Thanks for the bump!

I can honestly say I don't feel that I've lost 27lbs. If I was to base it off of feeling, my number would be somewhere around 5lbs. I too had the altered view of myself when I was bigger. I would look in the mirror and be in complete denial about what and who was staring back at me. Now, I think that view has become more realistic. I'm not the thinnest kid on the block, but I'm no where near where I was before. I've got the size 14 pants that are too big to prove it.

I'm a firm believer that this whole process is not just a diet, it's a change in your self esteem. We're worth it to help ourselves out by losing the weight. I didn't realize that until I proved it to myself that I could stick to this...and that my life was worth it to.

....just my own 2 cents. :)

Great feeling, isn't it? So empowering to know you have so much control, and you feel so proud that you did this yourself... YOU! How awesome is that? :D

Having been thin most of my life I don't think I really comprehended how big I had become until I could no longer buy clothes at regular size racks. My stomach had become so huge it would not fit into even the size 16 pants anymore. I had also stopped weighing myself, because it always made me feel awful.
On this plan I quickly lost the stomach first so I did notice it right away- there were toes down there! I think that is what has really encouraged me. The rapid weight loss and fitting into smaller clothes.
My daughter came home for a visit yesterday and looked at me in my pants and said " Mom you need to get some new pants! Those look really saggy. are you holding them up with your belt? I bet you could fit in my pants. Here, try on these size 12 skinny jeans I just bought"
I figured NO WAY! Well they did fit although I still have a bit of a muffin top in those low cut jeans. But wow, who would have guessed!

:D Gotta love IP!