Halfpounder’s Blog

My wife and I rode our bikes in the canyon this evening. It was so beautiful. Fall weather is bringing out the bright colorful leaves. Brilliant reds, yellows, and oranges are splashed over the hillsides. It’s breathtaking.

I weighted in at 273 pounds yesterday. That’s a total of 177 pounds lost in 17 months. I have finally set a goal weight of 225 pounds. I came up with this number based on my suggested body mass index of 195 pounds and how much extra saggy skin I estimate I will be carrying.

A good friend of mine, Jim Campbell, lost over 200 pounds on Weight Watchers and at a recent doctor’s visit he was told he is carrying about 30 pounds of loose skin. Short of surgery, he will probably be stuck with the flabby skin. I think I’ll be in the same boat. I don’t think I will get the surgery–I’m chicken. It sounds painful and I would end up with a lot of scaring. Not for me… so I will take my suggested BMI and add 30 pounds for the extra skin. New goal: 225 pounds and I plan to reach this goal by May, 11, 2010 (my next birthday.) I can make it by following the diet plan, keeping up with my exercise, and maintaining my focus.

I’ve had a rocky summer. I gained about 15 pounds after my knee being scoped, but I feel back in control now. I am exercising again and I am seeing the results on the scale.

Sorry I haven’t been very good about writing lately. No excuse besides being a bit lazy. I will work harder about sharing how things are going.

Thanks for taking time to read. Hope this posting finds you happy and working on being more healthy.

Kirk

It has been a busy summer. I’m most excited about reaching one of the weight loss goals I set for myself last May 2008. My wife and I celebrated our 29th anniversary last year in May and I told her for our 30th I would like to take her to Hawaii.

A little back story is needed…

In July of 2003 my wife took me with her on a trip to Washington D.C. She had a conference to attend and I went along to keep her company. We flew out to Baltimore (to save money on the airfare) and took a shuttle into the city. We had a great time. I was quite big then and had to ask for a seatbelt extension to fit in the airline seat.

On our way back home I was called up to the counter by the gate where we would soon be boarding our flight. The agent explained to me that the flight was very full and he couldn’t expect anyone to be stuck sitting next to me for the long flight because I was so big. He said if I wanted to fly with them I would need to purchase an additional seat so I would have plenty of room.

I was mortified. The agent was telling me I had to either buy two seats to fit my obese body, or I would be refunded my ticket and have to find alternate travel back home.

I paid for the seat, made it back home, and wrote a scathing letter to the airline explaining my embarrassment and their rudeness. I also vowed that I was finished flying–I would not ever put myself in that uncomfortable position again.

I have missed many trips since then. Although I would love to attend with my wife as she flies off to conferences, the only ones I joined her were within driving distance. Since the airline seat drama we’ve attended conferences in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego together–all the others she has flown to alone.

Last Spring as I realized the weight was finally coming off I also thought that there would be a time when I could fit in an airline seat again. I would only have to pay for one seat like most passengers. That became one of my goals: lose enough weight to fit in an airline seat again and take my wife to Hawaii for our 30th Anniversary.

I’m very happy to report that my wife and I recently returned from a wonderful week in Maui. I missed the actual week of our anniversary, but we were on the island for her birthday. We combined both events and celebrated them at the same time… but the best part is we made it. Losing the weight got me back on an airplane and we enjoyed walking the beach and listening to the waves.

It was an awesome trip. We left the kids home and just went by ourselves. It felt so good to accomplish this goal. I have about 50 more pounds to go and then I will reach my target.

I weighed in yesterday having lost a total of 171 pounds. I have fluctuated a lot on the scale this summer. Up about 15 pounds at my worst… but it is like I tell my friends: I know how to get it back off and I will.

I hope you are having success with your goals to achieve better health. I enjoy being off oxygen. I enjoy having energy and wanting to do things again (not just be a hermit hiding in my darkened cave of a living room.) I enjoy riding my bike, and I’m really starting to like the skinny guy who keeps staring back at me in the mirror.

Kirk