Weight Loss

In 2005, I was felled by three gallstones the size of ping-pong balls and spent an agonizing night in the emergency room. Three weeks later, I had the offending stones and organ removed in what I was assured was a fairly standard procedure, and had no apparent complications.

But in the year and a half that followed, I gained more than 60 pounds.

This year, I commenced what can only be described as a lifestyle overhaul. Inspired by two friends of mine who lost more than 50 pounds each with a similar commitment a year or so ago, I realized that what was holding me back was the same problem I’d had in trying to quit smoking in 2001 and 2004. It’s not enough to change your eating habits; you have to rewire yourself both in how you approach food and how you approach exercise. While I’m following the Weight Watchers program online for structure (it has very robust online tools), I credit much of my success to date to the Method series of Jennifer Kries and my move out to the northern Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, where it’s possible for me to be more active than in the Northern Virginia suburbs of D.C.

Each Friday, I weigh in. My goal is to lose 68 pounds total and return to the weight I was in 2004, when I was active and healthy, dancing regularly and engaging in more strenuous forms of the outdoor activities I enjoy, such as rock climbing. Kries’ program combines yoga, dance and pilates, and between that and a renewed interest in nutrition, I’m starting to see some results.