My initial goal is in just a bit more than 3 light pounds. I'm so close I can feel it!

When I hit that, it will be my HS graduation weight (Actual weight was 179, but I was dressed, so I figure 175 naked). When I hit that, I will be 100 pounds down from my highest weight ever (though I haven't been there for 8 years, but I was at 90 pounds more just 2.5 years ago).

This is something I'm extremely proud of reaching and while I do blog, I don't go broadcasting all over the place that I'm losing weight and getting fit. of course, everyone who sees me and has eyes has witnessed it, but unless they ask, I don't share with them how much I have lost.

But, one place I kind of want to 'show' my progress is the gym. I take classes at the gym 5-6 times a week. I didn't start until this summer, so I was already quite a bit thinner and fitter than when I started in January (Started mid June and weighed 25 pounds more than I do now.)

What I'm thinking of doing is putting some iron on things on my sleeves of my workout clothes (which is the only place I wear those things). Something like little rhinestones/studs that say either: "100 lbs down" or "100 club".

But, I also feel that is sort of a lie. I haven't lost 100 pounds "now", but I did lose and keep off 20 pounds before starting this most current journey and I don't want to forget where I came from.

I guess this is also a question for restarters. Do you really count your effort now or the whole journey? - from before you restarted?

I'm such an honest person that I don't want to say "I lost 100 pounds" and ahve everyone think that's from this January... but yes, I used to weight 100 pounds more than I do now...

I know, I'm making too big a deal of it.

And, is it weird to do something like that on my workout clothes? It would be small - like 1" tall by 1-3" wide on the cap of the sleeve... I think it also explains maybe why I'm a bit more jiggly? Have a bit more stretch marks and rounded stomach??? Or is that making excuses?

THREE MORE POUNDS to have to decide on this! LOL

You should be very proud of your accomplishments, no matter when you started or how long its taken!!! BROADCAST IT!!!! YOU DESERVE IT!!!! There is no time limit on when it counts, you lost it, you've kept it off, you are determined to keep it off!!! Be proud! BE BOLD!!! shoot, put it in big letters on the front of the shirt!!! More bling the better!!!!

I agree - put it on there! Makes no difference if you lost 10 or 20, held it for awhile, then lost the rest.. either way you lost it and should be able to count the number in its entirety!

Fabulous work - you should be incredibly proud of yourself!!

When I went to the doctor's office, on the form when you go in there was a space that read "highest weight known" then "current weight".

So I think that the 20lbs before the restart you need to include.

(Now the only time I think it shouldn't count is when the subject is 9 months pregnant, and they count that as starting weight for weightloss.)

Go on with your bad self and BEDAZZLE it! Seriously...that is a huge accomplishment!

I didn't go gung-ho until May of this year, but my highest weight was in January. I still count from January, b/c despite losing 10 pounds from Jan-May, it doesn't change the fact that I was LIVING at that high weight.

Be proud and loud! You've earned it.

That is a personal pet peeve. I know I shouldn't care where anyone else starts their weight-loss count, but this just irks me. You are huge, retaining water, etc at 9 monhts..and you have A PERSON INSIDE OF YOU. I think at 1 week post-partum, that is a pretty accurate reflection of where you are starting, JMHO.

Now granted, my highest weight was actually MORE than what I was 9 months preggo. Sigh.

You deserve it!! Shout it out to the world!! That is an amazing accomplishment and congratulations!!

I don't count my actual starting weight because I don't know it From looking at pictures of me in HS I know that I must have weighed over 200 pounds at some point (I'm guessing 220ish? Not sure) and that I lost about 20 pounds when I started to exercise to get down to my starting weight of 200 which is the weight I was when I graduated five years ago (and then subsequently maintained throughout college and graduate school).

I kind of wish I knew it now, but I don't remember going to the doctor and getting weighed maybe I should look up my records and see if my weight was recorded and I just don't remember it.

Ah, you all are too sweet. I know I'm not done with journey and I'm not stopping at the 175, but that is the magic number - the number where I hope to never go over again. We'll see where things land in the long run. I'm just going to do what I'm doing and see where it takes me - eating moderately (1500 calories a day) with exercising an hour 5-6 times a week. If I stop at 170, 165 or 160 - that's all fine. I just want to get to 175 and to feel good about my fitness (which I do) then all the rest is icing on the cake.

I agree with this too - pregnancy weight is with another person, another organ (placenta) water, more blood volume, etc. It totally doesn't count for highest weight - ever.

And, yes, me too... I was not at my highest with any of my pregnancies (Actually I was 275 when I got pregnant and miscarried). With my first pregnancy I started at 210 and ended at 217 (all 7 pounds in the last week) back in 1996 and was around 200 a week later. And with my 2nd successful pregnancy, I started at 250 or so and ended at 260 (all ten pounds in the last week)... 3 weeks later I was 238 in 2005.... I LOSE weight when pregnant.

I haven't weighed 175 since May 1988!!!!

To your original question. Count the weight. You were there before in all that it entailed even if it wasn't at the same chunk of time. It was still YOU who lost that weight.

See now, here I have to really disagree with you guys. As with all things this journey is VERY individual. I gave birth at 240lbs and I had NO BUSINESS getting that high during my pregnancy. I started it at 175lbs and got up that high through some seriously poor eating habits. Yes, I did lose a good chunk immediately afterwards but then I started gaining again and would've definitely been right back up to 240lbs if I wouldn't have finally started this journey at 225lbs. To me I count 240lbs because I was there, I got there through poor eating habits, and I would've been back there quickly if I hadn't had changed my habits when I did. I have a lot of stretch marks and loose skin that maybe I wouldn't have gotten if I would've watched what I ate during that pregnancy. That was part of my body's history no matter what others think. Besides, it's only a 15lbs difference and it means if I reach 140lbs, I get to say I lost 100lbs. It keeps me motivated and I have a hard time figuring out how that could be a bad thing.

I can see not understanding something like this if you always lose weight during pregnancy but everyone is different, every journey is different, every pregnancy is different. For me it's a major struggle NOT to go over board during a pregnancy (as I already proved once in my life) and that's something I don't to forget. Sooo... my starting weight is 240lbs.

Runningfromfat I can understand this. See, I was TERRIFIED of gaining weight during pregnancy because my Mom did and I wanted to do everything right. And, I think my metabolism was better/higher in pregnancy which led to weight loss.

My mom and my sister gained a ton of weight when pregnant. My mom gained 80, my sister 70. In cases of out of control weight gain, I can understand counting it because the whole pregnancy eating was obviously out of control. It wasn't just pregnancy weight...

Though, for me, I wanted to know my weight after the birth weight left me (took about 3 weeks each time with all the water I was holding in the end). That would be where I felt I was starting post-partum... Even if I had gained a ton, I would have felt that my weight minus placenta, baby, amniotic fluid, extra blood etc, was "my" weight... the rest was baby weight and I wouldn't count it.

I have a hard enough time justifying counting the 20 pounds I lost years ago as part of this journey (though it really is)... and you are seeing your whole pregnancy weight as part of this journey as it coincided of a time of eating out of control - which is your past you are trying to reconcile with.

DO IT! I love the idea of bedazzeling your workout gear. The gym is definitely the place to be proud of your achievements! I'm in the same boat with the 100 lb thing. It's taken me several years and several attempts, but I did it. 100 lbs are gone. And you did it too, regardless of when. Own it, sista!

And take a picture of yourself when you go the the gym with that '100 lbs down' on your sleeve. We'll want to see that .

So, if I do bedazzle, what should I put? That is puzzling - 100+, 100+ lbs., 100 Club, ??? As I do plan to lose more than the 100 total, I don't want to be just 100 lbs.

i say go for it too!! Good idea.

wouldn't it be -100lb though??

That could be another way to put it -100 lbs... or lost 100+ is what I was referring to above.

I want it short and a bit cryptic.