A new take on marriage convention

There are things you know to expect during periods of weight loss, especially when you're losing four or five pounds a week. For one, clothes begin to fit differently, which is certainly always a welcome change. You also see the numbers on the scale going down, of course, and it keeps you going better than just about any other incentive. Some things, however, don't really become problematic till you get there. My wedding ring, for instance. The original is long gone, stolen backstage while I was singing with Dallas Opera. Oh, well... I'm still married, last I checked. I got a second one to replace it, but only temporarily, so my heart wasn't really attached to it. This was a good thing, since it, too, was stolen. I'm lucky that way. For a couple of years, I wore fakes, ridiculous baubles that I thought were fun and served the purpose of living on the left ring finger. When John moved to New York, He got me a new one, a lovely ring that fit perfectly, and, like the others, not in any way a conventional wedding ring. Why on earth would I want a conventional one, anyway? I love it, and I never take it off.

And now, one month since starting my super bad-ass diet, I'm down almost 20 pounds and moving merrily along toward my goal. About a week ago, I started noticing that the new wedding ring was slipping, and a couple of times I nearly lost it down a drain or two. Finally, I started wearing it on my middle finger. Since it doesn't exactly look like a wedding ring, it's not so strange-looking there. Still, now I don't have a "wedding ring" on. Weird. So then, do I go back to wearing a fake ring until my weight settles down and I can get ANOTHER new real one? Do I get one of those weird ring pads and stick it on the back on the current ring? Or do I just perpetrate a fraud and let my left hand lead the single life?

It doesn't seem like a big deal, and really, it isn't. I notice it, though, every couple of minutes, and it's a little strange every time. I mean, it's not like I'm worried about getting hit on or anything. I've lost weight, but not so much that I'm irresistable. So it's not like I need to wear the ring on the appropriate finger as some kind of deterrant to the world of single and searching... please. No, it's just strange. it makes me think of the degree to which things are going to be changing for me as I get smaller. I remember what it was like to be a single-digit clothing size, and yes, I was treated differently. I know I'll be treated differently again when I get there, and seeing the progress I've made so far, I'm certain without a doubt that I'm actually going to get there. Have I mentioned how freaking incredible this diet is, by the way? Eating every two to three hours, the food being versatile and suprisingly tasty... I gotta tell ya, it's almost too good to be true, given my results. I've never been bashful about disclosing my weight, even at my heaviest. When I moved to New York, I weighed a whopping 234 pounds. Sure, I didn't look it, but there I was. A year later, I had dropped down to 198, but I stayed there until about a month ago. That's when I started the Medifast program, and now I'm down to 181. I'll take it, and then some.

We're going to be in Florida for a few days to visit John's stepdad, and I've been dreading the trip, for obvious reasons. Bathing suits are the devil. I had a goal of being in the 170's by the time I left... 179 counts, right? Besides, I'm going to stay on the plan while I'm out there, so I'm not worried about falling off the wagon or anything. For now, though, I'm focusing on getting down to 179 before getting on the plane this Friday. At the rate I'm going, it's actually feasible. Holy crap... I haven't been in the 170's in YEARS!!! Whew... I don't want to jynx it... still, as soon as the weight loss is more noticeable, you'll be seeing pictures up here (speaking of which... John and I took fat pictures yesterday... ugh... that was hard). At this point, I want to be in the 160's by the time school starts in early September. I can do it, right? Jeeze, I'm going to be an entirely new freaking person! Finally, I want to be in the low 150's by my birthday in mid October. Anybody notice my enthusiasm? On top of all this, I've started running in Central Park and my knees no longer hurt (figures... funny what a difference fifteen pounds can make on your joints). I've ALWAYS wanted to be one of those people who goes jogging in Central Park? I mean, who really DOES that?

Well, me, apparently.