Eight months

Eight months ago, on September 2nd, I changed my life. I'd been frustrated at my lack of progress with losing weight, after more than a year of making some HUGE changes. I'd quit diet soda, and later, all artificial sweeteners. Every workday I had a salad for lunch. I began eating sensible breakfasts, which helped me stay ahead of getting 'hunger-crazy'. I was juicing, eating some organic veggies, and I was reading & learning a ton of great stuff. But after hitting my high weight in April of 2013, it was a struggle to lose & maintain just about a 20lbs loss.

I was desperate.

I knew I was on the right track, and I felt like sooner or later I'd make one more small tweak, and BOOM, it'd just click! After all, the media is full of stories where someone just changes one little thing and six months later they've dropped 200lbs, and they run marathons.

Why was this so hard for ME???

Everyone just said I should eat a bit less & move a bit more - no biggie, that's how THEY did it! But when I'd try to cut back, the hunger and the cravings would haunt me all hours of the day & night. Similar to living with chronic pain, the cravings were ALWAYS there, and I just was not strong enough. I could stand up to the cravings for a time - days, weeks, even months - but eventually they'd win.

I had to find a way out...

I'd tried two different juice fasts, Weight Watchers, NutriSystem, Atkins, South Beach, and Seattle Sutton. I'd read all the great books - Eat Right For Your Type, Body For Life, Sugarbusters, The Zone, and not ONE of them got the 'cravings monkey' off my back.

Until I tried The Whole 30.

My Sister had done it in January of 2014, and I was curious enough to check it out. They sounded legit, but they ALL do, when you're reading the book flap! However, the Whole 30 said to "just do it for 30 days, after all, you can do anything for just a month, right"???

Holy Crap

It worked!

It was tough!

...and within a few weeks, my cravings were totally under control

...and for the first time in more than two decades, I began to feel like I was in control of my own destiny.

Eight months later, I'm down 80lbs, and I hit my two year anniversary of my high point - 100lbs ago!

My new way of eating is now 'habit', and while I may crave the bad stuff, I'm now the one in control.

In the picture, you'll see me wearing a white dress shirt my Dad bought me in '98 (long story). It's falling to pieces, but it's now a touch lose in the neck, and I seriously LOVE the connection!

The yellow rain slicker is a 2XL from The Gap (not known for their Big & Tall selection), which I bought when I moved to San Francisco in '96. Back then it was snug, but now it's also a touch lose!

Have I dialed the clock back to the mid 90's? I don't know about that...back in '08 / '09 I had some success with Atkins. I lost about 80lbs in one year, and at my anniversary date I decided to take a month off - and I lost my shit, and went totally off the rails...

However, I still have the old leather belt I wore back then. As I list weight I kept punching new holes (as I've done this time, with newer belts). My current weight loss is still about 4 inches shy of last time's waist measurement, even though I now weigh less.

What does that mean? I'm not sure, but it feels like THIS time it's 'real', this time it's healthy & sustainable, And dang if it all doesn't add up to feel like a helluva victory!