My weight loss journey is going very well. At 276.5 pounds, I am down 33.5 pounds from my all-time high of 310. And 23.5 of those have been since January 1.
Long way to go, but I’ve come some way too. I’m in clothes I haven’t been able to wear in years. It’s a great feeling.
“What are you doing?” people ask. Most of the time I reply “eating less and moving more. Nothing else works!” with a smile. I’ll talk to my inner circle about it in more detail, but that’s the press release answer. It’s accurate, and it’s usually enough. But occasionally it isn’t, and I have to shut down a more granular conversation about diet and exercise.
I don’t want to get into the ins and outs of my daily habits with just anyone. I’ve learned that some significant number of people ask me what I’m doing because they’re eager to tell me I’m doing something wrong. (This is particularly ludicrous when the person is fat, and has been so for a long time.) Diet sodas are a big one. Or oh my God, I can’t believe you’re still eating dairy. Or Bo, do you really know the difference between whole grains and refined grains? Or how are you measuring your peak heart rate? Or…
…enough. Enough!
Folks, look. I appreciate that some of you may be trying to help, but here’s the deal. I have access to all of the same information you do, and you don’t know my journey. I have to do what works for me. It has to be effective, and it has to be sustainable—both in terms of keeping the weight off and supporting good health.
My weight. My health.
If you’ve found a practice that works for you, that’s fantastic. I have almost certainly already evaluated the practice and either incorporated it, saved it for later consideration/deployment, or explicitly rejected it. Bottom line: it is nearly impossible that you’re going to tell me something that I haven’t heard already.
I deeply appreciate encouragement and well wishes. But please, unless I ask for it, don’t give me any specific diet or exercise advice. A “good luck!” or a “keep it up!” is marvelous. Thank you.
(I dare say this advice is portable to any of your friends or acquaintances who are also on weight loss journeys.)
You might also like:
- The last first weight loss post
I weighed 297 pounds to start the year. Blogged about it. Decided I wasn’t going to weigh 300 pounds… - February 1: 290.5 lbs.
That’s a loss of 6.5 lbs. from January 1, and a definite step away from the cliff. Nearly all of the… - The last last first weight loss post
Blogging about it has generally been the kiss of death for my weight loss effort—have a look at the … - Going nuclear on my weight
“I’m not drinking again until I don’t hate my body anymore.” So said I, a week ago today. Labor Day … - Four more pounds, and learning to defend progress to date
Saw my doctor this morning. I’m down four more pounds over the last seven weeks. That’s not nothing,…
You’re a champion–keep up the great work!! 🙂
Thank you for your kind words, Denise! I’m excited about getting there this time!