As of Wednesday of this week, I arrived at 179.8 lbs.  This put me at a nice round number of minus 50 pounds.  I still have about 35 pounds to go, according to my edited goal (now 145 lbs., vs. the starting goal of 155 -- who would have predicted I would raise the ante on my goal??).  However, I genuinely believe that I will attain my goal now, which is an altogether new thing for me.  If you read this blog much, you know I've failed many times and fully expected to do so again.  Noone is more amazed that I've accomplished as much as I have as I am.  Part of me is still waiting for the other shoe to drop.  I wake up in the morning and pinch myself as I slide on some size Medium or Large shirt, compared to my previous 2XXL or 20W size.  It's bizarre, and much harder to wrap my brain around than I would have ever predicted.  I struggle, actually.  People say "Oh, what a great thing to have to go and buy new clothes," but I groan at the thought.   I have had to replace everything, right down to my skivvies.  If you have unlimited access to money, this could be fun, I'll admit.  But my hubby grumbles and says, "Can't you just buy a belt??"  As though it weren't hard enough to become comfortable in my new skin.  (No offense, honey!)

You ladies out there know that a belt doesn't fix most  female wardrobe problems.  It's kind of funny, actually.  Just add up the times I had to go out and buy something new because I had GAINED weight and couldn't fit in my clothes!  On the other hand, it is super depressing that the size 16/XL clothes I bought in June (and was so excited I could fit into) don't fit anymore.  Oh, I suppose I could make them work with liberal use of duct tape, but even Mason and Dixon had to draw the line somewhere.

But, without further ado, here are some of the really, really good things that I've noticed about being 50 lbs. smaller (and I'll update this blog as I think of new stuff, so you might see it pop to the surface again, sometime):

1.  Bath towels fit all the way around me.  What a concept. 

2.  I can cross my legs again.  Seriously, for about 9 years, there, I couldn't cross my legs.  Now it is my favorite thing to do. 

3.  I now wear a size Large.  There are many more options in that size than in a size 20W.  I no longer need a special store (Lane Bryant -- where everything seems to be made for a teenaged girl who weighs what I weighed, only has a lot of décolletage she wants to show off...) or a special section of any store.  That's a "good thing," as my friend Martha says.  So my #3 good thing is:  No special size needed.

I know a number of ladies who struggle to stay motivated in the face of working to lose many pounds.  It can feel insurmountable.  I know, as I've certainly been there.   I'm hoping this will be motivational, so I'm asking you readers for help.  Have you lost a lot of weight?  What good things did YOU notice?  Please post them in comments.