Daddy Tree: Tiny Footsteps

I weigh 202.5 pounds. This is big news from where I'm sitting because the last time I weighed that few pounds was at least seven years ago. And let me give you more perspective. I weighed 235.5 pounds at the end of July, 8 1/2 months ago. I recorded that weight during the last week at my job before quitting to become a stay-at-home dad. I didn't really set out to lose weight. As a matter of fact, before the big weight loss, I told my wife to ditch the smaller clothes I'd been holding onto in case I lost the weight again. I thought I'd weigh around 230 the rest of my life. But when I started staying home with Willow, I immediately became more active, going to the park and walking and playing with my infant girl. By January, and without much intention on my part, I'd lost 10 pounds. So I was around 225, which is where I've been almost all my adult life. I was content with that and prepared to stay there. But then I read a column on the opinion pages of The ...

I returned to the doctor today for a follow-up on my newly diagnosed asthma. The meds are doing they're job, so I get to carry on (and start doing my little running thing three days a week). But here's the really good news, or the news I'm most excited about anyway. My blood pressure had been "elevated" the first time I visited the doctor (142/86). He even discussed blood pressure medicine with me. But today my blood pressure came in at normal (120/80). He attributed the initial high blood pressure reading to "white-coat hypertension," or elevated blood pressure because of a nervousness about being at the doctor's office. The news made my day. Even though I don't have to take blood pressure pills, I am not a model of good health, but I fully intend to get healthy, for me, my wife and Willow. And that is what I'll do. My goal is to run at least a mile on the beach next summer. I hope you'll cheer me on my way to reaching that goal.

I'm definitely healthier as a SAHD. Staying home with Willow has helped me pursue, and so far keep, a healthier lifestyle. I'm no Lance Armstrong. Far from it, but I am shedding weight a feeling better. I walk frequently, am eating better and am feeling less stress. I'm also reading and writing more and am generally more active. It's not that I have more time to do these things. Actually, as I've shared with my wife repeatedly, I feel like I have less down time than I used to when I was commuting to my second-shift job. But the mindset is different. And the change in routine (hours) is definitely different. Having long commutes and a stressful job seemed to overwhelm any attempts I had at being healthy and fit. And the commutes and the stress made wonderful excuses to just take it easy. And the hours (and the hard hours at work) wreaked havoc on my diet. I usually ate lunch, supper and a before-bed meal back then. Now I get a normal day's meals. But it...