Every Saturday I weigh myself. That is new. In the past, I would rarely weigh myself, really only when I was trying to start a diet. Years ago, on Instapundit, I read a list of habits, or common characteristics, of people who were thin and stayed thin. Very few people did all of those behaviors on the list, and I only remember a few of them, but one of them was “they weigh themselves regularly, daily or weekly.” That was never part of my life, until now. And it makes sense – who wants to get on the scale and see just how overweight you are, every day or week? Especially if you are not trying to lose or maintain a weight? Now I just do it. True, I am trying to lose weight, but I plan to keep on weighing myself, even after I reach a body weight I like. For the rest of my life, anyway. I have picked Saturday. Here’s me on the scale:
I am constantly surprised by my body. However, the scale tells no lies and that is why I weigh myself every week. Since I started my diet, I have lost:
The Doctor is In
Well, this is a surprise! Why did my weight go down? It’s against a lot of previous experience. I had several good dieting days this week but Sunday was terrible, with travel and lots of extra eating. And I have been very congested, so I assumed I was getting sick. Generally, all that has meant my weight loss stops and has to be written off for the week. But this is my lowest weight ever!
It sounds funny to say my lowest weight ever. I did weigh 240 at one point in the past, but my weight was on the way up. This is the lowest weight I have achieved while trying to control my weight, though.
My original plan was to lose 120 pounds, to go from my highest weight, 325, to 205. The choice of ending number was a little difficult. I don’t remember what I weighed when I was thin. That was probably 20 years ago. I read, though, that the US Army will take new recruits only in a certain weight range for their height. I thought the Army would have to know something about physical standards, so I picked a figure at the top of their acceptable range for my height and age. So 205 it was. I am as shocked as anyone that I am making progress. I am officially more than two thirds of the way there. What is the reason for all this success so far? And what is the potential for reaching the target?
The weight control lifestyle I am living is partly based on a system of incentives and rewards. Every meal is a potential reward (it can be something I really want to eat), and every time I lose 10 pounds, I also give myself a reward. The 10-pound loss rewards are more extravagant than the everyday rewards. In the past I have made myself a cake, made special desserts, and gone to restaurants. Often I have picked my reward far in advance, but right now I don’t have anything in mind, and I am only one pound away from losing another 10. What will I choose? I think of these rewards as a promise to myself and I need to keep it. And that leads us to another reason for success – I have inverted the usual system for losing weight.
Based on my past dieting and how I thought about foods and eating and dieting at that time, I always tried to force myself to eat less, with one exception. That was the low carb diet I tried, where I let myself eat as much as I wanted as long as it didn’t have carbohydrates! That diet really gave me an insight on how to lose weight while still eating rewarding food. But in general, I usually used force, and punishment, to try and lose weight. I am convinced that’s why most diets fail. You can’t force yourself consistently, long-term, and have a weight loss lifestyle you will enjoy.
As for the future, I think this weight loss will continue under the weight control system. There will be surprises, and chances to learn, and disappointments. I hope I choose wisely. But as your body gets thinner and closer to actually thin, I am sure it behaves differently. I will be keeping an eye on that and reporting it here. Here’s to more success!
-The Doctor
I’m impressed with your progress as you continue following your plan. You truly are an inspiration to me. Thank you for your posts and their honesty. It’s not easy but it’s satisfying as I make progress with you.
How nice of you! Thanks for your message of support. This is a big lifestyle change to make, and I love to share my experience with others. It may help them, and it helps me to articulate my thoughts.