1/10/2013: 150.0 lbs at 50 Years Old. Not Bad...Not Bad at All!!

Morning Weight:  150.0

Scale Reading:  1/10/2013

This Morning's Exercise: Day Off
Yesterday's Evening's Activity:  Bowling
Yesterday's Calories: 1485
Vitamins:  1-A-Day, D, B-Complex, Calcium, Glucosamine

How do I express my excitement in words on a page?  My chart is complete!!

1/10/2013:  45.5 Weeks; Start Weight - 224.0, Today's Weight - 150.0, Pounds Lost - 74

I yelped so loudly when I weighed myself and the number 150.0 flashed up on the scale that Jack practically jumped out of bed.  Then I ran wildly through the house naked, looking for the camera, so we could take a picture of the number on the scale.  I got back on the scale and Jack stood there with the camera, ready to snap the photo.  I didn't stop and think about cleaning off the display on the scale...sorry about that...I was too excited to even think about anything but getting a photo of that number.  But there it is, evidence that I achieved the goal that I set 45.5 weeks ago!  Wow!!  What an awesome feeling!  My chart is complete.  I pasted this morning's picture in the upper right hand corner of my chart but I have room for something else up there.  Perhaps when I buy a new outfit that I really like I will paste up another photo or maybe I'll write something.  I'm not sure what else is going to go in the upper right corner of my chart, but something will go there.  Inspiration will strike, I'm sure!!

And here I am this morning:

1/10/2013:  End of Phase 1 Photo - 150.0 lbs

Happy, happy, happy lady!!!!  That's me!  I think back to that winter day, February 26th, 2012, and making the decision to do this once and for all.  The chart is my brother George's idea.  He told me he made one for his bathroom wall and ever since he told me that it sort of nagged at me that it might just work.  I've tracked progress before, but it was always on an excel spreadsheet, never on a great big chart right there on the middle of my bathroom wall.  Once I decided to make the chart my mind was made up, "This is it!" I said to myself.  You can't see the title of my chart anymore because it is so covered up, but it says, "My Final for the Rest of My Life Weight Loss Grid:  Beginning March 2013 Healthy Living Will Maintain Healthy Weight!"  I guess that says it all. 

At first the chart just had weights going down the vertical axis, dates going across the horizontal axis, and a goal line.  It looked so big and bare.  That is when inspiration struck to post my photo every Sunday.  So my start photo was taken and I taped it to my chart.  There were many things about the chart that helped me in this endeavor.  Simply writing weights going down the vertical axis on the very first day made me visualize myself at each of those weights.  Just the very act of making the chart cemented my goals in my mind.  Then marking the chart every Thursday and Monday became such a ritual.  I would think about it before I went to bed on Sunday and Wednesday nights.  A "Mark my chart day" was never very far away, so I never strayed far from my plan.  I hated seeing that red line go up!!  The photos were and continue to be a huge motivation.  It took a while, a few months maybe, before I could see a real difference in my photos, but after a while I could stand back and look at my chart and go, "Wow, look at me!  My waist is smaller and look at my neck!  My face looks so much thinner!"  It helped a lot.  When times got rough and I started to stress out I would stare at my chart and recommit to my goal.  I would write comments on it regarding what I was stressing about.  It all helped.  Jack would sneak a comment on my chart every now and then and when I saw his comments they would make me smile.  Yes, the chart was hugely motivational.  Yeah!!!!  I feel like slot machine bells should be ringing furiously all over the city!  Winner!!!!  Winner!!!!  Winner!!!!  We have a Winner!!!!! 

Phase II starts today.  I'm ready for it.  Strength training, toning, getting very, very fit.  Preparing for a triathlon.  Lowering body fat %.  All exciting and worthy goals.  I am glad Phase I is complete.  I will no longer post my weight on my blog unless something crazy and unexpected happens and I need to focus on weight again.  I will continue to weigh myself daily and track my weight on my 2013 chart, but my goal is no longer to lose weight.  My weight goal is simply to stay within a few pounds of 150.0.  My blog will now become about training and preparing for my first triathlon, getting very fit, and getting the most out of life after 50!

Thank you for being part of this journey!!  We made it!!!