Saturday, April 25, 2009

Q. How Can You Tell a Happy Biker?

A. By the bugs stuck in her teeth.



I've really been enjoying biking lately. Now, you must understand that I haven't enjoyed biking since I was ten. I didn't think biking was my thing. But apparently it is because I look forward to my daily bike rides and I normally don't look forward to exercise. It helps that it's a gorgeous time of year. It also helps that I've reached my weight loss goal so I have less to haul around.

Speaking of my weight loss goal, I was supposed to do a before and after picture. Here is the heretofore unrevealed "Before" picture that I told you about but wouldn't actually show you a year ago because it was dreadful.


"Before" pictures are supposed to be dreadful. Yuck. Now, here is the "after" picture. Thirty five pounds gone. Yay!

I often find myself thinking, "is this really me?" I was pretty much overweight and out of shape from adolescence so I'd written on stone in my mind that I was too fat to do anything athletic and I could never find clothes that fit and I didn't think that I could ever change.

Boy, am I glad I was wrong. It's so fun to be like this. It's so fun to look in the mirror and say "hey, I look great!" It's so fun to come home from a long bike ride with Bean and say "Wow, we went eight miles today!" And I realize that THIS really is me and what I used to think was me wasn't really me at all.

I am still struggling with a strong compulsion to eat and eat and eat and eat and eat until I am sick, especially when it comes to sugar. Sometimes I still give in, but overall I am slowly getting stronger. Even when I still overeat I can tell that I stop a little sooner than I used to and I am happy with any little bit of progress.

I hope that I can be an inspiration to somebody. I used to look at people who'd lost weight and think "that will never happen to me" and then it did (starting with a dramatic 100 pound loss after I had Bean.) So when you look at me don't think "that will never happen to me" because I don't believe that. You shouldn't either.
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3 comments:

* said...

you are strong, girl! I love this post, it's so inspiring.

I, too, have a little affair with sugar much more than I should. I found a trigger this last week -- that is, if I don't start eating sweets, then I crave them less. But if I start, even with one bite, it's a slippery slope from there.

Every day is a new beginning. And you are amazing!
PS: Isn't bike riding fun? I miss it dearly. I think I'm adding "bike" to my wish list right now.

MKMT said...

Sarah, I am so VERY proud of you!!! Thank you for posting about your experience - it is encouraging to me to see that consistent hard work has paid off so beautifully. And you do look beautiful! Love M.

Annalea said...

Hooray, hooray, hooray!!! You're awesome, Sarah. (And that before photo isn't as dreadful as you say it is. ;o)

I have a bloggy friend who has recently given up sugar completely, and while it was hard in the beginning, she says it's so liberating to no longer be a slave to that addiction. I have more details, but they're in email.

I'm so glad that you've been able to reach your goal. I've done that once in my life, and am headed back there now, albeit slowly. Thanks so much for the inspiration and example!