I've kept off 23 pounds since I changed my eating habits this Summer. It feels pretty good, but I desperately wish I could make progress more quickly. I know I'm overcoming 28 years of eating too much and being generally sedentary... and I know that I don't want to lose more than 2 pounds a week. So all I can really do is suck it up and keep counting those calories.

I'm almost done with the introductory level of exercises with the program I've been following; I'll be doing the "lifetime ladder" by the end of September. I feel really fit, and I can do all sorts of things with the muscle and cardio strength I've built. I'm thinking about going on some hikes and joining a gym (for weight training) in the next month or two. I've got to pick up a good pair of hiking shoes, and then I'll start hitting the trails at Tower Hill every week or two.