he only numbers Patrick Smith might be interested in these days are how many reps he does with the slam ball, how many minutes he spends on the elliptical and how many days he makes it to the gym.

The numbers on his scale? Not so much."I feel great," says Smith of Jim Thorpe, who took his first steps toward a healthier lifestyle in January. "I haven't weighed myself. I'm not harping on weight, but how things fit."Smith is sharing his journey with Times News readers. In his first month, he lost 5 pounds. He was happy about that, but he only wants to concentrate on how things fit and feel.Recently, the Pleasant Valley reading teacher wore a close-fitting shirt to work. He felt a little self-conscious, he says, not having worn anything like that in quite some time, but that feeling didn't last long."I was getting compliments," he says with a grin, "and I felt confident."While Smith's primary focus started with exercise, diet is a natural part of his plan moving forward."In the beginning, I was more hungry," says Smith. "Now I'm not as hungry. My appetite is getting under control. It always has been an issue for me."Smith says he's also more aware of what he's eating. He went out for dinner recently, and the menu had a wide variety of choices. He could have selected a high-calorie offering and no one would have known."I ended up with chicken and salad. I was proud of myself. I ate a healthy option."Thommie Wilson, Smith's trainer from Pyramid Sports Performance Center in Lehighton, said making that choice is easier than people realize."No matter where you go, there is always a healthy option," says Wilson. "It depends if you want to find it or not."While making wise food choices, hydration is also key."The body can't distinguish the difference between hunger and thirst," says Wilson. "The more hydrated you are, the less hungry you are.""I never drank as much water as I do now," says Smith. "I keep a case at work. All we drink at home is water. I've cut back on the coffee a lot, and I no longer drink soda."Smith's fitness regime includes going to Pyramid three days a week. On two of those days, he works with Wilson. On the other day, he will usually send Wilson a text and let him know that he'll be in. Wilson will then leave him a list of what to work on.His workouts include strength training, conditioning and cardiovascular.As the school year winds down, Smith's schedule is opening up and he plans to go to the gym four days a week. When he can't get there, heoften takes walks for exercise.One of his ultimate goals, in addition to just feeling better, is to get off his blood pressure and high cholesterol medications.After only three months, he certain he's off to a great start."This time I'm doing it the proper way," says Smith. "I have a good support system."