As of today I am down 31 pounds.
You have NO IDEA how happy, wonderful, excited, relived, amazed, rejuvenated, LIGHTER I truly feel. I am the epitome of a loser, and I'm happy with that.
For anyone who really knows me, my weight has been a sticky sticky point of contention for a very very very long time. Too long. I would try Wei.ght Watc.hers, join a gym, and then fail miserably at both. And this was a cycle I did not get out of for way too long. I knew I had the support system around me to motivate me through, but I just wasn't one hundred percent ready. I know, that is so ridiculous. I was overweight and extremely unhealthy and unhappy, but the motivation to better myself was lacking.
Then December 2011 came along. On the very day John and I were at the Licking Courthouse being pre-approved for our adoption, a tenth grade student of mine decided to cut my class. She was found to be skipping and I was asked to write her up. I, however, did not write her up, my co-worker did, but as my lovely co-worker's signature is illegible, the administrator probably saw that this student had my English class on her schedule and told said 10th grader I wrote her up. A few days later that student went on a Tw.itter rampage about me...and attacked me in the worst way possible ~ she posted over Twi.tter how overweight and fat I was. I sobbed for hours when I came across those posts. (She was later suspended and then ultimately removed from my class for the rest of the school year.)
But you know what? Although I would NEVER tell that student this, it was essentially because of her absolutely horrible and nasty and hateful tweets about me that really got under my skin that made me take the first step. I stopped looking in the mirror saying I couldn't do it. I stopped saying I wouldn't do it. And I haven't looked back since January 17th.
Now don't get me wrong, I still have a LONG way to go, but I'm pretty happy with a loss of 31 pounds in 15 weeks. I am doing Wei.gh Watch.ers and LOVE LOVE LOVE the program. In 16 weeks I have not missed a meeting or a weigh-in. In 16 weeks I have logged 100% of what I have eaten in to my food journal. In 16 weeks I've eaten more vegetables and fruit. In 16 weeks I talk about the amount of points in things and think twice before putting food in to my mouth.
In 16 weeks I have learned to smile more, laugh more, and love myself more. And that is priceless.
I would be remiss if I didn't thank those people who, without their support, I would not be successful. First and foremost - JOHN. My biggest cheerleader has been amazing. He has embraced my anal-ness when it comes to buying food and where I can and cannot eat out and how many points things are. And he has done it with a smile. I don't think he truly knows how important it is to hear him say "you look amazing" and finally feel that I am getting to be amazing. I see how happy he is now that I'm growing smaller, and that makes me so happy. I know he loves me at any size, but when he puts his arms around me to hold me close, I love that he gets to hold me tighter and closer as 31 pounds are now gone. Second and certainly still very important - MOM, DAD, COLLEEN, TOM, and MYRA. Next to John, these five people have been AMAZING with their support. I so look forward to call them every Tuesday night at 6:30 to share my newest loss and my newest overall weight loss number. To hear their excitement and sometimes tears of happiness makes me so eternally grateful for their love and support. It makes my new way of living not a chore but something I'm excited about and something I am excited to share with them.
So like I said, I'm a work in progress. But to show you how the progress is going...
Here is a picture of John and I at Disney in October 2011:
Here is a picture of John and I today at a friends' wedding:
See any difference? I do! :)
