This week I’m down 1.6, which means I’m down 24.2 pounds for the year, maintaining my average of two pounds per month. I’m content with that; I think I’ve traded some precision in tracking for slower pace of loss and increased ease of mind. I’m content with that. Progress is more important than pace for me right now.

Looking back on 2021? I think the most important thing is that I didn’t deprive myself this year to hit a number of any kind. (Okay, I didn’t have fried food for four days before my annual blood work.) There were weeks with gains of five pounds, and a week with a gain of eight pounds. I can look back at those weeks and say I could have done a lot worse under the circumstances, and I’m content that I didn’t deprive myself. Depriving myself is one of the worst things I can do for my long term efforts. I think I did a better job of deciding when to say yes to things I wanted that aren’t on any ideal plan while saying no when I had no available to spend.

I’ve ended the year eighteen pounds from goal, and I’m sitting here typing this with 50% of what I’m wearing being clothes I wore at goal. By summer, I expect that to be 100%, even though I don’t expect to be back at goal by then.

I’d be happier if the pandemic was over, and if I hadn’t lost friends to the disease. It’s spared my immediate family and closest friends so far, and I’m grateful for that. Here’s hoping, as John Lynch said at his Hall of Fame induction, that this is the year we can focus on the values we share rather than the things the divide us.

Happy New Year to all. 😊

With family staying at our house for 10 days, I completely lost my routine. Then combine that with eating out and Christmas treats and I was up 6.8. So, overall for this year, down 38 lbs. Should be able to drop this Christmas weight pretty easily.