Day 72 Weigh Day Already?

Day 72

Weigh Day Already?

Weigh day is something I look forward to with nervous anticipation. I've heard so much about plateaus, and I know that eventually I will have a weigh day where the scale doesn't move or moves just a little bit. I really think it's too early to hit one of those right now. Maybe during the second 100 pounds it will happen. When it does, I know exactly what I'll do. I'll eat a half gallon of—Uh I mean, I'll continue doing what I've been doing. Because what I've been doing is working very well. Today the scale read 438! I've lost a grand total of sixty-seven pounds in seventy-two days. 438! Another 10 pound loss!!! 4 3 8...sorry, I just like the way that looks. At 505, 438 looked a million miles away. But I'm here and I feel great! I sent out the mass text message with the update, and thank you to everyone that replied! Your encouragement is like a high octane fuel. My cousin Travis sent me some numbers based on my success so far. Did you know that I'm only 86% of the man I once was? My goal is to be 43% of the giant I once was...and he added that I was 25% of the way there! I really like those numbers! I'll tell you what I'm really looking forward to, crossing the 115 pounds lost mark. As if I haven't mentioned the 2004 attempt enough, here I go again. 115 pounds is how much I lost in the spring/summer of 2004, before we crashed it to pieces on a family vacation. In a way I didn't come back from that vacation until September 15th, 2008. That's why 115 is such a big deal to me, because every pound after that will be a new personal weight loss record! I can't think about it too long, because it just makes me upset with myself all over again. I could say that all of that progress was wasted back then, but it wasn't really. I believe that the lessons I learned from 2004 will help me succeed all the way to my goal in 2009. So 2004 was just a test run. This is the real deal. Many successful people have credited their failures for giving them what they needed to succeed. And when I really get below the surface of those upset feelings of 2004, I have to admit, I needed to fail. I needed to experience that monumental failed attempt to fully understand the complexities and psychological changes I needed to succeed. I'm not saying that I have it all figured out, I don't, but this time when I hit a bump, I ask myself questions. I stop long enough to analyze the situation and determine why I'm feeling weak. I never did that before, I'd eat first, ask questions later, questions that I couldn't answer, like: Why did I do that? Today the question is a little different: Why do I feel like doing that? This journey has demanded that I be very self-aware of my emotions and the potential effects of them at all times. It can really sound complicated, but after I made the iron-clad decision that I wasn't going to let stressful triggers set me off, and I decided to actually try to learn about and practice proper portion control, the only thing left is simple math and moving my body on a regular basis. Counting calories and exercising. No pills, no ordering special plans off an infomercial, no special foods, just a very basic approach that works...eating less and exercising. It definitely works, because I've lost sixty-seven pounds in seventy-two days.

Irene and the girls decided they would weigh at the YMCA and soon I'll be able to join them on those scales. It will be so nice to know I can weigh on any normal scale. I really look forward to that day! The girls dug out some old scrapbooks and family photos today. They discovered some before pictures taken on Day 1 of the 2004 attempt. I weighed exactly 500 pounds on that day. In the coming days I'll post some before and now pictures. There is a big difference so far! It's really a fun ride.

The next few days should produce some interesting editions to this blog. Can't wait! I never felt this confident going into Thanksgiving. I do now because I've decided I will win. My plan is solid, allows plenty of room, and takes the power away from the food forces that have always moved during this holiday. Good night and...

Good choices,
Sean