THE SKINNY ON OUR WEIGHT LOSS

Something unexpected happens when you lose a large amount of weight...You get to meet old friends.  Old friends in the form of clothing you haven't seen for years -- in particular, pants and shirts that you had the foresight to tuck away in boxes when they began to shrink(?) more years and pounds ago than you care to recall.

The elation of being able to fit into those old duds is second only to obvious health benefits one realizes when dropping excess poundage. Discarding that 2XL shirt or sweater in favour of a "large" that you can button with ease and zippering a pair of trousers without sucking in your gut in order to make ends meet, is a gratifying feeling beyond description.  Then, when you have to puncture four new holes in your belt...Hey, for a former fatty it doesn't get much better than that!

I packed up all my "fat clothing" the other day in order to make room in the closet for my new recycled wardrobe.  Now I keep going back to the closet just to admire the items hanging there and to gloat self-satisfyingly.   

Since going along for the ride on Rosanne's new lifestyle program, I have lost 47 pounds in three months and dropped four pant sizes.  This week I dipped below 200 pounds for the first time in about 11 years.  Rosanne is doing even better with a 68 pound drop in weight and the possibility of being able to go off oxygen in another week.  She too has been having fun trying on old clothing that had previously been destined for the thrift shop, some with store price tags still in place.

Chances of us falling off the diet wagon any time soon are very remote because it is imperative for Rosanne to lose another 150 pounds at least if she is ever able to regain normal day-to-day functioning.  She has done extremely well so far and is determined like never before to reach her goal.

Dieting these past three months, unlike so many times in the past, has not really been a chore for us.  With the support of an excellent young dietitian, we have been conscious of portion control and eating the right combinations of foods, coupled of course with the complete elimination of salt, sugar and unnecessary fats.  We have also cut back our consumption of red meat, a former staple of our diet, to once a week.  Our rule of thumb is lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and protein daily.  As we progress, we will be increasing our exercise regimen, slowly but surely.

So we will soldier on, losing weight, celebrating new goals, trying on old clothing, and feeling better about ourselves with each passing day.