Memoir Installment #3

Well, I didn't quite keep up with the blog as well as I intended after all my weight loss stuff ended. It didn't "end" really, as I'm still working hard at maintaining the loss. In the last 6 weeks or so, I've been able to stay right around my weight loss goal. I haven't gone over at all, but I have dipped a couple pounds at times. I eat more calories, but still try to keep it healthy. And lately I only have time to work out about twice a week, but I'm active in other ways (more info below). One of my favorite things to eat is whole wheat toast with butter and honey -- I have to stop eating so much, or I know it's going to spell trouble!

So the last 6 or 7 months was my hardcore weight loss time; we've now shifted into "get ourselves out of debt ASAP" time. Our goal is to get out of consumer debt by January 2013 (we'll still have student loans...ugh.) Andrew got a new job with great pay and benefits, and I have been working 20 hours a week (for the last few weeks) in the morning at a nursing facility doing housekeeping and laundry (while my wonderful parents watch the kids). Lots of gross stories, but I'll save those for another time. I've also been hired to do another personal history book, which is my favorite thing to do. Much more fun than collecting "soiled" laundry, I've found. The history has got me thinking about my own memoir again, and I decided to finish off a chapter I had almost finished last year or whenever that was.

So...this chapter does not leave off from where I was as a child. It's just what I wanted to write about next -- some about my angsty self in high school. Hope you like it! It's only had a light edit, and the formatting isn't perfect yet or anything, but here it is.

"An Enigma Exposed" (click on the title) -- Update: I temporarily removed the link to the chapter earlier today, but now it's back with an updated chapter.

In case you missed the first installments, here they are.

"Final Reveal" pics

Since I won Biggest Loser AND hit my goal on the same day, I decided to do my "final reveal" pics yesterday. I must watch too many weight loss shows. 

I went and got a haircut -- FINALLY. I hadn't had it cut since before I started losing weight, knowing I would want to have a mini makeover at the end as a reward. I got some jeans that actually fit -- I've gone from a size 14 to a size 7/8 -- and some other clothes, too. I was going for this hairstyle (below), but it didn't quite turn out like that. I still like what I got, though. I know I will never be able to recreate what the stylist did, but oh well. :)

Andrew took a bunch of pics -- here are a few. Might have a few more later.

 I wanted a picture of me doing push-ups to remind me of my Transforming post -- about doing the hard things that part of me will always want to skip.

It might seem strange to some that I wanted pictures of myself as a reward for losing weight, but it's because I have never had any pictures of myself that I liked. I have worked on people's personal histories, and I always get a great picture of them from their past for the cover. It's always concerned me that if I was to publish my own history, I would not have anything I would want for the cover. I realize I'm thinking 40 years in advance, but I just wanted a high quality, decent pic of myself that I could have (before I get too old...) -- in case I ever finish writing my history. :)

Thanks all for supporting me and caring about my journey to health.

I WON!

I lost 1.4 lbs this week and managed to pull out first place in the Biggest Loser competition!! Not only that but I hit my second goal on the nose for my final weigh-in. That felt amazing! I got to the pot of gold! :) To be a person who often stops myself from accomplishing something because it's too hard, I have to say that hitting TWO weight loss goals really feels good.

I have lost 54 lbs total. And I feel like I'm at a good "stopping" point. I will now work hard on maintaining where I'm at. I'll keep exercising to try to tone up a bit more, but I won't be trying to lose anymore. Such a strange feeling after such a time of doing it.

Here are the final results pics from the beginning of the BL competition to the end. I lost about 22 lbs from June to August. Over the summer, I'd occasionally look back at the "before" June pics, and I wondered if I'd be able to really see a difference by the end cause I didn't think 20 lbs would be as obvious as the 30 I had lost previously. I am so happy I took the pictures -- because I see a big difference. And that is motivating -- I don't want to float back up 20 lbs to a "comfortable" weight. I feel great where I'm at now.

These are embarrassing, but here they are --

 Please don't look too closely at these...eek. Wishing I had worn exercise pants instead...but then I wouldn't have been able to see the difference as easily. I lost 6 inches off my waist this go around and something like 4 inches off my hips -- the exact measurements are packed in a box somewhere. :) Lost a good chunk off my thighs, too, but I can't remember how many inches off the top of my head. All I know is is that my legs don't touch and rub together in the middle when I walk anymore. I often wondered if I'd ever lose enough for that to be the case, and I finally got there.

That's a total of ELEVEN inches just off my waist from the beginning of March. That is crazy!

Week 11 results

I lost 1.6 lbs this week. We are moving tomorrow, and we have been moving gradually all week. I have missed almost all of my workouts, but I still managed to lose a little -- I think mostly due to stress! :)

Just one more week!

Total weight lost: 52.6 lbs

Finished #2 this week, and I am still in the lead overall.

Week 10 weigh-in

I lost 2 lbs this week! Yay! That makes it a milestone week for me, as I've now passed the 50 lb mark for total weight lost! I've lost 51 lbs total.

I finished 3rd this week in the competition, but am still 1st overall. Just two more weigh-ins to go!

Week 9 Biggest Loser

I lost 1.2 lbs this week. Not great, but not bad. Getting closer!

Total weight lost = 49 lbs

4th place for the week, but 1st place still overall!

Week 8 weigh-in: I did it!!

(This picture represents how I feel -- minus the dizziness and nausea that would surely accompany me if I actually was above the clouds...)

Today's weigh-in marks a huge accomplishment for me. I made it to my original goal weight of 135 lbs! I lost 2 lbs on the nose. What a wonderful, uplifting, educational journey this has been for me. Life changing!

I am officially changing the little tracker to my goal weight -- the girl made it to the freaking flower!! Who ever thought that was actually going to happen??

I want to lose 6 more lbs by the end of the Biggest Loser competition -- the end of August.

YAY!!

Total weight lost = 47.8 lbs!

Not everyone has weighed in this week yet, so I'll have to update the rankings later. Sorry!