Oh, The Joy!

Here's Tiff's essay for Part 2.
BE INSPIRED!
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Shopping for size 12 clothing is a breeze. There are TONS of things to sort through, to try on, to admire myself in in the hateful dressing-room mirror. It's nice to not have to squint at myself to try to erase the butt ripples or the swaying upper arms, nice to not have to wrestle my waist into pants that actually button. I don't fool myself that I have the figure I did when I was young and childless, but I'm glad to see my hipbones and collarbones and wristbones again, to rediscover the jawline I used to have, even though it's now a little softer from age.

Beyond the shopping joys, I've discovered that feeling GOOD is about being healthy, and how nice it is to be able to climb the 3 flights of stairs up to my office without getting winded, how great it is to have workout dates with friends, how wonderful it feels to take a walk and WANT to run. Being fit, being healthy, is a gift I've given myself; it's one of the best gifts I've ever gotten.

All in all, I'd have to say that losing the weight I thought I didn't care about has has really changed me. Aside from LOOKING better, I FEEL better, about my self, my health, my energy, my body, my ability to take charge and DO the thing I knew I needed to do, even if NOT doing it was easier. I am proud of myself, and it feels darned good.