Milestone: 40!

This week I did it: I hit -40 lbs!

I was so excited I squealed. I’m not going to lie to you. I felt pretty freakin’ awesome. 🙂 I’ve lost the most weight out of anyone in the meeting I go to, which is both awesome and… well, kind of sad that I was that big to begin with. But something I’ve noticed: very few people that I started with are still working the program and going to meetings. In fact, my mom and I are the only people that have been in the meeting since August– the next oldest member at our meeting joined in the beginning of September.

It’s funny to be the one seeing people come and go, because in the past, I was always the one to leave.  I really think that community and friendship (both gained by going to meetings) are crucial to success with losing weight. And in fact, this meeting’s topic was weight-loss buddies. My weight-loss buddy, Lindsay, has been a huge part of why I’ve been so successful (I’m sure I’ve said that before). My leader, Betsy, said that people who have three or more weight-loss buddies lose more weight, and I definitely think there’s something to that. A lot of people don’t understand what it’s like to struggle with food. I fully believe that food is addictive in much the same way cigarettes, drugs, etc. are. If you don’t have someone who can empathize with your struggles, I think it’s easy to feel alone and it’s easier to want to give in.

Awesome things about having weight-loss buddies:

• support and understanding. They don’t judge you, they get you. And they’ll kick your butt when you need them to.
• recipe swaps, or other food suggestions. (Thank you, Linds, for suggesting those Weight Watchers Latte Bars. Holy moly, they are good!)
• friendly competition. When your friends are hitting their goals, you want to, too. You don’t want to get left behind!
• making new friends. No matter the outcome of your journey, you have another, stronger friendship.

“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one.'” – C.S. Lewis

On a funnier note, I found this awesome fellow at Wal*Mart this week:

Anyone else miss chocolate bunnies on Easter morning? My parents stopped giving me candy for Easter in high school (probably for weight-related reasons), but I still like to glance at the holiday sections of stores while I’m shopping. There’s always something new and creative.

What are your Easter/holiday treats? Any suggestions for calorie-friendly springtime desserts?