Sometimes my brain goes in odd directions. A friend/co-worker and I were talking about weight loss today. I mentioned that I’ve lost around 180 pounds. It struck me that I’d lost significantly more than this co-worker’s entire body weight.
That started my train of thought down a particular track. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the average weight of adult women ages 20+ in the U.S. is 166.2 pounds. For men in the same age range in the U.S., the average weight is 195.5 pounds. So with 180 pound weight loss, I’ve lost more than an entire average sized woman and almost as much as an averaged sized man.
I’ve also lost more than an adult male English mastiff weighs. I can’t imagine trying to carry around a dog that size, yet I did.
There are dolphins where I work that weigh less than I did when I was my heaviest. I look at some of the youngsters who hit the scale at a little less than 200 pounds and think about them being the equivalent in pounds of the weight I’ve taken off.
This really gives me a different perspective about my excess pounds. I have an entirely new, deeper, more amazed respect for my body — bones, joints, muscles, organs, the whole darned thing and all of its systems. For years this body that was built for one person carried around enough weight for two large people. It’s a wonder that my heart didn’t explode from my chest or my knees collapse beneath me.
I feel like I should apologize to every cell of myself. I’m not going to beat myself up over it. That would be a waste and achieve nothing. All I can do is what I’m doing now. Keep losing weight and then maintain the loss. Continue to exercise to build strength and flexibility. Treat my body with respect, appreciation, and love.
This body deserves to be treated well. It’s earned the right!
Weighty Matters 
You were strong then, to carry it all around. You’ve been strong on your journey, to stick with the weight loss. And you’re getting stronger every day!
Honor your strength!
What an amazing realization! Honoring your body for all it’s done for you sounds like a tremendous idea and it’s great that you are approaching this realization with a positive attitude rather than beating yourself up for the past. Excellent for you!
Half the weight, twice the life. I LOVE that, Chrissy! XOXO
Yes, I get this. I have lost 145 pounds.. the other day, I had to carry a few bags of groceries (maybe 30 lbs total).. walking gently through some snow. I could sure feel that extra weight in my shoulder, legs, back.. etc.. sighing, sighing.. then all of a sudden, I realized I used to carry almost 5 times that amount every step I took.. yikes. It was a real gratitude moment. Sometimes I focus on the pounds I still want to lose, instead of keeping perspective on how far I’ve come. And how awesome it is. My bariatric docs have a poster with 2 of my bari-buddies on it.. it says “Half the weight, twice the life,” That is sooooo true. Onward, Marykins!!! xxoo