20 weeks ago

Today I am in pain and am very exhausted. The reason for this is almost the same as it was 20 weeks ago, yet the actual feeling is quite different.

While 'serious weightloss' and 'life change' really only came about 2 1/2 weeks ago, the preperation has been long coming. Over 2 years ago I discovered 'Mio' water flavors and slowly started cutting out soda and sweet tea. Over the last 2 years the wife and I started finding 'healthy' recipes that we actually enjoyed but were still good for us. We would try them out about once a month so now we have a small arsenal to go to when we have a real old fashioned 'craving'.

Still, 20 weeks ago I couldn't do much. I don't know how much I weighed, honestly. I thought I was around 500 but I know now, since I know I've lost SOMETHING in that time, that it could have been 550 or more.

Walking hurt, heck, everything hurt. I couldn't do anything I actually wanted to and 'just get out and walk' was not the answer since I knew 2 things, I couldn't walk far enough to make a real difference and I wouldn't stick with it. (Walking is boring... yep...)

So, I had to find something I COULD do, that I would not only enjoy but really WANT to do, even if I was sweating profusely in front of other people. The answer was something I had grown up doing yet hadn't done since I was 14, bowling.

Long story short I joined a 10 week long Monday night bowling league for the first part of the summer. It wasn't sanctioned and was just a 'fun' league to help the bowling alley make up some money waiting for fall leagues to start again.

For at least the first 5 weeks I came home in EXTREME pain. I am talking can't sleep because I'm too busy going OWWW MY LEGS! And yes, I sweat profusely. I went through a bottle of 'Bio-Freeze' roll-on in the first 3 weeks and another in just a month after that, not to mention the pain pills.

As the 10 weeks ended a new one started right after, another 10 week league on Monday nights though now my wife joined us. Pain was still a huge issue and I had gotten a system down. AFter the first game I would take a couple of pain pills. After the second game I would take some more. Then liberally apply the bio-freeze at home. It did help, some.

You see, in the first 10 weeks, I missed almost that many days at work either Tuesday or Wednesday. Either in too much pain to move or on too many pain pills I was getting sick. Luckily I had an understanding job but still I was afraid of losing it for something so stupid.

So after 2 1/2 weeks being serious about our life change and 20 weeks bowling I don't know how much weight I've lost. I know I was 513 when starting the calorie counting so if I've lost at the rate MFP and I think, I will have lost 10-15 pounds so far. I bowled last night and I hurt today, but not because I bowled last night rather because I bowled both last night AND sunday. The misses and I are going to take up two nights a week now (Sundays and Wednesdays) and there was some overlap so we are bowling 3 times this week only. The league that kicked off my new life is ending.

Its weird to think back to 20 weeks ago and realize how much LESS pain I'm in now than I was even though I bowled twice as much. 20 weeks ago I knew I had to do SOMETHING to make a change. I had to 'act' like I was already thinner and do something slightly outside my physical ability. Today, I know it was just another small step in what is going to be a great year and an amazing set of experiences to come.

Here's to all our small steps adding up to great things.