Hidden in this thread is a way of life that goes way beyond the issue of weight.

Everyone knows the oft quoted Prayer:

Lord grant me the courage to change that which I can, the serenity to accept that which I cannot, and the weaponry to make the difference.

(OK, maybe it's paraphrased a wee bit)

We all know it. We can all say it (even the correct version). But we seldom even try to live it - especially the serenity part.

One lesson that my time in the military taught me well was the value of serenity. I used to be very high strung - especially about the stuff that I didn't like or thought was wrong but that I couldn't change. But I was so innundated with that environment in the service that I HAD to learn to recognize those things about which I could do nothing - or about which I decided that it wasn't worth the effort to do anything even if I thought I could - and then truly accept them. I didn't have to enjoy them or encourage them or support them or promote them - but I do have to be able to accept them.

I think it's one of the reasons why I can count the number of times that I could say that I was stressed out at work on the fingers of my hands. It's also why my blood pressure and cholesterol have always been acceptable even at my weight and poor eating habits in the past.

I got to do some really neat things in the service. I learned a lot and I got to serve my country. I also had to do and see things that I hope to never do or see again. But even if my life had been a pure hell hole (which is was not) it would have been worth every minute of it just to truly embrace that one lesson.