Monday, May 31, 2010

Week Ten: Soaring over the Weight-loss Goalposts













I passed a milestone this week.  I should celebrate more, but it seems too easy in hindsight.

Two months before embarking on this diet I created my first “bucket list”.  Along with visiting all those “see before you die” places, and soaring in a glider, I also added a weight-loss goal that seemed as remote as Katmandu.  Despite consistent aerobics and numerous attempts at culinary restraint, I hadn’t seen such numbers on the scale in decades.

Ten weeks later I have touched down in the Lost World!

At the start of Week 11, I reached the initial weight goal I had set for myself – and ticked off another item on my bucket list.  That's 18 pounds in 10 weeks.

Along the “weigh”, I have picked up some fellow travelers.  Since my last post, two more friends announced their commitment to try the diet and started their treks.  Fare well!  This series had its start in the growing interest coming from my circle.  Several more may sign on before summer.  Saturday at a dinner party, I heard a lot of interest – as we lounged around a table laden with roast beef au jus and chocolate ganache torte!

On the home front, we’ve recently learned that the advancing years have made rising blood pressure more of a concern.  It was a relief to hear that losing weight is one of the most recommended non-drug approaches to reducing hypertension.  But how much weight?  I did a little research looking for a more scientific end goal.

The most important thing I learned?  There is disagreement among experts about “ideal weight”.  I don’t claim to have resolved these differences – only enough to pick a realistic final target for myself, and to help my wife do the same.  In the end, we’ve both chosen values just below the middle of the ranges of the various experts.  I’ve got another ten pounds to shake off!

Meanwhile, achieving my bucket-list weight has boosted my morale.  And the compliments my wife and I have both been getting of late – and giving each other – are sweeter than any ganache!


Resources:
Dr. Johnson's UpDayDownDay Diet
Calorie Restriction (Wikipedia)
The series:

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