One Year Ago...

Today was wonderful! I had such a great evening spending time with loved ones and I did get a lot of really positive, lovely remarks about my transformation. It was just a great night and I had a ton of fun!

One of the special things about tonight’s event is that one year ago, while sitting pretty much at my heaviest weight, I was celebrating the same birthday with the same people. Except I can recall a very different emotion attached to last year’s party due to one conversation in particular that I had with the patriarch.

This group of people has been in my life for about two decades now so I am considered family and, as such, have long looked at the man I am speaking about as a father figure. Last February, he and I found ourselves in the kitchen having a deep conversation about all of the different facets of life. We chatted about what was going on in our lives, what was taking place in the world, and of ideas and thoughts and dreams. Inevitably – I say this because he, too, is an individual who struggles with extra pounds – the topic of weight loss was finally broached.

I remember that I fought to maintain my composure as I discussed in detail all I had tried over the previous year or two to drop the excess weight. I probably smiled at him with tears clinging to my eyelashes as I simultaneously enjoyed the openness that we share and abashedly admitted to my shortcomings. Then he told me something I will never forget.

“Maybe losing weight is just one of those things that you won’t ever be able to do.”

It was said with every loving fiber of his being, and undoubtedly with the intention of easing my obvious frustration with the issue, but still was so incredibly opposite to my way of thinking that I haven’t forgotten anything about that moment. And I told him so then; I argued that I didn’t believe that and that I absolutely could do anything I set my mind to… that anything was possible.

I got to remind him of that conversation today. I got to tell him that I knew he was wrong then and that I still believe that anything is possible. We laughed, we hugged, and he told me he is proud. He told me I’m inspiring.

Happy Love Day, everyone!

FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 9 glasses of water
- 3 cups Caesar salad with Parmesan cheese, croutons, dried cranberries, and fat free dressing
- 1/2 glass of sparkling apple juice
- 1 cup green beans
- 3 sweet pickles
- 1/2 cup sour cream mashed potatoes
- 2 slices roast beef
- 1 homemade Yorkshire pudding
- 1 cup homemade reduced fat, reduced calorie trifle
- 1 piece angel food cake
- 1 mug of coconut steamed skim milk

EXERCISE:
- 4 sets of 30 seconds of crouched shadow boxing with dumbbells with 2.5 lbs for each arm
- 2 sets of 2 minutes of weight lifting with 2.5 lbs per arm
- 3 sets of 30 seconds of jumping jacks with 2.5 lbs per arm