98 Pounds

Years ago, our firm’s now chair emeritus encouraged us to celebrate all wins—no matter the size.

That always stuck with me and yet I still struggle with it.

My therapist recently reminded me of this, too.

No matter how small, and particularly when you’re low, exhausted, burning or burned out, or just overwhelmed with all parts of life, celebrate the small wins.

So, today, I want to celebrate a win—a big one now, but a small one every week for the last 13 months.

I’ve lost 98 pounds.

Weight gain and weight loss remains a sensitive, still often taboo thing to talk about.

I didn’t struggle with my weight as a kid. I was active and could, it seems, eat and drink whatever I wanted.

Then, after freshman year of college, when tennis stopped for me, and school, and then work (teaching fifth grade), and law school took precedence, the weight slowly then quickly came on.

At the end of law school and start of my clerkship, I lost 100+ pounds for the first—what I hoped would be the only/last—time.

That time? It was easy.

I tracked calories and moved every day, eventually walking to work almost daily (a mile each way) and playing tennis 1-3 times a week.

In the early years of my adult life in Milwaukee, I kept it off.

Then, an emergency appendectomy interrupted my routine.

Then, the pandemic and a shoulder injury, plus deep struggles with my mental health, spurred another, steady weight gain.

This time, losing it wasn’t easy.

Last year, shortly before turning 39, I told myself: I want to hit 40 in better health.

So, I got help, mentally and physically.

I got help.

Last year was one of the hardest years of my life personally and professionally.

Q1 2026 was a time of forced rest and learning, particularly about my mind and growing to be unashamed to be real with my doctors and husband.

And, in the midst of all that, I reached my goal weight.

I feel more agile on the tennis court and more focused at work, plus all the materialistic wins like being able to find my sense of style again (classic prep with the occasional edge).

I feel better (most days) and that’s a win worth celebrating.