It is done! I met my New Year's resolution, made on January 1, 2012, to get my weight down to 170 lbs by the end of the year. Today, at approximately 12:30pm, I had a formal weigh-in at my parents' house, using the very same scale that I used on January 1, 2012.
Both my mother and my father were present to witness and confirm my scale reading.
Not only did I meet my goal, but I actually exceeded it by 1 lb, weighing in at a svelt 169 lbs!!!!!
Although I did weigh in after a rigorous workout, it wasn't immediately after; and I spent about 3 hours following the workout during which I rehydrated. Also, when I weighed in, I had on a long sleeve shirt, shorts, and socks. So, I can honestly say that my 169 lb weigh-in was a pretty good, accurate measure of my functional, equilibrated weight.
Thus, I declare my triumph. My goal is reached and I am free from the bonds of my resolution to make a $120 contribution to either SarahPac, David Vitter's re-election campaign, or the RNC. However, what I have decided to do to commemorate my success is to pledge that $120 to another charity of my choice, one whose vision and mission I enthusiastically support. I haven't quite decided on which charitable cause yet, but I will do so over the next month or so.
So, to give you a sense of my real progress over the year, and to show actually how the transformation manifested itself across my entire body (and even though it's a bit embarrassing), I will deliver, as promised, a series of full body photos from January 1, 2012, along with the regular head shot from that date that I have been posting over the months, and also a series of full body shots from today, November 21, 2012, along with a head shot from today as well. Fair warning: the full body shots are taken with me in a pair of red biking shorts (stretch shorts and tight-fitting), with nothing else on -- no shirt, no socks, no watches or other body adornments.
Here are the full body shots from today, the date of my triumph, followed by today's head shot. The full body shots are (1) full front, (2) full left side profile, (3) full back, (4) full right side profile:
Now compare this visual evidence with my full body shots followed by my head shot from January 1, 2012. The full body shots, taken with the same red & white bike shorts, in just about in exactly the same way, follow the same pattern: (1) full front, (2) full left side profile, (3) full back, (4) full right side profile:
I am actually embarrassed by these latter photos. It's partly because I was pretty disgusted with myself at the time and was physically feeling gross, bloated, heavy, tired, and generally unhealthy, that I made the resolution in the first place. But the transformation over the year is quite transparent, and I hope this visual evidence clearly demonstrates that, when I declare my weight to be below 170 lbs, there is no question about the veracity of the claim.
It has been a long, hard struggle. Why it has been so much of a challenge is that I am really, at core, a true hedonist -- a "live-to-eat" person whose motto when it comes to physical exertion has been "no pain ... no pain." But knowing that my habits were unhealthy and unsustainable, I had to make this resolution with such a bitter consequence if I were to fail, just in order to motivate me to succeed.
And succeed I did. But I have to say that I do actually enjoy feeling healthy and nimble. I have to say that I am pleased that I tend to no longer have a gluttonous disposition in my eating tendencies (my stomach just can't handle as much as it used to). And I have to say that I like the way my body feels after a good exercise routine (even if I don't really enjoy the exercise itself so much). And I have to say that I like the fact that I am much more conscious of the kinds of foods, and the amounts of it, that I put into my body over the course of a day.
After I had my weigh-in today, I celebrated by taking my parents out for lunch! I had a club sandwich and a bowl of fruit. It was delectable! And now I can enjoy the Thanksgiving feast tomorrow, and especially that Turkey I'm planning to deep fry, along with some yummy oyster dressing!
Then, come Friday, it's back to the gym to keep with my exercise routine and get back to healthy living, but in such a way that I can enjoy those infrequent occasions when I can eat a slice of pepperoni pizza without regret and without the impending sense that doing so may cost me to suffer unsavory consequences.