Progress Report

A while back I wrote about my weight gain and the difficulty in taking off pounds, while putting them on is sooooo easy.

Why do I write about this? It is a way of keeping me focused and accountable. If I tell others I am taking steps to lose weight, I am more apt to actually keep at it.

Some progress has been made.

My target is a 30 pound loss. At that weight I am comfortable. I no longer even have a goal of weighing what I did in the years from age 20 to age 50. My metabolism and activity levels kept me naturally slim in those years. I can quite happily settle for "medium" at this stage of life, and it should be easier for me to maintain.

So--progress. In the past five months since the procedure to put a stent in my "widowmaker" heart artery, I have lost almost half my goal. I have about 16 pounds to go, but I can already wear some clothes that have been hanging in my closet waiting for me to be able to fit into them again. I had clothes I could wear to church yesterday that were not jeans and a loose shirt!

I am not using any weight-loss program. I've done Nutrisystem in the past, but gained the weight back. This time I am simply trying to eat heart-healthful foods, smaller amounts, and exercise at least a little every day. At cardio rehab the recommended amount of exercise is at least 30-60 minutes a day, five days per week. This is primarily leg exercise, which is what does the heart the most good (walking, peddling, etc.).

The weight is coming off slowly; I hope this will make putting weight on less likely, as my eating change becomes eating habit.

And, now, just for fun, here is a photo of son-in-law Chad and his friend Pip at the Sunday dinner table on March first.

Pip says, "More please."