I'm thinking of calling goal

[Luna Loca]

I've spent some time reflecting and honestly looking at myself in the mirror, both dressed and naked. I like how I look dressed, not so much how I look without clothes. Without going into too much detail, weight loss has not been kind to my skin. I don't think more weight loss is going to help.

I wear a size 13, which is the size I wore in high school. I weigh probably 30 pounds more than I did in high school, so there's probably some vanity sizing going on there, but I am basically pleased with how I look and feel.

I have lost 140 pounds as of yesterday. That's a nice round number. I think this is it, guys. I think I'm here I want to be. I think I'm here.

[gotsomeold]

HOOOOO HAAAAA Luna!!!!!

From your pictures, you look fantastic! From you adventures, you are in magnificent shape!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

This is wonderful news

[mykidsteacher]

Whoooppeeee! Join us over on maintenance lane where we chat about the unexpected challenges of being in maintenance.

And WTG on 140 pounds lost. That is an amazing accomplishment!

[Joyjoy]

O my god!!!!!!! And the crowd goes wild. Yayyyyyyyyyyy!
How is it that your victory is our victory? I have no idea, but I'm screaming out loud here at my place, and I swear I can hear the other juddd buds.
One hundred and forty freakin' pounds!
You are a force of nature, woman.
Congratulations. Hope you love all the love that's coming your way today.

[sterlinggirl]

I hear ya gal on the whole" not to kind on the skin"~ But i cant imagine being a sucess story like you!! You are my inspiration, my friend and my BUDDD..Congrats huns on calling it GOAL~~~~ YIPPEEEEE

[sophiethecat]

WTG, Luna!!! So proud of you and happy for you, my bud! What an accomplishment! Soak it all in. Enjoy!!!

[Smi1es]

Congrats Luna!!! That's awesome!!!!

[Yam-Yam]

Fantastic!!! Congratulations!!

[sunday]

Luna! What an inspiration you have been! I think maintenance is the place to relax and enjoy life! You deserve this!

[juddinminime]

Congradulation s!!!

[Sheridan]

I'm typing this with a big ol' lump in my throat, Luna. So, SO dang proud of and happy for you!!

You were my primary inspiration even before you started JUDDD and have continued to be as we both found our way over here.

My best to you, always!

[CherylS]

[SoHappy]

Woo Hoo!

Congrats on getting to goal weight. Wonderful news!

[KeirasMom]

I bow down to your greatness. How amazing you are! You are, for sure, an inspiration in every sense of the word. Not just with your weight loss which has been phenomenal, but with your inner shining light. When I grow up, I want to be you.

[Luna Loca]

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I've struggled with this because I've been hooked on the number. I still have a belly, I'm no one's ideal body. But I'm so happy in this body when I think about where I've been. And my life is needing to be about more than weight loss now. I wanted to improve my life and my health and I've done it. Now it's time to just live my life and quit worrying about my size and my weight. I hope I can do this.

I should write out my story.

I was about 135 in high school, thought I was fat. Actually I was lovely, but just couldn't see it then. I put on a little weight with my first child at 20, but not much, maybe 15-20 pounds. With my second child, I gained a bunch of weight and didn't take it off. My marriage was going bad and I was having a lot of depression. After the marriage ended, I lost a bunch of weight, going from about 230 to somewhere in the 160's, wearing a size 16 (no exercise).

When DH and I got married, I was in a size 20 . Over the years, I varied from a size 20 to a size 28. Mostly at about a size 24.

I thought I would always be fat. I gave up.

About five years ago, I went to the doctor and weighed in at 303. That shocked me, and I started dieting and exercising to lose weight. I lost to about 220, then bounced back up to about 250 and stayed there for about two years.

Around that time, I got on medication that finally (finally!) controlled my moods and depression. Most people gain weight on this drug, but for me it controlled my moods so well that I had no need to eat constantly. Prior to this, I realized, that I was eating to control moods. My mood would start to sink, and I'd eat something. I could feel the change in my body when I ate, and the down mood would ease. A few hours later, the cycle would repeat.

With this medication, the need to eat constantly to control my mood was just gone. It was a freakin' miracle. When I noticed this effect, I decided to start dieting to take advantage of the fact that my appetite was much reduced. I started back on low-carb (like most of us, I'd been on countless diets during my years and years of being fat). So I knew how to low-carb, it had been moderately successful for me at times over the years, so I started again. I lost some weight, but realized fairly soon that I was not going to do well on low-carb, I love fruit and oatmeal and bread too much. It's bad when you schedule a cheat day to have a bowl of oatmeal.

So I switched to low-calorie. I used a calorie counting website which I don't think I'm allowed to mention here. They suggested a calorie range for me to be in, I logged every bite religiously, exercised 5-6 days a week and lost more weight. I lost about five pounds a month for a while, which is a good rate of loss, but about a year into this, my weight loss started to slow. I responded by increasing my exercise (60 minutes on the elliptical, 4 times a week). Nothing. I was still over 200 pounds at this point and frustrated. Then I found JUDDD. I've been JUDDDing just over six months and have lost 35 pounds, and a bunch of inches. I don't really measure, I go by jeans size. I was an 18 when I started JUDDD, now I'm in a 13. And a medium in tops.

So I'm pretty happy here. And like I said before, my life is changing and it's just time to let the weight loss go, quit trying to be a perfect model body (because that's never going to happen) and focus on being strong, fit, and able to fit into airplane seats!

This has opened up so much in my life. I never would have been in a place emotionally or physically to even consider going to South Africa when I was 300 pounds. Not to mention the ordeal that flight would have been jammed into a too-small seat. I am a different person than I used to be. I am more accepting of myself, more willing to take risks and be free. I enjoy my life so much more today.

So yeah, I think I have arrived at where I want to be. I am so grateful to be here and so thankful to my DH and everyone here for supporting me so that I could reach my goals. Not just to lose weight, but to gain life.

So there's my story. Hope no one was bored!

[Erika1962]

Luna that is fantastic news! Congratulations on your amazing weight loss !!!

[Luna Loca]

While I was typing that magnum opus, so many more people have commented! I am so grateful to each and every one of you that have supported me, cheered for me, helped me, listened to me. You all are so great. Sooo great.

[leonak]

WOW, Luna!! :congrat s:

You are one wonderful gal!! This is great news, see you over in Main Lane!



Leona

[GrannyPants]

You are one of my Juddd heroes!
:

--------
Mere

[Yam-Yam]

Luna: I absolutely loved reading your story! Thanks for taking the time to share it with us. You have come a long way, Baby!

[stephdray]

I wanna be you. You're an inspiration, friend!

[calichris]

Luna!

Congratulations!

I loved your story. You are such an inspiration.

[dee]

Luna thank you so much for sharing your story. I love reading the success stories! Enjoy maintenance and keep posting!!!

[Jbinme]

Im so happy for you Luna! I so admire your acceptance of your body where it is at. To me that is more valuable than any number on a scale or size of clothes.

[Kissa]

Oh Luna, you have brought tears of joy to my eyes. I loved reading your story and I so respect and agree with your decision to enjoy your lovely, strong, healthy body and enjoy maintaining.

This will help while you embark on the next exciting chapter of your life. You may find you lose without intending to while you are in South Africa. Did I tell you how much I love that country?

Congratulation Luna, on being the wonderful woman you are.

[Luna Loca]

What a wonderful bunch of affirmations and love to see this morning. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Today has been a tough one so far, so many changes in so little time will do that to ya. I am sooooo appreciative of all the love and clinging to your kind words for dear life. You have no idea how much this matters to me right now.

A thousand blessings,
Luna

[Joyjoy]

Luna, times a billion. Or more, if you need more today. Love is everywhere.

[theredhead]

I want to add my congratulations and tell you that you're FABULOUS, in many, many ways. I admire you so much for giving up this life you know to go trek off to another continent to serve people less fortunate. I certainly understand why you're ready to move on from obsession with weight, and get on with living life.

I also have the issue with skin and joke that I look like a Shar Pei under my clothes, lol. But I like the way my clothes look on, and that's what everybody else sees. It's good enough!

You've done a remarkable job, and I'm so happy for you!

[Carly]

Luna, I'm so happy for you! You are a marvelous woman!

[sdjade]

Congratulations Luna on reaching goal and thanks for sharing your story! You have totally reinvented yourself and I see amazing things in your future!