I'm NORMAL!!!!!

I weighed myself today, and I realized (even after memorial day!) that I have reached my short term goal of 173 pounds!!  That means that for the first time in my entire life, my BMI is in the NORMAL RANGE!!!! I'M NORMAL!!!!

I've never been SO happy to be average in my LIFE!

Granted, my BMI is still in the high range of normal, and my ultimate goal is 155-160 pounds since I'm 5'10'' and big boned. But THIS is reason for celebration.  My year and a half long campaign to get fit, get healthy, and be confident is nearly complete, and I just can't believe it.  I started at just over 230 pounds and never thought I'd come this far.  But I have, and now...

I'm normal. *insert the biggest sigh of relief you've ever heard here*

First of all, thank you GOD!.  And second of all, a big thanks to everyone who has encouraged me and helped me along the way on this site!  I still have a few pounds to lose, and I'll still need your encouragement.  But thanks for all the posts and the information and the inspiration.  You are all wonderful!  HOORAY!

Lauren

Thank you!!! I KNOW you can do it!

That is so wonderful, congrats! You definitely deserve a celebration.

 What helped you stay on track?

After coming this far, I'm a firm believer in finding a "motivator."  Everyone has one instinctual thing that truly motivates them to lose weight, and finding that one thing and focusing on it is the key. 

If you promise not to judge me, I'll tell you what mine is/was.  I was the first girl to marry into my husband's southern family.  It took a lot of effort but they accepted me and loved me even though I was a northern girl and nothing like what they're used to.  Then, my husband's brother got engaged to a 5'2" 18-year old barbie doll.  Now being the only two girls in the family, my husband's family and friends in his hometown compared us.  I felt this overwhelming urge to compete, mostly because she is very competitive and tries to copy my life.  Any time I got discouraged in my weight loss, I looked at all the pictures on her myspace that she took of herself half naked (yes, she's one of those). I was extremely overweight and wanted to do something so my husband would be proud I was HIS and not envious of his brother (P.S. my husband has never thought I was anything less than beautiful and I'm very blessed).

Now that I've come this far, it isn't about her, but about being healthy and happy with myself.  However, I will be in her wedding next May, and I want to look and feel incredible when we have to go back down there to my husband's hometown and mingle with all the people he grew up with.

Moral of the story: You need to find what drives you.  What motivates you?  Is it an event?  Is it a person?  Is it a situation?  It has to be big and important enough to fuel you even when the times get tough.  My self-confidence and competitive nature mixed with my husband's happiness were enough to keep me going for the past year and a half.  Plus the memories of...

• My mother-in-law talking about how cute & thin my soon-to-be sister-in-law is
• The sales girl at Lowe's asking when I was due
• Trying on clothes in the "women's" section for the first time because the regular sizes no longer fit
• My soon-to-be sister-in-law talking about how hard it is to find extra smalls
• My aerobics instructor commenting on how fat I was and how I probably needed a different sports bra

They fueled me, they motivated me, and I vowed I would never go through that again.  Ever.

Find what motivates you and do it.  We're all struggling with something that is completely under our control.  We just need to take control and live our lives.

Lauren

YAY!

CONGRATULATIONS!!

Good lord I feel like I just read something about motivation that I would post!!!  Except mines not a skinny little twig of a sister-in-law:) Mine is every friend I have on the planet being smaller than I am.  Ditto for the husband being happy thing.  Although my husband would never say out loud that I look anything less than beautiful, I can't help but to think inside he's wishing I looked a little more like, well, just a smaller version of the me I am now. 

Thanks for your inspiration.  You are now officially on my list of motivators!

I am so proud of you. I love your motivation. It reminds of someone??? Oh yea me. I have lost a little over 20 lbs and no longer have to pay a "fat" charge for plus size cloths.

Keep up the great work.

Congratulations on your milestone!  I know that feels so good. 

Yay you!! I too will one day be normal. Well sorta.

Thanks everyone! I know what you mean about the "Fat charge" for clothing.  I don't miss that one bit. Thanks Got2getthin for understanding my motivator.  It may seem petty to some, but it worked for me.

Lauren

Lauren,

Wow, congratulations I just love your story and your energy. It's people like you who encourage us and keep us on track.  I feel for everyone here, I too know what it's like to be the big girl in the group of friends.  My one really good friend is all of 4 ft 10 so I look like a giant next to her.

I'm sick and tired of feeling sick and tired and overweight.  I now know what motivates me......

1. smaller friends

2. just looking at photographs of myself (i delete them all)

3. being maid of honour in my best friends wedding (she's a size 6)

4. my kids

5. having to go into the plus department (explain why we can't have the cute clothes and not the clothes with the huge patterns and elastic waist?)

6. and lastly, my double chin

Thanks for your motivation, I know with posts like yours I can do this.

Take care

Sarnate, I totally hear you on each of your motivators!!!!  I used to photoshop pictures of myself because I couldn't bare to look at my double chin and big arms.  I could never keep up with my little niece and nephew because I was in terrible shape.  I used to look around the room in meetings or at social gatherings and realize I was the heaviest person there.  I completely understand.

Weddings are a pretty powerful motivator.  You know that your best friend's wedding pictures will be around forever.  You definitely want to look your best.  That's the track I'm on.  My stick thin soon-to-be sister-in-law will be here visiting in July (hooray.) and wants to go with me to try on my bridesmaids dress.  So now she'll have to sit there and know if the size 10 or 12 is too small, and she'll be all smug and I just won't be able to stand it.  I want to be in a size 8 for that fitting, and that is what's pushing me.  The thought of her smug little smile as the salesgirl tells me I need to go up a size to a 14, when my soon-to-be sister-in-law fits into a size 2.  I refuse to let that happen.

This is something we can do, I've been doing it for nearly two years and no, it hasn't been easy.  But nothing worth fighting for is EVER easy.

Feel free to post your motivators for losing weight. Writing them out and sharing them with everyone makes them that much more real, and that much more important. Plus, they're very encouraging.

Cheers!
Lauren

Congrats! Reading your story was motivation in itself and I definitely can understand being competetive because I'm the same way! I'm looking forward to the day when my BMI is normal =)

Thanks Maelie!!!

CONGRATULATIONS!

When I read your post I went and checked mine!  I am right there with you at 24.7!  I have been waiting 2 years for the moment.  My starting weight was  229.5. 

Thanks for posting! 

Congratulations!  You're an inspiration to everyone here.  Keep it up.

Thank you VERY much. I really appreciate it!

Congratulations! I too hit the "normal" mark over the weekend. A BMI 24.8 (Okay so its just there but still a milestone!). So I know exactly how you feel right now.

Good luck with the rest of the weight loss and to leading a healthier lifestyle, may it last forever! I don't want to get fat again!

Congrats!  I'm waiting for that day myself and your story is a great motivator!!