I’m really enjoying all the benefits that come with this journey!
I’m thankful for the obvious one, the weight loss. The number on the scale continues to go down. Every time I see it, I still can’t believe where I am as compared to a year ago, or even 5, 10, 15 years ago. I don’t remember exact weights but at 51 I have to be pretty close to where I was in my early 20s. I just never thought I’d be in the 200’s again. Somewhere around 262 as of this writing. That is still overweight but I’m still losing and am happy with where I’m at!
I’m getting so close to 3 major weight goals. At 254 I will have lost literally half of my body weight from last summer. At 250 I will have hit my “It’s all gravy after this” weight. I want to be lower than 250 but I’ve said from the beginning that if I hit 250 then I will feel like I’ve been successful. Again, it’s not my goal weight but it’s a big victory. Then if I hit 225 I will fully feel like I “made it.” When I get there, I may try to lose more. I may not. I’m not sure. When I started that was the “crazy” number I threw out there to try to hit…now that crazy number is in full view!
I’ve enjoyed the smaller clothes sizes! I bought several things at Walmart his weekend. I even found some stuff I like on clearance but it was all too big for me. I started at a tight 7XLT. Currently I’m in a 3X shirt but I bought a 2XLT shirt that fit just fine. I honestly couldn’t believe it. I know I haven’t worn 2X shirts since my mid 20s.
I’m also enjoying much more energy. I’m getting many things done around the house these days that were almost insurmountable before. Even simple, boring things like mowing the yard or swapping out a toilet in a bathroom. Yesterday I was laying fully out on the floor applying some caulk in a tight space. When I was finished I did a pushup and stood up. No rolling around. No trying to find something to push up on. No getting out of breath. I remember last summer working on something in the floor and having a moment of panic that I wouldn’t be able to get up. But yesterday it was nearly effortless.
I’m enjoying being much more active with my family too. From fall festivals to shopping trips, I’m out and about doing more things that in the past I would have just let them do (or in the case of shopping they’d just have to handle without me.)
I’m 9 days away from my 1 year anniversary and I go see my surgeon for a checkup in 2 days. I’m thinking about how far I’ve come. It hasn’t been easy. Daily I have to decide to make the right choices, eat the right things. I don’t always make the good decisions…but much more than I did for the last 30 years!
So thankful for this whole process!