Day 83 - Weigh-in Results: 274 lbs.

I've lost 2 lbs. this week, bringing my weight down to 274 lbs.  That means I've kicked 33 pounds to the curb since the third week in July, just a little under 3 months ago.  In fact, I made my next routine doctor appointment/blood-draw for a week from Wednesday, because that is the 3-month anniversary since starting this diet.

I don't think 274 pounds would be cause for most people to celebrate, but I'm so happy to be below 275 now!  My attention is focused on getting into the 260s next.  So close, so close ...

Those baby steps will get me to my goal - eventually.

My signature shows the updated 60-lb one-year weight loss challenge update.  I've lost 17 lbs of the 60, with over 300 days remaining in the challenge!  (See the blue countdown box for days remaining.)  I am three pounds away from  hitting the 1/3 point in that journey.  We'll see how successful I will be through the upcoming food holidays.  Thanksgiving and Christmas are tough ones for me during diets past.  I am calling them "The Gaunlet" this year ...

Interestingly, I am getting three different reactions from my extended family, over my weight loss so far:

1. Loving support and enthusiasm  (thankfully, by FAR the main reaction).  This is 100% completely positive.

2. What I call the "challengers" reaction.  I have 3 family members who have quite literally taken my weight loss as a wake up call for themselves, and has spurred them to weight loss.  This is a bit of a mixed blessing.  First, it is positive because it is helping inspire others to improved health.  BUT, it is also negative (in these three cases) because they've said, "I don't want to now be the family fat person."  Um ... hello?  I'm standing right here.  If I lose much more, I'd be passing these folks on the way down, and their incentive is that they don't want to be ME?  Thanks ... I think.  ??  LOL  I know they didn't mean it the way it came across - at least I hope not - but I'm choosing to focus on the "inspiring others to lose" part.  I'm ignoring the less-than-positive motivational aspect.

3. I have one family member who is outright hostile about my weight loss journey.  Nothing positive here.  My husband tells me to ignore her entirely.  If she didn't have my weight to focus on and talk about, she'd have nothing left to criticize in order to make herself feel better.  He's probably right, so I'm choosing to ignore her.  I suppose some people feel threatened by someone else's weight loss, though that seems pretty unstable to me.  Obviously, those types have their own self-esteem issues to deal with, and that is unfortunate.  (I probably outweigh her by 70 lbs, so I don't see the threat myself.)

The fellow-blogger get-together has been decided for a week from Saturday (that would be October 23)!!  It'll be fun and I'm looking forward to it.  We're planning on meeting for lunch and a stroll through Williamsburg (VA).  The town should be lovely and in full color by then, perfect walking weather too. 

In other news, the knee injury feels so much better this morning!  I'm hoping to resume walking by the end of the week.  I'll be more careful not to hyper-extend my leg next time.  It has been more than a week since the bothersome injury.  I'd like to get serious about walking, because the exercise should help me through The Gaunlet.

I liked Sharon's rather strong suggestion of trying on my size 24 jeans every week.  However, I am so worried about getting stuck in them, I think I'll take up the suggestion, but for every TWO weeks.  I seriously don't want them cut off me.  LOL

I took the Jeans to the alterations place for hemming, and I get those back at the end of the week.  I'll start posting the "24-Update" a week from Friday.  That will be a good measure of my progress, unrelated to the scale.  Check out my last attempt to try on my size 24 jeans ... see the post entitled, "How Do I Get Myself Into These Situations?" from October 7.

So, this is Day 83 and I'm continuing my downward progress ...