"If you are going through this drastic change - Do you REALLY love yourself for who you are?"

Well, if you are asking me if I love the person who decided I didn't want to worry about increased risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, and a shorter life expectancy, then YES.  Yes, I do REALLY love myself for who I am. 

There is no question that I love the fact that very soon, I won't have to go to a certain section of a store to find my size.  That I won't have to go to special stores all together to get my clothes....that wasn't the case 6 months ago.  I can not dispute that I like that my face, arms, and thighs are smaller (I should actually do my measurements again to see how much smaller). 

I realize that these are vain reasons to want to lose weight.  But they aren't the only reasons.

I like the fact that I am becoming healthy.  I am losing the weight the right way by making changes that I know I can stick with.  I am putting as much emphasis on exercise as I am on what I put in my mouth.  I have lost 37 pounds since October.  That is only 4 pounds a month on average.  They say to lose weight in a healthy way, you are okay to lose up to 2 pounds a week.

Never before would I have considered running a block, much less 2 to 4 miles.  Before if I didn't have to work, I wanted to be lounging in front of my tv or be reading a book.  Although I still enjoy those things and try to do both when I can, I can't sit the whole weekend out.  I need to be up moving around some.  My house is becoming cleaner (slowly - I still don't actually LIKE cleaning house).  I am gardening, with plans to put in both a flower garden and a vegetable garden. 

My mental health is better.  My confidence is up.  I'm looking into other ways of improving my life like going back to school and thinking of doing something in health and fitness.

I have made some of the most fabulously supportive friends.  People who have pushed me to be my best.  People who I think would still have become friends had we met 10 months ago, but that share my same goals of self-improvement and so makes our friendships so more meaningful.

I think that the progress I've made is spectacular and the success that I've had has shown that I am doing the right things in order to get in shape.  I am doing this for me and the route I take may not fit into other people's plans.  That is unless their plan is to see me get fit and healthy in a way (and timeframe) that is enjoyable to me.