Slow and Steady Wins the Race

Last night during the Superbowl, I took the opportunity to attempt to squeeze into my favorite jeans, then spun around in them so that R could see my progress so far.  According to the scale, I've lost nearly ten pounds since starting the Optifast program.  I can now squeeze into my jeans and even fasten them (but with considerable difficulty and significant "muffin top", so I won't be wearing them out anytime soon!).  More importantly, though, I feel better, and my metabolic age (as relayed to me by my fancy Tanita scale) is slowly coming back into line with my chronological age.  I'm still about ten years away from my actual age!  Yikes.

A year ago I was happy to hop onto the scale, because I was always guaranteed a brag worthy number...  Usually in the mid- 20's.  R and I would laugh about what the scale told us...  He would frequently get brag worthy numbers, too!  Even though he's 15 years older, the scale would tell us a different story, and we'd laugh about how he was with an "older woman".  I didn't mind being a few years his metabolic senior, but then a few years became a few decades.  When my visceral fat rating began to jump, I knew it was time to take action.

So here I am.  The program isn't easy, but seeing progress makes it worthwhile.  The past few nights I've cheated a bit by substituting my last two shakes for plates of cooked edamame...  Today I feel a renewed sense of willpower to continue.  On my desk beside me are two photos, one from before I put on the weight, the second, after.  It's sobering:

I look forward to adding a third picture in a few months time-- one that shows me back at my usual weight.  I'm eager to be done with this chapter of my life so that I can move on to more important things.  Today just happens to be the first day of the Spring semester at the local community colleges.  I thought seriously about picking up a class, but with wedding prep and the weight loss program, I think I have enough on my plate for now.  Perhaps in the summer or by next fall I'll be ready to do more!  I hope so.