Since the beginning of 2022, I’ve lost fifty pounds.

It’s been a process. One I started in January. On the first of the year, as millions of others do, I weighed myself and was the heaviest I’ve ever been. That was depressing. So, I moped around for the rest of the weekend, and then on Monday the 3rd, frustrated with myself and my health, I decided it was time for a lifestyle change. I put on my shoes, went outside, and went for a walk. And I didn’t stop.

For those unfamiliar with Apple’s fitness stuff, the three rings every day are Move (Red), Exercise (Green), Stand (Blue), and the little green dot represents a recorded workout. (Workout here being almost exclusively an outdoor walk.) I allowed myself down days when my body was tired. But I kept it up—rain, shine, cold, snow, or sun. The first month’s walks were slow and short. But I gradually became more and more confident taking on new challenges (stairs and hills and lots of ’em.) By the end of June, I had walked over five hundred miles, and you can see the miles in the soles of my shoes.

I also began to count calories and track my weight regularly. I didn’t make any significant changes to my diet, but I did find myself cutting back. I kept eating what I wanted to eat as long as it fit within my daily caloric requirements. Even on “cheat” days, I counted my calories. Naturally, I gravitated to more whole foods since I could eat more of those, but I didn’t remove anything altogether—life is no fun without good food.

I faced challenges as anyone would expect. I was injured a few times, but I exercised through those and came out feeling better and stronger. Though some days were excruciating. I plateaued, which was frustrating, but I kept up my routine until the plateau broke. I fell into old habits and found myself climbing out of a hole several times, but I refocused on my goals and kept at it.

And it was successful. Fifty pounds are gone, and I feel incredible. My clothes fit better. I have loads more energy. I no longer fear hills. My overall mood has improved. My sleep has been better. I’m excited to get back into the mountains. And as a nice bonus, a lot of annoying minor health stuff has cleared up.

This wasn’t a “diet” for me. I’m not planning on returning to the same patterns I lived before this change. For me, I’ve approached this as a shift in lifestyle. Refocusing on what I wanted in life with my body and health. Every body is different, and every person has different goals and desires. What works for one might not work for another. But, I’m happy I found a routine that fits my life and has given me my hoped-for results.

I’m not planning on stopping. I still have more goals ahead. Don’t expect this to become a boring diet blog. But this was the first major milestone, and it’s good to celebrate those, and I wanted to share it with all of you.

Now, on to the next one.