July 25 Weigh-In, Week 337

It has been three weeks since my back started hurting.  It is hurting much less now, but I don't feel it's in good enough shape to go back to my exercising.  I think I must have over done it with some of my weight training.  I miss the running and weights.  Hopefully next week I can start back up.

However, we leave for our annual camping trip next week.  We will be gone for 2 weeks.  The rest of August, I will be doing a lot of traveling.  I am determined to keep track of everything I eat.  However, I don't know when the next time I will be home on a Thursday morning to do my weekly "official" weigh-in.  Every morning I am home, I am sure I will weigh myself. 

Last week, I learned that I lost 4 lbs. in two weeks.  Without exercise, I thought my weight loss would slow down.  Instead, I lost 3 lbs. this last week.  Go figure.  I think that my metabolism is higher from all the weeks of exercise, but if I don't get back to it soon, I am certain it will slow down.  I am so happy.  My weight this morning was 298lbs.  What a relief to be under 300!  I think I can be more relaxed about it mentally.  I know I am in the 200's for a long time.  However long it takes, it takes.  In fact, it isn't about a weight goal.  It's a lifestyle goal.  I am living that lifestyle.  Each day, I can reach my goal.  If I don't in a particular day, oh well.  As long as I don't make my "oh well's" the lifestyle, every thing is peachy.

Living Fit Is My #1 Job!

July 18 Weigh-In, Week 336

I missed last week's weigh-in because I was at a youth conference.  It was at Purdue University.  I did not make the healthiest choices.  University cafeteria food has certainly changed since I was in college.  They had a Mongolian BBQ for Pete's sake, A Mongolian BBQ!  I heard about the freshman ten.  I think today it must be the freshman twenty.  Anyhow, I indulged.  It happens.  Dare I say that I did nothing wrong.  Now I am back to healthy eating.

On Friday July 5th, I woke up with a sore back.  I don't remember doing anything in specific to hurt my back.  I went ahead and did my run and my weight training.  Saturday I did my weight training and rode my back Saturday evening.  Sunday, I was in terrible pain all day.  Monday, I left for the conference.  The pain was there all week, but thankfully not as bad as Sunday.  There was a lot of walking and stairs. I even did a little "English Country Dancing" which is closer to square dancing than line dancing.  Think Pride and Prejudice.  I am still in pain and have not done any cardio or weight training since that Saturday.  If it still hurts tomorrow, I will call a chiropractor.

After the poor eating and lack of exercise, I was praying that I remained even.  I was in for a treat this morning.  I weighed 301 lbs.  This means that I have lost 25 lbs since April and 79 since I began.  I am extremely encouraged.  It's not just the numbers, but I have started to notice that my pants are fitting better and I have to bring my belt in.  I really hope that I can start exercising again soon.  I miss it.

Living Fit Is My #1 Job! 

July 4 Weigh_in Week 334

On this Independence Day, I am thankful for all the brave men and women (and their families) who have served to protect our freedoms.  So many have given up so much so that I can live in peace and prosperity in this country.  My own struggle with fitness seems callow compared to their struggles.

This week has been really good fitness-wise.  I found myself feeling fit, though I don't look it.  What I see in the mirror doesn't reflect how I feel.  The whole psychological aspect of this journey mystifies me.  I have read some stories of people who went from obesity to fit, yet they say that they still struggle with thinking like an obese person.  I just don't get it.  I am not saying that it isn't true.  I believe it is.  But I don't know if I think like an obese person or not.  What I do know is that I have been feeling like a fit person.

This brings up another psychological point that mystifies me: Emotional Eating.  Apparently, emotional eating is BAD!  Whenever I looked for definitions of emotional eating, I found that by those definitions everyone must be emotional eaters.  What does make sense to me is that some people turn to food when they are angry, depressed, sad, or anxious.  So I can see that eating as a way to deal with negative emotions is bad.  In that sense, I don't think that I am an emotional eater.  In fact, It tend to lose my appetite in those situations.

I don't know how anyone can eat without emotion.  I like to enjoy the food I am eating.  I enjoy the look of food, the smell, the texture.  I enjoy eating with the people I love.  I enjoy celebrating with a special meal including the dessert.  Certainly, I don't need food to celebrate, but there is nothing wrong with it either.  Though I have not researched it, I suspect that every culture has special foods tied with their celebrations.  However, this doesn't mean I need to stuff myself silly.  I can enjoy the celebration, the people I am with, and eat a delicious meal in moderation.

Losing weight is not one of those occasions that I celebrate with food.  It is its own reward.  Even better has been feeling fit.  That is a much greater reward than the scale number.  However, the scale number this morning was a nice reward in itself. I lost 2 lbs. since last week.  I now weight 305 lbs.  I am inching closer to that 300 lb.  mark.  I am looking forward to seeing a 2 rather than a 3 at the beginning of my weight. 

Living Fit Is My #1 Job!