Not done yet, but happy

First off, I want to clarify that I am NOT at goal yet, I am NOT going off
low-carb or into maintenance or anything like that. I am still watching
the carbs and calories, still working out, and still losing weight. But, I
had this realization this morning: If for some reason I WERE to stop
losing at this point, and there was nothing I could do about it, like some
alien came down from outer space and zapped me with some mysterious ray
that forever froze my body at this weight, I could live with it and be
happy. I know I am still overweight, but I'm not panicky and disgusted and
hating my body like I did 33 pounds ago. I don't see myself as
"disgustingly fat" anymore, even though I still have about 30 pounds to go.
I think it's a combination of things: I was at or around this weight for
most of high school and college, and I got used to seeing myself at that
weight, so now the picture in the mirror matches the picture in my head.
When I got up to 212, it happened relatively quickly, so I still had the
picture in my head of the lighter (but still heavy) me, and I would be
surprised at how fat I was every time I glanced at myself in a window
walking by, or saw a photo of myself. Also, I am now a size 14, approaching
12, and in our overweight country that is actually the "average" size of a
woman, so compared to the women around me I am not a "hottie" but I'm not a
freak either. I am small enough to shop in normal stores and fit in
theater seats and whatnot.

None of the above is to say I'm satisfied and complacent with where I am, I
WILL continue to lose until I hit goal (barring aliens with freezing ray
guns of course). It's just that my thinking of "Oh sh*t I'm so fat I have
to lose weight" has changed to "Wow, I've come so far this is great and
it's only going to get better!" I think I've passed over some sort of
psychological hump.

--
-Michelle Levin (Luna)
http://www.mindspring.com/~lunachick
http://www.mindspring.com/~designbyluna

In article ,
Luna wrote:

First off, I want to clarify that I am NOT at goal yet, I am NOT going
off
low-carb or into maintenance or anything like that. I am still watching
the carbs and calories, still working out, and still losing weight. But,
I
had this realization this morning: If for some reason I WERE to stop
losing at this point, and there was nothing I could do about it, like
some
alien came down from outer space and zapped me with some mysterious ray
that forever froze my body at this weight, I could live with it and be
happy.

And that is an excellent place to be. This is what I mean when I think
about acceptance -- self-acceptance, no matter what. Because life is
too short to be hating one's self for what one looks like.

Health should be the goal.

I don't know if that came out right, but...

--
Nancy Howells (don't forget to switch it, and replace the to send mail).

"Luna" wrote in message
...
First off, I want to clarify that I am NOT at goal yet, I am NOT going off
low-carb or into maintenance or anything like that. I am still watching
the carbs and calories, still working out, and still losing weight. But,
I
had this realization this morning: If for some reason I WERE to stop
losing at this point, and there was nothing I could do about it, like some
alien came down from outer space and zapped me with some mysterious ray
that forever froze my body at this weight, I could live with it and be
happy. I know I am still overweight, but I'm not panicky and disgusted
and
hating my body like I did 33 pounds ago. I don't see myself as
"disgustingly fat" anymore, even though I still have about 30 pounds to
go.
I think it's a combination of things: I was at or around this weight for
most of high school and college, and I got used to seeing myself at that
weight, so now the picture in the mirror matches the picture in my head.
When I got up to 212, it happened relatively quickly, so I still had the
picture in my head of the lighter (but still heavy) me, and I would be
surprised at how fat I was every time I glanced at myself in a window
walking by, or saw a photo of myself. Also, I am now a size 14,
approaching
12, and in our overweight country that is actually the "average" size of a
woman, so compared to the women around me I am not a "hottie" but I'm not
a
freak either. I am small enough to shop in normal stores and fit in
theater seats and whatnot.

None of the above is to say I'm satisfied and complacent with where I am,
I
WILL continue to lose until I hit goal (barring aliens with freezing ray
guns of course). It's just that my thinking of "Oh sh*t I'm so fat I have
to lose weight" has changed to "Wow, I've come so far this is great and
it's only going to get better!" I think I've passed over some sort of
psychological hump.


You rule!


jules

I know what you mean! I'm happy with the way I look at the moment, but I
try on the old jeans and they're still tight and it shows me where I need to
lose fat.

All we can do is keep trying and stay on our set program and remember how we
got this way.
It shoud be simple mathematics at this point!

--
285/236/210 6' 1 "
Aug/03/03


"Luna" wrote in

that forever froze my body at this weight, I could live with it and be
happy. I know I am still overweight, but I'm not panicky and disgusted
and
hating my body like I did 33 pounds ago.

It's great when the light goes on and you can you say "Hey, I like
me!!" . Doesnt mean that the quest is finished.. but it sure does help
when it comes to using food to console ourselves about how we feel
about ourselves.

I"m glad that you are happy with how far you've come !
I've no doubt at all, that you'll be exactly where you envision
yourself in the future.

~Karen~


On Thu, 23 Oct 2003 15:11:32 GMT, Luna
wrote:

First off, I want to clarify that I am NOT at goal yet, I am NOT going off
low-carb or into maintenance or anything like that. I am still watching
the carbs and calories, still working out, and still losing weight. But, I
had this realization this morning: If for some reason I WERE to stop
losing at this point, and there was nothing I could do about it, like some
alien came down from outer space and zapped me with some mysterious ray
that forever froze my body at this weight, I could live with it and be
happy. I know I am still overweight, but I'm not panicky and disgusted and
hating my body like I did 33 pounds ago. I don't see myself as
"disgustingly fat" anymore, even though I still have about 30 pounds to go.
I think it's a combination of things: I was at or around this weight for
most of high school and college, and I got used to seeing myself at that
weight, so now the picture in the mirror matches the picture in my head.
When I got up to 212, it happened relatively quickly, so I still had the
picture in my head of the lighter (but still heavy) me, and I would be
surprised at how fat I was every time I glanced at myself in a window
walking by, or saw a photo of myself. Also, I am now a size 14, approaching
12, and in our overweight country that is actually the "average" size of a
woman, so compared to the women around me I am not a "hottie" but I'm not a
freak either. I am small enough to shop in normal stores and fit in
theater seats and whatnot.

None of the above is to say I'm satisfied and complacent with where I am, I
WILL continue to lose until I hit goal (barring aliens with freezing ray
guns of course). It's just that my thinking of "Oh sh*t I'm so fat I have
to lose weight" has changed to "Wow, I've come so far this is great and
it's only going to get better!" I think I've passed over some sort of
psychological hump.

~Karen~
225/189/140ish
start Jan17/03
Started at the gym September/03

Thanks! I didn't even think of that, the correlation between feeling
better about myself and not using food for comfort. I've always felt
pretty good about _myself_, who I am as a person, it's always been seperate
from how I feel about how I look. I still don't feel great about how I
look, I'm not looking at myself going "Wow, you're a hottie" but I'm also
not going "Eww, gross." I feel, and think objectively, that I look on the
larger end of "normal" now. It's like the difference between seeing a
stranger and the first thing you notice is "fat," or the first thing you
notice is "red hair."

In article ,
krtyrrell wrote:

It's great when the light goes on and you can you say "Hey, I like
me!!" . Doesnt mean that the quest is finished.. but it sure does help
when it comes to using food to console ourselves about how we feel
about ourselves.

I"m glad that you are happy with how far you've come !
I've no doubt at all, that you'll be exactly where you envision
yourself in the future.

~Karen~


On Thu, 23 Oct 2003 15:11:32 GMT, Luna
wrote:

First off, I want to clarify that I am NOT at goal yet, I am NOT going off
low-carb or into maintenance or anything like that. I am still watching
the carbs and calories, still working out, and still losing weight. But, I
had this realization this morning: If for some reason I WERE to stop
losing at this point, and there was nothing I could do about it, like some
alien came down from outer space and zapped me with some mysterious ray
that forever froze my body at this weight, I could live with it and be
happy. I know I am still overweight, but I'm not panicky and disgusted and
hating my body like I did 33 pounds ago. I don't see myself as
"disgustingly fat" anymore, even though I still have about 30 pounds to go.
I think it's a combination of things: I was at or around this weight for
most of high school and college, and I got used to seeing myself at that
weight, so now the picture in the mirror matches the picture in my head.
When I got up to 212, it happened relatively quickly, so I still had the
picture in my head of the lighter (but still heavy) me, and I would be
surprised at how fat I was every time I glanced at myself in a window
walking by, or saw a photo of myself. Also, I am now a size 14, approaching
12, and in our overweight country that is actually the "average" size of a
woman, so compared to the women around me I am not a "hottie" but I'm not a
freak either. I am small enough to shop in normal stores and fit in
theater seats and whatnot.

None of the above is to say I'm satisfied and complacent with where I am, I
WILL continue to lose until I hit goal (barring aliens with freezing ray
guns of course). It's just that my thinking of "Oh sh*t I'm so fat I have
to lose weight" has changed to "Wow, I've come so far this is great and
it's only going to get better!" I think I've passed over some sort of
psychological hump.

~Karen~
225/189/140ish
start Jan17/03
Started at the gym September/03

--
-Michelle Levin (Luna)
http://www.mindspring.com/~lunachick
http://www.mindspring.com/~designbyluna