by Heather Robertson
Because of the positive response to my post on 40 things I won’t miss about being 170 pounds overweight, I’ve written a list of the benefits and non-scale victories (NSV) that have happened since I reached my goal weight.
So, here (in no particular order) is my list of 50 things I can do after losing 170 pounds!
I can:
1. Get off the ground without any help.
2. Do pushups on my toes.
3. Run for longer than a minute.
4. Put on jeans without having “love handles” to grab.
5. Get lifted off the ground by my hubby.
6. Smile when my kids ask why my husband is bigger than me.
7. Get asked to coach a Pre-K Physical Education class.
8. Maintain the energy to keep up with my kids.
9. Jump on a trampoline with my kids.
10. Swim with my kids.
11. Go for long walks or hikes with my family.
12. Hold a hover or plank position.
13. Run with my kids (and win sometimes!).
14. Realize that anything is possible when I put my mind to it.
15. Pick a size 6 off a clothing rack and have it fit.
16. Get dressed up for no reason other than “because it makes me feel good.”
17. See muscles in my shoulders, arms, and back.
18. Hear my doctor say I was at a healthy BMI for my height.
19. Know that I’m the most physically active person in a room regardless of gender.
20. Sit in an armchair and have space on either side of me.
21. Try on my wedding dress and realize it’s huge on me.
22. Loving the way I look in clothes.
23. Put clothes I like back on the rack because of my budget, not my body.
24. Wear sexy underwear.
25. Renew my commitment, every day, to living a healthier, fuller life.
26. Look at myself in the mirror.
27. Cross my legs.
28. Wear size B panty hose.
29. Buy size small shirts and workout clothes.
30. Experience people not wanting to offer me junk food because, in their words, “You obviously don’t eat it.” (What they don’t know won’t hurt them! 🙂 )
31. Hear people refer to me as in shape or healthy.
32. Know that, even after 3 C-sections and a hernia operation, my body is stronger than before.
33. Realize my husband and I together weigh only 34 pounds more than I did at my heaviest.
34. See everyone smiling bigger at me because I smile bigger at them.
35. See how strong I am both physically and mentally.
36. Watch my doctor’s expression when she pulls out my chart and sees how much weight I’ve lost.
37. Challenge myself by running a race.
38. Play with my kids without accidentally hurting them because I’m out of touch with my body.
39. Do jumping jacks.
40. Choose to play with my kids or sit and watch them because I want to, not because of my weight.
41. See myself as beautiful for the first time in my life.
42. Finally accept who I am.
43. Look forward to challenging workouts.
44. Say “no” to what I don’t want and not worry about what others think of me.
45. Create any new habit I want if I’m patient and willing to commit.
46. Feel, for the first time, that I’m in control of me.
47. View food as fuel for my body and not as “the enemy.”
48. Celebrate others achieving their goals, instead of being jealous because I couldn’t achieve mine.
49. Be a role model for other moms by showing them healthy is an option worth working for.
50. Realize that people are capable of so much more than what they think they can achieve.
And here’s one extra:
51. Prove that no matter what the obstacles in your path, you can achieve your health and fitness goals, or whatever you set your mind to!