Noemar – @noemardau.bsky.social
I absolutely LOVE this mug. No words are needed. One look and you react.
The progress report for September 2025 is encouraging, though slow, as usual. My “Losing the Lard” project started a couple of years ago. I have hit every snag, bump in the road, pothole, plateau and stagnation possible during that time. I have become a master of making excuses for what went wrong.
Dying twice February 11th in the hospital in Arkansas, having to have a temporary, then permanent pacemaker installed, then moving to Thailand and having a baseline assessment doctor totally concerned about my sky-high blood pressure – with orders to take a medication, lose weight and exercise – finally ended that. No more excuses. I needed to quit opening my mouth, start seriously moving my body, and embrace the fact that I have been given a second chance.
Since Thai food has LOTS and LOTS of carbs, my low-carb plan has been a challenge. “Western food” as it’s known here, is much more what I would like to eat, but it’s a lot more expensive. So I have changed to eating two meals daily – breakfast and dinner – with an iced coffee or chocolate in the afternoons, and sharing dinner with my son – with him eating 2/3 of whatever we get an me eating 1/3. We are eating chicken, pork, rarely beef, bacon, salad stuff, fruit, eggs, nuts, and some veggies. We are drinking mushroom tea with some beef bone broth mixed in each morning.
I moved to Thailand in April. Since the assessment by the doctor, I have lost 23 pounds. I am walking on the treadmill daily at the gym, doing yoga stretches, and dancing to music with water bottles for weights daily, plus regular walking.
PROGRESS TO DATE – I’ve lost 78 pounds total since my heaviest, and there are 74-3/4 inches less of me than at my heaviest. I’m undecided whether I want to lose 10 or 15 pounds at this point. I want to be in the middle of the ‘healthy weight’ section of the chart. I want to feel stronger, more flexible, and handle the uneven streets and sidewalks here in Thailand with more agility. I need to improve the balance issue I’ve had since being in the hospital. I’m working on that at the gym by not holding on to the handlebars of the treadmill, forcing my brain and my body to keep correcting to not fall on my head. It’s amazing to me how much more trouble I have staying balanced when the video on the screen in front of me is following a really curvy path and going in and out of dark places…
It’s good to be able to finally see reaching my goal in the relatively near future. Working toward my goal makes me feel that I am doing something good for myself.
creativeartworksblog 
What a great Progress Report! One step at a time actually adds up, and you are proof! You are such an inspiration for a lot of people, I am sure. Keep up the good work and thank you for sharing your journey with us. (Donna)
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Hi, Donna. Thanks so much for your encouragement. I do hope that others who are facing the same challenge take heart that they CAN do it and that they will feel better, able to do more of what they would like to do from hearing my story. I appreciate your comments.
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Well done! You’ve made amazing progress! Keep going. Your positive attitude and determination really are inspiring. I love reading your blog. 💜
Lesley-Ann ( Edinburgh, Scotland)
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Hi, Lesley-Ann. Thanks so much for your kind words about the blog and encouragement about my efforts for there to be less of me. Much appreciated!🙂
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Your progress, as you know, is soooo inspiring, Linda. I’m sure you’ll decide soon on whether to release 10 or 15 more pounds. I think you look great now. But I almost don’t want to tell you that because the last time someone told me that, I stopped losing weight and had I not quit then, I’d probably be at my goal weight by now. Ugh! I don’t know why some words STICK in one’s head more than others. I am simply proud of you dear friend! I hear you about the food choices there too, but cutting the portion has worked for you, and that’s FANTASTIC!
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I appreciate all of your encouragement, Sheila. I want to continue until it FEELS right. I’m within range now. It feels great to have you cheering me on. Please keep up your efforts, as well. I want you to feel GREAT!
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I’m working on it, Linda. I’m not as dedicated and persistent as you are though. I am so proud of you!
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There are no rewards for ‘fast’ on losing weight. It’s a good thing we aren’t penalized for taking a long time, losing our motivation, falling off our plan, etc. I am having trouble believing that I might actually reach my goal in the future. I’ve had SO many setbacks and am having to LEARN not to be an emotional eater and to actually exercise daily – both really odd things for me. Change CAN happen, though. Just keep working on it. I hope that you FEEL better as you make progress toward your goals.
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Beautiful, Linda. Yes, I must stay the course.
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You can do this.
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