Today I will be working on paperwork to join the National Weight Loss Registry. This is a group of thousands of people who have lost 30+ pounds and kept them off for over a year. I am proud to say that I can now call myself a member of this club.

They ask you to send in before and after pictures of yourself if you don’t have medical records to prove your before and after weights. As I was leafing through the shoebox of memories, I came across a whole lot of pictures of my larger self. Written in my “beautiful face” were insecurities so deep, they were actually paralyzing. I don’t like to revisit that place in my life very often because it opens old wounds and still has profound effects on my current demeanor, but I also felt a sense of relief. Thank goodness I pulled myself out of that funk. Thank goodness I can fit into the regular sizes of clothes that stores carry. Thank goodness my health accomplishments have made me realize my potential in other areas of my life. Thank goodness I can finish a 5k strong any day I choose now.

So, wish me luck as I sign myself over to science. I am excited to become a member of a society in which I’ve never felt a greater sense of belonging. And I am so glad to be part of a team that is dedicated to analyzing and discernign the best ways to lose weight/become healthy and keep it that way.