Celebration.

The past few weeks have been a bit surreal.  I'm still getting settled into my first "big girl" apartment (my new couch arrived yesterday!); I started a new job that is challenging, exciting, and keeping me very busy; and I reached a milestone in my weight loss that I have been working towards for over a year now.

Although I've mentioned many times that I've been exercising, eating healthier, and been a fan of Weight Watchers, I've never actually written about my exact goals and what I've been working towards.  Last January I began a journey that I honestly, didn't really believe I could or would ever finish.  I joined Weight Watchers in January 2011 and was very open with friends and family about what I was out to achieve.  When asked about what I was trying to lose or what my overall goal was, I always had the same answer, "To be healthy."

At the time, it seemed so far away.  The goal of being within the "healthy weight range" for my height felt like light years to reach (as defined by Body Mass Index, which, I know is a system that has many flaws, but that's another story and another blog entry.)   However, I broke it into smaller goals.  Smaller steps, smaller achievements, smaller victories, that kept me motivated and keeping with it.  And I made sure that some of those goals were non-scale victories, such as my achievements in running.

It took me a little while to let it soak in and want to post this here, but a couple weeks ago, I finally achieved that overarching goal that I had set my sights on more than a year ago.  At my Weight Watchers weigh-in on March 14th, for the first time my weight was within that "healthy weight range."  Just barely made it under the cut, but the scale didn't lie.  I am "healthy."  And this isn't just the first time in recent years, but the first time in my life that I can call my weight healthy.

To say that I didn't get emotional would be a lie.  There was such a rush of emotions, that at first I couldn't tell if I was crying because I was happy or sad!  I later posted my accomplishment and the overwhelming feedback I received from my family and friends was outstanding and emotional in itself.

I still have another 10-15 lbs I would like to lose, but I am confident that I will be able to do that.  I'm looking forward to the summer months where I will feel confident and proud in my summer dresses and at the beach.  But more importantly, I'm excited to reach my goal of running a 5K in under 30 minutes now that 5K season is here.  I'm excited for the triathlon that I signed up for in August.  I'm excited to try some hikes in the Adirondacks.  And I'm excited for fresh summer vegetables on the grill and the knowing that I can be healthy and also not give up my love of ice cream and frozen yogurt (is it a coincidence that "5K season" is also "ice cream season?  I think not.)

A big thank you to everybody here who has read, commented, and therefore supported me throughout this journey.  I look forward to going the next leg of this journey with everybody!  I've got more weight to lose, more races to run, and as always, more recipes to share.  Stay healthy, everyone!

Happy :)