Growing up, I had always been a skinny kid, so weight had never been a problem for me. I was so skinny, in fact, that I had to run around in the shower to get wet! (Just kidding) I come from a skinny family of four brothers and five sisters, and none of us ever had a weight problem, etc.

Throughout the years, I've been of average build...about six feet tall and about 170 pounds, and I kept that weight for many years. During my lifetime, I have never been a heavy eater, either.

But, back in the year 2001, I noticed something was not right with me...I didn't feel right. My clothes were not fitting right; I felt listless; bloated all the time; short-tempered; sluggish...and when I found out what the problem was...boy, was I suprised!

One day, I went in to see my doctor, for my annual physical examination, and when I got on the scale to get my weight, I came in at 209 pounds! I was shocked! Forty pounds over what I had always weighed! No wonder everything was falling apart for me in recent weeks! I got off the scale and fell to a new low, and some depression set in right away! How could this happen?

How could I weigh to much? I have never weighed this much in my life...not even close! But, 209 pounds? I felt like I had just had the wind knocked out of me!

"More people die in the United States die from eating too much...than too little."  John Kenneth Galbraith

There are those who will read this article, and think that 40 pounds is small potatoes...but, 40 pounds is large potatoes for me! And yes, a six foot frame could carry the weight easily...but I didn't want the weight, and it had to come off! How did I motivate myself to losing the weight?

* Diabetes: First and foremost, this was my biggest motivator! I am extremely afraid of getting diabetes! One of my aunts and a neighbor who lived next to my parents died of diabetes, and before they died, they had a leg amputated; and they both went blind before they died.

A fellow-employee, who I worked with for years, got diabetes and went spinning into depression! So, I wanted NO part of diabetes. In the article I wrote, The Rise of Diabetes, states that diabetes can be prevented, if a person keep the weight down.

* Clothes: In the year 2006, clothes are expensive from all the greedy retailers. I was NOT going to start buying clothes that fit, not on your life! And, then what's next...buy bigger and bigger clothes to fit...10...20...30...more pounds would be added...no thanks! I was determined to lose the 40 pounds...no matter what, and I didn't care if it took a year...two years...three years...the weight was going to come off...PERIOD! But, how was I going to lose 40 pounds?

When I left the doctor's office that year, I felt awful, and for the first time, I could sympathize with over-weight people and the problems they have! My first stop that day, was to buy a bathroom scale, because I never needed one. And, when I got home that day, I jumped on the scale, and got the awful news for the second time...209 POUNDS! I felt empty!

Psychologically, I immediately percieved that people would be looking at me in a different way...calling me names...calling me fatso and lard-ass! I was sick...this would not happen, as I would start getting the weight right away! There are millions of books out there on weight loss and diets, etc. I had no idea where to start. The first thing I did, was to take a couple of days and to think things out, as to what I should do...I couldn't panic! I got out my yellow pad and started taking notes, as to what I would do...I needed a game plan of some sort. After a couple of days, here's what I came up with, as to my game plan, etc.

Attitude: Attitude is everything!
It would be my attitude that would be the most important thing in all of this. For, it was my attitude that helped me quit smoking 30 years before. ATTITUDE: Determination; sacrifice; patience; discipline; and more than anything else..."mental toughness," that I had when I quit smoking! All the cry-baby and self-pity for myself had to go...FAST! I knew I was in this thing for the long haul, and it would take me six months or longer to complete the job, so I dug in!

"The little train that could," was headed for the mountain top, and I was ready to get started! * You can buy all the broken promises you want off the shelves; snake-oil; magic dust; pills; patches; the best doctors...but, you're still going to need four ingredients; 1) discipline; 2) sacrifice; 3) determination; 4) commitment.

* Appearance: I care about how I look! There would be NO fat jokes coming my way...ever! Some people are slobs, and it's okay with them...but not me! I care about how I feel...I cannot have a quality of life unless I feel good, and looking good keeps my confidence and self-esteem high! * Patience: I would have to be patient from beginning to end. This was going to take some time. There's no magic dust in all this; no magic pill or malt; no snake-oil salesmen, etc. Now, that I decided that patience would play an important role, I could settle down a little.

* Aids: Doctors; nurses; books; magic dust; pills; malts; creams; patches... are all aids. I decided I would not spend my hard-earned money for any of these. Buying any of this stuff, was never considered! If my game plan didn't work, then I would call a snake-oil salesman and get the latest and take another approach. When I quit smoking I did it because I WANTED TO...and nothing would stop me! And, so it is with this blubber I was packing...I was going to lose it no matter what! ATTITUDE!

* Over the counter: I don't think determination; patience; comittment; "mental toughness"; discipline; are available over the counter! I don't think I can get a prescription from my doctor on any of these. This is what it would take to do the job!

* Moderation: My game plan, was to eat everything I ever ate...but less of it. I would cut everything in HALF! Instead, of eating two eggs for breakfast, I would only eat one egg! If I threw down a whole pizza by myself...I would only eat a slice. Instead of eating a whole apple or orange...everything would be cut in HALF!

Like my mother, I have a sweet tooth...and all sweets had to be cut in HALF too! (boo-hoo!) By doing it this way, I would maintain the quality of life I had always enjoyed...only I would now enjoy HALF of what I enjoyed previously! In other words, I would have my cake and eat it too! (forget I said that!) Doing it this way, would not drive me completely crazy...only HALF crazy!

* Water diet: Several years ago, I heard about a water diet of some sort, but I knew nothing about it. I do know that parents usually don't like their kids to eat something sweet before a meal, because they will drink too much water...fill up...and won't eat the meal. Makes sense to me! So, I decided to go with it, as part of my game plan...a combination plate of moderation, a water diet, and a healthy dose of discipline!

* A pound a Week: The thought of losing 40 POUNDS was overwhelming to me, and I didn't like it! I decided to get rid of the thought (attitude), and would think of losing a "pound a week," which sounded so much better to me than losing 40 pounds.

"Opportunity may knock only once...but temptation leans on the door bell."  Unknown

As you can see, I made up my own rules for my mis-adventure! Since I'm not a rocket scientist or a math major, I figured that losing a pound a week for forty weeks...it would take about ten months to to the job! That's how long it took me to quit smoking! The "little train that could," was ready to go up the mountain top! I knew I was going to do it...I just didn't know how long it would take...but I prepared myself for the long haul, etc. (attitude)

From the time I started my game plan, everything was cut in HALF and I drank a glass of water before each meal, so as not to eat so much. I was excited, because I could get back to being tall, dark and handsome fellow...like I've always been! (yeah, right!) Over the first six week, I lost about ten pounds and I made progress right away, and I stayed enthusiastic and I knew I had to stay motivated.

I couldn't wait to get on the scale each morning to check my weight, and I thought my game plan was a good one, and I would stay with it. Once I got down and remained under 200 pounds, I was on Cloud 67, and I would give my game plan about three months, to see where I was at that time, before I started crying like a baby! But, I think I have two big advantages over a lot of people who want to lose weight:

1) Walking/jogging: I have been jogging 10-15 miles a week since 1986 (17,000+ miles), and continue in 2006. It helps me to stay fit; sleep better; relieves stress, create more ideas; solve problems and so forth. This was a key factor in me losing the weight!

2) Quit smoking: I did it back in 1970 when smoking was fashionable and trendy, if you can believe that! If I could quit smoking in ten months...I could lose this weight. So, week after week, and month after month I stayed with my game plan, and things were going well. "I know I can...I know I can" just like the little train that could!

But, things were not without frustration...and plenty of it! I would lose two pounds and gain four back...lose five pounds and gain seven back...frustration and ups and downs all the way from beginning to end! The "attitude" was, if I saw a bakery...I would look the other way; if I saw a pizza joint, I would look the other way; if I saw a juicy steak on a bill board or in a magazine...I would look the other way!

"Mental toughness!" Up...down...up...down...up...down in weight, and the roller-coaster went on week afer week and month after month! But, there was never a time when I thought of giving up because I was doing so well. So, well in fact, that I had a monthly Pig Out Day for myself, as a little treat for doing so well. I would pig out on a Mexican dinner; or Chinese dinner...but, I paid the price, as I had to add five miles to my jogging routine the next day. Nothing comes free...it's called "sweat therapy!"

Six months later, I was down to 180 pounds and shouting from the roof-tops...and it was now only a matter of time! The "little train that could," was now reaching the mountain top! Getting down below 180 pounds was the toughest part of it all...I would go down to 179...then up to 183...down to 176...then up to 182...down to 178 and then up to 186...this was the tough road! I was so frustrated! Three months it took me to stay under 180 pounds!

FINALLY...after ten months, I got down to 170 pounds, and I couldn't be more proud! I was on Cloud 98! YAHOO! A pound a week...40 weeks...ten months...the little train did it, and forty pounds have gone bye-bye! A couple of months later, I went into my doctor's office for another physical exam, and he said to me, "Jerry, you've lost a lot of weight over the last year! Have you been ill, or did you take the weight of intentionally?" I had a big grin on my face from ear to ear! I DID IT! I DID IT!

 "I was taught that the way of progress is neither swift nor easy."  Murie Currie 

UPDATE: March 1, 2010:  After eight years, I still weigh 170 pounds, and I intend to keep my weight down.  One way I've done it, is to eat only two small meals a day.  People don't need to eat three meals a day to survive.  

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