T Minus 10 Days

171 days ago I started this challenge posed by Heather -- this vegan quest to change my life, and my diet, coupled with Dr. Fuhrman's lifestyle diet plan. My goal was to engage in a radical new change in the way I live to lose a significant amount of weight, and get healthier. Return to my athletic roots so to speak.


I viewed this challenge back in October by stating, "Simply put, if I was going to lose the weight, and keep it off I had to do something drastic. I had to push all my chips to the center of the poker table. I had to be 'all in.' My goal, besides healthier cholesterol, liver, blood pressure, etc., is to get back down to what I weighed my senior year in college. That means my goal is to lose 75 lbs."

Along this journey I have learned so much about myself, and about food and health. I can walk away now a much smarter and better person. But now is not over. I have 10 days left. There are 10 seconds left on the clock. There are 10 yards left for a touchdown. There are 10 feet left in this horse race. How will I finish up? How will I end?

The bigger story is what these past 6 months meant to me, and how the first few weeks off this diet will be like since this has all been a set-up for how I will live for the rest of my life.

But we are looking at the last 10 days of this quest, and I will be sprinting to the end. I will make my ultimate goal weight in the coming weeks, guaranteed, but how will I end up on April 30th? How strong will I finish?

After a typical day I hit the gym after work even though I was still sore from my work out the day before. I want to go to the gym everyday for the next 10. I rode the bike for 10 minutes at a higher level, then I jumped on an elliptical machine that allows full range of motion to simulate running through tires on the football field. I did that for high intensity for 10 minutes and then jumped on a treadmill walking briskly on a very steep incline for 20 minutes. It was a great 40 minute cardio workout and my shirt was drenched in sweat.

For dinner, I was not paying attention and walked a few blocks passed Chopt where I was going to get a large salad. Standing in front of my apartment, and knowing all I had left was some broccoli , I went across the street to PJ Clarke's to get one of their Third Ave. salads which are quite delicious - except for too much oil. I also ordered some steamed spinach. Chatted with a nice woman from Ireland who was happily waiting out her flight delay in one of the best bars in the greatest city in the world.

I made a smoothie back at home (sans greens...but I'm going to do it soon), with strawberries, banana, and flaxseed, and some soy milk.

Not hungry, feeling satiated, and tired from the gym.

I am attacking these last 10 days with a good wind at my back!

Lastly, welcome to new readers from Malaysia and South Africa!