Day 227 Nice Weigh Day Results and My Mathematical Defense

Day 227

Nice Weigh Day Results and My Mathematical Defense

I never know exactly what to expect on weigh day. I've had two week periods where I really busted out the extra miles every single day, we're talking almost a 5K a day for two weeks and ended up losing less than I thought I would. Then there are wonderful weigh days like today. First of all let me tell you, with the medical issue I've experienced in the last couple of weeks, I've actually had several days of little or no workout. I've accepted the fact that slowing down because of a painful condition isn't an excuse, it's a legitimate circumstance. So I will not beat myself up. I was prepared for whatever that scale showed me today. I talked myself into graciously accepting whatever number it would be. Four pounds? Fine, five or six? Splendid. A couple of things I've been doing lately is drinking lemon juice and 100% natural pressed cranberry juice in my water. Remember me talking about the detox drink from The Biggest Loser's Jillian? Dr. Amy Cox at The Ranch Wellness Center gave me the recipe. You can find it easily on-line. I've also switched up my calorie budgeting technique. I'm still doing 1500 calories a day, I'm just making sure to eat something at least every three hours. I'm also trying my best to keep meals under 500 calories and snacks at 150 or less. These simple little changes have been wildly successful. Last weigh day I had dropped 9 pounds, bringing my total lost to 146 and my weight to 359. Today's weigh-in showed another 10 pound loss, bringing my total to 156 and a current weight of 349! I'm in the 340's! I can't believe it! There are not enough exclamation points to describe my elation!!! I'm closer to 300 than 400. That's sweet my friend, real sweet.

I've already heard from one person that told me “you shouldn't lose more than 2 pounds a week.” Listen, I understand that opinion completely. But that opinion doesn't accurately blanket every person at every weight. You have to remember the amount of fat that I had in the beginning. Super obese people lose dramatically faster when they make dramatic changes to their lifestyle. I know that my weight loss will slow down considerably someday soon. I know that I'll have weigh days where 3 or 4 pounds will be cause for celebration, I know that's coming. But right now I have so much more to lose. I wonder if The Biggest Loser TV program gets criticized when a contestant loses 23 pounds at a weigh-in. I bet they do! Do you think the doctors and fitness experts that oversee each contestant during that show would allow that to happen if it were a really bad thing? The bottom line is this: I eat plenty everyday and I exercise. I had a four ounce chopped beef steak with Heinz 57 Sauce, a serving of mashed potatoes with a couple of teaspoons of brown gravy, a small serving of whole kernel sweet corn, and a half a dinner roll tonight for dinner. Does that sound like I'm starving myself? No way! I just grabbed a Dream Bar from the freezer! How's that? I'm eating an orange popsicle filled with vanilla ice cream as I type this blog, it's only 70 calories, and it's name fits the taste, it's dreamy alright. And exercise? I'm about to embark on a 5K with Courtney at the trail tonight. That's only about 50 minutes worth of walking. It sounds like so much more. So I could actually and often times I feel like I should really be working out much harder and faster. Let's do some math: If a person weighs 200 pounds and they lose 10 pounds, that's 5% of their body weight. When I lose 10 pounds at 359, I've lost 2.78% of my body weight. If that same 200 pound person lost 2.78% of their body weight in two weeks, they would have averaged a tiny bit more than 2.5 pounds a week. See what I mean? The warning “you shouldn't lose more than 2 pounds a week” can not be applied to every person equally. We're all different, and that's good! OK, enough with the numbers! I already bottom lined this, why am I still typing on this topic? And why do I let a random comment from a complete stranger irritate me? I know that what I'm doing is good and where I'm headed is amazing. I eat responsibly, I exercise, and I'm living, and that's losing weight in a healthy way.

I put on a really big shirt today. One that I use to wear at 505 and that thing swallows me! I really need to buy some new clothing. I never imagined what it might be like when everything in the closet is too big! I use to have a closet filled with clothes, 80% of which I couldn't even think about wearing. Now about 97% of the clothing I own is way too big. That's cool, very cool. A friend of mine urged me to take off my “outer shirt” today and just wear the t-shirt underneath. I refused on the grounds of fashion. The t-shirt underneath a button down---left unbuttoned, is a look that I've been sporting since junior high. Yes it is a popular combination among many people. And honestly, I've done it out of insecurity, not fashion sense. The “outer shirt” has been like a security blanket for me. Just like when I use to wear a coat to school when it was 90 degrees Fahrenheit outside, it's from pure and simple insecurity. The extra shirt makes me feel “covered up.” Do I need it? No. Will it take me a little while to let go of feeling like I need it? Yes. The mind is a complicated thing. Besides, it's kind of fun to wrap the shirt around me to dramatically illustrate how much I've lost!

It's time to lace up the shoes and head out to the trail. A 5K awaits our arrival. Then we're headed to bed! If there's one thing I'm not doing right, it's not getting enough sleep during the week. I really need to seriously improve in that department. Thank you kindly for writing. Oh, and Erin, in Australia right? Listen, your comment to day 226 made my morning! It's an honor and privilege for me to write this blog and know that you're “down under” reading and feeling inspired by my journey. Thank you kindly for reading and thank you for your inspiring words. Good night and...

Good Choices,
Sean