Want a perfect example of how excruciatingly up and down this whole process can be?
As you know from yesterday, I had to delay my weigh-in because the training room at Clemson was closed. So today it was off to my backup scales at a local grocery store.
Throughout the six months I've been doing this, I have used those backup scales quite regularly - mostly during the week if I'm in the area to check up on the week's progress. I've used them so often that I know exactly the difference in what my weight shows on it, compared to the scales at Clemson.
Let me repeat that. I know the exact difference. Exact.
The backup scales always show me three pounds heavier than the scales at Clemson. Always.
Never a variance.
Am I being too vague?
Yet when I stepped on those scales this morning and it said I have lost seven pounds since last week's weigh-in, I panicked.
That can't be right, can it? Is there anyway I can get into Clemson? Does anyone have a key?
Again. I have the difference between the two scales down to a science. And allowing for the difference, it said I lost seven pounds. Yet I considered faking the story this morning because I didn't want to believe it.
But you know what? If it's been accurate for six months, it's accurate today. At least that's what I have to believe. So, I turned in one of my best weeks in a long, long time.
It brings my total to 65 lost.
Probably no coincidence that I began exercising daily in the pool last week, eh?
Anyway, here's the scorecard:
Week One - Lost 9
Week Two - Lost 3
Week Three - Lost 3
Week Four - Lost 0
Week Five - Lost 9
Week Six - Lost 5
Week Seven - GAINED 2
Week Eight - Lost 0
Week Nine - Lost 5
Week 10 - Lost 1
Week 11 - Lost 3
Week 12 - Lost 0
Week 13 - Lost 7
Week 14 - Lost 1
Week 15 - GAINED 3
Week 16 - Lost 5
Week 17 - GAINED 3
Week 18 - Lost 4
Week 19 - Lost 3
Week 20 - Lost 0
Week 21 - Lost 6
Week 22 - No Weigh-In Due To Traveling
Week 23 - Lost 1 (Covers Week 22 as well)
Week 24 - No Weigh-In Due to Schedule Change
Week 25 - Lost 0 (Covers Week 24 as well)
Week 26 - Lost 1
Week 27 - Lost 7
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Weigh-In Delay
Can't weigh-in until tomorrow.
Went to Clemson today, my normal day to make the scales squeal, but the training room was locked up. On the door was a sign saying it would be closed from June 24-30.
I was there on Monday, the 23rd. Apparently the note was on the door then, too. Except that the door was propped open and you couldn't see the note.
So, I will go to my backup place tomorrow.
Stay tuned.
Went to Clemson today, my normal day to make the scales squeal, but the training room was locked up. On the door was a sign saying it would be closed from June 24-30.
I was there on Monday, the 23rd. Apparently the note was on the door then, too. Except that the door was propped open and you couldn't see the note.
So, I will go to my backup place tomorrow.
Stay tuned.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Motivation
It's funny that six months into this thing I still find myself fighting the urge to chuck it all and live out the rest of my days fat and miserable.
Not that it's unexpected, I suppose. But I guess while I'm learning lessons about what, how and when to eat, I'm also still fighting 22 years of previous programming.
Though I haven't written about it until tonight, the fact is that I find myself struggling with motivation these days. I'm sure it will pass. At least I hope it will. But I don't know, really.
Six months. This is uncharted territory for me. In the past it was a month or two, then the motivation would begin to wane as the temptation began to rise. Shortly thereafter it was goodbye diet, hello same old unhealthy lifestyle.
I think part of it has to do with the numbers.
I look back at the last five weeks and see just two pounds gone. And while the reality of the situation is that being on the road and my daughter's graduation were tremendous obstacles I overcame in order to hold serve during that time, my apparently black-and-white way of thinking sometimes only sees the scoreboard.
If I had to pinpoint something right now (besides the urge to dive headfirst into a bathtub full of beer and chicken wings), I'd say it's patience. Or lack of it.
There have been times in my life when I've had problems with patience, and this is turning out to be one of them. I want the weight gone, and I want it gone now. And I have to constantly step back and remind myself something I've told you before:
It took 22 years to build this magnificent temple. It ain't coming off in just a few months.
So, I press on. Bobbing and weaving as temptation fires one haymaker after another.
Bloodied, battered, but not beaten.
Not yet.
Not that it's unexpected, I suppose. But I guess while I'm learning lessons about what, how and when to eat, I'm also still fighting 22 years of previous programming.
Though I haven't written about it until tonight, the fact is that I find myself struggling with motivation these days. I'm sure it will pass. At least I hope it will. But I don't know, really.
Six months. This is uncharted territory for me. In the past it was a month or two, then the motivation would begin to wane as the temptation began to rise. Shortly thereafter it was goodbye diet, hello same old unhealthy lifestyle.
I think part of it has to do with the numbers.
I look back at the last five weeks and see just two pounds gone. And while the reality of the situation is that being on the road and my daughter's graduation were tremendous obstacles I overcame in order to hold serve during that time, my apparently black-and-white way of thinking sometimes only sees the scoreboard.
If I had to pinpoint something right now (besides the urge to dive headfirst into a bathtub full of beer and chicken wings), I'd say it's patience. Or lack of it.
There have been times in my life when I've had problems with patience, and this is turning out to be one of them. I want the weight gone, and I want it gone now. And I have to constantly step back and remind myself something I've told you before:
It took 22 years to build this magnificent temple. It ain't coming off in just a few months.
So, I press on. Bobbing and weaving as temptation fires one haymaker after another.
Bloodied, battered, but not beaten.
Not yet.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Fun Way To Exercise
I hate exercise.
At least the kind of exercise which has you in a gym lifting weights, or running on a treadmill, or riding a stationary bike. Never have cared for it.
As I've stated before, I much preferred - when I was able to do so - playing basketball for a couple of hours, or playing baseball/softball. Tossing the football around. Anything along those lines.
I wrote a few months back about buying the exercise bike for the house, and doing so against my better judgement. After a few weeks of half-hearted work on it, the bike is doing just what I thought it would - serving as a glorified clothing rack and collecting dust.
Okay, so it wasn't one of my better decisions.
But there's hope on the horizon. After a few weeks of fixing leaky pipes and patching a few holes in the liner, we got our pool up and running this past weekend.
Each of the last couple of days I've spent at least an hour in there, doing some calculated exercises as well as just some general thrashing about. It's been a great addition to my afternoons and evenings as the temperatures have stayed in the high 90's.
But for me, mental case that I am, it doesn't smack of boring old workouts. Whereas I hate the gym, I love the pool. And in just a couple of days I can already tell that it's been beneficial, as I am a bit sore in some places I haven't been sore in a while (keep your mind out of the gutter, please).
So perhaps the next few weeks will see an acceleration in the weight-loss process. No guarantees, of course.
But I can promise you this. I sure as Sam Hill don't dread coming home to get in the water.
Good thing there's no sand around, though. I hate when Greenpeace-niks try to roll me back into the ocean.
At least the kind of exercise which has you in a gym lifting weights, or running on a treadmill, or riding a stationary bike. Never have cared for it.
As I've stated before, I much preferred - when I was able to do so - playing basketball for a couple of hours, or playing baseball/softball. Tossing the football around. Anything along those lines.
I wrote a few months back about buying the exercise bike for the house, and doing so against my better judgement. After a few weeks of half-hearted work on it, the bike is doing just what I thought it would - serving as a glorified clothing rack and collecting dust.
Okay, so it wasn't one of my better decisions.
But there's hope on the horizon. After a few weeks of fixing leaky pipes and patching a few holes in the liner, we got our pool up and running this past weekend.
Each of the last couple of days I've spent at least an hour in there, doing some calculated exercises as well as just some general thrashing about. It's been a great addition to my afternoons and evenings as the temperatures have stayed in the high 90's.
But for me, mental case that I am, it doesn't smack of boring old workouts. Whereas I hate the gym, I love the pool. And in just a couple of days I can already tell that it's been beneficial, as I am a bit sore in some places I haven't been sore in a while (keep your mind out of the gutter, please).
So perhaps the next few weeks will see an acceleration in the weight-loss process. No guarantees, of course.
But I can promise you this. I sure as Sam Hill don't dread coming home to get in the water.
Good thing there's no sand around, though. I hate when Greenpeace-niks try to roll me back into the ocean.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Six Months In The Books
Today was my six-month weigh-in.
I had hoped to be at 60 pounds gone by this time, a nice, even average of 10 pounds lost per month. But, came up just short.
I did lose one pound this week, which puts me at 58 total.
Obviously, I'm still happy with how things are going. I've just got to make sure my motivation stays strong. I've noticed it wavering a little in recent weeks, but that's not unusual in a process like this.
Keep the comments and emails coming. They are a greater source of that motivation than you realize.
The Scorecard:
Week One - Lost 9
Week Two - Lost 3
Week Three - Lost 3
Week Four - Lost 0
Week Five - Lost 9
Week Six - Lost 5
Week Seven - GAINED 2
Week Eight - Lost 0
Week Nine - Lost 5
Week 10 - Lost 1
Week 11 - Lost 3
Week 12 - Lost 0
Week 13 - Lost 7
Week 14 - Lost 1
Week 15 - GAINED 3
Week 16 - Lost 5
Week 17 - GAINED 3
Week 18 - Lost 4
Week 19 - Lost 3
Week 20 - Lost 0
Week 21 - Lost 6
Week 22 - No Weigh-In Due To Traveling
Week 23 - Lost 1 (Covers Week 22 as well)
Week 24 - No Weigh-In Due to Schedule Change
Week 25 - Lost 0 (Covers Week 24 as well)
Week 26 - Lost 1
I had hoped to be at 60 pounds gone by this time, a nice, even average of 10 pounds lost per month. But, came up just short.
I did lose one pound this week, which puts me at 58 total.
Obviously, I'm still happy with how things are going. I've just got to make sure my motivation stays strong. I've noticed it wavering a little in recent weeks, but that's not unusual in a process like this.
Keep the comments and emails coming. They are a greater source of that motivation than you realize.
The Scorecard:
Week One - Lost 9
Week Two - Lost 3
Week Three - Lost 3
Week Four - Lost 0
Week Five - Lost 9
Week Six - Lost 5
Week Seven - GAINED 2
Week Eight - Lost 0
Week Nine - Lost 5
Week 10 - Lost 1
Week 11 - Lost 3
Week 12 - Lost 0
Week 13 - Lost 7
Week 14 - Lost 1
Week 15 - GAINED 3
Week 16 - Lost 5
Week 17 - GAINED 3
Week 18 - Lost 4
Week 19 - Lost 3
Week 20 - Lost 0
Week 21 - Lost 6
Week 22 - No Weigh-In Due To Traveling
Week 23 - Lost 1 (Covers Week 22 as well)
Week 24 - No Weigh-In Due to Schedule Change
Week 25 - Lost 0 (Covers Week 24 as well)
Week 26 - Lost 1
Friday, June 13, 2008
Milestone Approaching
If you noticed on my last scorecard, this week's weigh-in was Week No. 25.
That means next weigh-in marks six months I've been on this road to better health.
It's really hard to fathom sometimes. Over the last 10-12 years I've tried so many different times to lose weight, sometimes lasting a month or two and sometimes just a day or two. So to make the six month mark means quite a bit to me.
If I can get three pounds off this week, that will get me to 60. An average of 10 pounds per month.
It's not Biggest Loser weight loss, but it's slow and steady. I'm told that's the best way to keep it off once it goes away.
Regardless, reaching the six-month mark is quite an accomplishment, considering past failures.
I can only imagine what the first year anniversary will feel like.
That means next weigh-in marks six months I've been on this road to better health.
It's really hard to fathom sometimes. Over the last 10-12 years I've tried so many different times to lose weight, sometimes lasting a month or two and sometimes just a day or two. So to make the six month mark means quite a bit to me.
If I can get three pounds off this week, that will get me to 60. An average of 10 pounds per month.
It's not Biggest Loser weight loss, but it's slow and steady. I'm told that's the best way to keep it off once it goes away.
Regardless, reaching the six-month mark is quite an accomplishment, considering past failures.
I can only imagine what the first year anniversary will feel like.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Status Quo
Weigh-in day. First one in two weeks.
After my daughter's graduation weekend, full of cookouts, cake and ice cream, chips, snacks and the like - all of which I allowed myself to partake of - I hit the scales today.
I haven't gained a pound.
Haven't lost one, either. But maintained the 57-pound mark throughout the two weeks.
I'm a little surprised, to be honest. But happy. Maybe I am figuring this thing out after all.
The scorecard:
Week One - Lost 9
Week Two - Lost 3
Week Three - Lost 3
Week Four - Lost 0
Week Five - Lost 9
Week Six - Lost 5
Week Seven - GAINED 2
Week Eight - Lost 0
Week Nine - Lost 5
Week 10 - Lost 1
Week 11 - Lost 3
Week 12 - Lost 0
Week 13 - Lost 7
Week 14 - Lost 1
Week 15 - GAINED 3
Week 16 - Lost 5
Week 17 - GAINED 3
Week 18 - Lost 4
Week 19 - Lost 3
Week 20 - Lost 0
Week 21 - Lost 6
Week 22 - No Weigh-In Due To Traveling
Week 23 - Lost 1 (Covers Week 22 as well)
Week 24 - No Weigh-In Due to Schedule Change
Week 25 - Lost 0 (Covers Week 24 as well)
After my daughter's graduation weekend, full of cookouts, cake and ice cream, chips, snacks and the like - all of which I allowed myself to partake of - I hit the scales today.
I haven't gained a pound.
Haven't lost one, either. But maintained the 57-pound mark throughout the two weeks.
I'm a little surprised, to be honest. But happy. Maybe I am figuring this thing out after all.
The scorecard:
Week One - Lost 9
Week Two - Lost 3
Week Three - Lost 3
Week Four - Lost 0
Week Five - Lost 9
Week Six - Lost 5
Week Seven - GAINED 2
Week Eight - Lost 0
Week Nine - Lost 5
Week 10 - Lost 1
Week 11 - Lost 3
Week 12 - Lost 0
Week 13 - Lost 7
Week 14 - Lost 1
Week 15 - GAINED 3
Week 16 - Lost 5
Week 17 - GAINED 3
Week 18 - Lost 4
Week 19 - Lost 3
Week 20 - Lost 0
Week 21 - Lost 6
Week 22 - No Weigh-In Due To Traveling
Week 23 - Lost 1 (Covers Week 22 as well)
Week 24 - No Weigh-In Due to Schedule Change
Week 25 - Lost 0 (Covers Week 24 as well)
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