Changing gears

Changing to a much more cheerful topic, I think I'll discuss the postal service. Most days Patrick, our marvelous mailman, brings bills and an assortment of junk mail. Lately he has been the bearer of a trove of small and wonderful treasures--items I'll probably recall with great fondness for many years to come. Remember a couple of months back when I posted about the Fat Fighter Challenge that some 28 of us from Nutrisystem posed for ourselves? (Actually, Edith Tapia proposed it, amazing and creative woman that she is) Well, to my utter shock and amazement, I won the challenge! I thought for sure I was haning in the middle or rear of the pack, because I had modest losses for the entire period with the exception of our vacation, and then for some bizarre reason, I dropped a ton of weight, Krispy Kreme notwithstanding. My prize, selected for its regional flair, and delectability, was moulded maple sugar candy. Its been here waiting to be mailed off to some far flung corner of the world. Well, now its being joined with all sorts of things from all over the place and getting the mail is a delight. My daughter always beats me to the mail and when I came home yesterday after three days at work, she presented me with THE cutest trophy--handmade of fimo and and a mini-hatbox, all beautifully painted. Thank you Battleangelina--you made my day! From Lisa in Illinois came a Walmart card that I'm thinking might just turn into some colourful bedlinens--thank you Lisa! My daughter lives for pineapple and is turning her eagle eye towards the mail for a fresh pineapple Amanda will be sending--I bet it puts the canned cooked Dole stuff to shame. I'm thrilled to have won the challenge but it feels very strange indeed to have such a shower of rewards for a few weeks of pushing myself to the gym some 4-5 days per week. All of the other ladies also deserve rewards no matter what the weight loss total was, because the support and camaradarie is a treat in and of itself, and we are all reaping the rewards of fewer pounds on our bodies.

Tonight up at the mall I sat down after a few hours on my feet and realized that my back wasn't spasming. My back ALWAYS locks up in spasms when I walk on that hard surface for any length of time, but tonight it didn't. As a matter of fact, it doesn't hurt nearly as much as it used to, and though I still toss and turn much of the day when sleeping (ahhh, the joys of night shift) hips are also less painful. My knees almost never ache, and the plantar fasciitis that has plagued me for years has also let up its evil iron grip. Could it be that these are also directly resulting from removing a bit over 40 pounds from my frame? I think it is, and this challenge has really gotten me off my tuchus and into gear. Its funny, because when I look in the mirror I see a thinner face and thinner legs, but still a large abdomen and extremely ample hips. For a while I actually felt thin, despite having more than half the excess weight to go, and now I no longer feel thin, but am noticing definite changes in the level of minor achiness that has bothered me for years. One other big plus: I can lie on my back and not feel suffocated by my weight! How cool is that?