Back on track!

SITREP

The weight loss continues. Down another 5.4 pounds in the last week. Lost a total of 54 pounds since embarking on this journey. Let's take a look at the numbers.

Since starting these changes to my lifestyle in June 2016 I've made amazing progress! I never would have envisioned I could lose this much weight. Again, my quote back in June was "If I can lose twenty pounds, I'll count it as a win!" Well, I've lost that twenty and plenty more.

Last week as a good week.

I feel like lust looking at the weight graph is a one -dimensional metric. Yes, it as a good week because I lost five pounds of weight. But it wasn't the only good thing.

For one - I started thing not in terms of how much I'd lost but how much was left to go before I achieve my goal. The good news is that when I think about my goal it no longer feels like it is 'over the horizon'. In fact it's in sight. Yes, there's a way to go, but I can see where I'm going and I have the tools to get there.

For another - those 38" waist pants I was so happy to fit into back in August and just about falling off me. They are very close to joining the 40" pants in making the trip to Goodwill, never to be seen again.  The 36" paints fit comfortably. There's something I never thought I'd say again. I can get into a pair of 34" pants, but I don't think I'd be ready to wear them for 10 hours at a time quite yet (Soon, my precious, soon).

It's been a very busy week. I've not been able to get to the gym much, but I've been walking at work - and climbing the staircases when I get 10-15 minutes. Adding those small amounts of exercise does help as all that activity adds up.

Lastly, I'd sitting doing relaxation exercises for two minutes. When asked why, I shared my pulse had been higher and I thought it was  due to the stress of life and how it was impacting my pulse and blood pressure. We slapped a cuff on my arm and checked the blood pressure - 184 / 74. Ummmmm....yeah, I can't complain about that. Best reading I've seen in several years.

So all in all, last week was a good week.

Onward to next week! Keep that junk food away from me.

What does that title mean...? Why am I here?

Good day and welcome to my blog on diet, fitness and living a healthier lifestyle!

In June of 2016 my weight had peaked at 245 pounds. I knew I had a 'weight problem', but I didn't think of it as a 'problem'. The wake up call was when I received a birthday present of a membership with Weight Watchers!  Nothing says Happy Birthday like the gift that says "you are a fat sack of lard - do something about it!"

(BTW - Thanks Mom!)

So I've been attending weight watchers for the past 7 months now. To my surprise, I've actually lost over fifty pounds at this point. I'm amazed. (Mom's amazed too!). When I started the program I made the statement "If I can lose twenty pounds, I'll count it as a win". Well - Mission Accomplished! 

So clearly, the plan does work. But it's not 'only' about diet. While that is an important component, the program advocates exercise as almost as important a pillar of the program. You can limit your intake, but you need to work the other side of the equation and burn more calories to get rid of the 'excess reserve' that I had been saving within my body.

Me in June of 2015. My weight then was approximately 235 pounds.

What does that title mean...?

We all know that diets are hard. In one of our recent meetings, we were discussing how long people that start diets as part of New Years resolutions stick to them. The answer was...the third week of January as that's when the grocery store saw salad bar sales plummet.  Or as one person succinctly put it "Because kale tastes like wet sadness".  And with that, a title was born!

Why am I here...?

Dieting or really changing your lifestyle is HARD. I mean, let's face it - if it was easier we'd all be skinny! With this blog I want to share what's worked for me, when I've succeeded and when I've struggled and sometimes...when I've failed (though failed is such a harsh word). Along the way, I'm hoping to have funny stories, useful stories and just maybe an inspirational story to let you know you too are not alone on this journey to a healthier lifestyle.