100

Okay, fast forward four and a half months . . .

I am officially one hundred pounds overweight. One hundred pounds. I can't even imagine lifting one hundred additional pounds, and yet my body does it every day.

I have gained about thirty pounds in the past eight months. The transition from spending most of my working life standing and moving to sitting at a computer all day has been a tough one. I also got into the bad habit of snacking in my car. I would go to the gas station and buy a bag of Cheetos cheese puffs and just nosh on them. How gross it that?

I joined Curves in September but then right after that I got my dog. At first I just wanted to spend time with her and I resented anything that pulled me away from her. Then I made excuses that walking her was getting me exercise, when in fact I was just shlumping my way around the neighborhood without any real physical exertion.

Now, though, I feel more in the mindset to stay focused. I have made a few steps toward losing weight and plan to make more. For example, yesterday I bought some knitting needles and some yarn. What? you might ask. What does knitting have to do with losing weight?

Well, a few years ago I had some success with weight loss and knitting really helped. You see, your hands are totally engaged so putting food in your mouth becomes impossible. I eat for a number of reasons including 1) boredom, 2)loneliness, 3)yearning for a creative sensory experience like preparing, chewing, and swallowing a meal.