Four Months Down

Today is four months since I started the journey to a smaller, healthier, stronger me.  Here's an update plus some funny facts and random observations I've made along the way:

• As of this morning, I've lost just a hair under twenty-nine pounds since February 1st.
• My original goal weight is a mere twelve pounds away at this point.
• Despite those amazing statistics, my BMI calculation still lands in the overweight category, but only by a few tenths of a point. 
• The people who created the body mass index can bite me.
• I have now lost more weight than my daughter currently weighs.  I lost a whole person - a little one, but still.
• I now weigh thirteen pounds less than I did when I got pregnant with Punky.
• I've learned so much about food and nutrition that I no longer need to rely on my calorie counter app to keep things in check.  When I started this journey I thought that would be a life-long necessity, especially given my less-than-spectacular math skills.
• This whole process has created the perfect opportunity to teach Punky about food, health, and body image.  Too many young girls suffer crushed self-esteem and eating disorders as a result of the media's irresponsible math.  The number on the scale does not equal beauty.  Hopefully internalizing this lesson at such a young age will spare her some grief when those dreaded teen years hit. 
• I've read that a woman burns more calories in the two weeks between ovulation and menstruation than she does the two weeks prior.  In my experience, it's true.  The scale lallygags the first part of the month, then finishes the second half at a record low.  Then my period starts and I gain a few pounds.
• I give full credit to Jillian Michaels for the unbelievable change in the shape of my body and I'm thrilled to say she no longer totally kicks my ass.  There's no doubt that her workouts are tough, but I can make it all the way through now without feeling like I'm going to drop dead at any second.  
• When I first started working out, I wanted to smack her right through the TV when she would nonchalantly comment about feeling amazing at the end of those forty-five minutes of pure torture.  Now I get it.  I feel amazing, too.
• When I stand up straight and touch the cut muscles in my legs, I giggle.
• Admittedly, I do that several times a day.
• A few weeks ago I put my hands on my hips and made another surprising discovery: my waist.  I have one again.  No doubt the result of those tough ab and core workouts.
• Okay, yes.  This also makes me giggle and I check often to make sure it's still there.
• I can no longer wear any of the work suits I had when I started this journey.  In fact, they have all been packed up and donated to charity along with two full drawers of shorts and jeans.  For now, I'm getting by with a few things I've purchased and some stuff that was given to me.  I'm holding out for the last twelve pounds before I face the stores again and truly rebuild my wardrobe.
• The last twelve pounds are one hundred percent concentrated in my lower abdomen.  Damn c-section.  I've made peace with the fact that the roll will never fully disappear without the help of cosmetic surgery, and I'm not that crazy.  But it still pisses me off and my stretch mark scars are even uglier now that I've lost weight.  They've morphed from lines into full blown wrinkles.  It's disgusting.
• To Punky's dad's dismay, the weight loss finally hit upstairs.  I knew it was only a matter of time.  On the bright side, I can now wear a drawer full of old bras I hadn't worn in years but kept for no apparent reason.  Now my hoarding of undergarments is justified.
• If I can do this, anyone can.  Yes, there are tough moments but it's a process.  Those moments are necessary for success.  I fully understand now why fad diets don't work in the long run: they work too fast.  Losing weight successfully is not just measured by the number on the scale, it's achieved through a complete transformation of the body, mind, and soul.  And that takes much longer than a thirty-day colon cleanse.  Without the changes in mindset, habits, and overall lifestyle, it's easy to land right back at square one in the blink of an eye.
• Learning to listen to your body and interpret its cues is the most important lesson and the hardest one to learn.  When I have hungry days, I eat.  Period.  And the scale usually drops the next day.  I don't deprive myself of anything I need.  Not food, not sleep, not exercise.  I feel like I reached a new level of awareness and understanding I never knew existed.  And I'm no longer scared about the after - after I reach my goal, that is.

So, there you have it.  In a nutshell.  There's just one more thing I need to say:  I'm so very proud of myself.  And that's worth my original weight in gold.  On to month five...