Week 16, November 20, 2012

Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has many–not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.
~Charles Dickens

Being Thursday is Thanksgiving I wanted to dedicate this week's blog to giving thanks.  I have much to be grateful for and I try hard not to take my blessings for granted but to acknowledge my Heavenly Father and His goodness and mercy.  Even though I have had many trials and afflictions I have for the most part lived a very blessed life.  Some of those choice blessings started with the loving home I was born and raised in.  I am so grateful for my family.  I was raised by and with incredible people who influenced me with good.  I have been blessed to live on this beautiful earth and given the appreciation of nature and all the wonders of it.  I have been blessed with a loving husband who is absolutely and unequivocally my best friend.  I have 4 amazing children, one loving daughter-in-law, 3 fantastic step-children and 3 fabulous grand children.  I have been blessed with an incredible home, the ability to work 2 jobs, my husband's employment and his wonderful benefits that blesses our family.  I have good health that is constantly getting better with every pound I drop.  The surgery has given me a new lease on life and I have a chance to take full benefits from this great blessing that was bestowed upon me.  And not lastly as there are too many blessings to list, but I am blessed with good friends that support and encourage and bless my life in more ways than they can ever understand.  My cup runneth over and I have more blessings than maybe I'm even deserving, but I am eternally grateful for them.

This last week was a fantastic week for weight loss.  I lost 5 pounds!  I am trying to get my exercise in more regularly.  Time is never my friend but I'm trying to make it happen nonetheless. The weight is a testament of what a good workout can do to help speed up the weight loss, not to mention the endorphins feel incredible after the workout.  

I finally reached a point where my old clothes were just not going to work any longer.  It was very necessary to go shopping.  My problem is that I don't want to spend much because my clothes will fit one week and not another.  So after Ron and I went to Breaking Dawn 2, (which I LOVED by the way) we went over to the Macy's Annex.  This is the discounted section of Macy's.  I found 7 sweaters for only $4.99 each.  Now the price was super exciting  but there was something even better than the cost.  I took in a whole bunch of sweaters to try on and I couldn't even begin to believe what I found.  I was no longer a 3x to 4x.  In fact I was not a 2x or a 1x.  I bought 4 sweaters that were an XL and 3 that were just a normal large.  And they fit!!!!!!!  I still can't believe it.  The one I'm wearing today is a large and it fits perfectly.  I think I was in my early 20's the last time I fit into a large top.  Woohoo!!!!!

I noticed wearing clothes that fit help to make me look smaller.  I have many more people noticing the loss now.  So I guess the moral of the story is, wear clothes that fit even throughout weight loss.  

As of Sunday I have lost 51 pounds since my surgery which was 16 weeks ago.  I have lost a total of 89 pounds from my highest weight which was in February 2012. 

This first picture was taken July 15, 2012 and I was at 305 pounds.  The second picture was taken November 18, 2012 and I am at 241.  So this depicts a 64 pound loss.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends and family.  May you each take time to count your many blessings.  I wish you all a happy and safe Thanksgiving with the ones you love.  Remember not to eat too much!