Shout-Outs

So, there are people all over the place, in the real world and in the blogosphere, who are knowingly and unknowingly giving me motivation and inspiration.  This post is for them all.


Real World:

Michelle--coworker--Michelle has lost 74 pounds and gone down about 3-4 clothes sizes.  We talked recently and she was inspired to lose weight because she wanted to be around for her children.  She continually cheers me on with my weight loss success and I wanted her to know that she's doing great things her damn self!  Keep it DOWN, Shells!

Lorraine--another coworker--Lorraine is amazing to me.  She has struggled with her weight for a while and she'll give up for a while but never for good.  She's a sassy, mother-figure who tells it like it is and has figured out a way to tell herself the things she needs to in order to get the scale moving again.  She recently had to get some pants taken in and even bought the wrong size pants because she was buying her old (and wrong) size.  She's dropped 11 pounds and is keeping the scale moving. Yay!

Joy--yet another coworker--Joy has a busy life.  She's a mom of three boys and recently got married.  She involved in some do it yourself kitchen renovations and has some family health issues that has also garnered much of her time and attention.  When I began my program, Joy started her own weight loss journey but she found it difficult to balance her needs with the needs of her family.  Well, a few weeks ago she found a solution and took her husband and her boys to the gym!  I admire that even though it's tough she's finding ways to balance and make it work AND she's not giving up.  Sometimes we have to try different things until we find what works.  I know Joy will find what works for her and her family.

Sonja--family friend--This one is a little hard for me to write.  Sonja is one of my mamas.  She has loved me forever as a daughter and I've loved her as a mama.  She has been in the weight battle for years and recently has been at her wits end about what to do and how to do it.  She has supported me through my weight loss and been one of my biggest cheerleaders and champions.  So, it has always pained me that she continued to struggle.  But, I find inspiration in her struggle...I hope she does as well.  Like Joy, she has a lot of family obligations and is pulled in lots of directions that leave her little time and probably energy to focus on her.  Yet, she continues to battle.  She continues to search for the answer that will work for her.  She continues to invest in herself.  There is victory in how you fight sometimes.  There is victory in determination and commitment and never giving up.  These are not, as fellow blogger, Michelle from Ruminations As I Uncover The Women Within, calls them "Scale Victories."  They are the Non-scale Victories that sometimes make the difference in how we handle everything in our lives, or how we see ourselves and what we are capable of doing.  Just so she knows, I see Sonja as fearless, accomplished, and victorious.  The scale will catch up with her one day.

Blog World:
Michelle--Ruminations As I Uncover The Women Within--I first learned about Michelle when she began following this blog.  She's given me several great links to follow, information from other bloggers, to help motivate and inspire me.  She is on her own weight loss journey and it hasn't always been easy, from what I gather, nor a speedy as she may have wanted.  But the weight loss isn't even why I'm shouting out Michelle.  I'm shouting her out because she is so committed to supporting other people with their struggles.  She looks for the glimmers.  Those parts of things that we sometimes don't recognize or acknowledge as significant and make them into their own victories!  She celebrates and encourages and shares other people's successes and their challenges.  I appreciate her spirit and it has inspired this post.

Stephen--Who Ate My Blog--Stephen is about 2 pounds from having lost 200 POUNDS.  I came across his blog during my couple of weeks of slack and was totally inspired to step it up. He began his weight loss journey at 632 pounds on 2/23/09.  That is 1 year and 1 day before I started.  I believed I could keep going because of his commitment and success.  He's 2 pounds away from 200 pounds!!!! Amazing.

I want to thank all of you because you have all played a part in my success.  I've officially lost 110 pounds as of this morning and I will have been doing this for 6 months next week.  You are helping me to get ready for the next six!