GOOOOAAAAAALLLLLL!

Today I reached goal and I am just beside myself with joy!

In just about 4 months, I have gone from 177 to 139.5. From a size 14 (squeezing into a 12) to a size 6. I have NEVER been a size 6.

37.5 pounds GONE FOREVER thanks to a low carb life.

If you've been following my journey, you know that I leave on vacation tomorrow which was the immediate motivation for my quest for the single digit size. And there is no doubt I've reached that goal. But more than the weight loss, I have to admit I've undergone a transformation in other ways.

First, besides what it says on the scale, my shape has changed in ways I didn't expect. My face is visibly slimmer, my midsection seems flatter and more toned and while I've always thought of myself as a busty girl... I can now shop at Victoria's Secret because I'm actually a size they carry. This, I think, was nearly as shocking as the single digit dress size. I went from a 38DD to a 34C in 4 months. Not a place I expected to lose but hey, it's all gotta come from somewhere, right?

I've gone from eating whatever was handy to actually thinking about what I was putting in mouth and taking vitamins daily. Low carb eating keeps my Insulin Resistance in check and prevents my blood sugar from crashing by keeping those levels steady throughout the day.

I spend a fair amount of time reading the blogs and websites of other low-carbers hoping to pick up tips (which I do). And in the process, they have all inadvertently offered a level of support and encouragement that I never got anywhere else.

A month ago I actually took up some exercise. This was no easy feat 'cause I am LAZY. Ok, maybe lazy isn't the right word. More accurately, I have other priorities and figuring out where I was going to fit exercise has never been one of them. But rationally, I knew that if I really wanted to get the rest of the weight off, I was going to have to get my butt in gear somehow. So for all you couch potatoes out there...do something. Anything. I inherited a Fitness Flyer and the first week I committed to 10 minutes a day, every day. Then I worked up to 15 minutes. Now I'm up to 20.

So I'm not running a marathon anytime soon but it's something. And I've only missed ONE day since I started (and that was due to a business trip).

The bottom line is low carb eating works for me in a way that no other program ever did. I have more energy which is partly due to how I'm eating and partly due to my 5'3" frame not struggling to carry around 37.5 extra pounds.

Perhaps my initial motivation was the trip but my continuing motivation will be to stay this size because a size 6 feels wonderful.

And this time I will NOT be the fat girl in the cruise pictures.

Tomorrow, I'll get on a plane to Florida and gather with my family before we take off on our cruise. I have not seen my Dad and brothers since months before I started my low carb program. I have also not told them about my journey. I am looking forward to their reaction almost as much as the trip itself... almost.

Have a great week, everyone. I hope to see less of all of you when I return. ;)