Feelin' Thankful

**Written on Thanksgiving last week - Forgot to post**

So I totally forgot to post my results this week...

November 10th Weigh In: -1.2 lbs.
Total Weight loss: 34.8 lbs
Weight: 249.4 lbs

Finally, a loss. Thank goodness. I was beginning to think I was stuck at 250 forever! I am not officially closer to 200lbs than 300lbs. Wooooo!

So today, on this day of thanks, I want to take a few minutes to really appreciate some people who have made this year's challenges a bit easier to handle.

I am thankful for my friends and family who have supported me unconditionally this year. It's been rough and the journey to a healthier me is far from over, but I couldn't have done it without them.

I am thankful for my bestest friend, Julie. I don't think I could have made it to the triathlon without her. Her kind words of support and love made me feel like I could do anything and her thoughtfulness always made my roughest days bearable. I am so lucky to have met her all those years ago and no matter how many states, oceans, countries, or continents are between us we still have one hell of an awesome friendship. If you do not have a friend like her you are surely missing out.

I am thankful for my sister. I have no idea how people can go through life and never talk to their siblings. I have don't know what I would do with out Kait. She is my ever sarcastic and honest sounding board. Sometimes I think she knows me better than I know myself and I am thankful for all the times I was going to make a bad food choice or skip a workout and Kait was there to push me to be better. I'm so glad and grateful she (and Danny) were there when I crossed the finish line.

I am thankful for my parents. They also made sure to be there for me when I was crossing the finish line. My toe clips for my bike (a gift from them) made a huge difference in my bike time. They also were patient with me when I would be trying some new weird eating pattern or food and adjust accordingly. They also allow me to live in their house even though a normal 25 year old should be functioning as an adult in the world...I promise I'm working on it. They have always supported me through every thing in my life, be it T Ball or Triathlon training, and they certainly don't get thanked enough.

I am thankful for Don. He also supported me while I was training. More importantly, though, he was there for all my terrible tearful breakdowns and would let me cry on his shoulder until I was done sobbing about my crappy bike time or my inability to run (Yes I did cry about it...frequently). He would wait patiently as I would (repeatedly) freak out about the triathlon and then offer unfailing support. He always had more faith in me than I had in myself...still does actually, and for that I will always be thankful.

I am thankful for the re founding of an old friendship this year. Rachael is so inspiring and it's nice to be able to commiserate with someone over weight loss woes. I know my family supports me but when I talk to Rachael she knows exactly what I'm saying because she's been there too. I hope that one day I can be as strong and successful as she is.

I am also thankful for the strong group of Rader women I call my Aunts. They are the craziest, kickassist, funniest group of ladies I know. Their support and love made my crummiest days better. I also had some of the best times relaxing and hanging around with them this summer. My only hope is that next year we'll be able to find more time to spend with each other because they really are the best.

I am also thankful for you. Yes you dear reader. I appreciate that you read my crazy babble. Just knowing that I have readers out there sometimes gets my ass out of bed for a workout. I try new things and workouts because of you. I think, 'Hmm I should do something interesting so I can have something to write about'. So thank you so much for your support!

I know there are so many other people who have supported and loved me throughout this process. I also know that there's still a lot left to go and I'm sure I'll find heaps more people to thank and appreciate for their awesomeness. So on this Thanksgiving I'm really thankful for all my friends and family and I can only hope to love and support all of them in return.

Happy Turkey Day Everyone!