Saturday and Fourth of July weekend! A good combination. I weigh myself every Saturday. It’s important to do that, even if you know you didn’t have a good diet week. I have skipped sometimes, if I am not feeling well for example. I have found that my weight is unreliable when I am not well. As it happens, I have been recovering from illness this week and I have no idea what my actual weight is. Let me explain.
In 2019, when I got sick my weight was all over the place. The first time it happened I worked hard to keep the calorie count under control, though it was an effort. Maybe I really wanted the comfort that comes from eating and feeling full, when I was sick and suffering. But it didn’t do any good, apparently. After I was better, my weight was exactly the same as before I got sick. The next time I got sick, I let myself eat whatever and however much. The same thing happened – after I got better, my weight was the same as when I started. What is the truth of it? I am not sure.
But I am trying hard to get away from the idea that food should be eaten for comfort reasons. It is better to enjoy the food because you need it physically. Anyway, what was my weight today?
This means since starting my diet I have lost more than 90 pounds! That’s a good milestone. How many pounds have I lost?
What is my weight?? And what reward?
My food intake has been under very good control this last few weeks. But my weight record has been 241-239-235-235-234, an inconsistent loss. I blame being sick. I have this feeling that I should have lost more weight since my intake has been so controlled, but who knows how your body’s energetics change when you are sick. Anyway, I will find out next week what my “real” weight is. I have been looking in the mirror hoping that I have lost more than that, but it’s hard to judge small changes in weight.
This is kind of a milestone, reaching a loss of 90 pounds. Typically I reward myself for reaching each decade of weight, so I would normally be looking to reward myself at <230 pounds. There’s also the fact that I have been hanging out above 240 for six months or so. So it’s notable that I have reached a kind of milestone (under 235#s). I won’t make a big deal out of this milestone, though. I will reward myself for getting under 230 pounds, and also when I have lost 100 pounds (under 225). That’s a lot to lose.
But this is good. This is a new low. A new low every week means I will get to my destination someday. Remember: you change your mind and become a different person. Your body is a lagging indicator and has to catch up more slowly. I also have to remember that it took a long time to gain all this weight. It’s hard to not be impatient if you look at the scale and your progress. But you can be happy about how quickly and completely you changed your mind. The new me is in there.
Change yourself and change the world. Change at least the way the world sees you.
-The Doctor