"No F'en way you're 40!"

Yesterday was the first day I wore a bikini in almost 10 years. I felt I deserved it becuase I have spent monthsbeing incredibly careful about what I put into my body and exercising with much more diligence than I ever have in my life. My plan was to wear it on my husband's boat, while we anchored somewhere off-shore and I could sunbathe in private (with my spf 30 on of course!), but he made plans to hang with a group of 8 new friends he met at the marina instead. So a very self-conscious me hung out with them in my new bikini and tried not to act like the insecure, anxious person I was inside. Later in the day, the conversation turned to age, as we were all getting to know each other, and when the ladies in the group tried to guess my age, they all paced me between 28-32 years old!! As I shook my head and they kept guessing older ages, finally it hit them and they said "No way! There is no F-N way you are 40 years old!" I just smiled and nodded. They were shocked, and said a bunch of really nice things like "Wow, I want some of whatever you take!" and the best compliment yet" You skinny B****!" I Wow, what a great feeling. I have been working very hard to lose those pounds I carelessly gained over the last 10 years, and been working just as hard to maintain my weight loss since then. As a woman who is about to turn 41, there can be no greater compliment than having other women of my age group express shock and envy at my appearance. That is an outcome I was not planning for, but I could not have done (or continue to do) any of it without MFP. I hope all of you reading this won't think I'm being shallow, but will be encouraged that your goals ARE reachable and will provide you with rewards you weren't expecting as well!