Day 25

In horse racing, the quarter pole marks the spot 1/4 into a mile long race. Today (Day 25) is my quarter pole. Time for a little analysis on progress so far.

If you remember our initial goals, we said we'd use weight as a proxy for fitness, and hoped to reduce one while we increased the other (provided we didn't get the two mixed up). Well, it looks like we're right on track. As the scale shows the weight coming down, it's also clear to me that my fitness level is improving. My hikes up the stairs are still a journey, but I seem to get to higher floors before the puffing and panting starts. Yesterday after lunch, I climbed the stairs to my office only to have Caroline send me back down to the mail room on the ground floor. You can't imagine how [insert sarcastic tone of voice here] pleased I was when I got there only to find the package was actually for her! Back up the stairs I went. The good news, is that I can do it now, and I probably would have died a few weeks ago.

The food part is going okay as well. We still have lots of Halloween candies and chocolates in the house, and I haven't been tempted to eat any. It's simply not worth the calories. I know I can treat myself once in a while, but it's nice to know I don't have to. The most noticeable change for me is that I seem to get full quicker, or at least I'm conscious of it, and am willing to stop eating when that happens. This is a good sign that change is taking place. Even after the 100 days, I will need to continue this technique.

Another milestone happened today. I got tired of constantly pulling up my pants, as they seemed to be sliding dangerously low at times. So, I made that transition to a new hole in my belt. This is a fairly new belt, and I'd never used that hole before. I hope to get at least one more hole tighter before this is over.

And the numbers at the quarter pole are.....[drum roll please]....

Day 25
Current Weight: 195
Weight Lost To Date: 11

So, 11 pounds down and 20 to go. That sounds about right since I know the rest of the journey gets tougher and tougher. I'm pleased to see the numbers consistently coming down, so I'm not going to change anything at this point.

This is a marathon, not a sprint, but at the 25 day mark, the race is still mine to win.

Don