Thursday, December 25, 2008

Like an Unlucky Englishman...

...I'm going to lose 20 Pounds

But first...

This week I lost 4 lbs! Awesome! That makes today, December 26 2009, a great day. To have been losing weight for a year now and to still be losing 4 pounds a week speaks very highly of my consistent efforts!

Wait a sec, it’s actually 2008 and 4 lbs is the total for my first week of attempted weight loss. Fuck.

I'm really disappointed. However, I'm not going to focus on being down, I'm going to examine why this week wasn't as productive as it could have been.

- I only attended 3 work out classes (Fri, Mon, Tue), of a possible 5.

- I wasn't really active at all the rest of the week.

- I ate too much Sunday night.

- I did what is generally unthinkable to me, which is essentially binge in front of other people, last night, at Christmas dinner. I ate a light breakfast at 10 or so, and then didn’t eat anything else until we had a late dinner at 9pm. Big fucking mistake. I was so hungry I had two HUGE helpings of salad with lots of fattening dressings, followed by two HUGE helpings of ham (which I don't even normally even like), 3 HUGE helpings of scalloped potatoes, 3 HUGE helpings of sausage stuffing, 5 rolls, followed by a late night pre-bedtime hamburger, and two pop tarts. Side note, if your morbid curiosity ever prompted you to wonder how someone can even get to 600 lbs, there you go. Then, repeat. Daily.

- I didn't drink very much water the last few days which at this weight leads to a fair bit of water retention.

So, in summary, I wasn't as successful as I would like this last week because
1) I didn't drink enough water
2) I didn't work out consistently enough
3) I didn't regulate my eating well enough.

Wow, shocking findings.

But really, it is valuable to me to evaluate the last week because I can see specifically where I fell down and where I need to shore up my efforts this next week. So, with that in mind, below are my goals for this next week:

1) Drink 6 liters of water daily.
2) Go to the strength/step class at least 4 times.
3) I got a dumbbell/barbell set for Christmas! So, use those for a workout session at least 4 times.
4) Go for 20 minute (at a minimum) walks at least 3 times.
5) Start writing what I eat daily on this blog.
6) No binges.
and last, but certainly not least:
7) Lose 20lbs

I guess I should address the realism of that last goal, and whether or not it is a healthy goal, as it may not seem like it. I do want to do this weight loss/getting healthy thing the right way; for the first time in my life, I really do. And I know that I have in the past put WAY too much emphasis on big weekly numbers. However, I weigh 614 pounds. A person starting their weight loss journey at 614 pounds, if their first week has regular exercise (even 20 mins. of walking daily), reasonable amounts of healthy food, and plenty of water, can expect to lose that much weight.

I know this because of the tragic fact that, like so many fat people, I know how weight loss works. I've done it. I've gone from 350 to 300 in 2 months, from 430 to 370 in one month, from 550 to 370 in 4 months, etc. And while all of those efforts had many things wrong with them, including me taking my food and exercise efforts to an unhealthy extreme, my first week in all of them was just eating right and exercising regularly and I dropped between 10-25 pounds every time.

This time I want to do it right and I know that part of that is creating a lifestyle change (instead of just "dieting") so that I can sustain my health FOREVER. For now though, I think 20 pounds feels right for this next week. So, I've set specific goals, and the most important goal is the overall target to simply exercise consistently and eat right.

Also, I believe that it's key not to beat myself up, so in that interest the sarcastic portions of this blog will be where my self-judging on this last week ends. Conversely, I believe it's equally important to recognize the successes in my struggle, both large and small, so on that note, congratulations to me for working out 3 times last week, for eating right most of the time, and for losing 4 pounds. I've been gaining for the last few months, so while the number wasn't all I wanted it to be, I am finally going the right direction again. That feels good.

*Bonus Game* - Try and guess how much weight I'll lose this upcoming week. Whoever has the closest guess wins the whole jar of gumballs, a second hand Asia Greatest Hits CD, and of course, a Stages of Change windbreaker! Good luck everybody!!

12 comments:

  1. Hmmmm...I predict 12 lbs lost. Would you be happy with that?
    Given all that you ate at Christmas dinner, I think 4 pounds was a good number to reach today. I have to admit I was drooling over the food choices :) I love all that stuff but I can't turn off the control switch so I must avoid it. A decision...not a sacrifice.
    Cool that you got a barbell/dumbell set for Christmas. I'm working on adding to mine. I like having it under my nose rather than hauling my ass to the gym.
    I like your goals list. I'm going to give you shit though if I don't see you doing it...deal?

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  2. Okay. First of all... you did fucking terrific. I KNOW YOU and I know that you want some kind of amazing, huge (biggest loser style) weight loss every week. Sometimes doing things slow and steady works. It also means you LOST! You were in the negative at least 14,000 calories... and you did some great stuff and you were blogging and you are four pounds closer to being out of the 600's. If you expect huge shit every week the you are going to hold yourself to unreasonable standards and beat yourself up all the time. IF YOU LOST FOUR POUNDS A WEEK FOR A YEAR YOU WOULD LOSE 208 POUNDS BY 2010 (NEXT YEAR) AND THAT WOULD BE AN AMAZING ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR YOU!

    Also, If you lost it slower and with more consistency maybe it would give you time to learn how to change your lifestyle along with the weight loss.

    Rapid weight loss seems to go too fast and the person tends to not make the changes emotionally and spiritually at the same rate as the weight comes off. Then what happens? They regain all of it back (plus more).

    I don't know. I know it is hard to be patient with the process. It is one of my biggest struggles EVER. Patience is part of what we have to learn to be able to lose weight moderately and keep it off in the end.

    I have a mantra for you "This time it is going to be different." So when your week doesn't go as planned, but it is still successful, you can tell yourself that you are doing it different this time!

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  3. Please, please, please don't beat yourself up for any loss. Even though you think you should be losing in larger numbers, you are headed in the right direction. Slow and steady wins the race............at least in this race. I, more than anybody, know how hard this is, how much you sometimes get tired of this race, but we are in it for life. OK, you didn't do good yesterday. Yesterday is gone. GONE! What are you going to do today?

    Oh, and I predict 8.5 lbs! Good luck!

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  4. You need to focus on the positive and what you did do. Not dwell on the negative and what you didn't do. You had a loss. That is a step in the right direction and today is a new day!!!

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  5. I so love what LW said about 4 pounds a week being 208 pounds in a year!! It's so true to remember that EVERY loss adds up!! I know sometimes it seems like it's just trickling away, but time passes my love and with each loss, so will the pounds!! ;o) Hmmm...prizes for guessing your pounds down...whew!! ;o) I predict you are going to be da bomb and any loss you will embrace and celebrate!! I bet I win! ;O) Mwah!

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  6. I love your image! I live in Northern Ireland so that is the currency I use everyday!

    I predict 9lbs!

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  7. So, it's Saturday night...R U doing ok?

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  8. Four pounds is four pounds. Just picture what four pounds of fat would look like if you were to hold it in your hands. That is gone! That is awesome! Be proud. Hold your head high and say, "Man, I slipped up and binged and I STILL lost FOUR POUNDS! I really must be doing something right 99% of the time for me to have that success." Then just keep going!

    I'm excited to see what you'll do this week. What is your weigh in day?

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  9. Hey dude, sorry it's taken me so long to check out your blog. 'Tis the silly season :D

    4 lbs is awesome! Congratulations! :) That's a good healthy loss. They say ideally you don't want to lose more than 1-2% of your weight (in lbs) a week. 20 lbs, while realistically possible, isn't a particularly healthy goal. But that's all up to you :)

    From my point of view, you've made some good specific goals. The more specific, the better. The only thing is maybe there's too many to start out with? It depends on how many you think you can handle, and whether you'll be disappointed if you can't stick to them. Just for example, for the first couple of months, pretty much the only thing I focussed on was my diet, and making healthy choices. But yeah man, again it's totally up to you.

    Hope this week is a good one for you!

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  10. Hey - Thanks for stopping in and commenting on my blog. I've been lurking on yours actually! *red face* :)

    I enjoy your posts. Its a universal struggle thats for sure, but what I find positive (about your blog and many many others) is that we are all continuing to move forward, even if we have a setback. Its good. I'm looking forward to reading more!

    Cheers
    Tamzin

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  11. I have found, over the 30 some years that I have been yo-yo dieting, that the real change needs to happen in the mindset.....changing the way we think about food, how we deal with stress, lonliness, unhappiness, boredom is more important than what the numbers on the scale tell us. The mindset change takes some time.....the numbers will follow.

    Try to focus on the changes in your thinking and your behavior rather than the numbers on the scale.

    I think Losing Waist and Fat Lazy Guy have given you exemplary advice, BTW.

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  12. HELLO! I'm so excited that you have found my blog and that, in turn, I have found yours! Regardless of what you weigh, just know that for the women over here in the U.S... you have a British accent and we'll always find that HOT. : )

    A loss is a loss and you lost 4 pounds! That is SOMETHING. And I'll predict that in the next week you lose 17.3 pounds. That's my official GUESS.

    You can do it! THANKS for finding me, for being my SECOND BOY FOLLOWER, and here's to a healthier 2009!

    Amy
    rebuildingamy.blogspot.com

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