Day #237 - Staying Accountable

I know I haven't been around lately, but I wanted to put a post out just to keep myself accountable.  My numbers are below...

Day 1 Starting Weight- 347

August 1 Weight - 318

Current Weight - 308

Weight Lost in August - 10

Total Weight Lost This Year - 39 lbs

Obviously it was a good month with 10 pounds being shed.  I've settled in to this new lifestyle of eating low carb and avoiding sugar.  When I started this change I was afraid that maybe I was a sugar addict and that any small amount would send me right back on the old path.  It turns out that's not the case for me as I've had small amounts of sugar here and there in August.  Each time I was not compelled to simply abandon my plan and easily went right back to it the next day.

All in all I'm in a pretty good place right now.  In July I had fallen off the wagon with the smoking but recently I quit again and switched to vaping.

As for the alcohol, I barely touch it anymore.  The need to drink on the weekends just isn't there.

Mentally I feel great.  I might not get to 100 pounds this year, but I'm definitely on the right path.  Someday I'll get there!

Stay Strong Folks!

Day #146 - Say it Isn't So!

When my eyes popped open first thing this morning I knew... I forgot to post yesterday!  For 144 days I posted at least something, it wasn't much sometimes, but always something.  What's strange is that I really simply forgot.  It wasn't like I had an incredibly busy day, I just forgot.  I got home late from work and then we watched a show with the kids and I ended up going to bed early because I was tired.

It's kind of a pointer at where I've been lately with my mindset.  I'm not doing bad with eating, but at the same time, healthy eating isn't really on my mind like it was just a month or two ago.  I've been doing a lot of deep thinking, but it's not about health, it's more about me and my life.

I'm not going to get too worked up over this, it was bound to happen.  I'll be traveling next week and my schedule will be very hectic.  There might be future days when I simply can't post.

On the bright side, I got on the scale this morning and saw that I lost 1.5 pounds for the week.  As I said, I'm not doing bad, I'm just not dieting like I usually do.  Come to think of it, maybe this is how it should be.  Maybe I just need to be better than I was and make slow changes over time to get where I want.

As I said, I'll be traveling to NY tomorrow and won't be back home until Wednesday.  It's a 6 hour drive each way so I was thinking about downloading an e-book or two for the ride.  Maybe something about health and happiness.

One last note, I got a phone interview next week with the facility in Wilmington NC.  It's a big promotion opportunity and an absolutely great place to move to.  I don't think I have a great chance; it's a pretty big step to a different division, but even if it doesn't go well I'm still happy where I am.  We'll see how it goes.

146 Days in the books, on to 147.

Stay Strong!

Day #139 - Bathroom Remodel Phase II

To start, I got on the scale today and weighed the same as last week???  I was a bit surprised, I thought I lost a few pounds, but I did have some salty food on Friday so I might just be retaining some water.  I'm not too concerned, I know that I did a pretty good job all week.


It's Memorial weekend here in the US.  Since we went to the beach last weekend, I'm using this weekend to start the next phase of my bathroom remodel.  Our master bathroom has the shower and toilet in one room and then the vanity is in a "hallway" in our bedroom between the shower room and closet (see the pic).  That doorway on the left is the bathroom area I finished two weeks ago and the right doorway is the closet.

Today I started working on this area.  I'm ripping out the carpet and vanity and putting in new tile, new vanity and then I'm going to build a wall that separates the vanity area from the master bedroom.  That will close off the master bathroom completely from the bedroom.

Today I got the vanity and rug ripped out and put cement board down.  Tomorrow I'll lay the tile; it's the same tile I used for the shower walls so it will connect the rooms.

Anyway today was a good day for me, I did well eating and I got a lot of exercise.  The weight might not be coming off as fast as I would like, but I like where my head is right now.

Stay Strong!

Day #111 - Exceeding the Limits

As I suspected, I got on the Wii scale and it said "You've exceeded the weight limit".  This means that I gained at least 1.5 pounds since last week,  Even though I knew it was coming it still hurt.  As I mentioned yesterday, I won't go weigh myself in the basement again.  If I do, then in my mind I've accepted that I'm not ready to take the next step toward getting under 300.  I am ready, I just hit a bump in the road.  So now I'm motivated to get "it" back this coming week.  By "it" I mean my Wii Scale, My commitment, and My Focus.

I'm always talking about taking it day by day.  Well at least for the next few days I'll actually be taking it meal by meal.  What's interesting about last week was that I ate healthy breakfast everyday of the week and my first snack was healthy too.  What killed me was lunch, I went out for lunch 4 of the 5 workdays.  After lunchtime failures it was that much easier to not do well in the evening because in my mind the day was blown. 

So is the world coming to an end for me?  Hardly! In 8 weeks I've still managed to lose 5% of my bodyweight.  I've also been smoke free for 111 days and have not had a drop of alcohol in over 40 days.  So when you put things in perspective, having 1 week where I gained a little weight pales in comparison to the whole focus on improving my health.

I'm keeping my head up because last week was only one small battle lost.  The war can still be won, but only if I choose to keep fighting.

Stay Strong!

 

[Photo: Flickr / David Boyle]

Day #104 - Escape From the Dungeon

Last week I mentioned that I was pretty close to being able to get back to using my Wii Fit scale.  This is significant to me because I have to go down into my basement to weigh in on a scale that I specifically had to buy because I went past 330 pounds.  Today I deleted my old profile on the Wii and setup a new one.  I stepped on the scale not sure if it would tell me that I exceeded the scale's limits.  I'm happy to report that the scale read 328.5.  That would be a weekly loss of 3 more pounds!

Hold on a second, before celebrating I decided I would make one more trip to the dungeon to compare.  As I suspected, the scales are off a little, it turns out I actually didn't lose any weight this week.  However, I didn't gain any weight either and I'm happy that I don't need to go into the dungeon anymore.  For me this is what I consider to be my first weight loss milestone.

The happy morning news was enough to pull me out of my doldrums and I'm happy to report I was right back on track following my plan today.  I also got a lot of exercise in as I was laying floor tile in my bathroom.  It was important for me to get back on track today; tomorrow is my unrestricted day and if I went into it with 4 straight days of poor eating, who knows how bad Sunday would have been.  Now I'm excited about tomorrow as we have a hike planned and I can enjoy my unrestricted day without the guilt of being off track.

So now that I hit my first milestone, what's next?  That's easy, if you remember when I hit day 90 I said I'm trying to get under 300 by day 180.  Well that's my next milestone; I need to get under 300, preferably by day 180.  That gives me 75 more days to drop 28 pounds.  One milestone down, on to the next but only one day at a time.

Stay Strong!

[Photo: Flickr / Emma Jane Hogbin Westby]

Day #97 - Satisfaction

I knew that last week I did really well despite being sick.  I knew that when I stepped on the scale and it showed I gained 1 pound that it wasn't a true reflection of my performance.  I knew that in order to prove it, I would need to put the gain out of my head and stick with my normal consistent behavior for another week.  Today I stepped on the scale and confirmed what I already knew.

Last week I weighed 338, today I weighed 331.4 for a loss of 6.6 pounds!

I'm obviously thrilled with the results.  Take away that pound I gained last week and I still lost 5.6 pounds over the last 2 weeks.  Those are pretty good numbers.  In fact this marks the 6th week of focusing on losing weight.  So far I've lost a total of 16.4 pounds or roughly 2.7 pounds per week.

I also have the opportunity to get out of the dungeon... I've always weighed in a Wii Fit scale, but it only goes to 330 so I had to go out and buy a scale that went to 400 pounds.  There's no good place to put it as my bathroom is being remodeled, so I ended up putting it in the basement.  Every Saturday morning I have to go down there to weigh in.  Next week I will weigh in on the Wii Fit scale.

I can't tell you how many times I let a bad reading on the scale derail me the following week.  These last two weeks have taught me that I just have to be patient; remain consistent and the weight will come off.  My plan is working well and I don't feel like I'm suffering in the process.  I haven't been perfect by any stretch but when I trip up, I get back up as quickly as I can.

Another day in the books, on to week #7 and more consistency.

Stay Strong!

[Photo: Flickr / One Way Stock]

Day #83 - End of Month Results and a New Challenge

It wasn't until I started putting my numbers into my spreadsheet that I realized this was the end of my first month of tracking my weight loss.  January and February were all about smoking and drinking; March was all about the weight (and no smoking and drinking too).

This morning I was pleasantly surprised to see another 2.5 pound loss for the week.  I started the month at 348 and finished at 337... A very respectable 11 pounds lost so far!

I also tallied up my second week of scores on my "healthy living index".  My first week I scored 6.4; this week I scored a 6.9.  A little improvement, but more importantly, consistent with the previous week's score.

This month I really have felt like I've turned a corner.  I feel like I'm heading into spring and summer firing on all cylinders and I'm starting to get excited about what I might be able to accomplish... I think I might be starting to believe!

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So now I need to turn to a new challenge for this week.  Unfortunately, Mrs. FogDog did not do so well this week posting a gain of 1 pound.  For the month she lost a respectable 3 pounds... a good pace for someone who only needs to lose about 40 pounds.  From the moment she got off the scale I could see she was discouraged.  She ate well all week, but last week she lost a bunch of weight and my belief is that her fluctuations are more about water.  Like I said she lost 3 pounds for the month.

Anyway, this event presents us with our first challenge... Staying the course.

This has been our pattern for as long as I can remember: We start eating healthier and we start losing weight.  Then one of us has a "bad" day and finds an excuse to do "bad" things (remember my trip to Chinese buffet this week?).  Usually we recover, but the from that one of us has a "bad" week and gets discouraged.  That person then proceeds to "drag down" the other person because misery loves company.  The other person joins in the spiral downward,  and a bad week for one then turns into a second bad week, but this time for two.  From there it just all falls apart and we end up back where we started and depressed.  Mind you, all of this happens on a subconscious level, it's not intentional sabotage.  One begins to sink and it becomes a convenient "excuse" for the other to follow behind.

So my new challenge for this week is to help Mrs. FogDog stay the course.  I need to not give her any excuses for having a second bad week.  I need to help her understand that the number from this week doesn't match the effort.  From a percentage-wise she's lost 2% of her weight where I have lost 3%.  She only weighs 160 and wants to get to 120.  that's less than a pound each week to hit her goal within a year.  My personal belief is that she should only weigh in once each month but you know how it is, especially when you have a husband dropping several pounds each week, you want to see results and it's hard to stay off the scale.

So this week we are going to break the cycle.  If I have to I'll be strong for the both of us and help her get past her discouraged feelings so that next Saturday she sees a better number.  We are both aware of the pattern which is the first step to beating it. 

Stay Strong!

Day #76 - What Consistency Can Buy You

I woke up at 6AM Saturday morning; I guess when you don't drink alcohol your body thinks it's just a normal day.  Anyway I got on the scale to see that I lost 7 pounds over the week and Mrs. FogDog lost 4 pounds!  I'm now back out of the 340's.

This is what consistency can buy you... consistent weight loss.  Yes, those numbers seem a little high for a week, but half of that is water weight so the numbers feel real good to me.  Now that I've managed to remain consistent day to day for a week, my next step is to stay consistent from week to week.

Remember, consistent doesn't mean perfect.  One night during the week I ate an extra 1 or 2 ounces of chicken at dinnertime.  I couple nights during the evening I was still hungry so I had a handful of nuts.  I even had ice cream Friday night, and I spent every evening after work on the couch.  I was far from perfect, but I didn't let those small, insignificant events give me an excuse to fall apart.

Interestingly, my proudest moment of the week isn't the amount I lost or the fact that I didn't drink last night.  It's actually the discovery I made about using my mood as an excuse to be unhealthy so much that it turned into a habit.  From that point on every time I felt like I was getting moody I reminded myself that my mood was not a good reason to go off plan because staying on plan or going off plan had no effect on my mood. 

Next on my agenda is devising a way for me to measure my consistency week to week.  Remember, this is about total health, not just weight loss.  The idea is that at the end of every week I should be able to tell how I did compared to other weeks.  The goal is to remain consistent from week to week.  I have a pretty good idea of what I want to do, but I want to make sure it's something that's easy but also worthwhile.

As I mentioned yesterday, my top priority this weekend is to not drink.  I already made it through Friday night, I just need to get through tonight.  Today I plan to spend the morning working on my bathroom and then the family is going on a hike in the afternoon.  Normally we hike on Sundays, but today is going to be much warmer than tomorrow.

Day #76 is in the books... oh wait, no it's not as I'm blogging in the morning.  Day #76 is underway, wish me luck.

Stay Strong!

Day #62 - The Small Changes CAN Make a Difference

I couldn't help it, I had to get on the scale.  I had to get on to see what the little changes would do.  If you've been following, this week I chose to do nothing more than focus on eating only healthy food.  Nothing processed, minimal carbs on 2 out of 3 days, and plenty of water.  No calorie counting, no extra exercise, limited sugar (morning coffee only).  It's all part of the entire process I've been going through over the last 60+ days; try to make small changes and move the needle slowly.

So how do you think I did?  Well for starters I'll say that I followed my plan quite well.  It wasn't perfect and I did end up drinking one night and eating some processed chips, but for the most part I stuck to it.  The result...

Starting weight on March 1 - 347.8
Current weight on March 7 - 344.6

First Week Weight Loss - 3.2 pounds

I'm happy that my plan is working.  This last week I did not go hungry.  When I felt hungry I ate, it just had to be healthy food.  Did I eat more than 4 ounces of chicken at dinner?  Yes I did if I was hungry.  Did I go out to eat all week?  Nope, I went out for lunch one time and ordered a salad and water.  I have no plans to go out to eat this weekend either.  I stayed away from processed junk and drank plenty of water.

So what's next?  Well I'm on vacation this week and I'll be remodeling my bathroom.  I expect that I will be burning more calories than usual so I'm going to stick to the plan as it is.  My in-laws are here this weekend and tomorrow I'll get plenty of exercise as we are taking them into DC to visit the Washington Monument and I'm sure we'll get plenty of walking.  With the added exercise I expect I'll be able to lose some more weight this next week; maybe another 3 pounds.

Stay Strong!

Day #41 - Some Weight Lost and a New Commitment

I weighed in today to find that I lost another 2 pounds!  I'm happy that I can post a loss even if losing weight isn't the primary focus (at the moment).

This is going to be a very short post, but I did want to say I'm getting ready to make the next big commitment.  I believe that I might be ready to completely give up alcohol altogether.  The decision has been pretty much made, but I want to sleep on it one more night... Just like smoking I don't want to make this decision arbitrarily; it has to be firm.

On to Day #42.

Stay Strong!

Day #20 - Getting it Done

My daughter's room is complete!  I spent the rest of today finishing up all the little things including putting some cool dinosaur decals on her wall.  I've posted some of the pictures below.

Today I got on the scale for my third weigh-in.  I'm happy to report that I lost 4.2 pounds bringing my three week total to a little over 10 pounds!  I'm happy with the result; it nice to have a less than perfect week and still come out with a decent loss.

Anyway, I'm going to keep this post short as we have family movie night.  20 Days down, on to Day #21.



The Big Reveal...



Before - Ugly Gold Everything

New and Improved

Ugly Track Lighting and Gold Ceiling



New Ceiling Fan

Happy Daughter



More Decals for the Dino Lover



 

Stay Strong!

 

 

 

 

Day #13 - Just Start Already!

I weighed in today.  I'm going to totally gloss over the fact that I gained back half of what I lost last week.  It's not that I'm ignoring it, but rather, I'm happy with my overall progress during the week and I know how much my weight can fluctuate since I drink so much water everyday.  I wouldn't call my eating this week great, but I wouldn't call it horrible either.  One of the things I told myself is that I won't beat myself up or carry guilt about my performance so I'm just letting it go.

Instead I want to focus on something that I did today that has me feeling great.  I started painting my daughter's room!  I've been living in this new house since July and until today I haven't done one single thing to it.  My youngest daughter lives in this hideous cave painted entirely mustard!  I'm not kidding and I have the pictures to prove it. 

Anyway, since I've been here, I've found ways to waste away all my weekends.  Most of the time it involved just laying around watching old Netflix movies and eating bad food.  This morning we got up and I was reading an article in Men's Health that was talking about procrastination and how the best way to stop procrastinating is to stop waiting for inspiration and just get started!  Once you get momentum it's amazing how you keep going.

I stood up and declared that I was going to start working on my daughter's room.  I went upstairs and began making a list of all the materials needed.  We went to Home Depot and got everything we needed (my daughter picked a bright yellow for her room, bye bye cave).  I had to stop for a while in the afternoon because the girls had basketball games, but I'm happy to say that I've cleared out the room, replaced  all the electrical switches and outlets (yes they were painted mustard as well!) and painted the ceiling (which was also a lighter version of mustard).

We have Monday off so my goal is to get the room done by the end of the weekend.  I still have to paint all the trim and doors (all mustard), walls (you guessed it), and install a ceiling fan to replace some ugly track lighting.  I promise when it's all done I'll post before and after pics.  It feels good to be doing something again!

So a recap of my progress after 2 weeks:

1. Still not smoking
2. Not great with eating, but 6 pounds lost so far and eating better quality food
3. Drinking a gallon of water every day
4. Starting to do more around the house and exercise 
5. Starting to read more as well

Stay Strong my Friends!

Day #6 – First Weekly Weigh-in

1/5/15 Starting Weight: 346.4 lbs

 

Last Weigh-in: 346.5 lbs

Current Weight: 334.5 lbs

Period Weight Loss: 12 lbs

Total Weight Loss: 12 lbs

A great start with 12 pounds in the first week.  I could feel that I lost weight, but even I was surprised at how much.  I wish I could say that I did lot today or that I’m feeling better, but I’m not.  I did manage 1 mile on the treadmill this morning and I ate well and got my gallon of water in.  However I’m still in this funk that even this big loss hasn't pulled me out of.  Mrs. FogDog and I decided we could have some chips and dip tonight with our movie.  I think we’ll probably have a few drinks as well.  I know I shouldn’t but yet I still would like just a couple hours to kick back and relax.

Day #6 in the books, tomorrow is an unrestricted day for eating and I’ve waited all week long just to have my morning bagel with peanut butter.  On to day #7 and the completion of my first full week.  12 pounds lost and a week without smoking is definitely a great start.

Stay Strong!

Weight Loss Data

DATA - Things known or assumed as facts, making the basis of reasoning or calculation

You may not have thought about it this way before, but you use data to make all your decisions.  When your gas gauge is on “E” in your car, you make the assumption that your car is almost out of gas.  You really don't know that your gar is almost out of gas, but the little needle says it's so and so you assume it's correct.  That assumption, based on available data, allows you to make the decision to stop at the gas station and add fuel. 

However, what happens when that gas gauge fails and the needle gets stuck in one spot?  What happens when our data fails us?  If data drives all our decisions then doesn't it stands to reason that bad data can also drive bad decisions?

Weight Loss Data... The Almighty Scale 
When it comes to losing weight we make a lot of decisions based on what the scale tells us.  When you step on the scale, you are not just reading a number  When you step on the scale you are collecting data.  Whether you record that data somewhere or not it really doesn't matter; your brain records the data for you and it compares the data with all the other data it has on your weight.  Though most of this happens without you realizing it, seeing that number adds to your pile of weight loss data, and that data is the basis for a lot of your future decisions.    

Since data drives decision, it's important to understand the quality of the data.  There's a lot of variability in stepping on the scale...

Scale Limitations 
Did you ever have (or do you still have) one of those old spring scales?  If you ever had one of those scales you probably remember that you could lean forward on those scales and actually see the weight drop by half a pound (to this day I lean forward slightly every time I stand on the Wii scale).  There are physical limitations to scales, and some are better than others.  Even the new electronic scales have variability.  Here’s something for you to try… Pick up your scale and carry it around the house.  Weigh yourself in every room and write it all down.  I’ll bet you didn’t get the same reading every time?  Slight changes in how level the scale is can actually have a pretty big impact on your scale’s accuracy.  What’s worse, the variability is not the same for everyone, it is amplified the heavier you are.  I tried this experiment and got a high/low range of 5 pounds.

Variability in Ourselves
Along with variability in the scales we use, there is also variability in ourselves.  The process of taking in energy, converting it to what our body can use, and getting rid of waste means a constant fluctuation of our actual weight; there's no way around it.  Weigh yourself 5 times in one day.  You can easily see 2-4 pounds of variability.  Weigh yourself every day for a week and if you are like me you could see 5-10 pounds of variability.  One of the biggest culprits is water.  You hear the term “water retention” a lot in weight loss circles.  Water retention can be listed as a legitimate problem and it can also be used as an excuse to justify poor performance; it just depends on how you want to use it.

The Great Scale Debate
There are those in the weight loss community who think you should weigh yourself frequently.  Frequent weigh-ins keeps you accountable and you just have to mentally "adjust" for the variability.  Since you weigh frequently you become an "expert" at identifying when the reading is skewed.

Then there are those who think you should weigh yourself infrequently.  It's impossible to separate true weight loss from normal variability so there's no point.  In fact, the "bad" data could cause you to make bad decisions so best to avoid the scale as much as possible.

Which way is right?  Both theories are credible; it really just depends on the person and their point of view.  If you are someone that needs to get on the scale to keep from drifting and you don’t see a lot of variability then daily or weekly weigh-ins is probably right for you.  However, if you are someone that doesn’t see the “point” to weighing frequently because of all the variability and not weighing in regularly doesn't cause you to drift, then maybe semi-monthly or monthly weigh-ins would be better.

Know Where You Stand
Everyone has to make their own decision about how often to weigh in and I’m not going to try to convince anyone that one way is better than the other.  If you scour the blogosphere you will find plenty of opinions on that subject ranging from multiple weigh-ins each day to never weighing in and everywhere else in between.  It's your journey and you need to decide what it looks like.  

In order to make the best decisions about your weight loss, you need to know how good or bad your data is.  If you don’t know the quality of your data then you are subject to making bad decisions and that's what eventually leads to you walking down the road with a gas can in hand.

-Stay Strong!

Week #8 Weigh-in

8/24/14 Starting Weight: 347.8 lbs

 

Last Weigh-in: 315.9 lbs

Current Weight: 314.6 lbs

Period Weight Loss: 1.3 lbs

Total Weight Loss: 33.2 lbs

  
 

 

In my last post I wrote a little bit about being obsessed with the scale and indicated that I might actually take a break from getting on the scale for a while.  Today's weigh-in gives me my answer but not for the reason that you think.  I've become convinced that there is too much variability in weighing ourselves (my next post).  Just 24 hours ago I got on the scale and weighed +7 pounds.  Yes that is not a typo, +7 pounds.  This morning, just 24 hours later, I have somehow managed to lose 8.3 pounds.  If you can believe that, then let me go write a book on my miracle diet and I can sell it to you.  No, for me, the issue with my scale is around water.  After 8 weeks I've started to see that just the smallest changes in my salt intake can cause major fluctuations in my weight.  I've said it a couple times, I have been drinking a gallon of water every day.  I had to Google it... a gallon of water weighs a little over 8 pounds!  When you are putting almost 60 pounds of fluid through your body each week you are going to see more fluctuations than normal.  Yesterday and today have confirmed it for me, it makes no sense for me to weigh-in every single week.

Lowlights:

1. Stress, Stress, Stress!
2. Not enough exercise
3. Feeling a little worn out

Highlights:

1. I'm learning about my path and making smart changes
2. Passed on donuts in the office Friday (small victory #23)
3. Still following my eating plan and doing very well
4. Water consumption has become automatic

So I've now had 2 consecutive months of weight loss (at least that's what the scale says).  I'm proud of that; it's the longest I've ever gone without having a week of relapse.  Regardless of the weight I haven't had one of those weeks where you do bad all week long and then "hope" the scale helps you out.  I feel good where I'm at right now; I'm making progress every week with still plenty of room to grow.

I mentioned above that I feel a little worn out, but not from the eating.  I need a vacation day or two from my job; I have to survive for one more week and then I can take a day or two off the following week.  An extra long weekend might be just the thing I need plus I can use the time to get some much needed chores done around the house.

As for the weigh-in, here's what I've decided to do...

When I started this journey I made a promise to commit to 3 months of healthy eating and I now have 4 weeks to go to complete that promise.  I've decided to make another small promise to stay off the scale until those 4 weeks are up.  I will continue to do my Saturday post with my highlights and lowlights, but just without a number.  On week #12 I will weigh again and we'll see just how I fared in my first 3 months of a lifelong transformation.  To the blogging community: Thanks for all the support so far!

 

Stay Strong!

-FogDog

 

 

[Photo: Flickr / 'Playingwithbrushes']

A Little Bit of Randomness

Most of the time I write with a specific purpose in mind, usually about some inspiration I got from someone else’s blog, but tonight I just kind of feel like being a “dear diary” kind of writer and just write a little about my week.  No related picture, no plan, just whatever comes out...

This week has been very much like the last few weeks; not stellar, but not really bad either.  I’m starting to feel like I’ve settled into this rut and I’m trying to decide if it’s a good rut or a bad one.  On the one hand I’m still losing weight every week, but on the other hand I know that I’m capable of doing more.  Do I push myself and risk overdoing it and burning out or do I stay the course and not worry about the minor infractions?

I’m still not exercising regularly.  On a scale of 1-10 for physical activity (10 being hummingbird on crack and 1 being tree sloth), I was probably about a 2 before I started this transformation.  Seven weeks later and I would probably give myself a 3 only because I’m actually spending a little time playing with the kids and doing some yard work on the weekends.  In the first few weeks I put forth some effort to work out when I had time, but as the pounds kept coming off without exercising, it became easier to just let it go.  I know eventually I will not be able to keep on losing weight without adding more physical activity, the time will come soon.  More importantly though, I want to NOT just let it go.  I want to WANT to feel like exercising, or being more active, or anything for that matter.  I’m tired of coming home tired every night; I want to come home and still want to do something.

I can’t complain much about my eating and water consumption.  Occasionally I have a small snack in the evening, but not overdoing it like last week.  The water consumption has become almost automatic; I leave work with an empty (or almost empty) gallon jug every day.  People have stopped asking me to lunch; that’s good, but it can also be bad as I feel a little isolated at lunchtime now.  I was thinking I might choose to go out lunch one of these days; maybe next week.  You know, do it on my own terms and plan it ahead so I’m ready.  My eating has almost become automatic as well.  Week to week there’s not a lot of variety.  Don’t get me wrong it’s all good tasting stuff, but there’s only so much you can do when boneless chicken breast is the cornerstone of your diet.  Mrs. Fogdog does a good job with different spices and vegetables to keep it interesting and we mix in some other meats here and there, but it can be hard to continue to come up with different snacks every single day.

Emotionally, I’m not sure where I’m at right now.  I’m having some happy days and some where I’m in a bad mood.  For the last week I’ve started pulling my CPAP off in the middle of the night unconsciously; though I don’t feel overly tired, this may be the cause of some of my moodiness.  I seem to get mad a whole lot easier than before, but then again, my job is as stressful as it ever has been and I have a very low tolerance for people who aren’t capable of making things better so instead they put up roadblocks so others won’t make them look bad.  You all know what I’m talking about, every place has them, but where I work seems to be especially full of these type of people.  It can be quite a mental drain dealing with the roadblocks.

I just went back and read this post and it does seem to have a bit of dreary or depressed tone.  I didn’t intend it that way it just kind of came out that way.  I really don’t have much to be depressed about; I’ve already lost over 30 pounds and for the first time in a long time I feel like my life is heading in the right direction, I guess I’m just a little tired right now. 

On a final note, I think this week on the scale may be my last of weekly weigh-ins.  Instead, I think I’m going to try to ignore it for a while.  I’ve talked before about my obsession with the scale and how it affects my mood when I get on it.  I’ve posted articles before about how we are not defined by a number, and I truly believe that, but still find myself not following my own advice.  This might be one of my hardest challenges, but truthfully, when I get on the scale I already know how I did during the week.  The number just confirms what I knew most of the time.  The rest of the time it just shows a number that doesn’t make sense and usually puts doubt in me when it’s not deserved.  I’m still mulling it over and I’ll share my decision on Saturday when I post my week #8 weigh-in.

-Stay Strong! 

Week #7 Weigh-In

8/24/14 Starting Weight: 347.8 lbs

 

Last Weigh-in: 319.2 lbs

Current Weight: 315.9 lbs

Period Weight Loss: 3.3 lbs

Total Weight Loss: 31.9 lbs

  
 

I have a confession to make... If you read my last post you know that I struggled early in the week leading up to a small binge on Wednesday evening.  On Thursday morning I couldn't contain myself; I needed to know how much damage I caused.  I got on the scale and it said I had gained 3 pounds!  Now I knew that a lot of that was just water retention; when you drink 8 pounds of water each day and then eat some salty snacks in the evening, you are bound to hold some extra water.  

My last post was all about me mentally preparing myself for my first gain since I started.  I've said it before, weight loss is not linear and I know that I've personally derailed myself many times from that first week that the scale doesn't agree with you.  Much to my surprise, I did not need the preparation (well, just yet anyway).  I had no idea that two days later I would be 6 pounds lighter!  Clearly I was retaining some water from earlier in the week.  This is a great example of how the scale can fluctuate wildly just over the course of a couple days. 

Lowlights:

1. Stress is triggering some bad eating habits
2. Not enough exercise
3. Lost control a little on Sunday (unrestricted day)
4. Got on the scale on Thursday because I was struggling

Highlights:

1. I made a great recovery after struggling early in the week
2. Played basketball with the kids 3 times for some fun exercise
3. Still drinking plenty of water
4. Learning from my mistakes instead of letting them beat me down

Week #7 was a week of learning more about me.  I learned a little about my willpower limits as well as how stress is affecting me.  I also learned about my own weight fluctuations.  Imagine if I had let the scale reading on Thursday get to me.  Clearly I was retaining water a little.  Come to think of it, imagine if I was retaining water on one of my Saturday weigh-ins.  Imagine how it could derail my entire week.  I'm proud of the fact that I didn't fold when the scale didn't read what I liked; when it happened I made a choice to fight instead of running for the hills (small victory #22).  Now if I can just figure out how to stay off the scale...

 

 Stay Strong!

-FogDog

 

 

[Photo: Flickr / Alan Cleaver]

Week #5 Weigh-In

8/24/14 Starting Weight: 347.8 lbs

 

Last Weigh-in: 329.4 lbs

Current Weight: 327.6 lbs

Period Weight Loss: 1.8 lbs

Total Weight Loss: 20.2 lbs

  
 

OK, so this is one of those weeks where I have to tread carefully.  On the one hand I am happy to have lost some more weight and I know that crossing over 20 pounds in just 5 weeks is a great accomplishment.

 

On the other hand though, I know that I am fully capable of much more.  During the week I could see some of my "old" habits creeping to the surface.  This early in my transformation I should lose more than 1.8 pounds and I know it.

 

However, one of my other "old" habits was beating myself up for not being perfect.  I certainly wasn't perfect this week in any stretch of the imagination, but that shouldn't be cause to feel guilty, get depressed, then go on a bender.  I recognize simply this... I wasn't perfect, but at the same time it wasn't good enough either.   I need to pick it up a little.

 

I did have couple more small victories... My Boss's Boss brought me a bowl full of homemade cookies to give to my team for all the hard work we've been doing.  I left the bowl in my office for 3 days before all those cookies were gone; I never ate a single cookie (Small Victory #18).  I also had a working lunch on Thursday.  Instead of eating a box lunch from Panera, I ate my own lunch (Small Victory #19).

 

I also reached my first milestone!  Now looking above you might think my first milestone was to lose 20 pounds, but I'm not a very traditional person.  My first milestone wasn't really about pounds (directly anyway).  My first milestone was to be able to get back on my Wii scale!  I like my Wii scale because you can't just step on it; you have to turn it on, push buttons, wait for the darn thing to tall you how fat you are, etc.  This is a good thing because you have to really want to weigh yourself if you are going to go through all those steps, it helps me to reduce casual daily weigh-ins.

 

Anyway, the Wii scale tops out at 330 and even if you're close to that number then it will give you an error (I tried last week at 329.4 and it didn't work).  Today I was able to get on it and it told me that today was my 1999th day using the scale.  WOW! that's over 5 years.  It also told me that it has been 212 days since I last weighed in.  That's how long it has been since I've been able to get on that scale, sad isn't it?

 

Highlights:

1. First milestone reached!
2. Water goal met every single day
3. Worked out several nights after work
4. Recognized the need to be accountable but also recognized I can't beat myself up either

Lowlights:

1. Nightly snacking on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday... out of plan
2. Still not exercising routinely
3. Little too much TV (see lowlight #1)

 

I did have some more victories this week and even when I slipped up a little, I did manage to contain the damage (the nightly snacking consisted of just some pretzels and a couple of granola bars).  What has me feeling good right now is that I'm beginning to recognize the things that typically derail me (like beating myself up or feeling guilty about a slip).  Feeling guilty tends to lead to more failure; instead, accept your actions for what they are, address it, and then move on.  This is why I said I have to be careful; I need to hold myself accountable without beating myself up too much.  It's a tough balancing act!

 

Stay Strong!

-FogDog

 

 

[Photo: Flickr / Timothy Chris Plascik]

Week #4 Weigh-In September 20, 2014

8/24/14 Starting Weight: 347.8 lbs

 

Last Weigh-in: 333.6 lbs

Current Weight: 329.4 lbs

Period Weight Loss: 4.2 lbs

Total Weight Loss: 18.4 lbs

  

 

I woke up this morning feeling like a kid on Christmas morning!  Last week I made a promise to myself to stay off the scale all week long.  I kept that promise (Small Victory #16) and this morning I was excited to see how my efforts paid off.  Another 4.2 pounds lost.  That number works for me.  It's a fair number and I feel liked I've earned every bit of it.

Today's weigh-in puts me at 18.4 pounds in the first month.  Any month that you lose more than 18 pounds is a good one in my book!  This has been a great start.  What has me even more excited is that I am doing so well (on the scale) and I still have room for improvement. 
 
More important, though, is just how I feel.  After a month of transformation effort I can say I feel great.  It doesn't feel like I'm wading through quicksand like past efforts have felt.  It also doesn't feel like I'm burning out; another problem I've run into on some past efforts.
 
An Important Part About Blogging - Helping to Gain Perspective:
 
Normally I post some highlights and lowlights with my weigh-in, but this week I gained a little perspective that I would like to share...
 
On both my restarts I was tempted to wipe everything out and start all over.  On both occasions I chose not to and I'm glad I didn't.  It's part of my entire journey and although my path has gone astray many times, it still offers me perspective and learning. 
 
Today is a great example of gaining some more perspective.  If you go back into my archives you would see that one day my best friend and I started a 30 day weight loss challenge.  I put everything into that challenge and ultimately I lost 17.2 pounds.  The posting of the results to that challenge also coincided with my last blog entry in 2010.  By the end I had become so burned out that I just simply collapsed beck into bad eating habits.  With that came some weight gain followed by hiding from the blogging world because I was so ashamed.
 
Compare those 30 days to my last, where I have felt inspired to be healthy.  I haven't forced myself to suffer all to see a number on a scale.  Instead of counting down the days "till this challenge is over" I'm looking forward to finding ways to enjoy my life as my health begins to improve. Instead of feeling deprived of something I'm questioning why I felt I needed it in the first place.  The focus is clearly much more mental than it is about the physical.  Most people think that if they lose weight it will make them happy.  I wrote an article about this some time ago (original post here), and now I'm beginning to believe it... you don't need to lose weight to be happy, you need to be happy in order to lose weight.
 
In my 30 Day Weight Loss Challenge I suffered through the whole experience.  I was miserable and couldn't wait for it to end.  Ultimately it contributed to me stopping my transformation because I was so burned out.  My reward for those 30 days was the number 17.2.
 
In my last 30 days I have enjoyed my life.  I've discovered some things about me and I haven't felt deprived in anyway.  I have more room to grow and I'm excited to see what the next 30 days brings me.  My reward for the last 30 days was the number 18.4. 

How's that for a little perspective?
 
Stay Strong!
-FogDog

 

 

[Photo: Flickr / Timothy Krause]

Week #3 Weigh-In September 13, 2014

8/24/14 Starting Weight: 347.8 lbs

 

Last Weigh-in: 336 lbs

Current Weight: 333.6 lbs

Period Weight Loss: 2.4 lbs

Total Weight Loss: 14.2 lbs

 

 

 

 

After losing almost 12 pounds in the first 2 weeks, I was a little worried about what I would see this week (yes I write about the evils of the scale but I'm not immune to its charm either).  I was very happy to see that I lost 2.4 pounds.  I know that I gave it my best this week and I feel great!

 

Highlights:

1. I did a great job with my eating plan
2. I hit my target every day drinking at least a gallon of water
3. I had an incredibly bad day and did not let that deter my plans.  I even got an extra exercise session in to help deal with the stress
4. After 3 weeks of healthy living I'm feeling great; my mood is very much improved!

Lowlights:

1. I became obsessed with the scale.  We left it out from the previous week and I stood on it at least a half dozen times during the week.  I promptly put the scale away this morning after weighing in and made a small promise to stay off it for at least 1 week.
2. I missed one day of exercise mid week and I'm re-evaluating my current (rigid) exercise plan
3. I've abandoned morning meditation

Three weeks in the books and now I'm starting to see some areas where I need to adjust.  You can expect to see some posts in the coming week about these adjustments.

It's also worth noting that if you go to my weight loss tracking page, you can see that when I restarted my blog in 2012 I lost 11 pounds in 3 months.  I've actually lost more weight this time in just 3 weeks!

Stay Strong!

[Photo: Flickr / Bradley Eldridge]