And here I am 334-ish days later. And I'm 20 pounds lighter. And I feel better about a lot of things in my life. I consider it a pretty successful year, actually :) Of course, based on one of my musings, it's definitely a success.
I set some manageable goals. I worked hard to do things better. And I fell a bit short in several places. By the fall I was down about 15 pounds but losing control of the situation as school picked up and I turned to my convenience eating schedule, my stress eating, and my general love for the American Bacon-Cheeseburger...
Then up stepped my wife of 23 years. "Check this out - sounds cool," she said as she looked over the "28-Day Back to School Detox with Margaux Drake" flyer. "I'm going to try it."
"Go ahead, dear. Sounds horrible." And I watched as she prepared vegan foods for virtually every meal, including a week of raw foods and many different delicious meals at dinner. I tried a few things, especially at dinner, but Erin and I also spent quite a few evenings eating out. (Perhaps the amount of money we spend on meals out each month should be a blog post, but for now let's let it pass...)
Then the results started flowing in. She was losing weight, feeling better, having fewer headaches, etc. And so, a few weeks later we BOTH signed up for round two: "28-Day Pre-Holiday Detox with Margaux Drake" or something.
You've read my last few posts, so you know it went well! And I lost another five pounds. Started feeling better. Started thinking more about everything I was eating. That's a lot of thinking... Anyway...
I also managed to get out on the mountain bike a few times, enjoying the outside as usual. Not tons of miles or time at this time of year, but I certainly enjoyed myself.
A brief synopsis:
- Weight as of January 1, 2013 - 226 lbs
- Weight as of December 1, 2013 - 206 lbs (that is officially an average of a 3-day weigh-in of 207, 204, and 206.5. I settled for 206 because it made it 20 pounds...)
- 21 miles (oh, my...) on various bikes, which included a double (17 on the road and 6 in the trails) and a trifecta on the MTB (three different trails in the same outing)
- At the state finals game yesterday I tightened my belt one more notch :) (Said belt now holds up my pants in addition to being a swell accessory.)
So, things are definitely looking up. I'm really hoping that this ends up being a kind of re-boot in my lifestyle and that I continue to concentrate on good foods. I also would like to lose another six pounds before the end of the year, though I know that will be tough. I've spent a lot of time here in the low 200s, but it would be very cool to change that first number; I don't remember the last time it was a "1." And the holidays are on the way. So yeah. Wish me luck...
I respect you, Keith. You have been real open to testing what "plan" fits "Keith Walker's" UNIQUE design. That's often a hit or miss - or - to reframe it: part of the process. You know that as a musician and as a teacher of music! Sometimes the process is the BEST piece - better than reaching the goal. It's where relationships are formed - the kids with each other - the kids with you and you with them AND a bonding to their particular instrument.
ReplyDeleteWith the food and body piece - I've found that through my own process - I have a stronger bond with myself - more aware - a better listener to the clues my body is giving me as to what to eat, how much, etc. My body is my friend; I want to be a friend to my body. For years I had cut myself off from it. Didn't pay attention. It has sooo much to say.
I hope that you do not fear the holidays ahead! Look at how much you've learned and experienced so far - that's not going to go away! That's IN THERE: The better you feel, if and when you relapse into the old habits of eating - that place will seem foreign to you - you'll want to leave it quickly. You'll not LIKE it because you've experienced something much better. You'll WANT to go "home" - living your design - physically. At least that's what I've experienced.
Love you always, bro'!