Weight loss brag

I ordered some new kayaking gear, and I’m going to use a picture Vicki took of it as an excuse to brag.
Last year, prompted in part by a discovery that I was too fat to ride on the zip line at Whistler, B.C, I decided to get serious about weight loss. That was the wake-up call, but the motivation was the realization that if I ever wanted to get back paddling after my shoulder recovered, the only way I could make sure I didn’t re-injure it immediately like I’d done after the first surgery was to start off being lighter than I was before I injured it in the first place. So thus began the journey.

Vicki and I have done Weight Watchers before, but before it was her idea and I didn’t really care that much. This time, I had motivation, and the Weight Watchers iPhone apps make it so much easier to to charge of your own diet. And after 12 months of counting points, thinking “when I hit this milestone, I’ll reward myself with a big plate of wings” and then not “rewarding” myself (or on one occasion, “rewarding” myself and then feeling sick afterwards), I can proudly say that I’m lighter now than at any time since about second year university. The kayaking clothes pictured above are size “L”, after decades of wearing XL, 2XL or XLT. A few weeks ago I bought some jeans with 34″ waist and discovered that they’re a little loose. I was wearing a 40″ waist 12 months ago.

When I was kayak racing in 2010, I weighed 240-250 pounds. When I had that revelation in Whistler, I was 275. As of yesterday I was 208, and I’m thinking I could get down to 200 if I keep this up. I have loads of “fat clothes” that I’m hoping I’ll never have to wear again. I think Men’s Wearhouse is going to make a fortune off me.