i really didn’t think i was going to do be able to do it over the holidays, but thanks in part to burning over 2,000 calories on a new year’s eve 13 miler with a new toy i weighed in this morning and have lost 15 pounds since my big fitness milestone ( and 12 pounds over december alone! ) which means I LOST 90 POUNDS BY THE NEW YEAR!

it’s hard to believe i’ve lost 30 pounds since running the chicago marathon and 55 pounds since august when i adjusted the weight loss program and began doubling my monthly weight losses to average 11-12 pounds a month ( i’ll write up more about how i did it at another time since, unsurprisingly, i get a lot of questions about how i managed to lose 90 pounds from people who can’t seem to lose 10 ).

i suppose it’s worth noting that, at 205 pounds ( yes, if you do the math i weighed an astonishing 295 when i started running again ), i have now reversed 18 years of weight gains and am now, finally, at a “normal” BMI ( and the 36th percentile for my age and height ). i do plan on losing 10 or 15 more pounds over the next couple of month to finally escape the brutal math of Being A Clydesdale and get solidly in the middle of a normal BMI ( at least in the US! ).

so, what’s next? i’m going to try and take a break from running in the freezing cold and blizzards ( or at least run a lot less ) and read up on how to design a Phase II fitness program focused on strength training ( send me your reading suggestions! ).

and while i realize the challenge of losing 90 pounds is only going to be surpassed by actually keeping it off, you can bet i’m going to enjoy a new year’s day 100% grass-fed, bacon, blue cheese, olive burger with caramelized onions and french fries while relishing in the fact that i don’t have to make a new year’s resolution to lose 90 pounds.