Progress

I hope you'll forgive me if I indulge in a little personal horn-blowing.  You see, an effort that began many months ago and has become more dedicated in the past 10 weeks has paid dividends: I have lost 50 pounds of weight.  It's very gratifying to reach this landmark.  Even more so because I've done it on my own.  No fad diets, no subscription programs, no weight-loss drugs, and no surgery.  Just a very simple, common-sense regimen of eating less and moving more.  I've always maintained a healthy diet with a variety of foods, fruits and vegetable.  But recently I have been careful to have reasonable portion sizes.  Probably the most drastic change has been the end of my absolute favorite: the post work, pre dinner snack.  These were usually generous helpings of salty snacks from the broad potato chip and Dorito family.  Stopping that entirely is a serious daily calorie reduction.  And the reduced salt intake has done wonders to improve my hypertension.  But otherwise, I still eat a conventional diet - carbs included- but in smaller amounts.  

So today I find that I am 50 pounds lighter than I was at my peak.  Fifty!  That's more than two of the biggest sacks of Kingsford charcoal briquets.  That's nearly two full 5-gallon jerry cans of gasoline.  That's 10 bags of King Arthur flour.  I am really enjoying going through the back of my closet to find clothing I haven't worn in many years that now fits again.  Fortunately, my fashion sense has never been so daring that I can't wear a polo shirt that I bought ten years ago.  I'm also pleased to be able to get in and out of my little two-seater sports car much more easily.  And my aging knees thank me every day as we negotiate stairs so much easier.

As happy as this day is, it's sobering to think that I still have a long path ahead.  I will need to make this achievement once again, and more, before I am at a normal, healthy weight.  But if the proverb is true that a journey of 100 miles begins with a single step, I've made mine.  Maybe even 50 of them.