GOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!

I did it. 30 pounds today!!! Technically, 30.2 pounds, but who's counting. I am simultaneously stunned and excited. Stunned because I wasn't expecting it today and because I can't believe I actually did it. I'm so proud of myself for staying focused and really pushing myself to keep it up.

It's funny because even though I've seen the pictures and I've watched the numbers on the scale go down and I've seen the clothes sizes drop, I don't feel like a thin person yet. I don't know how to let go of the chubby girl that I've been my entire life. I wish I could see in the mirror what other people see when they look at me. Because I don't feel entirely different. I don't feel like I look that different. But obviously I do because the reactions I get from people who haven't seen me in a long time are overwhelmingly positive.

I am happy at this point though. I'm going to shift my focus from weight loss to maintenance and toning. I have no idea how to do that yet and it is kind of terrifying. Now that I'm here and I know how hard I've worked to get here, I am so scared to go back. I am afraid that if I slip up that I could be back where I was in no time. So I think I'm going to start with small changes. Add in more complex carbohydrates here and there. A piece of high fiber wheat bread with breakfast or a sweet potato with dinner. I want to try to stay as far away from processed foods and simple carbohydrates as possible. I will just have to be conscious of how my clothes feel and what the numbers on the scale look like.

So now's the time to come clean. To be honest about the numbers. I really wish I would've taken my measurements when I started because I know I've lost a lot of inches. I can tell in my waist line for sure. But, I started overweight at 5'6", 170 pounds with a Body Mass Index of 27.44 (overweight range is 25-30). I am now down to 139.8 pounds with a BMI of 22.59 (healthy range is 18.5-25). The healthy weight range for my height and frame is 130-144 pounds. I've gone from a clothes size 12-14 to a 6-8!! Shocking!! I haven't been this size since I was 19 years old. I've also gone from barely being able to run on the treadmill for 1 minute to running 2.75 miles straight.

I am so proud of my accomplishments and so glad that I've been able to share them with all of you. I definitely don't feel like my journey is over because I'm sure maintaining will be just as much of a challenge as losing the weight has been. But I feel like I've got the tools, the attitude and the determination to keep it up. Plus the added pressure of staying in those size 6's!

It's a good day.