The First 40

So, I've been at this weight loss thing for almost a year.  I started out actually in April of 2015, but as I've said before, I didn't really get with it until the end of July.  From the end of July until about mid February, I was recording almost everything I ate on a daily basis and weighing/counting nearly all of my food.  During that time, my calorie goal was 1600 and I had started my new job.  Some days I ate more than I should have, but the important thing was, I was forgiving myself and starting the next day or meal with a positive attitude.  I learned to forgive myself for making mistakes (at least mostly) and I also learned to tell people no.  I volunteered for less and spent more time with my family.  Additionally, I just started moving more!  I fixed my own plates, got my own drinks, and helped my kids with their chores.

I lost 40 pounds during that time and although I couldn't see it in the mirror, I could feel it.  It was the
little things that kept me going; which was important since for the most part, my clothes fit the same.  I remember the day my coat buttoned and I was so surprised.  I had bought that coat a few years before and it never did fit me quite right.  It was uncomfortable to wear in the car because my arms barely moved.  I nearly cried the day I pulled it shut to button the one button I could get to close and realized that it buttoned with ease and so did the other buttons.

I hated the seatbelt in our pick-up because every time I would bend over to grab something it would lock.  I remember thinking how stupid that design was.  That was until the day I bent over to grab something off the floor and it didn't lock.  It turns out, I was just so fat, the poor seatbelt was at it's end.

These small, seemingly insignificant things added up.  While my jeans still fit and no one seemed to be noticing my changing body, these changes were keeping me motivated.  It seems so silly to smile or tear up when a sweatshirt pulls over your boobs with ease or a coat can be zipped up over your hips, but for someone who has struggled to squish into these items, it means the world.