Day 14: It's like a weight has been lifted

Angle Lake, WA - about a block from my office.

The view looking up at the sky while lying on the grass.

Roses in the yard of a house on Angle Lake.

Thank you so much for your very supportive and sweet comments. You made my heart sing. You encouraged me and flattered me.You have no idea how much each of your comments mean to me. I really don't think I could do this without you. I love you guys!

Yesterday was a really good day for me. I ate healthy, but not fanatically. I didn't weigh or measure my food, but I ate modest portions. I know what four ounces of chicken looks like, or a cup of sugar-free jello. If it's not exactly 4 ounces or not exactly one cup, I am not going to gain 80 pounds and the world will not end.

My husband told me I looked hot before he left for work. Me...hot? He's not big on giving me compliments, so when he says something like that, it always pleasantly surprises me.

I flipped on the TV as I was getting dressed for work and on the Today Show was Emme, the plus-size model. I love her! I think she's super hot and beautiful and sweet. If I was into girls, well, I'm just saying.

The program was about fat acceptance in our culture. The more concerned our nation is with obesity, the fatter we're getting. Really? We need to accept our bodies, but we need to be healthy too, eat right and exercise. The most amazing thing was that it's been proven that people with a little extra fat on their bodies live longer and have less dementia and Alzheimer's as they age. I knew fatter people were smarter!

I walked at lunch today and it was wonderful. I wore my heart rate monitor, but I rarely looked at it, and I literally stopped to smell the roses. I walked at a park near my work, that's on a lake. I sat down on the grass, underneath the trees, and in the sun. I relaxed. I can't remember the last time I did something like that. Usually I'm so concerned about keeping my heart rate up that I never slow down and just enjoy my surroundings.

I'm going to reset my goal weight. Last night my husband told me I was perfect at the weight I am now. I don't really believe that, but I believe he thinks it's true. My plan is to see where I am on October 31. I'd like to lose at least a few pounds for the Weight Watchers Lose for Good campaign. Then I'll take it from there.

What's really wonderful is I feel like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I feel like I can breathe again. That manic voice in my head that was telling me "Don't eat that! How many Points in that? Walk faster! What are you doing?!" has finally quieted down. I'm sure she'll pop back in once in a while, but right now she's lost her power over me and it feels great!