Things I Can't Wait to Do When I Lose Weight

I'm so excited about getting ready to start this protocol! My original pre-HCG Challenge order came in last week, so I'm planning on starting my injections on Monday, April 7, when I get back from Houston. During the time I've been preparing for this, I've been fantasizing about the things that are going to happen when I get down to my goal weight:

• Getting normal lab results from my endocrinologist
• Not being so afraid of getting diabetes, which runs on both sides of my family
• My family (whom I haven't seen since December) will be astonished when they see how much weight I've lost - I'll see them in mid-June. heeheeeheeeeeeeeeee!
• People I know walking past me because they don't recognize me
• Sitting in relative comfort in an airplane seat
• Being able to sit in the middle when there are 3 of us riding in the back seat of a car
• Being able to sit in a booth in a restaurant without having to move the table out
• Finding bones I forgot I had (hip bones!)
• Being able to comfortably cross my legs
• Skydiving!
• Being able to give myself a pedicure and paint my own toenails
• Tying my running shoes on the top - not on the side
• Never having to wear a "Just My Size" item again!
• Being able to buy beautiful lingerie
• Bras with only 1 or 2 hooks instead of FOUR!
• Being able to wear a swimsuit for the first time in years!
• Tucking my shirt into my pants
• Finding a pair of jeans that makes my butt look good
• Wearing a belt
• Getting back to race-walking
• Race-walking in a half-marathon
• Being able to sit in the bathtub without my body displacing most of the water in the tub
• Going to an ice cream parlor and ordering 2 scoops without people giving me the "do you really need that?" look
• Going to my 30th high school class reunion and looking young and fabulous
• Being "the tall thin one" in my barbershop quartet instead of "the tall heavyset gal"
• Being able to classify myself as "slim, slender, athletic" instead of "heavyset" on my internet dating profile
• Having the benefit of "being there" and not judging people because of their size

Introduction

I'm Susan, and I'm absolutely thrilled to have been chosen to participate in this challenge. At age 47, I've finally gotten my head in the right place to get back in the weight loss game - for the last time. I have a friend at work who has had wonderful results from using hcg, and this has given me hope of achieving a significant loss in a relatively short period. In the past, when I did other diet programs, I was what you would call a "slow loser". It would take me 6 months to lose 10 lbs. I know they say that it's healthy to do it that way, but it certainly isn't very satisfying!

So now, I'm prepared to dive right in and lose 80 lbs. Since I'm pretty tall - 5'10" - and have a medium-sized bone structure, my goal weight of 150 lbs puts me right into the middle of the recommended weight for my height. It will also put me back to the weight that I maintained for many years, before an underactive thyroid and stress from several "life events" caused me to pack on so much weight.

My motivation for losing weight? There are several things. First of all, I'm doing it for my health. My mother has been heavy for over half of her life. As she approaches 80, she has suffered from numerous illnesses and ailments that I feel certain are related to inactivity, unhealthy eating habits, and from the stress on her body of carrying so much weight. Is it fair for me to expect my family to go through the same thing with me? I think not! Especially when I'm in the position of doing something about it!

Other motivators: Let's face it - as much as we hate it, we live in a world that is really focused on appearances. People who are fat are treated differently than people who are thin. And frankly, I'm tired of people not being willing to look past my physical appearance to see that I'm very intelligent, have a kind heart and am generally an all-around "good egg". So when you're my age and wanting to date, it's virtually impossible to negate that first impression. And you know what? In my heart of hearts, I think I'm mad at myself for letting my health and appearance deteriorate, and am sick and tired of being "sick and tired".

So - this blog is going to outline my journey back to my former self - the skinny girl inside who has been screaming to get out for over 15 years. I'll be documenting my progress, and also putting in writing some of my thoughts and feelings about the process. I hope that you folks who read this will share your thoughts and feelings in the comments, as well.