I lost over 200 pounds and gained so much more!

None of the items on my list, in and of themselves, amounts to much. But when I look at the following list as a whole, the significance of what I have done is overwhelming!



October, 2003 - 358 Pounds September, 2006 - 146 Pounds
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Things I Can Do Now that I Couldn't Do Then...


  1. I fit through turnstiles.
  2. I fit in airplane seats and without a seatbelt extension.
  3. I can lower the tray in an airplane seat.
  4. I don’t get “the look” by the person in the adjacent airplane seat. But if it's a man, sometimes I get the other look.
  5. I don’t worry about plastic furniture collapsing underneath me.
  6. I don’t have to heave myself up to get out of sofas or easy chairs.
  7. I fit in chairs with arms, including at the movies.
  8. Restaurant booths seem to be getting larger!
  9. Resin patio chairs don't collapse beneath my weight.
  10. I don’t drop food on the shelf of my bosom any more.
  11. No matter what the make and model of car, I can fasten the seatbelt, even in the back seat.
  12. My car gets more miles per gallon. Seriously! And the undercarriage doesn’t hit as many things either!
  13. I can fade into a crowd. Well, sort of - but it’s not my size, that makes me stand out!
  14. I constantly find myself in newspapers, magazines, and on TV (& I’m not just talking about Richard’s stuff and it’s not the shoulders through hips shot on the news when reporting on obesity either).
  15. I fit through market checkout stands.
  16. I’m not embarrassed if anyone at the market looks in my shopping cart.
  17. I can admit that I love food and don’t have to be ashamed of it.
  18. I like to experiment with different foods and recipes. I discovered that I love to cook.
  19. I can eat any kind of food in front of others, without feeling guilt and without getting “the look.”
  20. My food preferences have shifted from greasy and fast food to healthy choices. As a result, I have a wider variety of foods available to me.
  21. Friends don’t push food onto me anymore.
  22. I understand that I can eat any food that I really want, just in moderation.
  23. If I make a mistake and eat too much, I am able to acknowledge it without overwhelming feelings of guilt, analyze the situation to keep it from happening again, then move on.
  24. I embrace buying only one piece of candy at Sees, Godiva, etc. if I feel the need for sweets.
  25. I understand that thin people can’t eat everything they would like and stay thin too.
  26. I understand that food does not equal love.
  27. I’m not afraid of the scale or confronting my weight.
  28. When I choose to eat fattening foods, I’m not afraid to acknowledge it or deal with the consequences.
  29. I am tolerant of my personal eating patterns and work my program around them so that they both mesh together. I understand that nobody fits into a cookiecutter diet and that it has to be modified to each of our individual personalities.
  30. My doctors take my symptoms and reactions to treatment more seriously now. They don't look at me as a lost cause because my weight complicated already-difficult issues to treat.
  31. I am easier to treat medically. The titration of medicines is not as difficult when you are within a normal weight range.
  32. I can develop and enact a plan when faced with medication with weight-gain side effects.
  33. I fit in a regular sized MRI tube with room to spare.
  34. I use a normal sized blood pressure cuff.
  35. Procedures requiring the use of Ultrasound are meaningful.
  36. My diabetes is under control through diet alone.
  37. My blood pressure medication is reduced and I have a normal BP reading.
  38. I am not denied medical treatment because my size makes the equipment ineffective.
  39. The paper gowns at doctor’s offices cover me with ease.
  40. Even my doctors are flirting with me now.
  41. My knees and feet don’t hurt all the time.
  42. My doctors long predicted that I would need a total knee replacement by the time I was 50. I'm 50 and that procedure is not up for consideration.
  43. In the hospital, the gowns close and cover me in the back.
  44. In the hospital, the bed tray fits over my body so I don’t have to eat my meals hanging over the side of the bed.
  45. I can maneuver through crowds without bumping into everyone.
  46. I can use the regular sized stalls in public bathrooms.
  47. I can wear clothes I bought 20 years ago.
  48. I fit between racks of clothes at department stores.
  49. I don’t hang out of dressing rooms, especially the ones with curtains.
  50. I own less clothing yet have more outfits to wear.
  51. Sales people seem to want to help me when I shop.
  52. I can buy certain categories of clothing without even trying them on.
  53. I dress to flatter myself rather than my primary concern being just getting the clothes over my body.
  54. I can knit myself a sweater in ½ the time.
  55. I am not afraid to experiment with make up and hairstyles.
  56. I am not afraid to ask for help in improving my look and am developing a “style.”
  57. I am not afraid to look in the mirror.
  58. I am not as afraid to pose for pictures.
  59. I was recently called “glamorous.”
  60. I was recently told that I was “thin.” By somebody who IS thin.
  61. I can cross my legs at the knee.
  62. I can cross my legs comfortably in the nose-bleed section of the Hollywood Bowl.
  63. When my arms hang at my sides, they hang straight down instead of out at an angle.
  64. I can clasp my hands behind my back.
  65. I can draw my knees all the way up to my chest.
  66. I can reach to shave my legs.
  67. I can clip and paint my own toenails.
  68. I can tie my shoes.
  69. I can reach anywhere on my body to scratch when I have an itch.
  70. I can see bones that I didn’t know I had.
  71. I can suck my stomach in and see an outline of my ribs… while standing!
  72. Store clerks comment on the change in my appearance as compared to my drivers license picture. I was denied service at Costco because the clerk was sure that the woman in the picture on my card couldn't be me. :D
  73. The weight listed on my drivers license is still incorrect, but now it's much higher than what I actually weigh.
  74. My skin is clear and I don’t have greasy hair anymore.
  75. I can sleep on my stomach.
  76. I can lay in bed with my head propped on the pillow to read a book without feeling like my double chin is going to suffocate me.
  77. I don’t have sleep apnea any more.
  78. I don’t snore any more.
  79. My asthma is not as severe.
  80. My mattress doesn’t sag under my weight.
  81. Both large dogs fit in bed with me when we sleep.
  82. I don’t lumber when I walk.
  83. When I walk down a public hallway, people coming in the opposite direction don't have to flatten to the wall to let me pass.
  84. I have better balance and don’t fall down all the time.
  85. If I do fall, I’m less likely to hurt myself.
  86. I can run for short distances.
  87. I can dance!
  88. I can play with my nephew.
  89. I can climb – and descend - stairs, ladders, step stools, etc.
  90. I embrace exercise.
  91. I can keep up the pace during exercise class including sliding, hopping, and doing jumping jacks.
  92. I am encouraged by others to try out normal exercise-class situations where hard bodies go to work out.
  93. My endurance and stamina are up.
  94. I can walk my dogs as far as I would like. Not as far as they would like, though!
  95. My pedometer works correctly because now it’s hanging vertically from my waistband.
  96. I can climb to the top of a straw pyramid at the harvest festival.
  97. I’m regularly asked to participate in active and physical events.
  98. I don’t sweat as much, except during exercise when I sweat more.
  99. I am not prone to overheating in the summertime anymore.
  100. When doing abs in exercise class, I can see the other students between my legs.
  101. My ribs stick out when I lie flat on my back to do abs.
  102. I’m flabbergasted at how flexible I’ve become.
  103. I can draw my knees all the way to my chest.
  104. I can wear a 16” necklace without feeling like it’s choking me.
  105. I can take my rings on and off.
  106. I can wear a normal sized wristwatch and it’s loose.
  107. I can shop in regular sized clothing stores.
  108. I own less clothing than I ever have, but I have more to wear because it all fits.
  109. Clothing is less expensive.
  110. My bras fit correctly and comfortably.
  111. I don’t wear extra-wide shoes anymore.
  112. I can do fewer loads of laundry because more garments fit in the washer.
  113. My laundry is desirable as a theft target now.
  114. It takes ½ the time to iron my clothing.
  115. I can use smaller suitcases because my clothes don’t take up as much room.
  116. I can easily fit in my bathtub. It turns out that it’s not undersized.
  117. My stomach is completely submerged in the bathtub.
  118. I can thoroughly clean myself.
  119. I use less soap.
  120. I can turn sideways in the bathtub.
  121. My butt doesn’t act like a dam when I’m draining the water out of the bathtub.
  122. I can wrap my bath towel around me and tuck it in and it stays in place.
  123. I fit through my undersized door into my pantry with ease.
  124. Strangers don’t immediately assume that I am unintelligent.
  125. Acquaintances take me more seriously.
  126. I am making new friends.
  127. I am not discriminated against in the workplace for my size.
  128. I am not taken advantage of as much and am more willing to defend myself when I am.
  129. I am more able to take chances by expressing my emotions.
  130. I am not as angry and defensive.
  131. I take more chances, period.
  132. Men flirt with me. I’m not known just for having a great personality.
  133. I am not as afraid to meet strangers in social situations.
  134. Most of my social activities don’t center on food.
  135. I can physically remove myself from gatherings when I know I won’t be able to handle the food that’s available.
  136. I bring my own food to meetings when I’m not sure that what will be served is appropriate for my program and, more often than not, I enjoy what I brought more than I would have enjoyed what was provided.
  137. In my late 40’s, I’m being hit on by 20-somethings!
  138. I don’t have to (and choose not to) bake for bake sales, potlucks, etc.
  139. I am not stared at because I am freakish, called awful names, or consciously ignored.
  140. I fit in all the rides – even the kiddie rides – at theme parks.
  141. My family is proud of my weight loss.
  142. I seem to be inspiring others to exercise and lose weight.
  143. I can teach others how to lose weight.
  144. My dogs have lost weight.
  145. It’s easier to live with the fact that not everyone’s going to like me.
  146. People who I used to believe didn’t like me are requesting social engagements.
  147. It’s easier to accept that I’m not perfect, and never will be.
  148. People are more accepting and forgiving of my faults.
  149. I am more accepting and forgiving of my faults.
  150. I don't carry as much diffuse anger, however I am more willing to express myself if I do get mad at something specific.
  151. Women give me the evil look, afraid for their husbands/boyfriends.
  152. Other’s expectations of me and their confidence in my abilities are higher.
  153. I have the confidence to take stock of my life in areas other than weight loss and have developed a plan to improve it.
  154. I’m planning for the future rather than living day to day.
  155. I’m not quite there yet, but I can at least accept the fact that I deserve to be happy.
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