9 Round and other musings

First I want to highlight the impact starting 9Round has made on my journey.  My overall health is greatly improved and I've been going now for just over 3 months.  From a statistical stand point it's a very clear success.  From May 14th, when my bathroom scale starting giving me something other than E, through Nov 13th my average weekly weight loss was 1.33 lbs.  From Nov 13 to to Feb 28 my weekly weight loss average jumped to 1.60 lbs.  That is an increase of 20%.  My average monthly weight loss jumped from 3 lbs to 8 lbs. From Jan 1 to Nov 13 I had lost 59 lbs, from Nov 13 to Feb 28 I've lost  28 lbs. 1/2 the weight in 3 months that I lost in the previous 11!!! You can also see this jump visually in the charts I'm using to track my journey in excel.

Random Musings:

• I've said it before, but I'll mention it again.  It is so refreshing and encouraging to fit in chairs.  I was recently at a meeting at a local school with auditorium seating.  It was nice to not be uncomfortable in that meeting or the latest all hands meeting at work where I used to consider the chairs torture devices.
• Spring has come early here in Caroline and we broke out the bicycles over Presidents day.  I was amazed how I was able to ride for 20 - 30 minutes at a time without feeling like I might need a ventilator later.  Also I wasn't dreadfully sore the next day.  (I attribute this to 9Round and building up my core.)
• Anecdotally I can say the amount of weight you need to lose for random folks  to start noticing is right around the 85 lb mark.  I hit that a week or so ago and I've had several folks since then say, have you lost weight?  Are you doing anything in particular?
• I bought a pair of dress slacks with a 48 waist at goodwill last week.  I've not bought a pair of dress slacks with that size waist ever, well maybe my mom did when I was in HS or grade school.  For those keeping score at home I was wearing a size 60 last year.  So that is an entire foot of waist gone.  Granted they are snug, but then again so were some of my old dress slacks at one point.
• Complete first great problem to have complaint, I'm struggling to get notches in my belt broke in good before I need to go to the next notch.  I found some belts on clearance in the winter and have already drilled out 4 extra holes in them.  I'm on the 2nd extra hole.  I have another belt I got right before my first son was born 11 years ago, that never really fit well.  I'm now on the last notch of that belt.
• As I get further into this, I'm mindful of this post about an article I ready a few months ago that I considered a kick in the nuts.  I don't want to take any short cuts to jump start my weight loss, because I want to be sure it stays off.  Even if it means I don't lose another pound but just continue to get into better shape.  What I don't want to do is start anything that I can't commit to long term.  This journey started by committing to long term life style changes more than 'dieting' or doing a 'cleanse' or any other short term project.

Next committed update: 3/16