Another thread made me think of this!

My reason for never going back to my old habits?

Sizes 14, 14W, 16, 16W, 18, 18W!!!

I never made sense of them, they never fit, and I will NEVER go back to them.

Do you have one?

Thighs rubbing together...
trouble getting in or out of my jeep....
getting made fun of...
breathing hard just shopping....
more loads of laundry....smaller clothes=less loads

Yep, one is XXL tops in the Jr section. I'll despise that size as long as I live, and anything above it (which I almost reached).

Another is not being able to squeeze through an opening between a chair and a wall or two people without like three feet of space.

Being able to physically grab onto flab with my hands (sorry, that's icky, but I HATE IT)

No one being able to lift me with anything resembling ease, if at all (once I was water skiing and fell and had to be hauled back into the boat - that was a NIGHTMARE, and I was only about 180lbs).

Being unfit physically.

Never. Again.

No energy
Shopping is SO much more fun
Being able to cross my legs!!
Running again!

My reasons to never go back:

* Holes in my pants from my thighs rubbing together
* Getting out of breath and sweating after walking a few steps
* Worrying about chairs holding me (I still have this somewhat but not as bad)
* Sitting on the couch watching my grandchildren play
* Getting in someone else's backseat and holding the seat belt to the side so they don't realize that it does not fit on me.
* Having little kids point at me
* Staying at home instead of going and doing
* Having a dirty house but I was not up to keeping it clean
* Having to worry that the people in the OR would hurt themselves moving me

There are so many more if I take the time to think of them. Thanks for this thread because sometimes I need to remember.

These are things I want to tell myself along this journey...think it fits right in with what you all are saying.

When you are on this journey and starting to be successful don’t forget:
THIS IS FOR LIFE
How bad you ache when you get up
How your feet hurt
How the large gut you have pulls you over in bed and hurts your spine
Wanting to do things and not being able to because of size
Horseback riding
Going down the water slide at the pool
Getting in rides at Disneyland wondering if you’ll fit
hating how huge you feel at the ballpark and being squished into the seats
you only get one chance at a first impression
the looks people would give you and how small that made you feel
how proud you are of yourself for making the decision to get healthy AND DOING THE WORK to accomplish it
how proud the ones who’ve gone before us would be of your accomplishment
being the old fat one at all the elementary school events and how that made you feel looked down on
even though you are small, you are still heard, seen and loved
how lazy you can get when you’re body is holding you back
all the things you want to do and can!
drink your water
count your calories
PLAN AHEAD
workout and swim, that’s how all those skinny people at the gym stay that way BE that person!

Breaking bones doing things that shouldn't break bones.

NEVER taking a nice photograph, which in turn means there are hardly any pictures of me and my daughter.
Feeling like "not hideous" was the best I was going to get when I got dressed up.
Buying clothes because they fit, even if they weren't flattering, because I needed stuff that fit.
Being tired/sore after walking around shopping or something similarly non-exerting.
Worrying I was going to die before my daughter grew up.

Reasons to never go back:

I can lean over and tie my shoes now!
I am no longer tired all the time
My skin is much clearer
My clothes are smaller (and nicer)

Oh the list can go on and on!

Reasons never to go back:

Constantly worrying that I might not fit somewhere: an airplane seat, a booth in a restaurant, on a little chair, through a small opening... etc.

Having trouble getting up from the sofa... needing to wait until others got up so I could brace with my arms.

Getting short of breath walking up stairs and worrying that it might be a heart attack coming on.

Avoiding personal meetings even if I thought they would enhance my career because I thought people would judge me by my weight....(which, now that I think of it, is so silly, because I have many colleagues who are much more overweight than I am now, and I do not judge them by their weight.)

I can think of lots of them but they all can pretty much be summarized by saying life is easier now in lots of ways. I like it that way.

Wearing European sizes that start with a 4, 2-digit American sizes, and feeling like I had to lie about my size and weight.

Also, unintentional double chins.

Oh gosh. There are hundreds and hundreds of reasons to never go back... I'll too sum it up with a bunch of general sentences.

I worry a LOT less now.

I am no longer miserable.

I am no longer self conscious.

I participate in loads of things now instead of avoiding them.

I am always rearin' to go. I have oodles of energy.

I never have to worry and think about, "what if?"

I am living up to my full potential.

I have wonderful medical check ups.

I have an incredible wardrobe. I get to play dress-up every day.

I feel like every day is my birthday.

It's FUN being slim.

I am a much better mother, wife, daughter, neighbor, friend, stranger, citizen.

I feel sensational. I am full of confidence, self worth and self respect. I am proud of my choices and how I conduct my life. I am a person who takes care of her body - how cool!!

Life is SO much better. Like by a LOT. There is not one area of my life that has not been GREATLY improved.

This is a fabulous, phenomenal, outrageous, satisfying, incredible, wonderful, delightful, sensational, marvelous, enjoyable, intelligent, fantastic, terrific, exciting, stupendous,astounding, amazing, awesome, divine, superb way to live.

And really, that doesn't even begin to sum it up. There are not enough adjectives, not enough words to adequately explain why I will never go back.

I was able to walk home fairly easily from my dr. today instead of dh having to leave work to come drive me, or get a cab.

I will not go back to tent-clothes and jolliness.