So many things to be thankful for

My personal life is in turmoil right now, but in the midst of all of that, I have found a commitment to this new lifestyle. I appreciate having something positive to focus on, and even more so, the fact that this is something beneficial to me personally. It doesn't hurt that it's something I can control either.

While I'm certainly not ready for anything at all like posting pictures, I do feel like I have a lot of things to be thankful for in connection with my journey to this point:

I'm forty pounds lighter than I was just under three months ago.

My BMI has decreased by 6%. It's actually on the chart now instead of "somewhere over that way."

I am 80% of the way to my first intermediate scale goal....ten more pounds to go and I will have lost 50 pounds and will have
said goodbye to the 300's (that will put me at 298). This is the only time I have ever admitted what those numbers actually
were/are, but it feels a little easier to face them now that they are moving in the right direction.

I'm moving easier and having less pain.

My most recent pair of jeans fits comfortably, whereas I could barely fasten them before and certainly wasn't wearing them.
This was my first non-scale goal and I've accomplished it a month or so earlier than I expected. I'm looking forward to
shopping in my closet for some time to come.

I went to the ballpark a couple of evenings ago (in my "new" jeans ) and didn't worry about whether I would be snug in the
seat.

My beautiful nineteen year old daughter is involved in her own health pursuits right now, including a small but healthy weight
loss, greater fitness, and healthier living... this has given us something to share.

She told me yesterday that my arms look thinner. She also mentioned that I would probably die from using deodorant and
garment dye, but you can't have it all.

I went to look at a roofing job with my friend and climbed several flights of stairs and a ladder with him without being winded. Said
friend was a little jealous.

I've noticed strange things on my wish list...a Fitbit. An elliptical machine. A good pair of athletic shoes...and I was unexpectedly
thrilled with the bar-code scanner feature on the MFP app.

I find that I am actually enjoying making a lot of these changes that were so long overdue....eating some better quality food,
paying attention to caloric intake, moving a little more... It feels good to be doing some of the right things.

I don't feel the need to be perfect. I eat cheese. I drink whiskey. The trend is generally healthier and I'm meeting my goals. It's all
good.

I never go hungry.

I'm enjoying the variety in my diet. I got all excited the other day about a recipe for Beet Something-or-other and found myself
legitimately disappointed when I realized that I had misread it and it was Beef.....now, don't get me wrong, I like beef. I'm just
saying....

In the last couple of weeks, we have tried:
Summer Tomato Pie
Zucchini Boats Stuffed with Roasted Beets, Onions, Garlic, and Sweet Potatoes (which I made up and everyone loved!)
Red Flannel Hash Browns (with shredded potatoes, beets, and onions)
Black Bean Brownies (fantastic, normal-tasting brownies and possibly the simplest dessert I have ever made)
Mahi Mahi
Quinoa
Flax seed / flax meal...

We have rediscovered old favorites like:
Spaghetti Squash
Egg White and Veggie Omelets (without which I would have to figure out a large portion of my diet!)
Steel-cut Oats
Berries
Fruit and Veggie Smoothies
Water, in abundance...

We are looking forward to trying:
Pizza crusts made of a) zucchini and cheese, and b) cauliflower
(possibly tonight - from an article at http://greatist.com/health/make-healthier-pizza )
Stuffed baked tomatoes
Stuffed baked apples
Baked apples and onions
Grilled peaches
More varieties of the homemade veggie burgers I've been making for a while (Curry and Tomato-Basil were both good)
Zucchini "noodles"
Chia seeds

We have learned:
"Turkey Tenderloin" is just turkey breasts stuffed in a long, narrow package and Island Teriyaki is from the wrong island
We didn't love the banana/egg pancakes as much as we wanted to, but we're not ready to give up on them (quinoa, maybe?)
Our dogs don't care what we eat as long as they still get the last bite
Greek yogurt is beautiful

I'm excited about the things still to come:
Being healthier for myself, my husband, and my daughter
Wearing some of those clothes that have been too small for a long while...and then seeing them go in the "too big" bag.
Getting off of my high blood pressure medicine.
Having more energy
Getting stronger and more toned
Looking and feeling younger and sexier
Getting on rides at theme parks without worrying whether I'll fit
Getting to a healthy weight and BMI
Not being embarrassed to see photos of myself - at least not for the same reasons! lol
Start doing more cardio and some heavy lifting
Walking a 5k in a time I feel to be acceptable
Buying clothes (when my closet is finally depleted) anywhere I want to!
Having my weight on my Driver's License be too high instead of too low
Learning to love exercising - this one sounds a long way off, but I'm hopeful. lol

Also, I can pretty much guarantee there will be some chicken wings appearing on the horizon pretty soon. :laugh:

Thanks for the company and the encouragement.