upset stomach, and problems with short term memory and speech. At that point, I had concluded I might have dementia caused by the statin drugs and blamed myself for not losing weight to lower my cholesterol. Guilt and shame added insult to any real or presumed injury I faced.

That morning, I shared my fear with my dear friend Carol, a strong woman of faith. When I began the blame game, she cut me off, saying that was a lie from satan and I should not look back but forward. Her encouragement reminded me of the scripture, “satan comes to kill, steal and destroy, but I come so that you may have life ‘more’ abundantly”. John 10:10.

Later I listened to a Christian program I enjoy in the mornings. The message was on 23^rd Psalm and how the sheep would stay stuck in the same place until parasites took them and the land over! The message was to JUST MOVE. Well, I had been stuck in a rut of poor eating habits resulting in obesity for much too long! It was time for me to “move”.

After lunch, I took a short drive to the library and flipped on the radio. The very first words I heard were about addiction and how we must push through the discomfort of withdrawals from drugs, alcohol or food (New Life Live Broadcast). Hmmmm….Back at home, I prepared dinner and fretted over the webinar I planned to attend that night. It was an orientation about a weight loss plan I had experienced success with years prior, but fear of failure kept me from trying again. After dinner, I turned to the daily devotional from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young.

Keep your eyes on Me! Waves of adversity are washing over you, and you feel tempted to give up. As your circumstances consume more and more of your attention, you are losing sight of Me. Yet I am with you always, holding you by your right hand. I am fully aware of your situation, and I will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able to bear. 1 Corinthians 10:13

            Your gravest danger is worrying about tomorrow. If you try to carry tomorrow’s burdens today, you will stagger under the load and eventually fall flat. You must discipline yourself to live within the boundaries of today. It is in the present moment that I walk close to you, helping you carry your burdens. Keep your focus on My Presence in the present.

Wow! This devotional spoke directly to my anxiety and temptation with food. A wave of peace washed over me. On the day of the orientation webinar, and the day before my doctor’s appointment, God used 4 different “messages” to minister to me in a very personal and specific way. My husband noticed the improvement in my demeanor. When I tearfully shared what happened, he agreed I’d heard from God. After the webinar, I committed to the health plan.

Appointments with my internist and later a neurologist concluded my worrisome symptoms were not related to the statin drug but caused by the stress of the past two years! I felt immediate relief in my mind and body. Overcome with emotion, I told my husband I felt God had given me a second chance to live a healthier lifestyle.

I began my weight loss program the next Monday, March 5, 2018. Less than 4 months later, on June 28, 2018, I saw my internist again. I had lost 40 pounds and my blood pressure was the lowest ever. (I’d never been treated for hypertension, but this was the lowest BP reading I could recall.) My cardiac health risks were much lower and my internist recommended I discontinue the statin drug! Woo hoo! I had been on a statin since I was 50! God truly touched me, giving me the self discipline to work the plan as needed to lose the weight quickly. I give Him all the glory for my success. I have not weighed this weight in 24 years.

My Weight Loss Plan    

Most any weight loss plan will work if you work it, but as I aged, plans that had worked for me before, no longer worked, or maybe I just didn’t work them! This plan is different in that it teaches how to combine foods for efficient fat burning. It’s scientific! Why had I never heard of this before? Other components of the plan include portion control, timing, journaling, support from fellow members and staff, exercise and spiritual enrichment. While I am blessed to live near a center, I have worked the plan completely on-line, on my schedule! I enjoy encouraging relationships developed through our Facebook group. We have members located across the U.S. and in other countries.

If you’ve struggled to lose 10 or 100 pounds, what do you have to lose but weight by trying this plan? You are worth the effort of improving your health and taking back your life. Trust me! If I can be successful working this plan at this age and stage of my life, you can too! This plan is affordable and enjoyable using grocery food; doable and sustainable as a life long lifestyle. Here is the link to the plan that has radically changed my body, my life: https://www.myshibboleth.com/sponsor/vickidavis/

If you’d like to contact me about the plan, please leave a comment here or on my blog, Mother Moms Musings.

God bless you all as you strive to “stand” up against the waves of life’s storms and in your pursuit of life “more” abundantly!

Thank you, Vicki!  I’m so glad you stopped by today to share your heart with my readers and I know that someone’s been blessed today because you shared.  I hope you all will leave Vicki some comments and tell her what a great job she is doing.  I’m SO proud of my friend!  We have had different health journeys over the years, but aging is not a one size fits all program, is it?  I love Vicki’s story and how God intervened in her life to give her the tools when she needed them to get on the weight loss path and stick with it.  

We’re going shopping for new Fall clothes for Vicki soon and I can’t wait to see her in them! 

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