2 months.

Two months ago I read an article about a Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman who had laparoscopic gastric band surgery to lose weight, and dropped approximately 100 pounds.  Two months ago I decided enough was enough, that I need not always look the way I do, and I would do something about it.  Two months ago, I rejected an obese lifestyle, and an obese me.  Two months ago, I chose health.  I chose life.

And look where it got me.

I sit here today, in new clothes, that would have never fit me.  I notice my face, my chest, my waist have all shrunken enough that I notice it.  Clothing I had grown out of, not fits me again.

I eat heartily.  Probably more than I did before.  But I treat unhealthy food like I am allergic to it, or that it is like a form of poison.  I avoid it at almost all costs.

I realize that everyday, despite any transgressions from the night before, that I once again have a choice every morning to choose health.  This used to be a tremendous burden, and it has turned into a blessing over time.  No slip up is continuous.  It is fleeting, and I can immediately get back on the ride towards 210 pounds of total weight.

My belly, once constantly distended, is now much more "jiggly".  This is because of my losing inches, and less stress being placed on the muscles and fascia there. 

I have a supportive group of friends in both music and life that embrace my decisions, and support them through their words, actions, and meal choices.

Food is no longer something I obsess over for enjoyment.  It is a tool I use to get things done.  Like sneakers, like a laptop, etc.  I enjoy it just like I enjoy those other things, but it does not own me.

I buy groceries all the time now, and eat fresh fruit and vegetables every single day.  This was a rarity for me in the past.

My digestive tract has improved immensely.  Gone are the horrible constipations, painful bowel movements, and "runs".  Gone is the heartburn, the horrible stinging burps, the stomach cramps.  Gone is the churning of my insides after a high-fat meal, as it attempts to move things out of my body as soon as possible.  So gone, all these things, that until I thought about them just now, I realized they hadn't been there for ages.

All this is possible because of knowledge.  Knowing exactly what goes in, always, and never distorting or lying about it, even if it makes you look bad.  A chicken wing, or pizza, is always a chicken wing, or a pizza, and as guilty as I feel entering it into my food diary, I am always so thankful I did.  I will look back, and cringe at it, and remind myself how fleeting that moment was.  I will remind myself that I work too hard to try to derail this train.

This has been the most important revelation: when I feel hungry, it usually means I'm thirsty.  So I drink water or some other non-calorie drink to help satisfy that urge.  Usually, it's then gone.

Every morning, I eat yogurt with a nice helping of honey, and apple, and a banana: 360 calories.  I'm full until around 1pm, and if I'm still hungry, it usually means I'm thirsty, so I have some unsweetened hot Earl Grey tea.

For lunch, I have a variety of foods, but a solid staple has been a 6-inch Subway Club sandwich on wheat bread, with swiss cheese, sweet peppers, salt, pepper, oregano, and lite mayonnaise.  Then a bag of Baked Lay's potato chips: 520 calories.

That usually leaves me with about 700 calories for the rest of the day, which usually goes in the form of 500 for dinner, and 200 for a snack.  I'm then right there at 1600.

My body still has a way to go, and I'm still not thrilled with how I look.  But I'm only 200 days or so away from being where I want to be.  That's refreshing.  Only 3 more 2-month stretches like this one.