18 ounces.....

I am literally 18 ounces away from breaking out of the 200lb range. I have lost 23.6 lbs in 7 weeks and 1 day now. I have steadily declined the entire way. It has been a frustrating, educational, emotional but yet healthy journey. I have learned that the better fit of clothes and better performance when exercising totally out weigh the snacks and bad food decisions I made before.

This week I have had a renewed dedication to the weight loss - riding last weekend around Gatlinburg and to the 2nd highest point this side of the Mississippi (only second to Mt Mitchell by a few feet), realizing that I made it up the 6500 climb in 26 miles quicker than I did the last 25 miles of Mt Mitchell last year (which the climbs are very similar) has motivated me to take advantage of the next 2 months before Mt Mitchell this year.

I want to arrive at Mt Mitchell lighter and stronger. I want to crush the ride this year compared to last. I do not want to be the anchor on my cycling team... I am so excited to go this year.

I also want to Thank everyone for the compliments and encouragement, it helps tremendously to fuel me to keep going. The weirdest compliment (I think it was) I got this week was - "Wow, you've lost some weight, at least in your head." Umm, thanks, I think...lol

Also this week I got some sad news about Sweetie, my 13 year old Elkhound. She has cancer. They removed a lump earlier last week and sent it to be tested and it wasn't good. The extent of the cancer is currently unknown but she is starting to act different. She has lost her appetite (eating about the 1/4 of food as before), she wanted to sleep in our bedroom last night (which she never really has done before unless it was storming outside and she was scared). It is so hard to tell if animals are in pain. She is such a trooper, so loving. It is hard to believe this is her fate... all I can think of is way back when she was little - I would take her to work with me at the lock shop every day. She would ride in the seat next to me and even if I had the window down for her to hang out - she would prefer to get my attention and try to rub her head on my hand, or paw at me. She loved the attention. It's so funny - so many people are scared of her due to her bark and people say she looks like a wolf (I don't see it) - but the truth is she is one of the most loving and loyal dogs out there. She loves her family and will protect it. But at the same time I remember as Freddy grew up, everyone was like we had to keep her away from baby Freddy - she couldn't be trusted. But Carisa and I knew that it would be fine - it just wasn't in her. And people were shocked as Freddy, not knowing better, would try to stand up and basically grab a handful of her hair and pull himself up off the floor. Sweetie would freeze and turn to watch to make sure he was ok. It was funny, she didn't even care what Freddy would do - she loved him unconditionally and knew he was family. We have another Elkhound, Lucy, and she knows something is different. She has been Sweetie's helper lately. She will go and lay with her no matter where she is, jump up and scare the birds away in the back yard for her, even help Sweetie finish her food (lol). I hope that Lucy is giving Sweetie a comfort that she knows her family will still be taken care of.... this is hard...