Hey Ya'll!
Thanks you so much for your fun and encouraging, supportive comments!
Feelinggooder: You are right...I'm not sure that 143 is the right number...When I get to 150, I'll know! You can bet, I'll celebrate when I get to 150, just the same! One day at a time and just doing the next right thing, eating the right stuff and keeping up the exercise routine is what i plan to do! You are also right to know that the coat purchase was a sort of celebration...and, quite honestly, one of necessity! Thanks for your encouragement!
Kate: I'm so glad to know that your eyes and brains play tricks on you too! I have kept 1 big pair of pants to remember where I started...when I get to my goal weight, I'm going to do the classic photo of the slim me in my old pants...part of me looks forward to that...and another part is full of shame for getting that big...I can't beat myself up for past actions...it does no good, and can't change it anyway...so I focus on today and keep doing the next right thing...or at least trying to! I'd highly recommend getting a new coat by the way...they are cheaper at the end of the season (my husband negociated a really good deal...and he doesn't speak a word of Chinese!)...and since you are so close to your goal weight it will be used alot in the future!
Oldschool & Cate: I felt exactly the same way in Thailand (havn't been to Vietnam, but I'm pretty sure that everywhere here in Asia is about the same)..and yes, my goal is to never have those types of shopping experiences again! I can certainly relate the the elephant allusion..sad but true!
So...here are some photos I asked my husband to take this morning...at your request
Drum roll please!!!! (I got that from you Brawny!)
This is me in my "traveling pants", cargo pants (bought them off the rack here in China too!)...pockets and comfort (going for the "I'm comfortable in my own skin" look here!)
This is the old coat that wraps around me, almost twice and weighs a ton!
This is the new coat...it feels so good and fits great and will be warm outside too, and...best of all...covers my butt! The collar flips up to cover my ears in the wind too and feels so light weight compared to the other one!! The color is a dark maroon, almost black, so not too conspicuous (just my style!)
So much for the celebration pictures!
Today, I got up and did my 60 min on the elliptical for 903 cal, then 20 minutes on the rowing machine for 176 cal. No running today as I'm going to do the rest day in between runs.
Breakfast: 2 fried eggs, leafy green vegetable, sauteed chicken and mushrooms, sweet & sour pork, walnuts, cranberries and cheese mix
Going back down to the tailor today to take all of my button down shirts to have them taken up...right now, they are just taking up space in the closet...going to get them done so that when I need a good button down shirt (which I know I will...I have some serious travel business trip coming up) , I'll have them and they won't look so baggy! Then I'm going to look for a roller brief case that I can put my computer in to take back and forth to work...right now, I use a backpack...and I don't want to mess up my new coat with that thing!
Take care all and thanks again for your support and help! I really am addicted to this forum now!
Sarah