Halfway

So many exciting things have happened lately, but first things first. I reached my 10% goal at Weight Watchers!!! For those of you who don't know what I am talking about, in WW the first goal they have you shoot for is to lose 10% of your body weight. Mine was 17 pounds. When you reach that goal you get a key chain.

At the same time I reached my 10% goal, I also got halfway to my final goal of 135 pounds!!!! Some of you may remember that I posted a "Before" picture. So, to celebrate reaching this goal and so I can see how far I have come I took a halfway picture.

I think you can tell the most difference in my face and arms. Now that I have lost 17.6 pounds I can fit into a size 10, and I can run for 10 min! I feel so much healthier. I am more confident and more comfortable with my body. When I first started this I was asked why I was focusing on weight and not just being healthy. I have been thinking about that question a lot.

I think most people who make a life change to be healthier have some sort of trigger for that decision. For some it is diabetes, for others it could be chronic pain or cholesterol levels, for others and for me, it is weight. I tried for a while to focus on just being healthy and not worrying about what I weighed. But the healthy habits just didn't stick. I saw myself getting heavier every year, and while I love my mom, I saw myself eventually having to struggle with the health problems that she is dealing with because of her weight. Plus my husband and I are planning on starting a family in the next year or so, and I want to be as healthy as possible for my future children. My losing weight is not about being thin, if that was the case I could just starve myself or take some pill. Both those methods might work for a while, but eventually I would gain the weight back. That is one reason I have joined Weight Watchers. I have relearned healthy habits and ways of thinking about food that will stay with me a lifetime, plus I have a group of people who are going through the exact same thing I am.

I have started eating more sensibly and eating smaller portions. I am exercising on a regular basis and I am actually enjoying it! My mood has improved and I can be a better wife and person because of all these changes. I am not focusing just on my weight, but for me, my weight is a barometer/indicator of how healthy I am.