Two-fer!

Just because they're both short.

On the off-chance that anyone actually reads this anymore, I thought I'd share that I'm now down about 40 pounds from when I first decided to motivate myself.  a.k.a. I'm down about 40lbs from that pic I have on the home page.

Feel free to praise me.  I won't complain a bit.

For the record, 40lbs is roughly a size and a half for me, which I totally dig.  If I keep this up, I'll be able to jam myself into that stinkin' cute denim mini skirt that I bought on the cheap in NO TIME. 

Seriously though.  You should probably start to congratulate me right about now.  Go.

WOOOOOO!!!!!

Suck it, Jillian.

Just kidding.  I'm stoked.  I FINISHED THE DVD.  Sure, there were a couple of moves that I couldn't complete like J-Money, but I did it.  I did every move, in some way or another.  There are just things that I absolutely cannot do yet - it's time to say type it out loud - I'm out of shape!!  I needed to modify a couple of things like the chaturanga push-ups (just what it sounds like - that move, turned into a push-up) and the side planks (this move, rotated facing one direction then the next, then back to the first, etc).  A lot of it was pretty tough on my poor little wrists.  I'm not sure how they're going to feel in the morning.

But OMG if I'm not feeling amazing now!!!  Everything feels stretched.  Every muscle, my spine, my fingers, and my toes.  I didn't focus on doing the moves perfectly - I instead focused on making sure that I could feel each move in the part of my body that Jillian was saying I should feel.  I focused on making sure my neck was relaxed and I used all the muscles to do each move, instead of cheating and making it easier by not tightening all my muscles.  Core strong the whole time, slow moves, deliberate moves.

Those of you who do work out at least somewhat regularly know what this feels like.  The warm, exhausted, slightly sweaty, satisfied feeling.  They're not kidding when they say that working out releases the feel-good endorphins into the system.  It's just such a HUGE accomplishment.  I'm mad proud of myself.  I'm just so psyched that I made it all the way through the cool-down and everything.  This is how happy I am.

(please excuse the awesome camera phone picture...it was self-shooting.  It's all for you.)

Oh, and remember the last time I made it through 27+ minutes of it?  Yeah.  I was two Sun Salutations away from being done.  DANG.  I could have accomplished this forever ago.  Oh, well, right?  I've accomplished it now.  :)

Anyone out there have an awesome story of accomplishment from the week?  Or the day?

Feel free to pat me on the back.  Virtually or otherwise.  :D