It’s been a year today that I started on my Metabolic Balance® journey. Back then, I figured I’d reach my 88-pound  weight loss goal by the end of 2016. That didn’t happen. But you know what? I’m OK with that.

I’m very proud of my accomplishment of loosing 54 pounds — and I’m over 61 percent of the way there. I’m proud of sticking to my intention of having this nutritional plan be a lifestyle change. I’m exercising five times a week — without pain. That’s worth a lot to me.

At age 71, that’s no small feat. If you’ve followed my blogs, you may remember that I have a history of hard falls on my knees (four bad ones, two requiring ER visits) preceded by being bucked off a horse in the Hollywood Hills five years ago next month. That resulted in a punctured lung, three cracked ribs and six cracked vertebrae. Nasty. And about a month in bed recuperating. And gaining weight.

I’m happy to report I’ve had no more falls and because I also started sprinkling a bit of turmeric on my salads, veggies and meat, no more shooting pains in my arthritic hand joints.

It hasn’t all been easy, nor even fun. The plan requires commitment, tenacity and intentionality. Thankfully, I have a generous supply of all three. And a very supportive husband.

We’ve changed our meal plans, our meal times, our meal styles. That hasn’t always gone smoothly. But it has certainly been easier knowing Arnie has my back on this. For that I am extremely grateful. There are no complaints on his part and luckily, he enjoys making his own meals, which he does most of the time. We’re able to eat together most meals but not always the same foods.

One of the hardest things to do was reduce my previous habit of drinking three to four glasses of wine a night to having wine only once a week for my treat meal.

Yet, that was also the great part: my weekly treat meal. I would credit Dr. Wolf Funfack, the German doctor of internal medicine and nutritionist coupled with Sylvia Bürkle and Birgit Funfack, who founded Metabolic Balance GmBH & Co., as having a weekly treat meal be the winning component in their nutrition plan. Knowing I could have one meal a week and eat anything I wanted as well as having a glass or two of wine at that meal, kept me true to the plan. I have never felt “deprived.”

One of the more difficult parts was having Arnie continue to drink wine each evening while I drank my daily seven bottles of water. That wasn’t fun.

Still, it’s my body, my choice, and I know it.

Many people have asked me about Metabolic Balance®. While it may appear complicated in the beginning, I’ve found complying to it second nature.

These are the easy things to remember, not necessarily easy to do, though:

• Always start your three meals with two to three bites of protein.
• Keep five hours in between your three meals.
• No snacking in between meals.
• Drink seven bottles of water each day.
• No alcohol (except with your weekly treat meal).

Because this plan is based on an individual’s blood test results, each person is given her or his individual meal plan. For me, my only red meats are venison and veal; my only cheeses are goat cheeses. (I discovered at least 20 fabulous, tasty varieties.) The only bread I eat is a German style, dense sourdough rye bread. I learned to bake it. I’ve also connected with two local bakeries who will make 5 to 10 loaves at a time, which I now order along with my sister and her husband who are also on this plan.

Getting past the Thanksgiving through New Year’s celebrations, family gatherings and parties without gaining the 11 pounds I did the previous year was a challenge that I’m happy to say I met head on. I probably ate “on plan” 65 percent of the time versus the 95 to 98 percent of the time I usually do, and I still lost 3.5 pounds!

As I told my Metabolic Balance® coach, Christine Lindell Detweiler, I haven’t set a “by when” date for when I will loose the entire 88 pounds. That was a goal that I set for myself and represents what I weighed at age 30 when I left the U.S. in 1974 for a 20-year European adventure. If I reach my goal by my July 7 birthday, I’ll be happy!

Four weeks from today, I’ll be flying to Cuba for a mission trip with my church. Later this year, I’ll be visiting my daughter in Barcelona, Spain. On both trips, I’ll be eating different, healthy foods and will enjoy the adventure.

In the mean time, Happy — Healthy! — New Year in 2017!

Results:  I’m 54 pounds less than I was a year ago today. I have gone from Size 3X to Size 8 to 10. 

Tips:  Make healthy choices and take one day at a time.