It’s been a few weeks since I published an installment of The Weight is Over. My schedule was more packed than usual, and on both nights when I normally would have written my column for a Thursday publication, it just wasn’t happening. I simply ran out of time and steam.
In my previous life I would have stayed up until late — or even all night — to catch up and write. No matter what. Get ‘er done. The new me takes better care of myself. I chose sleep. Just writing those words – I chose sleep – feels selfish, which tells me I’m still not fully evolved.
Fortunately, my life is in a much more sane mode right now, even though I’ve really enjoyed these last few crazy months. For one thing, the Shasta College play, “To Kill a Mockingbird” is done, which includes my stint as Mrs. Dubose — the racist, morphine-addicted old woman who screeched at children. I miss the people and cast involved with “To Kill a Mockingbird” — but not the schedule.
Shasta College’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” cast photo. You’ll find Doni – Mrs. Dubose – in the center, wearing a gray wig and white shawl. Photo by Michael Burke.
It did feel weird for me to play someone so elderly and in such horrible shape, especially this year, when I’m shooting for fit and healthy, not wrinkly and senile. But even that exercise — of making myself look old – was interesting.
The entire process was a milestone for me, something I’d wanted to try, but wasn’t sure if I could do it. I auditioned, I got a part, and I did it. I confess that the first performance, I was terrified, and I never really stopped feeling nervous at each performance, but it did get easier. And really, it was fun.
Doni was delighted to shed her Mrs. Dubose old-lady make-up for curtain calls. Photo by Michael Burke.
For each practice and performance, I brought my own little insulated lunch bag filled with nuts, peanut butter, apples and protein drinks so I could stay on program and not give into the college’s vending machine temptation.
“To Kill a Mockingbird” cast members Doni Chamberlain (Mrs. Dubose) and Elijah West (Reverend Sykes) apply their characters’ make-up. Photo by Michael Burke.
Between performance nights I participated in a wine-and-food pairing/tasting fundraiser for Redding’s Kids Kingdom playground project. It was a great success, and at my station my sister and I served about 200 portions of tiramisu and affogato paired with a lovely Prosecco. All the ingredients were supplied by the Redding Grocery Outlet (one of the north state’s best kept secrets for fine wines, cheeses and specialty foods), including the wine. If you missed this event this year, you’ll have another chance to attend next fall. I’ll be there, and am already looking forward to next year.
For the record, I took just one bite of the dessert, to make sure it tasted the way I wanted, and a small glass of Prosecco, just to see whether it paired well with the desserts (it did). That was it for my dessert splurge.
Year 1 of the wine-and-food tasting/pairing event at City Hall. Sisters Shelly Shively and Doni Chamberlain served Italian desserts paired with a Prosecco.
All the while, I kept up with my workouts at Align Private Training, sometimes putting in double work-out sessions in case I couldn’t make it to a workout on a particular day. In a way, the workouts kept me grounded, and reminded me that even though my schedule was out of control, my eating and commitment to my health-and-fitness program were on track.
Noni Doni and her favorite grandgoblins.
Finally, there was Halloween, a time that would have typically given me an excuse to stock up on mini Hershey bars to eat before, during and after Halloween. Not this year.
For my trick-or-treaters (a puny number this year in the Garden Tract), I offered apples, oranges, tangerines and tiny boxes of raisins. For those parents who didn’t trust their kids to accept a stranger’s fruit (fear of tainted treats), I had bought bags of candies I knew wouldn’t tempt me: Starbursts. Ick.
Yes, Doni’s health-and-fitness obsession spilled over into Halloween, where she offered kids fruit.
To top everything off, this week is A News Cafe.com’s 9th birthday, another important milestone since there was a point a few years ago during my lifequake when I wasn’t sure I could keep this website afloat. I did. Not only is it thriving, but I’m looking forward to throwing a big bash next year when the site turns 10.
Now that life has settled down, I can turn my attention to an upcoming trip my sister and I are taking to the Czech Republic. I’ll tell you all about it, of course.
In the meantime, I can hardly believe it, but in about a month I will celebrate a very special milestone: my one-year anniversary of when I first summed up the courage to walk through the door of Align and start working with the amazingly inspirational, motivational Matthew R. Lister.
Matthew R. Lister. Photo by Diane Hill.
I really hate to keep dragging out my embarrassing “before” photos, because they are painful for me to look at, but they’re good reminders of how far I’ve come, so I’ll show you this photo, below. Actually, I think this one, of me in the blue shirt, was taken one month into my program, so I’d lost about five pounds by then.
I was smiling, but believe me, I was miserable. I hated the way I looked, almost as much as I hated the way I felt. Plus, I was newly pre-diabetic.
UPDATE: Ooh, this is what I love about online. I found the very first photo taken by Brad Garrison at Align, a month before the one above, in which I’m wearing blue socks. For reals, this photo below was the original before. Be still my embarrassed heart. Here it is:
Shoot, as long as I’m bringing out my sad before photos, I may as well share the one that served as the reality slap that woke me up about getting my body back. The really pathetic part about this photo, below, is I remember I thought that outfit looked pretty good. <Sigh>.
Below is my present-day photo, 11 months later. If I don’t look like the same person as you see in the photo above, it’s because I’m not that same person. I’m happier. My posture is outstanding, I’m no longer pre-diabetic, and even my blood work is better. Oh, and the plantar fasciitis I had in my right foot is completely gone.
Of course, my workouts are more strenuous than when I joined Align 11 months ago. I can hold a 2-minute plank, and today I did 1,000 warrior ropes, just part of the basic cardio day. The workouts are always a butt-kicker, but I no longer wonder if they’ll kill me.
This is the new Doni. Feeling healthy and fit. Photo by Matthew Lister.
These photos of me in the gray top and black pants were taken about three weeks ago. I have never felt better. Ever!
Normally, I’m not a fan of having a photo taken of me from behind, but what the heck, check this one out.
And this one of me doing triceps pull-downs. I’m so strong!
And look at this one, of me doing single-arm rows with 35-pound weights. You know what I’ve discovered? I actually like working out with weights. Those are words I NEVER thought I’d say. 
However, one thing I’ve complained about from the start is I seem to be a slow loser. Take my friend and Align work-out buddy, Andrea Charroin. She’s lost 51 pounds in something like five months. WHAT?!!! Fifty-one-pounds in five months! That’s incredible!
Andrea Charroin has lost 51 pounds in five months, and Doni’s lost 35 in 10 months. Both are pretty pleased with themselves.
But because I’m a believer in the saying, “comparison is the thief of joy” I avoid comparing myself to others. It helps that Matthew is constantly reminding us that everyone is different, which means we all lose weight differently, and we all build muscle differently, too. By the way, he says I’m one of those lucky people whose body builds muscle easily. That makes me very happy.
It had been a while since Matthew had weighed and measured me. You know by now how he feels about scales. He hates them, because so many of us become fixated on the scale and numbers, when he’d rather we concentrate on health and fitness, and observe how much better we feel, and how differently our clothes fit (or don’t).
I’ve saved the best for last. Here are my numbers after working at Align with Matthew for 11 months:
33 total inches lost
4 inches from shoulders
2 inches off right arm
2 inches off left arm
4 inches off bra line
11 inches off waist
6 inches off hips
2 inches off right leg
2 inches off left leg
35 net pounds lost
Estimated 50 lbs of fat lost
Estimated 15 lbs of muscle gained
Can you believe it? I can’t! Well, I can, because I’ve worked so very hard to achieve these results. But still, I’m still not used to my new body yet. The number that I really can’t get over is my waist: 11 inches lost! Shocking, really.
Naturally, my clothes tell the story, too. I have gone down almost five pants sizes. And that trunk in my bedroom that held clothes I’d kept that were too small, that I hoped to get back into? I’ve now lost enough weight/inches that everything in the trunk is too big. I’m buying clothes in sizes I’ve not worn for more than 20 years. Even my shoes feel too big.
It’s an understatement to say I’m elated about the outcome. But with the greatest of anticipation I’m excited to see where I will level out as my final life-time weight. But no matter what weight I become, the work-outs and healthy eating will continue. I’ll even keep up with my workouts during my trip to the Czech Republic, where my son and daughter-in-law have scouted out a gym near their home that I can visit. I’ll report back about that, too.
And now, it’s time for bed. I’ll catch up with you in the morning, after my workout.
