Sunday, June 26, 2011

Weigh-in no. 42: Decisions made

First, I want to say thanks to everyone who gave me feedback here on my blog and on Facebook about last week's post, as I was trying to figure out how to negotiate the priorities and limited time and energy I have between now and the end of September when my dissertation is due.  Your moral support, ideas and just general encouraging presence were very helpful!

My last post was Wednesday this week with last Sunday's weigh-in.  That day, the issues were pretty much coming to a head.  I was disgusted with my lack of activity, feeling slothful and slobbish, noting a decrease in energy, and finding that my eating was pretty off-track as a result.

So, I decided that, while I may not be able to devote the same amount of time as I have in months past, I can't face 3 months of not exercising.  I can't face how I know not exercising would make me feel.  And so, I am going to keep at it.

I may not do as much time at the gym as I had been, but I'm still going to try for 3-4 times per week.  This morning, I went for a run in my neighborhood, it took me 35 minutes instead of the 1 hour + it would have taken me to drive to the gym and run on the treadmill for the same amount of time.  So, I'm going to aim for going to the gym 2 days a week (at least one of those will be for swimming) and the rest I'll try to do here at home unless the weather's just terrible.  We'll see how I get on.

Now for today's weigh-in...

Weigh-in no. 42 (-0.4)

Starting weight:   327.0
Last week   :        269.8
This week:           269.4    
Loss of                 -  0.4
Total Loss          -  57.6 lbs

It's better than I was expecting.  Given my seeming inability to say no to food (even though I wasn't hungry!) that was just sitting in front of me several times this week (leftover catering on Tuesday, homemade pizza on Friday, fries and onion rings last night), I was expecting to see a 270+ number.  That I actually had a loss was a nice surprise this morning.

But I feel better than I did on Wednesday.  I've exercised three times (swim Thursday, run/elliptical Friday, run this morning) since then and things feel back to this new normal I've come to rely upon.  Crazy how that happens, huh?  I'm still amazed.

All in all, I'll be happy if I maintain or just lose a little bit between now and 30 September.  Given the pressure and stress of these next couple months, I think maintenance would be a victory and anything more than that would be spectacular.  And by maintenance, I mean both weight and exercise; maintaining this feeling of health, balance, physical abilities and management of stress.  I think those are pretty admirable goals.

On a side note, I saw an acquaintance/friend last night whom I had not seen in about a year.  As soon as he saw me, he exclaimed, "Wow, Jayme! You've lost a lot of weight! You look great!"  We talked about the amount I'd lost and how I've done it.  He told me about a friend of his who's lost the same amount by doing a meal program (the one where you pay them and they send you the meals you're supposed to eat).  He said he was curious if she'd keep it off since she's finished and is going back to "real" food now.  He also said that she had spent about £1500/$2300 on it and I was astonished.  I remarked that what I was doing only cost me £15/$20 per month in gym membership and he said he thought I'd probably be more successful in my pursuits anyway.  

For me, that conversation was really gratifying.  Someone who'd not seen me since I started this process noticed, he affirmed that the way I've decided to go about it is probably the best and most sustainable way, and apparently I've saved a TON of money - even if it will take me longer to do.  Not that he was any sort of expert or anything, but it was nice to get that kind of feedback and feel proud of what I've accomplished so far.

At times it may not feel like much, but inch by inch, pound by pound, mile by mile, I am, indeed, changing my life.


What are some goals that you set for yourself that may not seem like much to an outsider but are really important for you 
and for living a healthy, balanced life?

4 comments:

  1. Maintenance sounds like a great strategy...go girl x

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  2. I have found that if I am unwavering on a few things it just seems to carry through. Chris's post on patience has meant so much. If I drink the water and get in the exercise things seem to fall into place. You have just shown yourself and us that moderation on occasion with a little extra doesn't completely upset the apple cart. This is not a sprint but a marathon and if we can recognize and be proactive about our all or nothing mentality good things happen. I am happy for you. Balance, balance, balance.

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  3. I had a week, well the last 2 weeks like yours. Thanks for posting this though because I know that even when I don't feel like it, I just need to push through it.

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  4. You're going to rock this, Jayme, no doubt about it. And I totally agree about sustainable changes - I have read a few blogs where people did the meal plans, and it's very hard for them to readjust to preparing their own meals - and always I smile when folks use the term "real food." I had a similar problem transitioning from my Lean Cuisine lunches at work to being home without a microwave - it's a little tough, but figuring out how to make my own 250-350 calorie lunches is something I need to do to succeed at this long-term.

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