A Very BIG Small Success #8

I feel like I'm falling behind in my blogging.

I mean, there's no one saying how often I have to blog or anything, but there are a lot of things I want to blog about; my virtual route from December, for instance. However, there's no time. Life is so crazy busy right now that I barely have my head above water. Fortunately, all the stuff that is filling my life to the brim is all good stuff. I'm very blessed.

That said, I cannot let this current milestone pass by without mention:

Today, I hit 150 lbs lost!

I can't believe it! A year ago, the possibility of losing this much weight seemed like a distant dream. Now, I'm wearing a size 16 in pants and skirts and a Large in shirts. I haven't worn those sizes since high school! And, I'm in the best shape I've been in since high school - something that really helped when I was in Paris last week. I walked an average of 5 miles each day, basking in the wonderfulness that is Paris, and never felt sore or fatigued. Seriously, walking around is the best way to see a city, in my humble opinion. I climbed the 286 stairs at the Arc de Triomphe with minimal difficulty and bounded up my hotel stairs with none whatsoever. I felt wonderful!

Now, I'm just a bit away from achieving my next milestone...I'm sure I'll cry when I reach it. I'll keep you updated, you can be sure! Oh, and I'll try to get you a current picture. :)

Virtual Route 13 and Small Success #7

Still plugging along on my way to NYC. Have you voted on when you think I'll actually arrive? If not, the poll is on my sidebar.

Here's where I am right now. As always, you'll need to click on the picture to actually see anything.



















I am thrilled to finally make it to Iowa! I love crossing into new states, especially since I've never really been to Iowa. Makes me want to go. Maybe someday I'll drive this virtual route. Wouldn't that be fun?!

Stats:
Start date of this leg: 11.01.09
# of days traveled: 26
# of stationary days: 4
Miles traveled: 95.2
Hours on the road: 23.75
Calories burned: 12,026
Total miles traveled: 1150
Miles 'til NYC: 1206.6

Thoughts:
This was a good exercise month. I worried as the weather turned colder that I would struggle to exercise, since walking outside is my favorite exercise. However, I think that dilemma has been solved; a friend and I started walking at the college indoor track together in the mornings. With the mornings being as dark as they are, I'd never be able to get myself out of bed at 6:10 am to go walking, especially if I had to drive somewhere first. Knowing that she's waiting for me is the push I need not only to get out of bed, but also to get to bed at a decent time the night before.

As far as my goals, I accomplished the goal of walking 15 times in the morning and of only missing 4 days of exercise! Woohoo! That morning number should go up with my new morning routine, so I'm not even going to worry about it as a goal for next month. I'm bummed that I missed the 100 mile mark by just a few miles; this month I'll have to make sure I go further when I exercise. I only managed three two-a-days, four short of my goal. Sigh. I've got to try harder.

I'm running longer periods now that I'm running around a track and can measure how far I'm running. I've been averaging about a mile a morning of running and 1.5 to 2 miles of walking, running one lap followed by one or two laps of walking. Yesterday, however, I had a Small Success - I ran 6 laps without stopping! I decided to see how far I could go before I couldn't run any more, and 6 is what I got. That's over 1/2 a mile! That's two times around a normal track! And, I didn't stop at that, I continued to run 2 laps at a time and ended up running 1.6 miles and walking 1 mile. It's the first day that I ran more than I walked. Woohoo! In case you don't remember from last month, here are my running goals:

1. Run once around the track (or 1/4 of a mile) without stopping. DONE!
2. Run a mile without stopping.
3. Run a 5k without stopping.

I really enjoy running. It feels amazing to have my body working so fluidly. I find myself looking forward to running again, though it's still hard dragging myself out of bed that early. My knees hurt a little bit after I've finished for the morning, especially since I have to go down a couple flights of stairs, but they don't hurt while I'm running and they feel fine by the time I get home. And, I think running has kick-started my weight loss again! All in all, I'm very pleased.

Next Month's Goals:
1. Only miss 4 days and travel 100+ miles. Totally do-able if I exert enough effort.

2. Have 7 "two-a-days". There's no reason I can't do this. I just need to make more time in the evenings.

3. Run a mile without stopping. Why not incorporate my running goals into my monthly goals? This may be a little lofty, but I know that I'll be able to accomplish it one day.

Small Success #6

I'm totally out of control.

Let me correct that...I've totally been out of control lately, but hopefully I'm back in control. Otherwise, my bank account is really going to suffer.

Ever since I bought new clothes at the beginning of the month, I've wanted to buy more clothes. The smaller jeans are what killed me. After getting a taste of how it feels to wear clothes that fit (it feels GREAT, by the way), it was really hard to wear clothes that were too big. And, my work clothes were really, really big on me. I'd wear these cute, smaller tops then big baggy pants or skirts. It looked funny.

This past weekend, I traveled to Vegas for a cousins weekend. Had a really good time with my cousins. And, highly unusual for us, we did a bit of shopping. I really wanted to buy a couple new skirts and maybe a pair of dress pants, but I couldn't find any that were my style, so I bought a couple tops and two bras instead. *smile*

However, on the way home from Vegas, I stopped at Dress Barn and found exactly the kind of skirts I wanted! Woohoo! I tried on a size 20 and it fit. I was thrilled! My previous skirts were size 26s. However, I hadn't realized that one of the fun skirts I had grabbed (not really the style I want for work, but it was way cute) was actually a size 18. I tried it on anyway, just to see how close I was. It fit perfectly! Lots better than the 20. It didn't pinch anywhere, I could move/sit/walk/stand/bend comfortably, and it looked good (if I do say so myself). So, I tried on 18s for the two skirts I wanted for work and they fit perfectly too! Woohoo!

That's not all. When I went out to pick up the size 18s, I noticed the clearance rack. I decided to look for black dress pants. The only ones I liked in 18s were black with a fairly thick white pinstripe. I decided to try them on anyway. They hung on me! I ended up finding and buying two pairs of all-black dress pants in a size 16!!! They are so comfortable - not at all a tight fit. I almost started to cry in the dressing room. I haven't worn a size 16 since high school. At my heaviest, I couldn't wear my size 26 dress pants, they were too small. Oh, and my new pants were only $6 a piece! Woohoo!

To top it off, I bought new shoes. The skirts especially needed cute shoes - they aren't straight, boring skirts like my old ones. My favorite skirt is gray with a bit of a flair at the bottom. My old, scuffed up, flat Mary Janes are great for administering hearing tests, but they would totally kill the cute buzz created by the skirt! How's that for rationalization? *smile* Oh, and my new shoes are two sizes smaller than what I wore at my heaviest! Who knew that even my feet would get skinnier?

To summarize, because I know I tend to babble: 1) size 18 skirts, 2) size 16 pants, and 3) size 8 shoes.

I think I'm done buying clothes for a bit. It's been expensive (don't ask how much I spent on the bras!), but I feel great wearing my new clothes. And, I'm getting a lot more compliments about how I look. My old, huge clothes hid how much my body has changed.

And, I'm worth the splurge.

*smile*

Small Success #5

Do you remember me mentioning how frustrated I get with my clothes situation? I really hate the thought of spending money on clothes when I'm hopefully not going to be able to wear them for very long. However, lately I've become very unhappy with wearing clothes that don't fit me - that drown me. My pants barely stay up even with the help of a belt!

After some thought, today I went shopping. I gave myself a modest budget to spend on some new clothes. I ended up buying 2 pairs of jeans, a coat, a hoodie, 2 sweaters, and 3 nice shirts. A couple of the shirts are a little snug but wearable AND I'll be able to wear them even longer because of it. I was so excited about new jeans that fit, that as soon as I got to my dad's house after leaving the store, I immediately changed into them. What a difference!

Here's the great part: I bought some of the shirts in the normal clothes section! Not the plus size section! I don't know how long it has been since I've been able to do that. I started out in the plus size section out of habit. It wasn't until I was getting ready to go that I realized I could theoretically fit into clothes in the regular clothes section. I picked up a shirt, took it to the changing room, put it on, and it fit! I just stood in front of the mirror amazed and ever so pleased. I ended up getting a few shirts and the coat from this section.

I still smile about the whole thing - it definitely took the edge off of spending money on new clothes! *smile*

Small Success #4

Mom and I went on an impromptu walk last night that ended in an unexpected adventure.

I was getting a little stir-crazy in my house and decided to take a quick walk around the neighborhood. As I passed close to Mom's house, I decided to stop in to see how her kitchen was looking and to ask if she wanted to join me on my walk.

After looking at everything in her kitchen that had been accomplished since the last time I'd seen it, we headed out on the walk. I had planned to go around the neighborhood, but she suggested we take the walking trail instead since it was getting quite dark. I agreed. After a little while, we noticed two women from our church sitting on the trail with glow sticks. We stopped to chat with them and discovered that the 1st Annual Moon Walk and Run was about to start. We learned that for $15 we could walk 1 mile in the moonlight and get movie tickets, a t-shirt, and a glow stick to wear around our necks. Mom and I discussed it and decided to do it. Since the organizers know Mom, they let us walk without paying; we promised to pay them on Sunday.

Here's where the small success comes in. As we were signing up, a volunteer asked us what size shirt we wanted. This question at events such as these always cause me agony because it's rare that they have a shirt that would fit me. I always ask for the largest shirt possible (usually a 3x) and more often than not even the 3x is tight around my chest and hips. I looked at the volunteer and said I didn't need a shirt - why go through the humiliation? Then I remembered that I've lost weight. A lot of weight. I glanced over at Mom and asked what size shirt she thought I should get. She had the volunteer hold up a 1x so she could gauge how big it was, then pronounced that we'd both get a 1x.

A 1x??? Was she insane? I don't wear 1x's. A 2x maybe, but not a 1x! I took the shirt, figuring I could hold on to it until I've lost a little more weight, so it wouldn't be a total waste. Mom pulled her shirt on over the shirt she was already wearing and encouraged me to do the same. Yikes! I hate trying on clothes and having them end up too small - talk about a confidence deflator!

Sighing, I pulled it on and it fit! It even fit over my 3x, way-too-big-for-me shirt! I thought I'd start crying, it seemed so miraculous. I wear a 1x t-shirt. Woohoo!!!

I need to stop wearing my too big clothes. They are what I've known for so long that it's kind of hard to part with them. And, I hate buying new clothes, I think I've mentioned that before, haven't I? *smile* However, the rush I felt from being able to wear a 1x t-shirt was amazing. It made me realize how far I've come and motivates me to keep pushing forward. Who knows? Maybe someday soon I'll actually fit into a LARGE!

Sigh. That will be awesome.

Two Small Successes and a Big Success

Small Success #2
I didn't have to work on Friday, July 3rd, so I planned to really clean my house in preparation for the arrival of my cousin, Cassie. I still wanted to get in a walk, though, so I woke up a little early for a Saturday and headed out. I have three "walks" to choose from as I step out my door. Since I had a pretty free day, I chose the longer of the three, the 4-mile walk up the trail to East Canyon Park. Well, when I reached the park, I felt like going a little farther, so I decided I'd go to the pavilion at West Canyon Park. As I walked toward the pavilion, I figured I might as well go up the canyon to the bridge. When I got to the bridge, I thought I might as well go all the way to the end of the trail, since I'd gone that far already. I walked the whole walking trail! It had been a goal of mine for a few months, so I'm thrilled to have accomplished it. I walked a total of 2 hours and 7 miles and at the end of the walk, my feet hurt. And, my legs were sore the rest of the day. It was totally worth it, though! I'm hoping to walk the whole trail again someday - if I ever have enough free time to do it!

Small Success #3
Last week, my family arrived for our annual Utah Shakespearean Festival tradition. For more details about the experience, Cassie wrote a great posting here. Ever since I started attending all six performances, I've kind of dreaded the plays showing in the Adams outdoor theatre. It's a great venue for the plays, but I've always been really uncomfortable in the seats - my hips have been too big! This year, being quite a bit thinner, I fit into the seats a whole letter better! They still aren't the most comfortable seats in the world (even for skinny people), but it made a world of difference. I'm excited to be even skinnier for next year!

Big Success
I've now lost 100 lbs! This summer has been rough - no wonder I gained so much weight last year! With all the traveling, the BBQ's, special functions, Shakespeare, etc, it's a wonder I've lost any weight at all. I fell a bit behind my "schedule" of 10 lbs a month by 2 weeks, but I'm still feeling pretty good about where I am. I haven't weighed this little since I returned from my mission over 9 years ago! There are some emerging bad habits that I need to nip in the bud, and I'm confident that I'll be able to do so.

Anyway, here are some pictures:

The Before Shots:
Taken a few days before surgery at my doctor's office
Weight: 351 (WOW!)


(That poor sweater vest - it looks like it's about to pop!)

After Shots:

The beginning of June - 90 lbs lost
(And the two below)

Today - 100 lbs lost
(As of Sunday)

Small Success #1

Remember when I told you that I was going to try to stop weighing myself daily and focus more on how my clothes fit and how I feel?

Well, I still weigh myself every day, in the morning before I shower. I don't see myself stopping until I reach my goal weight. And, I'm okay with that. However, I want to do better at focusing on the other, non-scale-related signs of losing weight.

Today, I have a small success story to share that goes along with this idea. Do you remember me telling you here about the clothes I've bought throughout the years and never worn because they were too small? Well, one of the shirts I talked about then (March) is a white button-up shirt. At that time it fit wonderfully but now it's becoming too big! I actually feel kind of sloppy when I wear it to work because it just hangs on me. I have another white button-up shirt that I haven't been able to wear, and today I tried it on and it fit! Perfectly! (Well, except the puffy sleeves, but they're supposed to be puffy. My name is not Anne Shirley and I don't live on Prince Edward Island, so I'm not thrilled about the puffy sleeves.) However, since a white button-up shirt is a staple in my wardrobe, I'm relieved to have one that fits again. It's the last one I have that I pre-bought, so when this one gets too big, I guess I'll have to actually go out and buy one! The horror!!!

It's such a small thing, being able to fit into clothes that were previously too small, but it means the world to me. It totally made my day.

So, I've decided, in an effort to keep focusing on the small successes, I'm creating a new segment of this blog to track the small, seemingly insignificant successes I'm having. Oddly enough, it's called "Small Successes". I've never boasted about my creativity, people!

Feel free to comment about YOUR small successes - weight-related or not. I love motivational stories of all flavors!