182.0 The Elliptical Even With My Edgy Back!

Today I went back to the Y and spent more time on the elliptical and marveled at how good it felt to be doing it and how good I felt that I accomplished it. I still remember not being able to do it for more than one minute when I started. I was just beginning to lose the weight and I was so out of shape. Today I did it for 25 minutes and quit only because my back is being edgy and I don't want to irritate it.

I think that a good challenge for me is to keep heading over to the Y and staying with the elliptical at least every other day. It does really pick my spirits up when I do it and that's a very good thing for me.

180.2 Ripples of Change

I've been thinking about this "weight loss journey or adventure" as I have referred to this experience of losing all of the weight. As you read, getting to the point of achieving success was indeed quite a journey, but once finding myself there as been very challenging. I'm thinking about all sorts of scenarios that might be similar to where I find myself now. For example, working extremely hard to get a promotion and then finding the work very different from what was imagined. Or moving to that dream house and then being faced with all the challenges of making it into a real home including finding a comfort zone with new neighbors, helping children to settle into new schools, etc. Change begets change begets change. I did go to church today so maybe that's why I'm thinking in terms of begets :). Is that what "nothing's over til it's over" is all about?

I've really appreciated the encouragement to keep writing this blog. It was definitely part of the disciplined life I was living as I was in the process of losing the weight. Not writing it has added to the maintenance chaos I've experienced and so I'll work to make it a part of every day once again.

175.4 Tenacious

Today was my last day until next fall to teach my ESL class. It's been the best year that I've had there because I allowed my inner spirit to open my heart to each of my students in a much more personal way.

After telling my friend Sally all about my class, the inspiration that I receive from being with these wonderful people and how determined they are to learn English no matter what their age, she reminded me that she had a framed photograph in her home that she had taken and entitled Tenacious. She said that she thought it would be wonderful to share the photo with my students and she made up twenty note cards with the photo on the front for me to give them today.

They loved receiving the photo. Several of them said that they would put it where it could be seen first thing in the morning. They were touched by the fact my friend had done this for them. And they are a tenacious group, determined to keep trying to master this wonderfully difficult language that we speak so easily.

So thank you Sally, for the thought, the time, and the cards. You made a big difference in many lives today, an important and positive difference.

And, yes, being tenacious has played a big part in my weight loss adventure and now the maintenance phase. I've kept one of the cards for myself. I don't think Sally will mind.

172.2 You Know, You Never Know!

You know, you never know. This morning when I arrived at PVCC to teach my ESL class, one of the administrators told me she wrote a composition about my blog, this blog. When I sat down in August of 2009 and started writing this blog, I had no idea about how it would play out, how long I would be writing it, and if I would even be successful in reaching my goal weight. (I had lost about 34 pounds and had 46 to go.) And, I certainly never dreamed it would be the subject of someone's paper for an advanced English class. Life is still full of good surprises.