I absolutely agree, hence the smiley on my comment.  My
comment was from the perspective that doing something
non-stop for 7 months kind of makes it a habit, in this case
a habit I can live with.

Per the doctors this thing is healed though I will have an
MRI done in the very near future.  I was given the go ahead
some time ago to do whatever I want physically, including
playing golf when I want to.  I haven't had the nerve to do
that because I can vividly imagine the pain if I muff a
swing and take out 18" of sod.  At this point I'm just doing
the motion exercises I was doing when working with a
therapist, just adding a bit more weight each time.  So far
I've introduced no pain and I hope to keep it that way.

Thanks.  Right now I'm just trying to figure out what I
might need to adjust in my diet to have the extra workouts
be most effective.  I have no intention of going off
low-carb but I still may need to adjust a bit.  I'm actually
not too obsessed with the final weight, just using the
numbers to keep track.  I have taken my current measurements
(chest, waist, hips, legs, arms, etc) and plan to track them
from here on out.  Last night my wife and I spent some time
looking at our pictures from when we were each in our early
twenties.  I've got pictures of myself where I was more
slender than I am now but I know that I weighed at least
210, if not 220, at the time.  The only way that I can see
for that to have been the case was for me to have carried
much more muscle mass than I have now.  I wouldn't want to
weigh 210 again, but I'm not sure I would have a problem if
I could work back up to 190, so long as it is not fat.  I'm
still reading and learning...and adjusting what I can do, or
need to do, to my age.  We'll see.

There are some things I am absolutely happy with which, I
believe, are measures of progress:

I no longer break out in a sweat by simple exertion...6
months ago walking up two flights of stairs had me sweating
profusely.
Though I can still get winded I have to work much harder at
it than in even the very recent past.
6 months ago the shortest walk, or slightly faster speed
when walking, would take my heart rate to frightening
levels.  Now, I have to work fairly hard to break 120.  Much
improved.

I did end up with a bit of a revelation last night...my wife
pointed out that, at the size and weight I am now, I am
smaller than I have ever been since she has known me.   I
think this explains a little bit about why she says I can
stop losing weight now and she would be happy.

Thanks.  For the record: I prefer hugs :)