Crispy's NSV's

5/20/03 - I said enough is enough and went to Weight Watchers. (And if that's not an NSV, then I don't know what is!)

6/23/03 - I started swimming again. Slow and steady.

June 2003 - My shorts are fitting again instead of being just too tight.

6/30/03 - I swam 35 minutes without stopping.

7/3/03 - I drove cross-country and ate veggies instead of McD's.

7/4/03 - I worked out on vacation.

7/5/03 - I counted a 64 point day - it was a wine dinner, what cha gonna do? - oh yeah - count it, enjoy it and move on.

7/13/03 - I'm swimming 35-45 minutes straight regularly.

7/15/03 - My laps (50 yards) are down to 1:30 (from 1:45 when I started.)

Week 9 - My face's dirty spots are back - you may know these as the beginning of cheekbones!

Week 9/10 - I wanted to go workout.

7/17/03 - I shared my weight loss at my meeting for the first time.

7/26/03 - I swam a mile! It took 45 minutes, but I did it.

7/29/03 - I tried a Tai Chi class while the pool was closed rather than using it as an excuse to sit at home.

7/30/03 - I said "no!" both to Pecan Pie and to dinner out.

7/31/03 - I lost 25 pounds! OK - that is a scale victory, so sue me.

8/1/03 - I felt skinny today.

8/1/03 - I began considering doing a triathlon and/or adventure race when I get physically able - like summer 2004?

8/5/03 - My back has been hurt again. NSV because (1) I stayed OP in terms of points, waters, and veggies, and (2) it reminds me of a big benefit I will have when I lose weight.

8/14/03 - My brother and his friend went to Dairy Queen while I had a Fat Free Jello pudding - tapioca! - and mine was sooooo good!

8/15/03 - Went to Denny's and had cheesesticks and onion rings. My mind was craving grease, but my body rebelled - not pretty. I am reminded that my body wants the good stuff and wants to be treated well! OH - AND I chose a big healthy salad for dinner and stayed in my points for the day!

8/19/03 - More food NSV's - We went to Denny's (again!) but this time I had a chicken grilled salad. And it was really good! And then I ordered a hot fudge brownie sundae, planning on eating only half and I did!

8/20/03 - Went swimming without my snorkel. It's kind of a crutch and I'm trying to give it up. Today, I think I caught my rhythm without it for the first time!

9/06/03 - Got back from two week trip to Germany and was waaaay off program - it took me a few days, but I'm back!!

9/10/03 - Swimming without snorkel - am now doing one length down (in about 40 seconds), return on back and only need to rest 5-10 seconds before I can continue!

9/22/03 - I put on my jeans - freshly washed! - that I was bursting out of last spring, and they fit comfy.

9/25/03 - 10% I 10% blew 10% past 10% 10% 10% today 10%!!!!!! Yay!

9/25/03 - I also really noticed physically on myself for the first time today.

10/4/03 - While swimming today, I actually had an "exercise high" - all of a sudden, I got a second wind and felt GREAT while in the middle of my laps.

10/10/03 - Had a bad WI - up two weeks in a row - BUT, with a little help from my WW friends, I got my head screwed back on straight and am having a great OP week!

10/12/03 - Swimming is going well - now doing continuous laps, doing backstroke only as needed and can actually do complete laps of front crawl!!

10/14/03 - Those jeans? Yeah, they're getting loose!

11/16/03 - I've had a sudden increase in strength with swimming - I can do a lap easy and can do two laps in a row.

12/2/03 - While shopping for a new robe at LB, the saleslady was helping me and was taking a robe of the rack for me. She was thinking about what size to get me, she eyed me and grabbed the 22 saying, "Well, we want it to be big, so let's go with this one!" Like a 22 would be BIG?!

12/2/03 - Swimming NSV! I did 4.5 front crawl laps without stopping (amidst my 25 laps in alternating between laps of front crawl and lengths of backstroke.)

12/25/03 - Over my two week Christmas holiday trip, I worked out every other day. Woo-hoo!

01/04/04 - While driving back cross-country, I noticed that the seatbelt doesn't have to go all the way out to get around me AND I can even lean forward to pick something off the floor in the car.

YIKES! No listings in two months?! I'd better get back to it!

Late February 2004, I signed up for the Blue Lake Triathlon in Portland, OR on June 5th, 2004. Have started to work out on the bike and walking in preparation!

Late February 2004, I had some thoughts: I weighed around 260 to 270 for about 4 years on my way up. But, I realized the other day at the gym, that even though I was the same weight, I was quite a different person then. Here's why:

On my way up at 260, tying my shoes was an Olympic event.
On my way down at 260, I bend straight over and tie my shoes no problem.

On my way up at 260, I was exercising twice a week and had to drag myself kicking and screaming to do it.
On my way down at 260, I'm at the gym 4 or 5 times per week and I get annoyed if I can't get there one day!

On my way up at 260, I had heartburn all the time.
On my way down at 260, my leftover Tums are all turning to dust in the back corner of the cabinet.

On my way up at 260, I had back pain to the point of immobility - alot.
On my way down at 260, I'm training for a triathlon in 3-1/2 months.

On my way up at 260, I had no idea what hunger felt like.
On my way down at 260, I can listen to my body tell me it's hungry AND that it's full. (Well, I'm still working on that last part, but I'm getting better at it!)

On my way up at 260, I was squeezing into size 26 jeans.
On my way down at 260, I am comfortably wearing freshly washed size 24 jeans. (Exercise pays!!)

On my way up at 260, I was lucky to get 5 veggie servings in in a week.
On my way down at 260, I'm finally learning what eating healthy and balanced means.

So, mentally and physically, I'm in such a different place than I was when I was this exact weight a few years ago. What a change!

Late February 2004 - Size 24 Jeans!! And they fit freshly washed, too!

March 18, 2004 - I worked out doing all three - biking, walking and swimming. Didn't do as long as the tri will be, but did 1-1/2 hours and it felt good!!

Early April 2004 - Those 24 Jeans - yeah, I pulled them off without unbuttoning / unzipping them! (OK, it took some effort, but still!) Anyway, not gonna buy smaller ones, until the fall.

Early April 2004 - Bought a size 18 swimsuit at Target!!

April 18, 2004 - I saw my kneecaps today! Weird, I know - I was sitting as a passenger in the car with my legs straight out, and I really noticed that my knees have a shape to them. Wow.

April 21, 2004 - I started using FitDay.com to keep better track of what I'm eating. Not just points, but tracking nutrients, too.

April 22, 2004 - DOWN 49.1 lbs. I WANT MY 50 LB MAGNET!!

April 24, 2004 - Tri training is going well. Can do full swim and bike ride no problem! I feel good!!

May 2, 2004 - First time on Elliptical Machine - kicked my butt, for sure!

May 8,2004 - Wearing the size 22 shorts that were too tight last summer, but they fit great now! And those size 24 jeans - oof, they're almost uncomfortably big, always pulling them up...

May 13, 2004 - 50 POUNDS GONE!!!!!!!!!!!!

May 15, 2004 - Another one of those "Wanting to Go Exercise Days." It's still a bit odd to me, but I must be changing.

May 29, 2004 - Someone, whom I hadn't seen in awhile and only casually know, noticed and said I look great!

June 5, 2004 - I completed my first ever triathlon!!! It was a novice wave of a sprint tri - 1/4 mile swim, 12 mile bike, and 5k run/walk - and I finished in 2:24. Yaaaaay!

July 2004 - Lots of travelling! Fitting into airplane seats pretty well. Had no problems keeping up with my active friends - snorkeling and hiking. Made good food choices on vacation - a good balance of eating "normal" and splurging.

July 20-something, 2004 - Signed up for a 2nd triathlon! In two weeks!! Afternote - I got sidelined by a stomach bug that weekend. No triathlon. Heck, no getting off the couch! :(~

July 27, 2004 - GREAT swimming workout! Did 700 meters (14 laps) in 22 minutes. I've been doing 8 laps in 16 minutes, so this was a great increase!

July 31, 2004 - I JOGGED! I decided that in order to do well on my tri, I would try jogging and walking instead of just walking. So, I did 3 miles in 45 minutes! (Down from 56 to 60 minutes).

July 31, 2004 - And then, in the locker room at the gym after my first ever "jog/walk," a lady in the locker room said she was really impressed with me and that she can't run. And she was a totally buff, free weight-lifting lady! I was impressed with HER!

August 2, 2004 - People are noticing. This week, two separate people I know only casually mentioned that I look like I'm losing weight.

August 5, 2004 - I ate a snack *on the way* to WI. I was hungry and wouldn't have time to eat for awhile afterwards. It's really sinking in that the # on the scale at any given time is just a snapshot. What matters are the long-term healthy habits I'm learning.

August 12, 2004 - I MADE MY 2ND 10%!! Woo-hoo!!! OK, sometimes the snapshot is very cool - LOL!

August 24, 2004 - I bought two shirts from Land's End (at Sears) and they are from the "other half" of the store... That's right - NOT Womens/Plus size. They are just plain old XL. I haven't shopped on the "other half" since about 1991. Oh. My. God. I about cried in the dressing room. (I also got some jeans in a 22!)

September 4, 2004 - More XL tops from the Misses' Department - at Walmart. Wow. Wow. Wow.

September 12, 2004 - I finished my 2nd triathlon!! 750 m swim, 10 mile bike, 5k run in Akron Ohio - my time 2:21:53. I came in last, but only by 40 seconds. Woooo-hooooo!!!

September 26, 2004 - I took my 1st aerobics class in probably 9 years... and I lived. Maybe the real NSV is going back for a second class on Wednesday.

Early October 2004 - Jeans in size 20!

October 2004 - Sometime during October, I noticed that I've been doing weird things. Like standing in front of my dresser, bending over and putting socks on. Ditto for tying shoes. When did I stop having to do major contortions on the bed to reach my feet?

October 2004 - I've really noticed my energy level lately. I'm unstoppable and get so much done every day. Whoa.

November 2004 - Still going strong with aerobics. And the weight loss has picked back up a bit again, too. Yay!

November 25, 2004 - Thanksgiving? Didn't even phase me this year. Gee, I can make turkey and mashed potatoes any day of the year - why stuff myself into oblivion this one day? Ho-hum...

December 4, 2004 - Bought a dress for Christmas parties in a **size 18** AND bought shoes to match in normal width!! Every shoe I tried at the store fit, NOT in wide widths. A dress in size 18 hasn't graced my closet since around 1989/1990 when I was 17 or 18.

December 5, 2004 - Gave a bunch of clothes to Goodwill. I'm still mentally not sure why my 2x and 3x tops don't fit anymore. I mean, they've been my standard tops for years and years now, they couldn't be too big... But they really don't fit, so off they went.

January 6, 2005 - Back from Christmas at the folks' house. Wonderful 2-1/2 week trip. NSV's:

XL shirts from Misses dep't are my norm now, and I even bought one LARGE sweater!!! (Shopping clearance at Coldwater Creek - heaven!)

I journalled every bite, even if I didn't always know the points and/or was too lazy to add 'em up.

I found I really wanted and needed exercise.

I'm really happy with all my food choices - I knew I would splurge a bit with all the dinner parties, wine nights, and Mom's baking, and that's ok. And I was also really glad when the splurge-time ended.

Total weight change? Up 5 lbs, but there's nothing I'd do any different.

January 6, 2005 - Ironically, even though I WI'd up 5 lbs today, I also had *5* different people TODAY tell me it looks like I've lost quite a bit more weight.

January 9, 2005 - I decided officially that I would for sure do some triathlons this summer. To wit, I've already hit the pool and the bike since I've been back. It's going to be a great racing year!

January 10, 2005 - My bowling partners told me it looks like I've lost another big chunk. I'm thinking I should go on the "go home for a two week holiday and gain 5 lbs diet" more often. Heh heh...

January 11, 2005 - 2.4 lbs from the holiday gain gone already. Fast on, fast off. Yay!

January 11, 2005 - At the gym after WI, one of the skinny gals who works there (and who has always seemed a bit aloof to me) smiled and said to me, "You've lost alot of weight, haven't you?" It was really nice the way she said it and felt pretty cool. People are watching!

Early February 2005 - A friend I hadn't seen in awhile said to me that I now look like someone who just "needs to lose a couple pounds" rather than the type of person one would really notice as overweight. It sounds a bit odd put this way, but in the context of the conversation it was a very positive and encouraging thing she said.

Late February 2005 - An UN-NSV - I am still so not ready to use risers under my step at aerobics. :(

March 22, 2005 - Been out of town again - here are some things that happened while gone:

I **FIT** in the airplane seat on the way out - no hips pushing the arm rest up, no oozing onto my neighbor. I even managed to sit with my legs crossed.

I bought size 18 shorts, an L top, a size 16 swimsuit, and lots of workout clothes from the regular sizes.

I walked/ran the "5K for St. Patty's Day" in Old Colorado City with my best friend in 47:53.

I bought some clothes that really make me look hot, if I must say so myself...

According to a "foreign" scale, I hit my 75 lbs gone, but it won't be official until I do it on my home scale - maybe Thursday??

I again realized just how much this has become a lifestyle change, as I made good choices like salads at the airports instead of McD's, I didn't go hog wild anytime, I worked out regularly, and I worked in foods that I wanted to splurge on occasionally, even on vacation.

When my best friend hugged me good-bye, even after spending several days with me, she said, "Man, you really have lost alot of weight!" Best friends ROCK!

March 31, 2005 - Swimming - 1/2 mile (16 laps) in 27 minutes. I'm getting faster!

April 1-3, 2005 - DC Cherry Bombs Trip! Tons of NSV's and tons of fun, too.

April 5, 2005 - I noticed today that I can stretch my hamstrings by pulling my leg up behind me - you know, like runners do? I haven't been able to reach my leg back there for ages, so that's pretty cool.

April 7, 2005 - 80 Lbs gone! I thought for sure I was going to gain, but I lost just enough. Yaaaaaay!

April 10, 2005 - Run/walking - 15 minute miles for 2 miles straight!

April 14, 2005 - Nice comments from people at the gym about my progress at run/walking. People are watching, but they're not judging, they are just impressed that you're out there doing it...

April 23, 2005 - Noticing that my "skinny" jeans - the size 20's - are fitting loosely out of the dryer. Ugh - I'm NOT buying new ones before the fall!

April 27, 2005 - Signed up for the Blue Lake Tri in June!

May 4, 2005 and May 9, 2005 - Bowling banquets at a local buffet - no problem to handle. Most of the stuff doesn't even look good enough to waste points on.

May 7, 2005 - Lots of clothes shopping for summer - everything, with the exception of one pair of shorts, came from the regular Misses' Department, NOT the plus-sizes. Wow.

May 8, 2005 - Biked 25 miles today. 1:50.

May 12, 2005 - Been working on sprints in the pool and it's got my 1/2 mile down to 24 minutes.

June 4, 2005 - Blue Lake Triathlon! Finished in 2:09. A goal of mine had been to finish in under 2 hours. It's the swim that kept me back. Next year for sure!! 1/2 mile swim - 28:22 / 12 mile bike - 47:02 / 5k run - 45:14.

June 2005 - I decided to go offline from WW Online for a bit. I've been getting what feels to me like alot of attention and I didn't like the feeling of so many people watching me. I'm sneaking up on 100 lbs gone, which will also be at the border of Onederland. I haven't fallen off the wagon and I'm still losing, I just want to do it in private for awhile.

June 30, 2005 - Passed the 90 lbs gone mark!! Partly thanks to my summer cold/flu and saltine/chicken noodle soup diet, I dropped an unheard of 5 lbs, which put me at 94 gone. Wow. Wow. Wow.

July 7, 2005 - In the past month - clothes are all from regular sizes - tops are L, skirts are XL, dresses are 16's. My legs LOOK skinny to me finally. Wow.

July 8, 2004 - I've gone back online at WW. Those folks really help put things in perspective.

July 10, 2005 - OK, I still can't get over how skinny my legs suddenly look to me. I seem to notice things on my body out of the blue, all at once. Wow. I'm beginning to think I may have lost alot of weight.

July 16/17 and 23/24 - Driving across country and staying OP pretty well - salads, cucumbers, just a few Oreos. Hee. Oh, and I definitely have knees - where did they come from??

July 24, 2005 - I think that maybe, just maybe, I'm not the biggest person at my gym anymore...

July 27, 2005 - I climbed onto the top bunk of my bunk bed. (NO, you may not ask why a 33 year old woman is sleeping in a bunk bed! It's not that interesting of a story anyway, to tell the truth.) Suffice it to say that I've never really felt nimble enough to achieve such a thing before...

July 28, 2005 - I know I've been mentioning them, but I've totally got knees. I really noticed them in the mirror of my aerobics class today. Knees, knees, knees. Hee.

July 30, 2005 - Out doing the tourist thing in Annapolis and I bought a kick-ass pink seude jacket from a little chi-chi tourist shop. You know the type - where skinny people walk in and just buy stuff?? I can buy clothes at excessively overpriced tourist shops!!

July 31, 2005 - I noticed driving home that my knee doesn't hit the bottom of my steering wheel when I sit with my left leg straight up. In fact, there's quite a chunk of clearance there.

July 31, 2005 - And, with a little help from my friends -- IRL and online -- I making some really good progress with the screwy WL-related things in my head. Sorry - no writings for public consumption at this time.

August 4, 2005 - Major, major mental breakthrough today. I don't need the fat anymore. I'm done with it. I don't need it to be who I am.

August 2005 - I'm getting serious about my weight lifting. I definitely want to build muscle and track my progress. /Cue German accent/ Ya, I am Hans und I am going to be strawnnnng....

August 6, 2005 - OK, this is an odd one... I was thinking back to my water aerobics teacher (pre-WW) and how she'd come in sometimes going, "I HAD CHOCOLATE TODAAAAAAY!" and we all knew we were in for it. And I used to think, "So what? I have chocolate every day." Well, today I had a S'mores Luna Bar after the gym and I realized, I have no idea when the last time I had chocolate was. I had to dig through my journal to find out. (It was mid-July driving cross country when I had 2 Oreos.) Wow.

August 8, 2005 - This is one I've had before, long ago, but I'd quite forgotten about it and it was a pleasant reminder. I was a passenger in my brother's car and dropped something on the floor. Not only could I reach down to get it with no problem, but the seatbelt didn't even pull out all the way and strangle me afterward. It's the little things that can really make you smile sometimes.

August 8, 2005 - One of the ladies in my aerobics classes told me that you can really tell I've lost weight and I'm looking good. I'm still struggling with the compliments IRL and on the boards, but I'm going to have to get used to them I guess.

August 11, 2005 - 99.9 lbs gone today.

August 15, 2005 - I got called "skinny azz" on the boards for the 1st time ever today. Mind you, "skinny azz" is a term of endearment, but generally reserved for, well, skinny azzes... Did I join that club??

August 17, 2005 - Happy Body Thoughts - I was looking at myself in the mirror after showering last night, and I realized, I really do love my body. Not that I'm one of those people who ever hated her body and was disgusted by it. I see so many women like that on the boards and it just makes me sad. I don't understand that mentality of hating your body - it's YOU. SweetMiranda says, "Love yourself, man. The world is hard enough." So true. Well, but even though at my top weight I always liked myself, it's different now~~

I love the curve of my shoulders and arms, and especially the definition I'm getting right where they meet. I love my knees! I love my breasts - they're really beautiful. I love that I'm curvy and soft in all the right places. I even love my little belly pooch. I love the way my haircut accents my chin and face. I have a pretty face and striking eyes. I love my toenails and I love how strong my feet look. (I may even love my uneven ass cheeks, lol!) I'm actually worried a bit about getting bony and losing my curves. But I suppose that's ok because I know I'll find new things about my body to love.

August 21, 2005 - New gal at the front desk at the gym. She's trying to learn names and she says to me, "I know you already - everyone was talking about you. You're the one who's done such a great job with losing weight!"

August 25, 2005 - Weight lifting is going great. Not seeing any results on the scale - gains and maintains, in fact. BUT, I'm eating healthy, working out, and seeing the results on my body. I'm doing the healthy things, and the pounds will take care of themselves.

August 27, 2005 - Just been having a very nice week overall. All smiles this week.

August 30, 2005 - Ok, bear with me on this one... I fell on my face in a parking lot. High heels, rain, carrying documents, rushing - not a good combo. BUT, I found myself laughing about it. I must've been quite a sight. And I realized later that 100 lbs ago - I would've been mortified that everyone would be pointing and laughing at the fat chick lying in the puddle. Today, I've got the confidence to laugh at myself. (Ok, so the knee is a bit bruised and my cool new shoes are scuffed up, but still, it was pretty funny...)

September 1, 2005 - I ran into 2 ladies who used to go to my WW meeting, but whom I haven't seen in several months. They said they didn't recognize me, and then told me that they couldn't believe how wonderful I look. (She made a point to say that I always was beautiful, but I'm just that much more now.)

September 3, 2005 - 1st a confession - I haven't cooked since about May. I've been living off smoothies, cereal, oatmeal, salads, and at the most baking some salmon. So, I decided to cook again and dug out my Chicken Tagine with Apricots and Almonds - an OP favorite of mine. I still love it, but I found myself stuffed after 1/2 of a serving. I used to eat 2 servings of this dish, no prob. I'm just really noticing how much I've adapted to eating less food. It doesn't take much to fill me up - to satisfy! me - anymore.

Mid-September 2005 - Been traveling again for my Mom's 60th birthday. I had middle seats on my planes and it was not a problem at all. I fit! It was comfy. I ended up over my points 2 weeks in a row (-40 and -49 in fact), but I made good choices that I could live with and that I didn't feel deprived about, including an awesome Sunday brunch one day. Didn't work out as much as I could've, but the trip was all good. I was prepped for a gain, but...

September 22, 2005 - 101.7 GONE! I hit 100 gone - after being on vacation and having all kinds of other "strikes" against me. I should NOT have lost this week, but I'll take it. :)

September 23, 2005 - And, indeed, I've had another noticeable change in my clothes - things that just fit are suddenly loose and things that were a touch tight now fit. All at once it happens.

September 24, 2005 - Spent the whole day walking around the RenFest and wasn't even tired -- even after standing at most of the shows. Amazing how strong I've become. Oh, AND -- I found the healthiest thing I could for lunch which was a Gyros Salad and that's all I ate the whole day. And I was pretty stuffed actually.

September 24, 2005 - Oh, and confidence. And that's all I'm going to say on that point on a public website. Lots and lots of newfound confidence being put to good use. ;)

September 27, 2005 - Bought a summer dress online at clearance. I bought a size 14 thinking, well, I'm in 18's now and that'll fit next summer. You guessed it - it fits like a charm!! I'm going to return it and wait to buy anything. :) (It's the dress in the 100 lbs gone picture.)

September 29, 2005 - Verified at the store today - I do indeed fit into some 14's! Holy Cow!!

September 29, 2005 - My head is in a much better place again - I'm much more talkative at my meeting and doing really well with compliments. And I hit 200.6 today. Hmmmm...

October 1, 2005 - Slinky dress NSV

October 8, 2005 - Played racquetball for 1st time. It was really fun. Now I just need a partner who lives closer than 3000 miles away.

October 10, 2005 - My best friend was visiting this weekend, and I did end up way over points. But, yanno, even being 50 flex points in the hole, it's absolutely NOTHING compared to the way I used to eat pre-WW. And we walked places and were more active than I ever used to be. I guess it's a lifestyle change when even your "off time" is better than what your "on time" used to be.

October 16, 2005 - Hanging up new pants for the fall and realized that I don't have to fold them in half to make them narrow enough to fit on my clippy-type hangers. The waistband just fits. Wow.

October 17, 2005 - The social life is great, work is crazy, and I've been letting the exercise slip. But no more! I will make the choice NOT to allow exercise not to be a priority. Even if that means doing things I don't normally do - like working out in the morning. (Gargh!!) I'm NOT going to let it slip away under the pretense of being "too busy" and that "I just can't make it work." That is BS and I know it.

November 16, 2005 - No entries in one month. Well, that's probably because it's been a not so OP month. Most of October was spent in a state of not really caring so much about being OP. Eating way over points and eating junk. I gained for 5 of the last 6 WI's. I lost my 100 lb. star. I made excuses not to exercise. BUT, I got my act together about two weeks ago. I still gained last week, but today... today... today I lost 5.6 lbs and made it into ONEDERLAND. I weigh 199 right now. Dammmmmn. It was 1989 - freshman year of college when I last weighed anything that started with a 1. But more importantly, I'm back OP, back on track, working out, eating healthy, CARING, and feeling fantastic. :)

November 18, 2005 - Figured out how to add weight lifting back into my routine. I had been doing ALL my machines on alternate days, which took about 1 hour. I am choosing not to devote that kind of time for exercise right now. BUT, that doesn't mean that I can't do 20 minutes every morning and just do part of my machines each day. *Why* does that seem so obvious now but was impossible to see yesterday?

November 19, 2005 - 15 mile bike ride today, and it felt so very good. I was a bit tired, but not too bad, and I certainly could've gone farther.

November 22, 2005 - Working out in the morning is starting to feel normal. Too weird...

November 24, 2005 - Turkey Day! Yes, Thanksgiving doesn't really phase me anymore. But you know what I noticed today?? I cooked for several hours, then we ate, then I popped up right away to go clean the kitchen. And it hit me that I never used to have energy to do all that. I could cook, but my back and feet would hurt, and after dinner it was all about crashing on the couch, dreading the clean up. Today, I have a spotless kitchen and I feel like I could go workout right now.

November 26, 2005 - Bought new running shoes today and the salesman wouldn't sell me the "sturdy" shoes in the line -- ie the shoes for overweight folks who need extra strong shoes to support their weight. He said I should just have average shoes for my foot and stride. Wow.

November 27, 2005 - 1st day running again - 30 minutes, 2-1/3 miles.

December 1, 2005 - More running - 30 minutes, 2.5 miles.

December 3, 2005 - Went to check my ring size - it's an 8!! (That's down from a 10 when I started WW.)

December 13, 2005 - Ok, so it's not really an NSV or weight-related, but it is a milestone. The braces came off today!! :) Yaaaay! See the pictures!

December 14, 2005 - I RAN a full mile today. 1st time in my life!! I did a full 3 miles, walking and jogging (in 36:35), but I ran the entire 1st mile without any walking. Woohoo!!

December 21, 2005 - While travelling home, we stayed overnight at a hotel. I actually got up an hour early to hit the workout room at the hotel before the 2nd day of our drive.

December 27, 2005 - Home for the holidays! I've been working out almost every day and I'm quite happy with my food choices, even though I am over points. Mentally, I'm very much OP because I'm very aware and conscious of my choices. And, of course, I'm having a great time visiting everyone back home, which is the real point of travelling home, no?

January 4, 2006 - I've decided to focus on upping my fruit and veggie intake to 7 to 9 servings per day, in line with the new recommendations. So far so good! 3 F and 5 V yesterday and 4 F and 5 V today.

January 5, 2006 - Up 3.2 from the holiday trip, not too bad. It'll be off in no time again. :)

January 12, 2006 - I've made it every day except one hitting my new f/v targets. *YaY* Also lost half my vacation gain today.

April 4, 2006 - Hmm, no posts of NSV's in quite a while there, eh? It's not actually that I've not had any, though I will say they are less and less interesting and exciting, as well as fewer and farther in between. I'm still wearing size 14's, I've run an entire 5k, the DBF called me "hot", I've travelled some more and made good choices. It's just kind of what life is now, yanno? I'll try to keep my eyes open for them a little better and post them more often again. I guess most importantly, I've managed to maintain my weightloss since starting to date my DBF 6 months ago. That's really a pretty huge NSV, though it's high time to kick my last 50 lbs to the curb.

April 5, 2006 - Here's one I had sometime in March and forgot to write down. It's kind of a sad NSV in a way. I was flying back from ShannyFest and had gotten a seat in the Exit row (score!!) and was chatting with the man next to me. (A minister, btw.) I said how I loved the extra room in the Exit row and he agreed with me, but then he said that sometimes he doesn't like it because it's often full of "bigger people, if you know what I mean." Ummm, yeah, I know what you mean. Fat people. On the one hand, I wanted to lay into him because how crappy do you think it is to fly when you weigh 300 lbs? But on the other hand, you can't blame someone for not wanting to sit next to someone who barely fits into their own seat on a plane. And on yet another hand, I wanted to kiss him because he clearly didn't think of ME as one of "those" people if he was making comments like that to me. Kind of like hearing people tell a fat joke in your presence because they think no one who is fat is around. I still don't know how to feel about the whole thing. Sad, yet happy.

April 17, 2006 - Well, my latest NSV is that I've managed to stay pretty well OP even though my brother has been in the hospital. I'm frazzled and running around like a mad woman, but I'm eating pretty much healthy and still getting my exercise in. Good stuff.

May 4, 2006 - And now that my brother is all done with the hospital and related running around, I'm happy to say that I'm really proud of the way I've been eating. Now, if I can just focus on downward and onward...

May 20, 2006 - 3 years on WW!!

May 20 - 21, 2006 - State bowling tournie weekend trip - I've noticed that I don't feel like the fat woman in the room anymore. I don't wonder if "she is bigger than me" or if "everyone is staring at me because I'm so big", for example. I'm feeling much more confident in myself at this weight. It's kind of cool that my head is catching up.

May 24, 2006 - Kennywood NSV's! That's an amusement park in Pittsburgh. I spent the whole day on my feet with no trouble and I didn't even think twice about fitting in any of the rides. (Well except the little go carts, but they were *tiny*!) Pretty good food choices, too.

May 26, 2006 - Mostly, though, right now I'm taking it one day at a time. I can be OP, just for today. :)

June 13, 2006 - We have a cardiologist testifying for us as an expert in a trial, and I had lunch with her today. We were talking about all kinds of things, and she asked me, very politely, if my brother has always had a weight problem. And I said, "Well, my whole family has weight issues -" and she stops, looks at me, and raises her hands at me like, "What? You don't have a weight problem?!" So I explained to her that I'd lost 100 lbs and she thought that was so great. It was just very cool to have a cardiologist from one of the most famous universities in the USA act like I was a person without a weight problem.

June 15, 2006 - Crappy day, but an NSV - I was in line for fast food at lunch and was thinking, I'm gonna get a burger and fries. I'm gonna do it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I got to the counter and ordered --- the grilled chicken with no mayo and a salad instead of fries. I've come a loooong way from the days when I used to plan to order the chicken and end up with the burger, hee hee!

Went on a 2 week road trip in June/July with tons of NSV's:

• We hiked just about everywhere we stopped - short walks, but things I wouldn't have done before
• We ate out of the cooler two meals a day, which kept my food intake in check and kept my f/v intake high
• Never any hesitation at undertaking any activity
• Met Kickie!
• Kept ice cream eating at a minimum, which is HUGE for me on a roadtrip

July 11, 2006 - I haven't been lap swimming in ages, but I went today again! But actually, my time wasn't that off of what it used to be, which is good, but -- get this -- the real victory is in my breathing, which was incredibly better and easier. I used to have to breathe every stroke on the same side. I had worked up to breathing every stroke-and-a-half (alternating sides.) Today I easily breathed every other stroke. So even though the muscles screamed in resistance, my cardio condition is still that much better. I rock! :)

July 13, 2006 - This spring I didn't have time to train for any triathlons and opted not to race this year. And I'm missing it. :( So, I decided to do two 5k's in the fall, and my goal is to RUN the whole thing. My 5k's in the past have been part jogging, part walking. NO - I'm going to train and run the whole thing now.

July 23, 2006 - I decided that I am going to do the Portage Lakes tri in September after all. It's not for 8 weeks, and I can be trained and ready by then. Wooo-hooo!

July 29, 2006 - Ran 5k at the gym today. Felt great like I could keep going, too, but I stopped myself 'cause that would've been too big a jump at once.

July 30, 2006 - Running is good for other things, too! Coming out of Whole Foods today, it started to dump rain on us and I thought nothing of sprinting across the entire parking lot to get to the car.

August 2, 2006 - I learned that I CAN do a week of eating no flexies. Just target and AP's. It was a good kick-in-the-pants kind of week.

August 3, 2006 - I'm in my car - a Scion xA. Small, hatchback. It starts pouring rain. Umbrella is in the way back. I have no trouble turning around in the driver's seat and maneuvering myself over the seats to get my umbrella. I felt so tiny. :) (Oh yeah, and I needed the umbrella to get into the gym, of course, duh!)

October 17, 2006 - Today, my brother went to Perkins to get cookies or cinnamon rolls or something baked and sweet, and I got nothing. And for lately, that's a pretty damn good NSV. :)

October 28, 2006 - I went to a roller-skating party and skated for 2 solid hours - so fun!

October 31, 2006 - Back from a little cross-country flight and trip. I can cross my legs on the airplane, even sitting in coach class.

December 16, 2006 - Well, here it's been a couple months again. I'll be honest -- through November I really struggled with WW in a way I've never struggled with it before. Totally mental. I just didn't care. I've been over points before, I've made not so good choices, but I always cared and suddenly I just didn't. It spooked me. I pulled through. And I really wish I could tell you why I pulled through. (Because right now - I'm feeling on top of the WW world and ain't nothing gonna knock me down, lol!) Actually, what I think it was was gaining 8 lbs in 2 weeks. That hit me and made me realize how complacent I've become. It's been easy to hang in this 5 lbs range for the past 14 months. But loosen up my grip on that just a little even, and look how easy it was to go shooting back up the scale. So ok. I want goal. I want to lose another 30 to 50 lbs. And I need to be serious about it. Right now, I feel unstoppable, which is pretty cool right before Christmas. :)

December 18, 2006 - But it also means that my NSV's are simple things again - today, I was so ready to go for an Italian Hoagie. I've even got the points. But I said no to myself. My body will be happier and healthier with a veggie burger, sweet potato and veggies. Good choice, Crispy. Baby steps. :)

December 29, 2006 - Got some thinking time in and I know what I need to do. Not that I haven't known, but I have a very specific plan of things I need from the people in my life and how I will do it. Plans are good.

January 2, 2007 - I've had a lovely 2 weeks of being home and going to the gym regularly and I feel great. :) Yay. I can see and feel the results from being back in a regular, more consistent gym habit. Ahhh...

January 4, 2007 - I had a nice loss at WI, which means that I officially lost .2 between 11/2/06 and 01/04/07. A holiday net loss. *YaY*

January 5, 2007 - I found a couple old belts in the back of the closet and decided to wear one today. This one used to fit just perfectly, and today the extra hangs halfway down my leg. Funny how we forget how big we used to be.

January 8, 2007 - Flying again today. No troubles with seats or fitting anywhere. It still surprises me. I spent my 5 hour layover walking laps around O'Hare. Had a salad instead of fries. Kind of typical stuff anymore. :)

January 11, 2007 - Another one of *those* NSV's - We went for pie at Perkins and were joking with the hostess about how good their pie is. She made a joke back about how fat she would be if she ate them all the time. Again - it wasn't nasty joking, just that she clearly didn't view ME as someone so fat that she would've been uncomfortable talking about it. Fat isn't the elephant in the room anymore for me.

January 19, 2007 - My 35th birthday! Yaaay! And it's been a very nice day. Life keeps getting better and better. :)

January 31, 2007 - Feeling very focused, WW-wise. It's a good thing!

February 17, 2007 - Wore Mr. 85%'s t-shirt and it fit just fine. How cool is that?

February 20, 2007 - I found an old, handwritten NSV journal I started when I first started WW. I wrote that I started WW because I didn't want to go through my life thinking "what if" and what could've been had I not been a morbidly obese woman. I wanted all my options open to me, and I wanted to know that I had chosen which path I took. For example, I didn't want to be not married because I was fat, I wanted to be not married because I chose to be not married. And I wouldn't know for sure if I was in control or if my body was in control if I didn't change. I'd forgotten that, and it really resonanted with me.

February 26, 2007 - Roadtrip to Colorado again! Did mostly well eating on the road. Met Sharehone for a little visit on the way. :) Worked out a couple times. Got to put 199 on my new driver's license!

March 6, 2007 - I was looking at my charts for weight lifting and realized just how far I've come. My minimum weights on all my machines are higher than my maximum weights were when I started. I've got notes like "35 lbs - hard!" and today I start that machine at 45. So cool.

March 22, 2007 - After a couple weeks of being 40 to 60 points over my flexies, I'm getting my shit together.

March 2007 - I'm re-discovering my love for aerobics. I think I workout too hard when I run. My heartrate is too high and even though I CAN run 3 miles, maybe I shouldn't be... So maybe I'll focus on aerobics and weightlifting and just run on occasion.

March 28, 2007 - Ended the week at -4 flexies. Woohoo! Lots of strength in making good food choices this week.

April 2, 2007 - Plateau breakthrough with weightlifting! I upped my weights and they've been HARD. Today, like someone flipped a switch, they were easy. Yay. I'm going to focus on making sure I'm getting enough protein to build the muscle.

April 4, 2007 - I didn't know it was an NSV -- A gal on the boards said that her veins were so much more visible and bulging. I wouldn't say mine are bulging, but they are totally visible in a way they didn't used to be. Someone else pointed out - duh, less fat hiding them. It's an NSV, lol!

April 4, 2007 - Two good weeks in a row! Yippee!

April 5, 2007 - Oh, and it's Easter in 3 days. I haven't had a single piece of Easter chocolate or candy. Everyone's talking about how many Cadbury eggs they've inhaled lately, and I'm perfectly ok without it. Cool.

April 19, 2007 - 4 good weeks in a row and back to 199 again! 1st time since last May. I don't wanna go back this time.

June 7, 2007 - Went swimming again, for the 1st time in ages. It felt good, my pace is as good as it ever was, and I realized just how much I enjoyed it.

June 14, 2007 - Virgin Fat Territory!! Down to 196.8. Wow.

July 1, 2007 - I've been having people asking me if I'm losing weight again. I know it's not the extra 2 lbs that are visible, but I think my body has been tightening up again. I feel the difference in my clothing, and looking at my progress pictures, I think I can see the difference more than ever, too.

July 10, 2007 - 3 miles walked in 38:45, with each mile under 13 minutes. Wooohoo!!

July 12, 2007 - More VFT - 195.4, baby. More importantly, I feel like I CAN lose the rest of this weight again. And that feels very, very good.

July 17, 2007 - I was at the gym, walking around the track as fast as my little legs will go, and these two women come up to me and tell me I'm doing great. Me - "Thanks, that's nice of you." Them - "We're race-walkers and were wondering if you've ever done any race walking. We think you'd be great at it and were thinking you might like to join us." Wha-wha-whaaaa??? Me??? Slow-poke turtle me?? How cool is that??

July 21, 2007 - 21 mile bike ride. Yes, I was tired, but it was fun.

August 2, 2007 - You know how sometimes you hear something that is so obvious, but it's just what you needed in that moment. My WW leader said, "If nothing changes, nothing changes." I realized that I made all kinds of changes to my life to lose what I've lost so far. And those changes got me this far, but that's it. They're not getting me to goal. I need to make new changes now, things that maybe I wasn't willing to change before. So I'm thinking about that. And looking for what I am willing to change, since I do still want to change.

September 13, 2007 - Well, since hearing that, I've continued to lose. Yay. I'm .3 from another 10 lbs gone and a new picture. And what a difference these last 5 lbs have made - my clothes are noticeably looser, I see it in my face, even my bracelet is hanging and catching on things as never before. Huh.

September 22, 2007 - I may not have much lost more, but it's been 2 years now that I've KEPT OVER 100 LBS OFF my body!! Woohooooo!!

October 25, 2007 - Ok, and since then... I went to Disney World (where I'm really proud of my choices I made - a good balance of eating what I wanted, yet choosing healthier foods because I wanted to and keeping the junk in moderation), gained 3, lost it the next week and hit... duh-duh-duh-dummmm! 110 lbs gone! Alas, before I could take a picture for the site, I spent the next 3 weeks travelling, visiting with the folks, and moving stuff cross-country. Now, the only good news is that I didn't break over 200 again, LOL. I'll get back.

October 26, 2007 - So, I gained anywhere from 3.4 to 6.2, depending on how you want to look at it. And I realized -- either way, I FEEL it. I feel big, my clothes feel tight, and I'm not comfortable. I'm in shock that I spent forever at 199 feeling thin and sexy, and now I can feel bloated at it. I'm in shock that I am aware enough of my body to feel a 5 (+/-) lb gain. Somehow I'd gained 150 without really noticing or feeling it. I guess that's progress, too.

November 1, 2007 - I'm in control, things are good. Onward and downward.

November 3, 2007 - I joined a second gym. I'm spending my time split between 2 cities, about 50 miles apart, and there's no gym with branches in both. So, I finally bit the bullet, decided I'm worth another $50 per month, and joined a gym (the YMCA, actually) up there, too. And I'm really happy about it. :)

November 4, 2007 - I tried Yoga again. Well, by "again" I mean I've been once before in like 1996 and never went back, lol. I really enjoyed it and think I might make it a regular thing.

November 26, 2007 - I tried Zumba today for the 1st time. Now this one, I probably won't bother with again. I felt like it wasn't a real good workout. It was fun, but just not enough for me to spend my time doing. Still, it's always good to try something new!

November 30, 2007 - So a trainer at my gym convinced me to switch up my cardio and my weightlifting - lift first, then do cardio. And you know what? That little change made a huge difference and worked my body really differently. It's a good reminder - CHANGE IS GOOD.

December 8, 2007 - I'm baking Christmas cookies and fudge. Oh yes I am - 6 different cookies and 2 types of fudge. And I'm really enjoying it. They're mostly to give away to neighbors. Am I eating some of them? Hell yes! :) But, I'm eating, say, 4 to 6 points of cookies in a day instead of 30 to 40 points worth, which I could easily be doing. And I'm really enjoying the holidays. :)

January 8, 2008 - Had a great Christmas vacation. I'm up about 5 lbs officially, though I think was higher for a time there. S'ok - I'm focused and on track. I'd like this to be the year I get to a weight where I can be healthy and stay there.

January 8, 2008 - Oh, I worked out nearly every day over the holidays. I took a multi-step class one day and it was a blast. It was great to just walk in, knowing I'd be able to keep up, not worrying about whether I "belonged" there or not. I came, I stepped, I had fun.

January 12, 2008 - My friend has a Tanita body fat scale. I hadn't been on it since October 2006, my last visit to her. At that time, I weighed within 5 lbs of what I weigh now, and I was 50% body fat. This weekend - same weight, 40% body fat. That's a big difference, especially with no change in weight. Wow - exercise really is making a difference in my body.

January 15, 2008 - I flew cross-country again and it's also nice not even to give a 2nd thought to flying and whether the seats would fit or not. It's so carefree, lemme tell ya.

January 17, 2008 - Swam today, for the 1st time in a few months. Pant, pant, pant. I'm thinking, just thinking, about doing a tri this year again.

January 19, 2008 - My birthday! :) Yay!! Had a lovely b-day weekend. Enjoyed my cake, enjoyed my indulgences. Enjoyed knowing that that's part of life and that I can be nicely OP while still living life and celebrating.

January 19, 2008 - I hit my new gym, a Gold's Gym today. It's a new facility and really gorgeous. (I've traded my run-down Y for a new Gold's.) They have one of those stair / treadmills - think of a mini-escalator that you just keep climbing and climbing. It's definitely harder than a regular stairmaster. I managed 10 minutes and did 35 floors... and my HR was through the roof the whole time, lol.

January 21, 2008 - Bought PJ's on clearance today and just grabbed the L's, without even bothering to try them on. I just know they'll fit. It's nice.

January 24, 2008 - More swimming. Less panting. :)

January 26, 2008 - I went for a health assessment at Gold's. Their machine told me I have bodyfat of 25% and a BMI of 23. After LMAO, I told the guy, "Umm, that's wrong. Way wrong." He didn't really care. I just wanted some baseline numbers I can trust to see where I am in a year or so. I guess it's an NSV because I know more about this stuff than the trainer. Sheesh. For the record, my bodyfat is somewhere around 40% to 45% and my BMI is currently about 33, which is down from 52 when I started WW.

January 31, 2008 - I read in my latest issue of the Nutrition Action Newsletter an interview with the National Weight Control Registry people. They said that single biggest predictor for success in keeping weight OFF is time. People who have maintained their weightloss for at least 2 years have a cut the risk of their regaining the weight in half. Wow. That's me. How cool. Let's go for another 2 years. And then another. :)

February 2, 2008 - I had Gold's re-measure my bodyfat this weekend and came in at 38%, which tracks with the 40% on my friend's Tanita. So, I then did some math. Check these stats out --

10/2006
My Bodyfat - 50%
My Weight (roughly) 200
Therefore, lean mass of 100 lbs

01/2008
My Bodyfat - 40%
My Weight (still roughly) 200
Therefore, lean mass of 120 lbs

That means, in those 14 months or so, I lost 20 lbs of fat, and gained 20 lbs of muscle. Woooooooohoooooooooooooo!!!! Progress isn't always measurable on the scale. :)

February 5, 2008 - I realized several instances of emotional eating this weekend - things like giving Mr. 85% the better chunks of cookies in the ice cream to "make him feel better." It still surprises me when I notice it, and I think I'm going to start of journal of when I do it.

February 8, 2008 - Even as much of a gym rat as I've become and as much as I've grown to love exercise, there are still days when making a trip to the gym (and especially an UNPLANNED one) is a huge NSV. Do you have any idea how empty Gold's is at 8:00 on a Friday night, LOL?

February 11, 2008 - Well, I hurt my foot because I let my workout shoes get too old. Dumb, dumb, dumb. Looks like I'll be off aerobics for awhile, and in the pool and biking instead.

February 19, 2008 - I took a training session using free weights!!! I'm going to make the switch from machine weights to free weights - yes that part of the gym. :)

February 22, 2008 - Went to visit a friend whom I haven't see in awhile. Kept up nicely in her spin class, thank you very much!

March 6, 2008 - I've been getting queasy when I workout, so I'm tracking my blood sugar and blood pressure and had an appointment with my doctor.

March 12, 2008 - My foot is still bothering me (but it's not broken, the doctor checked!), so I've been in the pool quite a bit, and my swimming has truly improved by leaps and bounds. I'm doing front crawl laps in 1:20, and I can do 4 to 5 of them non-stop, take a 20 second pause, and do it again. Cool!!!

March 17, 2008 - Free weights are coming along very nicely. I acquired a cute multi-colored, spiral-bound notecard thing for tracking my reps and weights. I'm using mostly 12 and 15 lbs for upper body things, with 20 lbs for the one arm row, and that probably ought to go up a smidge. But jumping from 20 to 25 seems like a big leap...

March 18, 2008 - Everything checks out with the doctor. I had an echocardiogram and my heart looks great. A fasting glucose and a glucose tolerance test showed that my blood sugar and glucose are on the low side of normal. BP is on the low side of normal. We don't know what's going on. On the plus side, all last week, I felt fine while working out. Maybe it's all in my head. ;)

March 29, 2008 - We walked UP Mt. Washington today. If you know Mt. Washington, you know this is no small feat. They have inclines to ride up. There was a line. We walked. :D

April 3, 2008 - The scale is not reflecting my progress. I gained, but my rings are loose. My pants are getting baggier. Yesterday, I wore a shirt that's been too tight. And someone at my meeting (who has been gone for 2 weeks) was talking about her vacation and interrupted herself to single me out and go "And you've lost a bunch while I was gone, haven't you??" Well, no...

I've been lifting weights pretty seriously again and it shows. Muscle shows. It's trimmer than fat. I'm strong. I feel great. I don't give a ratsassss what some machine says.

April 5, 2008 - First time lifting at Gold's instead of my old gym. Much nicer facility! Oh yeah... Oh, and, they have 17.5 lb weights so I don't have to jump from 15 straight to 20. Woohoo!

April 2008 - Also, the queasiness seems to have largely resolved itself. *shrug*

April 8, 2008 - *Sigh* I don't do it often, but I can recognize stress-eating, and I'm annoyed when I know I'm doing it and I still don't stop myself and make a different choice. It's so much less than it used to be, but it still happens.

April 12, 2008 - It's funny how weightlifting tuckers me out in a way that cardio just doesn't. My body feels tired and it so obviously wants to rest. I think that's great because it means I'm working differently. I just need to make sure I give it the extra rest it needs.

April 16, 2008 - So, you know I've been all about the free weights the past few weeks. I'm using 15 lbs on my biceps. Today, I took my old aerobics / interval class, and, since I'd lifted yesterday, I didn't want to lift today, so I picked up the 6 lb weights like I used to use in class. First, I almost flung them over my shoulders because I was expecting them to be heavier, lol. Then, I did the whole class and seriously never felt my muscles working. How cool is that?? What used to be my standard, semi-hard workout is now less than easy. Heh. Must have a couple rest days now, though!

April 21, 2008 - We decided to go out to dinner and walked there. It's nice to live in town where you can do things like that. And it's nice to opt to do things like that. :)

April 25, 2008 - I had my Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) tested today. It turns out that my metabolism is on the high side. I burn 1770 calories if I do absolutely nothing all day. Most online calculators have me between 1550 and 1640, but I must have more muscle than average. In any case, I'm counting my calories, too, and trying to keep between 1800 and 1950 every day.

April 26, 2008 - Went to BodyFlow for the 1st time. Kind of a yoga / tai chi / pilates mix. I liked it.

May 1, 2008 - My best friend came in for a visit! We ate really well while she was here, which is great. We did yoga, we walked, we went for a girls' get away and had awesome massages. Ahhhh...

May 11, 2008 - Lifting continues to go very well, and I've decided to work with a trainer. It's not cheap, but I'm worth it! :D Did the 1st session with the "health assessment" today - 195 lbs, 38% bodyfat, BP is 110/72. His name is Ryan, he's keen to help me up my muscle mass, and he seems to know what he's talking about.

May 17, 2008 - First session with Ryan - upper body. It's a little funny how he underestimated my ability to lift. But he is totally changing what I'm doing, and that's great.

May 18, 2008 - Mr. 85% is getting really interested in checking out the different stairs around Pittsburgh. (Did you know that Pittsburgh is very hilly and actually has stairs instead of streets in places for pedestrians to walk up hills?) We spent 2 hours walking and doing stairs today.

**May 20, 2008 - 5 years on WW, baby!!** Cliff notes version:

1st year - 51 lbs in 51 weeks
2nd year - 30 lbs // Ran 2 triathlons
3rd year - 20 lbs in like 2 months, then nothing // 1 tri, lots of headwork, met Mr. 85%, started some weightlifting, started aerobics
4th year - maintaining // started running, more weightlifting
5th year - maintaining, have kept 100 lbs off for 2 years // stopped running, got *real* serious about weightlifting, added yoga sporadically // bodyfat went from 50% to 38%
And now... 6th year? I'd like to lose 20 to 30 lbs, get my bodyfat to 25% to 28% and call it goal. Guess we'll see.

May 20, 2008 - Also met with Ryan today - lower body work. Made the mistake of telling him I wasn't really sore after our first session. This became a personal challenge for him, and boy did he make me pay, LOL!

May 21, 2008 - Got called skinny at my WW meeting. :)

May 22, 2008 - And sadly, my plantar fascitis continues to be a problem. Ugh.

June 19, 2008 - 110 lbs gone!

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