Weigh In #3 - and how I Feel ;)

Let's get this out of the way.

Last week:

Arm: 13

Chest: 36

Smallest part of my tummy: 32

Where my jeans usually sit: 36

Around the belly button: 38

Hips: 43

Thigh: 25

This week:

Arm: 13

Chest: 36

Smallest part of my tummy: 32

Where my jeans usually sit: 36

Around the belly button: 38

Hips: 43

Thigh: 24 :)

I lost an inch per thigh! That's pretty cool!

I weighed in at 179.6 this morning. I've been fluctuating between 181-179 - I think I am legitimately in the 170s now - but I guess only time will tell.

I'm a little frustrated with how slow this is going. I weigh more now than I ever have, so theoretically I should be able to lose weight quicker. But that's just not what's happening.

Oh wells. It WILL happen. :) I am running a marathon, not a mile (metaphorically speaking - although, I think I'd like to run a marathon someday). And it does not matter how long it takes me to cross the finish line. This journey - learning how to exercise and eat and be good to my body - is far more important.

My friend Jess commented on my last post, asking how I felt - where I am mentally. That's a really good question. How do I feel?

I feel like I have a lot more energy - I've been working out more - and I love that.

I feel ready to make this a lifetime thing. And not just a "let's get this over with so I can get back to eating" thing.

I feel like I am (slowly) becoming the person I want to be. And that feels really good. 

I feel (like I said) frustrated that the process is taking so long. Even though I feel ready to wait - to ease into the new me. The fact that it's taking so long when all of the "experts" say I should be losing 1-2 lbs a week makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong.

Still, I feel like regardless, that's okay. I'm learning. And the tools I'm equipping myself with are worth far more than the extra couple lbs per week I'm longing to shed. 

I feel like this is ACTUALLY HAPPENING. I am going to lose weight. I am going to make eating right and exercising a natural part of my life. I'm doing it right now, in fact. And that feels pretty darn amazing.

I feel like I'm sticking with it, even in the midst of these stressful times. I feel like I'm becoming more and more aware of how I use food to cope with stress. I think realizing it is half the battle! I believe that I am learning healthier ways to deal with my anxieties. That's such an essential element for me.

I feel ready to embrace the warm weather and all that goes with it. Before I put on all of this weight, I loved the heat and the beach. Summer was just the best. Since gaining, I've noticed that these 3 months have lost their luster. I feel flushed and sweaty and uncomfortable most of the time. Even though I'm not where I want to be health-wise and weight-wise, for some strange reason, I've had a change of heart. I am ready to love summer again. I am ready to jump into a bathing suit again. I feel done worrying about what others think. I am ready to love my body as it is - and recognize that though this journey is taking me to a place where I will look and feel better - I have value and worth that reaches SOOO far beyond the physical. That's hard for me to write. It's something I know I need to learn. It's something I'm learning - something I want to learn. And it's a beautiful truth.

I think that's it. I didn't even realize I felt that way until I wrote it all down. Thanks Jess, for inspiring that exercise. Priceless stuff. 

Weigh In Number "3"

Hi! It's been a while - we were on a roller coaster ride, actually! Sheer craziness. Things are starting to settle down a bit - not to mention look up! I got a real live job offer! Jermaine is joining the Army! So many exclamations marks and so little time!

I'm sure I'll be blogging about the whole thing on my other blog in the relatively near future. For now, we'll focus on the blog at hand.

It's been 3 Saturdays since I blogged. I missed the first Saturday because we went to Hershey Park (OH - that was fun!). The following week, the bottom dropped out from under us. We had to develop a new plan because our current one got smashed to pieces. Enter the Army. Again, you can read the whole thing on my other blog.

With all of that going on, I had no time to focus on losing weight. Thankfully, I didn't really gain any. I tried, more or less, to stick with my program (although punishments have flown out the window (and I have tentatively replaced them with something better - but that's for another blog, I think)).

I weighed in this morning at 179.6 (for the second day in a row!). In the past three weeks I have fluctuated quite a bit - ranging from where I started (182-3ish) to where I am now. It's hard to tell exactly where I am but, I think it's safe to say I have officially lost 2 lbs since I started this whole thing - which means the scale is going in the right direction!

Last time I measured in:

Arm: 13
Chest: 36
Smallest part of my tummy: 32
Where my jeans usually sit: 39
Around the belly button: 38
Hips: 44
Thigh: 25

Okay, let me go measure up:

Arm: 13
Chest: 36
Smallest part of my tummy: 32
Where my jeans usually sit: 36 (!!)
Around the belly button: 38
Hips: 43
Thigh: 25

Wow - I lost 2 inches in my waist! Honestly, I wasn't expecting to see any results this time around. Very cool. :)

That's it, I think. Hmm. Except that I'm reading a really helpful book right now called Secrets of a Former Fat Girl. I want to blog about it at some point. But, for now, I'll just point you to Lisa Delaney's website.