The morning stretch

so it's been 3 weeks since the BIG DAY!  We got married September 3, 2011 and I weighed in at 178.0 on the wedding day.  That's 11 pounds lighter than when I started weight watchers and roughly 15 pounds lighter than I weighed last winter/spring. 

Not bad if you ask me. 
Not bad at all.

Since the wedding I have gone on to maintain (well...mostly maintain) my weight loss by only gaining 1-3 pounds back.  This still fluctuates from day to day, but I am really surprised the weight is staying off.  Especially seeing as how I abandoned tracking any "points" of any kind in my weight watchers journal. 

When LIFE started happening again, I lost all commitment to weight watchers and I had to start focusing my attention on more than just record keeping, basic math, and food portioning.  I started back to school stuff, my mom was diagnosed with cancer, and the wedding was within weeks.  LIFE hit me hard and I was in no position to make rational decisions about "points." 

....essentially I was falling apart in the middle of my life and I wanted chocolate and cheeseburgers.  I felt as though what I was going through was justification enough and the weight watchers people would truly understand if I bailed off the bandwagon.

I have been noticing my school clothes fit better and I have slightly more energy before at work. BUT just when you start getting used to your "NEW AND IMPROVED" weight, you start noticing that you could lose a few more. 

The double chin isn't as single as you thought it was. 
Your muffin top is no longer a double layer cake, but more like a bad spare tire hanging around. 
Your arms still jiggle. 
Your endurance still poor.
and even though your pants fit better...it still takes the Morning Stretch to really break them in.

You know what I'm talking about. 
...We are all guilty of doing it. 

The morning stretch is when you go to put your shirt on--you put the mid section of your shirt on your arms, then carefully move your arms in and out to gently stretch your shirt just a smidgen.  Then you put your pants on and proceed to do some light squats in your bedroom to get them just right.  

All in all, I praise my new weight and I am glad I am able to be proud of the accomplishments I have made.  I just have to set a new goal and go for that one now.  (***Which, by the way, will be difficult with all the delicious fall baking I want to be doing.)