Not a New Year's Resolution

So like many of you, I have pretty much given up on this blog. With Facebook and other ways to communicate, I just don't take the time to update it. And as I returned to blogger for the first time in almost a year, I realized how clunky this interface really is, but I digress.

Some of you know that I started a new health plan back in September, called Take Shape For Life. After seeing quite a few people at our church shed weight on the plan, I decided to give it a try. I won't bore you with the details, but basically, it works on a few principles:
- Cut sugar - Cut high fructose corns syrup with is pretty much poison
- Reduce bad carbs while eating healthy portions of good carbs
- Eat smaller meals more regularly throughout the day
= All of the above, keeps your sugar and insulin level in better balance, which reduces fat storage and creates a more regular energy level
- Eat more veggies
- Some regular activity/exercise

I officially started on September 19. The following 2 photos where taken on that day.

After 2 months on Phase 1 (fat burning), I had lost 33 lbs. You can see the difference below (or hopefully you can see the difference).

I stayed on Phase 1 for one more month until the middle of December. Then, I then switched to Phase 2, transitioning to maintenance. I have been on that for 2 weeks. The last photo was taken on January 1. I now have lost 47 lbs and without having accurate records, my best guess is that I weigh somewhere in the range that I did in early high school (when I might have been shorter). (BTW, my original goal was 25-30 lbs.)

As great as that is, I know the hard work lies ahead. With the exception of some not so disciplined weeks in December- too many meals with friends and too many temptations around- I have done pretty well at sticking to the plan. I have always been a picky eater. I have always had a taste for junk food. But in the past 3.5 months, I have given up sandwiches, cereal, cookies, ice cream, pizza, hamburgers and fried food. These were staples of my diet. I have eaten soup, green veggies and oatmeal almost daily. None of those were on my menu before. It wasn't easy. I am thankful to have an encouraging and helpful wife, a good adviser and a gracious God.

But as good as things have gone, that was the easy part. What lies ahead is 6 more weeks of transition- adding low-fat dairy and whole grains starches into my regular diet- and then... the rest of my life. I think anyone can change the way they eat for 1-3 months, but memories of pizza, thoughts of tacos and whiffs of McDonald's french fries (like at the movies the other day) still tempt me.

I have never really made New Year's resolutions. I am not a future-thinking guy. So this isn't a resolution for a year. This is a battle for a life time- something which I have never been particularly good at. But I am wearing new clothes, some of which are too loose even now. My knees are feeling better after Ultimate Frisbee. Other maladies which had been more frequent in the past few years, have been reduced. I am trying to hold on to that. To hold on to a new found youth, to a new found face, to a new found health. I can't promise I will succeed, but so far I am rejoicing and wanted to rejoice with you.