I went to a zumba class. This particular class and gym has a mirror all across the front. AND, the spot that was available was right in front of the mirror - front row - not good. I was wearing a loose dry fit shirt (need to get new fitness tops) and clingy dry fit long shorts. My arms were bare, the inner legs were all visible, etc.

Well, I could see, the entire workout how jiggly I was. My upper arm batwings were flapping all over the place, my soft tummy became all too apparent and my jiggly inner things were, well, jiggling. There was a young lady behind me - all of 19 tops and she was thin, but not very fit. I am quite fit by now. So yes, I jump and twist and MOVE because I can and I want to lose the weight.

But, I don't like seeing the jiggly stuff. And I could see this perfect specimen of a young girl behind me occasionally taking a look at my jiggly arms. They probably fascinated her and grossed her out at the same time - probably hoping "Man, when I get old like her I sure hope my arms don't jiggle like that!"

So, on the day I was feeling so good and so happy about reaching such a huge milestone, I also felt a bit defeated. Look what I have done to my body with carrying all that weight for all those years? Yes, I know it will still shrink up and I look a heck of a lot better now than then and most importantly my health is great, but STILL... there will always be evidence of the weight.

Yes, I had a bit of a whoa is me moment. But, my husband thinks I'm beautiful. People say I'm radiating. And I love how I look in clothes - for the first time in a realllllly long time. I'm trying to keep that all in my head!

My biggest fear about losing weight is having extra skin left... so I understand. I haven't lost enough yet for it to be a problem, but it really scares me!

First of all --

CONGRATULATIONS!

You are an absolute inspiration! And if that girl behind you had any inkling AT ALL as to what you have endured through your life being overweight and the amazing accomplishments you have made to have lost 100.4 pounds she would look at YOU in amazement...not your arms! I know that it seems like you have replaced one type of look for another (OMG - she's so big! to OMG - so much skin!) but this time around you have every reason in the world to hold your head up high and be proud!

You love you and your husband and family loves YOU. That is all that matters.

I know you have regrets over the "damage" you have done to your body (believe me, so do I) but that would never change my decision to have lost weight. How I look and feel today is so much better than how I looked and felt last year.

You are incredible!!

You were doing more at a Zumba class than a 19 year old. That is hugely impressive. So is losing 100lbs.

I love it when some skinny chick gets on a treadmill next to me and ups the incline to where I'm at. Usually the highest it will go. I'm chugging along and then I see them look at me and get this look on their face like "How the **** is she doing that?!?" They either stop or lower the incline. That is empowering to me. I may be big yet, but I can whoop your butt! lol

Just think, you may motivate her to never get as big as you were. Hopefully she won't have to deal with all those health hazards.

your doing amazing!!! so try not to let the jiggles get to you (I know easier said than done) This weight loss journey has really showed me something about how we look at other people. For instance someone that is super skinny now we don't know if they too have lost 100lbs etc. Or if the 200lbs woman has too also lost 100lbs! I know it's hard when people look at you but who knows, she could have been just amazing at how fit you really are and here she is skinny but she can't keep up! We just never know do we? You have lost 100lbs, that is just simply amazing! CONGRATS! Just keep at it and maybe try some other types of exercises to strengthen and tighten up those areas you wants to work on. Weights and resistance training do wonders for your body and make you look so lean. It will help with the jiggles Hang in there and be proud of what you have done so far!

You. lost. 100. pounds.

That's fantastic.

(Look into compression exercise garments if you want to keep body parts from flapping around. Bras and shorts have been around forever in the running community and I'm seeing, on skinny runners too, sleeves and knee socks/lower leg thingies now, too.)

You lost 100 pounds!!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!

Do NOT let this get you down! You've done amazing and I doubt that girl was really focusing on you anyway! Just think of when you were new at Zumba—you were probably focused on just not falling down (yeah that was me when I first tried it...)

Girl, it's a process. I have to tell myself this OVER AND OVER AND OVER. Stop, breathe, and 100 lbs lost is a HUGE accomplishment! You are amazing and inspiring to so many. Go buy something that makes you feel amazing, do something fun with hubby and celebrate! YOU DESERVE IT!

Congrats on your AMAZING success!!! 100 lbs is HUGE!
I have the flabby legs, tummy and bat wings too. I am going to concentrate on trying to tone up and build muscle. In the back of my mind I am thinking of going to a plastic surgeon to tuck it up some but I am not there yet.
You have done great!!! You should be so proud of yourself!

CONGRATS!!!!!!

I'm celebrating your true victory. I'm much younger than you and larger and still don't have the guts to go to a fitness class. And I would probably never make it through a Zumba class without oxygen!!!! Today is your day. CELEBRATING YOU.....YEAH!!!!!

The ladies in my sig are cheering just for you.

Just wanted to say congrats! I have just recently hit the 100 lbs lost milestone myself I also do Zumba and hate the jiggly parts, but that's why we keep at it!!

Thank you ladies. I do feel amazing and I'm proud of myself, but 100 pounds is a lot for the body to re-absorb. This journey now is only 80 pounds, a year before that, I lost ten and it goes back about 7 years for the other 10. But my body had to stretch to get to that 275 and it's taking time to tighten back up - if it ever does.

I stepped on the fat monitor scale last night. It's only a single reading, so I don't know how accurate it is, but it says 31 percent body fat. I realized today that this takes me out of the obese category and into "acceptable" wahoo!!!!

And I'm not done with this journey. I would be thrilllllllled to get it to around 25 percent. THEN I will feel truly victorious... if it's even possible without killing myself at the gym.

I think this is an awesome tale.

On the day you hit 100lbs lost you went to the gym and out easily out-exercised a 19 year old.

Focus on your gains. Way to go!!

This!!! You were totally kicking some Zumba ***, who cares about some excess skin? You've been places, low and high, that this chick probably couldn't even dream of. Go on and be proud! I actually heard this quote this morning-

"Comparison is the thief of joy." Don't compare, just be proud! Be amazed, you rock!!

I understand what you're saying. Here's another way of looking at it... you're body is amazing. Look at all it's gone through and it still rewards you with being able to bounce back and get stronger and feel so much healthier. ALL of you makes up YOU. Think of them as battle scars. In order to be in the place you are today you had to be in the place that gave you those scars. You can't take back where you've been but you sure can embrace who you've become... and that includes every gorgeous inch of yourself.