THE HEALTHY LIFESTYLE JOURNEY CONTINUES

NEXT UP, LOSE 25 ADDITIONAL POUNDS AND EXERCISE MORE

Carrying around a second “me” in belly and other fat took its toll.

I started realizing that when in Turkey or Morocco – I would shun restaurants that had third story dining rooms reached only by stairs.

I would skip the museum on a hilltop for a walk through a neighborhood on flat land.

I threw a fit when a budget inn told me upon check-in that the elevators was broken and wouldn’t be repaired for ages – so I would have to walk not only to my room but to the rooftop café for included meals.

I was about 50 – and not a smoker or drinker or taker of much of anything stronger than Tylenol – but my knees were killing me.

Finally, my beloved wife Heidi told me I needed a plan.

No more thinking I would walk off a giant meal.

No more fad diet, or buying an armload to Lean Cuisine dinners and figuring those would magically shrink my size by delivering a lower cal microwaved lunch and dinner.

I got an app that rates the fat/sugar/carb/protein count of food.

I made a 3.5 hour trip to the grocery, buying a lot of stuff that barely made it to our fridge and cupboards before.

I slowly, methodically threw out dozens and dozens of treats, main dishes, sauces, sweets, breads, brownie mixes and other stuff I’d been mainlining forever.

I try to walk several miles per week, but I know that portion control and cutting out a lot of stuff that is darn near poison (albeit tasty, well-marketed poison) – is the key.

I have several remaining goals:

1)     Step up the walking even more. And bicycle too.

2)     Continue to cut out some once a week treat foods – even if they are in small portions and fit within my meal plan.

3)     Keep the 100 pounds lost off of me for six months – to make sure I’m not one of those folks that celebrate reaching a goal…by consuming a bunch of “cheat” treats that were the reason I needed to drop 100

4)     Drop another 25 pounds. Yep, your read that correctly. I’m not auditioning for the role of a man on hunger strike. I simply got so out of control, that to truly be the weight I should be – for my age and height under six feet – I need to drop about 125 total, from my December 2019 starting date.

Wish me luck.