1993--

-- I believe is the last time I saw a scale reading as low as now. I weighed in this morning at 180.5, (but won't log anything until Friday-- ) After the birth of my 3rd child, when I still had some time and some self control, I worked hard to take off some baby weight and got even as low as 175 before I got pregnant with child number 4. Then I was off to the races, ballooning at one point up to 221.

I took off 20 pounds in the late '90s and hovered around 200, then another 10 came off after a pregnancy, to 190-- but slowly over the years, it creeped back up until I was tipping at 205. I'm tall(ish) at 5'8" and "big boned" so I could carry it "fairly" well, but I hated it.

This morning, I caught a glimpse of myself in the full length mirror in my jammies-- sweatpants and a thermal shirt-- and had to stop and really take it all in. I can't get over that the thinner person staring back at me is ME.

I still have a way to go to reach my goal, but the perks along the way are incredible.

Thanks to all of you on this site for your stories and inspiration-- this is an incredible feeling. Before this June, when it finally "clicked" to use Fitness chicks words, I really thought I'd just deal with being fat forever, like the rest of the women in my family with the thick backs and big faces. I hated it.

I feel so happy today to be conquering this--