The big goal......

was reached tonight. I went to weigh in and lost 3.6 lbs this week for a total of 100.2 pounds.

I started writing this post 2 weeks ago because I wanted to remember everything I wanted to say. I've thought about what set me on this journey and all that I can say is that it was time to do it. There was never any one thing that led me here. I just thought "What the #$%& am I doing? I can fix this." I have 2 sisters who are about the same size and shape as I am, both younger, and they have both had lap-band surgery. That was not an option for me, not just because of the cost, but because I don't think that it would help me to learn how to live a healthier lifestyle. Everyone has to find their own solution and I chose Weight Watchers.

I can honestly say that I have been on plan since the start. Fortunately I was not a binge eater. I rarely ate really large meals. My issue was with eating the wrong things like deep fried Dutch croquettes, cheesecake, potato chips, fast food, fried meats, salami and cheese. I never ate veggies and rarely ate fruit.

The other thing I was not doing for myself was exercising. I will be 50 years old in a few weeks and have probably not exercised or been physically active for 20 years, the same 20 years that I have been obese. In September 2005 I sustained a knee injury that reduced the minimal activity I did to next to nothing. It was all I could do to walk short distances at work. It took almost 18 months to have it diagnosed and repaired. During that time I gained an extra 40 lbs.

I started Weight Watchers January 9, 2007 and had my knee repaired on February 28, 2007. I started to add exercising around mid April as I had to wait 6 weeks before I could do any after the surgery. That was probably a bigger change in my life than the food program. I think the first time I went for a walk I went around the block. Then I added the next street. Then the next and so on until I was walking about a mile. I got an iPod, put on the tunes and that helped get my mind on something other than the walking.

Then one day when it was raining I tried a DVD someone recommended - Walk Away the Pounds (WATP). I think I made it half way through the 1 mile walk the first time. I now do the 3 mile walk every morning before work.

Here are some of the changes that have come with the loss of 100 pounds:

I can now sit in any chair without fear, even ones with arm rests.
I can wear ladies runners instead of men's because my feet are thinner.
I can wear sexy underwear, which makes me feel sexy.
I can use anything that has a 250 lb restriction, like exercise equipment, amusement park rides, tanning beds, step ladders, etc.
I fit everywhere.
I can cross my legs
I can wear seatbelts comfortably
I can wear heels
I can travel with ease
I can wear sleeveless tops and dresses
I can shop places other than Pennington's
I can drink 6 glasses of water a day and enjoy them
I can wear a bathing suit without hiding
I can wear shorter hemlines
I can wear my original 1976 wedding rings

My goal when I started was to lose 50 lbs by my 50th birthday. That gave me 36 weeks. I never would have thought that I would lose 100 lbs in 32 weeks.

I want to thank my family - My husband Mike and son Chris for their support and especially my daughter Lauren, who has accompanied me on this journey and had lost 56 lbs herself. We have teamed up and supported each other all the way. We have not missed one weigh in and stayed for all but 2 meetings in 8 months - except this week when Lauren was in Europe and missed my 100 lb loss.

I would also like to thank all the members of the Weight Watchers forum for their support and encouragement. I could not have done this without your feedback, with special thanks to the Good Morning and Good Evening crew on the 200+ board and the Healthy Hotties on the 100+ board.

I would also like to thank my co-workers who have supported me.

I would also like to say that if I can do this at my age and absolutely change my whole life, anyone can. This is not about the physical changes, it's almost all psychological. If your head is not in the right place, all the dietary changes you try to make will not work.