NSV's

Thought I would post again tonight to share my Non-Scale Victories (NSV's) since, after all, the scale isn't happy for me, it doesn't care about my quality of life! Why should I care what it says all the time? Real success is measured like this:

I can clip, file, and paint my own toenails without getting short of breath.

I can reach into the dryer and get all the clothes out at once without getting short of breath.

I SLEEP SO MUCH BETTER.

I'm swimming in a size 18 jeans. (need to go shopping! baggy butt...a whole new set of problems!)

I spring up out of the chair/bed instead of slowly drag and grunt. (ha)

Dance parties with my son are now a daily occurrence.

I rarely think about food and sweets. (Unless I'm on Pinterest)

I can make a PB&J or a baked potato and not even be tempted to taste. I am in complete control.

My face is a whole lot less puffy. I'm getting compliments on my eyes again.

My bathing suit fits.

People besides family are starting to NOTICE!

Fast forward 2 months! Almost 2 1/2 actually. I'm happy to report that I've lost a grand total of 50 lbs on this program! GO ME! I am amazed at how much better I feel already. I'm also amazed at how unaware I was of how badly I felt before. How do we not notice how incredibly sad and dull our lives are when we are unhealthy? I SMILE at people now, and they smile back! Life is fun again! Granted I still have a ways to go before I reach my goal, but very slowly I can sense that zest coming back. I now feel OK enough with myself to post some "before" and "progress" pictures. I am not going to call them "After" pictures, because well, I haven't reached "after" yet!

Side View

My Face

So there you have it. 50 lbs down. FIFTY. Fifteeeeeeeee!!!

And 23 inches total!

This IS for real. I am NEVER going back. 

My only regret so far has been that I didn't start sooner.

Oh yeah, one more thing. I love this program so much, I decided to become a Health Coach! Nothing I love more than being able to cheer my family and friends on as they lose weight and get healthy!

Current weight: 227 (yeah, thats actually 52 lbs)

Here we are at the end of day 3 already. It's seriously not as hard as I thought it would be. I find myself able to turn away from sweets and fattening food. I'm really surprised! A mental shift is taking place. I am controlling what I eat, it's no longer controlling me.

Sure I feel a little hunger now and then but drinking a bottle of water staves it off until the next meal. I made a Medifast blended cappuccino this morning. It tasted almost like a frappuccino...almost.

I was talking with my mom today about my diet and came to the realization that I have never been more resolved to do something in my entire life, except when I was pregnant and planning a natural birth! I made THAT happen, and this weight loss thing is totally in my hands unlike the uncertainty of childbirth.

You know how when you buy a new car and drive it around, you suddenly notice that everyone has that car? Now I notice everyone out jogging or exercising, especially the heavier people. I saw a very large woman coming out of the YMCA looking sweaty and another one riding a bike. She didn't look very comfortable but I mentally congratulated her for getting out there and DOING IT.

Current weight tonight: 274

Today is the first day of the rest of your life...

I'm ready.

I can't believe I am putting this number out there into cyberspace. 279. Pounds that is. There it is, my current weight. At 5'8" that puts me about 120 pounds overweight according to the "charts." How did I ever get to this point? I have no idea. But no more blaming it on the baby, my parents, or a toxic environment. I did it all by myself. Now it's time to take it off. This blog shall be written documentation of my progress.

How am I feeling today? Totally optimistic but scared out of my mind. I don't want to fail. I can't fail. One teeny baby step at a time. One day at a time. One hour at a time.

When I wake up in the morning it will be day 1 of Medifast meals. I'm actually looking forward to trying them. Even if they are chock full of "questionable" ingredients. This food is a temporary necessity to drop the pounds NOW and get on a path toward overall health.

I'm really going to miss fruit.

No more living in denial of my body size and appearance, no more excuses, no more bargaining. I don't "look just fine the way I am." I know they mean well. But it's a lie.

A few of my personal reasons for losing the weight:

To hear the words "Have you lost weight?" from people I haven't seen in a while.

To run, jump, hike, play tag, ans ride bikes with my son.

To ride the amusement rides with my son without fear of exceeding the weight requirement.

To not have to constantly tug at my shirts to make sure my tummy is covered.

To no longer be the fat friend.

To go shopping with friends and not have to follow them around "regular size" stores pretending to be looking at things to buy when I know I can't fit into a single thing.

To buy cute swimsuits and actually enjoy wearing them.

So that 3-letter insult will no longer be valid towards me.

To buy what I like in clothing stores, not just the black, body-hiding things.

To wear a pair of heels and feel beautiful instead of like an awkward giant.

To not blame my shortness of breath on asthma when it's really because I am so out of shape.

To not avoid the doctor because I don't want to get on the scale.

To be able to wear shorts without having to cover my legs when I sit down, or have them ride up when I walk.

To ride in an airplane without the armrest cutting off circulation to my hip.

To not have to take 100 pictures of my face to get just the right angle to make me look less fat.

So I can get up and dance and not feel weird.

So I can pick a haircut I love and not just flattering to a round face.

So no one can refer to me as "the big girl" or "heavyset" or "festively plump."

So my heel will stop hurting from bearing too much weight.

So I can ride a horse without worrying I might break its legs.

So my bath towel will go all the way around me.

So I can paint my own toenails again.




...I am sure I will find more reasons along the way.