The finish line is in sight.  Week #5 in books, heading into week #6.  Just 3 days before the Listener Appreciation Show and when I had started this “LAS Slim Down” I had hoped I would loose around 15 pounds.

Last week has some ups and downs.  Some good things and some bad things.  After all this, I have concluded what I suspected to be true and that is this.  Any sort of lifestyle change take unbelievable discipline and determination.  The last time I lost a lot of weight, I was committed, but that was about 8 years ago and it seemed like the weight came off easier.  Before that, the last time I was determined to succeed was when I finally quit smoking.  I can say for sure that was the hardest thing I had ever done.

Now, here we are, heading into the home stretch of this challenge. I have to be honest, this has been incredibly hard.  I don’t know what the difference is other than I’m a little older, my metabolism is a little slower, I’m a little less active and Michelle and I, while we watch our portions, like to cook and bake.  Okay, I say it out load and it’s easy to see what the problem is.

But then, Saturday, I witnessed an image, a snapshot of determination.  I was driving by Sedgwick County Park on 13th street and I saw a woman jogging.  If you remember it was crap weather on Saturday.  Cold, windy, damp.   A day anyone thinking about doing something outdoors, let a long exercising, would have been easily justified in calling an audible and staying home.  Not this woman.  She was bundled up in her red hoodie and sweats and she was running and running hard.  You could tell she had a goal in sight and was going to reach it.   I watched her run as I drove by and I thought to myself, as hard as this has been and while I may not have given it 100%, this mystery woman is my motivation.  She was making no excuses, she was running, heading to her own finish line.

I think through this whole process, if I’m being honest, I’ve been putting in about 70%. I can do better.  If 70% got me to shed 3 more pounds for a total of 11 pounds, imagine what could happen if I put in an effort that was closer to 90%.  Thanks to that mystery woman jogging in the park, let’s find out.

Thanks for following my progress.  If you’re try to lose weight, quit smoking or better yourself in anyway.  Keep going, don’t give up, go be amazing.