Six months

Today is a special day. Six months ago, I plucked up the courage and walked through the door of my local Weight Watchers. Shortly thereafter I picked up the March/April issue of the Weight Watchers magazine. In the issue was an article about how to make changes stick. I read it, and re-read it, and never forgot one of the "secrets" the article revealed: patience.

It said the average amount of time people would stick with something before going back to their previous habits was 3 to 6 months. But, after 6 months, they were more apt to stick with it. I did as the article suggested and promised to myself that I'd make it to 6 months.

I kept that promise and today I hardly recognize myself. I feel fitter, I look better, and I'm prouder. It was a hard promise to keep and I often had my doubts, but it got easier and more of a habit as time went on. Which is what, I suppose, the article was saying. Stick with it long enough and you'll do it by rote.

Though I was going to post a generic inspirational image to mark this day, I thought it more fitting to post another set of progress pics to illustrated just how far 6 months can take you. Here's to another six months. I've stuck to it until now, and I'll stick to it through to goal.

Left: Christmas 2006, 204 lbs
Right: August 2007, 173 lbs
(and yes, that's a Wii controller in my hand)