Photographic Evidence

Here are all of the photos dating back to January.

Major Goal Accomplished

Ten months ago tomorrow I started the process of losing weight and getting fit. I identified some major goals and a few minor ones. A couple of the goals were kind of nebulous and only mean something to me and me alone. I have had some struggles and stumbles along the way and I am nowhere near finished. I will always be a work in progress and that’s a good thing.

Within a week of starting this process my body rebelled against me and I needed a surgical procedure. After three weeks on the couch I resumed my efforts in earnest. I started at 236.6 pounds. I wanted to be at 200 by my birthday, June 29, and I missed it. Not by much. August was going to be a problem for work reasons and I really hoped to have most of the weight off by then. I was right about August and I have been stuck on a plateau since the middle of July – until recently.

Major weight loss goal #1 – 190 pounds. As of two days ago I weighed 188.5. As of today I have ticked back up to 190.7 but I am still quite happy with my results. I have lost more than 45 pounds in 10 months, just over a pound a week. They say one to two pounds per week is healthy.

Since the end of August I have been able to get back into my diet and exercise routine. However, I had been stuck between 193.6 and 198 pounds. I couldn’t break through that 193.6-pound barrier for the life of me. I switched up a work out here and there, I’ve gone for three-mile runs the past two Saturdays but the big key was what I ate or didn’t eat last weekend. I kept my weekend uptick to a minimum and by the middle of the week the scale was reading under 190 pounds for the first time in five years.

I haven’t been too terribly awful with my diet on the weekends. I do travel for work and eating out is unavoidable. However, throw in a beer with that good Kansas City barbecue and that hard work during the week goes out the window. I feel less guilty when I do indulge now than six months ago. And I plan on being very bad with food next weekend. More on that next time.

I continue to learn more about my body and myself as I continue on this journey. I’m still just as confused as ever. I don’t understand why some things work for the majority of people yet fail for me. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of universal techniques that have applied, but there some that I have had to eschew for my own approach.

I still lift weights five nights a week most weeks. I only miss for travel or occasions like Halloween the other night. I run on the weekends as much as I can. I ran three miles at altitude in Denver – going to have to take that into account next time. I’ve trimmed my best 5K time down to 32:44. Ten months ago I could barely walk three miles in under an hour.

Just a few short weeks ago I was starting to think I wasn’t going to reach my ultimate goal of 180 pounds. Now I see it right in front of me. I am starting to see some definition creep in here and there. My chronic back problem has been mitigated. I have more energy during the day. I don’t have a problem putting on my socks or shoes, I don’t have trouble reaching pieces parts in the shower anymore. I generally just feel better.

I know I’m breaking my arm patting myself on the back here but I am amazed at my own self-discipline. I have managed to push myself to exercise when I am tired or stressed or in pain or ill. I’ve fought through multiple plateaus – I’m sure there will be more hiccups.

I started charting my weight July 14 when I weighed 199 pounds and it has been frustrating to have only lost approximately 10 pounds in three and a half months. But the fitness benefits far outweigh that frustration.

I haven’t written in awhile for many reasons. Mainly it’s because I wasn’t making much progress. It’s hard to chronicle success when you aren’t having any. I guess I should keep writing about the hard times too.

I’ve come close to giving up once or twice in the last 10 months…once fairly recently. I wonder why I am doing this and if it’s all worth it.  My ultimate goal of 180 pounds is right there but the benefits of being in shape, fit and being stronger are more important than the number on the scale. That number is a measurable, it’s quantifiable. The intangibles are hard to describe and they are what’s truly driving me.