As the new year recedes in the rear distance, at least every other advertisement I see is related in some way to weight loss: gyms, home exercise equipment, diet plans ranging from sensible to so drastic I’d need to swear off tasty food for the rest of my natural life. In that place where capitalism intersects with insecurity, everyone banks on everyone’s desire to lose weight, tone up the flab, and feel sexy.
Or feel sexier, at the very least.
I mention this because this is the time of year when I’m usually contemplating resolutions right along with everyone else, and they’re all at least marginally health related: lose weight, quit smoking, walk more, run a 5K, walk a 5K, watch other people walk a 5K. That sort of thing.
This time around, however, nearly every health-related resolution I have boils down to keeping on doing what I’ve been doing for the past year, and that’s a new feeling for me.
I’d decided I wouldn’t discuss what I’m about to say with anyone unless asked, at least for a while. It wasn’t because I didn’t think I could keep it up–although of course I felt that way and I still do. Honestly, I just wanted to put a few miles on the tires before sharing, but here goes:
Since last January, I’ve lost fifty pounds. In fact, as near as I can tell, today is when I hit the fifty-pound mark. So that’s sort of nifty.
During all the time I’ve been losing weight and not saying much about it, though, there was something I never considered. It didn’t occur to me that people might think I was dropping pounds because I was legitimately unhealthy. Not long ago, in fact, a concerned colleague told me he’d noticed my weight loss, and he went on to ask me if I was okay. That made me realize I should say something.
So in case you’ve wondered, I’m fine. In fact, I feel better than I have in years, and health-wise I’m doing better than anyone who’s treated his body as disrespectfully as I have could possibly expect. My doctor’s taken me off my cholesterol meds, and I’m hoping I can eventually ditch the CPAP I’ve been using for the past twelve years.
A few answers to some of the most common questions:
- It’s been a slow but steady process, and it’s taught me more about myself than I’d have thought possible.
- It isn’t a diet, at least not any more so than any other person eating food is considered a diet. Also, diets are the worst.
- I’ve been using an app called Noom to help with the weight loss, and I argue that Noom is not a diet. It’s a program that helps people like me develop a healthy food habits, the ones I never learned before. Noom has also helped me think in critical ways about how habits work. If you’ve ever considered using Noom, I highly recommend it.
- I’m hoping to lose thirty more pounds over the next six to ten months. Sure, numbers are relatively arbitrary, but that’s my target and I’m sticking to it.
- A couple of days ago, I was shaking water off my hand and my wedding ring flew off. That’s not an answer to a question, but it is pretty cool. (I found the ring, by the way.)
So that’s it for now. I feel good in lots of ways, and I feel optimistic about the future. I’m healthier than I was a year ago, and I’m incredibly thankful for that. I know it won’t last forever, and I never take it for granted.
Happy New Year!
