Weight Loss is Laced With Little Moments

To step on the scale and see that you have lost nearly 60 pounds in 7 ½ weeks is a big moment for anyone trying to lose weight. Since my surgery I’ve had several big moments but they don’t happen every day.

The thing that really encourages me is the continuous parade of “little moments” that collectively motivates me to keep working at what I need to do to get closer to my goal.

I’m talking about being able to walk twice around the contoured ½ mile road through our cemetery without stopping to rest on the bench halfway around.

Walking up the stairs to get to the call center where I work and not be out of breath. Being able to walk with someone to the break room and be able to carry on a conversation without gasping for air.

Finding one of my favorite T-shirts in the back of my closet and discovering that I can wear it for the first time in 3 years.

But the best “little moment” I had this week was when I bought a new pair of walking shoes. For years (so long I can’t remember) I’ve had to buy sneakers with Velcro on them because I couldn’t bend over to tighten or tie laces. This time I decided that I would try to buy a pair with laces.

I was a little apprehensive when looking for just the right pair but I finally found one that laced partially up the ankle. I need the support. In the very public forum of the store called “The Shoe Carnival” I began what I feared would be a contortionist act of trying to tie shoes on my feet for the first time in a long time.

Much to my surprise I was able to get them tight and secure with little or no difficulty. It was a big little moment for me. I was so proud to take those shoes with laces to the front counter and pay for them. No one in the store other than my wife, who was with me, had the slightest idea that this pair of New Balance walking shoes was different from any other pair I had purchased in at least 10 years.

The next day I got those shoes out of the box, laced them up and took my dogs for a walk. The shoes gripped my feet so comfortably that, as I mentioned before, I was able to make it all the way around the cemetery, twice, without stopping.

So there you have just the latest of the many differences losing weight and getting back into shape (at least better shape than I was) is making in my life.

I thank God that He has sent me these little encouragements and continues to give me the strength to improve my health so I can do what I need to do for Him.