My Journey: Part 4

This is most definitely how I used to feel.  It is amazing to me at this point in my weight loss process how grossly depressing this was.  Everything that was a process of getting ready was a constant reminder that I needed to lose weight, but I always had an excuse. Many of those were legitimate  reasons.  It was definitely a hard pattern to begin, and there were many bumps along the way, but the journey has been worth it.

I decided that it was not just about weight loss but total fitness.  I knew that I had carried so much extra weight for years that I wanted to make my heart healthy too.  As of June, I have tweaked my schedule and done all I could to squeeze in vigorous exercise five days a week.  As of January I had lost just over 30 pounds.  For me, it was so much more then 30 pounds.  It was wearing clothes I hadn’t put on in years.  I am still amazed that while my weight is more then it was eight years ago I am wearing clothes better then I did then.

In January, I ventured out yet again and began training for a triathlon.  Wow! It has been some hard work, but it has been so nice to have the fitness level to not only endure but progress.  I will have my first real benchmark for my progress at an indoor tri nearby next week.  I am anxiously eager to see how I do.  In training for my tri, it brought on the dreaded the realization of the tri suits/swimsuits with all those people.  I hate the whole swimsuit fat feeling.  I have this great flab reducing suit with its own matching shorts.  I am swimming laps three times a week to get ready for the tri.  A couple of weeks ago, I had to shed the shorts.  It wasn’t because I was overly proud of my figure or lost any sense of modesty, but truly, my shorts kept coming OFF!  Talk about creating drag.. LOL.  Every lap, as I pushed off from the wall, they just kept sliding.  My kids thought it was great.  I remember their realization when I got out of the pool.  “Mom, you took off your shorts?”  The next realization made me smile… “Ah, Mom, you might want to get a smaller swim suit too.  This one is starting to sag!”  Success is simply putting one foot in front of the other continuously, and it so encouraging to begin to not just see success  but to feel successful too!

Today, I had my annual doctor’s visit.  I was so amazed to see that I have lost in seven months 37 pounds!!!!!  He was proud, and I was proud!  The thing that I enjoy most is that it isn’t that I JUST lost 37 pounds, but that my body is so much fitter in that process.  I had this gross fear of just hanging, flabby skin everywhere, and thank goodness it was simply a fear!