Happy New Year to you all on this 4th day of 2022.
I’ve spent the last few days cleaning, organizing, purging……dresser drawers, junk drawers, closets, the fridge/freezer and the pantry. Pretty much any space I encounter gets consideration of a good cleaning and purging for the next several days.
It happens every January in preparation for a fresh start to the new year. It’s always been therapeutic for me to physically toss out the old and welcome in the new, whether that means sorting through my sock drawer or cleaning out the freezer.
I like fresh starts. I like looking ahead. I like switching things up.
I like change.
I’ve always welcomed change. I enjoy day dreaming of what I see for myself, then making a plan of how I’ll make it happen. Sometimes I’m successful and sometimes I fail, but I always learn something about myself along the way. I hope I always keep the desire to learn and grow, to celebrate my successes and accept my failures as part of the process of learning.
May of 2021 was my 10 year anniversary of this blog. I didn’t celebrate it. I let it pass. I was feeling discouraged with myself at the time for not figuring out how to do some of the things that I had wanted to do with the blog to make it better, bigger. I let that anniversary go because I was more focused on what the blog wasn’t instead of focusing on what it was.
The blog has been exactly what I wanted it to be from the beginning and somehow I overlooked that.
I came up with the name The Weight of my Weight without much thought. My weight had always weighed heavy on my mind. I needed to talk about it.
The tagline also came quick to me….It’s a Heavy Subject, I’m Lightening it Up a Bit.
I wanted to address a heavy topic with humor.
My first post was May 9, 2011.
The Beginning
This is day one of my blog. It has taken me about six weeks to figure out how to do a blog………probably shouldn’t be admitting that? I hope by putting it all out there, I will be able to reach my weight loss goal with a little humor, and hopefully encourage others to do the same. I plan to blog about the food I eat, my excercise routine, my mood and how it affects my weight loss, and recipes I’ve found that make the weight loss journey and the lifestyle change a bit more enjoyable! I hope you’ll follow me!
While thinking about what it had not become, (visions of detailed recipes with videos and how to’s and millions and millions of followers that allowed me to hire a staff to run the blog and Mike and I to retire on an island) I failed to see that it was exactly what I intended it be. A place where I shared my food, my exercise, my mood and my weight loss and hopefully encouraged others in their own health journey.
I did that. I achieved what I set out to do. I reached my goal.
Beyond that?
I built relationships. I never even anticipated that. I developed Pen-Pals on the blog! Some of those relationships are now forever friends that I never would have met otherwise.
Not only have I shared my own health journey, I’ve been able to share our growing family, the excitement of being hired by WW, the silly projects I come up with around the house, the dream of buying Effie and making her my own and my cancer diagnosis and the journey that followed.
Now, “The Weight of my Weight” is no longer a “Heavy Subject” like it was 10 years ago, 20 years ago, 30 years ago. Now my weight is simply a number that gives me information. I’ve been able to learn that in the work that I’ve put into myself over the last 10 years.
Now my health journey is about….
How I choose to nourish my body, move my body, appreciate my body and show my body love.
It’s time to end this chapter and begin a new one.
Maybe I’ll start a new blog as I venture out in Effie and face my fears and learn new things and meet interesting people.
Who knows what this new chapter may bring.
Whether you’ve been here for support on your own health journey, or you felt a connection in your story and my story, or you’ve stuck around to see what shenanigans I’ve been up to, I so appreciate you. I know that taking the time to comment on the blog requires effort, and I can not express how grateful I am that so many of you took the time to do that and connect with me. I was always excited to read and reply to the comments you left over these 10 years.
My sweet friend Diane said to me…..”It is a gift to know when it’s time to move on”.
It is time to move on. This is my final post here as I begin a new chapter.
Thank you all so much for following!
“love the life you live, live the life you love”
Julie, I will miss your adventures and your family as it grows. But I really understand needing to always pursue new chapters in our lives. Thank you for sharing so much with us. I wish you and your family the best that life has to offer.
Julie,
I am happy to have been one of your blog readers! It is so cool that you now have figured it is time to move on! Enjoy your next chapter and whatever comes next! Are you going to keep working at WW? I hope so. I am still a member. I am retiring from JCCC on May 13, 2022. It will be a new chapter for me as well. Take care!
Sally Ann
Lora,
So many comments that make me wanna travel and meet my readers in person so I can hug each one of you and say “Thank You!” for accepting me as I maneuver through life and beautifully putting in words how you’ve felt about my writing. I haven’t cried while reading any of the comments, but I do have such a warm feeling in my heart. Congratulations on your retirement and now you begin your own new chapter! Thank you for all of the love and I send it right back to you! Happy 2022!!
Best of luck my friend, I feel like am losing a friend. Weird, huh? But that is the kind of writing that you have been doing in your blog, you draw us in on a level most of us can relate to, and do fun, family things. Love reading about your family, your food, and your Effie. I just retired 12/6/21 and now I am on shaky legs, doing this, I know i have my basics still, but a large part of my life was going to work. I am doing the same as you and cleaning/purging anything in my home that stands still long enough. I feel sad for me to lose you, but happy for you to have accomplished this wonderful ten years. Best of luck in life and may you always have ‘enough.’ Love you, Lora (Lifer from Mass.)
You are no jinx 🤣 It’s just time for me to move on. I’m already thinking about a new blog down the road! 😊Thank you so much for the huge compliment!
I swear I am a jinx to bloggers! It seems every time I find a really good, interesting blog that I enjoy they stop blogging! I do understand your wanting a new chapter, but hope that you decide to continue blogging…maybe in a different direction. All the best!
Jennifer,
I miss seeing you too and thank you so much for your sweet words. That was a great great group and I miss so many of those people!
Hopefully our paths will cross again one day! Happy 2022 to you and your family!
I will certainly miss reading your blog, but I wish you all the best on your new adventure. Sure wish WW would start the “at work” meetings again. I miss seeing you, but I hope you know what an inspiration you were and are to me. You helped me so much on my WW journey, and I appreciate all the time, thoughtful responses, and encouragement you gave me along the way.
Have a wonderful 2022!
Hi Jill,
Thanks for your comment. I’m actually making several whole30 meals this week. I found so many great recipes when we did the whole30 that have stuck as staples in our house. Some of my favorites come from Paleo Running Mama and 40aprons!
Good luck to you on your Whole30 and thanks for your very sweet comment. 😊Happy 2022!
Wow! I just started reading some of your posts from your whole 30 experience, as I’m currently doing that program. You are a wonderful writer and I found your words to be so refreshing and encouraging.
You have a gift! I love your honesty in the posts I’ve read. You are a beautiful person inside and out! God bless you as you love forward!!
“He makes all things new..” Revelation 21:5
Jill
Sue, Thank you so much for following along! Thank you for your sweet comments. I really appreciate everything that you said here. 🥰Good luck to you on your weight loss journey and your retirement! Sounds like a great future ahead of you.
Hello Julie, I am a recently retired teacher (in Ontario, Canada) with 4 adult children. I am a somewhat private person, not inclined to blog or read blogs, however, somehow I saw your blog about 4 years ago and have continued to watch for your posts. I really like your positive nature and your inclination to inspire others. I am working on losing some extra weight and exercising more, and after retiring I have more time for my personal health care. It’s a good feeling! Like others, I hope you continue to blog. I don’t think there is any question that your inclination to share yourself online provides encouragement and incites mindfulness in others. Thank you! All the best to you. -Sue
We can email 😃
Julesfarm@yahoo.com
Mignon,
Happy you’ve visited my little corner here and appreciate your sweet comments. I’ve always journaled and will continue for sure. Sometimes it’s good to just grab a pen and paper and let the thoughts flow……
Hope to see you soon!
I hope you will start another Blog. Writer is such good therapy and sharing. I always looked forward to reading your blog. So we will see what happens.
I’m sad. I’ll miss your posts and I guess just knowing how you’re doing. But I wish you all the best in everything you do!
Lloy, I don’t think I ever knew that’s how you found the blog! Prevention Magazine maybe?? I’ve so enjoyed your comments and our exchanges. I do hope we have the opportunity to meet in person this year! You have my email and I have yours. Thank you for all of your support and sharing your own story with me. 🥰 Happy 2022! See you this year somewhere! 😃
Dear Julie,
I have enjoyed reading your blog so much! I first heard of your blog through a magazine I just can’t remember which one. LOL I can not believe it has been 10 years. You have been so kind to me and I will miss you but will stay in touch. Yes we will meet I promise.
Good luck on your next adventure my friend.
All my love.
Thank you Lyra! Maybe we’ll run into one another sometime soon. Happy 2022!
Wishing you all the best on your new adventures!