How Fitting

Pulling a Late One

I'm done with the conference and heading back to school now. I've got a ton of stuff to do on my to do list. I know I could wait, but that will drive me batty not getting this stuff done that needs to be done. My motivation is: complete so I can enjoy my three day weekend with NO WORK! Wooo Hooo! :)

These two conferences have left me with a lot to chew on. Instead of trying several things ineffectively, I am going to pick TWO things that I am going to work on implementing. Two things are manageable. Little changes make big changes over time, just like losing weight. Adding up a pound here, a pound there, sooner or later it is a whole lot of weight lost!

Checking In

Not really a whole lot to report here. I was at a conference all day yesterday. I am at a conference all day today. Then, I have one day (Wednesday) to get it all back together (after being out three days in a row) for extremely important vistiors we will be having in our building on Thursday. Most likely, I am going to school after the conference today in order to start getting things in order. I also want to finish doing report cards so I can officially enjoy my three day weekend.

I think I am going to see Sinbad at a local standup comedy club. I am very excited about that. He is someone I have wanted to see perform live for many years.

Outside of that, nothing new is going on. Weight is the same. Ben and I are doing well.

One Pound of Fat

Hello, do you know me?If you don't, you should.
I'm a pound of fat,And I'm the HAPPIEST pound of fat that you would ever want to meet.
Want to know why?
It's because no one ever wants to lose me;I'm ONLY ONE POUND, just a pound!
Everyone wants to lose three pounds, five pounds, or fifteen pounds, but never only one.
So I just stick around and happily keep you fat.
Then I add to myself, ever so slyly, so that you never seem to notice it.
That is, until I've grown to ten, twenty, thirty or even more pounds in weight.
Yes, it's fun being ONLY ONE POUND OF FAT, left to do as I please.
So, when you weigh in, keep right on saying, "Oh, I only lost one pound."(As if that were such a terrible thing.)
For you see, if you do this, you'll encourage others to keep me around because they'll think I'm not worth losing.
And, I love being around you - your arms, your legs, your chin, your hips and every part of you. Happy Days!!!
After all, I'm ONLY ONE POUND OF FAT!!!

Forgot to Write about the Comments

Today I was at a reading conference. Between one of the sessions, I was talking with one of the teachers at my school. The subject turned to weight loss. She said something about how I looked good. I said I felt kinda grubby because I was wearing jeans. She said, "But there is a difference, you are THIN and in JEANS." She called me THIN.

Ben continued to shower me with compliments again tonight. He said I looked good before, but now I have absolutely no fat on my body. (Little does he know!) He has been rubbing my stomach lately. I really like it when he does that. :)

I posted on OH about my 18 months progress. There were several people who said I needed to get the size 6 jeans! Woooo Hoooo!!! Maybe a trip to Target is in order this Sunday.

18 Months Post Op

I weighed in at 147 pounds today. I am in a size 8 pair of jeans and a medium top. I will probably write a deeper reflection later on. Here is my breakdown by month.

Month 1: 35 lbs
Month 2: 22 lbs
Month 3: 22.6 lbs
Month 4: 18 lbs
Month 5: 21 lbs
Month 6: 11.4 lbs
Month 7: 17.8 lbs
Month 8: 12.8 lbs
Month 9: 17 lbs
Month 10: 10 lbs
Month 11: 5 lbs

Month 12: 5 lbs
Month 13: 10 lbs
Month 14: 10 lbs

Month 15: 8 lbs
Month 16: 6 lbs
Month 17: 8 lbs
Month 18: 7 lbs

Grand Total: 246.6 lbs

FYI

Losing the last few pounds really does suck. I really do "get it" now in regards to people talking about those last 10-20 pounds. My body is very happy where it is at. VERY. HAPPY. I hate that. I just want to full force steam engine ahead and be done with this! Is that such a bad thing?


I am elated at the progress I have made. I am so happy that I don't wear a size 36W pair of pants anymore. Other things I am happy about .... that I don't fear breaking chairs when I sit down, I look normal out in public, I won't die of health related causes before the age of forty, I can shop for clothes at normal stores, the list can go on and on.


In other news, I am really loving my class. I work in a very tough school, and things are very challenging, but I have fallen in love with my students. I am committed to helping them succeed and have a better self-image. I will be out of work Friday, Monday, and Tuesday because I will be at a conference.


Things are going well with Ben and I. Today we have dated for four months. I am looking forward to seeing him tomorrow evening. On Saturday, I have to watch the boys, so we will be discussing our books via phone, and then we will be together Sunday for church. I had told Ben a while back that I would love for him to come have lunch with my class. He offered to come this Friday, but since I will be at a conference, that won't work. I look forward to him visiting and getting to know my students.

From National Eating Disorders Website

Ten "Will-Powers" for Improving Body Image
Written by: Michael Levine, Ph.D., and Linda Smolak, Ph.D.

Taking care of your body and doing things you enjoy will enable you to enjoy a happy, participatory life.

Twice a day, everyday, I will ask myself: "Am I benefiting from focusing on what I believe are the flaws in my body weight or shape?"

I will think of three reasons why it is ridiculous for me to believe that thinner people are happier or "better." I will repeat these reasons to myself whenever I feel the urge to compare my body shape to someone else`s.

I will spend less and less time in front of mirrors--especially when they are making me feel uncomfortable and self-conscious about my body.

I will exercise for the joy of feeling my body move and grow stronger. I will not exercise simply to lose weight, purge fat from my body, or to "make-up for" calories I have eaten.

I will participate in activities that I enjoy, even if they call attention to my weight and shape. I will constantly remind myself that I deserve to do things I enjoy, like dancing, swimming, etc., no matter what my shape or size!

I will refuse to wear clothes that are uncomfortable or that I do not like but wear simply because they divert attention from my weight or shape. I will wear clothes that are comfortable and that make me feel comfortable in my body.

I will list 5-10 good qualities that I have, such as understanding, intelligence, or creativity. I will repeat these to myself whenever I start to feel bad about my body.

I will practice taking people seriously for what they say, feel, and do, not for how slender, or "well put together" they appear.

I will surround myself with people and things that make me feel good about myself and my abilities. When I am around people and things that support me and make me feel good, I will be less likely to base my self-esteem on the way my body looks.

I will treat my body with respect and kindness. I will feed it, keep it active, and listen to its needs. I will remember that my body is the vehicle that will carry me to my dreams!

I will choose to take care of myself and my body!

View from another angle

You can see more of my body here. I look so different than how I view myself in the mirror.

Temptation has a FACE

They come across so welcoming....so helpful to your diet. NOT! I am happy for people who do well with the whole 100 calorie pack concept. I am not one of them. I have a hard time stopping at just one pack. That pretty much blows the whole concept out of the water. I have to resolve that there are some things that are trigger foods that I simply cannot keep under my roof. 100 Calorie Packs of M&Ms are one of them.