Jacob's Ladder

"Step by step, rung by rung. Higher and higher. Step by step. One by one. We're climbing Jacob's ladder." - Huey Lewis

I have to be honest. The numbers can be deceiving. I actually started incorporating exercise and a revised diet back in the summer. I was not all that faithful to it like I have been the past two weeks but I still watched what I took and in and made extra effort to be active. I lost about ten pounds from September and October. So, my total weight loss up to this weigh in had been 22 pounds. But from the start of this effort to get healthy I had lost 12 pounds until this morning's weigh in.

Now that song by Huey Lewis and the News means more. The water weight is gone and now I am into the heavy lifting of weight loss. After a weekend where I wasn't as active as I should have been, I regained some ground Sunday-Tuesday. I have not missed a day of walking since Nov. 1st. I actually look forward to it each day, strangely enough. It is a half hour or so where I zone into my own little head space and think, listen, sweat and get to ignore the world. For a minister, that is a blessing. I thought I would hate the walking aspect of getting healthy. But each day the mile and a half gets easier. And we add a half mile in December to make it a full two. I walk the last quarter faster than the first quarter. If there was a tubby relay race, I could be the anchor!

Keep praying for me. I am going to be on limited calories for a while until my weight is closer to an ideal weight for my height. So I could be in this mode for another six to eight to twelve months. Then it changes to a modified Atkins regiment for life. I can never be what I was again. Now the only regret is wondering why I waited so long to get serious about getting healthy. I have some great supporters in my weight loss. Bone checks in each day. Wallace suffers through lunch with me most days. Lloyd has sent me some emails and cards and follows up on Sundays. Mike dropped some info by to make sure I was going about losing the weight in a healthy way. These four and the prayers of countless others have really been an encouragement.

Weight loss to date: -18 pounds. Lost six this week(which exceeds my weekly goal of five this past week! woo hoo! if I can reign in this weekend a little bit better, I may even make next week's goal!!!)