Success!

I did it.  It was a long, hard slog, but I’ve finally gotten down to my target weight.

Actually, the first 35 pounds wasn’t all that difficult.  I started this last January at 240 pounds, setting my target at 200.  The first 12 pounds went in the first two weeks, and then it was a pound here, two pounds there, with slippages around holidays.  The problem was the plateau: I hovered between 204 and 206 for over 5 months, and although I never went back up above 206, I could never break 201, either.

There are a number of reasons for this.  We’re on the South Beach Diet, and while Monika has been pretty strict about it, I haven’t been.  For example, the holidays that I mentioned above means that we both gorge on whatever we normally would on the holiday, with little restraint.  Those times have set me back as much as 4 pounds per event.  When we go overseas, we don’t watch what we eat (although, we tend to walk more, so that’s nearly always a break-even for me – I think I need to vacation more).  And I have long-standing, recurring lunch with a friend on Friday, which ritualistically consists of a burger and beer (I give a nod to the diet by eschewing the fries for a salad, which I never eat anyway).  Except at the start, I don’t eat the menus for lunch.  I eyeball it and stay low on the carbs.  And breakfasts are fudge-able, as far as the fat content goes.  I’m sure that the single-malts on the weekend haven’t helped.

The lesson here is that if one sticks to the diet, one can lose weight pretty fast.  Monika got down to her target weight (-35 lbs) within four months, and neither of us have changed our exercise habits significantly (she’s always worked out; I, never).  I also know that I can keep my weight to within this range by watching what I eat, and still allow myself scotch, and the occasionally beer and burger.

I claim this diet a success.  Now, bring on the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays!