I went to buy some new jeans this last weekend and made a rather pleasant discovery.  Hell, I’m feeling positively giddy about it.  I dropped a whole pants size!  I’m down to a 34 inch waist!  It’s a place I haven’t been… holy crap… for at least 12 years!  Amazingly, I haven’t re-started regular workouts in the gym yet.  I’ve only made some minor changes in my diet; and, I think I’m getting a little more sleep each night than I used to.

So, what were these little changes to my diet?

I love fresh-made bread, especially crusty Italian breads, French baguettes, fresh bagels, croissants, etc.  But I knew I needed to get rid of stuff made with refined white flour and switch to whole grains.  Fortunately, the grocers I frequent make some very tasty whole grain breads that I now enjoy as morning toast.  I found a really good whole grain pita bread for sandwiches too.  For dinner, I decided to give up breads altogether.  I really think the bread change was the biggest thing that lead to my waistline reduction.  Wait, there might be another… fruit cups.  I used to eat a fruit cup – pears, peaches, or grapefruit – almost every day as an afternoon pickmeup.  But I stopped doing so to avoid the sugar spike.  Instead, I’ve been eating a handful of almonds or a Kind fruit-and-nut bar. Anything else?…hmmm… I’ve reduced my cheese intake…and I’m eating celery almost every day.  Oh, and I still take a little cinnamon in my morning coffee.  Pretty good progress for 2 months, I’d say.  I bet those evil triglycerides have dropped quite a bit.  Targeting a 32 inch waist as I kick off my exercise plan doesn’t seem like such a far fetched idea anymore.