What are you celebrating and proud of? Tues

Good Morning!

I'm so proud I could burst............it has nothing to do with food directly....put indirectly all of our fears and stresses impact our eating. For years I've read that facing our fears is the key to feeling fear and unlocking the limitations in or on our lives.  I've faced a lot of my own fears over the past few years but the fear of flying has remained the one thing that has kept me trapped.

As I've shared before my fear of flying has kept me grounded for the better part of 10 years....(taken 1 flight in that time).  I drive or take the train across the county to avoid flying.  I've been trying to face my fear so I can comfortably get on a plane and fly home to see my family and friends (have not seen them in 18 months).  I've been watching videos on how to get over the fear and reading lots of information.   I decided I needed to do something radical....

Call me Peter Pan......I was Flying..........

Yesterday I took an introductory flying class and I actually was in the "drivers seat"!

I faced it head on.

Holy Cow what an experience. 

I actually "drove" the plane down the runway and then gave it full throttle, pulled the hand wheel thingy and we took off....it was the most amazing feeling having my hands on the controls and pulling the plane up. Amazing, Exhilarating! Then I told the pilot to take control and he flew it. The hardest part, which I never knew, is you steer the plane with foot pedals...not the "steering wheel thingy".  It was hard to get the hang of doing that.    From the time we started to taxi till we landed was 30 mins.....At about 5 or 10 mins in the air I though about saying Ok I had enough but I didn't.  There were some bumps and the pilot could tell I was not comfortable so he took us higher....all in all I have to say it was pretty fun.  I asked a lot of questions...... and learned a lot..... like the best time to fly is the morning by 9am and after 4 or 5pm because there is not as much heat....hot air rises and causes the bumping.....I was up there at almost the worst time.  Little planes feel the bumps more than the bigger planes (good to know)   I am SO PROUD of myself for doing this.  At time during the flight I even enjoyed it. Matthew could not believe I did.
  Matthew got sick to his stomach in the back of the plane.  He LOVES flying....the turbulence doesn't bother him at all....but the small plane made him feel sick.  The pilot said it's a lot worse for the passengers in the back because they can't see as well as us in the front. 

I'd like to try it one more time but Matthew's not so keen on the idea....lol Now the big decision...will I fly for 3 hours to NY........I can't believe I'm saying this but probably........   Truly amazing!  My BFF cannot believe I had the courage to do this.
I'm still flying high just on the feeling of facing my fear....

Here are the pictures Matthew took (there a bunch when we flew over my house)...
 http://picasaweb.google.com/moosie0123/Flying?authkey=Gv1sRg COn7w6rcw4jWHA&feat=directlink
Thanks again for all the support and encouragement.  I'll let you know if I do book tickets to fly home.

So what are you celebrating and proud of today??

Im proud of the fact that this morning, I was able to drag myself out of bed, depsite all the 'ill workout later' thoughts running through my head, groggily put my sneakers on head to the gym.  One thing I have learned is that if you can get over that inital suckiness of getting started with your daily workouts, you'll find it only sucks for a moment...once your in the middle of working out, that suckiness goes away and you start to feel so wonderful.

Amen, Sister!

You are so right about the hardest part being getting started.  I'm going to be facing that myself in a day or so when I get back into my normal routine.  I'm definitely rusty during this post-op recovery period.

Kudos to you for pushing thru it and getting to the gym....

Holy Cow, Peter Pan, I can't believe that was YOU being da PILOT!!!!!!  You done excellent, girlee, I'm proud of you masself.  And helluva good thing you are now so skinny, you would have never fit in that plane before your weight loss.  Congratulations on kicking your fear in the toockuss, FlyGirl!

Have you noticed that most successful weight loss people have overcome some sort of fear in their lives.  I firmly believe in the concept that you have to face your fears head on and conquer them or they will hold your weight loss back.  I think it has to do with the feeling of empowerment we get from facing our fears head on and beating the snot out of them that makes us feel like we are worth the effort to lose the weight. 

When I was little, we had to stand in line for shots and the boy ahead of me said that the needle would get stuck in your arm and then they would have to cut it out and you could bleed to death.  I was mortified of needles all of my life.  I almost didn't get married because of the blood test!  Once I decided to conquer my fear of needles, I started giving blood every six months.  It may have taken me two years to get over it but I finally new that a needle in my arm was nothing to fear.  But I had to experience that to be able to convince myself of the fact. 

Congrats again Peter,

Mary

Hey girlfriend........  thanks for the kudos.

"FlyGirl"....let me tell you, if I end up enjoying a flight back and forth to NY I may just have to change my "handle" from Moosie to FlyGirl.... 

You are so right about not being able to fit in the plane if I had not lost the weight.  Also the pilot told us that is you take 4 people in that plane you have to remove fuel or it's too heavy to fly.....and I thought to myself at my heaviest I was equal to 2 large people...there is absolutely noway I could have done it....the plane would tilt over with me in it. 

My mother and father will not believe this...I have not told them yet because I want to show them the pictures of me in the plane they don't do email so I'll take pictures with me...the old fashioned way.

Yes I think everyone who has an addiction (whether it's food, Alcohol, drugs, etc) is fighting or hiding from some sort of fear.

I've faced a couple of big ones in my life and with each one I face I feel stronger and stronger but this one has far surpassed all others till now.  I think I'll take a couple days off before I start on my next challenge...

Thanks for the support and kudos!

OMG, OMG, OMG    I can't believe it. That is amazing and those pictures prove the point. Wholey Moley - if you can fly on one of those misquitos then why not fly in one of those big sardine cans - and the plus is having shed all that weight you will find the seat size comfortable. I'm in awe of you  Poor Matthew sitting in the back - I've flown in small planes and it is worse than a larger plane or even a small jet.  Well this was a wonderful surprise Ruth, a major proud.

JennahBLYDNCR  - good for you for getting your exercise. I think most of us go through this process too.

Mary  LOL - you almost didn't get married???? Isn't it amazing how something so stupid from so long ago can affect us.

I'm having a semi lazy day - I'm not walking but I have been doing some spring cleaning so I'm stretching and reaching and wiping etc. with muscles I don't normally use. I think I'll feel it tomorrow.

  Thanks for sharing in my joy 

I think I'd even comfortably fit in the middle seat (although I would hate to be stuck in the middle)...but last time I sat in a middle seat was miserable for me and the people next to me...I hated it.

Lots of joy flowing thru me today...

That's amazing!  Good job taking that plunge!

I *love* flying.  :)  I have logged solo hours in a Piper Warrior, and spent some time in Cessnas as well.  It's a completely different feeling in a small plane than it is in a large one - you won't even know you're in the air in a large plane!

Good for you, what a big accomplishment!

I don't know if I'll ever say "I love Flying" but I'll be happy if I can say I'm comfortable with it and don't hate it.  It will be interesting to see how my first big flight goes.  

I was in a Cessna 172....gotta say it was a lot smaller than I thought it would be....

Still flying high on the fact that I did it.  :-)