The diet contest

The diet contest at work is officially over. I lost about 7 pounds. It is not a huge weight loss, by any means, but I am proud of it. I love to cook, I love food, and I love my food to taste good. So I never could have given up tasty food for nothing but Slim Fast. Instead, I watched portion sizes, tried to stay away from the bad stuff and spent much more time exercising. In the end, I really don't feel like I have changed my life all that much -- which is a good thing. If I can lose a few modest pounds, by making a few modest changes.... and keep that lifestyle going... then I may just be on the path to a healthier life, for the long term.

A few notes about the contest: As a whole the group lost a little less than 300 pounds. The winner lost a whopping 23 pounds, 17% of her total body weight. Good for her, although I wonder exactly how she did it, and if she'll be able to keep it off. That's a pretty substantial weight loss in a short amount of time. We'll see. I wish her the best. The 2nd place winner was a mom with a 4 month old child -- bravo to her to getting the baby weight off. (Can I still say I'm trying to do that? Hmmmm... ) But I am especially proud of the 4th place winner. He lost an astonishing 80 pounds. (We used the percentage of our weight lost, not total pounds.) That is truly an amazing feat -- and one that I hope will help encourage him on what will still be a long weight-loss journey. It feels a little weird that HE didn't get 1st place -- but he did well, and I think we're all very proud of him for it. Awesome!

Our boss has decided to make this an ongoing challenge. No more entry fees, just a reward at the end of the quarter, for those who have continued on the path of a healthy lifestyle. I am encouraged by this show of camaraderie and enthusiastic support, especially in an industry that can be very competitive and self-serving.

Now I look forward to spring, (today it finally felt like the season was on its way) to bike rides outside, to walks to the park, to baseball and soccer and swim team to come. The boost of losing a few pounds before the active warmer months is exciting and encouraging! Who knows... I could be buying a new wardrobe by fall! (But I'll be satisfied with the clothes fitting better and the cholesterol on its way down.)