A lighter me

I wouldn't even write this article, but I know people who are starting the same kind of journey, have come to the same conclusions, have felt the discouragement and ambivalence which comes with trying to loose weight. If left to my own devices, I would talk about this one on one or just smile when Ferren, a friend from work, calls me "Skinny". That is not where I am at now, I am the person who has read other people's success stories, trying to extract from them the how's and whys, feeling the inspiration and using their stories to propel myself another day or week. So, in a way, I kind of feel like it is my turn.

My story starts with the admission that I love food and am not a fan of exercise. I have been that guy who says, "God will not take me a moment before or after he plans to, therefore I'll get a dinner plate of desserts." That is until my accountability partner, Steve asked, "Isn't your body God's temple?" What was I supposed to say to that? So, at his prodding in 2011 I started with 20 minute walks three times a week and nothing more. I pushed my speed and remained diligent, but diet was to part of the discussion. I weighed myself only periodically, and I didn't record it (as I do know), but I remember it at one point reading 234 pounds, which is just a few pounds lighter than the heaviest I have been.

While sporadic walking didn't hurt me, it was far from the change which needed to take place. I broke a belt and buttons on my pants, but I resisted moving past this, enjoying slight improvements and slight setbacks until February of 2012. Another accountability call of course and in the notes of that call I use the phrase detaining, I have been lazy, eating away what ever progress I had made, so I committed to walking daily, at lunch and my buddy Reuben would walk with me. He still does.

Well, once you start walking at work and with coworkers, people ask what is going on, which means you learn, wether you want to or not, about exercise and diet and that one of your co-workers works for weight watchers and is willing to give you free books. So, by September I was on their points system and by October I had mustered the courage to actually record my weight. October 3rd, 2012 - 216.0 pounds.

Walking and points, and talking about walking and recording points. On and on it went. Everyday I wanted to give in, and I did sometimes, but I had people who were watching, so I always came back.

I don't usually make resolutions at New Years, but in January, Steve and I talked about the year and I told him that, this year I wanted to get and maintain a weight between 180 and 190 pounds. This is heavier than the charts say I should be, but this is a weight I have felt comfortable at before.

The recipe is not hard on paper, but the human mind is a devilish thing to try to separate from its desires. Mine desires S'mores Ice cream and salted Carmel cupcakes. So, I walk everyday, and have Reuben to keep me on track. I record what I eat, so that when I splurge I can do it under control, fully enjoying whatever it is, and most importantly, I make it part of my accountability with Steve. He gets to know my up and downs and call me out when I'm being stupid. He understands this struggle, so there is no resentment when he is just trying to help me and he can see through the games, which I so easily fall into when I want what I want. It works.

No matter what Ferren would say, I am not Skinny, but today when I stepped on my scale it read 192.6 pounds. Not all the way there, but 40 some pounds closer than I was two years ago.