A plateau

 While I have leveled off on my weight loss, it is a good place, and simply need to focus, and not blow off gains made in the past year. Here are the stats.

When I started my pre-surgery diet, I weighed 359 pounds. I, of course, am embarrassed to state that, it was beyond the morbidly obese side of the world, and as I am getting older, knees, back, and hips, were feeling the strain of my daily walks, and while working at camp.

When Camp began in 2021, I was 301.4. A loss of nearly 60 in just a little over 2 and 1/2 months. Already things were much easier for me, but would have to still be categorized as morbidly obese.

When Camp and Pow Wow finished up, I checked in at 263. Waist size had dropped significantly, and nothing fit. I could still fudge the shirts, but button shirts made me look like an old little kid trying on his dads clothes.

By October, I had lost another 30, and had to buy new shirts, and new pants, for the second time. As the weather was changing, it became ever more clear that without my layers of insulation, the cold had a much greater impact on my life. Do not misunderstand this, I loved and still love the cold, but the days of a heavier weight hoodie cutting it in winter temps were gone.

In  December I flew to Twin Falls. This was the first time that I had flown Delta since I had retired, and the first time that I was comfortable in the seats, even on the CRJ2 regional jet. Checking in at 219. No longer morbidly obese, just obese.

Now, I am on the edge of not being obese, but being, simply, overweight. At 213, things are much easier for me to do.

But having lived with myself my entire life, I still saw me as the guy at the beginning of this post. I don't see the change, because I lived it.

But for those that had not seen me since camp last summer, the remarks were consistent. We had our first Camp Geiger 2022 Staff meeting this past weekend, and what I heard was "Are you okay?" And "is that weight loss intentional?". This is the reality that really drove home that I have changed.

Even more so, is preparing for uniform ordering, I tried on one of Phillip's staff shirts, from several years ago, and XL. Not only could I put it on, but it actually comfortably fit. The same with the green venture shirt. More stats?

Beginning of Camp 2021, Polos, sized 4XL, Green shirt 3XL, Shorts 54.

End of Camp? The 3XL polos that I had ordered fit, I was wearing my green 2XL shirt, and the shorts were 48.

As of this writing, I anticipate starting camp in an XL polo and green venture shirt, and size 40 shorts.

I have already admitted to the drastic measures taken to arrive here. I would hope my life would be a warning to others. I will never, ever, fat shame someone, or look down on them for being overweight. I was there, and I appreciated that people did not shame me to my face. The surgery was the last resort, having tried: counseling, any number of diets, constant walking (3 miles a day, 6 days a week), medication, and even hypnosis. The only thing that worked was the phentermine, which a doctor can only prescribe for 6 months. It was a powerful and effective appetite suppressant. Until I ran out.

Weight loss is simple, at least on paper. Take in fewer calories than you burn. You could be a couch potato and lose weight if you follow that formula. And yes, the Weird Al song "Couch Potato" is rolling through my head as I write this. But in reality it is not that simple. An eating disorder is a real thing, and needs to be treated. The younger you are when you start the path to recovery, the easier it is. Perhaps one would not have to resort to surgery, 

Simply put, when I decided to have surgery, the options were to have surgery, or eat myself into an early grave. Please do not leave yourself those options. Seek out help. Find a doctor that can help you, and follow their guidance. Putting those pictures up clearly demonstrates to me that regardless of how I feel I am doing, that progress has been made.