That's wonderful, LaurieDawn!!! Congratulations! (on both the publishing AND losing a chin or two! ;))

Congratulations, LaurieDawn! That's wonderful!!

I ran into a friend today, and she said "You're wasting away to nothing!" Good compliment, but so not true!

Yesterday I changed into my shorts to run with my students and a coworker said "Your legs look AWESOME!" I seriously wanted to kiss her. :lol:

Oh, and I tried on clothes today, thinking I'd have to buy all 12 pants and maybe squeeze into a few 10s. One pair of size 12s was tight, but at another store some 10 pants were BAGGY. I had to get the size 8! Sizes vary so much it's crazy. I was excited to get an 8. I have a few of them, but it's still a thrill every time!

Yaay LaurieDawn on getting your story published!

LisaMarie....8's!!!!! How thrilling!

My NSV .... Staying EXACTLY to plan on my birthday weekend! AND walking 4 miles my first week back to the grind... Even with my big butt... I still managed to do it! YEA ME!

Congrats to all you LOSERS! My inspiration!

Just a few for me this week...

-Did my first Cathe Step Tape. It's her basic step one but if you know who Cathe is at all even her beginner stuff is alittle tricky.

-Did my first Advanced Turbo Jam tape and LOooooove it (Punch, Kick, Jam)

- Dusted off my rebounded after doing that turbo jam and did another 20+ mins!! :)

- Wearing one of my husbands tshirts which is a large... its form fitting, but hey it fits! (It's a lost tshirt)

My first NSV - not eating ice cream. Everyone was gone. Normally when I'm alone, that's my eating time. Ice cream, cookies, etc. I had to go to Wally World milk, etc. I even looked at the ice cream - deciding what kind I wanted - and then just put it down. I didn't get it!!! YEAH for me!!!

LaurieDawn, congratulations! How exciting for you. And maybe your picture in the paper will surprise you.

Renee: Way to resist the ice cream! I have stood in your shoes an heard that siren call myself, so I know just how hard it can be.

Since the scale refuses to cooperate (so frustrated!) I will post another NSV that happened on Friday. When I first started my job in March, I told myself to be healthy and take the stairs whenever I had to go to the third floor. Well, I did it, but once I got there I had to hope I wouldn't run into anyone who wanted to talk (or even say hi) before my lungs stopped burning. Nothing quite as humiliating as trying to pretend you're not winded when you obviously are.

But Friday I took the stairs (it's 45 stairs, I think) and when I got to the top I was barely breathing hard! So I'm not losing weight, but my lung capacity is finally increasing. I have asthma-related issues, so that's a big deal for me. I'm going to The Bahamas in October and I'm planning to climb the Queen's Staircase (65 stairs), and now I'm confident that I will actually be able to do it.

We met some friends at a bike trail yesterday and I rode my bike 24.8 miles. Big deal for me. No lasting damage - just a sore knee this morning. Should have ridden in a lower gear more, I guess.

A published author, LaurieDawn??? I'm sooooooooooooooooooooo jealous! I'm a huge reader, so how about details so we can read your story?

And can we just maybe have a permanent list like the onederland list for those of us who are so %$@& happy to fit in booths again? Who would have ever thought that would be one of those things that matters so much? Everytime I read how someone had a good booth experience, I relive the first time DH and I went to Applebee's and looked at each other across the booth with the "WE FIT!" smile. Too cool!

I worked on a day that I normally don't work this week and so I saw some people that I don't see on a regular basis. It's only been a few weeks, if that, since I last worked on this day but everyone was noticing. One person even said "I wasn't sure it was even you!" This week seems to be my week for a lot of people noticing.

And I literally had a no scale victory. I had an awful week last week, and part of it, I'm sure was because I weighed myself more than the once a week WW meeting weigh-in. And the other day I saw the scale in the bathroom and it was just so easy to get on and weigh myself and see how I was doing, and I actually got up on the scale to see what it said but before it could settle on a number I realized this was not a good idea (for me, anyway) and got off before I could read anything, and I feel so much better for not doing it.

I bought a pair of pants last month at T.J. Maxx and put them in lay away , today I took them out, figuring I would use them as part of my winter clothes, they are a size 18 w. I tried them on for fun, they fit!!!!!!:D . They are a little snug, probably fit better when I loose another 8 lbs or so, but I have not been a size 18 in 12 yrs. I started crying, I just felt so happy!!!
Cheryl

Awesome NSV's everyone. This thread really helps me out alot. I love to come and read these. Such inspiration.

I went to my closet and pulled out a pair of jeans and put them on. I thought they were a different pair. They were real tight, but they buttoned and zipped. I kinda looked like a muffin. So I get aggrevated and pull them off. I look at the tag and then I am excited. They were a 20!!! I actually fit big arse into a 20. Granted they were tight, but they DID button and they DID zip!!! Its been 5 years since Ive even been able to get in that size!

Dont ask why Ive held on to a pair of jeans thats too small for 5 years. lol.. Seriously.. I loved the jeans and hoped Id someday be able to wear them again.

Alana Jo, first of all congratulations on the 20, that's exciting!

I think nearly all of us have held onto clothes for a very long time. My goal jeans are a pair I've had for 8 years... and haven't fit into for 6. They're pretty out of style, but it's a good way to measure when I get there. Those are the last pair of jeans I remember feeling really, really good in.

I had a great NSV today. DH and I went climbing and I was able to finish a climb I couldn't last time we were there and was able to get halfway up a climb I couldn't even start last time. I think I could have finished it but I started feeling sick for some reason. I'm definitely going to conquer that one next time I'm there. But for now, I'm making progress!! :D

I have pants that are a lot older than five years old, and they're a size 12, which I've *never* fit in! They used to be my sister's, and all these years they have hung in my closet for alleged inspiration. Considering they've been there since high school, they're not that inspirational, but I figure I've had them this long, might as well keep them around ;)

And while I'm here, I'll report that I ran ten minutes without stopping at the gym today. That's a record for me, so even if I'm not losing weight, at least I'm making progress with my fitness levels.

I walked to work today - just over 4 miles.

Great NSV's everyone.
I wanted to post that Friday night I ran into a friend that I haven't seen since last July and she told me I looked great, and ask how I was doing it? I told her being active, going hiking at parks ect.. She said we are going to have to get together so she can walk with me. So this is the first person outside the family who has noticed this weight loss:carrot: . Cheryl

Last night we took our kids to the theater to see "The Lion King". Not only was the production absolutely FABULOUS, but I was totally comfortable throughout the entire evening!!! Last time we went to the theater, the seats hurt my hips and I was trying to wiggle the entire time to find some relief. Last night there was PLENTY of room to spare on both sides of me! In fact, so much room that I had to go and see the section we sat in last time to see if the seats were constructed differently. They weren't. I am!

Oh, and one last thing. I was wearing a sz 14 skirt!!!! No, 14 is NOT my size in pants or anything...but this skirt was perfectly FINE!!! :) Gotta love it!

My exercise endurance has gone up significantly! I used to do a 1 mile Leslie Sansone DVD and be worn out...I can now do 4 miles...for a 250lb gal, I think that's pretty cool.:cool:

I went shopping today and some of the size 12 pants I tried on fit! I found one great pair that fit like a glove, I was soooo excited! Some of them were still too small but it works that way with the 14's I try on too, some fit great, others are too big. So I guess instead of a solid size 14 I've worked my way down to a 12/14. LOVE IT!

Congratulations LaurieDawn, I'll have to look for the book.

Last weekend we camped close to home so we could attend a wedding. Without trying it on I took a dress that I had bought for a special event in March. My weight loss has only been about 10 pounds since then so I thought it would still fit fine. Well I wore the dress to the wedding but it was really big on me. I am really loosing inches even though the scale is moving very slowly.

Thats awesome!!!! :carrot: Makes ya feel wonderful doesnt it?

My biggest challenge is the morning.... I often find myself wanting yummy's in the a.m. on my way to work. Today was one of those days, and instead of going to work passing many bagel shops / bakeries - i detoured a little bit out of the way - only a few minutes - and skipped all temptation!!

This will be my 1st food related NSV. While at work yesterday I was hungry and tired when I went on my break. Unfortunately the vending machines are very limited in health food choices. In fact, they have ZERO choices. Plus the fact that you cannot read the nutritional label. I knew I needed some protein. I will try to read the packages and try to make my decision based on the labels promise, "Reduced Fat", "50% less calories", "Fat Free". I knew peanuts were high in protein, so I chose a 75c package of salty peanuts (even though I stay away from sodium - but I figured oh well). When I received my peanuts I quickly read the label. 30g of fat (I can't distinguish between the good and the bad stuff yet, the label made no reference to unsaturated)! 340 calories. Sodium seemed low to me at 180g. Carbs 9g, fiber 5g, and a whopping 18g of protein.

This seemed like a perfect treat based on the protein and the high fiber, but I could not convince myself to eat 340 calories (heck my lunch of a Lean Cuisne meal and a Weight Watchers Yogurt, and a can of diet cola was only 280 calories!) and 30g of fat. I ate 1/2 the package, and thought of doing 1 of 2 things. 1) Save the rest, eat it later (grandma always said to finish the plate as there are starving kids in this world). 2) Throw it away and keep the wrapper to write in my journal later.

I happily poured out the contents into the trash! 37.5 cents is easier to replace then 170 calories/15g of fat.

Unfortunately due to the sodium I developed a canker sore.

Great job on throwing away the unwanted food. This is a tough, tough thing for me, but I think you're absolutely right about the 37.5 cents being easier to replace than the fat and calories! Just a quick rule of thumb on good fats vs. bad fats. If the source is plant food, then it's usually good fat. If the source is animal food, then it tends to be saturated fat. This is, of course, very general. For example, salmon has omega 3, which is supposed to be very good, and all plant fats are not the same, and mega-doses of any oil (like you'd get in french fries) are not desirable, but it does give you a general idea...

I ran half a mile.

It's not much (at all) but I'm getting there. I walk/jog three and a half miles every day before work and am working on being able to run it all one day.

It felt good :)

denial, that's wonderful!! Yay for running!! :carrot:

One of my students today told me how much he respected me as a runner, which was cool...especially because he's one of the best runners on our team.

Another former student passed by me and said, "Hey, Mrs. ________, all 102 pounds of you." Ha!

Even better, another teacher told me I inspired her to start walking and get healthy. She said she's going to stop making excuses because if I could make the decision to make time for it, then she can too. She kept telling herself that as a teacher she was too busy, but then she remembered that I'm just as busy but I made time. I told her you just have to decide that NOTHING is going to get in the way of your health. I love that she was able to get inspired by what I've done.

Lisa, those are awesome!

I've just had to drop my ring off to be resized. It's getting far too big that I was afraid I'd lose it.

WOW! This thread never ceases to amaze me! Many "unsung heroes" here!!! You all are so inspirational.

As for my NSV, I have suddenly had SO MANY people come out of the wood work and tell me how "skinny" I am becoming and that I'm just "dropping the pounds." LOL!! I usually just laugh at this because I don't feel as dramatically reduced as they usually say it, but it sure is a confidence booster nonetheless! :D

Also, I have had people come up to me lately that VERY RARELY talk to me otherwise and ask me "So, what is your secret?" or "Okay, you gotta tell me what you are doing to drop all that weight." It is SOOOOO funny to watch their faces as I tell them it is just good, old fashioned healthy eating and counting calories. I think too many are still looking for the nonexistent "magic pill." ;)

I did two, count 'em, two TurboJam sessions today (CardioParty and AbJam). AND I'm going to the gym after work with DH! I'm happy to be feeling motivated and fit. My endurance is through the roof too!

This is a goofy one.....we went to a buffet for dinner the other night, and the OLD me would have worn something with some "stretch" to it ~ I grabbed a pair of DH's size 38 Levi's and put them on, and off we went. I now still am a "volume" eater, but I now eat huge servings of vegies instead of the fattening stuff!

I just got an NSV 15 minutes ago. A coworker who doesn't see me often came up to me and said "what are you doing?" I said "right now I'm working on such and such" He said "NO" You look fantastic!! He said it 3 times. I could feel my face getting red cuz I thought he was talking about work.
I'm in my big ole T-shirt that hangs on me like a bag! (It's just too hot to dress up right now). Wait until tomorrow-I have to go to a conference offsite and I really have to dress up. Better get use to it fellas!

Today, I wanted pizza. I had it in my hand, heading toward my already-salivating mouth. And then I stopped. I fought it!:carrot:

I tried on my winter coat today, it's men's Nike XXL. It was so baggy!

I don't like women's coats because they tend to be too short, so when at Wal-Mart, I tried on some men's coats just to get an idea of the sizes. I usually always bought 3XL from there, even in the men's section. So I put on XXL thinking maybe it would be the right size. Nope! Too big! The XL fit perfectly.

I have walked through my service managers office no less than a dozen times today, there has been a cake with lots of yummy looking frosting, sitting on the counter for anyone to share. I have not touched it, but boy I'm I glad he has left and the cake is gone.

Last night I had dinner with my Red Hat chapter for the first time since June. As soon as I walked in one of the ladies said "Sharon I have a personal questions for you, how much weight have you lost? You look great." I have only lost 6 pounds since I saw her last but I think my body is still toning and catching up since I am working out each day. The compliments continued thoughout the evening. Oh, before I got there I stoped at a store to waste a little time, so I tried on some jeans to see what size I can fit into. When I started this journey I was wearing a Womens 24 or 26 and I fit into a Misses 16. I didn' buy them, they were too long, but they fit

From my blog

Alana jo
great post!! Congrats on the NSV!!
cheryl

On Monday in the gym a woman stopped me and asked me a question about about the equipment...when I looked confused the woman said 'you do work here, right?' - HA! I got mistaken for one of the fit super toned trainers in the gym! Well thats the way I'm taking it anyways :-)

I haven't posted here in a while cause I was off track . I'm now full force on track. Doing SB like my Dr. advised. My eating is what it should be and I'm hitting the trail walking or the treadmill again at least 4 nights a week. It feels so good to be back. As a side note, the scale is being overly generous with my progress.

AlanaJo, your post is so inspirational, thanks for sharing. I'm glad you were able to get you some new clothes and feel better about yourself. You deserve it.

I hope food NSV's count.

Yesterday there were donuts at work and I didn't even look twice at them.

And today my apple that I had brought for a snack was gross and the healthiest thing in the building was a sweet and salty mix @ 290 calories. I count calories and that's pretty high for a snack (plus we are going out to dinner tonight). So I got the Sweet & Salty and just ate 1/2. Me...I ate 1/2. I figure I'll have the rest for my afternoon snack. :carrot:

I've been getting TONS of compliments lately. I think it's because I moved to the next size down in my closet. It really is amazing to me that clothes that fit make me look THINNER and clothes that are bulky to "hide" my flaws actually just make me look FATTER!!! My 9 yr old daughter even noticed when she said "Wow mom, that tighter shirt makes it look like you lost 30 pounds while I was at school!" I've got to get this through my head....clothes that fit WORK for me!

Anyway, back to the compliments... Yesterday our youth minister's wife (a good friend of mine, anyway) called me and said, "OK, Tricia, WHAT were you wearing Sunday because "R" came home and said you looked HOT!" hahahahahha Me?????? HOT??!! Now, that is something that I haven't heard (outside of my own bedroom....hehe...;) ) in a LONG time!