Today's trip to the Y found an unexpected gain in my efforts to delay hip replacement surgery and probably the greatest step I've taken since starting the program.

I went through the whole routine--riding the machine for 12 minutes, the hot tub, and the full water workout. I felt good after finishing rather than the wimped out feeling I'd been experiencing. Even though it wasn't in my program as proscribed by the therapist and surgeon, I got in the big pool and swam a couple of laps. While I'm clearly not ready for Michael Phelps or Amanda Beard, this was a major step for me and barring any problems from today, one I hope to start building on. I finished up in the hot tub, and then the sauna.

Swimming 2 laps doesn't sound like much but when you had gotten to the point of not being able to walk 20 yds, it's a big deal.

The only discouraging thing from today was my lack of weight loss. I'm holding steady at 268. I am fully aware that as I continue to change fat into muscle, and I have a lot of fat and very little muscle, the weight will come off. I just wish it would speed up a little.