I'm trying to catch up on this thread, but there are so many amazing victories I can't keep up! Everyone's doing so wonderful -- I LOVE reading about it.

Shrinkingdaisy, I love that you're running in public in broad daylight! It took me a long time to get comfortable with that, and now I pretty much run in front of ANYone. I just don't care anymore. It's worth it to me, for the feeling I get from my runs, and for my health! For years, I was afraid to MOVE in public, for fear of someone thinking "Oh, look at the fat girl trying to move!" How silly.

I don't have a specific NSV right now. I get lots of compliments lately, but nothing stands out. I guess that's an NSV right there - the fact that I'm USED to compliments! Lately, I'm getting more of the general "You look so great!" variety, instead of just about the weight loss. I think that's because I'm starting to glow because I'm happier!

Oh wait, I do have a little NSV...I ran 4 miles yesterday, and I actually CHOSE to run a route with hills to see if I could do that distance without walk breaks. Not only did I run the whole distance, but I finished it in a faster time than I ran a flat 4-mile course last week!

In another thread we discussed measurements, and I replied that I am really encouraged on measurement day (once a month) even though the scales have been disappointing. Well, today is really an encouragement to me! The amounts listed are since I began on 1/7/07.

Measurements:
Waist: 3/4" gone!
Hips: 2-1/8" gone!
Legs (largest part of thigh): 1-3/4" gone!
Right and left legs 2" above knee: 1/2" right, 1/4" left gone!
Left arm 4" below shoulder: 3/4" gone!
Right arm 4" below shoulder: 1/4" gone!
Lower/stomach back 1" below belly button: 3/4" gone!
Bust: 3-1/2" gone!

Ritz...that's awesome! Way to go!!! That's almost 11 inches of you completely gone! I'll bet you feel just wonderful. I can't wait to measure again and I have until the end of March to go. haha

Lisa - I noticed your ticker moved and you're sitting right on the 200# mark. You know what that means, don't you....I'll bet your next weigh in has you in the 100's for good! Fabulous.

Cheryl - I'm thinking of buying TurboJam...which one would you recommend?

I just love this thread...it is so MOTIVATING!

Oh yes, it does make me feel wonderful! Definitely a sense of accomplishment when I can get so worked up over the scales barely moving each week.

It's nice to be able to share this here. I had been feeling down cause the scale only said I lost 2 pds. Bf came up behind me put his hands on my waist and said look sweetheart you have a waist again. (sure it's not much of one but made me feel great) Needless to say I was happy.
It gets so disapointing when I don't see the results but wonderful when someone else notices.

I love reading your posts they are very very motivating!! Gives me courage!

I love coming here to get my "warm fuzzies" for the day.

I ate in the correct calorie range today!

This last weekend my guy and I talked a lot. He said, you are so gorgeous, Christine. You are lovely and your form is beautiful. I know you may not be where you want to be yet, but you are so amazing now. If you never lose another pound, remember that.

Sigh, he is so wonderful.

That's beautiful of him!

Christine - TOO sweet!!!!

Ritzyfritz - FANTASTIC!!!! I'm SOOOO happy for you. Oh how I wish I would have taken my measurements in the beginning. But those actually terrified me more then the numbers on the scale.

Lisamarie - your running is just so unbelivably impressive. You are amazing. Simply amazing.

My little NSV. I went for an endoscopy yesterday. They put me on one of those skinny, narrow little beds. In the past I would have been bulging out of it. But, nope I fit in there just fine with PLENTY of room to spare. HAving a medical procedure done without all the extra weight on me was just so much less worrisome. Even horribly unpleasant things are so much more pleasant now. They then had to move me and I said to the guy that was moving me "You're so lucky I just lost over 100 lbs, makes it A LOT easier to move me." He laughed and told me not to worry, I'm real easy to move. He couldn't believe I had lost all that weight.

Robin, I LOVE your NSV! I have such bad memories of breaking my ankle in 2004 and dealing with stuff like that as an obese person. I remember talking to the orthopedic surgeon's office on the phone to prepare for surgery, and they asked me how much I weigh because they had to make sure the regular operating table was sturdy enough. Ugh. My husband was in the other room and I never told him my weight, so I tried to whisper 275 into the phone (and I think I probably weighed more at the time). I had to repeat it several times because she couldn't hear me. Then she told me to take all my jewelry off for the surgery and my husband and I had to struggle for over an hour to get my wedding band off. I didn't put it back on for about a year because it was too tight. Now I can slip it off easily. Being on crutches at 275 was pretty awful too -- sitting on the toilet was difficult when you had to drop yourself using one leg, and I ended up breaking the toilet seat. We haven't gotten around to getting a new one, so my taped-together toilet seat is a constant reminder of that awful time!! Boy, I really need to buy a new one...

So many of the NSVs for us 100lb clubbers are just about being able to do normal things. Fit in student desks and plane seats, ride a roller coaster, have surgery on a normal table, etc. People really don't know how hard it is to worry about things like that -- most people never even give those things a thought. I will NEVER go back to living that kind of life. I simply won't.

My NSV this morning: my husband and I were riding to work together, and he put his hand on my knee and talked about how small my leg is. He's done it before, but today I could really tell he was surprised and pleased by the shape and size of my leg! It's a little thing, and he's made lots of positive comments, but today I could just see in his face how happy he is that I'm getting healthy and looking and feeling better.

Lisamarie I knew you guys would appreciate it. Being on crutches must have been so awful. I know I may have mentioned this before, but prior to my weightloss, I was ALWAYS worried. Terrible anxiety. One of them was breaking a bone. I just knew that I could not handle the medical stuff necessary to repair it and then using crutches. It would have been out of the question. Snow and ice on the ground terrified me because I was soooo afraid of slipping and falling and breaking something.

You're right Lisamarie, these things that most people take for granted is only something the 100 lb clubbers and up can really understand. That lifes ordinary things become a worry and misery. Sheer misery.

I can also appreciate your hubby and his leg comment. Which brings me to my next NSV. I realized that lately my husband has lots of new endearments for me. Just this morning as we were passing through the hallway of our home, he said to me "Hey slim". Slim. And I notice he's been doing it a lot lately. He called me small stuff the other day and small fry. Not a day goes by anymore where he doesn't talk about how small and fit and boney and muscular I've become. And yes, I can tell he's so happy and appreciative that I have become healthier and more fit and all right - better looking, lots better looking - and feeling. And quite frankly - I LOVE IT.

Reading all of these today has special meaning to me now ~ we all know we shared those worries and loosing this weight is so magical to each of us. I am still at the beginning of my journey - I am 1/4 of my way there now ~ but just KNOWING I am gonna be there too someday, it sure makes me smile. WE are an incredible group here, that is for sure!

I love reading all of these. Lisa and Robin give me so much hope!!

So, I said yesterday I was going down to the Cosmetology School, its one of the better ones in this tri-state area. In fact, most of the upscale salons I called said that when a student comes from SECS she/he tends to get priority over other recent graduates because the school requires students go to current hair shows and participate in state/national events to keep them up to date and on the competitive edge and that 98% of the students from that school are better in basic technique and fundamental knowledge than other school graduates and often have more of a flair for what works for each customer, since the school spends so much time on making students learn basic facial and head structure. So, I did it. I enrolled, filled out all my financial aid info. Hopefully, nothing goes wonky and I can start April 3rd. Before, I would have felt intimidated, all these girls and guys, great hair, make up, cute clothes etc. Being more than 50 lbs heavier would have kept me from enrolling. Not only did I tour the school, the instructor complimented me on my make-up/hair<which I do at home> and told me even with the coloring/highlighting I had kept my hair in great condition and my make up was artful, well put on and showed great talent and eye for color and technique. Granted, in my younger years I did alot of modeling and picked up alot of tips and knowledge, but before I would have brushed it off and pretended it was an accident.

I have found, with the weight loss, which is ALOT, but not all of it, I have become so much more confident. Matt remarked a few days ago, that I'm turning back into the "old-Angi", at first I thought he meant I was making bad food choices, and he explained, one of the things that always drew him to me was my supreme self-confidence. That I use to look everyone straight in the eye and make myself known and since putting on weight, I had become more withdrawn, less social and 80% less confident in myself and my abilities. In retrospect, he's right. Everyone intimidated me. Especially women. Women who were fit, not always skinny, well put together, etc. I would become intimidated in my frumpy fat chick clothes with those ridiculous flounces they tell us make us look more modern and "slim" Poopycock! They're horrible on most overweight women, but thats what they sell us. So, I'm happy, I can't wait to start classes. Even if I never use this certifcate, I plan on testing for my apprentice license, doing the 6 mos apprenticeship and going for my master license. So, in 2 yrs or so, <16 mos school, test, 6 mos apprenticeship, then test again> I will have fulfilled one of my lifetime goals. Frankly, I don't think I would have done this had I not lost weight. My weight held me back from EVERYTHING.

I love reading this thread, it's exactly what I need to see when the scale isn't doing what I want it to.

Yesterday I was going through some old clothing to give to the Diabetes Association and I stumbled upon some things I had in high school, and haven't worn in about 9 years. They got stored away when I got too big for them, and I can't remember wearing any of the pants without having a muffin-top effect, even when they did fit. I decided to try them on, and to my surprise all of the pants fit perfectly without a trace of the muffin-top. Looks like I'll be keeping these and giving my fat-pants to the Diabetes Association this time around!

Today I'm wearing a size 14/16 shirt. Now, to be true, it could be a little longer, but I don't think it was ever really long when I wore it before, but add in my BF boobies and it covers the waistband and since it fits nicely every where else - well, it's mine!

Thanks, Robin! I hear ya about them being frightful, but I had to face the facts and do it anyway. The numbers are still scary, but seeing them come down is much better than the alternative!

My NSV today is I almost talked myself out of working out today because of a pressing schedule. But, I QUICKLY said to myself "Aint no way! I've come this far and it wasn't to turn around!" This has ALWAYS been a weak point for me in the past, so I feel I have beat one of the harder things about this journey.