That Day When...

...everything you've worked for, sweets and treats you've passed on (or devoured), cheers and inspiring words from family and friends, positivity or negativity by acquaintances, losses, gains, and three whole years of a crazy up and down journey finally added up to one thing this morning:

GOAL. (A pretty neat belated birthday present from me to me!)

This morning I stepped on the scale, hesitation and worries aside (it took a minute), to hit my goal weight of 150 lbs. In total, I've hit the century mark, 100 lbs lost. Gone, done.

The only thing I could muster (after snapping the above picture, of course) were tears. Tears of joy. Tears of elation. Tears of "it's finally over." (I'm actually crying writing this, so I'm sorry if it sounds broken... I'm still in a bit of shock.)

I ran through the house just to show my husband the picture on my iPhone, almost breaking my neck on the two steps from our laundry room up into the kitchen. I could only show him the picture on my phone, not being able to utter one word. As lucky and blessed as I am, he grabbed me and kept saying, "I'm so proud of you." I can't even begin to thank him enough for all of the support he's given me, whether the complaining, or whining, or flat-out madness of gains, jubilation of losses; he's been with me every step of the way, and hasn't once wavered in support, even if he did bring home a pie or some Oreo's. ;) Thank you, Brandon. You've been my rock through all of this.

As it's still sinking in, I'll share a few numbers as to where I've come from in this journey:

• 100 lbs. lost. (Woohoo! I'm a 100-pound loser! Hee hee...)
• 13 pants sizes lost. (Started at a size 21, now a size 8.)
• 4 shirt sizes lost. (Started at a 2XL, now a comfy Medium, sometimes Small. I'm small? Huh?!)
• Went from an 'Extremely Obese' BMI of 42, to a 'Healthy' 25. (See below)
• 40% of weight lost.
• 2.5 ring sizes lost. (My wedding ring when I first started was 9 3/4. I've had it re-sized since at 7 1/4, however it's a little loose now. Probably at 7 now.)

Unfortunately, because I didn't keep track (and I still regret it), I don't know in total how many inches I've lost. I just know it's a lot.

I still can't get over, or really even process what I've done. As I've said before, I don't really see the change in the mirror; the only way I realize what I looked like before vs. after is comparing side by side pictures. I've had several folks in shock before, jaws dropped when friends of mine have told them what I've done or where I used to be, or even show old pictures of me. I just kind of smile, drop my eyes to the floor, turn my right foot inwards, and say, "Gee, thanks!" in an "Aw, shucks." kind of way.

What I can tell you is how much better I feel, if anything. Not only have I done this the healthy way by changing my eating habits (I will NOT call it a diet) and moving more. Portion control, activity, and cutting calories have been the way it's been for the past 3 years, and even in difficult times, I wouldn't change a thing. It's worth it. When I first started, stairs winded me. Of course I'd rather take the elevator then (not now!), but I couldn't get up one flight of stairs without having to stop. Bending over and tying my shoes was a chore. Don't even get me started on shopping, self-esteem, and my confidence level. But all of that has changed, in addition to a smaller frame.

Where do you go from here? Now that you've completed one of the biggest goals in your life, one that you literally never thought was possible, what do you do?

Well, I'm not really done and it's not really "over." I plan to keep running, hopefully for longer distances one day, watching what I eat of course, and I hope to lose maybe another 5 or 10 lbs, but anything after this point is just icing on the cake to me. The extra 5 or 10 pounds are just a cushion to make sure I can stay in my healthy weight range. I do plan to keep periodically checking my weight via scale, but it's not going to rule my life. I also have several fitness goals, as I want to build more muscle, lean out a little, and hopefully eliminate some of the loose skin I have around my belly, thigh, and arm areas.

But all in all, I can finally relax a little. I've finally completed the goal I've been working towards for quite a while. After all, I've basically lost a horse... ;)

Thank you all, to everyone who has supported me in this journey, especially my husband, Brandon, and my mom, Jill. They've both been my rocks in this entire journey, listening to every complaint or celebration I've had. Without them, as far as I've gone wouldn't have happened. You both inspire me to keep going.