A Long Way

I was just looking at my "Portraits of Self" photo album on my Facebook page. The first photo in the album is my mug shot from my first year working with College Hockey America in 2003. It's followed by one from 2006 and another in 2007.

In those years I weighed anywhere from 350-380. The other day, I got on the scale and it read 267 and that was fully clothed and at the end of the day. In reality, when I look at the last picture in that album, which was taken today, I realize how far I've come.

It's not been easy, when I think about it, but I really didn't think much about it along the way. However, 380 pounds, which was only two years ago, seems like a long time ago.

I'm proud of what I've done and how I've done it. I haven't used any programs, any fad diets, I've done it on my own, through hard work and will power. I'm not always good, as a friend of mine pointed out recently (and that friend wasn't being mean, that friend was showing what I believe was a genuine concern), but, in the sum, I've been pretty good. Maybe not great, but good.

I've put effort into it by working out more over the last eight months. It felt good when my baseball players not only encouraged me, but some would often come out to run with me. Most made sure I knew that they were impressed to see me doing what I was doing and, if inspiring others is part of what I'm doing, then so much the better.

I also look at how far I've come, personally, in the last year, 10 months really. That same friend who questioned my some of my choices and habits, has changed me a great deal. In a few ways, in ways I'm not sure if I like. In a lot of ways, I've been changed for the better. I try to think about things more begore I say or do something. I wrote in an earlier blog about how this, at times, handicaps me. However, I think it's been good for my temper because I do stop before taking action, which in some cases may be ill-advised.

I've come a long way in a short time. I'm still not where I need to go but I'm on a journey. What's a the end of that journey remains to be seen but, so far, the trip has been good and will, hopefully, get better.