It's official ... I'm in Onederland!

What is that I see?  Is it a digital scale giving me a reading of 199.2 pounds?  Why yes, I think it is! (cue the sound of angels and trumpets, and a happy dance that must have been felt on seismographs in California). 

Technically, I broke the 200 pound barrier yesterday, but it only happened when I was wind-aided, leaning like a Norwegian ski jumper, and desperately holding my breath.  This morning's weigh in gave me a reading of 199.2 pounds when I was standing like a normal person.  So I'm counting this one as the "official" day I broke 200 pounds, even though it technically happened yesterday.

Breaking 200 pounds was always one of my bigger milestones, and reaching that goal this morning (officially) left me in a contemplative mood, asI looked at how far I have come.  There have definitely been some hills and valleys along the way, but overall my weight loss has been pretty steady.  When looking at my weight loss graph, though, I noticed something interesting. 

Just over a year ago I weighed 99 pounds more than I do now.  That's right, I lost almost 100 pounds (OK, 99 pounds, if you want to be fussy about it) in 1 year.  If you see my numbers from last year, on the left, I was so heavy that the lean mass and fat mass amounts were off the graph, and the weight was at the extreme far right hand side of the chart (probably because if the manufacturer didn't do that, no one who was super heavy would even see that much of a chart, which is not motivating at all).

Losing this weight has made a huge difference in my life, in terms of my confidence levels, my fitness levels, and my ability to participate in normal activities.   For example, both the Nerd and I really enjoyed our vacation in South Carolina last week, but it involved all sorts of things that we would not have been able to do - - or be comfortable doing - - before we lost this weight.  Things like walking up those grim hills around the cabins. 

In fairness to me, this photo does not do the hill justice.  Trust me, it was very, very steep.  Grueling, in fact.  And the hill just kept going and going. 

Or kayaking.  Or swimming.  Or, god forbid, even putting on a swimsuit.  But this year both the Nerd and I were much fitter than either one of have been for years, so we did all those things - - the grim death marches between cabins, kayaking, and swimming, all of it, over and over again.  And you know what?  We had a great time!  We did not feel excluded from the fun because of our weight, and we were able to participate in anything we wanted, just like all the other people.  Dare I say it, just like normal people.

How much have we changed?  The last time the Nerd and I saw his South Carolina cousins was in August 2007.  Things have changed a lot, I would say.

 For example, we each have only one chin now.  That's progress.

Here's something I never thought I would ever see - - a photo of me in a swimsuit that I didn't hate.

Sure, it's a candid shot of my either getting in or getting out of the lake in South Carolina and I am neither looking at the camera nor smiling, but I have to admit that I don't hate this photo.  That's what losing 134.7 pounds will do for a girl. 

 So it's time to check off another goal - yay!

My end target is now only 34.2 pounds away, but next up on the hit parade is middleweight, at 185 pounds.  That's 14.2 pounds away, or roughly 3 months away. 

Onward and downward!