I’m pleased and surprised to report that I’ve been on this diet, now, for six months. I’m still sitting at 37.8 pounds of loss, but today, the bigger success for me is in knowing that I’ve made it this far.

I admit that it’s been kind of a boring couple of weeks, and I was struggling for something to write about, today. After all, when you’re on a program for the long haul and have as much to lose as I do, not every week’s going to bring some startling revelation or awesome progress report.

But maybe that’s good news, too.

I’ve been in mild amounts of pain the last few weeks; I clench my teeth at night, so I’ve been waking up with headaches. My knees have been screaming at me over the long, cold winter we’ve had this year. But even with those and other factors weighing in, I feel better than I did when I started the diet, back in September of last year.

In weeks like this, when progress isn’t apparent on the scale, it’s good to remind myself that there are other non-scale victories. I’m moving easier, my stamina is improving, it’s easier for me to get up and down, my clothes fit better. In the long run, these are the things that matter; that I continue to improve every day.

Sometimes progress comes in noticeable waves; sometimes, in tiny portions, but it’s all cumulative.