Hello All!
I wrote a post last year at St. Patrick's Day: I had a 10% Goal, and lost all but 2lbs of it!
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=137313
St Pat's 09, I had a goal of 155, and I got to 156-159 (depending on the day!)-- and I'm totally stoked!
It's taking (and taken) me a LOONG time to drop this weight, but I'm ok with that. It's gradual, and my mind and body can catch up with each other!
This year has been one of the worst years of my life-- and to have dropped 10lbs, I'm grateful. I've had to deal with a knee injury (where I was in an immobilizer and on crutches for 6 weeks) and an ovarian cyst (where I had to have surgery to have it removed: about 3 months of pure torture). I could keep going with my sob story.... But the bright side is that I've kept trucking along!
I've learned a lot of things about myself, "dieting" and what works/doesn't work. I've realized that I have to eat REAL food: no low fat, no sugar substitutes, etc. It doesn't make me feel good. I've also realized that the only meat I should be eating is Chicken, and ONLY in it's "pure" form (so bye bye McDonald's Chicken Nuggets! Whatever you are!)
I've also learned that I get VERY depressed when I'm not exercising. The (almost) 5 months of this past year that I've not been able to dance/move have been the hardest to cope with. Sitting still is not one of my skills!!!
So, I've made a complete life change-- I switched jobs, I've added dance classes to my already-full dance card, and I've invested in tools to help make me a stronger dancer (and person!).
So: Even though 2008 was the bane of my existence, I couldn't be more happy with what it prepared me with: Patience (waiting out the periods where I'm not moving forward), Perseverance (making sure that when I'm being patient, I'm still doing what's right for my life and body), and an amazing sense of who is and is not there to help me --Diet, no diet, hospitalized me, and healthy me! (I was dumped by a bridezilla.. We won't go into it more than that
)
Anyhoo-- Just wanted to post some pictures of me in my new dance dress (which has to be taken in a little bit!) and a "before" at 185, and my "after" at 156-159!
I hope everyone had a wonderful St. Patrick's Day!!
An Irish Dancer's 2nd St. Patrick's Day Goal!
you are looking great. keep it up. 
You've been one of my biggest helps through this latest hardship-- I don't know if you know the amazing gift you have for keeping people motivated, but I'm so grateful to have stumbled upon your "5lb pill" threads! 
