Thursday, December 10, 2009

Day 452 The Slow Self-Image Changes and The Familiar Look I Love

Day 452

The Slow Self-Image Changes and The Familiar Look I Love

Thank you for all the wonderful support and congratulations for my three pound triumph on the scale yesterday. I was very pleased. In the beginning, people would say “Sean, it's going to slow down eventually, just know that.” And I would say “whatever!” Well, they were right and I was wrong! It does slow down and that's OK. I've finally accepted that losing weight where I am now is drastically different than losing weight where I started. It wasn't that long ago that even a five pound loss in two weeks would upset me horribly, remember Day185? Here's an excerpt from 99 pounds ago: Weigh day can be fun. Like when I crossed under 400. If you had witnessed that moment you would have thought I just won the Super Bowl. A couple of weigh days ago when I pounded out 13 pounds, and in doing so set a new personal weight loss record of 119 pounds, that was a big celebratory weigh-in complete with whooping and hollering and generally acting a fool. Today wasn’t like that. First of all, I’ve finally convinced myself that I don’t necessarily have to weigh at The Payne County Health Department. I didn’t have a choice at 505 pounds, but now that I’m well under 400 I have scale choices for the first time in my adult life. Irene helped me decide to save the trip to Stillwater, since we were there Tuesday evening, and weigh here in Ponca City today. I started out by weighing at the doctors office, then I weighed on two different scales at the Ponca City Medical Center “Lose To Win” Headquarters. All three scales agreed that I weighed 374. I wanted more, I mean less, you know what I mean. I didn’t want to take 374 as an answer. 5 pounds? What?? Are you serious? I’m a stickler on my calorie allotment. When the daily calorie withdrawal is spent, it’s spent. I’m exercising everyday. I’m making all the right moves and this is how I’m rewarded?

Wow, what a spoiled little baby! This journey is full of learning. If I'm not continuously open to learning and accepting the truth, then how can I develop as a person and a weight loss warrior? The truth is: It does slow down. It does take more effort when you have less to lose. It's simple math and science really. My education of me about me continues in grand fashion!

I've written quite a bit lately about changes. If you're a regular reader of this blog you already know about all of the many changes we're experiencing in the Anderson household, or uh...households. One of the changes, the self-image changes, was addressed recently in an e-mail from a regular reader. This reader has also lost a considerable amount of weight and is dealing with many of the same issues I've written about lately. This reader will remain anonymous as I share the exchange. Reader: I still have days where I am scared to try new things because I don't want people to LOOK at me. Isn't that pathetic? I am working on it everyday. I am trying to be confident in my new slimmer body but somedays its hard. I feel like I will always be the person that was circus person fat. I wonder when that will change. My new challenge has been shopping at stores other then Lane Bryant and The Avenue. I am now in a size 14 jeans and I just can't imagine shopping at "normal " stores. I was wondering if you had any advice as to how to "get over" the insecurities of being really overweight for most of your adult life? I know thats a tough question but I was just wondering.

My reply: I'm kind of where you are. I'm still very insecure. I think it will just take time to realize. When I shop for jeans, I still hold up the new jeans and my brain says "no way, they're not going to fit." But then I try them on and they fit. It just takes time. I still feel like the fat guy in public. It's something that I think will take a serious effort and maybe some therapy to overcome. After being morbidly obese, or as you put it "circus person fat," (I love that description by the way) for our entire lives---to just all of a sudden discard all of the emotions and problems we created mentally and physically---is really asking a lot. It might sound conceited---but I try to look at myself more. In the mirror or window reflection---the more I look, the more I'm growing accustomed to looking drastically different. Because my brain still thinks I'm huge, ya know? Isn't the brain a strange thing?? When will it change? When we become accustomed to our new self. When being smaller and healthier becomes the norm. When it's no longer a new thing---That's when it will become natural. Right now it feels unnatural because being huge is all we've ever known... Someday, even though we'll never forget---Being thin and healthy will be what we know, it will become the norm---it will be us.

Courtney and I found a perfect excuse for eating out tonight. Most of our kitchen items are still packed in boxes. I know, we could have unpacked them---I think I even said at one time that the kitchen stuff would be the first unpacked, but we've been very busy people! Anyway, we discovered KFC's latest Kentucky Grilled offer: 395 calorie meal for $3.95. That sounded great, healthy, and so easy. Besides, Courtney needed help with homework tonight, so the convenience was appreciated. We enjoyed dinner together while we worked through her really tough assignment.

The 395 calorie meal comes with a grilled thigh and drumstick plus mashed potatoes, gravy, and green beans. We saved even more calories. How? We asked for a white meat breast instead of the thigh and drumstick. All of a sudden that 395 calorie meal became 345 calories. Want to save a little more? If you can live without the gravy you can subtract another 30 calories for a total meal count of 315. We enjoyed the gravy. Gravy is good every now and then, don't you think? I noticed that KFC has revised the calorie counts for the grilled chicken. They originally listed a drumstick as 70, now it's 80. A breast was 170 or 180 if I remember right, now it's listed as 190. And the thigh that was 140 is now listed at 160. Still great values if you ask me, especially when you compare to the fried side of that place. After dinner and homework, Courtney, in appreciation of my help, offered to treat me to a small Braum's frozen yogurt twist on a cake cone. It checks in at less than 200 calories and it's the perfect creamy lower calorie desert treat!

Courtney is busy studying for a test as I write. I'm about to change into my workout gear, ok---uh, my workout pants, and hit the fitness room downstairs. We're loving this new apartment, especially the fitness room!

Oh, I almost forgot to share something really cool. I stopped into the apartment community office when I arrived home this afternoon. Brian is the man in charge and he was visiting with Roxanne, a longtime listener and frequent winner of prizes on my radio show. I've known Roxanne for almost a decade and she never fails to strike up a conversation when we run into one another in public. Except today. I walked into the office as Brian and Roxanne were finishing up their conversation. Roxanne looked directly at me and didn't acknowledge me at all. As she turned to open the door and leave I said “So, you're not even going to say hi?” She had that familiar look of shock and amazement (I love that look from people), and replied “I just don't hardly recognize you anymore.” It made my afternoon, it really did.

Thank you for reading and all of your wonderful support along this road. I'm so thrilled to be writing a post on the night of the day I'm writing. This day behind stuff was getting old! I'm sure we'll still have weekend days that get posted the next day, but usually it will be posted at night or very early the next morning. If you missed it, just scroll down for Day 451. Goodnight and...

Good Choices,
Sean

7 comments:

  1. I’ve been absent from reading for a couple of days and just caught up… I just really wanted to say that this:

    “If our ideal weight loss path is something that we can live with forever, if the changes in our food behaviors are real and well intended, then why wouldn't anytime be a good time to start?” (Day 450)

    is brilliant! I just finished writing something sort of along the same lines and I love how you put this. Very insightful! Congrats on another three pounds gone too!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I get frustrated that the weight doesn't drop as fast either now. I've started weight training, hoping that will help in the long run. But, it is kind of neat when you think about it differently. Before your body was SO overweight that it literally dumped that fat fast fast fast to get to a healthier state. In a way you have achieved a point where your body isn't struggling to survive as it was before, know what I mean? So, even though the scale is moving slower, there is a success to celebrate!

    The self image thing, that is something I'm really scared of. In fact, sometimes I get so scared that I'm going to get skinny and then be ugly (haha) that I binge. Working to control that. Not to mention some days I still FEEL like I weigh 269 lbs...and then some days I feel like I weigh 160 ((until I look in the mirror)).

    Thanks for the KFC tip!! I think I might be having a special dinner tonight :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have GOT to try that KFC Chicken!!!!!!!!! I love the potatoes and I am SO keeping the gravy!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love KFC, haven't had it in forever. Their new promotion might actually make me try it. If they are willing to actually PROMOTE their calorie counts, they must be fairly accurate. I am so often leery of what restaurants say their counts are.

    ReplyDelete
  5. She probably doesn't like you and was ignoring you, but had to come up with that "didn't recognize you" when you called her out on it. Way to make her feel bad!

    *Please be advised that Jack Sh*t is celebrating Opposite Day today. The viewpoints expressed in this comment do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the comment writer. For more information, please go to Jack Sh*t, Gettin’ Fit at http://jackfit.blogspot.com/2009/12/opposite-day.html.

    ReplyDelete
  6. The self-image change is the hardest thing to accept. I've been at my goal weight for over a year & there are days that I still feel mentally FAT. I don't know why I feel that way; it could be hormones, it could be that my shorts are just a tad bit snug, or the scale says I'm up one measley pound. Whatever the reason, it takes a long time for me to feel "unfat".

    Like you said, the more I look at myself, the more my brain realizes that I'm not fat. In fact, pictures of myself help me a lot more than the mirror. For me, the pictures show me how others see me, whereas I see the mirror constantly, not noticing any changes. Know what I mean?

    Anyway, I know others that are also facing that same issue. It'll take awhile, if ever. But the support of others who know what it's like makes the difference in how you view yourself.

    ReplyDelete
  7. It's probably pretty strange for people--is that really Sean??? =)

    My hubby ate at KFC a lot while he was on his road trip. He ate the meal you talked about. I was proud of him, as he's not counting calories, but watching what he's eating--he said it was a great meal.

    ReplyDelete

I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment. Thank you for your support!






Copyright © 2008-2020 Sean A. Anderson

The Daily Diary of a Winning Loser. All rights reserved.