It's hard for me to wrap my mind around this, but it's a fact.  I now wear size 8 shorts and jeans! And they fit very comfortably, no squeezing, gasping involved.  At first I thought it was a fluke with one pair of pants, but no -- I have several pants in size eight and even a skirt that I truly thought that I would never get into and would end up giving away.

It's time for me now to sort through all my clothes again and get rid of the ones that are too big.  I think I'll do another garage sale and use the funds for our upcoming vacation in July.  Or for my plastics! 

What a difference 200+ pounds makes in my ability to exercise, vigorously!  I used to be somewhat of an athlete, ran 6 to 8 miles a day, played basketball, rode bike, hiked all over the mountains, sailed....

Being severely morbidly obese cut out all of that stuff in my life.  I forgot how to move like an athlete, how to feel strong, how to feel fast. 

But my body did not forget!  As the pounds have come off, my energy has soared through the roof. My body wants to move all the time.  Except when I go to bed, though; thankfully, I sleep like a babe every night.

Anyway, when I was very fat, but not at my highest, I used to like to kickbox.  It would just about kill me though.  First time, I thought I was going to throw up and then pass out.  Next time, I just felt like I was going to throw up.  I kept on going and really liked but was not able to execute all the moves like the others in the class, all of whom were thinner than I.  Once I injured my knee, though, I stopped going to that class.

Last Saturday, I dropped in on a kickboxing class at a local women's health club (a "size-acceptance" club that I've been familiar with for many years).  The instructor is an old friend of mine whom I haven't seen in probably 5 years.  I headed to the front of the class and she said I looked vaguely familiar, and asked "Don't I know you from somewhere?" LOL.  We reacquainted and she began the class.  I am so excited to write that I not only kept up for the solid hour, but I could do ALL the moves, even with extra little hops like the "fit girls" used to do in my old class.  It was exhilerating.  I wasn't even ashamed to look at myself in the mirrors that line 2 of the walls in the studio.  I kind of liked what I saw, in fact.  I am so charged up about this!  Wooty woot!!!!

Right after the class, I had a balancing facial, also at the health club. 70 minutes of pure bliss, wonderful aromatics, including accupressure and neck, shoulder and facial massage.  My skin drank in the moisture and I was so glowy I didn't need makeup even today. 

Oh!  And I should record here -- DH and I did a 6-mile hike along the San Andreas fault on January 1st.  The fault here is covered in a very deep and beautiful lake, with a backdrop  of rolling, forested mountains.  Between the mist and the ducks, the trees and my best friend in the whole world, it was a beautiful way to start the new year and get in some serious exercise. 

Life is good and I am so blessed!

I read a post and responded this evening on the topic of eating foods after surgery that got us into "trouble" before surgery.  I'm writing this to help reinforce in me the necessity to stay away from -- don't flirt with -- foods that are triggers for me.  Some of these foods -- like sweets -- will cause me to dump and be miserable.  This is helpful "negative reinforcement" for me.  Other foods, the snacky, salty, "slider" foods don't cause me to dump and because they're things like crackers and pretzels, dissolve fairly quickly, allowing me potentially to eat past my caloric allotment.

So for me to be faithful to myself, and faithful to my plan, I just can't flirt with those trigger foods.  I can't dance too close to that fire or I will certainly burn myself.

Hooray!!! I have made goal!!! Actually, I weighed in a tiny bit below goal today, at 149.9 pounds.  I am insanely happy!

Am I dreaming...is this for real?  It is for real, but wow it's hard to believe I've lost over 200 pounds.  I am so grateful.