Progress feels great!

While I am truly a believer in the concept of "slow and steady wins the race" where weight loss and healthy habits are concerned, sometimes I feel just a bit discouraged by my slow progress. Then again, it's hard to complain when I feel healthier than ever. I need to remind myself that, whether the scale moves quickly or not, my progress can be measured in other ways. It seems like it's taken me forever to hit the 20lb mark since I started in April of this year...I'm still just .8 lbs away. But then again, it took me 30 years to learn that I was capable of running...and the progress I've made there is nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, I think I feel more proud of myself then I have in...well, ever! It might take me a while to reach my goal weight. I may never be able to reach the "ldeal" weight for my height and age. But, I WILL be able to complete a 5K and there's no doubt that I've already transformed my life for the better.
At the gym yesterday I asked the trainer to see the file she created for me when I joined the gym in April 09 (the previous time I found motivation to lose weight). I've never been good with measurements. I'm always afraid I'm not accurate and they never seemed to budge before, so I don't usually keep track of that. Well, my old file said I was 237 lbs and my waist was 41.5". As of this morning I weighed in at 208.8 lbs and when I measured my waist it was 38". So, while I still haven't managed to hit that 20lb mark since I started this year's weight loss journey in April...I have lost almost 30 since my previous weight loss attempt the April before that-and I've lost over 3" on my waist!
I wish I could say I weigh less than 208lbs today (my 20 lb goal), but I am celebrating that fact that I broke 210lbs and I am celebrating that I am in a MUCH better place then I was in April 2009. It took me 12 years to gain all this weight, so I'm also celebrating the fact that it comes off a heck of a lot faster than I put it on!