The Journey--Obstacles at the Outset

It is often said that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Sometimes, especially when looking up a particularly steep hill or down a terrifying cliff face, that first step can be the most difficult.  I have discovered that to be very true this past week for me.

As I begin this journey, there are some initial things that need to happen before I can really get rolling. Some have already been taken care of, others are still pending.
First, I had to find a scale that could handle my girth. After a humbling (and sometimes embarrassing) search, I was able to find an old friend from a past job who had a scale in the mail room. She walked me over there and I stepped on.  So we now have a starting weight. (Watch for the updates if I can ever figure out how to put a tracker widget into this blog--any thoughts?).

The scale showed an heart-wrenching weight...486 lbs. It's even hard for me to write that, but I know that coming to terms with it and being able to "verbalize" it is a big step in the process. So that's it, for all the world (or all 3 followers on this blog at least) to see. Four hundred eighty-six pounds is the starting weight.

As I was standing there an intimidating reality hit: if I were to regularly keep track of my weight loss I would need to repeat that process of the mail room scale at least once a week. UGH! A necessary "evil" but a very unpleasant (in terms of my fragile ego) one.

Item 1: Find a scale and get a starting weight.  Check. Mischief Managed. :)

The next thing that had to happen was a stress test. I have a family history of heart problems and due to some weird sensations going on in the northern hemisphere of my ample abdomen, the doctor (fabulous Dr. Ben Nordby, by the way!!) suggested I get a stress test. It sounded simple enough, I'd done one before (a rather amusing story if you want to hear it sometime) and so I was relatively familiar with the process. Or so I thought.

The wheels were set in motion. I left the Dr.'s office and almost immediately got a call from a lady at the hospital wanting to set up my test. But, first she needed my exact weight. Which led me back around to the first item on this list and spurred my zeal to find a scale. I weighed and reported back to her.  Then she told me that the test would only be covered about 80% so I'd still owe over $1000, something I don't have right at the moment due to some unforeseen circumstances.  After a long conversation that was another blow to the ego (it's hard to admit that you can't afford a medical procedure) and a conversation with the Dr, we determined that we'd push the stress test out a bit until I could round up the $$.

Item 2: Stress Test. Process started, stalled, and put on hold.

The third item I needed to take care of was to find some workout clothing. I have shorts and T-shirts and shoes. That's not the issue. The issue is my legs. Due to a number of medical issues with my legs over the past couple years, I am scarred, bandaged, wrapped, and braced. Certainly not anything I want to show off. I'm not a real vain person, but I have my limits. So I determined I needed to come up with some sweats that I could wear for workout.  I have some, but they don't fit well, they are extremely hot (they're that shiny nylon plastic-like material over a fleece-typed material) and they tend to slide downward if I'm not holding them up.  They could work in a pinch, but it would be a bit awkward.  I still am in the process of rounding up some sweats I can use for the gym, but I haven't purchased any yet.

Item 3: Workout clothes. Pending

Ok, that's pretty much it for today. Starting this journey is much harder than I thought it would be. I have gotten some nice comments from friends and family showing their support, but it's hard when I still feel so alone on this journey. Thanks for listening.