Matt's Weight Loss Odyssey: Part 6 (Redemption)

After hearing the news that I was closer to 400 pounds than I had ever been, I didn't waste anytime. The doctor had managed to put the fear of an early grave in me.

At the behest of another very good friend (word up, Lena!), I started keeping track of everything I ate, my sleep schedule and my exercise habits on a form downloaded from Flylady.net.

Before I go any further, let me just endorse the idea of writing down everything you eat. Every time I think about cheating a little bit, just thinking about having to write it down and hold yourself accountable is enough to make me back away from the food.

So on the first day after finding out the news, I had a bowl of Special K for breakfast, some Sun Chips for a snack, some Caesar salad, cheese and crackers for lunch, my Mom's chocolate chip cookies for an afternoon snack, a chicken breast, couscous and salad for dinner and cookies and Sun Chips for dinner. With no exercise.

Not the best way to start a lifestyle change.

By the way ... IT'S NOT A DIET. IT NEVER HAS BEEN A DIET. AND IT NEVER WILL BE A DIET.

Diets, you can go on and off of. Either you or someone you know has almost surely at some point gone on a diet. And they've almost as surely gone off the diet. It's easy to do. But a lifestyle change? There's no turning back once you commit yourself to something as serious and permanent-sounding.

Don't worry - the second day was much better. I had Special K for breakfast, a ham sandwich with Baked Lays and water for lunch and a snazzy little psuedo-Meixcan pizza dish for dinner. Oh yeah, and I got acquainted with the elliptical at my employer's gym.

For the next six weeks, I worked out three times a week, every week. I spent 35 or so minutes on the elliptical machine and another half hour playing basketball. I stopped snacking. I drank water almost exclusively.

It's all about committing so much of myself to this one thing ... it has been the only thing in my entire life I've completely thrown myself into (besides the school newspaper). And I think, for people who want to lose weight - who really want to push themselves - that's what it takes.

But after two weeks, I had lost four pounds. After a month, I lost 10 pounds.

Then in mid-December, I left Fred Meyer and found my true calling: working for the local newspaper. Gone was the cheap gym membership, quick and healthy cafeteria lunch options and the routine I'd become used to over the previous six weeks.

It was time to adapt.

To be continued ...