I dropped a half gallon of milk.
Not literally, but figuratively. Literally figuratively.
They say a gallon of milk weighs eight pounds and so with my new plan solidly in place I dropped my first five pounds like a brick.
I’d like to say it wasn’t hard. It just took a little will power and, shazam, like magic the weight came right off.
But this would be a lie.
It was hard and annoying. I needed to change my eating habits and my exercise habits.
And over the last three weeks there has been a bag of open cookies on my co-workers, desk directly behind me.
Calling me.
Taunting me.
I mean, come on. How bad could one cookie be.
But as I am fully aware, just like an addiction to nicotine, Fender guitars, or camera bags, it is indeed a slippery slope.
Slippery like a chocolate malt from the Quick Way.
Anyway, I dropped the first five pounds by doing two very specific things.
First, I turned left instead of right.
I commute by bike and in the past I would leave work, turn right and do the short ride to the ferry for the trip home. Always telling myself I would drop my pack at home, pull on my kit and get out for a bike ride. My success rate was about 50 percent. Partly because there was inevitably something urgent needing to be done at home and partly because, by nature, I am a lazy SOB.
So now, instead of turning right, I turn left. I start my ride straight from the office door, whether I am in kit or commuting clothes, whether I really “want” to or not, I have committed to the post-work romp at least three days a week.
And it has worked wonders. Even though we have been experiencing crappy and cold conditions I am having a blast.
I have taken advantage of my Garmin 1000 computer and Strava to download/upload routes around San Francisco I have never ridden before.
It turns out I need to go and if I find any reason, no matter how insignificant, it can derail my best laid plans and my motivation.
So, now I turn left.
Secondly, I have taken a good solid look at everything I am putting in my body and consciously made the decision to look at it as fuel.
The hardest part, as I have stated previously, has been the baked goods. Walking past my neighborhood bakery and not popping in for a blueberry muffin has just about killed me on several occasions. Especially when I am tired and I am, it seems, tired a lot.
I’ve also switched from lattes to espressos, the hardest part of which is not constantly having my cup in my hand. I found the same thing to be true years ago when I quit smoking. Even though my body missed the nicotine, it was my mind not having the actual activity of smoking which drove me bonkers.
Which leads me to my final realization as I continue down this path. And this seems weird event to me. But having dropped the first five pounds has made me feel fatter and less “in-shape” than I have in years. I guess it could be partly the fact I realize I have carrying around so much extra weight for so long, or it could just be paying so much attention to these two things has made me hyper-aware, but whatever it is it not something I wish to celebrate, just yet.
Unless the celebration includes a pint of Ben&Jerry’s Chunky Monkey?
Anyway, I’m off to try and drop another half gallon of milk.
Wish me luck.