Saturday, I get ALL of my numbers.  Although the WEIGHT may sound most important, as I keep saying: "There's a lotta game left in this contest."  This is only the FIRST of several milestones.

I've made better-than-average progress in a month, about 20 pounds lost - over 9% of my total body weight.  At the first weigh-in I wore jeans, so the "official" number may be closer to 16 or 17 pounds.  The numbers I really want to see are the ones from my assessment at the Lake County General Health District that will be taken just before the weigh-in:  body measurements and body fat percentage.  I'm already proud of my heart numbers.  My blood pressure is 107/66 and my rest pulse rate is about 60.

So far, I attribute my progress to several factors:

1) Eating breakfast 30-some days in a row WITHOUT SKIPPING ONCE.

2) Eating out only a few times. And when I did, it was Cabanas (of course), Subway, or Aladdin's Eatery.  All healthy choices.

3) NO beer (not even at bowling)

4) NO fried ANYTHING - especially chicken wings

5) Red meat only three times

6) Limited amounts of pasta and potatoes (and only eaten infrequently)

7) Sweets only ONCE (on Super Bowl Sunday - two cookies & "Death by Chocolate")

8) Adequate amounts of sleep - at least 8 hours per night

9) MAKING time to work-out.  This allows me to log ungodly amounts of miles on the treadmill.  I get that thing cranking like when George is on one at the end of the Jetson's cartoon.  (Remember, "Jane, stop this crazy thing?")  Without fail, I also MAKE myself get to 8 am Boot Camp on Saturdays (my day "off" on the treadmill).

10) The thought of reaching 55 years of age and realizing that I can (and will) erase 30 years of bad habits and get back to the physical condition I experienced in my twenties - all in 6 months.  Failure means embarrassment in the local newspaper on a monthly basis.

11) Last, but not least, a girlfriend who is completely supportive of me and on-board with my diet and exercise routine.

Now, I just need to keep this routine up!