So Much More Than I Anticipated...

My new tiara...from Lynette!

 So today was the BIG day...the 100 pound loss! 

Let me begin by saying that I NEVER anticipated that it would feel like this.  But perhaps I should have.  There's something hugely significant about a 3-digit number. 

I have been thinking about and preparing for this day for a long while.  But I know that I still have 88 more pounds to go to reach my goal.  100 is barely past halfway to where I'm going.  I planned on celebrating it, marking it as a milestone...but I didn't figure on it completely throwing me for a loop!  It sure did today, though!  Let me tell you about it!

My kids' celebration!

So, this morning, I woke up and got on the scale at the same time I do every morning.  I held my breath, hoping!  I missed this by 1/10th of a pound yesterday morning, by the way.  And because I'm totally honest with myself and with you, I wouldn't allow myself to claim the 100 pound loss until that scale read 228...not 229.1!  So this morning, the scale DID read 228...in fact, it was 228.1...exactly a pound different from yesterday.  A few more tenths, and I would be looking at a 101 pound loss today, not just 100.  But I'm really glad it read 228...not 227 point something.  I really needed to see a number that was exactly 100 pounds less than the highest number I've seen on that scale.  There was something overpowering about that emotionally. 

Happy to FINALLY hit this goal!

And really, THAT is what I didn't expect.  With all the other milestones I've hit, it's been a case of excitement, gratitude, but also a sense of purpose and accomplishment.  I get "pumped up", much like an athlete that has made a great play on the field.  I'll grunt, high-five my friends, and generally get excited.  But not overly emotional.  When I hit 99 pounds earlier this week, when the scale first read a number in the 220's, not the 230's, I cried.  Hard.  It just overwhelmed me.  And that was really just the warm up for this morning.  When I saw that 228, I smiled...I remembered that.  And then came the tears.  I sobbed.  I dropped to my aching, arthritic knees on my bathroom floor and sobbed. 

My buddy celebrating with Mama.

Those tears were cleansing...saying goodbye to who I was 100 pounds ago, and they were also tears of gratitude for the work that God has been doing in me.  I am literally, just like 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, a NEW creation!  The old has gone and behold, the NEW Angie has arrived!  No, I'm not where I'm going to be.  I won't be for another 88 pounds.  But really, that has already been decided and determined.  The day I started work on these goals 20 months ago, the decision was made.  Right now, I'm just living it out.

After I pulled myself together a bit, I began to text my closest friends...the ones who loved me as much 100 pounds ago as they do today and will tomorrow.  These people are my support system, my network...and they wanted to know the minute it happened, no matter that it was 6:00 AM!  Well, wonderful things started happening from that moment on in my day, and as I sit here one minute shy of midnight, reluctant to let go of this day, they still are happening!

Great things happen in your life when you know people like Mike Alley and Tracey Tiernan.  Not only have they been my friends for a long while, but they also happen to be 2/3rds of an AWESOME morning radio team on 95.1 Shine FM in Baltimore where I live.  And after I let them know I'd hit the goal, they did something amazing.  They let me share it on the air!  Not only that, but they alerted people to this blog.  Did you know I got over 1,200 hits today because of them sharing the link on their Facebook page, along with some of my friends sharing it on their own pages?  Wow.  Talk about overwhelming!  It's like God took this one moment today and expanded 100-fold my ability to be an influence for Him and share this journey to bless others!  Completely amazed and humbled by that!

The "official" 100 pound photo

Speaking of Facebook, sharing my success there early this morning with the "official" photograph you see here brought me almost 100 "likes" and about 50 comments of congratulations from my friends.  Then I went to work, and my students loved on me some more.  Knowing that my success means so much to them...teaches them lessons like perseverance, dedication, hard work...that just adds so much to the achievement in my mind!  I'm showing an entire generation of little people that once you pursue a goal with whole-hearted devotion, you not only CAN achieve it...you WILL achieve it!  I hope they remember that lesson forever!

The day continued just like it began - filled with best wishes and congratulations from just about everyone I know in life!  Friends, family, even acquaintances that my close personal friend...MANDISA...sent my way!  (Long and WONDERFUL story for another time!)  After work, I met my newest workout buddy...and long-time friend, Lynette for a workout...where she set up balloons, a banner, and presented me with my lovely tiara!  It was so appropriate, because I've felt like a princess all day today!  Then I worked out...wearing my tiara...and finally spent time out with my husband and one of our sons to celebrate the milestone.

 And now, as it has passed midnight and a new day has officially begun, I'm reflecting on the entire thing and here's what I'm feeling.

First...God showed me once again today the absolutely VITAL role that COMMUNITY is playing for me in my life right now.  People like Mike, Tracey, Rick, Angie, Lindsey (both of them!), Lynette, Dan...they made today so much more amazing than if I had hit this milestone alone.  It reminded me that God has blessed my socks off with family, friends, and a bunch of new acquaintances who enrich my life and propel me in positive, healthy directions.  These people LOVE me.  Not the feeling type of love (Though at least one of them does, I think! Ha!)...no...I mean the ACTION kind of love.  They choose to DO things for me and with me that are loving and kind. They bless me greatly with their dedication and friendship.  They pour into my life, and because of that, I overflow and can pour into so many other lives.  God planned it this way for us all, friends.  He never meant for us to do life alone.  I pray that each of you can identify who God has put in your path to do that for you.  I'm certain that He has those people there for you.  Sometimes you just have to look a little deeper, venture a little farther outside yourself to find those people He puts along your path.  Take the time to do that, friends.  You will never regret it.  I can assure you of that!

Next, I've been thinking about what's next.  For me, what's next is to use the energy I have from this day of celebration to continue the things that got me to this point.  I am vowing with a renewed commitment to remember my new healthy habits and choose to live them out daily.  When I'm tempted to cave...and I will be...just like I have been often along this journey...I now have this day to come back to in my mind and remember how it felt.  I have a lot more to learn along this journey...and I'll learn those lessons, and share them here for you to benefit as well.  But I've already learned much.  And today reminds me that those are powerful, life-giving lessons.  The next goal I have is to be less than 200 pounds by my 45th birthday on April 30th.  That's 114 days away in case you wondered.  And if i lose about 1.5 pounds a week on average from now until then, I'll lose those 28 pounds I need to lose.  What's next?  Going after the bigger goals.  This one is nice...but it's not the end.  Not nearly.

Finally, what I've processed about today is that milestones are important.  That was one of my first blog posts here on this blog back in June.  I shouldn't have underestimated this one.  No, I'm not where I'm going.  But friends, I'm also a HUGE distance away from where I've been!  And the future is coming into clearer focus with every step I take toward that goal.  Today was a big step.  I'm into a 3-digit weight loss!!  I'm not done...but 88 more pounds, and I'm where God and I decided we'd go. 

So, thanks again for sharing this journey.  I hope you're learning as much and being as blessed from it as I am.  Stick around, friends...we've got a ways to go, and many more milestones to reach! 

LET'S DO IT!!!