Lighter on My Feet in DC

Thought I would share a picture from my recent trip to Washington DC. It's a pretty good profile picture from the side, me and FDR. Little by little I am starting to see some changes in the shape of my body. It's still pretty lumpy in places and maybe it always will be, but I am definitely shrinking. Flabby arms are nasty, it's like somebody deflated a balloon, LOL. For the record, these clothes are a 2X shirt and the capri pants are a 2x (18/20).

On my trip to Washington, I was so pleased to find out that I had more than enough energy for the trip. I was bounding up and down stairways without getting overly winded and I could keep up with the teenagers I was chaperoning. It felt awesome to know that my physical strength has definitely improved in the last few months. What a difference it makes not to be lugging around an extra 60 pounds!

New Number

Well, being away on a trip to Washington DC for about 8 days wasn't too bad on the scale. In fact, even though I felt like I was eating some big meals, I actually ended up seeing 241 on the scale this morning and I think it may have included some water weight too as my rings were so tight. I did an awful lot of walking and sweating too, that ought to be worth a few pounds.

I talked to a good friend of mine and just for kicks we stepped on a scale at one of the truck stops. I was nearly shocked and amazed that I only weighed 20 pounds more than my friend--I never would have guessed that. I have so much mental work to do yet on body image and matching the picture in the mirror with this new and constantly changing shape of mine. Crazy.

Being Away is Hard

I haven't been home in a while and I am leaving for another 7 day stint out of town. I am finding it terribly difficult to eat well away from my home environment. It is so easy to snack and just get too many calories I have not been drinking enough and I know that I am retaining water, I can feel it in my rings. I just can't seem to catch up. I am finding that the scale has come to a complete stand still, and has perhaps crept up just the slightest bit. I have almost been afraid to look. I saw that nice low of 243 quite a while ago and that is all the farther I got. I really need to kick it in gear.

Progress Pics and a Pep Talk

Decided it was time for a progress pic and a pep talk. These photos were taken about 1 year apart. The photo on the left is me at 303 pounds in June 2009 and the photo on the right is me at 243 pounds in June 2010.(I don't think my hips are actually that big in the photo on the right, they are sort of squished against the wall I was leaning against.) Otherwise I can definitely tell a difference in my face and I almost have a waistline back. I know I still have a long way to go yet, but I need to be very proud of how far I have come too. Just think of what a picture next June will hopefully look like. So to all you bandsters out there, don't forget to be your own cheerleader! We all need that. :)

Slow...I Hate Slow

I wish I could figure out this weight loss thing. The scale seems to just slow to a crawl sometimes. Sigh. It takes so long to lose a pound once in a while. I wish I knew the magic formula for good weight loss. Just gotta keep it all in perspective I guess. The pounds will go away eventually. OK, enough belly aching for today.

Iced Tea and Tomatoes

Loving my summer time iced tea. I was finding it hard to get enough water/liquids during the day. I just forget sometimes and then I don't think of it until I am ready to eat. Then of course that is not an option, so I never seem to get enough. But it's like I rediscovered an old stand-by, iced tea. I bought myself a new pitcher, since my old one had sprung a leak so I have been drinking it like it was going out of style.

I think it is really important for me to remember to try lots of new foods. I think I had a habit really limiting myself to the same old high fat, high calorie foods that were a comfort to me. Having to try new things (or find some old favorites) has been a good experience. Tonight for instance, I put tomatoes on my sandwich to add a little pizazz and it was really good. I need to branch out a little bit and try some more things this summer like more fresh fruits and veggies. So much yummyness out there, I just need to be adventurous.