Day 7

A few things to report today.

First, at poker last night, I was not offered pot, which made my decision easy. But, that being said, I was fairly certain going into it that I would turn it down anyway. I am able to take a deep breath for the first time in quite a while, without coughing, and that's a pretty good feeling.

Second, at the game last night, I chose to eat pizza with everybody rather than order a salad seperately. This effort on my part is to try and live healthier, but to also live realistically. Even though I am in a period where I want to shed pounds, I do not want to live my life out-of-bounds, and eating a single slice of pizza isn't the end of the world. By only eating one slice (instead of the three I would normally eat), and not eating the crust (because by the time I reached it I wasn't hungry), I can do my best to live life to the fullest without feeling sidelined.

Third, I am noticing some changes in my body which are making me happy. I am waking up easier, without as much pain. There's still a bit of pain in my left foot (right in the arch), but that's about it. I wake up level-headed and able to breathe. That's a great feeling. I can't honestly say that I am able to feel a difference in the size of my stomach, something that I remain overly-focused on. I think it's not hanging as much as it was a week ago, but I honestly can't tell. The one place where I can see a definite change is on my thighs. When I would sit with one leg crossed, the fat on my thigh would bunch up and sort of stick out. That hump has definitely gotten smaller. That makes me pretty happy. Don't get me wrong, there's still plenty of junk down there, but now there's a smidge less.

Fourth, I noticed on Friday that I completely forgot to drink water. And while prior to starting this I could get away with barely drinking anything in a day, but for whatever reason I felt the ramifications of not drinking. My lips felt dry, my cuticles started to crack, and I woke up thirsty. So, yesterday I did my best to drink water in the apartment, as well as drink a lot of water while at poker (instead of beer!).

So, enough of all of that. Some facts:

Day 6 food:

Spring spinach salad with shrimp, low-fat ital dressing (2 tablespoons), tomato, cucumber, feta cheese

Water

Fruit punch and iced tea (not much of either, small sips)

Slice of cheese pizza (no pepperoni! no crust!)

Water

Day 6 weight: 274 (down thirteen)

Day 6 exercise: Nothing new to report here... Need to start that!

So, looking forward to the future... I have a lunch today with my friend Rey and his mother at Bossa Nova, a Brazilian restaurant. I'm pretty sure I can find something mildly healthy to eat there. I'm not sure what it'll be yet, but stay tuned.

And tomorrow, ahh, tomorrow... I have a big day ahead of me. I'm driving to Las Vegas to have dinner there with my step-dad and little brother. I will be in the place where I have traditionally exercised every one of my vices on a startlingly regular basis. It will be a huge test, but I think I can pull it off. Wish me luck!

Thanks for reading.