Congrats Great on Onederland !!!!! WOO HOO

Congrats Lin on your 5k !!!!!! WOO HOO

Wednesday is WI day for me - down to 162.0. That's 90 pound since January 13th. I am officially starting to maintain now.

Jolina - I'll visit the site you mentioned tonight. All weight loss advice can be good advice, I think, as long as we keep it in perspective. When I say "baggy" I really mean just "60 year old woman baggy," not "hanging folds of skin baggy," if you know what I mean. I have been blessed with good skin. Genetics, I guess. My mom and her sisters never had wrinkles. My upper arms and thighs are starting to look "loose." Standing straight up you don't even notice. When gravity pulls in a weird direction, like when doing a push up or plank at the gym, I see how loose the skin is. Or if I wear shorts to the gym and look at my leg while kicking in Karadio (similar to kick boxing.) Sort of like a balloon that has been blown up for a really long time has lost some air, but not all if it. I think a weight loss skin surgeon who deals with extreme weight loss would laugh at me. This is more like a "normal" part of aging and I see it in friends my age who never were heavy and never lost weight. That's why I refer to it as "vanity." It certainly isn't necessary. There are no folds of skin hanging and touching causing skin problems. But it is reason for me to stop for now. I'm wearing 12 jeans, once in a while I'll find 10's that fit. I wear medium or large tops. I'm really good with this size.

My reasons for slowing down or stopping have already been stated and I think they are valid.

My reasons for wanting to continue are silly - namely it would be really cool to say I lost 100 pounds, and I weighed 150 pounds when I was 28 - 30 years old. Health doesn't even come into my reasoning! Granted, 159 is the top of the "normal" range for 5'-7" tall. But it's ridiculous to think that losing 3 more pounds would actually impact my health any more than losing 90 pounds already has. And if I were to be completely honest, with what I consider to be a medium frame, I should really get down to about 140 to be smack in the middle of "normal" for 5'-7" and a medium frame. THAT was never part of my goal.

Another reason for me to slow down is this: I have already proven to myself that I can do this. I lost a lot of weight by changing my attitude about being overweight and by eating sensibly and exercising. If I want to lose 10 or 12 more, I can do it. The best part is realizing this. There is no more urgency to lose.

I'm not changing my ticker or end goal. I want to show that we are all "works in progress." And that way I can stay in the 100 pound club. If I change it, I'll have to leave and start a 90 pound club. I like it too much here.

Hope everyone has a great day. Keep up the great work and great attitude, everyone.

Lin

LinJber, I know what you meant by saggy skin just starting. Those people on that site I mentioned have lost from 200 to 400 pounds real fast.
Then some of them get major issues with their skin. Something most of us here won't ever have to deal with.

I think the fact that their stomach is so small and they are subject to malnutrition has a lot to do with the lack of elasticity in their skin.
My heart goes out to all of them. Weight loss surgery is just not a good experience. It has a lot of unseen complications. I am glad I can count my calories and keep at it.

You are doing great! I wish I weighed what you do right now. But I have a ways to go yet. Maybe next year....

Congratulations on your fabulous weight loss!

:celebrate::hug::celebrate:

If I had been around when Rubens was painting,
I would have been revered as a fabulous model.

Thanks, Jolina. If I can do this, anyone can. I never considered surgery for this because I want to be able to eat normally. I know I'd never be happy if some of my favorite foods made me sick. I want to have the occasional day where you go to the all-you-can-eat buffet and you eat all you can. I think you're right about the rapid loss being partly to blame. Losing over `100 pounds certainly will have an impact on how most people's skin looks. I think I'm pretty lucky to have very little problems up until now.

I'm going upstairs now to pack for a 4 day camping trip and then get to bed. I'll be off-line for a few days - Hope everyone has a great day / week / etc.

Lin

Lin, I always love reading your posts- you always have something really wonderful and insightful to say. Thank you for putting the calorie counting in perspective for me! Enjoy the camping trip. :)

On Wednesdays I'm always deliciously sore, because the woman who teaches yoga on Wednesdays at the studio I belong to runs it like a boot camp. My legs hurt in muscles I didn't even know I HAD, hahaha.

Also, mini NSV- I was working out today and kept getting frustrated because I had to pull my pants up continuously...then it dawned on me that it was because they're starting to get too big!

GreatPerhaps - aren't baggy pants wonderful! The very first thing I noticed back in January was that my pants seemed to have gotten longer, which baffled me at first. Then I realized they were not pulled up quite so far because I was slightly less round. I loved it each time my pants seemed longer because that meant I'd be in a size smaller very soon.

I'm off to work early so I can leave at 11:00 to meet my friends for our "Ladies' Weekend." See you all soon. Have a great weekend.

Lin

Oh - not sure if this is an NSV, but I was talking yesterday on the phone with my DD who lives in NC. She said, "Guess what, mom. You know how when you're talking to someone you can't see and you get a picture of them in your head? Well, my picture of you isn't heavy anymore." Now my goal is to never again be a heavy "picture in my daughter's head."

Oh, one more - I bought a new (used but new to me) car yesterday. The old one just needed too much work. When we were just about done with all the paperwork, the salesman (probably about 65 - a bit older than I am) said, "By the way, congratulations on the weight loss." I must have looked very perplexed because I had never met him before going to look at cars. He said, "I could tell from your driver's license photo." That opened a whole new conversation and he told me he had surgery 6 years ago and lost 180 pounds. I told him he looked good. He said he was proud of me. Isn't it funny how encouragement comes from the strangest places sometimes?

congrats Lin.

And just my opinion but I think you should change your ticker. It feels like you are diminishing the amazing accomplishments you have made as if they aren't good enough because it isn't an even 100 lbs. And that's just silly. You are healthy. You fit into a clothing size that you are happy about. You like the way your body looks now (subject to the normal aging process, of course!). Why keep comparing that to some random number that you pulled out of the air in January just because it sounded good? Why not stand up tall and say that you have met your weight loss goal with all the pride you deserve for that?

April - just logged on one last time as I'm heading out the door to go camping. I think I'm going to leave my ticker and goal as is because I think I might want to lose a couple more eventually when I see what happens as time goes by. As I said before, I want it to remind me and everyone else that we are constantly changing and really are works in progress.

My biggest reason for leaving it, however, is that it hit me that it doesn't really matter anymore because I CAN lose 10 (or however many I chose) more pounds if I want to. I have been so tied to that stupid number that I'm going to leave it there out of spite! It has absolutely no control anymore. THAT'S the lesson I learned over the past 9 months. I hope we all learn it eventually. Set goals. Reach them. Re-set them if you have to. Just don't give up on what you see as a healthy life. And, most importantly, don't see it as quitting or giving up if you have to make a change down the line.

Now I really am off - see you all on Monday night!

Lin

Hey Lin , you sure do not look your age and you are a very motivating person ! I love to read your posts . Enjoy your trip !

Hey all, just wanted to check in--I'm taking off for the weekend too, so this is probably the last time I'll get a chance to post in here until Monday.

I'm super excited! My older brother and I are going for a long hike this weekend--the route we've mapped should take us about 8 hours. I love fall, and I've been spending as much time outdoors as possible recently. Needless to say, this will be fabulous. :)

Hope you all have wonderful, safe weekends too!

Lin and GreatPerhaps -

enjoy your weekend activities!!

just finished a 2 mile WATP.

Lin -Enjoy your weekend! Have a great time camping.I agree with Dumpln about both things she said about you.
Great Perhaps Your hike with your brother sounds like fun. Enjoy the fall and your hike.
April Snow I love WATP. Good job on the 2 miles

I went to the thrift store today and was actually able to find jeans in my size. I haven't shopped at a thrift store in years. I had given up because it was too hard to find cute things in large sizes.
I am keeping on plan and on track and it feels great. Thanks for all the support and motivation everyone!

I am planning a going away bash for my daughter Sat night for her friends and co-workers. She will be moving to Long Island, NY in a couple of weeks. I am sure gonna miss her. She plans to go to Grad School and she has a good job waiting on her to start Oct 24 . She is my only daughter and is 25 yrs old. So mature for her age but still my little babygirl !

Looks like everyone is doing fun stuff this weekend. I just came back form the fabric store. I got material for my halloween costume. I am planning to start working on my costume.
I went to walmart and got new underwear too. I was looking forward to it all day. I have never looked forward to going to walmart like I did today. It was the first time I got new underwear since I started working on being healthier. I am looking forward to wearing underwear that actually fits.
I didn't realize how baggy my clothes were until I started wearing new stuff. People were noticing all week long. It felt really good.