today is exactly 6 months since i started my weight loss journey. to date, i have lost 33 pounds. at first glance that seems like i have barely moved the needle considering how far i have to go. but then i did some calculating. my weeky weight loss average is 1.25 pounds. it's on the low side of the optimal weight loss rate of 1 to 2 pounds a week, but it is still more than 1 pound per week. that is great news for me. in the past i was able to loss faster, averaging over 2 pounds a week. but here is the aha! moment. i have never managed to keep it off. i never won the battle of diet vs. lifestyle before. i tried to convince myself that whatever unbalanced diet i was following was worth the sacrifices i was making and the deprivation i was feeling. i couldn't have been more wrong.

i realize that this is the longest i have ever truly stayed committed to a weight loss regimen. sure i have gone to 100s of weight watcher meetings. yes, i have eaten enough lean cuisine and nutri system pre-packaged meals to fill my kitchen. and let's not forget the powdered drinks, diet bars and pills i have tried in my never ending quest to find the secret to weight loss success. and you know what i have finally learned? there isn't any secret. it's what common sense has told us all along; eat less, eat better and move more and you will lose weight. good old fashioned counting calories is the most consistent positive action i have taken to sustain a weight loss program and more importantly feel like i can do this for a lifetime. who knew?

i have learned a few other things during the past 6 months. some are personal and some are just so obvious i can't believe it took me this long for me to see them:

1. when one says that failure is not an option that doesn't mean you can't stumble. perfection is not a goal it is an albatross. the longer you carry the burden of trying to be perfect, the more likely it is you will fail.

2. exercise is not an option. without picking up the pace within my daily routine i wouldn't feel as good as i feel right now. exercise does not have to be overwhelming either. walking in place, while watching TV is just fine as long as you do it consistently. and sweating profusely is not the only sign of a good work out no matter what anyone says.

3. a community of like-minded people can go a long way to keep one's eye on the prize. i believe coming here almost every day for the past 6 months has kept me grounded and focused. sharing my thoughts, reacting to others' thoughts and getting to know people is one component i never would have thought necessary for weight loss. now i can't imagine my success without it.

4. water is mother nature's milk. i can't get enough of it. i barely drink anything else anymore. i am certain that 64 ounces of water every single day makes a big difference - not just for weight loss but for my general well being.

5. being realistic is so much less stressful than being unrealistic with my goals. in the beginning, i did dream of losing 100 pounds in 1 year. i thought that was a reasonable weight loss rate. but within a few months i realized that is not going to happen for me, but that it was ok! i can't imagine how much more i would have to be doing to literally double my current weight loss pace. reduce my calories another 400 or 500 a day? double my work outs? make myself miserable trying to keep up a pace that just wouldn't be sustainable or comfortable for a 53 year old woman? i am so much better off taking the turtle pace and running with it. i wouldn't still be here otherwise.

6. i always wanted to lose weight quickly in the past because i wasn't quite sure how long i could stick with whatever program i was following. i was always looking at what i was doing as something i started and then i would finish. i never quite finished and as a result i always failed. what i am doing now is not short term. it's not just a means to end but a change for a lifetime. and that change allows for a healthy balance that is sustainable for the long term.

7. The scale is not the only measurement of success. how i feel, how my clothes fit, lower blood pressure and cholesterol and the inches i am losing are all the results of a healthier lifestyle. i have learned to look for signs of success in the smallest changes because they all count. and they all add up to one great big crowning achievement. the person who is most proud of this is me!

so now i begin the next 6 months of my journey. they'll be many more poems and many more journal entries along the way. will i have more good days than bad? will my writing be funny or sad? will i write free form or structured? will i lose weight at the same pace i am now or will it change? well like any good book, you don't want to ruin the ending by reading ahead. let's just take this one day at a time and see where this goes. i am counting on a happily ever after though. aren't you?