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iamfire1

iamfire1

New member
Morning,

Talk about a miracle weight loss! :)

According to my diary, I bought myself a tape measure from the dollar store back on 12/29/06, and have been using it religiously ever since. I've watched myself go from a 42-41-42 to a 35-29-34 and have been quite pleased with my progress.

Well, this past Tuesday,I had to measure various parts of my body to buy armor (used for Kendo). Imagine my surprise when I (finally!) noticed that my wondrous tape measure began at -1, and not 0!

This means that I'm one inch less than all of my measurements. Funny thing, though...I've decided to keep measuring myself this way - I like going against a handicap. :)

And in a side note, I got the shock of my life when I looked at myself in the mirror while wearing the hakuma and bogu armor - one hot samurai mom was I! :)

Enjoy,

Barbara
 
Great news!

Glad to hear you're happy with your progress and results... awesome feeling, isn't it!?
 
Emotional reality can rock!

Steve said:
Great news!

Glad to hear you're happy with your progress and results... awesome feeling, isn't it!?
Click to expand...

Let me tell you, there is nothing in the world like it.

You know, back when I was a weee bit huger, I remember reading all the success posts here on this forum and other places and thinking, yep, achieving goals must really make one happy (like "seeing a favorite movie makes one happy").

Well, this Wednesday, I dressed up in my full armor along with my hakama (the kind of baggy trousers samurai wear)....and when confronted with my reflection in the dojo mirror, I realized:

OHMIFREAKINGGOSH I HAVE A WAIST!

And it's smaller than my hips!

And and and and I have (dare I say it) a shapely figure!

For the rest of my life, I will remember the adrenalin surge that flowed thru my body and the sheer utter joy that suffused my very being. Yes, it sounds corny (even to me!) but wow, it was a life-defining moment.

You can hear how great getting in shape is a thousand times...but the intellectual aspect is simply blown away when you really experience it emotionally.

I couldn't stop babbling about it to my husband when I returned home from practice. :)

Oh, and regarding the kids...we generally all train together (goju ryu karate, nunchaku, etc., con-current classes), so they see Mom all decked out in her ferocious glory. :) I'm the only mother there who trains with her kids (I figured if I was going to insist on the kids learning, I should walk the walk as well)....it does make them feel 'mighty proud. Thanks for the kind words!!

Enjoy,

Barbara
 
That's funny. I've never seen a tape measure start at -1. Maybe that's why it was at the dollar store? :)

I'm not too familiar with Kendo, but when I was in martial arts, my son took it with me (or I should say I took it with him), and he was into the sword forms. He won at a few of the local tourneys.

My son lost his interest in martial arts and I was the only woman there, so I didn't feel comfortable enough to stay as well. I wish there were more women in this area that were involved.

I bet you were ecstatic!
 
Well, you're actually 1 inch more than your measurements... ;)

Say you measure at 30 inches with the tape starting at 0. If you were to start at -1, you'd measure at 29. Sorry.
 
The joys of math!

siromar said:
Well, you're actually 1 inch more than your measurements... ;)

Say you measure at 30 inches with the tape starting at 0. If you were to start at -1, you'd measure at 29. Sorry.
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It is confusing, I will admit! Mathematically, -1 + 30 does equal 29, quite true.

However, look at it from a tape measure view point.

A normal tape measure goes from

0-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

Count the dashes between those numbers - it does measure 10.

Now take my beloved really weird tape measure - it looks like so:

(-1)-0-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

Count the dashes between those numbers, it's 11. One more than if I had started at 0.

Thus, if I use my incorrect tape measure and find myself to measure a 30, in reality, it's 30-1, or 29.

(Edited - it turns out, gentle reader, as you'll see below....I'm wrong. Wah! Ah well, these things happen. :)

Enjoy,

Barbara
 
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Nope, I still disagree iamfire.

In your example, your imaginary measuring tape showed 11 dashes (inches). But it indicated 10 inches as it started at -1. If you were to use it, it would judge an object with a length of 11 inches to be only 10 inches long.

Similarly, if the tape shows 30, then it has 31 dashes. For simplification, imagine you measures only 2 inches. You start from 0 and tape shows you have a 2 inch waist. You measure from -1, and suddenly you're at 1". Another demonstration would be starting at -30. If you were correct, then the tape would show 60" when in reality you only measure at 30". But of course it will show zero, subtracting 30 from your measurements and not adding.

I like math too. ;)
 
That's wonderful that you have lost weight and that you have a waist! That is something to definitely be proud of.

I do however agree with siromar.
Let's pretend we're looking at a 2" mark on these two rulers...
-1--0--1--2 = Your tape measure
0--1--2--3 = Usual tape measure

To the 2" mark on yours would have 3 dashes and to the 2" mark on a usual tape measure it would read 2 dashes.

I wouldn't get too bogged down in it though. You've done great and you have much to be proud of.
 
Indeed, I was wrong.

Morning,

You're right! I was wrong. My apologies! I actually measured it myself and then I could see it.

Thanks for the correction,

Barbara
 
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