Thanks Jenni, Petal, and LaMa for the nice congratulations!
I did the upper body exercises yesterday and was able to do them symmetrically and correctly and added one for legs, but it was so hard it made me shake all over, so I need to go slowly with the leg exercises on the resistance band. I haven't done the aerobic exercise like I had planned yet, but this is my catch up week for getting the house nice again after vacation, so I may only get to one session of aerobics during the week days and will go for a nice long hike or something with my kid this weekend. I am happy that I have done resistance exercises every day though.
I have been reading about authenticity and how it is the opposite of shame and self doubt - how we aren't as free and vulnerable and spontaneous when we lose touch with who we are and what we want our lives to be about. This is what I have been trying to talk about lately in my diary. I had started to shrink as a person (become sort of defensive and withdrawn) and part of the joy of life was going away, and the weight loss and the affect on my health physically and psychologically has really helped so far in feeling like I am expanding again and can really express what makes me happy and enthused again. I feel like I can open up again and be courageous enough to be myself (because I am kind of a quirky person who doesn't fit into any particular clique and have always stood out despite being pretty shy), and honestly looking better aesthetically helps for a better self image that I am more comfortable with. Also having my husband be happier and more engaged in our relationship really helps, as well. I feel like I can be there more for myself and therefore for other people, too. I hope this makes sense. Really I am just trying to say I am feeling more and more comfortable with myself lately.