The Number for This WeekPart 2

Ok, I've got enough of a pattern now that maybe I can open my mouth. It was on July 10th that I first posted "The Number for This Week" and began listing those numbers on the left above my profile. And I didn't say what it was. Sometimes you just want to prove something to yourself before you say anything. And I think I have.

Many of you have probably guessed what's up, especially after my post from a few days ago. Yes, I'm trying to lose some weight. Actually, more than "some". At 6 feet tall, I started out at 285. I'm now down to 275 as of my "official 10am Thursday" weigh-in. No rounding down, no removing keys from my pocket. The same every time.

My target is to get down to 185 to 190. That's what I weighed in 1982 when I left for L.A. to attend what used to be called Logos Bible Institute at John MacArthur's church. I was 28 when I left and in the spring of '83 when I turned 29, something told my metabolism to start slowing down. By the time I left in June, I had blown up to 215, and it's been a fight since.

In 1989 when I started college (age 35) I had gotten up to 250 or so. I managed to get down to 230. But you know what sitting in class and sitting at home studying does. Not enough activity. Then, of course there were my various desk jobs after I graduated.

It was in 2000 that I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (which I believe I had for quite a while but never caught. . .I had what I now believe to be hypoglycemic attacks even as far back as '89!) and I think the weight brought it on. Hopefully this should reverse itself as the weight comes off.

Two weeks ago, I had some major spikes in my blood sugar. And I decided I'd had enough. So, now I'm drinking a gallon of water per day and watching what I eat. Of course, not everyone would want to do what I did; I restricted my intake severely off and on for the first week or so. "Shifting calories" so your metabolism doesn't go into starvation mode. On my low days, I'd try to stay at 600. Now, I'm leveling off at 1200.

Well, anyway, I seem to be off to a decent start. Yes, there is a plateau coming. I can see that already; been there done that. But it's now more of a long term goal than an short term one.