I'm losing weight.

Recently, I've been making a real attempt to be healthier. Not one of those 'new year's resolutions' type attempts, but something more substantive.  I had my first weigh in on November 17.  Between then and March 2nd: 

• My weight has gone from 178.5 pounds to 163.0.
• My cholesterol has gone from 252 to 149.
• I'm no longer tired all the time.
• It's not as hard to get out of bed any more.

Someone asked if I was using any particular method for all this. I wouldn't call it a method, just a couple basic rules I try to follow.  These rules are flexible, and vary a bit, since life is flexible and varies a bit. But this seems to be what is working for me, so here you go.

Food: 

Two basic rules here: 1. Eat less.  2. Don't eat crap.

I didn't really realize how much I was eating until I started keeping track of it.  Also, I noticed that I would eat less when I would prepare my own lunches, than when I would get something out and about. For me, preparing food ahead of time is key. I picked up a little set of plastic containers from IKEA for making my lunches the day before. Luckily, Karen does a good job of making tasty, nutritious food, so I'm never at a loss for lunch the next day. 

Liquid-wise, I was already pretty much ahead of the curve. I drink mostly tea, juice, and water. However, I've added a few items to that list, specifically prune and acai juice, for added nutritional punch. 

The hardest part of the food struggle for me is the mental one. I was raised in an Italian kitchen. Clear your plate. Get praised for eating large amounts of food. With that, plus the dopamine rush I get from consuming lots of food, I didn't stand a chance.  Knowing that going into a meal helps.  I'm aware that my body and mind want me to eat and eat and eat, and I can mentally coose to short-circuit that cycle. Habits are another thing, too. I noticed that after we tucked in my daughter the other night, the first place I walked to was the pantry.  I thought, "wait... what am I doing here? What did I come over here for?" Then I realized that this was another habit I was on the verge of breaking. Waking away felt good.

Exercise:

I try hard to exercise at least 6 days a week. Sometimes I make it, sometimes I don't. I've done a lot of different things to exercise, but probably the things I'm best at are Tai Chi and weight training. 

The Tai Chi is Yang Style, from the William C. C. Chen school.  I don't attend the classes any more, but I still do the form, just to keep it up. I do this a few times a week, mostly as a cool-down for the weight training routine.

For the weight training, which I do daily, you can see what I'm doing right now, here: http://www.fitocracy.com/view_workout/4958854/.  I also added some planks as well.  I get up in the morning and do this, since I'd prefer my evenings free. I'm an early riser anyway, so it's not a big deal. I like Fitocracy for the 'game' element of it, since I'm a gamer in my spare time.

That and finally, the virtual "high-fives" I get from all of you are the real thing that keeps me going. I mean it when I say I couldn't have done it without the encouragement of my friends and family. So thanks to you all. 

-David.