Day 80 and Thoughts on my quarterly assessment and lessons learned so far

DAY 80. Because it's been 12 weeks yet (though not quite 90 days), we did our quarterly assessments last night at Team Fitness. I am so proud to say that in total so far I have lost 34.4 lbs and 28" (inches off my chest, waist, stomach, legs, arms). The body composition analysis also shows that I have lost over 20 lbs of fat. It made me really happy in particular to see that I've lost 5" off my stomach alone... amazing! Explains why sit-ups are getting to be, not necessarily easier, but I have a better range of motion so they're not quite so impossible. It's been wonderful to fit back into some of the clothes I've kept in the back of my closet too. It broke my heart when I outgrew some of my favourite dresses, so I'm ecstatic that I can wear them now.

Date	% Fat	Lbs Fat	Lbs LBM
2013-09-07	47.2	139	155
2013-12-03	44.8	117	145

Some inevitable truths I've learned over the past 12 weeks:

• Yes, sometimes I have bad days on which I want to give up, but I won't because I refuse to fail this time.
• Yes, sometimes being on a meal plan may seem restricting or repetitive, but that just means I can be more creative with finding new options and working with what I have.
• Yes, sometimes I will have mini meltdowns over trivial things (like last night and the dirty dishes), but it doesn't make me run for comfort food anymore.
• Yes, I have fallen prey to little cheats along the way (I am human for goodness sakes!), but I didn't let those derail me or send me into an insane binge or let me fall off the wagon.
• Yes, it is possible to change your mindset so that kale is just as good as potato chips (takes some practice).
• Yes, every muscle in my body seems to ache on different days, but I've learned to love that feeling.
• Yes, straightening my hair seems like a waste now, because I have to wash it after my workouts anyways.
• Yes, I still look silly sometimes when I'm working out, but I know that those around me are supportive of me, and those who aren't... well, they can pretty much suck it.
• Yes, garlic is one of the best seasonings in the world. And so handy for keeping away vampires! who needs that extra salt?!
• Yes, there will be cheese in my future, and it will be a delicious treat instead of a staple.
• Yes, I love myself (and others do too) at any size, but more importantly, I will lead a healthy life so I'm around for many years to come.
• Yes, push-ups are still awful. And so are stairs.

I'm so excited to keep going with this new lifestyle... can't wait to reassess in another 12 weeks and see how far I've come then!!!