Tiny Little Victories

Recently have had a couple people ask if I'd lost weight...that feels good. Sometimes I kinda wish I had the boob gap thing goin on!

I have a few items of clothing that I am working towards fitting into, I bought a pair of size 10 jeans. When I first started I couldn't button them up, now I can button them but they are still too tight for public.

I also count my good habits as progress, I can't always count on the scale going down, and I don't want to get discouraged when it goes the wrong way so I look at all the good work that I am doing and I know that I will see results eventually.

I congratulate myself on drinking 8+ glasses of water each day, eating more fruit and veg and most important, for cutting out 90% of my eating out.

I feel like I lost some of my double chin!! And, I lost 2.5 inches on my hips!

Yes!!! The daily victories are the best! Realizing that it can actually be fun and motivating to plan ahead, to log in every day, to meet another day's calorie goal. I absolutely believe the best measure is not to stand on a scale every week but to feel the actual changes going on in your body over the very long term, measured in itty-bitty increments.

I began surfing again- I used to be fairly good, then became completely sedentary for 3+ years in grad school. I hated it at first, then got used to being at a desk 14-16 hrs a day. Got out on a board for the first time and was miserable. It was hard to imagine EVER being strong again, able to paddle let alone stand up. I had so little core strength that I couldn't get my feet up on the board! (a move called "popping up" that requires a quick jerk of the legs up from under you, out of the water and onto the board, which uses AB strength).

I felt worse than a wet dog after 30 minutes, like I never wanted to suit up again (it took 10 mins to get into and out of that tight suit, no fun at all, and at the time, the 20 mins of struggle into that thing did NOT feel worth the 30 in the water!)

The next few times I fell constantly, got bruised, and once a snout full of water that hurt so bad I had to get out and sit down, my nose running, throat burning for the next hour. I couldn't hear out my right ear for 3 days (water pressure?)

I got scared in waves that were too big for my fitness level and had to get right out one day- really feeling the defeat.

But... this week it finally started to pay off!

I was out at Rincon, one of my favorite breaks in the world. With my husband, on a beautiful, sunny, windless day. The waves were a bit too big, and I was nervous as 6 set waves relentlessly went over my head. But I did NOT GIVE UP! For some reason on this day, I realized I was finally strong enough to paddle over those waves, and that I didn't need to be scared. I decided to stay out even if I did not catch one single wave, just to get confidence in my paddling.

I rode 3 awesome waves all the way to shore! It was so exciting! My body just did it! Muscle memory after all these years, popping up, surfing like it was yesterday (the last time I was able to).

3 weeks of misery forgotten in the blink of an eye! Replaced with so much excitement and joy! I almost forget how incredibly joyful it is to catch a wave!

I have a LONG way to go to meet my goals. I've lost 3 lbs out of 20, have kept to my good eating plan for 11 days, and my arms, legs and core feel much stronger than a month ago. But I can see the light at the end of the tunnel! At the end of summer just think of how good I'll feel! And the end of the year? I will be at my goal, I'm sure of it. 6 months is a small price to pay- even if it takes a year, I really want to be that fit, active person I once was, and it may be humbling at first to see how far behind I am, but these little happy moments make it SO worth it and really re-invigorate my motivation!

Good luck to all!