Channeling Phelps in Beijing!!

OK. . maybe it's not Olympic Gold, but tonight (drum roll. . ) for the first time EVER, I made it over the high wall at Boot Camp by myself!! And, I did it three times!!! WOO-HOO!!!!!!!


Keep in mind. . the top of this wall is just in reach when I (I am 5'6) stand with my hands above my head. I have to grab on to the top of the wall, hang on with my arms, walk my legs up the wall . . . and, when I'm near the top, I have to lift up my right leg, hook it over the wall's top, and use my legs and arms to pull the rest of my body over. If that doesn't make sense, just be like "you're a badass" and call it a day! LOL :)


So, you might ask. . . what are the reprucussions of doing this. Well, I don't call it Bruise Camp for nothing. . . Here is my arm. . (I think of this as the Sistine Chapel shot. . )
And, the back of my thigh, which got the worse of it. . . Um, thank goodness it's winter and I can wear tights. . . BTW, it looks worse than this in real life. . gross. . .



Today really was a great Bandiversary because -- in addition to the big wall, which is SO MAJOR (!!!) for me (!), I had a few other NSVs as well.


After lunch, I was over talking to our receptionist, and three people came in separately and each had a lot of nice things to say about how I look (they came by one at a time, so they didn't hear one another). It was so nice to hear, but after the third one, I said to the receptionist how much I appreciated the kind words, and how long a road it has been, and totally got choked up! I didn't cry or anything, but I could have for sure.

Even after a year, this is such an emotional thing for me. It's not that I'm sad even the teensiest bit -- it's more that I feel overwhelmed by how grateful and relieved I am to have found a way to stop the bad cycle of gaining weight and feeling hopeless and horrible about that. This really has been a total God-send for me.


Even now, it's hard for me to comprehend that I am so close to goal. And at the same time, it's hard for me to remember just how big I was before.

Does anyone else have that feeling? When you think of yourself in your mind, do you picture the current thinner version, your old self, or something in between?

I have the current version of myself in my mind, but I still have to remind myself of some things. For example, sometimes I'll see a seat on the subway and before I decide whether to take it, I have to make myself remember to gauge it by my current size, not the old one. It's weird.

But, I will say that I don't expect to see my old, heavier self in the mirror when I look into it (while at the same time, it's a nice reminder to see my current iteration. . .). Weird! But so so amazing and wonderful!!