When deciding if a project has been a success, most people often ask for the numbers: 

What is your control? 

What is the end result? 

Are those the results we're looking for? 

How can we improve the numbers? 

Based on what direction the project was designed to go, the bigger the difference between the starting point to the end result, the more successful the project is.  The same holds true in weightloss. 

The first thing people ask me when I say I've lost weight is "How much?"  Just like Jennifer Hudson was reluctant to give a specific number when on national TV recently about the weight she's lost, measuring success isn't always by the number on the scale.  It can be measured in clothing sizes, body measurements, BMI, and even a person's feeling of self confidence.

At first, I wasn't going to post this because I was embarrassed at how overweight I was, but because many measure their success by inches, here are mine:

Beginning:

Weight:  229  (237 at my heaviest)

Bust:  46

Waist:  43

Abdomen:  52

Hips:  52

Thighs:  28

Calves:  19

Arms:  14

Before I started running (2/16/11):

Weight:  171

Bust:  42

Waist:  38

Abdomen:  45.5

Hips:  42

Thighs:  23.5

Calves:  17

Arms:  12

Today (after 11 weeks of running): 

Weight:  159

Bust:  41

Waist:  36

Abdomen:  42

Hips:  40

Thighs:  23

Calves:  16.5

Arms:  11

So, yeah, I think I've earned some bragging rights by now!  Until I became a runner, that is!

When I joined the running community in February, I learned that numbers still play a big part in measuring success: 

How many miles did you run?

What's your Personal Record (PR)?

What's your pace?

How many races are you doing this year?

Intimidating, to be sure.  Not just because I was being "measured" again, but because I had no idea how to answer.  As a former couch potato, I was lucky to be WALKING two miles, let alone running them.  I started a journal to record my progress, and at the end of January, I had just started to power walk 2 miles a day, twice a week.  After I joined a gym at the beginning of February, I was excited to rack up 3 miles power walking on the treadmill, but no indoor equipment could have prepared me for the first 3-mile outdoor training run we did on February 19th along Austin Bluffs Parkway!  I paired up with another woman whose GPS was programmed to beep at 3- and 1-minute intervals, so we ran for 3 minutes, walked for 1.  I was so thankful that we got to walk because those hills were killing me!  Afterwards, though, I have to admit, I felt rejuvenated, but I wonderd if I'd be able to repeat the process in a week.

It's now been 2 and a half months since I started running.  Numbers have become a big deal, but in a good way.  No longer am I struggling to hit the 3-mile mark, We're only halfway there, and I'm already at 70% of my goal distance. 

So, in this case, I don't mind when people ask for my "numbers."  I'm happy to say "Nine-point-seven-nine," and "Six-point-four-five," for mileage.  When asked for pace, I used to say "sub-twenty," but now I say "sub-ten."  At least for the first mile.  By the time I get to mile seven, I've slowed down a bit, but my numbers are still nothing to be ashamed of, even for a rookie like me.

Whether I'm measuring my success by my dress size, my tape measure, or mile markers, I know it's not just about the numbers.  My level of confidence has soared, my joy is immeasurable, and 3-mile runs seem so "yesterday," although I don't ever want to take my progress for granted.  Tomorrow, I'll be conquering the Manitou Incline for the first time, and one of these days, I'll look back at my completion time as my "control" number and laugh, because eventually, my future finish times will be smaller, too.