About

Remember the olden days when a dating ad in the newspapers started with SWF looking for SWM?  Well, that should tell you something... it was back in the day when there were newspapers, and people used them to find a date, and SWF were looking for SWM.   I always feel like I am writing a dating ad when I start an "About Me" page.... which by the way, I have been happily married for over 25 years and am not looking for a date.

So, I have always been naturally skinny, muscular, and high energy and then "IT" happened.  Middle age...Menopause....and *horrors*  FAT!   I don't care that 50 is the new 30, and all that other rubbish.  I am not going down without a fight!!  Graying and aging gracefully...pshaww!  That is for someone too beat down to fight back.

Here I am documenting my way back.   Back to fit....back to healthy....back to high energy.  Food, exercise, "beauty" products, personal experiments, the experiments of others, and whatever else works.  It is all part of the Life Style Change!

I started on a Website called CalorieCount.about.com on February 14, 2012.  I used it for a while to track food, I lost some weight and got some awareness, then dropped off for a while, ballooned into the former me wearing a fat suit, and re-joined and got serious.  There is a lot of into there, a lot of success stories, and a lot of people willing to help out.  Sometimes you need to plow through the weird "dieters" to get to the real info, but it is there.   A lot of what will show up on this blog is from CC people.... you know, we all need a little help from our friends.

Personal info:  I am currently 55 (the new 35?) but don't look or act my age...hahaha (the joys of being immature).  I live in Marietta, Georgia with my husband, three kids in their 20's (at various degrees of college and joining the adult world), two large hairy dogs, an ancient cat, two geriatric horses (mobile lawn ornaments), about 19 chickens of various ages... the number tends to fluctuate a lot depending on hawks, coyotes, and how many hens choose the motherhood route in life.   I tend to cook a lot and in large quantities because my two boys are body builder types (one is a State Champion), and they tend to have a bunch of their hungry friends over.  My skinny little mini-me daughter loves to cook, so food experimentation is normal.

The newest household trend is a lifestyle away from chemical additives, processed foods, and all the other "safe" poisons that are marketed and so often used without thought.  I firmly believe that we are in charge of our own long - term health and we cannot rely on manufacturers or the government to tell us what is safe for us.  They don't necessarily have a good track record on that front do they??

Follow along... just sit down and buckle up.... the ride may be bumpy!

Chela Rocks!