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I got a nice surprise today. I have two pairs of black dress pants. The tight pair and the really tight pair. Last night when I went to a friend's house for dinner. I grabbed a pair of black dress pants. They were not snug but not quite as loose as I like, but totally wearable. I paid no attention to them other than that I got them on and they worked. This morning when I picked them up off the floor to put them in the hamper, I realized they were the former "really tight" pair and not the"tight pair". Looks like not looking at the scale is agreeing with me cause the inches seem to be cooperating.
So, I was moved to count my successes on Atkins:
I began this long journey (you may all sigh and roll your eyes here knowing that a lengthy post is about to follow) in 2002. I was living in Russia. The land of scarce veggies in winter (which lasts nine months) and fatty meat of questionable caliber, and various smoked fishy things and lots of aspic, which I cannot expand upon because I always found it kind of--make that very--disgusting looking, and so never actually attempted to ingest it. I mean jellied meat-what is that? Anyway, I started off and lost 45 pounds in the first year. We then got yanked out of Moscow (byebye cheap caviar) and moved to Hong Kong, land of the perpetual size two female and a Mecca for rice ingestion. Yes I am acutely aware of this strange paradox. It defies the natural order of things. But I digress.
From my humble beginnings and with the help of my Atkins boards (sorry ADBB--you weren't my first) I have made some damn fine progress even though I am only halfway to goal. For one, I have kept this first half pretty much off for over 6 years. I have gone from three belly rolls to one (albeit bumpy) and likewise with my number of chins.
Those jiggly areas of my back that used to hang over the bra no longer will hold a pencil, while I am quite certain a magic marker could probably have lodged there previously-perhaps and entire box of Crayolas. I no longer live in fear of sundress season and the impending choice to roast in panty hose or risk chafing of bare skin on bare skin from my thunder thighs. (by the way, Body Glide would have solved this problem had I only known about it) I have arms that are no longer one long continuous ski slope from my neck to my elbows. I have actual shoulders now. And you know those two dimples that reside just above the butt on thin folk? What? You have never seen any and don't know to what I am referring? Well, anyway, I see the beginnings of dimples right there in my derriere. I have a bona fide six pack. I can't quite see it but the indentations are there in my stomach-even when I am not sucking in with all my might. I have noticed that I have a high proud and prominent behind--and I am OK with it, not so much the saddlebags, though.
Best of all, I feel terrific (when my muscles aren't too sore-but I actually have gotten to like that feeling) and I move differently, carry myself differently. I move like an athlete (which is still quite funny to me) and I walk confidently into a gym where before I slunk in with heavy sweats and hid in the corner to work out during the slack times when as few folks as possible are there. I got my first massage a couple years back because my feeling good became more important than how fat the therapist might think me. I started to wear color and better fitting clothes because I decided I deserve it. I have gone from working out because I am afraid if I stop for a day I will stop forever, to a point where I know even if I were to have to take a month or two off I KNOW DEEP DOWN that I will get back there because I miss exercise. That, of course is a general hypothetical--the actuality of getting up at 6:30 to go workout is still just as hateful as it has always been. I no longer have to wonder if I will be able to cram my butt into an economy airline seat--it can be snug on some planes but it used to be a burning worry before each flight. I appeared in a swim suit in front of other people including male people for the first time in probably 6 or 7 years this year. I am still not crazy about how I look but I no longer am allowing it to stop me from swimming. There are things that it does hinder but this too shall pass.
I have good cholesterol, great blood pressure, unreal triglycerides and my skin looks fantastic on Atkins. I sleep well, lost my acid reflux and have seen my allergy symptoms lessen markedly. I used to have to purchase enough Sudafed to warrant raised eyebrows from the pharmacist (NO I am not a middle aged woman running a Meth lab thank you) and now I may have a couple of bad allergy weeks a year. All in all, this stuff makes the scale seem downright insignificant. Don'tcha think?
So, I was moved to count my successes on Atkins:
I began this long journey (you may all sigh and roll your eyes here knowing that a lengthy post is about to follow) in 2002. I was living in Russia. The land of scarce veggies in winter (which lasts nine months) and fatty meat of questionable caliber, and various smoked fishy things and lots of aspic, which I cannot expand upon because I always found it kind of--make that very--disgusting looking, and so never actually attempted to ingest it. I mean jellied meat-what is that? Anyway, I started off and lost 45 pounds in the first year. We then got yanked out of Moscow (byebye cheap caviar) and moved to Hong Kong, land of the perpetual size two female and a Mecca for rice ingestion. Yes I am acutely aware of this strange paradox. It defies the natural order of things. But I digress.
From my humble beginnings and with the help of my Atkins boards (sorry ADBB--you weren't my first) I have made some damn fine progress even though I am only halfway to goal. For one, I have kept this first half pretty much off for over 6 years. I have gone from three belly rolls to one (albeit bumpy) and likewise with my number of chins.
Those jiggly areas of my back that used to hang over the bra no longer will hold a pencil, while I am quite certain a magic marker could probably have lodged there previously-perhaps and entire box of Crayolas. I no longer live in fear of sundress season and the impending choice to roast in panty hose or risk chafing of bare skin on bare skin from my thunder thighs. (by the way, Body Glide would have solved this problem had I only known about it) I have arms that are no longer one long continuous ski slope from my neck to my elbows. I have actual shoulders now. And you know those two dimples that reside just above the butt on thin folk? What? You have never seen any and don't know to what I am referring? Well, anyway, I see the beginnings of dimples right there in my derriere. I have a bona fide six pack. I can't quite see it but the indentations are there in my stomach-even when I am not sucking in with all my might. I have noticed that I have a high proud and prominent behind--and I am OK with it, not so much the saddlebags, though.Best of all, I feel terrific (when my muscles aren't too sore-but I actually have gotten to like that feeling) and I move differently, carry myself differently. I move like an athlete (which is still quite funny to me) and I walk confidently into a gym where before I slunk in with heavy sweats and hid in the corner to work out during the slack times when as few folks as possible are there. I got my first massage a couple years back because my feeling good became more important than how fat the therapist might think me. I started to wear color and better fitting clothes because I decided I deserve it. I have gone from working out because I am afraid if I stop for a day I will stop forever, to a point where I know even if I were to have to take a month or two off I KNOW DEEP DOWN that I will get back there because I miss exercise. That, of course is a general hypothetical--the actuality of getting up at 6:30 to go workout is still just as hateful as it has always been. I no longer have to wonder if I will be able to cram my butt into an economy airline seat--it can be snug on some planes but it used to be a burning worry before each flight. I appeared in a swim suit in front of other people including male people for the first time in probably 6 or 7 years this year. I am still not crazy about how I look but I no longer am allowing it to stop me from swimming. There are things that it does hinder but this too shall pass.
I have good cholesterol, great blood pressure, unreal triglycerides and my skin looks fantastic on Atkins. I sleep well, lost my acid reflux and have seen my allergy symptoms lessen markedly. I used to have to purchase enough Sudafed to warrant raised eyebrows from the pharmacist (NO I am not a middle aged woman running a Meth lab thank you) and now I may have a couple of bad allergy weeks a year. All in all, this stuff makes the scale seem downright insignificant. Don'tcha think?
(Next pic at 187)
You certainly have had a lengthy and very interesting journey. I applaud you for you being able to examine, define, and describe all the changes that have defined you success so far 
and the reasons for continuing.
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