Shrinkage Is A Good Thing

I wanted to take a quick moment to give another update on my journey to a thinner and healthier me for those who continue to follow my progress. I promise this won't be a long drawn out affair because it's getting to be late at night and I'm ready to make love to my pillow.

First and update on my weightloss. I am happy to report that I have now lost a total of 135 pounds to date. The progress has slowed some which I expected to happen and I know reaching my long term goal will be a battle I hope to win over the long haul.

The big news for this update centres around my centre so to speak. The all important waistline. This is one of the areas that I hope to continue shrinking not only to look better but for health reasons as well. Other areas I want to shrink badly include my thighs and arms. But this is about my waist.

When I began my journey towards getting healthy and losing weight I was more or less maxed out on the size of pants I could buy locally at the Big & Tall store. The largest size they carried was a 60 waist in any of their clothes. I was able to locate larger sizes in the U.S. but didn't require any at that point as the 60's were still working for me.

Today I decided to try shopping at Walmart for pants rather than the usual store for fat guys. I knew I would still likely be in the 50's at the very least when it came to jeans but I took a chance that they might have some. They didn't.

After a fair bit of time searching through and lifting up the jeans on display to see the different sizes, I came across the largest pair I could find to that point. I didn't have much hope that they would fit but figured it doesn't hurt to zip into the changing room and at least see how close I was to fitting into them.

Surprise! The actually fit me.

I was shocked and pleasantly surprised when I pulled them on, did up the button without having to suck in my gut and zipped the fly. The damn things actually fit!

The young lady must have wondered what the heck was going on when I came out with a big smile on my face. She was probably afraid to go in there. I grabbed a new t-shirt and my new jeans and headed for the checkout.

I left the store with my brand new size 46 jeans and a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction. It was a great way to start off my weekend. Dropping from a size 60 to a size 46 was in my plans at some point but I had no idea it would happen that fast. Now I just have to get them hemmed since the legs are about eight inches too long for my short legs. Sadly there isn't any plan I know of that will allow me to increase my height. Not yet at least.

Hungry Hawk

Red-Tailed Hawk in a Tree
Originally uploaded by *Bundy*

This past weekend I was chilling with family at the trailer as I so often do during the summer. Mom and dad have their trailer by Lake Ontario and as a loyal, loving and adoring son I like to spend as much time with them as possible. Plus mom has always been a good cook and I can never pass up a free meal.

Two of my dad's sisters were also out to enjoy the beautiful scenery and my thrilling and charming personality. They can't resist my charm. Can't really blame them...I'm awesome. Okay, enough with me tooting my own horn. I'm starting to make myself ill.

Any way, it was a typical family gathering at the trailer with the usual chit chat and laughs. One of my aunts had walked up to the bathroom with my dad while I stayed at the campsite. A few moments later I saw her hustling back. I thought this was a little odd since I hadn't seen her move that fast in quite some time.

Sure enough she had a reason. She said there was a hawk up by the bathroom eating a snake and it wasn't in any rush to leave even though people were around watching it.

So of course, I grabbed my camera and the two of us made our way to the scene of the feeding frenzy. When I arrived I identified it immediately as a Red-tailed Hawk. It was standing on top of the snake and every so often he would lean over and pick away at it.

He had bits of snake on his beak and it was interesting to watch it as it moved its head back and forth trying to swallow its lunch. The crowd varied in size at times while I was watching. At times I was the only one there and at the most there was probably 15 people including some kids.

One small boy around the age of nine ventured pretty close to the hawk. I mentioned to him that he might want to keep his distance. It's a bird of prey and he might try to make a meal out of you. The boy moved back. In hindsight the bird attacking the kid would have made for a much more interesting photo but I just couldn't let it happen.

I rattled off nearly 100 photos of the bird. He spent a good amount of time on the ground but then as the group of people grew larger I think it got a bit nervous and flew up into the nearby tree. He didn't venture too far though as he wanted to keep his meal in sight.

So far I've edited a couple of photos of my encounter, one of which you can see here, and I was pleased with the result. It's an amazing looking bird and I love how his eye almost looks right through me. Plus the sharpness of his talons is a bit scary. He could do some damage with those. But as long as he doesn't try to grab my beautiful face it's all good.

New Moon & Venus at Sunset

New Moon & Venus at Sunset
Originally uploaded by *Bundy*

While this hasn't been an overly exceptional summer it has had its moments.

The normal heat of summer just hasn't been around as much as past years. I can only recall about one week of temperatures over 30 degrees so far. The rest of the time we've been sitting in the mid to low 20's.

Of course, that isn't horrible by any means, especially when we haven't had a whole lot of rain. I like not having to cut the lawn twice a week like I do in the Spring.

I have a sneaky suspicion that the cool summer weather is only a precursor to what winter will have in store for us. I fear it will be long and frigid and that is never a good thing as far as I'm concerned.

The cool weather hasn't hampered my ability to grab some interesting images with my camera when I had the time to pick it up and shoot.

Recently I've been trying my luck at some night photography with limited success. I lack the proper lens to get the job done properly but I make it work as best I can. I just can't justify spending $1000 on a new lens right now.

This weekend I actually got a couple of shots of meteors entering earth's atmosphere as part of the annual Perseid Meteor shower. Nothing too spectacular but something was better than nothing. For some reason the meteors just don't seem as bright or last as long as they did when I was a kid. I can recall sitting under the stars at camp watching these long bright lights shooting across the sky. Some would last long enough to be pointed out and allow all to catch a glimpse of it before it vanished. Now if you blink you miss it.

I also enjoy a good sunset as evidenced by my photo above. I always think a good sunset photo, or any photo for that matter, has to have something interesting in it or a nice composition.

For example I like the trees in the foreground of this particular image but it also has more happening in it than a pretty orange sky. If you look to the top left you can see the new moon and in the right corner you can see the bright light of the planet Venus shining.

I never turn down an opportunity to photograph a sunset if I think it will be more than just a pretty colour.

Regaining My Life

As I travel down this weight-loss road I continue to receive amazing support from so many friends and family. Even complete strangers who know me have made comments about the changes they've seen in my appearance. Feed back like that does two things for me. It makes me feel great knowing that all of the hard work, exercise and changes I've made to my lifestyle are making a difference. It also motivates me to keep going because while I don't want to let myself down, I also feel as though I'd be letting a lot of other people down as well.

I've also heard from so many people following my journey, witnessing what I've accomplished and continue to strive for and they come to the realization that they can also make the changes necessary to work towards their own weight-loss goals. By no means did I set out to become a role model of any kind but I will certainly take that as a compliment.

If my updates here and on Facebook ignite something in you or give you hope then I only feel that much better about what I'm doing. Believe me when I say the encouragement I've received can never be repaid. It has propelled me in the right direction towards a healthier me. My life will only be richer if more of my friends feel motivated to make changes to ensure they're around for many more years as well.

Before I talk about the changes I've noticed so far since I began dropping the pounds, let me give you a quick update on where I stand.

Starting Weight: 418.8 pounds

Current Weight: 289.7 pounds

Weight Lost To Date: 129.1 pounds

Next Goal: 260 pounds

Can you see a difference? I think progress is being made.

So as you can see, it's going pretty well. I think if you look at the comparison photo I posted of my stomach you can clearly notice how much it has shrunk so far. I admit it looks ugly with the skin getting loose and sagging at the bottom of the belly but after a lifetime of obesity and in recent years having the skin stretch the furthest it ever had, asking it to tighten up quickly is probably a pipe dream. But hopefully as I continue to shed the weight, I'll hit the gym this fall and start lifting weights and exercising to tone all of my problem areas. Trust me, I have plenty of those. My biggest concerns are the stomach, arms and thighs. I've always had huge thighs so anything I can do to shrink them down would be a bonus.

So let me get back to my original idea for this blog update, which is to mention a few of the changes I've noticed in my day to day life. These are things that all healthy people take for granted and might not even consider an issue for people who are overweight.

WALKING - It doesn't sound like much but if you've ever watched an obese person walk, it almost looks painful. In many cases it is. That's a lot of weight on the ankles and joints. For me I hated walking prior to dropping some pounds. Just the thought of having to walk put me in a bad mood because I knew even if I made it to where I was going, I would almost certainly pay for it the next day with a lot of pain. Today, I went for a 4km brisk walk and felt great. The only pain I have is in my right foot which suffered a lot of minor fractures over the years from supporting so much weight. But it isn't nearly as bad as it used to be. And my ankles feel fantastic. I had to give up a job working at a good friends golf course because my ankles couldn't handle working on the hills and uneven ground. I'm pretty sure that wouldn't be the case today.

RESTAURANTS - You're probably thinking, "what the heck could the issue be in restaurants?" Imagine being a size 60+ waist and having to squeeze into a booth. It can't be done. That was the dilemma I was faced with every time I went out to eat with family. I know this annoyed some people because there would be booths open and the hostess could have seated us but because of me and my girth, we were forced to wait until a table with chairs came open. And if all they had were booths and they weren't big enough to accommodate me, then I had to go to a different place. I recall one time at a local place in Brighton there was only a booth available and the owner said she could place a chair at the end of the table for me. While I'm sure she thought she was helping, I was insulted and humiliated. I didn't want to be sitting out in a traffic area with patrons and waitresses trying to manoeuvre around me. I was already a big target for insults and stares, I didn't need a flashing neon arrow pointing at me saying, "Look at this fat bastard who can't fit in the booth!" Now, while I still prefer tables and chairs, I have found some restaurants where I couldn't sit on the bench or in a booth before, I can now. And in some others I can at least make it work. Hopefully in the near future this won't even be an issue for me.

I was offered a job at Sea World in 2007.

DRIVING - This was more of a minor annoyance than anything else. As you can imagine the problem was fitting my stomach behind the wheel of the car or truck. When I bought my last car in 2007, I had to purchase a vehicle based on which one actually allowed me to drive it without having to steer with my belly. There were other vehicles I liked better but they just weren't an option. Today, I have plenty of room behind that same wheel and I've driven other vehicles that I used to rub against but now have lots of space to work. I look forward to getting my next mode of transportation. Maybe I'll get a Mini Cooper.

SHOWERING - Do you have any idea how difficult it is to shower when you can't reach every nook and cranny? I like to be clean and sometimes this was difficult to achieve properly when I was larger than I am now. I'm happy to report today that I am spic & span from top to bottom and all places in between. Also, some showers just aren't as roomy as others. I remember trying to shower on a cruise and spent more time bouncing off the walls as the ship rocked on the waves.

BATHROOM - I'll spare you the details. Lets just say I found some interesting ways to complete the job. This is something we deal with several times a day and most people wouldn't even give it consideration. I often thought about trying to invent something to assist obese people in similar situations. But I'll leave that up to someone more creative.

DRESSING - Again, this is something we have to do every day unless we vacation in a nude resort. When was the last time you got winded putting on socks or tying your shoe laces? I'm ashamed to admit this was the case at times. Straining to reach my feet was made all the more difficult with a huge belly in the way. Lifting my legs up to get my underwear or pants on was also a challenge at times. I could get the leg up but only keep it there momentarily and had to work quickly to try and get the leg of my pants under my foot to slide them on. It wasn't a pretty sight. It's not even an issue today.

CLOTHING - Along the same lines as dressing is trying to purchase clothes that fit. There is only one Big & Tall store in the area and unless you've stepped inside one you have no idea how expensive it is to buy clothing for large people. In fact, it's so bad here, I usually make two or three trips to the Casual Male location near my brothers place in Florida when I visit. Not only can I get clothes that fit and are cheaper but they have a much wider variety and nicer styles. The only bad thing so far with losing weight, other than not eating as much, is having a bunch of new clothes that I bought a year and a half ago that are now way too big for me. I bought a golf jacket that's a 6X and only wore it once. It's like a tent on me now. At this point I'd need a 3X and I'm almost into 2X size clothing. But it's a small price to pay to not have to spend a small fortune on a pair of pants or a new shirt.

Again, these are the challenges of being obese and I see people every day who I know struggle with the same things I did. That's right, I said "did." I'm thrilled by the little things now that have changed in my every day life that I have no doubt you wouldn't even bat an eye at. My goals are still a lot of hard work away but knowing how much I've accomplished so far will make achieving that goal easier. Not because it will be easy or because I'll get to my next goal quickly. It will be easier because I feel like a whole new person inside and out.

Sunset Landing

Sunset Landing
Originally uploaded by *Bundy*

I was visiting my parents at their trailer last night at Presqu'ile Provincial Park on the north shores of Lake Ontario and had just finished supper when I decided to grab my camera and go for a drive.

I honestly didn't expect to get much of anything and planned to only be gone for about 30 minutes. I wanted to get back for the always enjoyable campfire with family and friends.

Actually, I probably wasn't much longer than 30 minutes but I did stop once to watch a Mute Swan and two of her young feeding in the calm waters of what's known as the Calf Pasture. This used to be a boat launch area to get out into Brighton Bay from inside the park. Now for some reason they frown upon this. Who knows the thinking behind it. We used to drive a hovercraft over there when I was a lot younger because it was a lot more calm than the lake.

Anyway...the three swans that were feeding honestly weren't providing much in the way of quality photo opportunities. Certainly nothing I hadn't already photographed a dozen or more times before.

All of a sudden I heard a noise of wings hitting the water and I swung around to spot the mate of the swan getting airborne and racing right at me. I'm guessing he probably didn't like the fact that I was intruding on his kids supper activities.

I only had a few moments to bang off a couple of quick frames. I didn't have time to change my focus type, shutter speed or anything for that matter. I would have loved to have my Nikon D7000 in high burst mode to rattle off more shots but instead I quickly focused and shot about 4 frames.

He landed in the water and I started moving back to let him know I got the message. As I walked back to the car I did a quick review of the photos on the camera and was encouraged by what I saw but there was no way of knowing how good the quality of image would be until I got it on my computer.

As you can see above, I had at least one shot that was fairly sharp and contained some nice action as the swan was touching down. The sunlight was rather harsh as it was setting and very bright but overall I think I was able to work around that issue okay and captured an image I could live with and be a little proud of. These birds are so powerful I could photograph them landing and taking off all day.