So tonight I was doing dishes, and I dropped a spoon on the floor. I squatted down, grabbed it, stood back up, and continued washing dishes.
Then it hit me.
I SQUATTED down. As in, BENT MY KNEES. (The same knees that have been hurting me horrifically for longer than I care to think about.) And I stood right back up--as in, not HAULING myself back up, not hanging onto the counter for dear life--without even thinking about it.
I'm nowhere near my goal weight, but the combination of the weight I've lost so far plus faithfully riding the stationary bike (with thanks to Ted Nugent!!!) and just plain moving around more has already made an incredible difference in my life.
I'm really, really, REALLY getting better!