Happy 4th of July...

Summer has come (June 21) and I didn't make it down to 221...I'm hovering around 230 because I keep hovering around deserts...oh well, time to regroup after the fourth and push forward. Started working again on a 95003 project so my free time has been drastically cut and I'll have to avoid the southern fried lunches and pizzas they serve at work...

Gina and I went to the Smokies for the fourth - Coleman Family reunion. We went hiking around Greenbrier. I hiked to Ramsey Cascade yesterday...it's 8 miles round trip and you climb 2100 feet. It was graded as "moderate" but challenging enough for me. I did some trail running but the incline was tough and after the first mile and a half the trail had far too many roots and large rocks to try to run. That was a good thing - I'm not a runner! Anyway, up and back in three and one half hours...only spent about ten minutes at the falls...

Maggie had her fifth knee surgery last week. Hopefully this will reduce the pain and help her get around better. Miles went to Bonaroo again this year but is back now trying to sell cars. I'm hoping and praying that something comes up for Sally...

It's nap time...

Mayday!!!

I'm still not down to fat!!! But I am having fun working on it...after our beach trip I weighed around 230 so I was up a little but still doing ok...I need to drop ~ 10 pounds by summer to get down under my target (221)...

Dad's finally going to get a pacemaker installed...I hope this allows his physical therapy to pick up...he hasn't made enough progress to get to assisted living by June so we'll have to start paying a monthly rate for his rehab...I hate to think about our choices if he can't get to assisted living...so I won't. Ignoring things is a habit I have...sometimes they really do go away...


"The wheel is turning and you can't slow down
You can't let go and you can't hold on
You can't go back and you can't stand still
If the thunder don't get you then the lightning will"

Later

It's (almost) my birthday and I'll eat if I want to...

I weighed 230 last Saturday so I'm still trending downward but definitely not really working at it. My spring sinus/cold has slowed me from exercise but amazingly enough, it has not phased my appetite. I can't remember if it's "stuff a cold, starve a fever" or "starve a cold, stuff a fever" so I've been stuffing...oh well, it's a journey, not a destination.

I've started a new step study in Celebrate Recovery. Last year I think I tried to treat everything as past tense - I tried to answer the questions relative to where I was in recovery back when I was early in sobriety. I definitely experienced some growth from the last study but I believe I need to focus more on the person I am today. Otherwise it's more of a documentary of the past instead of a tool for growth. I can here Jan saying "We have not arrived."

I need to apply the "we have not arrived" attitude to more of my life...I won't be done until about three days before the funeral...

Later

Two-Thirds of the Way Now...Maybe..

I weighed in at 236 on Saturday (3/20/11) so I've lost 30 pounds. Lately I've really fallen off my exercise and have even returned to my late night cereal killer habit but I have decided to renew my efforts to meet my goal of being fat (221) by summer. With almost three months, it's very doable. In fact, it looks too easy. I guess I should establish a stretch goal to challenge myself...so I'll set my stretch goal at 206 by summer. That's another 30 pounds in about the same time frame. We'll see.

Lloyd and I are going to run a 5k in late April. I need to step up my cardio training so I don't suck the atmosphere off the planet and end life as we know it...it's a sacrifice but one I will make...just to save humanity. I will also run in a shirt...to save embarrassment...

I've been unemployed for three months and I'm totally cool with not working...I just miss being able to buy toys on a whim and having to actually budget. But the first of the year is always a crunch so I'm not worried at this point. I'll get through paying taxes and insurance by May and should be a little more flush. I still want to take a road trip with Gina to tackle one of our bucket list items.

I'm done for this month...

About Half Way to Fat...

My quest this year is to just be fat. Based on the charts and tables I viewed, I needed to lose 45 pounds to achieve that goal. Since January 1, I've lost 21 pounds.

Today I get started on my post Valentines Day recovery. Valentines Day was a preplanned relapse. Every year, like millions others, I start the new year with the plan of losing some weight. And every year, just like clockwork, we receive a Christmas package from our friends in Germany full of chocolate candies. This year the goodies went into hiding with the plan to get them out for Valentines Day. Mission accomplished.

I'll check my progress this weekend to see if I lost any ground. But I'm in this for the long haul...I'm gonna be fat!