The big 5-0!!!!!

Well my birthday is coming up (next month), but it won't be the big 5-0 yet.  I am referring to hitting the big 5-0 in weight lost.......wooooooo hooooooo!  What a change this year has been!  50 pounds gone....I just can't even comprehend it.  I can't believe it.  It seems surreal.  I still feel like I will wake up from a dream and be back to 280 pounds again.  But I am celebrating this huge milestone and continuing on with the positive changes I have made this year.  It's crazy to see how differently I am eating and the fact that I am actually working out on a semi-regular basis.

I am so thankful for whatever it was that sparked these changes.  I still don't know what exactly it was.  Possibly seeing myself looking like a beached whale in a photo my mom took last year.  But I am thankful to whatever it was and even more glad that it has continued.  I have never stuck to changes like this for even close to this length of time. I am thankful for the progress, for the motivation, and for feeling better than I ever have before. I am truly blessed!

Here is a comparison photo....Father's Day 2011 and today (forgive the lack of makeup and terrible hair...we were in the pool today).  50 pounds lighter.

Thanks to you all for your support in my journey....through the good and the bad.  Here's to another great year!

Did I just miss the end of the world??

Ok, I think I missed the end of the world!!  Something really crazy happened already this morning....I got up early to exercise.....GASP!!!!  Yeah, anyone that knows me well knows I am a total night owl.  Mornings are NOT my thing.  In fact, they are the root of all evil in my book.  I would sleep until noon every day if given the chance....but I'm not.....I have kids, so that means no sleep.

So why the radical change you ask?  What happened to shift the planets into alignment?  Well, I have been having trouble getting my workouts in during the evenings.  My husband is working 12 hour shifts in a very physical job so when he gets home at 6:30, he is TIRED!  Sometimes he falls asleep in the chair....I don't blame him one bit!  So I have dinner to get ready and entertaining a 3 year old who hasn't seen us all day and is clingy!   And I feel guilty not spending time with her when she wants it and working out instead.  So I usually try to go get on the treadmill after she goes to bed, but some nights I have just lost any motivation to workout by that point.   And yes, to those that think I am crazy, sometimes working out in the evening makes it harder for me to go to sleep.

So since I have been having trouble getting my workouts in this week, I decided to try a morning workout.  So I set the clock about 20 minutes earlier and did 15 minutes on the elliptical - which by the way is becoming my new best workout friend (well isn't THAT an oxymoron!) since I can burn a lot more calories on it faster than on the treadmill.  I still like the treadmill best overall, but who doesn't love to get a better workout in less time....uh yeah, me for sure!  The less time I have to spend working out and the more calories I burn doing it (while not hating it) the better!

So here's to continued improvement on my journey to being healthier....who'd-a-thunkit??  Not me, that's for sure!  I'd better go buy a lottery ticket today!  Happy Friday y'all!!!  :o)

and bonus points for the totally appropriate photo!!!  :o)

Extreme Makeover - Weight Loss Edition

I have really gotten addicted to watching 2 hour shows while getting my treadmill workout in.  Yeah, I never saw that one coming!   I have to say that watching diet shows while working out is quite an improvement over watching them while sitting on the couch stuffing my face with fast food or ice cream like I used to do.

I really like to watch a 2 hour show, which condenses down to about 90 min after I fast forward through commercials.  I get a good pace in and a good workout.  And some actual quiet mommy time.....ahhhhhhh!

So my favorite show this summer is for sure Extreme Makeover - Weight Loss Edition (Sundays @ 9/8 central).  Being on a weight loss and healthy lifestyle journey myself, I find this kind of show very motivational to watch.  While I like, and sometimes watch, the Biggest Loser, I don't like the drama that the contestants bring out to win the big prize.  I think that a weight loss journey is so much bigger than the monetary prize.  So I have fallen in love with EM-WLE!  I love that it is 1:1 - trainer and participant.  I especially love that the contestants live their real lives at home, where drama, life, temptation and more happens.  I like that they have to figure out how to learn to shop for groceries, learn to cook new healthier recipes, figure out how to balance work, family, and working out into their daily routines.  Yes, I am not oblivious to the fact that it is still produced "reality" tv and it is probably not as challenging as a person doing it without the help of a tv show and production crew, but it just seems more real than many shows these days.  To me, this show is truly and genuinely about helping severely unhealthy people take the opportunity to get their life back and truly make a life changing journey to a healthier lifestyle.  Chris, the trainer, really seems to invest in the clients he helps.  And that is what I think these shows should be all about.

So if you are looking for a great and motivational show to watch this summer, I suggest you check this one out!   You can even catch up on previous episodes from this season on ABC.com!  In fact, I do think it's treadmill time for me now....time to go catch up on last week's episode.  Happy watching all!!

http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/extreme-makeover-weight-loss-edition/index
https://www.facebook.com/EMWeightLoss

Who is your #1?

Support – to keep something or somebody stable; to give active help and encouragement

Have you surrounded yourself with an incredible support system?  Who is your number one supporter?  That person that

·         Holds you accountable

·         Challenges you, pushes you, encourages you

·         you can lean on when you are having a bad day and eating everything in sight

·          understands your hatred for the treadmill (or exercise in general)

·         will tell you if an outfit is flattering on you or not or if in fact that size fits you or not

·         gives you great ideas of new foods or exercise to try

·         talks you through a plateau

·         understands all that a significant lifestyle change for the healthier entails and the trials and tribulations along the way

I wanted to share my story of how I came to know my #1 cheerleader and our recent girl’s weekend.

Fate is an amazing thing.  I believe that people are brought into your life for a reason.  2 years ago a friend of a friend on Facebook was looking for a photographer to take her son’s senior photos.  I saw that my friend had commented on her post, so it showed up in my news feed.  As a photographer, I commented, joking that if she wanted to take a roadtrip to where we lived I would love to do them for her.  Nothing came of the photo shoot, but we became facebook friends.  I never knew how that one comment would change my life.  Crazy!!

Through something as simple as facebook we began to get to know each other through status updates.  Not surprising I guess, as we are both facebook addicts lol.   We found that we have very similar stories – both are remarried.  Both are working moms.  Both are very open, wear our hearts on our sleeve kinda people.  Both have similar likes and dislikes.  Both recently started on the biggest journey of our life – to become healthier and lose a significant amount of weight.  Melissa started on her journey almost a year ago (Aug 1) by joining Weight Watchers.  I also started making changes to my lifestyle about this time too, but not as dramatically as she did.   While I started the very beginning of my diet and lifestyle change in August, I didn’t really get 100% serious until January.  That’s when I started logging my weight, really committing to watching my diet consistently, trying to introduce exercise, etc.

Melissa faithfully posts a weekly photo on facebook to show her progress to hold herself accountable.  Along the way I started noticing a major change in how she was looking.  Her face was getting thinner.  She was losing weight.   I would comment on her weekly progress post, giving her kudos for a job well done, encouraging her on.  She inspired me to begin taking photos of myself to document my progress, though I wasn’t “out of the diet closet yet” and sharing that I had begin this journey, much less my progress.  It was my own little secret.  I was writing the blog, but was using it as my own therapy and not sharing with anyone.  

It was about Feb when I suddenly noticed a significant change between my FB profile picture and my weekly progress photo.  I was excited to see the changes in my own face and posted on facebook .  That photo was received by many positive comments and people asking if I had lost weight and what was I doing.  It was at that moment that I “came out of the diet closet” and began sharing my story with others, hoping that I could help inspire at least one person the way that Melissa has inspired and continues to inspire me.

We just “get” each other.  We have been through the “good weeks” together.  We have been through plateaus together.  We struggle with food the same ways.  We both struggle to stay on the wagon and not slip back into our previously bad habits.  We give each other new snack and meal ideas.  Exercise has not been something we enjoy or have been good at or consistent.  When one of us is having a bad or an off day, the other offers words of encouragement that only a fellow dieter can understand.  We don’t judge.  We support….no matter what!  Without envy, or jealousy.  Just true friendship and support.

So while seeing her weekly progress photos, I noticed we also have similar taste in clothing.  She was always wearing such cute outfits!!!  And she would post status updates of her bargain shopping adventures – that girl knows her way around the clearance rack!  So as my weight continued to drop off, in such a way that a new wardrobe was becoming more and more necessary, I told her we were going to need to plan a girl’s weekend shopping trip so she could help me find some new things.  So a plan was born!  I drove almost 5 hours to her house last weekend for the most relaxing and pampering weekend I have spent in a long time, maybe ever.  From the minute I hit her front door we were instantly confirmed that a truly great friendship had been formed.  We chatted until late into the night.  She introduced me to some new food ideas.  We got pedis.  And of course we shopped our hearts out!

I normally hate shopping with anyone else.  I am not a good person to shop with.  I don’t like to shop for clothes because I don’t like the way they fit on me. I wander around the store, usually several times, looking at the same items.  I pick up a few to try on.  I HATE the way I look in the dressing room mirrors!  I usually find that the things that were cute on the rack I don't like on me.  So I often waste time in the whole process and go home frustrated and empty handed.  So I tend to only shop if I NEED something.  But I was at the point now where I NEEDED to get new clothes so I had to shop.  I had multiple people telling me I was looking "frumpy" and my clothes were hanging off of me.  And they were right.  So my thought was that if I had to go shopping I might as well do it with someone who has great taste, mad bargain skills, who has my back (and the honesty to tell when something is HOT or NOT) and just make it as fun as possible.  

And BOY oh boy was that the right call!  I had the best time shopping I have ever had.  We found the cutest things!  I actually enjoyed shopping for once!  Of course, what's not to love when you are trying on sizes smaller than you have even been able to think about  in a loooooooong time and you have someone telling you how great you look! What a treat that was!!  For pants I was a wider range, 20, 18, even one 16!!  I even got a skirt that was a size LARGE....crazy!  I didn't buy a SINGLE top that was larger than a 1x.....wow what a strange change that was!  I still don't feel like it's sunk in and I've adjusted yet to seeing the new sizes in my closet.  I know my old clothes are baggy and loose (but they are familiar, comfortable and safe) and the new clothes fit but I still seem to be seeing the 280 pound fat me when I look in the mirror or wear clothes.

I firmly believe that when you go through such a life changing transformation like this you NEED to have people (at least one person) in your life that will regularly, continuously tell you encouraging things....how great you look, how great you are doing, etc.  You need to begin hearing the compliments and get to the point where you begin accepting them.  I have begun to realize that at my heaviest, I had a broken soul.  I had lost my self worth.  I was not confident in myself.  I was the fat person that no one, including myself, should want to love.  I was hiding from myself and the world behind food and my fat.  I didn't realize how truly unhappy I was on the inside.  But the person you truly are within, at your very core, is a strong, confident, beautiful, sexy, vibrant person.  You just need to find that and allow yourself the gift of becoming the person you were meant to be.  You deserve to be all of those things.  But you have to keep telling yourself that and hearing it for it to begin sinking in, and allow it to sink in.  It is a process, a journey, and takes time to migrate away from the former state of self-loathing and negative thoughts to being truly loving yourself and who you are.

So I encourage you, if you are going through the journey to changing your life, becoming healthy and losing weight, make sure that you have a #1 Cheerleader in your life.  Find a great support system and surround yourself with encouraging people that will build you up and help you to realize amazing person that is inside you, begging to come out.  You deserve to find happiness, confidence, and inner beauty.  Embrace it!  Enjoy it!

So in closing, I ask you.....who is your number one?

10% gone...what's worked for me

So as I looked down at the scale this morning, I felt like confetti cannons were blasting off around me and there was celebration music playing (think the Biggest Loser Finale-ish).  Ok, so maybe it was just in my head, but who cares!  It is time to celebrate!  I have met a big goal....I have lost 10% of my body weight since January (when I really started tracking my weight and diet regularly)!  I am still in shock and it seems so surreal!  I can't believe I have actually been doing this, stuck with it and been successful.  This is a place I have never been before...such unfamiliar territory!  And there are more milestones right around the corner....in less than 5 pounds I will hit the 50 pounds lost point and I will hit 10% lost total (I started losing weight in Aug, but didn't really start tracking until Jan).

So as I reflect on the success, I wanted to share what I have done, what has worked for me, in hopes that it may inspire someone else to continue or begin their journey.  Certainly not a guarantee that this will work for everyone, but I am a believer that ideas help.  I am not an expert....Please keep in mind that you should consult with your doctor before you begin anything.

Step 1 - MAJOR overhaul of my diet and eating habits. 
My diet used to consist a lot of super-sized fast food meals.  I didn't seem to have time in my busy schedule of work and mom to plan and cook dinner - or so I told myself.  The truth was I didn't MAKE time.  Because I chose to take the lazy way out, I would justify in my mind that it was easier to pick something up from the nearest drive thru rather than make a dinner for my family.  When January rolled around and it was time for resolutions, I knew I desperately needed to make some changes in my life.  I needed to be a better role model to my family.  So I committed to cooking meals more and eating out less.  But I also knew I needed to find some healthier recipes than those I had grown up learning to cook.  To be successful at this I knew I needed to find recipes that I would like and wouldn't be a punishment to eat.  So I spent A LOT of time on Pinterest gathering new food ideas.  Oh how I just LOVE that site!  I have gotten some GREAT recipes from there!!

Part of the reason I used to hate to cook dinner for the family and copped out for fast food was because I wasn't prepared.  I would literally go to the store nearly EVERY night after work to get the ingredients I needed.  That soooooo was not working!  No wonder I opted for fast food!  So I committed to planning my weekly meals.  I made a weekly meal plan sheet.  I made a list of the meals in our rotation and i would pick a variety for that week.  I made note of our family schedule so on nights we would be busy with appointments or activities we could have an easier meal to prepare or leftovers.  Then I make my shopping list based on what I need to make those meals and I shop once a week (ish - if I make sure to get everything on my list and don't forget anything).  This has made things sooooooo much less hectic at our house in the evening!  And I can happily announce that we eat fast food probably only 1-2 times a month now.

Which brings me to my next point about food - start by making better choices, not necessarily the BEST choice.  If going to a fast food place, opt for a chicken sandwich (or better yet) instead of the greasy burger.  Order a smaller meal than you used to.  Don't large size it.  Get diet soda instead of regular.  There are some great books out called "Eat this, not that" to illustrate this point.  It also aligns in some ways to the Weight Watchers methodology of nothing is off limits, but owning your choices.  In my opinion, this was instrumental in beginning this journey for me.  I am not sure I could have made it by going cold turkey....the temptation to give up and cheat is too great.  So I was able to justify the sacrifice in my mind by saying I was doing better than I used to.

I also realized that portion control was one of my biggest issues so I committed to trying to eat smaller meals more frequently throughout the day.  I eat breakfast, a morning snack, lunch, an afternoon snack, and dinner.  I have found that I am naturally eating at a more consistent time of day.  I am not as hungry between meals.  In fact, I have started to notice that I have to make an effort to eat all of my allotted calories on some days.  I have also noticed that I am starting to eat smaller portions - I notice when I am getting full and I am no longer so obsessed with food that I want to keep eating it, even when I am full.  I have been doing body by Vi shakes twice a day as a meal replacement, and feel that it has helped me in many ways.  It's helped me stick to my 1250 calorie a day goal.  It has helped me focus on portion control, listening to my body about when I am full, to see bigger loss on the scale, which has helped me so much mentally.  I will not do this forever and I am not sure I would have been successful if I hadn't already had the foundation in place of eating better before I started them, but it's working for now.

Step 2 - Eliminate soda, drink water
Anyone that knows me knows that I used to be a MAJOR Dr. Pepper junkie.  I would drink 60+ ounces a day at my peak.  The sugar and caffeine was the fuel that kept me going....and what contributed significantly to my weight gain.  So I switched over to diet coke and reduced the amount I was drinking to 1 a day, then to 1 a week, now to hardly ever.  Pretty much the only thing I drink anymore is straight water.  Sometimes, if I am needing a change I will add a Crystal Light type flavoring (Cherry Limeade is my favorite!).  I drink at least 64oz of water a day.

Step 3 - Tracking my food intake
Until you really start putting on paper EVERYTHING that goes in your mouth, you do not realize how quickly those calories add up!  I started out doing Weight Watchers on my phone and tracking using an app called "Ultimate Weight Watcher Diary" on my phone.  I have since switched to using "My Fitness Pal" and tracking Calories, Protein and Fat and I LOVE it!  It helps me to stay within the calorie goal I have set for myself (1200-1400 calories a day) and really make the conscious choice of do I really need/want to eat that food because I have to own what it does to my calorie log.

Step 4 - Track your progress - analyze what's working and what's not and make adjustments
Since January I have been keeping a spreadsheet to track my progress.  I started out simple, just tracking my weight, but I have tweaked it and added to it along the way.  Currently I am tracking my daily weight, whether I am +/-, my total weight loss since Aug, my weight loss since Jan (when I started tracking), how many minutes a day I exercise, how many miles I walk in a week.  It is probably way more information that some people would want to track and could be overwhelming.  Again I am a firm believer in doing what works for you.  Make it as simple or as complex as you want.  But it has been invaluable in helping me to see what's working and what's not.  It's helped to to realize that while the loss was at times small, it was there and I was making progress.  It's helped me to stay motivated and continue to push myself.

Step 5 - Exercise
This has been the hardest part for me to get going.  I started on the food part and kept trying to get more exercise in, but it wasn't my focus.  I knew I could only handle so much at a time, so I put this on the back burner.  I have never been a very physical person nor have I ever really liked it, so I knew that if I tried to do too much here I would get frustrated and quit.  I think one of the motivating factors for me with the exercise was being diagnosed as pre-diabetic.  The dietitian told me that 150 minutes of exercise a week would make a big difference in my sugar levels and I have read that several times before, so I finally committed almost 3 months ago now to making this my weekly goal.  While I did not meet it at first, it was a goal and I began working towards it.  As with everything on this journey, at first it was excruciatingly painful trying to coax myself into getting up off the couch.  I had to force myself to do it, sometimes kicking and screaming in my head like my 2 year old, but as time has gone on, it has gotten easier.  I actually find that I often look forward to it.  And I am now to the point where I am meeting, and now starting to exceed my weekly goal.  WOW.

My encouragement is to just get started.  Make the decision to begin, the commitment to changing something (no matter how small), and follow it through and see where it leads.  You may just surprise yourself!  I know I have.  And if I can do this, anyone can!!

If you would like a copy of my weekly meal plan template or my weight tracking spreadsheet, please feel free to email me at memorylanephotowichita@gmail.com

Lane Bryant sale...the only bra I will wear

The bra a girl wears can make a HUGE difference in how she looks!!!!!  No one wants saggy boobs, spillage, etc.  A bra that fits well can make you look slimmer.  As a "well endowed" girl, I used to have the WORST time trying to find bras that fit and supported well and were flattering to my unflattering figure.  Especially when I got heavy enough that I couldn't get a bra just anywhere because I was over a DD.  If you are larger than that it is sooooooo hard to find a bra.  And just forget finding any cute or sexy ones in larger sizes.  They are virtually non-existent!  That was, until I found Lane Bryant's bras.....queue heavenly "aaaaaaaaaaaah" music.

Lane Bryant bras fit AMAZING!!!!  They have fantastic lift and support, they are comfortable, they last a long time.  The stores don't carry many of the really larger sizes (or at least they didn't use to....it's been a while since I checked and things may have changed), but you can take your measurements (or they can help you in the store to ensure you get the right fit) and you can order up to a size H online.....woop woop!  I took my own measurements the first time I ordered online, assuming I would have to send it back, but it was a perfect fit!  They even have cute, fun and sexy colors and now prints for the larger sizes.  A far cry from the past when big girls could only get white and black.

Since I have lost 40+ pounds now, my bras are fitting much differently.  I have the hooks on the tightest possible and they are starting to fit loosely.  Also the cups are getting too big.  So I bought a tape measure yesterday (and it's even pink!) so I could measure and see what size I really am now to order new ones.  Imagine my delight when I got an email from Lane Bryant yesterday that they are having a Memorial Day sale....buy one get one free on bras (and lots of other sale deals) through Monday......SQUEEL!!!!  Talk about divine intervention!   I wanted to share with all of you in case you want to take advantage of the sale too!!!!  Happy shopping ladies!!!

http://www.lanebryant.com/

"I wish I had your motivation!"

Posting my weight loss results lately has been just FUN!  I am at the point where people are starting to notice a difference (compared to being at that awkward stage where they notice something is different but they can't quite put their finger on what and don't want to say something out of fear of being rude).  Some of my clothes are literally hanging off me, which I NEVER imagined happening!  It's funny how I was trying to lose weight but my mind could never comprehend it actually happening, what that really entailed and how different I would look and feel.

Through these postings, I have gotten so many comments of support back.  I especially love hearing that I motivated someone else to make changes!!  One of the most common things that people say is "I wish I had your motivation!"  So over the last few weeks I have been "drafting" this blog in my head so I can hopefully share some tidbit of my motivation with those interested.  I am so glad to finally have a chance to sit down in a quiet house (no "Mom" calls to divert my attention), a day off work so I am not trying to write at midnight when I should be sleeping and be able to get the thoughts out of my head....terribly therapeutic for me!   Warning, this will probably be a long post....like I said, it's been cooking in my brain for a while now (and I'm wordy anyway!)  :o)

Motivation is defined as "desire to do.  Interest or drive".  Yup, I would say I have found my motivation.  I have the desire.  I am finally in a point in my life where I want to be healthier.  I was tired of being fat, overweight, and in my own mind unattractive.  I was tired of only having the energy to sit on the couch night after night and feel like a slug.  All I kept doing was getting heavier and heavier.  I knew if I kept on that path I would begin to have medical problems, wouldn't be able to enjoy life to it's fullest, and would miss out on opportunities.  I was happy, but I wasn't happy with MYSELF.

I still keep trying to pinpoint the moment where I found the motivation to begin this journey.  It really was like someone flipped on a switch in my head.  It was a dramatic mental difference, unlike anything I have ever experienced before. I know how hard "dieting" can be if you aren't in the right frame of mind.  Many times before I had wanted to be in the place where mentally I was ready, but I could never seem to find it.  I think my "it moment" was seeing a photo of myself (looking like a beached whale).  In my mind's eye, I wasn't seeing myself like that.  I knew my clothes were getting tighter, I was having to buy larger sizes, I was getting slower, harder to move, etc.  But I felt like I kept seeing the same face in the mirror every morning and in my eyes it did NOT look like that photo (I seem to just have short mirrors in my house, so I missed seeing the "big" picture).  So the photo was a tough reality check to swallow - that photo is how I really look and how others see me.   I still don't know why it was THAT moment for me and not any of the other times I have seen photos of myself or wanted to be ready, but I am very thankful that things clicked into place and the planets aligned for me at that moment and I am here now.

My plan, progress and success has been based on a dramatic lifestyle change, not just a diet.  You hear people say that all the time, but it really is true.  Before I could eat what I wanted, how much I wanted, when I wanted and be fat and have my self esteem be in the toilet, or I could CHOOSE to change my habits, make better choices and change my LIFE.  One of the best decisions I have ever made.  I am constantly amazed at how much better I feel - mentally and physically.  I have more energy, I feel happier, I want to do more.

So while people say they want my motivation, I think there are also a few other key ingredients:
Motivation = desire, interest, drive
Determination = the act of making or arriving at a decision
Drive = to push, propel, or press onward forcibly; urge forward
Willpower = the trait of resolutely controlling your own behavior

So my recommendation to all those seeking my "motivation"...look at yourself - in the mirror, in photos (even if you hate them - take it yourself and don't show anyone else) - whatever you need to do to really see what you really look like.  No ignorance is bliss, no denial - those are not allowed.  But truly accepting your current reality.  Then assess and decide if you are happy or if you want to make changes.  I often hear the Tim McGraw song in my head  "How bad do you want it?"  Do you want to make changes badly enough to begin making better choices?  That's all it takes is a beginning.  Then give yourself enough opportunity to have some success.  Closely monitor your progress so you can see the success.  Celebrate and acknowledge the success, even the small ones, and use them as motivation to keep you going.

So what gives me the motivation, determination, drive and willpower to stick with it this time?  One word - RESULTS.  I simply LOVE seeing the scale number keep moving down.  I am excited to try on my clothes everyday and see how differently they fit.  I enjoy fitting into smaller sizes that I haven't been able to wear in a LONG time.  I get proud of myself every time I make a healthier choice that I used to do.  I grin from ear to ear when I hear people tell me how great I look or how well I have been doing.  Find the things that give YOU motivation, determination, drive and willpower.  Find an incredible support system - family, friends, acquaintances, total strangers...any warm body will do - and let them tell you repeatedly and frequently how fantastic you are doing.  Even though you may hate them, take photos of yourself along the way.  Go back and compare to where you were (preferably side by side so you can REALLY tell).  And post them if you can stomach it (again, that gives people an opportunity to tell you how great you are doing - cheerleaders are awesome!).

Keep some of your "fat clothes" and put them on every now and then - again, to celebrate measurably how far you have come.  Those are some of the things that will get you through the tough times - when you wonder why you are bothering to do this, when you want to quit and go back to your evil old ways.  Those will be the things that make you realize why you are doing this, why it is important, and why you should push though and keep on keepin' on.

I hope this post has helped someone in some way.  If nothing else, I've had my therapy session for the week.  :o)  Best of luck to you all in this journey!