Don't worry, I just hit pause

It's been a few weeks since my last update.  I'm still here, I've just had a couple of [legitimate] distractions.  First, the numbers:

• June 19 - 222.4
• May 26 - 222.2
• January 2 (start date) - 256

I have been weighing myself sporadically over the last three weeks, and I have ranged anywhere from today's weight up to 228.6.  These are normal fluctuations, and I hovered between 224 and 225 for most of the time.  My next goal is under 220 (219.8 or lower) by June 30 (the day I fly back to Ohio for a couple days).  I am starting to get down to my next scary goal: I have to un-beard when I get to 210.

As the title suggests, I simply hit pause for a couple of weeks.  The reasons (not excuses; I accept and planned for each of these) include a trip to Baltimore from my family over Memorial Day, a long weekend in Atlantic City, and eye surgery last Thursday.  The only goal in this journey is to figure out the right balance for me when it comes to my dietary health while still enjoying the things I love (ahem...food).  That is, I want to weight 180 pounds and be able to eat a slice of pizza.

I would be lying if I didn't mention I am a little bit concerned on my ability to lose weight over the next two weeks.  While my surgery was only on my eyes, I still have strict doctors orders to not swim for two weeks (that means the next time I can jump in the pool is June 28), and I have to take it easy on the weights for a week or so (as far as eyes are concerned, it was a fairly invasive surgery).  This only means I have to double down on my diet. (Note that I can still do cardio, yoga, and light weights; I just have to scale back my workouts for a couple weeks.)

Finally, and completely unrelated to the rest of this topic, I wanted to share a thought from a recent episode of Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition.  First off, I am a sucker for these types of shows, and in this particular case they take a morbidly obese patients and work with them over 12 months to lose insane amounts of weight.  The only surgery involved is skin removal surgery.

The episode I am referencing took place two weeks ago, and it followed a man who lost 200 pounds in one year (again, this is all from diet and exercise).  He went through some pretty extreme tribulations during his year (including living out of his car and his youngest son passing away), but he did something small that was incredibly courageous: he stood up to his live-in fiance as someone who did not put his health ahead of her needs.

Every day that passes, I am reminded of a very wise thing someone very close to me said: when you have someone else looking out for you, you don't have to spend any time looking out for yourself.  In his case, the opposite was true.  Albeit guilt, not wanting to put forth the effort, or even jealousy, it was really sad to see her not put her partner first when he wanted to be healthy for the both of them.

I am extremely fortunate to have the exact opposite in my life, and without the support of others this journey would be impossible.  Thanks to everyone for the cheers and understanding, and a special thank you to those who anticipate my needs; I can only hope I return the same.