Walking....

So one thing that I started to do more diligently when I set my goal was walking to work. It's about 4.5 miles round trip and takes my commute from 20 minutes to 45 minutes. However, when I started in June it burned another 500 calories! Totally worth it. So as I've lost weight those numbers have gone down (it's now 385 calories) but still an impact. Another bonus of this is my commuting costs have gone down drastically! Now in NY I am spoiled with transportation costs, the most I'd pay is $104 to get an unlimited subway pass. Seriously, everything else is so expensive something should be cheaper! With all my walking, I just calculated (I still am an accountant) that I have spent an average of $35 a month on the subway since November. That includes all transportation, not just commuting. Not too bad! So those cold mornings that I just grit my teeth and walked were worth it for the calories and the cost savings! YAY!!!

It's finally here!

After nearly 11 months of hard work, some harder than others, my goal date is finally here. I not only met my goal but I shredded it. I'm 15 pounds lighter than the original goal and instead if just under 11 months, it took my just over 5 months to make my original goal. Yay for accomplishing the goal!

Fun thing from my heart rate monitor watch. It puts a cake on the display for my birthday. LOVE IT!

I started with size 12 but bought size 8!!!

The first time I've ever bought something in an 8! I remember being a size 11 in 7th grade but I have never bought an adult size 8 before. Now Ann Taylor Loft may run big in pant sizes but NOTHING can describe the feeling in the fitting room when I put on an 8 and it fit. I only grabbed it as a shot in the dark because they didn't have a size 10 in the pants I wanted. So to determine that 8 was the right size and to buy 3 pants in that size is just astounding. I STILL can't believe that I will be wearing a size 8 to work on Monday. It's just amazing. It's been such a journey for me and this is just another milestone! Woo hoo!!! This is as exciting as the moment I hit 185. Just speechless with excitement!

The 160's

It may be just a brief foray into the 160's but as of my weigh-in this morning I was in the 160's! 169.6 I was sick yesterday with the flu/stomach bug so I literally ate about 100 calories all day (as Emily says in Devil Wears Prada, "just one stomach bug from my goal weight"). I thought that would help my weigh-in but it's still a great feeling to be in the 160's, as brief as my time here is. Just another motivation to keep hitting the gym.

I can see the changes. Even when it doesn't show on the scale my waist is getting smaller. My stomach is nearly flat in pants now! I was able to wear the Express size 12 pants to work this week for the first time. Still no luck with the Brooks Brothers size 12 skirt so I must keep at it. I WILL wear that skirt!