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Yesterday, we had dinner with our old Beverly Ave. Neighbors, Tommy and Linda O'Shea, and Jim and Kathy Peabody.

Jim is a charcoal grilling aficionado and he had rotisseried a roast beef.   Tommy O brought his brother Jimmy's award winning clam chowder and Kathy served some incredible stuffed quahogs.

Meanwhile, Linda finished knitted a hat for Katelyn's baby soon to emerge.  The workmanship in her beautiful sweater, blanket and hat for my coming Grandson is unexcelled.

It was a nice evening, and I absolutely overate and drank too many Angry Orchard Hard Ciders.

A big part of my losing weight resolution revolves around eating purposefully rather than indulgently,   And I have to say that in the past, I would have chowed down on the pepperoni and potato chips that Kathy had set out while we waited for the roast to cook.  But eating with good friends and enjoying the food that they are excited to serve to you is something that I can't curb.
It doesn't happen that often and is a part of my life that I would never change.

This morning, my friend and healthy life mentor, Christos Laganos, posted on Facebook that he thought my 60 lb. loss goal might be unrealistic and possibly unhealthy in the next nine months. I heard his words.

I am going to integrate the daily aerobic priority, add some strength training and eat purposefully rather than indulgently. Wherever this path leads, I will accept, but I have to believe that substantial lbs. will drop if I can make this habitual choice over the course of this year. I have pledged to drop 60 by August, but If not 60, it will be what it is. Eventually, I hope to live the rest of my life lugging less than 200 lbs around.

 I like the idea, expounded in the book "Younger Next Year", that getting your daily workout in is a job... an obligation to you and those who depend upon you.... rather than an accessory daily activity. That mindset changes a lot because I never miss a day of work

Christos posted on Facebook, " you will struggle to lose weight at first, then you will see good results followed by a plateau. This stage is where most people pack it in and fold. Just soldier on. Eventually your metabolism will begin the slow, permanent change that your new lifestyle will shape. Then you will resume a slow but steady weight loss, in the order of 2 pounds a month until you reach your ideal weight. For you that will probably be around 175-180 pounds. Do the math. That might take 2-3 years. By then you will be locked into your lifestyle."

Like I said before, Christos knows his shit.   I would like to transform as soon as possible, but his logic compounded by personal experience cannot be denied.