It’s been almost six months since I last wrote on this blog. A great deal has happened in that time – some good, some not so good.
The Good
Barb and I have successfully transitioned from full-time retirees to full-time employees.
It all started with a phone call from our son, David, saying, “Dad, I need you. Can you help?” With the economy in the tank, the business was struggling and David needed us to give him a hand. There was never a doubt we would help.
So, we put a FOR SALE sign in front of our retirement homes in Franklin, TN and Clearwater, FL, moved to Lake Mary, FL just north of Orlando, and went to work. It was a difficult transition. We missed our homes, our freedom, our routines, our church, our friends, and our lifestyle.
But we enjoyed spending time with our son and daughter-in-law and feeling like we were making a contribution. We also enjoyed renewing old friendships with people who have been at the company for years and rebuilding the old camaraderie within the workplace. Then too, it was fun learning a new skill set and creating a viable product that people liked and used. Perhaps the best part was the fact that both our homes sold within a week of one another. What are the odds – especially in this economy? It looks like our move was meant to be.
The Not So Good
I gained back all the weight I had lost and then some. Yikes! It pains me to even write about it.
When last I wrote in my blog, I was down to 260 lbs. I had just lost 20 lbs from the first of the year and was feeling good about my successful weight loss and all I was learning. At that time, being retired, I had the luxury of focusing almost exclusively on my weight loss – as though it were a project or hobby. I would spend hours researching, reading and writing as well as exercising in and out of the gym. I was active and engaged and nothing was more important than getting my weight off in a healthy manner.
But all that came to a screeching halt the day we loaded the moving van and headed to Florida. Now, suddenly, I had no leisure and no time for self-improvement projects. I was struggling to master my new role at work and was exhausted by the sheer time commitment my job took. There was no thought of eating right nor energy to exercise. Gone were the days of sleeping a full 8 hours, waking naturally to the gentle sunlight streaming into the bedroom window, going for a relaxed walk in the park or on the beach, working out in the gym, playing a round of golf, reading and writing all day long. My life was suddenly full of unimaginable stress (my first job back was to lay-off 8 people). I was lucky if I slept 4 or 5 hours a night, worked less than 12 hours a day, or managed to grab a salad once or twice a week. Forget about exercise or reading and writing to stay motivated. I was way too exhausted. At the end of the day, I just wanted to “veg out” (flop in front of the TV and turn off my brain) and “pig out” (eat any and everything that gave me a sugar high). And that’s exactly what I did.
The sad and very predictable result to my new life of stress, exhaustion, and over-eating was to gain 40 lbs. Forty Pounds! I shudder to think of it. I went from 260 lbs to 300 lbs in five months. The only thing that stopped me from gaining even more weight was the fact that my clothes were now cutting into me so deeply that I was in pain whenever I sat down and I absolutely refused to go out and buy new clothes seeing how I already had a beautiful wardrobe in my closet. Then too, I was so weak from not exercising and eating right that I could barely get up out of my easy chair or bend over to pick up something I dropped. My legs were wobbly and unsteady. I hated it. I hated myself for failing so miserably. I wanted and desperately needed to get back to where I was prior to our move.
The Good
And so, I dusted off my old notes. I re-read my blog. And I started implementing all the things that had worked so successfully once before: eating nutritious meals, Intermittent Fasting, regular exercise, reduce stress and reading books and blogs to stay informed and motivated.
I began my new diet (lifestyle) on June 19, 2010. At the time, I weighed a disgusting 300 lbs. As of today, I am down 20 lbs. I’m not where I was six months ago. But I’m a long way from where I was just 30 days ago. I feel stronger, more energetic, and have a better self-image than I have in a long time. My goal now is to continue with what I am doing. Work hard to lose my weight. And get down to my ideal weight of 200 lbs by the time I turn 60 on June 4, 2011. That would be a milestone and life accomplishment worthy of documenting in this blog.
Wish me well!