Weight Loss Wednesday & Flying Squirrels

So - I'm here to brag a bit. I was SUPPOSED to be writing a Weight Loss Wednesday blog EVERY Wednesday, but life keeps getting in the way and Mary Susan keeps forgiving me - so I keep being a derelict.

EXCEPT for when it comes to weight loss and staying on my Medifast plan.

I HAVE LOST 26 POUNDS.

NO, NO, NO - THAT WON'T DO.

I HAVE LOST 26 POUNDS.

There, that's better. I wouldn't want you to have MISSED THAT. Between May 22 and today (I'm writing this a day in advance) Tuesday, July 17 - I HAVE LOST 26 POUNDS. You know what is MOST amazing about that? I only hav 25 left to goal #1 (148# - I'll just put that out there for you.)

I AM MORE THAN 1/2 WAY TO MY GOAL.

It's hard. I miss eating more "real" food - but not so much that I miss being overweight. My BMI is still considered overweight, and will be for about another 12 pounds. I will reach a new "weight decade" next week - that's the 160s for me. My size 12 Ann Taylor slacks are A LITTLE BIG. My FAT JEANS are LOOSE.

I'm doing it, I'm REALLY, REALLY doing it. I've spoken with other women (never had the conversation w/ a man, but I wager they have similar feelings) who felt like I did - I would NEVER be thin again. I would be (here comes the "f" word) FAT the rest of my life. Losing the amount of weight I needed to lose was an insurmountable mountain of a goal because I had not found the method that worked for me (Medifast and a LOT of THERAPY). Now that I have found at least the "door #1" on my path to a healthy weight - it doesn't seem impossible. And, what I've found is two things:

(1) Losing the feeling of impossibility is the biggest relief of all, even bigger than actually losing the weight. "Impossibility" is much like a lack of hope. And, that is crushing. Think Atlas. The weight (no pun intended) of carrying around NO HOPE is a burden NO ONE should bear.

(2) Losing 26 pounds in roughly eight weeks does some interesting things to your body - enter "Flying Squirrels" - I use this phrase to describe what can only be described as my "tricept area" - I can't say "tricepts" because I'm not sure that they are actually there anymore. There is some excess skin - yes, there's fat left ... I'm not done losing. But the absense of fat REALLY points out the lack of muscle tone that has developed over the course of years of sitting on my butt instead of doing push-ups or dips, or anything that remotely required the use of those muscles.

All kidding aside - and I do like to kid, I'm at the point where my weight loss counselor and my therapist and ultra-fit best friend are like - get off your a$$ and do some mild muscle building exercises. Or you're going to be thin and mushy - and that is NOT where I want to be.