Losing Weight -- Gaining Life!

When I weighed nearly 300 pounds -- I often felt completely defeated. There didn't seem to be any point in try to lose the weight, because my "goal weight" (according to height/weight charts) of 127 pounds felt completely unattainable. I was constantly exhausted -- the thought of doing any physical activity (even just walking around the neighborhood with friends) was distressing to me because I knew I would get too tired too quickly. But again, what was the point of trying? There was no way I was ever going to get to 127 pounds.

WELL -- let me tell you all something... I may never get to 127 pounds (why would I want to be a stick figure anyway??) -- but you DO NOT have to be waif thin to enjoy life. I am currently at 191# (yes, that is 10 pounds gained from my LIW... blah blah blah) -- and I am LIVING LIFE.

I've been in Okinawa, Japan (visiting my sister) for the past few weeks and I visited friends in Portland and Seattle on my way over here. I almost cried (with joy) when I sat down in the first airplane seat. My butt fit! I didn't spill over! The seat belt fastened! (I'm seriously almost tearing up again just thinking about it.) Instead of glaring at me for encroaching on his space -- my seatmate hit on me the entire way from Denver to Portland (nothing like unwelcome advances to bring on a sudden nap).

In Portland and Seattle, I decided that I would just eat whatever I wanted (within reason) while on this trip and fix it when I get home. My body promptly freaked out and I quickly gained 18+ pounds -- but I am happy to say that thanks to how active I have been, and doing a decent job choosing mostly healthy foods -- I've kept the gain to just under 10 pounds now for the rest of this trip.

And I'm even happier to say that, at 191.0 pounds, I can do anything I want.

I can keep up with my sister and her friends when we walk around the amazing sites of Okinawa. (My butt even fit in the teeny-tiny roller slides!)

I can bungee jump off a 191 foot bridge with my friend in Portland. (Yes, I did this -- TERRIFYING... but I'm now an official member of the Dangerous Sports Club.)

I can do an adventure ropes course here in Okinawa for my 34th birthday... with ziplines, tightrope walks, and free-falls into cargo nets. (I literally could not have even attempted this a year ago -- the weight limit was 275 and the safety harness had to fit.)

I can go snorkeling/diving -- in a swimsuit -- with cute boys that my sister works with (toooo young for me, but still attractive) -- and not feel completely self conscious the entire time.

Do not be discouraged by the idea that you have to lose all of the weight that you need to lose before you can start living.

Hopefully... when I get home I will lock it down and get really stable before my next Round -- which I probably won't do until this fall (summer is no good for me for HCG dieting)... but in the mean time -- I am living an exciting life. I am doing things that I never thought I could do.

And I'm even eating ice cream now and then.

This is a link to my Travel Pictures.