Losing It....Week 12

The last two weeks have brought both some new challenges and some awesome rewards. We'll talk about both, but first let's talk numbers...

Results

-3 lbs.

Three pounds isn't huge, but I don't think I've been more excited about any other weigh-in as I was for this one.

HISTORY HAS BEEN MADE, FOLKS!

Ken and I have been together for over 17 years. For all of those 17 years I have weighed MORE than Ken. When I weighed 160, he weighed 140. When I weighed 180, he weighed 160. We have nearly always had about a 20lb. spread. The closest I have ever got to his weight was by 6 lbs., but that was when I was 3 months pregnant with twins and I knew that I wouldn't get any closer than 6 lbs. for a very long time.  BUT this morning FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER I weighed LESS than Ken. I have waited for this day for a very long time and I feel so stoked!

I even put on a pair of his jeans this morning and although they didn't look so hot on me, I got them on, buttoned, zipped and everything. YES!!!

Okay, so let's talk challenges.

 * For a little over a week we had the privilege of having family in town. Though I LOVE ken's family I almost always gain weight when we get together. We love to sit around and visit with each other and food is usually the center of attention. I thought I was prepared because at least I could plan most of the meals. I was really NOT prepared for all the cookies, cupcakes, doughnuts, bags of candy, and ice-cream that floated in and out of my house all week. It made it much harder to resist temptation, but family is worth it and I'm so happy we got to be together.

*Then came Halloween. Halloween is an icky holiday. My plan was to get rid of all the Halloween candy right away so that it wasn't even in the house and therefore NOT a temptation. That didn't happen, we still have candy in the house. And it IS a temptation, and I have given in a few times, but for the most part I have maintained my self-control.

*The darn weather is getting colder. Too cold to walk the littles to school in the morning. That really cuts into my exercise plans, but I knew that would happen sooner or later so I am improvising.

*And finally, we have all felt a little cruddy this week. We've had a touch of some bug that has left everyone feeling so tired, making it more difficult for me to think about exercise. 

Now for the rewards. Ooowah, I'm still feeling giddy.

*Getting through the last two weeks and still losing feels like a reward. Yeah, baby!

*I have never made it this far before. I'm actually doing this! It's feels real. It's feels do-able. I feel like I've got my second win and I just can't wait to keep going.  

*Clothes. Clothes is a big one for my the last two weeks. Allow me to explain...I have several "sets" of clothing. For example, I have the "too big" pile. Those are the clothes that I keep around for after I have a baby and inevitably put on weight. As soon as I start needing to wear the "too big" pile then I know it's time to get busy and do something. That happened to me 3 months ago. Next, is the "regular" pile. Those are the normal everyday clothes that typically fit on any given day. Then there is the "Skinny" pile. Alright, let's get real, there's nothing "skinny" about them, but they are the clothes that fit when I lose 10/15 lbs. and start feeling thinner. I used to mentally celebrate when I made it into the "skinny" pile. Those have now become my "regular" pile. Yeah, for me! And finally, I have a "too small", never been able to wear pile. Yes, I know that's weird. A few years ago one of my sisters gave me a box of clothing. I was pregnant at the time and could not wear two pair of pants from the box. I liked them and put them up in my closet in hopes that one day they would fit. There they sat and sat, until last week when I pulled them down and slid them on. They FIT! They were SO comfy and I was in Heaven.  That was motivation for me; to finally be able wear my "too small" pile. So guess what I did? I went to Saver's this week and bought a new pair of "too small" pants. Now I have more motivation to get into my new jeans. When I do I'll post a picture and you can celebrate with me!!!

*Because of the weather and the need to workout at home more I found a new workout that I had forgotten about. A few years ago I bought "Biggest Loser" for the wii, soon after I got pregnant and didn't use it much. This last week I pulled it out and it's been kicking my butt. It feels good to do something new and feel my muscles burning. I'll be using that a lot more in my workouts.

*I am getting closer to my first goal, which is to get under 200lbs. It feels so good to see numbers on the scale that I haven't seen in YEARS.  It was when I was due with Kayie, our 2nd child, that I tipped the scale over 200lbs. for the very first time. I couldn't believe it. It was so hard to see that number, but since that time (12 years) for all but a very short time after Kaylie was born I have wieghed over 200 lbs. Rather embarrassing to admit, but it's my reality, I just have to keep moving forward.

*I have lost enough weigh now that people are starting to notice. I have gotten many compliments over the last few weeks and it feels good. When I look in the mirror I can't SEE a huge difference, because I still see rolls of fluff, but I can tell in my clothes that it's making a difference. And hearing it from other people sure helps keep me going.

One last thought.

Yesterday I was killing some time before church by reading "True to the Faith" and I read this statement...

"Faith is a principle of action and power. Whenever you work toward a worthy goal, you exercise faith. You show hope for something that you cannot yet see."

I was struck by that thought as I related it to this process of losing weight. This too is a worthy goal that requires faith. I hope that by making healthy food choices and exercising that it will produce something that I cannot yet see; a thinner, healthier me. You also have the power to take action and apply this principle of faith in your own life. Do it! Do it! Then share your success story with the rest of us. :)