A mountain, a vacation, a sickness and a new milestone!

Another large time has passed since I've blogged. I keep saying, I'll get to it tomorrow. Luckily, I haven't treated my program like that! 

Weeks ago I conquered my mountain challenge, climbing Mount Holyoke on a whim in less than a half hour to the top! 

Shortly after I was able to take a vacation to Florida for a week and a half. Though I can't say my eating was perfect, I was able to stay active and got a lot of sun! 

Having my LA Fitness membership was a lifesaver. It was great to catch up with friends and relax! Though the last day I was there I felt a cold coming on. 

It turned into a full blown chest cold for almost two weeks, which is why I've been incommunicado. But during that time I hit a new milestone! -140. My trainer is kicking me into high gear, recognizing that we need to work on getting the fat off as we have built some good muscle over the 3 1/2 months I've been training with him. Calisthenics galore. Burpies, that's all I have to say. 

I have a sponsor now, which was a major concern, and I am dedicated to my food behavior abstinence. Let's keep this going! 

Recovery check up and The Anonymous People

For the last few days I have had a guest from the Guest House program, a what they call "reentry visit" coordinator, who has come to see how my early recovery is doing and to help advocate for me in whatever way necessary within my parish and Diocese. All I'll choose to say on the subject is that this has been a really good experience. I have found that my parish really loves me and the staff is committed to supporting me. I can say with confidence that I believe I will be here for at least a solid year of recovery. 

Through my meetings I am also convinced more than ever that my continued attention to the tools of recovery is important. Sponsorship, well defined abstinence, and continued step work are my current goals. I may be 135 pounds down from where I started, but I still have a long way to go...and it's not all about the weight. I know that if I don't continue this important recovery work, weight gain will be a sure symptom of just pure idolness and denial. 

After I went to a meeting tonight, some members mentioned that a recovery documentary called "The Anonymous People" (http://manyfaces1voice.org) was playing at a local college. It turned out to be a very good film about how putting a face and voice on recovery is needed if more people are going to recover. I respect the twelve traditions of particular support groups by not naming which groups I am associated with or claiming to be a spokesperson for this particular recovery method. But what I can tell you is that I am Fr Ryan Rooney, and I am a person in recovery from compulsive eating behaviors.