Making a break for the border. . .
 

I've thought about this post for several days now, and decided to go for it. Hope others find it appropriate and useful. If not, please ignore it--it is not meant to exclude anyone who does not share this goal, just offer support to those who do.

Open invitation for any and all interested parties. . .

If you are looking forward to crossing a border, whether into Fort Four, Threesville, Twotown, or Onederland (or any variant thereof you prefer,) and want a little extra focus and support for achieving this goal, I propose a thread dedicated to acheiving and celebrating that milestone.

THIS IS NOT A CHALLENGE!! I am crummy at challenges, and fall flat on my nose in face of one. This is just support, cheerleading, and deriving inspiration from the success of others. I know there are several other TDC'ers who are getting on towards crossing the border. If you feel drawn to participate, then you belong.

Also, this is not just specifically dedicated to those who are within 5, 10, 20 or any other designated amount of that goal. Whether you are one or 99 pounds from the goal, if it drives you, you are in.

I think getting into the next hundredweight down holds a lot of power in our minds, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. We can use that to inspire us. For me, the idea of reclaiming the surrendered territory of Onederland has a lot of magic in my mind, and I'd love to have you there when I cross the border, just as I hope to be cheering for you.

So, with that long-winded preface out of the way, here's my commitment: I'm making a break for the border, back into Onederland, where I hope to live out my days in greater health and freedom. I offer my support to all others who are headed for their border, and plan on being there to cheer you on when you arrive. I make this (semi) public commitment in hope that it will help me better cherish my accomplishment, and appreciate what it has taken to get there, and strengthen my resolve to turn my back on that number forever, and never cross the border again.

Wow. That felt good to write that. I think I've regained so often, that part of me has held back, with the thought of, Yeah, but I'll probably gain it back--but now it feels like it really is forever this time. Thanks for reading this. . . .

I'm looking forward to Onederland!! I have been stalled for many months now, but with Spring and Summer coming and I do a lot of outside work, maybe this Summer I will suceed into Onederland. I will definitly be celebrating when I get there. I started doing some excercise again. I'm doing the Walk Away the Pounds, Power Mile.
Anyway lets make that Run for the Border!!! :)

I'm looking forwad to Onderland as well, haven't lived there since 1992. I'm a long way away, but still 40lbs closer than when I started!

Onerland!
 

Sounds like a great place to be. For me, the last time I was there was in about 1982. Wow..that's a longggg time ago!

I'm with you guys!

Tracy

woohoo onderland here I come .. count me in :)

You know you can count me in! I'm LONGING for Onederland, yet it seems so far away still! Maybe we can cross that border together Kathleen? I hope! Thanks for this post!

Amanda

Wishing you ALL...all the success in the world!

Thanks MisterE!!!

I'll join you on the path to ONDERLAND, Kathleen. I love reading your posts!

Hey, all, I am sitting here with a great big grin on my face. I'm so tickled that you're in on the this.

Mary, I'm delighted that this helps inspire you to get more active. I have found a long stall is a great place to start from. Seems like our bodies just need a rest. I look forward to cheering you over the border.

BPRSSM, dang right you're a lot closer! You got me thinking about dates--I stuck my toe over in 2001, and celebrated with an order of Ross Chocolate. Splat! Expensive, painful lesson learned. . . Before that, it was. . . lemme see. . . probably about '95. Yeah. Too long. Wow.

Tracy, Look how far you've come, and how close you are! I think I'm gonna cry when you cross the border. . .

Misty, your enthusiasm will surely light up the journey for us all. Rock on, girl! Fireworks for your passage!

Amanda, I surely did hope you'd jump in on this. (Saves me having to hunt you down and drag you on board--lol.) And no, it's not far away at all, not for any of us. We are traveling with hope, and that means that our goal is attainable. Without it, 5 pounds would be impossible--with it, 50 is merely a temporary obstacle.

MisterE, gracious and charming as always--your benediction is recieved with gratitude.

Tulips, it is an honor to have you with us for your 3rd and final border crossing, and thank you (blush.)

All right here, folks, one for all and all for one--from the first one over right on through to the one proudly carrying the red lantern, it's going to be a joy watching each and every one of us succeed.

Kathleen-

I am very close to Onederland now, having taken 5 1/2 months to get this far. I can't wait until I'm there (hopefully just another week or 2). I think (for me and maybe others) that crossing into the next hundred grouping (whether its from 4xx to 3xx lbs, 3xx to 2xx lbs, 2xx to 1xx lbs. or whatever) is a real line. Its as if when I cross into that next area, I know I can do anything because for me it is SUCH a boundary.

Make sense or am I just babbling?

Makes total sense to me (and what's wrong with babbling, anyway? Do it all the time. . .)

This is almost more of a mental battle than a physical one, and anything that strengthens us increases our chances of success. Could you imagine if we had to do all of the work first before we reaped any rewards for our effort? If we had to do all the exercise, food changes, behavior changes, and then one day go from our high weight to our goal weight? I don't think I'd make it. It's the milestones, large and small along the way, that keeps me going, and I think that's true for many others as well.

Parenting has it's raise-high-the-roof-beam moments: the birth of a child, or the moment when a judge declares the adoption final; the first day of school, the first time they stay overnight with a friend, or ride their bike alone; getting a drivers licence, high school diploma, "You're going to be a grandpa/ma", and so on. It's a long journey from infancy to adulthood, and it's not really defined by the milestones, but they are often what we remember, how we define our progress, and what we note and celebrate.

Education has same kind of rites of passage--midterms and report cards and finals and thesis--and then on to graduation. We mark our progress--freshman, junior, senior, grad student, etc., and it affects how we see who we are.

Weight loss doesn't take that long, thank goodness, but it is life-changing nonetheless, for those of us who suffer from morbid--deadly--obesity. We lift the death sentence from our lives, and transform bodies from prisons to playgrounds. That's pretty life-changing. If getting to goal is Graduation Day, then getting under a century mark is an important milestone along the way.

Celebrating stepping from 4-something to 3-, from 3-something to 2-, from 2-something to 1-something is turning a corner, renewing a commitment. It's how we keep from sliding into the complacency of "Oh, I've lost some and I feel better and look better and just one won't hurt and no one will notice the five--ooops, 10--oops, 20 pounds I've gained," and all the other lies we tell ourselves when we gain and regain the weight. It's about getting going again when we're 15 or 10 or 5--or 1 and a half pounds from goal.

It's about awareness. If obesity thrives in denial, then truth and awareness are the weapons we use in the fight.

I anticipate milestones and pebbles in the path as well, because I am believing myself into this acheivement. Each change, I celebrate. Walking down the hall this morning, I noticed my arms swinging freely by my side, instead of rolling over my inner arms. So noted, and cherished.

That helps me begin to see myself as a thinner person, one who behaves in ways appropriate to that state. A writer over at Carbsmart Magazine (check it out!) said about a time when she started to regain weight: "I had been a petite little lady for three years, and eating myself out of my clothes is not something petite little ladies do--so I stopped."

If I see myself as active, attractive, and slender, I hope to behave in ways that fit that self-image. When I saw myself as hopelessly fat, it was okay to cruise the cupboards and frig looking for love, it was acceptable to make cookies "for the kids," and then eat most of them myself, it was not not weird to be full--and keep eating. Even now, only 9 weeks later, it would be weird--and scary. I don't do those things, in part because I don't see myself as someone who does those things.

I belive that being in the 100's will be a different frame of mind for me than being over 200, where I spent almost all of my forties, where I have spent most of my children's lives.

I am very, very attentive to all the changes that take place in my body and my life, because it motivates me. I record every drop in weight, because I am trying very hard to internalize the changes I have wrought.

You are indeed so close. First one through, claim the territory for the rest of us, and leave the gate wide open, because no matter how close or far, there are more of us on the way.

I want to makea break for the border too-- gosh darnit!!
I was chatting with a friend of mine today who is also dieting--she used to be a size 10 ---well let me tell ya I don't ever recall shopping in anything other than the chubby girls section or plus size womens--So here I am I am going to do it and once I have hit onderland I will never go back!!

What an excellent thread! It's so great to see all of you here, and I can't wait for each of us to make it over our respective "borders".

I've been looking forward to reaching "TwoTown" myself. I can't remember when my weight ever started with a "2". This next milestone will actually be a two-in-one. My highest (known) weight was 402# (Apr 2002) ... that'll mean (a little more than) 100 pounds down. :D

Things are a little shaky for me this week, but I should be okay once I get back to school (I came home for Spring Break). I've come too far to quit now!! I'm the closest I've ever remembered being to 2xx. Of the records that I do have, the closest I've gotten before was about 330.

I am going to do it this time! I'm making a break for the border! TwoTown, here I come!

Kathleen, as always, inspirational!

I agree with you wholeheartedly on this comment you made:

I am very, very attentive to all the changes that take place in my body and my life, because it motivates me. I record every drop in weight, because I am trying very hard to internalize the changes I have wrought.

And as the years go by and your changes have found their permanent place in your lifestyle, you will have all your *noted changes* to reflect on and see the way you've adapted things to suit your new lifestyle.

And I totally agree with seeing myself as a thin actuive person, mainly because I've never let my weight keep me from doing the things I've wanted to do. But as I've mentioned before, now that I'm less fluffy, I tend to have a few more interests, therefore am even more active.

Funny how that works.

Yeah, my goal is 200 pounds, but I won't be upset if I crossover to 199. :lol:

--Betty:wave: