It’s around 11 AM on the Pacific Ocean.  I just got back to my cabin after doing my 30 minutes on the elliptical in the gym on the ship.  I stripped off my sweaty gym clothes, was ready to step into the shower and decided instead to grab the spa robe hanging in the closet and fill up my water bottles before I showered.  I put on the robe, tied it, filled up my bottles to the tune of 86.6 ounces of water and looked at myself in the mirror and started to cry.  I couldn’t believe what I had just done and how incredible I was feeling.

I had cruised to Alaska 14 years ago, in the year 2000.  I was then 51 years old, 400+ pounds (I didn’t really know) and was bound and determined to enjoy my trip and all of the excursions we had planned.  I never even saw the inside of the gym that entire trip.  However, I did reach into the closet to put on the spa robe to head to the spa for a facial.  I tried both robes in the closet and the two together might have fit around me, but neither one even came close individually.  I was mortified.  My husband decided to ask our room steward, Harry, for a larger robe.  After all, not everyone was a tiny person.  Harry, wanting to do everything possible for us, had someone actually purchase a men’s 5x robe for me at our first port and told me it was mine to keep.  Yes, he earned a wonderful tip because that was amazing service for sure, but here I was, still mortified that anyone had to go out of their way to accommodate my size. 

Now comes today.  I came into the room sweaty, still thirsty after sipping 20 ounces in the gym and 20 ounces earlier that day, stripped off my sweaty gym clothes and just reached into the closet in the cabin and pulled out the robe and put it on.  I had the expectation that it would fit.  It did, it is actually quite loose and baggy on me and when I looked in the mirror I was reminded of just how hard it was to be 424 pounds and how grateful I was to have been able to have LAP-BAND surgery, shed my excess poundage, get fit and at 65+ years young, repeat this amazing cruise and LIVE and ENJOY every day with freedom.

The robe was just one of many non-scale victories I am celebrating this vacation.