Hi Folks,

Please bear with my little story:

Buying clothes or receiving them as gifts has always been a hassle for me and, in the very least, just reminded me of my weight problem. I shopped out of necessity when the current chosen few articles from the closet that fit no longer did. This established at least three sets of clothing I needed as I tried the endless ways of eating over the last 35 years. You know, the skinny set, the normal set and the fat set, all of which were really designed to fit a person who was still at least two feet taller than me by the height/weight chart statistics. When ever I was given clothing as a present it was always too small and the event, like Christmas or a birthday, always seemed to highlight my on going weight problem. Being a guy, and either teaching or being self employed, I had flexibility in my attire and did not have to keep up with style and my wife has also been very forgiving of my sometimes unorthodox look.

Two weeks ago I finally went to that closet that has haunted me for so long to find a pair of pants that were smaller…yes smaller. Perhaps that new pair of jeans I bought four years ago and never wore because they were too tight when I bought them. This time even they were too loose, as well as all of the dress slacks. I discovered that I had also gone from an x-large to a large in a dress shirt. For the first time in my life there was only one set of clothes in that closet and they were best described as all TOO BIG!!!

What a day that was.

Last week I went to a new men’s store that had opened in the mall and I was like a squirrel in a nut factory. I tried on sizes smaller than the smallest in my closet and I looked good! I quickly learned why my slim and beautiful bride loves to shop for clothing. This was all new to me….this “good” feeling when shopping.

Today I burned all the bridges and have left no escape route. I boxed up all of the old clothes and made a ceremonious drive to the Goodwill collection center.

What a cleansing experience this was.

I now have a very empty closet and a very happy wife who is really excited to help me acquire new duds. I would still like to trim down another 10 pounds or so, and will put off any serious purchase of things like tailored suits until fall, when it will mark a full year on Atkins and celebrate my achievement.

Patience and perseverance pay off.

I have never worked so hard at a WOE as I have this time, nor have I exercised so much to improve my body. I am now exercising as much as three hours some days and 6 days a week. In many ways I feel half my age when I was starting to feel twice that a year ago. I know I have made a lifetime commitment to look and feel as good as I can and it is working.

Right now I have the need to reaffirm to you who are doing this that it is very worth all of your efforts and to assure you that there is a wonderful payoff waiting for us all.

Best wishes for a great holiday,
T.