Eyeing 299

Some years ago when I crossed the threshold from 400 lbs. over to 399 lbs. it held some psychological significance. It was mental shift from extreme shame onto the road to a better life.  It may seem silly to think that the mere one-pound movement from a four to a three is monumental, but it's symbolic of a victory.  We need to find a way to celebrate our victories and make them something to strive toward.  Achievement should equal reward.  Just not the kind that results in a 2,000-calorie meal and a hangover. 


Ten years later, I once again find myself on the precipice of being in the 200s.  This is of supreme importance to me.  While crossing over from 400 was an escape from extreme shame, moving from 300 into the 200s is a giant step into the land of normalcy.  Being over 300 lbs. carries a stigma that has weight all its own.  It's a badge of dishonor that says you hold little value in yourself.  I am aware that all this emphasis is imposed by, perhaps, my views alone, but it is how I feel about myself.  And that is what I write about, right?  I am thinking more and more about being a man in the same neighborhood as many other men I consider 'normal.'  An invisible cloak will be shed from my psyche.  I'll walk a bit taller and, as I have previously stated, I will never go back.  No, I am not jinxing myself.  I don't buy into such things.  I recall saying to my mother on the day that I hit 299 back in early 2003 that I would never be over 300 again, but my head is in a different place right now.  I WILL NEVER GO BACK.


One final note on this topic.  America is one of, if not the heaviest nations on earth.  I am well aware that the normalcy I speak of is not a healthy place to be.  The average male in the U.S. as of 2010 is 195.3 lbs.  I'll rejoice for different reasons once I cross over to 199, but for now I reach toward my own piece of mind that is found at mile marker 299.


Look for my guest blogger, Ms. H, tomorrow night.  I'll check in on Thursday from a Boise hotel room.


Cya then,
M


What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Fresh fruit salad w/toasted almonds
Lunch ~ A Panera smoked turkey sandwich
Dinner ~ A HUGE salad w/far too many ingredients to mention, but did include some rotissserie chicken breast and avocado
Exercise ~ A beautiful night to walk foster dog Fay.  Another 35 minute walk in the neighborhood.