I thought I would share another picture with you this evening before I head off into the land of dreams...  which by all accounts is very different than the "Field of Dreams".  Although there are some similarities that might be explored more intently at a later date with respect to, "If you build it, he will come".  In my dreams, I have, on a rare occassion, built an entire fantasy around a real southern charmer turned beach fitness extraordinaire, Matthew McConaughey himself.  But alas, I digress....

It was after this day had ended that I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror as I looked over my shoulder while I was getting undressed and I decided that my reward when I get to my goal weight of 170, I am going to get boudoir pics taken.  Yes, I said it and I mean it.  But allow me to clarify....  I mean classy ones, in black and white, simplistic art with nothing private showing.  If you remember the scene between Helen Hunt and Greg Kinnear in "As Good as it Gets" where he begins to draw a picture of her as she fills the bathtub in her towel...  classy, timeless, and just for me to know how incredibly gorgeous I am and to serve as a reminder to NEVER, ever forget it again.

Find your bliss ladies, and live it.  Love yourself and don't ever forget that you are gorgeous right now as you are.

Sale! Pants- Half Off!

This picture is courtesy of an idea that I got from one of my very skinny friends:

I got a new pair of jeans on Friday and am still trying to wrap my head around the sizing. When I told my friend Maria that I had purchased my first entire outfit from the Buckle, she inquired about the size and we freaked each other out a little. My jeans are a 31, which apparently equates to an 11/12 or something like that.

She was completely astonished because she thought she wore a 30 (as it turns out, she wears a 29) and she was so excited that I was so close in size. Yet, I found myself making excuses for the size and downplaying how truly incredible it is. "Well, they are pretty tight right now...." "Yeah, but they are an eased fit..." "Well, they have stretch to them...." Etc etc.

So yesterday, as I was looking with disbelief at the jeans as they laid on the bed, I tried to visualize my body fitting in them in an attempt to come to grips with the fact that I am getting pretty thin now. Since I wore a size 14 in Jr. High, I simply cannot see myself as I am right now. My mind is stuck at a size 18 which is the thinnest I ever was as an adult.

I know it might sound weird, but I simply cannot fathom that I am only 2-3 sizes larger than my friends. That has NEVER been the case. I was always the token fat chick in the group. The one that couldn't ever trade clothes or steal the attention of the guys. That has been my role throughout my 37 years and it's going to be a hard thinking pattern to change.

In an effort to solidify the message to my brain about how much I have changed, I compared the old jeans to the new ones by laying the new ones next to the old. Unfortunately, the comparison wasn't strong enough so I decided to take it to the next level by putting the old pants on........ And I got into one leg of them!

I still can't fathom the scope of the change (perhaps it's because everything is floppy, and loose) but, I am working through it....

.......One leg at a time. BwaHahahahahahaha


Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Number Crunching

Today is the 16 week marker since surgery and I'd like to take a few minutes to share a few incredible numbers with you.  Some of which I can't believe myself.

First, but by no means the most impressive number as you will soon see, my weight loss from March 1 (surgery Mar 25th):



Next, my measurements:

	Pre Surgery 3/23/2011	Week 4 4/24/2011	Week 12 5/19/2011	Week 16 7/17/2011		Total Loss	% Loss
Clothing	T-22 B- 26	T- 18/20 B-26	T- 14/16 B- 20	T-Large B-16
Neck	15.75	14.75	14	13.75		2”	13 %
Shoulders	46.5	44.5	41.75	41		5.5”	12 %
Upper Arm (R)	18	17.5	??	15.5		2.5”	14 %
Bust	47.5	45	42.5	42.25		5.25”	11 %
Waist	44	41	38.25	37.5		6.5”	15 %
Hips	56	54	50	48.5		7.5”	13 %
Upper Thigh (R)	35.5	34.75	31.5	30.25		5.25”	15 %
Center Knee (R)	21.75	20	18.5	18.25		3.5”	16 %
Calf (R)	19.25	18	17.5	17.25		2”	10 %
Weight	283	255.6	228.2	216.8		66.2	49.8 %*

*This is a percentage of excess weight lost. 283 - 150= 133 extra lbs.

And finally, what I believe to be the most impressive:

	LDL	HDL	Total Cholesterol	A1C	Blood Pressure (Avg)	Resting Heart Rate (Avg)
February 2011	126	62	205	5.3	177/134	85
July 2011	64	43*	123	4.8	112/72	65

* the HDL is a bit low but could be attributed to a severe change in diet with too little fat and or adjustments to rapid weight loss

I imagine by now, the insurance company is ecstatic to have spent the money for my surgery.  The changes in my health status are pretty astounding.  This is a true testament to the hazards that excess weight places on your body and how much you can change your life expectancy with just a few simple changes.  I wouldn't have believed it myself, if I hadn't seen it in writing.

Time to go celebrate with an exercise session!