Encouragement from the MD

Two weeks ago, I went to see my doctor. Not only did he give me a referral for Physical Therapy (my right shoulder bugs me, especially when I run, so we decided to get that sorted out), but he also gave me a boost about my weight loss.

The last time I saw him was in February 2008, right after my 24th birthday. I weighed 216lbs (and had lost about 5lbs from when I first started seeing him in October 2007). At my July 2009 weigh-in (fully clothed & full of pee), I tipped the doctor's office scales at 198lbs.

I was elated to hear that number. I think I forgot that I ever weighed that much, so my weight loss seemed much more substantial in that moment. Sure, I have pictures on my wall that show me at heavier weights, but it's almost like those version of me aren't REAL anymore.

But then I got to thinking about it: 18lbs is awesome. But it took 18 months. At that rate, I wouldn't hit 180 lbs until February 2011, when I'll be turning 27. But if I were to lose a pound a week (which is healthy loss) rather than a pound a month, 180lbs would be an attainable goal for the end of 2009.

So much as I appreciate slow weight loss due to its sustainability ... I KNOW I can do better than this. It's not going to be easy, and it may not be consistent, but I will keep tracking and pushing and motivating and working towards a better future for myself.

And I'm well on my way - today I got back my lab results from that visit to the doctor and in the past year, my cholesterol has dropped 41 points.

But the biggest takeaway from that appointment with my doctor are his words, when he looked me in the eye and said, "Keep doing what you're doing. Because obviously, it's working."