A Milestone: Down Below Half

When I began this blog and chose the name "Leaving Half of Me Behind" it was a cute hook more than a real goal - I knew that losing that much weight was a possibility, but I wasn't anywhere near certain that it was something I could do.

With my surgical recoveries and a few other things going on including what probably has been a bit of a real plateau, I've been bouncing around the same 1-2 pounds for the last couple months.

But, as of this morning, we've broken through that - and officially, finally, have left MORE than half of me behind:

My starting weight was 338, so half was 169 - I've finally gone under that mark. Yay! Officially I've now lost 74% of my excess weight.

That's a number that really kind of bugs me - the ideal weight calculations used for women are 100 pounds, plus (or minus if necessary) 5 pounds per inch of height above/below 5 feet. So at 5' 1.5", that makes my "ideal" weight 107.5. Sorry kids, I'd look like a skeleton at that weight. I have a picture of me as a high school freshman where I weighed 117 and thought I had a bit of a belly pooch, but really it was how my trousers fit. But I was FOURTEEN years old. My junior prom photo is when I weighed 139 pounds. I felt at the time I could lose 15-20 pounds, but again, I was 17 years old.

Using commonly available BMI calculators online, I'd need to get down to 163 to not be considered "obese" any longer, and just be labelled as overweight. To get into a normal weight range (for 5-2) would require getting down to 136. That's a maybe, but I'm not sure where I'm going to get 32 pounds off of me - realistically, plastics may take off up to 10, but do I really have 22 more pounds to lose? I'm not sure.

Though it's a silly self-portrait in a corporate headquarters ladies room, but really - I'm not sure. The belly puff is some serious skin droopage, and the boobs are empty tube socks held up in a fairly solid structurally supportive bra. Get rid of the underarms, but that's maybe a pound or two each really.

We'll have to see what happens. Plastics may be later this summer, or in another year to year and a half, depending on another little project we're doing.

We're giving having a family one last "Hail Mary" pass - I'm undergoing IVF with donor eggs (due to my geriatric age when it comes to motherhood). Just getting the cycle started, the donor has been located (through an agency, it's not someone we know), and getting ready for her to get on the meds cycle, and so a transfer will probably be another month away.

So lots to be celebrating, but that number up at the top really made my day today!