Day 100

It’s finally here! Day 100! It’s been both a long and a short journey. At times I thought it would never end, and then when it got nearer, I wished I had more time. But time is something that we don’t have control over, so we’d better learn to make friends with it and take advantage of as much (or as little) of it as we get.

We started this journey 100 days ago (duh!), back in mid-November. I can no longer recall the exact moment or reasoning for it, but after an infrequent THUD onto the bathroom scale, I realized I had hit 206 pounds and counting. If I were 6’ 10” I probably wouldn’t be so concerned, but being a good foot shorter than that, I knew it was not a healthy state. Both the Canadian and U.S. health departments officially classified me as “obese”, and that’s not the best category to be in for a long life. I had to do something about it, and I might as well make it public, since anyone who looked at me knew it anyway. Hence this blog.

The beginning was tough. The ‘comfort food’ was no longer at my disposal. I had to find a way to not just survive, but make it ‘livable’ as well. I also had to increase my exercise level to burn more calories and increase overall fitness. The stationary bike, occasional fitness center, and the stairs to my office (I counted them, and there are 142 by the way) became my prime fitness tools. They were both my nemesis and my friend as I initially struggled, but constantly improved my abilities to conquer them.

I found the food that was healthy for me and also somewhat palatable. I had to stay conscious of what, when, and how much I ate, but that’s not a bad thing anyway. I love the nutrition labels on foods and have become quite good at spotting the pot holes (Make sure to look at the top where it tells you the portion size the rest of the label is based on. Often comparing two foods I couldn’t simply compare the main numbers without converting portions to an equivalent amount. Something with two-thirds the calories isn’t very good if the portion size is half the other one). Foods like diet pop, non-fat cheese, fat-free pudding, fruit, etc. became a key part of my diet. Even vegetables (yes, I actually said it) became much more appealing when I knew they would fill me up with healthy goodness and less calories. Salads are now considered a staple to me.

My clothes started getting larger (or at least it felt that way). My belt went through several modifications. My face and hands seemed less bloated. My energy level started going up. I was transforming.

Sharing my transformation through this blog was a bit of a kick. We even got a few award nominations, which was just gravy (mmmm….gravy). But by FAR the coolest part about the blog was your participation. I received some VERY encouraging feedback and I truly thank you for it. I even received a ‘spam’ comment (that I deleted), which just goes to show what happens when something on the Internet gets a bit popular. By the way, when I type “100 days to fitness” into Google, I get 602 hits. That’s pretty cool! Thanks for making this a fun ride.

Now…..(drumroll please)….on to the numbers!

Day 100
Current Weight: 174
Weight Lost To Date: 32

He shoots....he SCORES! Well, what do you know, we actually did it! I had no idea that hitting my goal weight of 175 in 100 days was attainable, I really just pulled it out of a hat, but I’m thrilled to have made it. The last few days were filled with a bit of anxiety as I gave extra-special-close attention to everything I did and ate. On Saturday (Day 99), I even got up an hour before I had to in order to get an extra bike riding session in. I wasn’t going to cheat at the end, but I was certainly going to make sure I did whatever I could before the big weigh-in.

This morning I woke up at the usual weigh-in time, had my usual pre-weigh-in ‘preparation’, closed my eyes, and stepped on the scale. When I opened my eyes, it certainly was a nice sight to behold. So, how did I celebrate? I had some low-cal oatmeal with fruit for breakfast, and for lunch I went out to eat with one of my sons, and had a salad and some diet pop. And I LOVED it! I even popped by my office for a few minutes....and took the stairs. Maybe the maintenance thing isn’t going to be so tough after all.

So, where do we go from here? I think, if you’re willing, we should touch base now and then to make sure everything is still okay. I don’t want to be another statistic about dieters who lose weight and then re-gain it all (and more). I’m going to suggest a ‘monthly’ report that updates you on my status. What do you think? Are you willing to check in on me every month and keep me honest? At least it would force me to continue to think about my weight and not let it get ahead of me again.

Before I sign off today, I really need to thank some people. First of all, I’d like to thank the makers of Aspartame and other sugar substitutes. You ROCK! Of course, my family has played an indispensable part in this journey. My kids have followed my progress, and hopefully it’s taught them a thing or two about commitment and doing what’s right. They knew that today was "Daddy's special day", and were anxious to celebrate with me. My wife has made every effort to support my dietary and exercise needs, even though it meant she suffered along with me when our meal choices were significantly reduced. It’s been a very healthy atmosphere to be in during such a journey, and I couldn't have done it without them.

And finally, I’d like to thank YOU, for your kind words and constant support. To BC, Caroline, Mom, Slim, Mark M, DM, Zeppelin, Stephan, Raw Food, and various Anonymous posters (some of which I know personally, others just passed by and left their comments for us), you all helped fuel me when calories couldn’t, and I salute you.

As it says on a mug I was given this week..."What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?" Reach for the stars, and know that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.

Don