Year of The Rachel

It’s 10:35pm on New Year’s Eve and I just stepped off the elliptical. I dragged it from the spare room into the dining room and planted it directly in front of the TV situated in the living room. It’s obvious that our apartment is still in limbo at the moment, but even limbo has its ups! I busted out a quick 5K (00:26:22 — how is that possible?!) and will be tending to some lunges in a few short minutes in an attempt to keep ‘on schedule’ with my workouts.  Between visiting Cassie post-surgery and watching movies with Finn, I just couldn’t find the time to hit The Planet before it closed early for NYE. I was originally going to pound some pavement, but the sky randomly opened up and dumped a few inches of powder all over my parade. Elliptical it is! Even if that meant taking it for a quick spin at 10pm.

What? It just wouldn’t feel right to skip a workout on the last day of 2009 with the kind of year I’ve had. And boy, has it been a great year.

Highlights include:

- Hitting and exceeding my goal to lose 81 lbs by my 26th birthday on November 3rd
- Jogging my first 5K in June
- Jogging my first 10K in October
- Jogging 7.2 consecutive miles (personal best)
- Taking multiple group exercise classes including aerobics, stretch & tone, Pilates, and Zumba
- Riding the roller coasters at Six Flags New England
- Fitting comfortably in an airplane seat
-  Having the balls to get my hair cut
- Deciding to train for a half marathon
- Lacing up my hockey skates for the first time in ten years (last weekend!)
- Watching my best friend find success in her weight-loss journey
- Stumbling across some amazing blogs full of amazing achievements and endless inspiration
- Reclaiming my confidence
- Caring about myself, my body, and my quality of life
- Losing a total of 96 lbs

Not only have I achieved a lot, but I’ve also learned a few things along the way including:

- Calories in versus calories out is not a myth, it’s a reality
- An ‘all or nothing’ attitude has no place in a weight-loss journey
- Setting small achievable goals will provide the strength and courage to achieve larger goals
- Doing the ‘inside work’ is key when it comes to overcoming emotional eating and creating a foundation for continued success
- Creating a highly individualized and deeply personal plan will lead to sustainable weight-loss
- Pushing oneself beyond one’s comfort zone will spawn physical, mental, and emotional growth
- Practicing moderation means enjoying foodie favorites without the guilt
- Staying present will keep those self-deprecating thoughts at bay
- Keeping things simple will preserve multiple levels of sanity
- Recovery plans are a must
- Giving up is not an option

It’s time to ring in the new year with three of my most beloved friends: Moe, Larry, and Curly.

Also: Dick Clark needs to stop. That shit is just too scary to handle.