My 100 Pound Milestone!

It's here, I did it, I've lost 100 POUNDS!!  I've been building up to this for years, and was 5lb away back in November.  Been up and down since then, and I've gone down steadily this week.  Thought it would happen in December.  Thought we'd be celebrating at our BAH Party in January.  As it turned out, Friday, February 10, 2012, I weighed in 100lb lighter than the heaviest I can recall weighing myself, probably early 2009.  I didn't write many things much before then.  I recall going steadily up at the doctor's office.  I recall using John and Sarah's scale, before they took it away from me.  I recall being in the high 200's on my trip to Montana in July 200, and having lost 20lb at that point.  So, it's been around 3 years.

I weighed in here Friday morning a few tenths of a pound away from 213, walked the dog then pooped a second time...  excellent weight loss strategy!!  Weighed in at BC 216.6, which was 50lb lighter than when I started there in October 2010, 2 months before surgery.  Chris looked at me for a moment when I told him, "That's 100 pounds!"  Then he raised his hand, smiled, and we high-fived!  It was REAL!  I did it!!  I sat next to Kim, she asked how I was, I grinned and told her the news!! And a few others who were right nearby.  We began to exercise, and finally Jeremy started reading off the members down.  Chris whispered that I was down AND that was 100lb weight lost.  Jeremy looked up at me, I smiled and nodded, then we high fived as he announced that my weight lost was 100 pounds!  More high-fives, more smiles!  Fists in the air!  Then we lifted some weights.  Tammy and I lifted together, and were pretty well matched.  She commended me on my weight loss, and I pointed out it's best never to gain it in the first place.  When we were stretching, Dan commended me and Mike asked me what made me want to lose that weight, because I didn't look like someone who could have lost that much weight.  I admitted I thought I might be dying, and needed to make it happen.  I asked Jeremy if he had his camera, and he admitted he did.  I asked him to take a picture of me lifting 100lb.  So, he racked up the weights and showed how he could lift that much over his head!  I lifted the 100lb, grinned like an idiot, and let Jeremy take numerous pics.  Then I rowed that weight about 5 times to show off.  Here's the picture from Boot Camp.  Can you believe, I couldn't even fit into that T-shirt when I completed my first month at the end of October?  Now it's loose.  That's what 50lb will do for you!

 

I then called BAH and left a cheerful message; then spoke to Dad and Mom on speakerphone, as I was grocery shopping at Wal-Mart, to let them know.  What a wonderful, incredible feeling, exhilarating and uplifting, to know I had met this major milestone!!  Felt like a million bucks!  Felt unstoppable, light-hearted, invincible, powerful.  Special.

I came home and quickly wrote it on FB.  I reweighed myself then, but I had bloated up to 215 from water consumption and using the muscles.  Then the encouraging messages started pouring in!  Jeremy had posted this pic and explained why I was lifting 100lb.  I reposted it, explaining I'd been toting that around with me every single day.  I then made it my Profile Picture.

Judy, Kate and Natalie invited me in for a cocktail at the end of the day, and that was enjoyable.  They were genuinely congratulatory and encouraging.  I revealed to them the actual numbers of where I was and where I am, and the general timeline in between.  Told them no one but them and my doctor knew the numbers.  I felt it wasn't "ladylike" to be that big and there was a part of me that, amongst the joy of accomplishment, still felt embarrassed to have been so large to begin with.

Saturday morning, I weighed myself and was 213.4, solidly in the 100-pound loss range!!  That's also what I weighed this morning, ta-daa!  After something like 65 FB comments, I was feeling sweet and philosophical this morning, thankful and gracious, and in response to all this support, wrote on FB: 

I'm grateful for the encouragement you've all sent my way.  It's not easy to share a topic of such a personal nature.  I'm more inclined to tackle things on a more private level.  The emotions are a mix of pride of hard-won accomplishment, with the shame of not taking better care of yourself in the first place.  As anyone who's ever tackled a self-improvement project knows, the support of friends and family, the occasional high-fives, celebrating the milestones, it's all part of the plan of SUCCESS.  I thank you ALL for your support.  It really means a lot.

Privately on FB, Trish Ryan wrote: 

Hi Cathy-
Just wanted to tell you how impressed I am with your recent accomplishment! I'm curious to know your story, always trying to piece it together from posts (like the skiing accident that messed up your knee) and your mentions of boot camp, etc. But whatever your life has brought you, you have summoned up whatever it takes to reclaim your health. I'm guessing it takes a lot of resolve, hope, faith that things can change, willpower, dedication, sweat, pain, and a number of other virtues that I can't think of.
I love your inspirational quotes that you post, (also Pat Zinna and Kevin Wallace).

The last time I saw you was LOOONG ago at a Cornell conference when you were working part-time at 2 different practices. Now I see you are a practice owner! Good for you! I'm so glad that you are doing so well. Keep the faith!

Think you are going to reunion? Hope so. I am planning to.

Just wanted to send you a little private message to say HI and once again say CONGRATULATIONS!!

Trish

I wrote her back with a little synopsis of the timeline.

Lori Mangialardo also wrote:

Dear Cathy, I am sooooo happy for you and proud of you! I know how difficult losing weight is, and you have embraced it. Thank you for all the support and care you give me and my felines. Keep up the good work! Love ya!

Even Mark Wyman  wished me well, then had an animal question.

It feels great to be in this place right now.  I must say, I think part of this week's ultimate success has been from doing 15-30min of the Insanity workout daily.  Boosted things up a bit.