On A VERY Personal (And Pretty Embarrassing) Note…

This post has nothing to do with decorating or DIY, and it’s only peripherally related to my blog.  Just wanted you to know that up front, especially for those of you who click over from a reader like Bloglovin’ or an email subscription, so that you won’t feel tricked if you decide to click over today and find no DIY in this post.  🙂

Have you ever wondered why you never see pictures of me on my blog?  Pretty much the only picture is that small one in the right sidebar, and the one on my “About” page.  Those are, in fact, the same picture.  Other than that, I avoid getting in front of the camera as much as I can.  I even hate taking pictures of my hands and wrists.  The reason?

I’m fat.

I know it often makes people uncomfortable when someone says something like that about themselves.  But it’s true, and there’s no way to sugar coat that.  (Mmmmm…sugar!)

The fact is that I absolutely hate the way I look.  Over the last 15 years (or more), I’ve let my weight so totally balloon out of control (“balloon” is a very fitting word here) that I avoid mirrors, cameras, and basically any and all reflective surfaces, just so that I don’t have to look at myself, because catching a glimpse of that reflection is incredibly depressing.  And if I can’t stand to look at myself in pictures, there’s no way in heck I’m going to post them on my blog.

I even hate taking pictures of my hands, because I have fat hands, and fat wrists, and fat arms.  I just hate putting any of that “out there” for the world to see.  So instead, I stay hidden behind the camera as much as possible.

My weight has held me back for so long now, especially with this blog.  I’d love to be one of those bloggers who can actually be a part of the projects they do in pictures, but as long as I’m fat, that will never happen.  One thing I’ve wanted to do for so long now is make videos of projects, DIY tutorials, power tool help, and just other random and fun things, but as long as I’m fat, that will never happen.

I have so many dreams for my blog that will just never come to fruition as long as I’m fat.  And I hate that.  I hate that I’ve allowed myself to become imprisoned and held back by my own hatred of my appearance.  And I hate that I’ve allowed my weight to spiral out of control like I have.

So I decided to do something about it.  The last time I was really serious about doing something about my weight was in 2012.  Matt and I had a great year, and I lost 50 pounds that year.  Since then, I gained back 23.5 pounds and have fallen back into some of our old habits, though not all of them, thank goodness!  Having a kitchen out of commission for so long didn’t help, but I certainly could have made better food choices during that time.

Anyway, I’m back on, and I’m serious this time.  I’m very determined.  And I don’t plan to stop this time until I reach my goal.

What is that goal?  Well, I’d like to lose 100 pounds.

(See?  I told you I was fat!!!)

I started last Tuesday, and as of this morning, I was down 11.5 pounds.  I’m off to a good start, and seeing that weight loss encourages me to continue.

As this is a DIY and decorating blog, and not a lifestyle blog or healthy living blog, this will be the only time I’ll write about this here on the main blog.  But for any of you who may be interested in following my journey, I’ll be documenting my journey on a separate section of the blog.  I’ll also add a button on the sidebar so that it’s easy to find.  I won’t be posting links to those posts on my Facebook page, or sending out new posts via email or RSS, or anything like that.  Because again, I’m a DIY blogger.  Period.  And I have no intention of changing that.  But I also know that so many others struggle with the same issue, and I wanted to document my journey for those who might find encouragement in it.  I also wanted to document it for myself, so that I can look back and find encouragement as well, if and when I hit a bump in the road.

For those of you not interested in following along, hopefully you’ll still see the results in the way of increased photos of me included in my projects, and possibly even some videos.  I really want to do videos.  But I need to take care of this first.

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

182 Comments

  1. Wow Kristi! One of the reasons I absolutely love your blog is your honesty and you have again shown that in spades in this posting. I wish you only the best and will definitely be following you along on your progress with your home, as well as with your body and body image. Congratulations on picking up and starting again on your trek to a healthier body.

  2. Kristi, first, that was so, so, so brave to publicly post- I’m sure it was hard. I want to thank you for being so willing to speak your truth! Also, know that you’ve got all the support, encouragement, and electronic hand holding and high fiving coming your way! Finally, and possibly most importantly, I’m not going to argue how you feel- you’re entitled to do what you want and feel good about with your blog and your body- but I think someone should say that no one that regularly reads your blog would be judging your wrists. I love your charisma, your dedication, your attitude, your creativity, and your ideas- I don’t care a bit what size you are! I read your blog with my overweight daughter- and your dress size isn’t something either of us had considered before- but with this post, I’m going to point out another way you’re a role model, because you’ve chosen to make yourself happy in your skin. Thanks for this, truly! -Kimberly

    1. I agree. I don’t follow your blog cuz you are young and skinny..I follow cuz u are creative, interesting, informative, helpful and honest. Lose weight or not, i will follow your blog til I can’t read any more
      yours truly
      retired 65 yr old woman, me

        1. I agree also and I am of the same generation as Denise. Your talent and inner beauty is the draw to your blog. But I admire and appreciate your dedication to you self-image. The rest of us love you no matter what. If you feel better physically, you will be happier, no doubt. You amaze me !!!

    2. I have to agree with so many comments posted here. I come here to admire your creativity, your abilities, your strength. You’ve inspired me to take risks in my own home. You’ve shown me different ideas than I see anywhere else. You show the world a capable, strong, and talented individual.

      Your weight has not factored into any of the above. Your weight doesn’t factor into any of the above. That said, I’m proud of you for deciding to take care of yourself. Make yourself happy. That’s the least of what you deserve.

  3. So proud of you and your commitment to yourself! I understand trying to hide, as I have let myself gain 120 lbs over my ideal. I have lost 10 and would like to let another 100 go, but it seems daunting. You are such an inspiration in so many ways Kristi. Thank you for taking us on this journey with you!

  4. Kristi – I’m right there with you. But, I know you can master your weight issues with the same tenacity that you do your DIY projects…..1 step at a time.

    You go girl…You can do it! I think it’s time for me to do something about mine too!

  5. Despite the fact that you’ve become one of my favorite DIY bloggers over the last year, I’ve not commented before, but I thought I’d de-lurk today since I found this post so relatable. I struggle with similar issues & it’s one of the reasons I don’t blog anymore. There was so much of myself I didn’t want to share. I loved the honesty & courage it took to write this post. I’ll definitely be following along and wish you the best on your journey.

  6. Another vulnerable post by you and it’s appreciated. I can honestly say I fully understand how you feel. I’ve gained 40lbs over the last 2 yrs and I hate how I look. Prior to the recent weight gain I already had a few pounds to lose so now I need to lose about 80 lbs but would probably be happy at a 60 lb loss. I avoid cameras which upsets my family. We don’t take family photos because I refuse to be remembered this way. I was always thin in my younger days. My health is now starting to be effected by the weight. I would love to follow in your journey and look forward to future posts. Congrats on the current success and look forward to future success.

    1. Another note, I am always in awe of you and all you accomplish. I would not be offended to see you were overweight but maybe a little refreshed by it. It shows you don’t have to be “perfect” to do all the things you do and that’s refreshing. When so many of us feel overwhelmed by our inadequacies it can prevent us from trying new things. I don’t need to see that “picture perfect” woman. I need to see a “real” woman doing amazing things and I think that’s you!

      1. I lost around 70 lbs using the HCG diet four years ago. I say around 70 because I wouldn’t get on the scale when I started. My husband and I dieted together and he lost weight quicker. So far, over four years, I’ve kept most of it off as I’ve gained back 10 lbs during divorce and a cross country move. Hang in there, I KNOW YOU CAN DO THIS! I’m so happy and excited for you!

      2. My hubby and I each lost 50 lbs on the HCG diet a couple of years ago and, with some small ups and downs, have kept it off. That is the EASIEST DIET EVER!!! We’ll enjoy keeping up with your progress!

      3. I have to lose about 130 myself, I was hoping you would tell us your weight loss program to lose that much in a week. HCG? Haven’t heard of that one, so I am anxious to find out what it is.
        Thanks for the DIY blogs, I love DIY myself.

  7. I’m fat, too! The majority of Americans are overweight so you are definitely not alone. I’m trying to be plant-based because I know it’s the right way to eat to prevent cancer and heart disease but those dang chips and cookies keep calling my name. I lost 50 pounds last year and gained back 40. But I keep trying. And I have more to lose than you do. Now I’m reading Neal Bernard’s “21 Day Jumpstart” (low-fat plant-based) and know it’s the right way to go. So I will definitely be interested in following along with you on your weight-loss journey. I don’t really care for one-dimensional blogs and tend to only read those when I’m interested in a specific project. So I like the personal tidbits and you won’t lose me as a reader. Something else to tell you is that you shouldn’t let your weight hold you back from the videos, photos, etc. I know that you don’t like how you look (I feel the same way about myself) but hopefully your readers aren’t going to judge you. And if they do, that says more about them than it does about you. You go girl! And if you need a weight loss buddy, let me know.

  8. i am in the same boat as you. I say, let’s go ALL IN! Let’s share pictures of the way we are now (full disclosure) and then pic milestones along the way to update pictures. I personally will be your champion along the way. And I will share my progress with you as well. LET’S DO IT!

  9. I would watch your vlog, tutorials, etc. NO MATTER WHAT YOU WEIGH because you’re worth is far more than the number on that scale! I struggle with my weight as well and will join you in changing habits & losing weight. You can do this and we are all here to love you right along the way! You are such an amazing woman with so many talents! Thank you for sharing with us!

  10. Kristi I’m fat too! & hating on myself big time, I don’t want to be around anyone & of late I seem to have no self control. With a move that caused my daughter & granddaughter & I to downsize big time ( it was not a wanted nor welcomed move), car issues & isolation I’ve gotten even bigger. Thank you for sharing., wish we were friends. I too live in TX but here in The Colony. You are an inspiration to many. Blessings.

  11. I love reading your blog, and I know exactly how you feel. I have, however, found blogging about my actual struggle with weight is very helpful, so keep at it! I’ve taken a little time away from the computer so I can focus more on me, but I’m still sharing here and there. Today’s post will be about being diagnosed with high cholesterol and addressing this new development in my journey. Congrats on your loss! Follow along if you’d like, as I would also like to lose 100 pounds and avoid all reflective surfaces. I was in a wedding recently and was horrified at the photos that I had to be in. I hadn’t seen myself THAT bad, but what a motivator that is!

  12. You have LOTS of company. Me included. Don’t be embarrassed, feel the freedom of your new adventure. Every time any of us starts something new that we find intimidating or daunting, I always think of “The Little Engine That Could”. If you think you can, you will!

  13. Congrats! You go girl! At my heaviest I weighed 298lbs. I lost 175 of that, which was to much, then gained 50. I need to lose about 30 of that. You CAN do this. I’ll be following you to see your success. God speed

  14. You go, girl! I’ll be rootin’ for you the whole way! I’d like to lose a few pounds myself, so I’ll be following your progress with great interest…

  15. I have been on a weight loss journey myself since 6/12/2014 after I saw myself in some vacation photos in a bathing suit which I quickly had my husband delete, I was embarrassed when I saw the weight I had allowed myself to gain being a now stay at home mom, after working many years in a large warehouse throwing around 40-75 lbs boxes everyday, I could eat what I wanted. I continued to do just that after I left my job.
    🙂 I started with watching what I ate, cutting some carbs (candy bars and soda, pasta and breads) I was drinking a two liter bottle of soda a DAY, sometimes more, ate candy and loads of junk! I signed up with a G+ site watched how many calories I was actually taking in, we won’t even talk about that,lol, lets just say WOW the numbers were really high. I am down 30 lbs 188 to 158 and I am aiming for 125 lbs by June next year. Good luck to you 🙂

  16. First, your projects are so great and amazing no would care if there was a fat, skinny, short, tall, blue, or green person in the pictures or videos. We just love to see your work! Granted, I’m not in your shoes so I can’t feel how you do about this but I am glad you are taking a step in a healthier direction.

    1. Kristi, the first thing I noticed about you when I “lucked” upon your website was how BEAUTIFUL you are. You are very, very beautiful. Your health is important so, yes, getting rid of excess pounds is important. Remember, don’t lose the weight too fast and some of the fad diets are really scarey. I need to lose 20 pounds. I lost 10# when I stopped drinking Pepsi! and drank water 🙁 which I don’t enjoy drinking. Please be careful, get healthy and remember you ARE beautiful. When I saw your face I thought I wish I was as pretty and as talented as her. Speaking of pretty; I am not a proud person but women have always disstanced themselves from me because I am attractive. I know pretty; and YOU ARE PRETTY. I will be praying for you to be careful with your diet plan. Don’t starve yourself; that’s hard on your muscles. I’m rambling on; I just want you to be careful and we’ll see your beautiful face and the body you want on a video. Take care; I will add you to my prayer list. God Bless You!

  17. You are amazing! You will suceed at this project just like everything so have done at your house. Weight loss is one of the most difficult fights. I have struggled for my entire life with my weight. Finally, after my kids all left for college, I have been concentrating on myself. I worked my way up to walking 2 miles six days a week and cut out sugar. I watch what I eat and lean towards salads and protein and away from carbs. So far I have lost 25lbs with 75 more to go. The best part is how strong I feel. I don’t get winded climbing stairs. I have so much more energy. You should include light exercise into your approach. I look forward to cheering you on after your great start.

    1. Congratulations on advancing so well toward your goal. However, I just wanted to give you a little heads up to be cautious about not overdoing it with the salads. I have a friend who lost 70 pounds by eating mainly salads, but she caused a potentially dangerous problem for herself and was forced to cut back on too much salad. Leafy greens contain vitamin K, sometimes a lot of vitamin K, which is the vitamin that causes blood to coagulate. So too much of it can be very bad for you. You might ask your doctor to give you an INR test (the same test patients on anticoagulants get to check their coagulation) just to be on the safe side.

      I’m impressed that you’re getting such good exercise! I believe you’ll meet your goal right on schedule!

  18. Kristi,
    I’ve been reading your blog a long time but this is my first comment, because you made me cry. I watch your work through the screen and see how amazing, how determined, how talented you are. Those qualities will help carry you now through your new DIY project, turning your vision of you into reality. I don’t have a weight issue, but I do have another that makes me flirt with self-loathing far too often. Thank you for reminding me that I’m worth the work it will take to change. May God bless you.

  19. Me too. I’ve only gained weight in the last five years, but there are about forty pounds I need to lose. One of the things I like about you is that you didn’t let your weight affect your stamina (when do you DO all that you do?!?). But. I want to do things now. Not after losing the weight. Not when the old jeans are going to fit again. Life is today. Good luck, I admire what you do!

  20. Thanks for your honesty. I am right there with you. You will have tons of support from your readers. I plan to follow along with you. You have inspired me to try again. Thanks for sharing. We are in this together. I am in Texas, south of Dallas and doing the 21 Day Fix.

  21. Same here I’m tired of fighting an getting stuck at the same wieght, so I’m going to have the lap band done. I’m a mom of three an my babies need me happy an healthy. I’m tired of feeling like less of a person an a women because of it.

  22. I completely understand and commend you for pursuing This change. However, I would encourage you to love and appreciate your body for what it really is… A vehicle for the real YOU to do what you are meant to do. Your body has served you well in all of the amazing work you have done over the years, you are obviously very strong to be able to do the building you have wowed us with over and over. Also, your body has given you the ability to help care for your disabled husband whom you love so much. Because of your BODY you are ALIVE! I don’t think our bodies were ever meant to be trophies, like the culture now suggests, I think our bodies are tools. Taking care of it will make it last longer and work more efficiently, but what good is a polished tool on a shelf? Its only useful if it’s used, and that usually means it has some wear and tear, some scars, some imperfections, and that’s OK because that’s what it was made for. I am sure your husband would say he loves your body and many ppl would give anything for your health. Don’t hate your body, it is a gift. Look at it, own it, be thankful for it. Take care of it yes, but keep in perspective WHY you have it. It’s here to serve YOU, not the other way around. You are an inspiration in so many ways!

    1. wow-you are beautiful and right! (And I know you are beautiful not because of what you look like because I have no idea)

  23. I too am in your position as are many woman today. I read your blog which I discovered by accident. I never read one before. Many many years of redoing our home ourselves because we couldn’t afford to do it any other way. Your ideas are amazing and inspiring to the wife of a carpenter (retired) I love to see how others do their projects. Make yourself happy whatever you need to do. Your readers love what you do and I am sure none of us care how you look. We just love what you do and how you do it.

  24. I love your blog. I admire your creativity and determination and willingness to put your projects and ideas out for the world to appreciate. You have much to share about diy, not just the projects, but the process of developing and evaluating ideas and seeking affordable alternatives to luxuries that would otherwise be out of reach.
    I assure you that not a single reader has ever looked at a project and thought, “this is amazing, it must be done by a skinny person, otherwise it would has no value”. It’s a shame that you see “fat hands” when the rest of us see “the tools of an artist”. As much as I encourage you in your efforts to be healthier (and happier with your appearance) through weight loss, I’d wish for you that you can look in the mirror at any size and see a beautiful human being.
    As far as not liking yourself in photos, women of EVERY size feel that way. I felt that way as well until I met my husband who is a photographer. A genius with a camera can capture the beauty in you at any age or any size (couldn’t let that get away!) Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions about a photography session.
    Until then, remember that we all think you are amazing TODAY.

  25. You shall succeed- because you are ready to. 😀 ooooh that sounded so Confucious. But it’s true! I will be anxiously awaiting updates. I’ve been telling myself to join a gym for at least 2 months. ugh… Maybe this will help motivate me too. My sad moment of reality is when the (ever so stylish) fanny pack from our honeymoon ( as short 7 yrs ago) wouldn’t even close, FULLY extended. I was like…. DAAaang! so um… yeah. <3 <3 <3

  26. Thank you so much for posting about this. I know exactly how you feel. My situation is similar and I feel the same way. My daughter made a comment to me that I’ve made sure to erase myself from all of our family memories. 🙁 I hope you will follow your dreams and do what your heart desires. And in doing that, you’ll inspire others to be brave. I’m absolutely certain there are more “us” than not. I’ll follow both of your blogs and cheer you on! 🙂

  27. Like you I have had a continuing weight issue for most of my adult life. Am not endorsing any program but am on one again. Lost 40 pounds 6 years ago of which I have put 20 back on. Now back on the weight control. I will never be skinny but need to get things controlled because of my knees. Good luck and would love to hear your progress. Love your blogs and never miss them. From Edmonton Canada JO

  28. Kristi – I applaud your determination to feel happy in your own skin but as so many have already said please know your size is not you. You are an amazingly talented, tenacious, energetic, imaginative, optimistic woman. Whatever you weigh does not/will not change that.

    OK that said – you are in the same boat as the majority of the US – I can totally empathize with your reluctance to see yourself in any reflective surface. I too am working on eating better as my weight post-menopause slowly but surely inched up up up . . am working on losing weight so I can stand looking at pictures/reflections of myself . . .I’ll be following your progress and cheering your success!

  29. First off, I am dedicated to your blog and have never noticed you not being in the pictures. Strange. I guess the work speaks for itself (with your words, of course. Is this making sense?)
    Second, clearly you can still get the job done, and well, even though you’re overweight.
    Third, I am excited for you to be getting healthier and I will be following along!

  30. You go! Congrats to you. I will follow your sidebar journey, as I, too, am going through a similar journey. Recently took a few photos with my family and almost dropped my jaw–who was that woman? Yikes. It put me in a funk seeing as I have lost 14 pounds this summer, but it didn’t show at all in those photos. Where it shows is in how my fall clothes fit–better than they did at the end of winter, so I’m taking comfort in that and starting all over again. My warmest wishes for success. I recommend a book, Constant Craving by Doreen Virtue, about food cravings and why we crave the food we crave. Changed the way I eat.

  31. I read every word you write, and I want to read what you write about weight loss. I need to lose 50 pounds and coincidentally started today. But when I read what you said about no pictures of your hands, I thought, what a shame, given all the beautiful things those hands have done! But I am with you, I hate to be seen in pictures. I wish you well, I wish us ALL well

  32. 18 months ago I weighed in at 300 pounds and a size 26. To this day I am not sure how that happened… I knew where I was headed if I didn’t do something about it, diabetes and early death. Today I have lost 130 pounds. It has not been easy but it has been the best thing for me. I feel better about myself and I am so much more healthy than I was. I still have 20 pounds to go and I won’t stop until I get there and maintain it. You can do this. One day at a time, one step at a time….

  33. And again you manage to impress with your honesty – as somebody already said, one of the reasons why I love your blog so much (apart from all the outstanding things you accomplish!)! I’m sure that you’ll get a lot of encouragement from all of us and that it’ll help you!
    I can understand your goal and think it is a wise idea to help your body to be more healthy, but please look after yourself and don’t overdo it! 11 pounds in a week sound amazing and will help you feel great about this decision, as it’s a fantastic kickstart, but it’d be better to take the following weightloss a little slower in order to keep your body healthy. As a food writer, weight reduction is something that belongs to my expertise and the advice I like to give is exactly that: take it easy, don’t overdo it and don’t be disappointed if things are going differently for you than advertised in your dieting method – every body is individual and needs to be looked after in their own fashion.
    I think it is a wise move to share your progress here, as I – like a lot of your other fans apparently 🙂 – am very willing to cheer you on concerning this special topic as well. (Of course, I want to be able to watch tutorials and videos done by you in the future as well, as that would be the icing on the cake of your help in DIYing to me :))

  34. I’m fat, too, Kristi…have been my whole life. I’ll be 60 in October and at this point, am about 75 pounds over my ideal weight. Tried all kinds of diets. But the thing is…I’ve never let being fat stop me from the things I wanted to do. I worked full-time AND went to nursing school at age 42, all while trying to take care of a husband, renovate an 1850’s home (not QUITE to the extent you are) and take care of an ailing mother. (can you say “crazy town”?) Yea. Anyway, my point is, if you’re doing this for YOU, fine. You go, girl! If you’re truly uncomfortable with yourself, great…I wish you all the best…at this point, I’m convinced that you can do any-damn-thing you set your mind to.
    But if you’re doing it because you’re afraid of what other people will think of you if you do photos or videos…honey….life is just toooo dang short for that kind of thinking. Believe me. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in January. I’m fine…caught it early, thankfully. But it kind of changed my perspective about things. At the end of my life, I’d hate to think that I was so ashamed of my body or uncomfortable in my own skin that I let it interfere with living my life the way I wanted to.
    Anywho…didn’t mean to write a book here. Good luck on your journey!

  35. Just the other day I was musing that you didn’t include yourself in any of your pictures… I’ve followed you for years and look forward to your posts every single day. You never disappoint (Okay maybe the cabinet fronts in the rain broke my heart a little bit, I was so excited to see it all come together).
    I don’t care the least what you look like, or how much you weigh. I do care very much about your happiness and because of that I wish you the best on this endeavor. Between your oh-so-admirable skills and intimidating amount of determination and the fact that you’re a fellow Texan, you represent a lot more to me than any other blogger on the internets and I hope nothing, including your weight, ever holds you back from your hopes and dreams!

  36. Thanks for being so open and honest in your blog. Weight is such a sore subject for me as well. I HATE having my photo taken. I always think, “Is that how I really look?” I am definitely going to follow along on your weight loss journey. You have inspired me so much with your decorating and remodeling skills. I am hoping to get some inspiration from you as well regarding your weight loss. I have already started and have managed to lose 20 pounds over the summer. I hope to lose 35 more, although I think that may be pushing it. Glad to have you to turn to, as I don’t have any friends who feel about their weight the way I do. I also think you have a great group of followers and all of us will cheer you on and love you heavy, thin or anywhere in between.

  37. I too am overweight. I have long been the butt of family jokes (pun intended). But I have decided to love myself. My brother is the worst. Just this month I was sitting in a chair with my leg under me so I was sitting sideways. He walked by kicked my rear end and said can’t your butt fit in the chair. This is a normal occurrence. When it became ok to belittle and demean me I do not know but I am DONE. I have a brain disorder that causes pressure on my pituitary gland. This is a condition I have to fight. I do not overeat and I eat healthy. But love yourself every lovely pound.

  38. First of all, I do not care if you are overweight or not. I enjoy your blog for what it is – an inspiring account of your decorating adventures. Your projects, large and small, inspire me every day. You are a ‘real’ person with triumphs and setbacks just like the rest of us. Your weight does not matter to me in the least, photos or not.

    If you are going on this weight loss journey, I wish you well – healthy eating, exercise and plenty of fluids should help you lose the weight you want. Just take it slowly and don’t be discouraged when you hit those plateaus where the weight just doesn’t come off as quickly as you want.

  39. Thank you for sharing your story. I understand your feelings as I, too, need to lose 100 pounds. However, from the glimpse I have of you through your writing, I have to tell you that I don’t share your issue with photos. You are gifted and you have a lot to offer. Being overweight has nothing to do with your value. This is what you look like now and later you may look different. You are still going to be you and that’s more than good enough for anyone. I know it’s good enough for me. I appreciate and like what I get to “see” of you, and that won’t change based on a photo.
    I pray that you have great success and that you find peace through this journey. I look forward to pictures, videos, etc. whenever you decide to offer them.

  40. Congrats that you have made that decision. I did HCG and it really helped. One thing to keep in mind is that 6 months later my hair started falling out (I wasn’t still doing it) and I found on line a forum about this so it is apparently a common thing. Anyway, my hair did quit falling out and things got back to normal. Just thought you should know so you don’t freak if it happens to you.

    Next, I don’t know what your personality is but if it’s like mine that 100 number is very big and discouraging. Smaller increments may not be so scary and hopeless. Then keep adjusting your goal as you accomplish the smaller increments. Success is important-you’re doing great!

      1. No, I did the HCG for one session, went off for the recommended time and then did another session but only lasted the second time about half way through it. Then about six months afterwards was when my hair began falling out. If you Google hair falling out from HCG diet you will find the forum. Not trying to scare you-my hair did come back and it quit falling out. It’s just a very restrictive diet. I did take the recommended vitamin B pills also when I was on HCG.

  41. I was saddened to read your post today….I heard a lot of self-loathing in your words…and that makes me very sad….why is it you think you need to be a certain weight or size? When I “like” or “love” someone…it’s that person…not their size! Having been overweight most of my life…I understand where you are coming from…had you said your decision was from a health perspective…I would get it…I have two coronary stents…and had to change my lifestyle 4 years ago…living with heart disease is scary. But to be so negative about your looks…your hands…is heartbreaking. And sends the wrong message to those who are struggling with “weight” issues…and that cycle needs to end. I get that this is very “personals” for you…I really do. We are trying to teach women to be comfortable in their own bodies….but that does not mean you cannot live a “healthier” life & make better food choices. The word “fat” is demeaning…and needs to be abolished from the dictionary as far as I’m concerned. You are a beautiful young woman & have more talent in your baby finger than most have in their whole body….please take this weight loss journey as a healthy living choice…I wish I had done that when I was in my 30’s & not waited until a health scare in my early 50’s. I wish you much health, happiness & success as you begin your weight loss journey. I’ll be the tall red head with the medic alert bracelet rooting for ya!

  42. Kristi
    What a humble person you are! Hats off to you on this journey…and congrats on the loss of 11.5 lbs so far. We started using MyFitnessPal ..try it …keeping track on the weight and food is the most important thing. You will feel better once the weight is gone. It is so important to know that fact but more importantly it helps you on so many things. Ever hear of a person who lost over 100 lbs and then had a heart attack? It could have been the end but because this person is a runner and lost that weight and watches food intake this person was spared. So I encourage you and all of your readers…lose weight. Stop fretting, start walking. Get out and enjoy life…this is me speaking to the choir …I need it as well.
    Hangest thou in there K. We are behind you 100%~! keep up the good work…

  43. I would just like to comment that you are not only beautiful on the outside but on the inside as well. Since I started following you on facebook and subscribing to your blog , I have noted that I haven’t seen you in your posts. You really are very pretty and so incredibly talented.
    I have about 60 lbs to lose that have crept on over about 20 years. I avoid cameras and try to ‘hide’ under baggy clothes. I work in the hospitality industry and work crazy hours, and it’s so easy to forget to look after our own needs and take time out for ourselves.
    Your energy and talent amaze me and seeing your posts is a morning ritual of mine. I love what you do and look forward to all of your posts. You are an inspiration to many!! 🙂

  44. Kristi just a little advice. Don’t say you want to lose 100 pounds. Say you want to lose 20 pounds. When you do, and I know you will, celebrate and treat yourself to something. It doesn’t have to be food. Go to the mall and get one of those quickie massages, get a manicure or a pedicure or both, buy a pretty scarf you normally would never think of buying. Chew a piece of gum so you won’t eat while chewing. Drink a lot of water. And the most important thing – stop being so hard on yourself. I only know you through your blog but I think I have learned what you really are and I would be VERY proud to call you my friend.

  45. Wow, Kristi, I said it before…actually many times…. YOU INSPIRE ME! I have such respect for you in so many ways! Keep it up! We are all behind you! 🙂

  46. Dear Kristi,

    I am fat too – and I use the word as a cold fact, I hate stupid condescending words. But I don’t care. You know why? Because I’m Phoebe – I am me, and “me” is not defined by my weight, it is defined by my thougths, my acts, my relationships, my personality, my skills even. When I grow old and frail and saggy I’ll still be me, and I’ll be an even better me (though crankier I bet, lol)!

    So even though I AM happy you decided to tackle one more task and you feel happy about it (because hey, there’s joy in making a room look pretty, there can be joy in making your body look pretty), I do have to object with tying this particular task to your self-worth. You have thousands of people here that admire your crazy skills, and these include more than just the DIY skills. And you can bet we like your personality too, cause you show lots of it – in fact imho this is the reason why everyone tends to reply to you as if they know you! So please untie the weight task from your self-worth, ’cause you have a lot of worth there, ok?

    Other than that, best of luck with it!

  47. First I want to say I was saddened to read about Powder. My heart hurts for you and Matt. Now as to weight. I would not care what size you are in a video but I do care about how you feel about yourself. I will read along and perhaps join you in your journey.( I am overweight myself) Apart from looks you will feel better while getting up and down to do your work. I have no doubt you will do well with this. Your determination will do you credit. Lets Go Kristi!

    Sheila

  48. Kristi — This is why we love you do — your candor and honesty. You have so much determination about your business and projects that I have confidence you can stay on course with your new plan. Almost every American woman — myself included — identifies with what you are saying, thinking and going through. I am sure you will get all kinds of advice, and I know you’ll be able to choose what works for you. No pressure, but you are a role model to many! Hugs.

  49. Kristi, it makes no difference what we look like, weigh, or the color of our “real” hair! Everyone has something/s we absolutely abhor about ourselves. Mine is muscle loss due to chronic arsenic poisioning. For me, my face lost so much muscle that at 49 I look like I’m 69. And there is not one thing I can change about that. Like you, no public, no mirrors, and no outside life to speak of.
    Regardless of what we look like, it is more important how we FEEL about ourselves that takes the real toll on us. I so enjoy your blog! It brings me inspiration, smiles and all around great feelings about things. You are an inspiration to so many and for different reasons now.
    You are by far one of the most talented, and now we can add brave to that lust of so many great things that help define you.
    I look forward to watching not only your home transform but you as well .
    I wish you every success in your weight loss. I have no doubt you can do absolutely ANYTHING you put your mind and heart into !
    Blessings to all, Hope

  50. Kudos to you on your determination! As one who has battled weight most of my life, I understand your feelings. Some unsolicited advice- I’m 47 and have been at this a while- beware of “trendy” diets. I have found that slow weight loss lasts longer and can be maintained. Low fat, lots of fruit and vegetables, lean protein and lots of water- I got my diabetes under control and lost 20 pounds in 6 months. Like you- I HATE cooking! It can be done!! It’s a permanent lifestyle change. PS. Anyone who can create beauty the way you do IS beautiful!!!

  51. What a relief! I was apprehensive about reading the post after seeing the heading. It’s only weight – that struggle that so many of us have. I’ve begun the journey too and thought my goal was 40-50 pounds. I thought only about feeling so much happier if the scale was giving me that lower weight reading. Then I gave it some thought before putting the goal in writing and decided a healthy BMI is a better goal. Yikes! I need to lose 70 pounds. What an eye opener. I’m down 10 pounds in 2 months, so it will be a while. Can’t say I feel great and it’s pretty hard at times, but there are too many health benefits to give up so early in the game. This was a very brave thing for you to write about and it sounds like you are only affirming what so many of us need to do. Thanks, Kristi, for all you do.

  52. Ditto for me on the weight issue. It is one of the hardest things to do for me because I am a sweet freak. I am with you 100% and I know we can help one another. The older I get, the harder it is. After having to have my thyroid removed, it just really made it even more difficult. It takes forever to get the replacement hormones to be balanced. After thyroid removal, you automatically have hypothyroidism. Kristi, I don’t know if you have had this done, but I would suggest you have your thyroid checked. It only takes a certain blood test. If you have a thyroid disorder, there is help and hope. I wish you the best and to all of us fighting this fat battle. God Bless You.

    I am so sorry about precious Powder.

  53. Hi, Kristi,

    I want to encourage you in this journey of weight loss. I could joke around and say that I’ve probably lost 300# or more………unfortunately it was the same 30#-40# ten times or more! Ugh! But it isn’t funny, is it?

    I’ve finally learned (I think) that I am not on a “diet” (hate that word), but rather a life journey of healthy eating. After suffering through years of inflammation including broken foot bones, aches and pains, I found out that i was highly gluten intolerant along with a sensitivity to soy and dairy.

    I won’t bore you with all of the details of my autoimmune thyroid disorder of Graves Disease and Toxic Nodule Goiter, but I developed those as a direct result of my gluten sensitivities.

    SO……..I’ve radically changed how and what I eat and cook, under my Integrative Medicine doctor’s guidance. It has been a journey that has been filled with lots of changes. It hasn’t always been easy, but it is so worth it. My tastes and food cravings have totally changed. It still surprises me! ; ) I always had a healthy sweet tooth.

    What I’ve discovered is that when I disciplined myself to make wise food choices of grass fed and grass finished beef, free range, antibiotic free chicken, wild salmon along with as much organic vegetables as I can afford and a little bit of fruit, I am more nourished and satisfied than ever before. I still get hungry, but I’m not always going around looking for a snack. My dietician said that I should try to keep my daily net carbs between 15-17. I am also to eat lots of the healthy fats like avocado, olive oil, coconut oil, etc. This helps keep me satiated. Today I eat more of a Paleo diet with no grains of any type. There are some great recipes online. You will enjoy preparing them in your beautiful, new kitchen!

    You need to know that you are valuable and worthy no matter what your scale says! You matter! God loves us no matter what we weigh.

    You are off to a great start again. Quit beating yourself up. Take this journey one day at a time and one meal at a time!

    YOU CAN DO IT!

    Praying for YOU!

    Rosa

  54. Kristi, I feel your pain. I’ve lost weight in the past, regained, relost etc, etc. etc. I won’t bore you with the long sad tale. Now, at age 67, i have been having more health problems.

    The point I wanted to make was that I’m amazed with the amount you get done while being overweight!!

    Wait until you lose more weight! You’ll be so full of energy, you’ll be unstoppable!

    God’s Blessings to you in your quest for health & a beautiful home!

  55. It’s obvious that this is a struggle that so many of us have personal experience with. I love that you are willing to talk about this so openly and I will follow your journey just as I do your DIY projects. I recently have checked 35 pounds off the scale and improved my overall health a great deal (the important part). Whatever your goals are, you are a determined lady and if you attack this like your DIY projects you will be there in no time!

    Of course, you are my favorite blogger hands down no matter how much you weigh! You are fabulous now and you will be fabulous still once you reach your goal (only a bit smaller and hopefully in some project pictures).

  56. You go girl! I too need to lose quite a bit of weight. I wish I had your determination!!!
    As a side note, I want you to know that there are a lot of folks out there that think you are amazing, just the way you are.

  57. Kristi,

    Jon Gabriel has a website you might like to visit. He lost over 100 lbs with a mind-body approach. Even if you do use another diet plan, he has some fine meditation/relaxation audios -free. Good luck..

  58. Awe 🙁
    I hate that you feel that way but no matter what, you are a beautiful person creating beautiful things.
    Best wishes on your goals

  59. i have always been amazed by your creativity and drive!! Know that you have a lot of support on the other side of your computer with all your fans. If you have a bad day, look to us for support! You more energy and determination than most ppl I know. You can do this!!! Cyber hugs

  60. Kristi,

    I am fat too…..and according to the BMI I am morbidly obese. I hate that word it sounds like you have a disease. I too, am trying to lose weight but as we get older we as women have a harder time losing weight! My husband is dieting and he has lost 46 pounds so far…but me not so much. I get discouraged and then I have to “slap” myself back into trying again. We can all do this together, encouraging each other to our goal!

    Keep up the good work!

    God Bless!

    Rhonda

  61. Kristi, I just got back from my doctor who told me I need to lose weight! My ankles and feet are swelling and I’m starting to creep when I walk and there are other problems as well. I’m 5’2″ not must taller than you and I weight 222.5 pounds and no, you don’t have to disclose you weight! So my final goal is 80-100 pounds also. But like someone else above said 20 at a time is how I’m going to do it. I love your determination to see a project though to the end even if it takes a dozen different turns in the wrong direction to get there. With your weight, you’ve decided to turn around and go in the other direction and if you don’t mind, I’d like to take this journey with you. I’m going to take it nice and slow and because of you, I’ll learn how to built things along the way! All I can offer you in return is my love and support. So thank you for your honesty and please don’t forget you have a blog family cheering for you. I’m sending lots of love and virtual hugs your way. Have a Blessed day!

  62. What a brave, brave woman you are. Kudos to you for committing to your health and wellness. Remember that this is a journey of lifestyle change, the weight will come off (11.5 already, WOOT, WOOT), so if you have an “off” day or miss a workout, be kind to yourself, get back on track and keep moving forward, one good choice at a time. I am proud of you!!!!!!!!!

  63. Wow- you are such a BRAVE lady! I can probably relate to this blog post more than anything because I too was in this situation almost ten years ago. I decided to become a vegetarian because it would not allow me to eat at McDonald’s anymore not more quarter pounders with cheese! (not Vegan but Vegetarian).
    I’m disabled and needed any extra tool that I could use to my advantage. It worked like a dream and keeps me honest. I lost and have kept off the 97 pounds.
    I’m proud of you and your courage to take it on yourself! But take some pictures of yourself, to look back on! THAT will help to keep you on goal to not go back to where you started! I know that this helps me when I crave things like Cheesecake or Ice Cream!
    I firmly believe that you CAN do this! You have managed to do everything that you set your mind to in the DIY world,,,,so I have total faith in your determination for this new DiFY ‘project’ on yourself! (Do it FOR YOURSELF!!! 🙂 )We are here to cheer you on!!!! BEST of luck Kristi!

  64. Kristi,

    I am sure it is hard to maintain a healthy diet when you haven’t had a kitchen for so long, and you spend so much time and labor working on your house. I know when I am in the middle of a project, the last thing I want to stop and make time for is cooking, and I go for what is quickest and easiest, which is usually not the healthiest…
    It’s hard to make our health a priority when there is so much we want to get done. I know once you put your mind to something you can do it!

    Kim

  65. Please, please don’t put yourself down like that. It makes me sad that you could say something like that about yourself. We ALL that something we dislike (hate) about ourselves. That being said, do what you want to do to be healthy. The word “diet” is so horrible. You are on a quest to nourish your mind and body to be the best YOU. Look in the mirror and SEE the positives. All of us ON YOUR BLOG love you the way you are and we haven’t seen you. We don’t prejudge.

    Believe in yourself and all will be good.

    Best wishes and hang in there

  66. Kristi, there are worse things than being fat. You are smart, able, and motivated. You get things done! You are not paralyzed by perfectionism yet you achieve near-perfect results much of the time. I admire you so much.

    My beautiful son used to be fat. Then he decided he wanted to look more like his athletic friends and he lost 50 lbs in 3-4 months. He lingered at this too-low weight for 3 years then started losing more until he was 109 lbs. on a 5’8″ frame! I finally found a doctor who could help him, she found out that he had bradycardia (slow heart beat caused by starvation).

    I’m not saying that will happen to you at all, but my education since that time convinces me that the ideal when it comes to your feelings about your body is to see its beauty at every weight and at every age.

    Even the lucky few who are at an “ideal” weight (an arbitrary cultural concept) will not be able to avoid changes brought about by age. Are they supposed to start hating their bodies at that time? I would argue that “body” is not a static thing and we should honor and hold it in esteem at every size and age.

    So I hope you eat a balanced diet with lots of high quality protein, and you already seem to get lots of exercise! I have seen your hands and I think they are beautiful, and not just because of their extensive capabilities!

  67. Bravo! Not everyone would post this publicly and we admire you for that. This will be your best DYI ever, working on your “outside self” ,and judging by what we’ve seen you do with your kitchen, your doors, and everything else, of course you can do this too. I will love to follow your progress since I am also on the heavy side, hide from mirrors and cameras….and Im starting to hate lettuce!
    Best of luck to you!
    Hugs from rainy South Florida

  68. Kristi – am I the only guy commenting on this? So many have already made the points I wanted to share and I was just going to tack onto their threads but then they say things like ‘women’ and it just wasn’t working for me – ha, ha, ha! So, that said… Thank you for your honesty. So many of us have been there, are there. You have hundreds, if not thousands, of supportive friends out here in internetland. None of us have ever judged you that way, nor will we. Your work speaks for itself. You are gifted and talented and inspiring and that’s why we are all here. We support you on this journey of yours, and I dare say you have just inspired many of us to again continue on our own personal journeys too. All the best to you and your husband as you move forward with your weight loss. Now, we have a house to finish – let’s get to work!

  69. I didn’t read every comment above, but I noticed that a lot of people admitted that they were also fat. Me too-70 lbs. worth! I know this will probably sound rude, but I mean it as a complete compliment- I have marveled at the way you are able to do so much work that requires you to crawl around on the floor. (I would be lying if I said I didn’t notice you were overweight from your picture, but I love you for it!) For example, drawing out the wheelchair rims for your rolling door, and then cutting them- all on the floor. I wouldn’t have been able to get back up from the floor, and when I finally did, I would not be able to get much more done! The sheer volume of work you get done in a day is amazing!!! I have no doubts that you will succeed in your weight loss endeavor!!!

  70. So understand your pain. I found a really helpful book by Dr Joel Fuhrman, Eat to Live. Really recommend the style of eating. The dietatatins where I work in Diabetes Care also recommend this way of eating. It really works too! Best to you Kristi.

  71. Good for you! I am just like the others here , in that I too! need to lose weight! I was on weight watchers and it really does work. Then life got in the way,big time, and both my husband and I gained the weight back. So I am going to look in to this HCG diet.
    Thanks for all you do!!

  72. Kristi, kudos to you for the guts to decide what you need/want to do and going for it. I have no doubt that you will eventually reach the goal you set for yourself. In my 20’s I was overweight (obese actually). I will never forget the despair I sometimes felt because of the things I couldn’t do or more often, wouldn’t do, because of my weight. And forget dating or job promotions because no one could see ME under all that weight. When my doctor told me my high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity would kill me within a few years, I lost more than half my weight and resolved never to go back. The blood pressure normalized and the diabetes went away. Now 40 years later, I enjoy excellent health and a wonderful spouse and family, For my diet these days I don’t have to watch my food intake as diligently as I once did, but I am AWARE of what I eat and never allow myself to eat mindlessly.

    We all know intellectually that the true measure of each of us is not defined by how we look (or our age – my current hangup), but a person can’t live in this country and not be touched by the ‘Rich, young, slim is in’ culture. Unfortunately our image is the yardstick by which we are so often judged.

    From the perspective of my ancientness (ok, 66 years), you are a lovely, truly gifted writer and DIYer with a kind heart and an incredible lot of spunk. If I see a picture of you now, it will serve to put a face to the image I’ve already formed of you, the real you revealed through your writing. How you look is immaterial at this point to your daily readers. But you are still young and who knows what opportunities may open up to you when you decide your body fits the image you have decided is right for you and you are ready to grab those opportunities and run with them. I wouldn’t have dreamed that my life would change so much when I started my weight loss journey. I will read your diet diary/blog and hope the same for you. Best of luck-

  73. You are refreshing, honest and creative. You can do this!

    Agree with the poster at 1:36 pm – combine an reprogrammed eating plan and exercise (gentle to start out with!) you will see results.

    If you are looking for a decent, lean-inducing program, I love love love Chalean Extreme (by Beachbody). Hands down the best.

    You have thousands of cheerleaders out here! You go girl!

  74. If it’s even possible, I love you even more. You and Matt have been handed some tough challenges. No doubt about it. *Putting myarmchair psychologist hat on* Seems like you self-medicate with food. You must understand that you are the ONLY WOMAN IN AMERICA who does that.

    Not. Xoxo

    Blessings to you. And peace. Every pound you lose is a pound of future you purchase. Go get ‘me, Kristy!

  75. Your honesty is admirable. You are incredibly talented and obviously work very hard. Sometimes it’s impossible to stop and eat something healthy when you are in the middle of a project. And, the time you’ve been without a useful kitchen has to add to it. When I’m doing physical labor, I want cake, pizza, etc. Don’t be too hard on yourself for the past. Concentrate on the future. Buy healthy foods. Don’t keep junk in the house. Sometimes if I don’t feel like cooking, I buy a pre-made chicken and make myself a salad at the grocery store. It’s a choice we have to make everyday, to eat healthy. When we slip, we need to jump back into it.

    Keep your chin(s) up!

  76. It continues to amaze me how similar your ideas and philosophies match I e – even in this area of weight. You described exactly how I feel about myself. Are you using any particular diet to drop that much in the first week? I’ve tried so many, to a include HCG injections. But always put the weight back on. Looking forward to following your journey on this very important project and continuing to follow your home makeover. Thanks for being such an inspiration in so many areas! Best of luck to you.

  77. Hi Kristi! Good for you! Back in 2007 or 08 I lost 40 and have since lost another 20. I will never go back! It was a lot of work, but sooo worth it! I feel better today at almost 50 than I did at 30. The scale is my friend. It keeps me accountable, I lived in denial for too long. I face the truth every couple of days, and if I’ve gained a couple, I know what I have to do to get back down. If I can do it anyone can! I am a sugar addict and I love food. My motto, it’s not new…”nothing tastes as good as healthy feels”!! Go Girl! You got this!

  78. I am fat too. If I lost 100 lbs, I would be at the ideal BMI for my height. That being said, you don’t have to wait to get thin to love yourself. I know what it is like to hate every single picture of yourself. I know what it is like to shame yourself when you look in the mirror. I kept telling myself, “if I just hunker down, exercise like crazy and eat healthy I can finally like who I am”, but this is toxic thinking. I still do it, even though I know it is bad. It doesn’t solve any problems, and it definitely doesn’t get me anywhere closer to loving myself or getting the body that I wish I had. I find that it creates a toxic cycle of self loathing and disappointment in myself. I’m not telling you to stop what you’re doing and stay just the way you are, but to change the way you are thinking about this. Try to loose weight because it will positively affect your health. Don’t focus too much on the pounds, but rather on how you feel. You definitely feel a million times better if you consistently eat non processed foods, versus eating that processed (albeit delicious) cheeseburger. There is an artist named Carol Rossetti that I recently discovered that I felt really helped me with this, and I wanted to share with you. Here is her facebook page which has a collection of her work, but the one I specifically wanted to share was this one.

  79. You are a determined person and you’ve already begun the weight loss process. Congrats. Don’t forget to include some physical activity like walking or dancing around the house — it sure helps to bolster your dieting/diet change efforts. Thanks for sharing.

  80. First, your honesty is refreshing and touching. I am in love with you so much it is beyond funny. Recently, I decided to answer my calling and become a health and fitness motivational speaker. I am a pharmacist and I yo-yo diet a lot. I am not extremely overweight but I have room for fitness and making healther food choices like so many people in the world. I have no doubt in my mind that you will achieve your goal. The main reason I believe that is because you put your goals out there for the world to see. I had a feeling that you were uncomfortable with your weight and only showed glimpses of yourself to us. I was shocked and near tears when I visited your blog today and read your personal and blunt confession. Kristi, I wish you nothing but the absolute best in this new goal. Feeling good in ones skin is a treasure. There is NOTHING wrong when admitting that you are not happy with your current state! I will be following your journey and praying for you through the struggles that come with lifestyle changes, strong cravings for your favorite fatty foods and finding motivation to exercise when you really wanna lay down! Dig deep and don’t cheat with these get slim diets! You don’t do anything half ass and I am sure that includes the person you see in the mirror. Your beauty radiates and thank you so much for sharing yourself with us. You are famous and well loved by us and we all feel like we know you! WE LOVE KRISTI!

  81. I followed your blog for the DIY info, now I have another reason to cheer you on. Weight is a thorny issue for a lot of us…

  82. And another thing: As so many others have said, you are one crazy-talented person who has inspired so many others to do things they didn’t know they could do. So look in the mirror and be proud of what you have done to help other people, and not just for yourself. You are enough.

  83. Now,you have hit on a subject that many of your followers are concerned with as well.
    Monday a week ago my Hubby and I started on our low carb diet or life plan……….
    We had been successful a few years ago,and decided to give it another try.
    Why do we backslide? We love to eat!
    You have the determination,and that’s half the battle. Best of luck to you and us!.
    To lose 11 1/2 lbs in a week is a lot!

  84. Hi Kristi,

    Over the years I’ve had a lot of problems with my weight, going up and down so much my skin has so many stretch marks as if I was pregnant (and I never was).

    The most successful method I’ve tested is a Metagenics metabolic detox. It’s actual medical food, in the form of shakes in different flavors. It is combined with a meal plan and a supplement to help process toxins faster. I would recommend you the 28 day meal plan and I can send you the actual brochure with recipes you can try, or follow the recommended foods and make your own recipes. Please email me if you are interested in this, I don’t want to push anything upon you or make you feel uncomfortable.

    The last thing I want to say is that one of my good friends does this program once a year, as she was born with a thyroid dysfunction. Her T3 and T4 hormones were so off the chart that her liver was suffering. In a month this program helped her clean her liver and normalize her thyroid. Now she does more as a healthy cleanse once a year.

    Now is the time to say, I am not a Metagenics sales person, nor a blog writer. I am not, nor I will get financial benefits for recommending these products to you.

  85. You might be encouraged by a new book called “The Big Fat Surprise”. Forget low-fat and low-cal or you will always be hungry, besides you need some fat in your diet for hormones to function including your thyroid. Count your carbs and stay hydrated. I’ll be praying for you.
    Vicki

  86. Kristi, I feel closer to you as a person today. Thank you for sharing, it took a lot of courage to admit to being fat. God bless us all and the skinny ones, too. LOL

  87. Hi Kristi! Wow. Thanks for your brutal honesty, as I’m sure that was a hard post for you to publish. I really couldn’t care less if you are fat, green, or have three heads. You’re awesome at what you do – DIY, decorating and blogging – and that is why we all love you and your blog. Being fat isn’t holding you back, it’s how you view yourself that holds you back. A word of unsolicited advice from a former fatty. Make taking care of yourself, eating healthy and moderate exercise the focus rather than weight loss and dieting. The problem with dieting is that people view it as a temporary thing and once you lose the weight and go off the diet, you’re right back to the old bad habits and gain the weight back. You have to change your habits and your relationship with food. Good luck and we love you no matter what! 🙂

  88. Hi Kristi, I have been searching all day to find the right thing to say to you about your post. I guess I would have to say that #1, we all have issues. Weight, looks, money….sadly we live in a society that make these things important. #2, it should not matter to us what society thinks, but what we think ourselves. #3, you have made it clear that your weight issues matter to you and that is all that should be important. You have to be comfortable with who you are, before you can feel comfortable with others. So take your journey and focus on becoming healthy and happy in your body. I don’t know anything about the diet you are following, but I hope you will be successful. I have always been told that Weight Watchers is the best diet to go on, it has been around along time. I would like to say I have tried a few diets, but I really haven’t. Don’t get me wrong, I need to loose weight just like everyone does, I buy the books and the kits, but I don’t really do what I should be doing. I know that I only make half hearted attempts and then the comfort of “bad foods” always comes back. After a lifetime living to eat, it is very hard to just eat to live. If this planet could suffer a sugar blight, I would be very happy, and thin. I just don’t see that happening in the near future. Food is comfort. Some people eat when happy, some when sad, some depressed, some angry, some lonely and the list goes on. Until we can each of us figure out what triggers it for ourselves, we cannot break the cycle. I hope you will find your answers so that you can continue with what you want to do. I cannot imagine how you have accomplished all that you have and can only say I admire you more for it. I say this because if not for my weight related health issues, I would be building houses!!! So I know how you feel, and I wish you well, but don’t judge yourself too harshly. Life is short. Keep in mind, as my Mother used to tell us all the time “if wishes were horses then tinkers (beggars) would ride”. It is an old Irish proverb that took me a long time to understand. Blessings

  89. Kristi, I love you more now than I did yesterday! I am on your journey also. Just getting ready to go on the road for 6 weeks of travel work. I will do my best to stay active and keep my weight on my mind. As far as your DIY, I am a very handy person, but have let that slide also. My home is a mess….I do not believe there is one room in my 12 room house that is finished. You are inspiring me to work on that also. Blessings to you and Matt in your journey. Please keep posting and know that you are an inspiration to others. Thank you!

  90. Hey guess what? I’m overweight too! Ever since my hysterectomy in 1988, I’ve started gaining weight. I’m also old turning 57 in November. We also live in the north in the mountains where we have winter for 7 months a year and it’s awful hard to get exercise when you have 12 feet of snow on the ground. My husband is also an excellent cook and baker. We eat good nutritious food, but a lot of it. We know we should cut back, but we really haven’t. He has cut back on his pie baking lately though. You keep up the good work and we will all keep being inspired by you.

  91. That is awesome!! Good for you for deciding to make the change and the weight you have lost so far! Sharing your journey with us makes it more real and gives you people/readers to keep you accountable. I own a health club in Massachusetts and have see many people embark on your same journey. I can tell you that you are not alone and help/support is out there as long as you are willing to ask for it. Seriously, people who successfully improve their health want to share how awesome they feel to everyone they meet and tell them how to do the same!

    The people that I have seen achieve success do so not by following this specific diet or that specific exercise plan… they do it by modifying their life in ways that still makes life enjoyable to them. You are an amazing woman/ crafter/ DIYer/ builder/ problem solver/ artist. I have no doubt that your weight loss is another “project” you will find the solution to. Just keep in mind, while it is important that you feel comfortable in your own skin and be healthy, you have tens/hundreds of thousands of followers on your blog who think you are awesome for you amazing skills regardless of what you look like. I look forward to following your journey 🙂

  92. Thank you for sharing this. It REALLY hits home! I am at my all-time heaviest and I hate myself for it. My husband doesn’t care what size I am as long as I am healthy and happy, but I am not. I am miserable and sadly, because of the medications that I am on due to issues, I am not able to loose weight. I have tried so hard, but it won’t come off. I have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. It has made my life miserable. I was so active before this, now, I can barely move. I had plans for starting my own crafting company this year along with photography classes. Haven’t been able to do so. I work and doctors, that is about it. I WILL follow you on your journey and pray for you. I hope that I can receive encouragement and inspiration from following you. Thank you again!

  93. I’ll echo everyone else’s sentiments on here that no one is concerned with how you look or your weight; rather we all see a very creative, talented and down-to-earth woman who inspires us to try new things. That being said, I absolutely understand the desire to be healthy and wish you all the best on your journey:)

  94. Thank you for the courage it took to write this post and actually post it. I love your creativity and realize we are seeing who you are through all of your projects. I also know what it is like to hate what you see in a photo. I know what it is like to make great progress then fall back for whatever reason.

    We all know this is not an easy thing to accomplish but it will be worth it in the end. We are here cheering you on!

    I struggle with my weight, also. I made great progress a few years ago. I was on a roll. Then I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. The pain, the fatigue, and some of the medicine, along with some bad habits, all combined and I gained it all back and more. I’m starting over and am working on developing better habits. I am looking forward to being able to be more active.

    I am excited to be able to follow along. Just knowing that someone else is on this same journey is encouraging.

  95. First and For-most….Yay for you saying what is truly in your heart. No holds barred. As someone who can stand right beside you and proclaim “I’m Fat too!!!” (or as i also like to say fluffy and full of love). I know exactly how you feel. I have battled my entire life with my weight and it seems to always win. I should be a champion YO-YOer because I have practiced all my life. Three years ago (at the age of… whispering…..42) I decided that I wanted to have weight loss surgery. After researching (with blinders on because I only wanted to hear the pro’s of my decision) I decided to have lap-band surgery. The insurance would pay for either the band or by-pass and the thought if someone going inside me and disassembling and by-passing the organs that God had put inside me for a reason SCARED me to death. At least with the lap band if worse came to worse I could get it removed. So after sitting there learning all the rules (i.e. NO drinking with a meal…MUST wait at least 30 minutes after, cutting foods down so small you can barely see them let alone taste them in addition to chewing 20 times. etc…etc…etc) and thinking “I got this because I want to be skinny”, I had the surgery done. So over the last 3 years…I have had to have my gallbladder removed, developed kidney stone problems, yes I lost but guess what….I GAINED some of the weight back. I hated thinking about what I was going to feed my family. I HATED food, cooking, and most of all I hated eating. I was so frustrated that I had sacrificed so much for so little!!!!! I spoke with the Dr. and come to find out after my yearly upper GI….Yummy Yummy Milky Crap!!!!…My band had failed. I was given the option of removing or going for the big mama…by-pass. Well 2 weeks ago I had it removed and let me tell you….IT WAS THE BEST FREAKING THING I HAVE EVER DONE!!!! **Disclaimer to all who read and have had WLS…I know that for some people it works like magic and it saves lives and I take my hat off to those who have had wonderful experiences!!! I, however was not one of the lucky ones. What all my rambling comes down to is that I lost more weight on my own prior to the surgery by watching carbs (I found out I was diabetic while I was in culinary school) and exercising. IT can be done!!!! I now have finally be cleared by my Dr. to hit the gym again and you know what….BABY I AM GOING TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN!!! and enjoy food again!!! I AM RIGHT HERE TO CHEER YOU ON!!!!! GOOD LUCK YOU GOT THIS TOO!!!!

  96. so happy for your motivation. I’m trying to lose also. Mainly wanted to tell you I made 3 pairs of drapes for my new house because of your blog!! I love them. I paid over $14,000.00 (not a typo!!!) for the public spaces. I spent about $700 for rods n materials for what I made which would have been at least $3,000!! Thank you for great instructions. I’m now seeing for my daughter n daughter in law!! You rock ! Let’s get rid of our extra poundage together! Love, SuE

  97. Kristi, you are so brave to put all your fears about your appearance out there. And I think you really struck a cord with people. I don’t have the amount of weight to lose that you do, but I understand the reluctance to be photographed and filmed. I want you to know that from my perspective I read your blog because I love your willingness to tackle tough situations and make it work. You are crafting what will be a lovely home. I so enjoy following your journey. You make beauty without the Architectural Digest budget, so your work speaks to many of us whose taste level far exceeds our budget. You are intelligent, talented and have a wonderful eye. I think your readers, like me, are attracted to who you are inside. I’m sure your regular readers, like me, are all rooting for your success. Go for it!

  98. You may be overweight but I can’t picture you as grossly fat! You climb up and down ladders all day! You stripped, sanded and finished your floors 3 times! You’ve been in your attic! You lug lumber around all day. You work until midnight most days. Grossly fat people don’t do those things, at least not easily. But I admire your desire to improve your body and your health and wish you success. From reading the comments I’d say you’ve got one of the biggest support groups in the world. Keep us posted on your progress.

  99. Kristi, as I’ve said to you before, I love you for what you are able to tackle and learn the best approach to accomplish all your home renovation and decorating goals. Then to top that all off, you take the time to blog about it and put it in everyday language that I can understand. Honestly, I don’t know how you are able to do all that you do each day. You never fail to have some task begun, in progress or completed each day. If a monkey wrench gets thrown in your way, what do you do? You take it in stride and regroup, put the project on pause (wet cabinet doors) and move on until you’re able to complete the other.

    I’m firmly of the belief that it is not my role to judge or condemn you for whatever your weight may be. Instead, it’s my role as a friend (okay, a ‘blog’ friend) to be supportive of you in reaching your goals in life. If it’s renovating your home into your dream palace, that’s fine by me. If your goal is a weight related one, that’s fine by me, too. :o)

    I suggest we all toast you for being the great lady you are! You’re honest to the core with us and I truly appreciate and admire you for being the woman you are. If you want to lose weight, I’m thrilled for you! What a great goal that is!! I’ve been going to physio for the past 3 months for what I would refer a minor convenience in the grand scheme of things. As I work out on some of the machines, I have time to read all these healthy lifestyle articles that are pinned up all over the walls. Gosh, some of them really are pricking away at me (too sedentary, too much sitting down….reading, not TV).

    I’ll be following along as you conquer this next goal because…..CONQUER IT YOU WILL!!
    (Now, I better get to work on my original purpose for being on the computer or I’ll be in the principal’s office tomorrow!)

  100. Kristi, you clearly have lots of us willing to cheer you on. I wish you only the best with this journey to a more healthy version of you. Please reconsider doing DIY videos– we really don’t care what size you are. You just have the best projects and the best explanations and we would all love to have some videos of these projects.

  101. Kristi, You are amazing at what you do !! I never gave it a thought about what you look like. Do what is best for you!I have been viewing your blog for a while, and you truly inspire me. Last Aug. my husband died unexpectedly and I spent a lot of the winter trying to figure out how to fix parts of our home that we were in the middle of working on.you are so creative and push yourself to figure out how to work through problems, you have been very inspiring to me !I know you can achieve what ever you put your mind to!!!

  102. If you apply the same “can do” attitude to you weight loss as you do to your DIY projects, there is no doubt you will be a raving success. Bottom line, you are beautiful no matter what size body you currently reside in! I certainly want to encourage you to seek a healthy lifestyle, remain active, and work towards a body you will be comfortable sharing with your loyal followers. I will be keeping tabs and looking forward to those posts as well. And if you need a cheerleader, I think you will find your squad right here. Best of luck.

  103. First I’d just like to say I’ve only been following you for a month or so. I understand your feelings of not being able to show yourself in print. Unfortunately that is the shallow world we live in.
    You gave talents, stamina and persistence that few others do. I know how hard it is but be proud of yourself.
    I would also suggest a couple of websites for you to check out…Wellness Mama, Mark Sisson, I gave been doing a combo of the GAPS diet and Paleo and am having wonderful results. The main difference is that I gave a big appetite and I don’t work well with deprivation. I know you like to research on the Internet so check it out. Good luck and God Bless!!

  104. You are so awesome and so so much more than your weight or appearance. You are an amazing person that does amazing things! I hope you find a place where you feel peace about your body and it no longer holds you back from the things you want to do. You don’t owe anyone an explanation on anything. Thank you for posting this, as someone who can totally relate to this I get how hard that must have been. Xoxoxo.

  105. You are so courageous in all the aspects of your life that you’ve shared with us. Good luck and, gulp, maybe I’ll join you on your health goals.

  106. Well done Kristi! I’m with you on this journey. Two weeks ago I started a new way of life, which is resulting in weight loss. One pound = roughly half a kilo, and in two weeks I’ve lost about 2.5 kilos…. what’s that?….5 pounds! 🙂 I’m using the 5:2 ‘fasting’ method, where you eat normally for 5 days (albeit better than my recent normally), and for two, non-consecutive days you restrict your calorie/kilojoule intake to under 500 calories. It sounds difficult but it is proving really very easy – as long as you plan your ‘fast’ day ahead so you don’t spend the day thinking about food.I can see this being manageable as a lifestyle. It’s so easy! For those who are interested…. http://thefastdiet.co.uk/ There is significant evidence to show it benefits in many more ways than weight loss.

    Fingers crossed for all of us chubbies. We can do this! Good on you Kristi for sharing. Thank you.
    E.

  107. Hi Kristi!
    Thank you for sharing your struggles with weight. I was 80-100 lbs overweight for many years and last year decided to do something about it. I had VSG surgery. I know this is not the choice for many people but I have been able to finally lose the weight I wanted,. I am sharing this because i was paralyzed into inaction because of my weight. I didn’t want to participate in life, I had seriously low self esteem and was not able to enjoy my 2 new granddaughters.
    Since surgery I have taken back my power, made some major food and life changes as well as happily allow photos to be taken of me. Good luck in your life style changes.
    Best regards!

  108. I have been following your blog this past year after I stumbled upon a post in Pinterest. I have never commented before, but am compelled to comment on your post today. I feel like I know you, even though we have never met. You have brought encouragement to me beyond words – empowering me to do projects I have always wanted to do, but didn’t know how, or didn’t feel I could. Your creativity is amazing and the way you write keeps me interested. I just want to say, you once again have impressed me. By writing so honestly about how you feel about yourself and deciding that you’re going to do something about it, I am confident you will succeed – because you are unstoppable! One day at a time, one good decision after another…. Cheering for you!

  109. Kristi-
    I can only imagine what an incredible support reading your comments is for you. I’m sort of living vicariously thru you, since I too have allowed my weight (and my health) and the health of my family to come to the top of my “Most Urgent” list. Every day is a balance of all the components of our lives: work, family, God, home, diy (Yes, it gets its own category), love – you fill in your own categories. I had my “That’s enough!” moment last spring – but I refuse to “DIET” anymore. Like you, I am in the process of moving to a whole food, real food way of eating. But, we are such creatures of habit that its so easy to fall back into the old ways, huh? And it can be overwhelming trying to completely overhaul what you eat, how you eat, etc. So, I am setting smaller do-able goals: get all GMO’s and High Fructose Corn Syrup out of our lives. (And I’m almost there!) So, my encouragement would be to learn as much as you can about healthy eating, and implement the changes that make sense for you and Matt – one step at a time. And don’t give up! That weight didn’t magically appear on you (or me) so try to be willing to get rid of it in a way that will keep it off and keep you healthy! I love your blog – it is incredibly inspirational. Know that it touches untold numbers of people for the better. As a side note, my husband and I are beekeepers and have been able to help a member of our church who has MS by providing him with honeybees that he uses to sting himself – there is apparently something in the venom that helps with MS victims. For him, he had been bedridden and with the bee sting therapy was able to get up and use a walker to get around. In fact, I just ran into him at the local grocery store – still using his walker (its been probably 10 yrs since we helped him out with bees) I might be a bit concerned about getting non “killer” bees since you’re in TX, but it might help Matt out? Anyway, blessings on your decision and remind yourself regularly of all the folks out here in blogland who are rooting for you!

  110. Kristi, Its easy to see that you can do ANYTHING. I’ve never seen anyone like you. You will achieve this personal goal because you are determined and don’t let anything stand in your way. Good luck. I’ll see you in a video sometime soon, I’m sure!

  111. How courageous of you to share something so personally painful. Congratulations on your decision to take control of something that prevents you from fulfilling your potential. I, too, am FAT. It IS an ugly word, but it is the truth. I avoid mirrors and cameras and sometimes (many times) I won’t go places for fear of being judged or of being an embarrassment to my husband. I completely understand your reluctance to show pictures of yourself. It is sad that we judge ourselves in a way we would never judge others.
    I was impressed by you before, but now am even more impressed. I know so many overweight people who have become limited in what they are able to do physically and just give up trying to do anything. You are able to accomplish so much, in spite of your weight. I doubt there are any people that follow you who would care what you look like; we follow because we want to see what clever and creative thing you are going to do next and hope to learn something from a truly gifted artist – you ARE an artist.
    Best wishes for your success!

  112. I’m Fat too. In my head I am thin and 17 years old. Glad I am not 17. I seek out your blog daily if it doesn’t find me first. Let’s all just get healthy and have a great time making things beautiful. You got those cabinets out by yourself, I think you can do this, piece of cake…oh, sorry 😉

  113. Hi Kristi, I think you are very courageous and strong. I feel the same way for myself. I don’t know what kind of plan you are doing but I can sure join you. I was planning to start tomorrow and I know my journey will be a long one. Any kind of encouragement or support is a big deal. You are not alone and by sharing it, you reach others in the same situation. Thank you for being you and being so honest. You are a strong cookie and we love you for that. I don’t want to wish you luck because it has nothing to do with luck. It’s all about determination, being strong and be positive. For those, yes I wish you the best…and I am with you. Together we will conquer!!!

  114. Well, you certainly don’t sugar coat (no pun intended) anything, do you? GOOD…because that’s exactly why we love you! I think your admissions might be the kick-start I need to get on track…and REALLY try this time. I was a skinny teen and young adult and never had to worry about my weight…then, this crazy thing called “age” snuck up on me. I’ve made excuse after excuse. To top it off, there have been some up/downs and hitting rock bottom which has pushed me to eat more. I hate the way I look – especially in pictures – I too, am FAT. Kristi…today is the day. Today is the day I start a healthier life. I’m looking forward to the birth of my first grandbaby (girl) in about a week – if I won’t do it for me, I will do it for her. Let’s get this party started:)

  115. Well done Kirsti, you are an amazing person. To share a personal struggle is very hard,but by your openness and honesty you will achieve your goals. In 67yrs and have to watch my weight as well. The joys of struggles can be shared by so many, so thanks for sharing you personal space. I personally wish you all the best.

  116. Kristi, I know you can do anything when you put your mind to it! Your blog and your homes are proof of that. You are such a lovely person inside and out, and are a very pretty lady and an awesome dynamo of creativity, talent, and energy. It saddens me to hear you say “hate” in relation to yourself, but I have to say I understand because my weight has creeped up over the years too, and I’m not longer chubby or “fluffy,” I’m downright fat. Something must be done about this because health is becoming an issue now as my lab numbers are elevated in all the wrong ways. So, I’m going to do Paleo or some other low carb plan, because that is what works for me.

    I’m also going to try some form of meditation or calming hypnosis tapes or something to try to get my stress level down, because I work in a high-stress environment (law firm – hoo boy!) and stress hormones wreak havoc on a person’s weight, as does sleeplessness and late nights. I know you’ve said many times on your blog that you’re up working on your projects pretty late, and am wondering if your doctor would suggest for you to try to get to bed earlier? If you Google sleep and weight gain, it’s frightening how not getting enough sleep can greatly hinder weight loss and can cause a whole cascade of hormonal/weight issues.

    Lastly, this may sound a big “new age-y” which is what I thought the first time my friend – who is many years older and much much wiser than me – said it: “Nothing ever gets truly lost in the universe. So don’t say you want to “lose weight” – say you want to completely eliminate or burn away all the excess fat on your body. If you say “lose weight” your body will be sure to find it again!” Now, I still think this sounds a bit new age-y, but she’s right – every time I’ve tried to “lose weight” my body has found that weight again and then some, so this time around, I’m going to “eliminate all the excess fat from my body” LOL! Another friend who into fitness says she’s found over the years that the best way to keep pounds from creeping up is to gauge how her clothes fit, and if her favorite jeans start to feel tight, or she sees ~ 5-7 pound increase on the scale (as women, our weight fluctuates due to menstrual cycle), she immediately jumps on it and starts back with more exercise and watching what she eats until those extra pounds are gone. She won’t let it get to an increase of 10 pounds, because weight creep, as all us “fluffy” girls know, is insidious and can quickly get out of control.

    Best wishes on this journey of yours! I will be rooting you on!

  117. I have a great deal of respect for your courage, and I wish you well on your journey. I also share your issue, and I know how daunting facing it can seem. But I have great faith in your powers of transformation (in whatever form it takes). Congratulations on your first big step toward your goal – we’re all rooting for you!

  118. I’m rooting for you!! I’m on Weight Watchers for second time and it works for me. I understand this. The photos on my blog of me are older when I was skinny. Then I gained for awhile. At only 5′ tall it doesn’t take much to make you feel not too good about yourself. After losing some, I’m about ready to put pics online again. So I totally understand this. All the best with your weight loss!! Deb

  119. (My comment never posted… hope I didn’t say anything wrong…???)

    Anyway, congratulations on your choice to get healthier, Atta Gal! 🙂

  120. Hi kristi thanks for sharing this. I too am over weight and hate being in pictures. I look in the mirror and think how did I do this to myself. I need to lose about seventy pounds fifty and I’d be happy. But it’s a struggle when you can’t exercise. One thing I do do as an overweight person is buy clothes that fit and look good on my shape. I also find a good flattering hair cut and colour helps. I look forward to seeing your progress. I wish you much success but no matter your weight I’ll be reading every post. Cheers.

  121. Kristi – I’ll be rooting for you, hon. I enjoy reading your blogs, but this one was over the top! (as everyone can see from the huge comment response) Feel the love. …
    Your loyal reader, Rosie

  122. Congrats on your journey so far!. That alone is a huge accomplishment to just be ready to change your lifestyle. I too struggled with my weight for over 11 years. Coming from a small, petite size, five kids later I was 200 lbs at 5’1″. A sudden reaction to sugars made me change immediately. Sugar was putting me into some form of mini comas. Anyhow what worked? Well I took ACE for energy and avoided sugar like the plague!. Easier said then done, I know. But I lost a steady 12-15 lbs a months. Drank propel water instead of anything else. Didn’t work out like ever lol. Just no sugar. None. Not even natural sugars. I’m now a healthier size 9 coming from a size 16/18. I pray you are able to share an awesome success story at the end of your personal journey!

  123. Just discovered your blog today by seeing a share on this very brave post. I will enjoy following your journey to wellness 🙂 as I just adore your creative expression/style from looking through your design gallery. Warmest Regards!

  124. I love you, dear girl, for the person you are today. I am not overweight, I’m undertall. I’ve used that line for years as a joke, but secretly hated my weight. I am 5′ tall, just like you, so I knew this could be a problem. But it is not insurmountable. You lost too much weight last week (enough to make you weak) but at least it’s an encouragement for the long journey you are beginning. At 65 years old, I had gained way to much after menopause, but was not quite self-loathing. I do, however, understand that feeling in someone as young as you. And we all want you to love yourself as much as we love you. My weight ruined my health, and became a fight for life. Doctors suggested bariatric bypass, but with diabetes I do not heal well, and finally backed out of that option. I went to work on my own, and determined to make myself healthier. My doctor worked with me, and is very pleased with my progress. I weighed 188 and developed diabetes. I have always had lung problems and they got worse. That led to heart disease. And people with sleep apnea also tend to gain weight and are unable to lose. I lost 34 pounds in 18 months and hit a block wall. I could not lose another pound. My doctor heard my struggling, and even though I was already on metformin for diabetes, she added a victosa injection. Victosa is not insulin. It is a hormone that the pancreas is supposed to produce to regulate insulin. She also told me that victosa is used as a weight loss drug, but can still only be described if someone with high blood sugar is already on metformin. Wow, was she right. The pounds are rolling off now. I hope to lose at least 30 or 35 more, and I will be at my ideal weight. My beginning side effect from victosa was slight nausea, but that wore off in time. So you see, Kristi, we all struggle with weight and health issues.

    I have never been as proud of you as I am at this moment for facing your problem and starting to work on it. Please don’t overdo it or you will find yourself losing muscle instead of fat, but a slow, determined progress will save you from the many health issues that weight brings along with it. Will we love your more??? No, that’s not possible, but you will love yourself more and that’s what counts. My doctors insisted, no dieting, but lifestyle change. And if I fall off the wagon one day, I just know that the next day is a day to continue my long journey. While you are physically very active, you still have to apply the right kind of activity. Take a break and go outside and walk. You will return more engergized than ever.

    Praying for GREAT success.

  125. Hi, I love your blog and check in daily to see what’s going up, down, out or in… Good health options are a good way to go and would love to follow your journey. Mad love from Nairobi, Kenya.

  126. Kristi, you have already taken a big step by really taking a look in the mirror and admitting the problem. (I’d do that too but the mirror would crack.) Seriously, I do know how you feel and no matter what anyone else says to make you feel better it doesn’t seem to help until you believe it. I started gaining weight at menopause after having been skinny all my life and its been downhill since then. The main concern I have is with your health. Take heart, a friend of mine let her weight get out of hand after the death of her husband. She has now lost 100 lbs. No special diets of any kind just cutting out most sugar and eating a healthy, well-balanced diet. It is also the easiest way to maintain your weight loss because it changes some of our bad habits to health ones. I think maybe the word “diet” should be banned and replaced with healthy habits. She also began walking, just simply walking. She told me the first day she decided to walk she only made it four houses down the street. But she walked again the next day and the next etc. and the extra pounds began to drop off. I will be following your progress along the way and hopefully dropping some pounds too. I had hubby set up the treadmill in the basement about six months ago but my back problems became more severe before I could even get started. I am determined to get on it anyway even if I have to start at 5 minutes a day.
    If you draw on that awesome determination you use for your DIY projects you are headed for success.

  127. Kristi…When I began my weight loss journey, I know it sounds crazy but I would sit in the mirror daily and say all the awesome things about ME.I was so focused on how I felt ugly. I didn’t feel worthy of makeup, jewelry, pretty clothes, getting my hair done and above all LOVE.I just could not believe my Wonderful husband wanted to stay with a fatty like me. Next, I added everyday YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL I LOVE YOU!! God gave me my health, I breathe without help, walk without help, my mind is good, my heart is healthy, my skin is awesome and well you get the picture. Before long I actually believed what I was saying. If I could hate who I was for being fat I could also LOVE myself with positive self talk and before long the healthy eating, exercise and self love caused the weight to literally fall off.It was a roller coaster ride of emotions.You are beautiful you just have to believe it and whatever you are doing add self LOVE to the equation you’ll thank yourself in the future.LOVE and Hugs!!Susan

  128. Wishing for you a healthy, lovely and right-sized body.

    I dieted (starved myself, actually) for years trying to loose a stubborn 20 pounds with no luck. Then I discovered I have hypothyroidism. My body’s metabolism had just slowed down. The less I ate, the more it slowed down. Vicious cycle. I discovered this about 8 weeks ago. Turns out I’m also allergic to grains, eggs, soy, dairy and gluten. Now I only eat meat, chicken, fish and fruit and vegetables. No food cravings and so far I’ve lost 10 pounds.

  129. I’ve never actually commented on a blog before but after reading your post yesterday I knew I had to comment. First of all, I LOVE your blog. I’ve been reading religiously for years and I will continue to read regardless of your weight. I actually remember how well 2012 went for you and Matt with regard to weight loss/living healthier. I remember that in your posts about your successes in 2012, you sounded so happy. I have wondered a few times in the last year how the journey was going for you. I’m so excited to follow along with all your weight loss posts. YOU CAN DO IT!!

  130. My hat off to you for talking about this issue. And, let me assure you, you’re not alone in your struggle. I teared up because my husband’s best friend died six weeks ago because of his weight. He was a star varsity tennis player in his twenties; ten years later he was severely overweight. By the time he was in his mid forties he’d doubled his weight and had all kinds of complications. He had open heart surgery four years ago and asked for our help but couldn’t get out of the rut he was in. I prepared healthy meals, his sister got him a trainer and a therapist but, alas, he didn’t want to do the hard work. He was an addict, no two ways about it, but couldn’t face the fact that he needed help. Food was only a manifestation of whatever was plaguing him. And his heart finally gave out. So, good for you for tackling this–and I have no doubt someone as persistent as you will do well. And if you need help don’t hesitate to ask–we all are rooting for you!

  131. I am older than you Kristi, but foun myself in the same situation about 5 years ago. I had slowly, over 20 years gained 100 lbs. 100 extra lbs. pin a 5’1″ body looks and feels bad. It affected me, my husband, my kids, my job,and my health. After breaking both my ankles, cause by my extreme weight, I decided it was get healthy or end up in a wheelchair. Every joint below my hips creaked, cracked and ached. It had been 5 years, m still 40 lbs from my “ideal” weight, but I run, I bike, I swim, I even race and do triathlons. The goal, for me at least, has been to not so much lose weight, but to get healthy and feel good. That I’ve accomplished. Make sure to set realistic goals for yourself and to set them in small increments. Have a goal of 100 lbs. loss is great, but so much more manageable of you just set smaller weekly goals. I set about losing 1 lb. a week. Good luck and thanks for your honesty and sharing. It ain’t easy, but in the end out will be so worth it. I am amazed at you and all you do, no matter your size/weight, but I also totally get the no photo policy. I never let anyone take pictures of me from the neck down. It wa my way of denying reality. If you can do all these amazing renovations like you do, you can do this too.

  132. OMY Goodness,
    You can sooo do this! Just look at what you have done in your house! I have learned so much from your blog Kristi! I just think you are amazing and courageous and so very very smart. Ingenious really. My very best wishes for you to achieve whatever goal you have set for yourself and especially for your good health and happiness.

  133. Congrats on making the decision. I am in the process of losing and found a podcast and community that truly supports me. It’s called Halfsizeme.com. Heather Robertson lost 170 pounds and is amazing. You can just subscribe to the newsletter and podcasts, or you can download the app, and /or join the HSM community. Lots of people are losing significant amounts of weight and all food plans are welcome. And no, I don’t work for them, just sharing what has turned my 100 goal into something truly achievable! Best of luck!

  134. Thank you for being honest, and you know what, I am the same way, I can not exercise because I injured my back and that threw me in to the disabled line, and now at 51 yrs I am dying from respiratory failure.and the meds they have me on, have me so heavy now, that I had to go buy clothes and I don’t want to spend money on me because I am dying..lol what a roller coaster ride I am on, I have been watching all the work you are doing and you just amaze me, but I wanted you to know you are so beautiful inside, that outside just does not matter, my hubby tells me I am just the way GOD wants you to be…lol..so sweet….please, get pictures because my family has no of me because I am the same way, but now they wont have any when I am gone, so when I get the strength I going to make them all a special quilt and see if I can get a friend to take a few pictures so they have some when I am gone, please it is so important for them to have pictures of you, if anything were to happen, they would have nothing but memories…GOD bless you beautiful lady….

  135. Hi Kristi, I never comment on these things but I did once before ( about your dogs ) I love reading your blog ! Your blog is so interesting, I love following all your projects and I kind of think of you as a friend lol You are worthy of great things in life no matter what size you are but as this is something you want to do for yourself I will follow with great interest and support
    Sending encouragement Donna x

  136. Kristi,

    You can do it! You have done it! You are doing it even now! Also, I WANT some videos!! You have no idea how many times I have told my husband – we can do this it’s what Kristi does on her blog!!

  137. As one who has battled weight most of her life, I applaud you. Your determination for DIY will serve you well with this. I started a two years ago to take the pounds off more slowly than I have done in the past and have managed to take 40 lbs off so far, mostly the first year. This second year much got in my way in the form of stress/low finances/family crises (more stress – hate that stress hormone!), but I have kept 35 off. Still have 30-40 to go and my doctor follows me on my chosen “diet” which is low carb. Almost but not quite Atkins so slower weight loss. The good news is that this way of eating also shows excellent results in my bloodwork for cholesterol and triglycerides – for me that’s the proof that it’s the way for me. Not everyone is the same and I hope you have found the best way for you! You can do it!

  138. First of all, wouldn’t you rather be fat and useful than a skinny useless bitch? FOR REAL. Just saying. Secondly, I am in the same boat, as I think a lot of your lady fans probably are for various reasons (busy-ness, child bearing (guilty X4), laziness, bad habits, etc.) but how awesome of you to face this dilemma publicly. You know that none of us A2D groupies love you any less for your appearance. You are an inspiration with your bazillion successes, and you have officially put us all to shame with your bazillionth and one project: yourself. Your every move amazes me and I am humbled to be on the same planet as you. Kick some ass. Lose some ass. But never lose yourself, cuz we all lurve you.

  139. You strike me as the kind of woman who can DO ANYTHING. Although I do not have the same design taste as you, I am also a builder and your dedication, persistence, creativity is truly inspiring. If you set your mind to it, you will lose the weight. Your body is the temple for your soul. Take care of it and it will take care of you. I check your blog 3 times a week, and look forward to your posts. Keep at it!

  140. Not having a working kitchen doesn’t help with weight loss. I gained 15lbs when we redid our kitchen. The main thing is that you haven’t given up!! As a fellow DIY I love the things you do…much braver than me. Stay positive and when you get down read all these posts !!

  141. OMG! So glad I’m not the only one! My husband and I had knock-down drag-out fights (I’m Southern, so that dies not mean physical altercation at ANY time) on our vacation to Denver this summer about how I should get in the dang pictures!!!
    Ugh, I hate me in pictures, mirrors, most any reflective surface…

  142. Christy I do not look at your size…I never really thought about your size till you made this blog..ya know a model will show you all her flaws. As none of us ever are completely satisified with out appearence…makes me sad to see people miss being happy over their size..we have so many hardships in life..gosh..look at the war and crime…that’s enough..then we add our personal struggles..hurts and pains life brings our way..that’s plenty..then we create more using our flaws..everyone has flaws…I’ll take a huge over weight person over a perfect skinny evil person anyday..ask yourself who are you affecting in a bad way by your size…all the interviews I see from those who live to be 90+ always say the secret to life is do unto others as you’d have done to you..never a word about size..I’ve been drop dead beautiful and oh so ugly and large in my lifetime..and the beauty came with a huge price..men wanted what I had…not me…I was lied to..stole.from..cheated..more when I had looks than when I did not..I know.from personal experience beauty is not always the secret to happiness..that itself was enough to show me what really matters…it never matters what you do or how you look..people will bring evil your way and try to steal your joy..why do we add pain to.our lives that way..but we do…now we also will turn to aging..all the sudden everything on you looks bad…that is so hard to watch…you turn old..but..by then you have learned the truth to being happy..and you grow old with grace..if you spend the middle ages sad about your appearence and next will be age..that will equal to an entire life unhappy…I say live and love and be happy…that’s the secret…how we treat others…take fruit to a nursing home..find ways to do a little something for others and I promise you will loose focus on your self and the flaws..we all have them..and you find joy…

    1. And ..there are many many overnweight women I see who are beautiful..they dress nice and smell good..I could just eat em up..they glow with joy..happiness comes.from the inside doll..and when its there..ya don’t the size and are filled with love…do some soul searching and fix the problem there..a show called biggest looser is on..they do just that..fix inside and the weifht goes..and its always our intake..don’t starve..but choose better foods..eat healthy ingredients..it don’t have to be all salad..tran fats..sugars..I look at margerine and see a bucket of clogged arteries..grosses me out..took me a year to learn how to eat..I didn’t change my diet over my weight..it affected my health..I couldn’t get over a surgery and had to so I could heal
      .much blessings to you doll..

  143. I don’t care what you weigh; you have truly been an inspiration to me. I hope you lose the weight you want but, more importantly learn to love the skin you’re in. I used to sell Herbalife and had a customer who lost over 100 pounds. She started at size 26 and I shared her joy when she called me dancing around in her daughter’s size 8. So I know what you are feeling as you take this journey. And if she can do it, so can you. This is not a plug and I know you don’t like to cook 🙂 but I bought the South Beach Diet book just for the really good recipes and my husband lost several pounds following it. We still use a lot of those recipes. Hope this helps. But whatever weight you end up at, know that you are an amazing person.