Why yes, I *am* 95 pounds lighter than last year ...! [with pics]

This was another milestone week.  I managed to lose 2.7 pounds, which brings me down to 238.9 pounds, for a total of 95 pounds lost overall.  I also lost a further 1.75", which brings my total inches lost to 35.65".  That's almost 3 feet of me gone!

 

The loss this week has kept me on track to hit my weight loss target about this time next year:

 Although this target date is still a long time from now, it is reassuring that I am still on track. One year done, another year to go, and I'm more than halfway through this little adventure.

This month saw some particular wins.  

First, my blood sugar results improved again this month, for the third month in a row.  Last month I had 9 normal readings, which nets out to 30% of the results being normal.  This month I had 11 normal readings, for 35% normal:

 

 My average fasting blood sugar was 5.7 mmol/L last month, and 5.6 mmol/L in January - - slow and steady improvement.  Of all the health improvements I have experienced with my weight loss and healthier lifestyle, reducing my blood sugars is one of the most important - - it could help me defy my family history and (hopefully) avoid getting Type II diabetes.  

My second win is that my weight is soooo close to my next major milestone of 100 pounds down.  I can't wait - - 100 pounds down puts me at a BMI below 35, which puts me officially in "Obese Class I", rather than Obese Class II.  To put this into perspective, I started off with a BMI of 49.3, with an extremely high risk of developing health problems.  I am Obese Class II right now, which has a "very high" risk of developing health problems.  Under a BMI of 35, and I "only" have a high risk of developing health problems.  

It's all in your perspective, I suppose, but it will be a major win to reach that milestone.  I just need to keep on track with my regular workouts and healthy eating and I should (hopefully) reach 5 pounds down in 2 or 3 weeks.  Fingers crossed!

I went through a frumpy phase this month, wearing my old, baggy suits long past their prime.  I finally snapped and checked my size 18 clothing archive, "just in case" there was something that fit.  In fact, one of the suits fit perfectly (!) for win #3, and a couple of the jackets almost fit.  That was enough to motivate me to donate those old size 24 suits, and start wearing the new size 18 suit in rotation with the 2 size 20 suits that I uncovered last month.  

My size 20 suits are fitting better and better, and in fact, are getting a little - ahem - loose.  In fact, I was able to do up one of the jackets for the first time this week, and I was surprised to see that I had a lot of room in the jacket.  Yay! 

Finally, win number 4 was discovered when  I flew to Ottawa on that motion, and I was able to do the seatbelt up on the airplane for the first time in many years.  I am not exaggerating when I say that I was so happy about that one that I almost cried.  So unseemly on such a crowded plane. 

So what's the photographic evidence of progress so far?  My face is definitely getting thinner, although the hair is as unruly as ever.

The picture on the right is me in the size 20 suit that I did up for the first time this week.  Everything is definitely toning and tightening up.  It's only a matter of time before those other size 18 suits are within reach.

This past week has been a tough one for workouts, and I have really had to push to finish my workouts the past 3 days in particular.  The good news is that I did push through, and seeing results like this will hopefully keep me going next week if the workouts continue to be tough. 

I can't wait to see what kind of wins happen this month!