Hello, everyone.  I weigh myself once per week – on Saturday mornings – and keep track of the results.  It’s part of my program to be in control of my weight.  I have committed to a lifetime of keeping up two patterns I have observed in people who are in control of their bodies.  Thin people (1) monitor their weight frequently and (2) control their food intake carefully.  To monitor my weight once per week is the culmination of a week of careful control of my eating.  I have been weighing myself since January 1, 2019, when I was 325 pounds.  Last Saturday, I was 282.4 pounds.  How did I do this week?

Not as well.  In fact, I weighed 286.4 pounds at noon today.  That’s backsliding a little. You may be wondering, where is the customary picture I take standing on the scale?  There isn’t going to be one.  As Mark Twain said, in the battle-galleries of Versailles there are no paintings of French defeats, only victories.  I am the same.  I will admit the truth of what I weigh, but I only take pictures of the victories. 

So what happened this week?   Did I really gain 4 pounds??  My records of food intake for the week show that I was in calorie deficit and didn’t exceed an average of 1900 calories per day.  Per the USDA, a man my age needs 2500 calories per day to maintain his weight (there is lots of arguing about the exact number, I suppose it depends on the person).  My food intake was not steady – some meals were skipped, some meals were large, and my stomach seemed a beat or two behind.  I had some kind of stomach upset or illness all week.  It’s tempting to say that my gain was due to illness, and possible fluid retention.  Using that theory I don’t really know what my weight is this week.  The last time I had the flu (February) I didn’t bother weighing myself until I was better, so I don’t know what to expect. 

I noticed that I was falling into old patterns this week, too.  (Saturday is the day I reflect on my week and try to notice and figure out any problems.)  I noticed I was eating too quickly, not paying attention when I was eating, and sometimes letting myself get too hungry and desperate.  It didn’t feel in control.  When I put myself in control, it produces certain feelings, and a sense of satisfaction.  The satisfaction comes from working with different parts of my being aligned in a common purpose.  That produces a strong sense of meaning and adds a richness to the experience.  As I’ve tried to make clear from my pictures and descriptions, being on this diet is a wonderful experience.  I don’t spend any willpower starving myself.  I eat all the foods I like.  There is a trade-off, but I am willing to make it.  The trade is that it takes a lot of time and attention to make this work.  That takes some willpower.  Paying attention is hard.  

Making that trade is hard: you have to decide that you value your appearance and control of your body higher than almost anything else.  It becomes a hobby that you devote a lot of time to.  How much time?   At least an hour a day.  Is it worth it?  Oh, yes.

-The Doctor