Happy Anniversary To Me!

I checked with the clinic and March 28, 2012 was the day I began my Optifast journey weighing 239 lbs. Which means I have passed the one year mark and it's Happy Anniversary to Me! I am thrilled to report that I reached my goal of 160 lbs. in January (according to the clinic scale) and I have been able to successfully maintain my weight at around 157 lbs., on average, for almost three months. I need to remind myself that this is a great accomplishment, to be sure, and that perhaps a jewelry purchase is in order. Maybe a bracelet or watch? Something I can look at daily and be reminded of how far I have come.

Millie did some calculations for me that I want to share:

My Body Mass Index (BMI) when I started was 39.8. That put me in the "Class III Obesity" category.

My BMI today is 26. The "healthy" BMI range is 18.5 - 24.5, but I am big-boned so I am right where I belong.

When I weighed in on Wednesday, the scale registered 158.12 lbs. This is a total loss of 80.65 lbs. I have lost 34% of my body weight. Which translates into the typical size of a fifth-grader. Wow.

I'll add that I have dropped from a size 24W/2X to a size 12/L. I've come a long way baby.

My average weight loss was 2.2 lbs. a week. Subsequently, I was on a full fast for 9 1/2 months, with some occasional clinic-approved meals tossed in there. Yes, this was a long haul. It was very frustrating, sometimes difficult, hard, initially, to accept. But I made it through. And friends, so can you!

My journey is far from over. As I expected, as I feared, maintenance is challenging. I must watch my calories, fat, carb, protein and sodium intake very closely, and I am struggling to get a solid exercise routine in place. But I have identified what I need to do, I am reaching out to the clinic and my friends for help, the weather is getting nicer and my husband is grumbling about getting out and walking more. I met a wonderful woman at the clinic who is just starting out and we discussed the great option of water aerobics. It feels so good to move, she told me. I agree.

As far as my cooking goes, I am at this juncture incorporating the fiber-rich, bulky oriented, fantastic recipes listed in the book, "The iDiet: Use Your Instincts to Lose Your Weight -- And Keep It Off -- Without Feeling Hungry" by Dr. Susan Roberts at Tufts University. It is working beautifully for maintenance, and if you enjoy cooking, this is the book/program for you. I actually believe we all should be cooking our own meals, and limiting eating out to only once or twice a week. And avoiding fast food altogether. But that's just me, and it's strict, but I need those controls in place.

I have permission to share the iDiet recipes, and I'll post the ones I really love, but I also encourage you to order the book. It is available at www.amazon.com at a very affordable price. There is also a Facebook page set up by the iDiet team -- search "myidiet" in Facebook and "like" their page!

So to the jewelry store I might go this weekend. I always get in trouble there, so maybe I'll hold off. But I believe something special needs to be purchased. It's been quite a year and there is much to celebrate!