The elevator is out at work today. Thankfully, I only have one flight to go up. More thankfully the way out is down.
Anyway, in the stairwell this morning, as I caught my breath on the landing, pondering how truely difficult this minor task of traversing a single flight of stairs had become for me, a thought came to mind. I AM CARRYING MORE THAN 16 SIXTEEN POUND BOWLING BALLS AROUND MY BUTT!

Ever lift a 16 pound bowling ball? Pretty damned heavy.

And I have been carrying more than 16 of them at the same time. All of the time! On every step I take, every single move I make. I carry those 16 stupid sixteen pound balls. Around my heart, my lungs; around all the vital organs I need to just survive. My legs! So I guess if I cannot walk more than a few feet without getting winded; if I cannot stand in one place for more than a few minutes; if I cannot even sit without discomfort for any length of time it is understandable. So....

What I have determined to do is to set these smaller goals before me as I move toward my goal weight. What smaller goals? How about 16 pound increments? That is a small enough weight loss to not seem daunting and yet big enough to be a real success when reached.

That is it. I am now simply going to lose the 16 bowling balls which have been dragging me down for years. The knowledge that I can lose those 16 sixteen pound bowling balls lifts me up!

And know what? I have already lost more than half of a bowling ball. Not bad, MisterE. Not bad at all!