Today is measurement day! To date, I have lost a total of 23 inches! :woohoo: :exercise: :lifter:

Great job, Ritzy! Wow!!

Yesterday at school, some students in the hall said hi to me and then I heard them continue talking as I kept walking. The girl said, "She's getting so tiny," and the guy said, "I know. She looks GOOD." I love overhearing stuff. :)

My other NSV is that I just did an upper body and abs workout and I realized I've become MUCH stronger. It's a workout I designed myself, with dumbbells, and I really push myself with it. I need to get new dumbbells because I only have up to 10 pounds and I have to double up my 10s and 3s for my highest weight set, which is kind of awkward, so I need to make sure I have the next level up. Woohoo! Now if I can just get my foot healed and get back to my running...

After doing my grocery shopping today I decided to lay on the couch and take a nap. I started feeling guilty about feeling so lazy. I got off my lazy butt and went and mowed the yard, then weeded the garden for an hour. I felt much more energetic after the work than before. LOL, it didn't Kill me.

I was shaving my underarms this morning and I realized I have a hollow that wasn't there before. Now I have to be careful about shaving because it isn't a piece of flab covered by hair, it now has curves.

My DD had a teenage friend of hers over on Thurs. evening. Yesterday my DD told me that her friend Candace said "man, your mom is really skinny now, she has lost a lot of weight".

Last night DH told me that 2 of his co-workers that saw me yesterday were discussing "how great I looked" and one said "vic, I thought you said your wife is older than you,, but she definitely looks younger than you do". HaHa, I'm older than him by 4 yrs.

OMG Nelie - me too!!! I noticed this a bunch of weeks ago. I was like, what the heck is going on here? It's so deeply hollowed that I have a difficult time getting in there. So weird.

Also, my daughters 18 year old boyfriend was over the other day. When he left my daughter tells me he said to her he just could not believe how skinny I was. Yes, Lily, your NSV prompted me to remember that. It's great when teens notice. It's pretty cool that people think you look younger then your DH, even though he's the younger one. Pretty cool indeed. :smug:

Great going to the rest of the losing gang.

My NSV is a couple days late, but I wanted to share anyway! I picked DD up from school Friday afternoon for an appointment. This is the same school where DS went, and DD has been there 3 years, so I'm not a new face. They've seen me come and go for years, regularly (both kiddos had braces, and you know how many appointments you have to pull them from school for!). Anyway, I'm standing at the counter in the office waiting for DD to come in and sign out when the secretary looks at me and says "Oh my gosh, Kelly! I've been sitting here looking at you while trying not to look like I was looking at you.....I was trying to figure out if you had an older daughter that I didn't remember that was here to pick up ******! I was sure it wasn't you, it had to be your daughter waiting!" OK, so I could've kissed her! She thought I was my kid!!!!!

Well I had my big dinner last night that I had been anticipating for awhile with DH's side of the family. Of course I had seen his siblings and parents since the weightloss, but not his cousins and aunts and uncles.

Wow. It was an incredible night. I wore a really pretty dress and felt really confident in it. I got some pretty unbelivable responses. A couple of people shrieked, literally shrieked - loudly. At one point I was standing around with my DH, SIL, BIL, MIL and one or two other people. Over walks a distant cousin, we all say hello and she's talking and talking and then about 3 or 4 minutes later she screams "OMG, is that Robin?" She hadn't recognized me at first. She said if my DH hadn't put his arm around me that she never would have recognized me. I got lots of hugs and kisses and congratulations. My husband was beaming with pride, just taking it all in, walking around with me and showing me off. I felt like some sort of debutante, having her "coming out" so to speak. Sooo many of the women were asking me how I did it and all, asking me for "diet" tips and all that.

The only downside was that everybody was "policing" my food intake for the night. Oh you must not eat this, gotta stay away from that. They kept showing me what they were eating. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing afterall, I was afraid to eat the whole night. And man oh man was there tons and tons of food. It was buffet style. The food just kept on coming all evening. There was chinese food of every sort. BBQ, mexican, middle eastern, carvings, pasta, salads and on and on. They had dessert tables filled with heated desserts. Carmel cakes, chocolate cakes with marshmallows, apple cake - all hot with ice cream and toppings and whipped cream, chocolate cream and fruits and nuts on the side. Then there was the regular desserts. Just incredible. Strawberry short cake, mocha, just every kind of cake imaginable, pecan pies, fruit tarts, mousses, cannolis, napoleans, fancy cookies and sooo much more. There was endless sushi. So I guess another NSV was that I walked away having eaten just a few grilled veggies, some mushroom salad, a couple of slices of turkey breast and 3 bites of dessert. And of course when I put one of the bites in my mouth one of my SIL's says, "OMG, did I just see you cheat?" I layed into her but good. She always pi$$es me and all my other SILs off as well and I had had enough of everyone policing me for the night. So I went on to say "Cheat, no I don't cheat." And blah, blah, blah.

It was a nice evening to say the least. It definitely cemented my feelings that I can do this forever and ever. That every little bit of so called sacrifice is defintely, defintely worth it. :smug: :smug: :smug:

Wow, Robin. Just unbelievable! You are inspiring, and we haven't even seen any pictures yet!! ;)

My NSV is this: I came here 2 or 3 months ago with an NSV that I was able to put on a skirt that used to be tight and it not be tight or uncomfortable. Well, this weekend, I decided that same skirt I am not going to be able to wear anymore - it is falling off and looks tacky now!!! :lol: I also wore a blouse to church last night that I decided the same thing about - and these 2 articles of clothing were definitely not loose when I started this in January! ;)

I had a great weekend. It was really busy but I kept to my sleep/wake schedule & got lots done around the house. A garage sale on Saturday & got rid of a pile of stuff. Raked and broke down a huge pile of tree branches for pick up this week and weeded and mowed. Brought my godson swimming and finished setting up the furniture in the spare room for him.

Yesterday was the first day of my recommittment. 2 months until the family reunion & trip to Banff & Jasper. We are going backpacking in the mountains so I need to get serious about fitness. I have my gym bag packed for after work & have an appointment this afternoon for a massage to get the knot out of my shoulder blade area (I get this from sitting too much --- lol!)

My husband is going to kill me.... This month is our 6 month anniversary (yay!) but my wedding set is too big now. I've only had them for 9 months or so. The store we bought the rings at gives me a free resizing but I don't want to do it any time soon. Anyway, I am either going to start wearing them on my middle finger or get something to make the rings tighter.

Nelie - apparently there are plastic ring sizers that are meant just for that purpose - ask at your jewellry store. I've never used one but a friend of mine had one & wore for quite a long time before she finally had it made smaller.

Robin, that is so fantastic. WTG. I do hate it when people play food police with me too.

nelie, I recently lost my wedding rings because they were too big for me now. So, please be careful with yours. We went fishing and camping last week and my rings were falling off. So, I put them in my purse. At some point they must have fallen from my purse. They aren't in the boat or the camper or the house, so I'm assuming they're at the bottom of the lake.

Lily, ouch!! Dh told me once if I ever lost my rings, we'd meet them back at the jewelry store but I don't think so. I decided to wear them on my middle finger for now. I think I had a friend who taped hers to fit but I'm not sure how comfortable that would be.

Edit - On the plus side, that must mean I'm a size 8 now!! I used to wear a size 12, my rings are size 9 but I don't think they'd fall off until I lost a full ring size.

Right now I'm wearing one of my DD's big, fake diamond rings on my ring finger. I loved my rings so much and they were very expensive. I don't imagine we'll be able to replace them til next summer for our 10th anniversary. I've been trying not to think about it much, but your post reminded me of mine being lost.

Oh Lily, I'm so sorry. These are good reminders. My ring is getting too big too. Better get on that!

Today was a big NSV day for me. First of all my dh decided he'd had enough of the falling off clothes! I was trying to hold out for my birthday (the 30th) and/or a 50 pound milestone. I'm just 2 pounds away from that 50 and 3 wks from my bday, but I guess dh had enough of the pants falling off! (My sweatpants fell off one day when I was on the treadmill-and I do mean off to my ankles!!!) Anyway, I went to the plus size store that I always go to. Last time I was there I bought a tight size 26 jeans (broke my heart too). Today I bought size 14/16 tops and size 18 bottoms. I could get the 16s on, but just not quite ready for public viewing if you know what I mean! I stood there staring at myself for the longest time. I could really see the weight loss without the baggy clothes on.

From there I went to the Y. I've really wanted to start jogging (couch to 5k) but have really been afraid. I got on the treadmill, walked at 3mph for 5 mins and then started 30 secs of jogging (4.5mph) and 2 mins of walking until I got to 30 mins. My lungs felt like I had inhaled gasoline and I felt like an elephant, but I did it. One more baby step for me!

It's so much easier to stay on plan when we have our little victories, huh?

Great job, Shelly!!! I'm starting the running thing, too (at the end of this month!)!

My NSV for today is HUGE!!!!! On Jan. 16 I started my new lifestyle. I must admit I changed my habits DRASTICALLY. That was the day that I went to the Dr for a full workup and told her I was on the wagon. It's funny...I lied to her and said I'd already lost 6 lbs. Why did I do that???? Was I fooling myself enough to think that she thought that 6 lbs ago I was fat but instead I was just chunky??? What the heck??? Anyway, so now I've confessed the lie...on to the NSV. So she checked my blood and everything...complete workup. Well, last Wednesday I went back for a recheck to see how my diet changes had affected everything and my cholesterol has DROPPED 81 POINTS!!!! 81!!!!!!!!!! My tricycerides are down 50 POINTS!!! And my HDL/LDL ration has IMPROVED DRAMATICALLY!!!!! Honestly, I love how my clothes are fitting and how good I've been feeling but that lab report was my HAPPIEST moment I've had in this journey! I feel INDESTRUCTIBLE!!!

Shelly, good for you with the new wardrobe! How exciting to shop and find things that you like, and you like the way they fit and look. That feeling is just incredible!

Lily, I hadn't realized you lost your rings, how heartbreaking! Hang in there, you'll get new ones!

Nelie, my rings are way too big also. I bought a package of "ring snuggles" at Claire's, and Icing carries them also. They were about $3-$4 for a pack of 6 and they do work well. I wouldn't use them as a permanent solution, but I didn't want to have to pay to have my rings sized multiple times, so they're working for me now. One of the snuggles is even large enough to hold my whole wedding set, so I didn't have to put separate ones on the engagement band and the two wedding bands. They are clear plastic tubing with a little slit in the side. Give them a try!

Robin, I'll bet you had the time of your life at that dinner! I'm sure your husband was so proud of you that he was speechless. And good for you for standing up to the nasty one! We all need to do that occassionally!

SUCH great victories for everyone!! I'm especially thrilled about yours, Tricia -- that is SO amazing! What a wonderful thing you're doing for yourself. :hug:

Ladies - it is amazing to read all your successes!! Congratulations to all!!

Today - success was.... going into the dunkin donuts for a cup of coffee - and coming out with JUST a cup of coffee!!

Hey - I was wondering - does anyone avoid the DD? At a meeting someone said she thought it was best to remove the temptation completely and not go in at all. But I kind of feel like that would be "censoring" the world. And I feel that as a part of life, in general, we have to meet challenges, not avoid them. I'd love to hear anyone elses thoughts.

Wow! So many big NSV's! Great work everyone!!!

I went to the gym last night & stayed perfectly on plan yesterday & so far today. As well, we put our yard waste out for pick up last night & we had 12 of those large paper leaf bags & 3 trees worth of branches piled up. It took up 1/2 our driveway! And I raked all those bags & broke up all those branches. (ok dh helped some)

Beth, I do avoid sometimes and sometimes I don't. It depends on where my head is at! One day I was feeling great and went with the kids to the all you can eat pizza buffet place. All I had was salad. Felt great. Some days, I can't even trust myself to drive by! As far as DD goes, I was in there awhile back to get coffee and the person there told me all the "flavors" (love me some flavored coffee) were sugar-free. I looked it up online and sure enough! That put DD on my good list, at least when the donuts aren't calling me!

My nsv for today was that my dh asked me to run an errand for him. The most gas efficient way to do it was to go before a class at the Y that I really like. I had dropped off my dd at an activity, was going to do the errand, and be at the Y by 10:30. Of course everything took longer than expected and knew that if I did the errand first, I would miss my class. I told myself that my class was important and even if it was not the most efficient way, I deserved to be at my class! And I did! I did my Women on Weights class, a 15 minute abs lab and the cardio tread class (which kicked my butt and felt great). Got the errand done after that (although I wonder what the bank people thought of me all sweaty and gross!). It felt great!

robin, I thought of you last night. My son showed up with a box of cheese bread sticks. My DD and her friend both opened the box and got one. I was closing the box and my DH walked in the room. He thought I was eating them too and said "OMG, you are eating those". I gave him a quick, gentle kick in the butt and told him to lay off trying to be the food police". He cracked up. (I wasn't eating them , just trying to shut the box so I didn't have to see the temptation).

Lifeguard, I know how good it feels to do all that yard work. I have been mowing, weeding, moved 2 ricks of wood, planted hedges and planted an entire food garden. It feels like such a great accomplishment. My DH cut a tree down at the end of our driveway and just left it laying there all cut up. I moved and stacked that whole darn tree by myself.

I had my physical today and the doctor said I'm in absolutely fantastic shape... except for the weight :) Cholesterol was 134 with an HDL of 41. Other good stuff too.

Today my mom complimented me on my thighs looking thinner! I hadn't even really noticed it before, but my jeans are rather baggy in that area now.

Isn't it funny how our brains work?!?! Sometimes I wish I could bottle the good strong feelings & use them when I'm feeling weak!!

And congrats to you for making yourself a priority!!

My pants are falling down today!

How awesome! Congrats to you and keep on going!

Yesterday I went shopping for a dress to wear to go to the prom as a chaperone. I wanted a very simple black dress -- I had a wrap dress in mind for some reason -- I've always liked those. I figured I could dress it up with jewelry. I don't want to be too dressed up. Well, I looked for AGES and couldn't find anything, but the good news is this: All the dresses I tried on were size 14 in regular departments! The bad news is this -- my torso is too long or something, and I have trouble with that. I never knew that before because I NEVER wore dresses if I could avoid it (I'm all about covering my fat stomach, and a shirt over a skirt always worked better for that).

So I finally found a very simple black dress (size XL) that looks like a wrap dress at the top but isn't. It skims past my hips in quite a nice manner! I have to find something to wear under it to cover my cleavage so I don't scare the children. :lol:

Now I'm on a search for some good shoes to wear with it, but I'll have to find them Saturday afternoon before I go! (Cutting it close...)

Anyway, yay for trying on size 14 dresses!

Awesome job, Lisa!!!!

Making time for exercise
 

This my first NSV post. It may seem convoluted, but here goes...

Today, for the first time in years I actually got a little thrill when I thought about exercising! Today is our wedding anniversary, and we had planned a casual dinner out to celebrate. I had pretty much written off exercising for today, but threw my workout stuff in the car anyway (figuring I'd use it tomorrow). All of the planets must have been aligned for me today, because last meeting of the day let out early, which allowed me to pick up my daughter from preschool early. On the way home from school, my husband called and said that he was ducking out of work early and suggested that we meet him at the restaurant. We wound up having a nice, early dinner - with plenty of time to spare before the gym closed. Although I felt a little guilty deserting him on our anniversary, I hopped in the car and drove straight to the gym (with my husband's blessing!), while he brought our little one home and put her to bed! Then (it actually gets better!), after I had finished my workout at Curves, the owner invited me to try out the yoga/Pilates class that they offer after hours. It was a great 60 minute class (thankfully no one seemed to notice how awkward I was!). And, as an anniversary present to myself, I signed up for the next set of classes! What a day!!:carrot:

How awesome that your hubby was so supportive!

Isn't it funny how after a while, the body seems to crave exercise? If I miss more than one day of it, it's like my limbs just won't relax!

I love reading the NSV's - they're fantastic.

Well, I went shopping today and bought size 22 jeans. And they fit me perfectly! And they're jeans which never fit me!

Yeah, I'm kind of excited by this :dance: :dance:

Discovered on my way to the gym this morning
 

I can no longer wear my old work out pants, draw string and all, because they are too big for me. :D Well, I suppose I could wear them on the elliptical and just keep pulling them up, but for things like yoga and kickboxing, forget about it!

Wow, just WOW!!!! Some great NSV's everyone!!! I just love reading this thread. It is so heartwarming to see how losing the weight affects us in such a positive manner. It's the greatest.

Thank you all for listening to my long story about my dinner the other night and for all your kind words on it. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Lilybelle, that's so funny that you thought of me. I can't tell you how many times things go on in my life and I find myself thinking about 3FC in some capacity, depending on the circumstance. Now of course every time I am "policed" and you know it's gonna happen again - I will think of you! :)

Nelie, absolutely great numbers!!! You must be thrilled. Sorry, doc, but the weight too!!!! You have really gotten back into this losing thing. Big time! :)

Hi LisaMarie,

I am so incredibly happy for you! I remember...a while back...you posted that you wanted to look incredible by your incredibly handsome hubby at the prom. And, look at you now! Trying on size 14 dresses! I'm so proud of you.

I went to the gym yesterday - even though I really wanted to go home & crawl into bed - I was exhausted. Then at the gym I signed up for a 2x a week boot camp that is perfectly timed for right when I get there. Then first thing this morning I received confirmation that the dragon boat team I signed up for in the winter is starting this Monday. Everything is falling into place to get me into incredible shape!!!

Ok, totally not weight related at all, but I got an A on my biology exam and in the class! And I'm so not a science-y person. :broc:

KnitALisa, WTG on the A.

Last night my DD walked a mile with me to and from the creek. Then I walked a mile on the treadmill. Then I got in the floor and did my Ab. and leg exercises. I didn't want to do it. I felt sluggish. But, of course I was glad after I did it.

robin, you go girl. Just give em a kick in the butt, like I did. LOL