Alright amigos, you knew it was coming, you could sense the magic.
OK, in actuality seeing as I've already mentioned this to my reader and my other reader, it may not be news. And seeing as I called about 5 people and texted that many more, that may also make it not be news. But I don't know if I'll ever tire of actually saying it.
I've lost one hundred pounds. 100 pounds. 100 lbs. One hundred lbs.
I have lost one hundred pounds by following the Weight Watchers plan.
I honestly didn't think I would be this overwhelmed by it. I was at 96.8 last week, lost 3.2 this week (actually, it probably didn't work that way...I stayed the exact same the week before and sometimes I just think my body messes with me for kicks), and I was there.
There was all sorts of hoopla and such. I got a certificate of accomplishment (and if you think I'm not framing that sucker, well, you've got some nerve mister), a 100 pound charm for my keychain (it doesn't weigh 100 pounds, it just SAYS 100 pounds), a contraband WW "I Lost 100 Pounds" refrigerator magnet, and a sticker for my WW bookmark. The class applauded me, and asked me how I did it and I shared a bit of my story.
I'm not going to write much about it here, not right now. I just wanted to put it out there. I honestly wanted to roll all my windows down in my car and scream it to passersby. It's an amazing feeling.
Thanks for being with me for the ride. Which, I must say, has been awesome. I haven't settled on a final goal, and I'm not ready to do it yet. I'd say in order for me to be pretty comfy I'd like to lose maybe 60 more pounds.
60 pounds? I can do that.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Friday, May 1, 2009
Hitting my stride
I think I've hit a stride here amigos. Or something. I'm not sure. I haven't been struggling weight loss wise, per se. I lost this week and I'm currently at my lowest weight.
I think I've maybe hit the real endurance part of my weight loss journey. My therapist has a wonderful analogy that he uses often. He compares it to a marathon run. If you look at all 26 miles right at the start, you'll never finish. You can start out quickly but inevitably you hit rough patches. Then there's the middle part where you just maintain your pace, not too fast, not too slow. This is probably the hardest part of a marathon. Not that I've run one. But I do understand it. I've watched them on television. His descriptions make sense.
That's sort of how I feel about where I'm at weight loss wise. I'm losing, but slowly. I'm essentially mid-journey. I do believe that this is probably where Weight Watchers loses a lot of people.
I've made a promise to myself that this is not going to defeat me. I'm just going to keep going. I'm never, ever going back to where I was. Never. I've been working at this for far too long. 14 months and counting.
I'm doing and feeling things that I haven't done or felt in forever. First of all, I'm coming to grips with the fact that many of my clothes are too big for me. They don't just look big. Some of them look downright ridiculous. My jean jacket, for instance. I still wear it, because I'm cheap and don't want to buy another. But I'm swimming in it. I have copious pairs of underwear that are just too dang big. I've dropped another pant size. One of my favorite shirts, a damned expensive one I bought as a treat for myself last year, looks like a maternity top. I love that top. Can't wear it. My brassieres are just all over the place. I'm using the first row of hooks. Completely new to me.
I've also begun my life's dream. I started riding lessons. I had my first lesson on Saturday and it was better than I could have imagined. And my weight didn't enter in to any of it. It was a non-issue.
I've planned a trip to Great America. I haven't been to Great America since I endured the humiliation of having to get off a ride because I was too big. Yes amigos, that happened to me. You've never...I can't explain how that felt. You never want to feel that bad friends. You just never do. But I know that when I go this time, I'll be able to go on whatever I please. I haven't been to Great America in 7 years because of that last incident. And after that, I didn't care enough to change things in my life, I just resigned myself to the fact that I'd never go again.
I'm sort of wandering all over the place with this post, but in a way it's kind of how I've been feeling. I'm in the middle of this journey and I'm sort of looking at things from five thousand directions and trying to take it all in, and it's pretty hard to describe.
I just had an idea. I think I'm going to list what's changed in my life in the last 14 months.
-I'm thisclose to being able to shop for clothes that aren't in the Plus Size or Women's section of stores.
-I'm wearing size 16 pants. They're size 16W, but they're still size 16. 14 months ago I was wearing size 26.
-I've lowered my cholesterol 28 points. It is now at 191.
-I haven't had fast food of any kind, and I don't miss it. Here's a short list of what I haven't eaten in 14 months (things I used to eat regularly): Taco Bell, Culver's, Arby's, KFC, Burger King, Krispy Kreme, Steak n Shake, Sentry deli, bread pudding, frozen pizza, ice cream, tater tots, elephant ears, Sentry cut out cookies, peanut m and ms, Jimmy Johns, Oscars, Kopp's, Pick n Save baked goods, gigantic muffins, normal sized muffins, potato chips, full-fat popcorn, ultra mega-fat movie popcorn,
Do I miss this stuff? Just ask me. Go ahead, ask me. I'll wait.
Well, since you asked, no, I don't. I don't miss these things. I've found that I can easily live in this world without them.
-I've ridden a horse. I haven't ridden a horse in 17 or 18 years. I didn't dare. I wasn't in good enough shape, I was just too heavy. But this past weekend, I didn't just ride the horse. During my ground work (which I love), I RAN with the horse. The object was to get him up to a trot, and then stop. Well, you probably already know this, but horses cover a lot of ground. I had to essentially go almost top speed just to get him up to a trot! But I did it. And I didn't feel like I was going to die either. And I can't tell you the feeling it gave me, to have this beautiful horse running along side me. It was sublime. 14 months ago? Never would have happened.
-I can cross my legs.
-I can go up the stairs without thinking I'm going to die, and without my knees crying out for mercy.
-I'm buying clothes off the rack, as opposed to ordering them from catalogs. And I'm buying things because I like them, not because they happen to fit.
-I can walk into a department store and not feel ridiculous.
-My weight doesn't draw attention to me.
-I have short hair. I didn't realize how much I was letting my hair cover me up. It was just a way to disguise myself. I think I always knew that shorter hair looked better on me. For years I said that I was letting it grow because I was excited that it was coming in curly. Part of that is true. I love having curly hair. But the look now is the look I think I'm supposed to have. It feels right.
-I'm a full on fruit fanatic. I always prefer fruit over vegetables, but I have a core group of vegetables that I love too. I'm a produce nut, plain and simple.
-I'm more comfortable in my body.
-I don't dread restaurant booths, plane seats, amusement park rides, or my mother's sofa (she used to chide me about sitting on it because you could hear the springs; I'm not entirely sure what that means and why it's bad, but it's a non-issue)
-My dogs are in better shape. My literal dogs, not my feet. Although my feet are in pretty good shape too.
-I think I'm having a positive effect on others; I didn't intend this, but it just happens. If what I'm doing helps someone else lose weight, that's a reward you just can't quantify.
-I'm more active and I want to do things. I want to go out with my friends. I want to go see live bands.
-Not sure how this all comes into it, but my house is in better shape than it's ever been. I'm a better housekeeper! My house is nearly presentable at all times, no more dishes in the sink, no more newspapers lying around, or unmade bed. And it's become habit. I like living that way.
-Call me crazy, but my car gets better mileage. No lie.
-I'm a better cook.
-I've kept my promise to myself, to never miss a meeting. Even over the holidays, even when I knew I had a gain, I still went. The couple of times my meetings were closed because of the holidays, I just went on a different day.
I remember the day I joined Weight Watchers. I was resistant, but I also knew I was in desperate need of help. So I figured, if nothing more, I would go to the meetings. Come hell or high water, going to the meetings was the least I could do. And there was a part of me that said that even if it didn't work, if I continued to go to the meetings, it eventually might work. Well, I went, and it worked. And continues to work.
This list could probably go on and on. There almost isn't any aspect of my life that hasn't changed somehow, due to my weight loss. So, it's a work in progress, just as I am a work in progress.
Thanks for sticking around for the ride. And I hope you stay with me while I begin my second year as a weight watcher. There are a couple big things coming up you won't want to miss! I haven't mentioned numbers lately, but there's a biggie around the corner that I'll shout from the mountaintops when I reach it. I'll also blog about it. You can probably guess what it is (if I haven't actually already told you) but I don't want to jinx it by writing it here. So, just keep watching. It'll happen soon enough.
Now I'm off to do more life evaluation! And maybe some other stuff.
I think I've maybe hit the real endurance part of my weight loss journey. My therapist has a wonderful analogy that he uses often. He compares it to a marathon run. If you look at all 26 miles right at the start, you'll never finish. You can start out quickly but inevitably you hit rough patches. Then there's the middle part where you just maintain your pace, not too fast, not too slow. This is probably the hardest part of a marathon. Not that I've run one. But I do understand it. I've watched them on television. His descriptions make sense.
That's sort of how I feel about where I'm at weight loss wise. I'm losing, but slowly. I'm essentially mid-journey. I do believe that this is probably where Weight Watchers loses a lot of people.
I've made a promise to myself that this is not going to defeat me. I'm just going to keep going. I'm never, ever going back to where I was. Never. I've been working at this for far too long. 14 months and counting.
I'm doing and feeling things that I haven't done or felt in forever. First of all, I'm coming to grips with the fact that many of my clothes are too big for me. They don't just look big. Some of them look downright ridiculous. My jean jacket, for instance. I still wear it, because I'm cheap and don't want to buy another. But I'm swimming in it. I have copious pairs of underwear that are just too dang big. I've dropped another pant size. One of my favorite shirts, a damned expensive one I bought as a treat for myself last year, looks like a maternity top. I love that top. Can't wear it. My brassieres are just all over the place. I'm using the first row of hooks. Completely new to me.
I've also begun my life's dream. I started riding lessons. I had my first lesson on Saturday and it was better than I could have imagined. And my weight didn't enter in to any of it. It was a non-issue.
I've planned a trip to Great America. I haven't been to Great America since I endured the humiliation of having to get off a ride because I was too big. Yes amigos, that happened to me. You've never...I can't explain how that felt. You never want to feel that bad friends. You just never do. But I know that when I go this time, I'll be able to go on whatever I please. I haven't been to Great America in 7 years because of that last incident. And after that, I didn't care enough to change things in my life, I just resigned myself to the fact that I'd never go again.
I'm sort of wandering all over the place with this post, but in a way it's kind of how I've been feeling. I'm in the middle of this journey and I'm sort of looking at things from five thousand directions and trying to take it all in, and it's pretty hard to describe.
I just had an idea. I think I'm going to list what's changed in my life in the last 14 months.
-I'm thisclose to being able to shop for clothes that aren't in the Plus Size or Women's section of stores.
-I'm wearing size 16 pants. They're size 16W, but they're still size 16. 14 months ago I was wearing size 26.
-I've lowered my cholesterol 28 points. It is now at 191.
-I haven't had fast food of any kind, and I don't miss it. Here's a short list of what I haven't eaten in 14 months (things I used to eat regularly): Taco Bell, Culver's, Arby's, KFC, Burger King, Krispy Kreme, Steak n Shake, Sentry deli, bread pudding, frozen pizza, ice cream, tater tots, elephant ears, Sentry cut out cookies, peanut m and ms, Jimmy Johns, Oscars, Kopp's, Pick n Save baked goods, gigantic muffins, normal sized muffins, potato chips, full-fat popcorn, ultra mega-fat movie popcorn,
Do I miss this stuff? Just ask me. Go ahead, ask me. I'll wait.
Well, since you asked, no, I don't. I don't miss these things. I've found that I can easily live in this world without them.
-I've ridden a horse. I haven't ridden a horse in 17 or 18 years. I didn't dare. I wasn't in good enough shape, I was just too heavy. But this past weekend, I didn't just ride the horse. During my ground work (which I love), I RAN with the horse. The object was to get him up to a trot, and then stop. Well, you probably already know this, but horses cover a lot of ground. I had to essentially go almost top speed just to get him up to a trot! But I did it. And I didn't feel like I was going to die either. And I can't tell you the feeling it gave me, to have this beautiful horse running along side me. It was sublime. 14 months ago? Never would have happened.
-I can cross my legs.
-I can go up the stairs without thinking I'm going to die, and without my knees crying out for mercy.
-I'm buying clothes off the rack, as opposed to ordering them from catalogs. And I'm buying things because I like them, not because they happen to fit.
-I can walk into a department store and not feel ridiculous.
-My weight doesn't draw attention to me.
-I have short hair. I didn't realize how much I was letting my hair cover me up. It was just a way to disguise myself. I think I always knew that shorter hair looked better on me. For years I said that I was letting it grow because I was excited that it was coming in curly. Part of that is true. I love having curly hair. But the look now is the look I think I'm supposed to have. It feels right.
-I'm a full on fruit fanatic. I always prefer fruit over vegetables, but I have a core group of vegetables that I love too. I'm a produce nut, plain and simple.
-I'm more comfortable in my body.
-I don't dread restaurant booths, plane seats, amusement park rides, or my mother's sofa (she used to chide me about sitting on it because you could hear the springs; I'm not entirely sure what that means and why it's bad, but it's a non-issue)
-My dogs are in better shape. My literal dogs, not my feet. Although my feet are in pretty good shape too.
-I think I'm having a positive effect on others; I didn't intend this, but it just happens. If what I'm doing helps someone else lose weight, that's a reward you just can't quantify.
-I'm more active and I want to do things. I want to go out with my friends. I want to go see live bands.
-Not sure how this all comes into it, but my house is in better shape than it's ever been. I'm a better housekeeper! My house is nearly presentable at all times, no more dishes in the sink, no more newspapers lying around, or unmade bed. And it's become habit. I like living that way.
-Call me crazy, but my car gets better mileage. No lie.
-I'm a better cook.
-I've kept my promise to myself, to never miss a meeting. Even over the holidays, even when I knew I had a gain, I still went. The couple of times my meetings were closed because of the holidays, I just went on a different day.
I remember the day I joined Weight Watchers. I was resistant, but I also knew I was in desperate need of help. So I figured, if nothing more, I would go to the meetings. Come hell or high water, going to the meetings was the least I could do. And there was a part of me that said that even if it didn't work, if I continued to go to the meetings, it eventually might work. Well, I went, and it worked. And continues to work.
This list could probably go on and on. There almost isn't any aspect of my life that hasn't changed somehow, due to my weight loss. So, it's a work in progress, just as I am a work in progress.
Thanks for sticking around for the ride. And I hope you stay with me while I begin my second year as a weight watcher. There are a couple big things coming up you won't want to miss! I haven't mentioned numbers lately, but there's a biggie around the corner that I'll shout from the mountaintops when I reach it. I'll also blog about it. You can probably guess what it is (if I haven't actually already told you) but I don't want to jinx it by writing it here. So, just keep watching. It'll happen soon enough.
Now I'm off to do more life evaluation! And maybe some other stuff.
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