Rolf Danner

So I dropped a footstool. Well, not the way you might think. Relax. No innocent furniture was hurt in the research for this article. But since February I lost the weight of the footstool that lives in our bedroom. This morning I hoisted it (right word, the piece is heavy) on my shoulders and stepped, thus burdened on the bathroom scale. Pleasantly, the scale registered one pound less than it did with me alone as recently as February. The comfy piece designed by brothers Charles & Ray Eames weights in at 19.5 pounds. Today, I came in at 20.5 pounds less than on February 10.

Though before you bring out the confetti I’d like to remind you that I still have five more pounds to go. I started this blog back in April when I had already retreated from my peak weight by five pounds. A more accurate statement would probably be “recorded peak weight”. Honestly, I avoided the scale at the beginning of the year for quite some time. I knew that the holidays had been especially fattening and I wanted to get over the worst before I was ready to face the bitter truth.

It feels really good to be so close to the goal, and to be safely out of the 180’s territory. The 170 lb goal is still achievable, though it does feel a little fragile. Over the last eight weeks I lost ten pounds. The last five weeks have seen a steady, though maddeningly slow drop of one pound per week. Have I mentioned that I’m not very patient? Five pounds left with five weeks to go. Still doable, though no margin left to squander. Will I feel like a failure when the day before the wedding, October 24, I come in at 171? I don’t think so. After all, my weight is only a number on the scale, and the man I’m marrying is real and we are in love.

I do know that my motivation is way up. With just five pounds and only five weeks left, desserts have suddenly lost their allure. This week alone we twice had birthday cake at the office, and each time I politely declined. I did make sure though to stand back from the cake, spend only the time dictated by decorum with the group, and enjoyed uncharitable thoughts about the colleague who went for the third slice. At home, Jeff has now joined forces and we are planning a lighter but satisfying meal for our luncheon on Sunday. No our friends won’t have to share a celery stick and sip on distilled water. Though we will go with grilled chicken breasts instead of fatty pork cuts and chocolate torte.

I also know that I don’t want to metaphorically race to the goal, throw myself over the finish line, collapse and in no time balloon back up to where I was. The key reason and the benefit of losing the weight at this excruciatingly slow pace, is that it forces me to establish good eating and coping habits over the long term. So it might take a little longer than I thought. I might gain a few pounds back in the excitement of the wedding festivities. The main point is to come back to the sound eating, exercise and sleeping schedule I use now. That will make the results last. Which also means that even after I reach the goal I will check in with you every now and then to keep me honest.