I lost 9 pounds lost this month (and 24.4 pounds in total)! My lowest weight was 197 and I’m not exactly certain why it spiked up nearly two pounds only one day after. Two theories: (1) my body is continuing to fight the weight loss, because the change is sudden and my equilibrium is still at the level of ~200; and (2) I’ve been eating an excessive amount of sodium recently because of the types of foods served during the Christmas season.
Regarding the first possibility, a recent article in the New York Times described the body’s response to extreme weight loss in terms of a coordinated defence mechanism, similar to our immune response to disease. As I’ve now lost over 10% of my previous body weight, it’s safe to say I may have undergone sufficient change to evoke a defensive response.
If it’s the second possibility, this may be simple water retention. My weight has continued to go down every day since the spike, and I’m currently at 197.4 as of today.
I took more chances this month. I started drinking less unsweetened green tea, and branched into more Splenda–flavoured coffees and teas. I returned to eating favourites like pita bread and hummus. I even completely gorged myself at a buffet luncheon on Boxing Day, eating over 2300 calories in a sitting and over 3000 for the day (though I did exercise 1500 worth that night). The net result is that I felt happier, making it easier to continue to engage in what still amounts to controlled starvation. It doesn’t feel like starvation most days, though. I eat what I want to eat, provided I’m willing to engage in sufficient exercise that evening to work my net calories back down into balance.
I also revised my goals. My target of 150 pounds represented my high school weight, which I now feel is an unrealistic goal given that I had very little muscle as a 17 year old. My new target is 162, which I hope will give me sufficient room to retain the muscle I’ve built under this fat over the last 20-odd years.
Dec 11
17
It’s six weeks since I started my diet and exercise regimen… I am now just over 200 pounds, or nearly 22 pounds down from where I started.
To her credit, my wife took our wedding vows literally, loving me for better and for worse. At the beginning of November 2011, I’d certainly never looked worse. I was as big as I’d ever been. So big that even I couldn’t ignore it anymore…
Our 10th wedding anniversary is coming in August 2012, and when I started seeing promising results with this weight loss program the thought occurred to me that a new me would be the perfect gift. She’ll expect (and recieve) the more traditional romantic items, but the person giving them will be both intimately familiar and excitingly different.
It’s not the sort of gift you can conceal all year though, so the surprise will come by way of steady change. It’ll be a gift that gives a little bit each day of the year. And… it’s a gift she’s already noticed, and appreciates!
Weight loss has lit a fire under my marriage like nothing else you might imagine a marriage expert suggesting — an exotic vacation; unexpected, thoughtful gifts; counselling.
The romance is back. For this woman at least, nothing is sexier to her than my mind of today in my body of yesteryear.
If all goes well, she’ll get a bonus gift for Valentine’s Day — not extra roses or more champagne — but me, lighter than I was the day we met.
It’s five weeks since I started my diet and exercise regimen… now with assistance from green tea in lieu of my preferred beverages: coffee and diet soda.
I used to hate green tea. Hate it.
H-A-T-E
This is one of the reasons I suspected it was probably very good for me. I tend to dislike healthy things. Not on principle, but by design.
There’s this odd inverse relationship between my dislike of certain foods and their health benefits. The more I like them, the worse they are for me. The more I loathe them… What? You’ve heard of this?
I was disappointed, but not surprised to learn that green tea can benefit weight loss. So, I forced myself to start drinking a couple of tumblerfuls per day. Without sugar. So long as I was going to suffer I figured I might as well go all out.
After a few weeks I’m pleased to report that I’m still alive and doing rather well. Also: I might have been overly harsh about green tea. In fact, it’s not nearly as vile as other things I’ve drank in my life, such as:
No, I’m not being facetious. I did accidentally drink motor oil once. Just that one time.
It would be premature (and anecdotal) to say that green tea has been burning the pounds off me, but it doesn’t seem to hurt, and it’s forcing me to drink at least 4-6 cups of water a day (in lieu of coffee). Just the idea that it’s widely regard to help, and that I’m seeing (possibly unrelated) improvement is enough to keep me on it.
And I’m developing a tolerance for it. I’ve even got a favourite store brand (TAZO) though I’m also on Kirkland and Bigelow just to spread the misery around a little. And I’m now exploring loose leaf teas, too (Argo, Teaopia).
Truth be told, I’m hating it much less and I’m getting quite good at making sure I’m getting enough GT every day. I keep it stashed around my home, my workplace and my person the way that criminals keep guns and money handy.
If you see me anywhere, come talk to me. I’ll hook you up.
Dec 11
7
I kid you not. The Office of the President no less.
It was too late to fix the problem, and they had no excuse as to why they wouldn’t budge on their prices, but it was a nice call nonetheless.
Of course I didn’t actually get to speak to the President, unless the President is a nice woman named Nicole.
She wanted to know what had gone wrong. It helped that I’d written all the blog posts in this series: I had all the pitfalls described in glistening detail.
They have the names of the people who tried to assist me, are concerned that there was no follow-up, and promise to counsel them on how to avoid these sorts of things in the future.
Hey, it could happen.
Dec 11
3
Today is four weeks since I started this physical rebirth. Sixteen pounds doesn’t seem like much to have lost, and maybe it’s gone unnoticed by other people, but there’s already a perceptible effect to me.
The other day I passed by the large mirror in the washroom at my workplace… and I actually caught my own eye. Surprising, because I’ve never been one to let my eyes linger on myself for very long. Rather, I’ve struggled with accepting my physical appearance for most of my life. I was too plain looking when I was young, and too bald as I got older.
But on this particular day I actually stood and looked at myself in the mirror. My face looked tighter, my abdomen looked smaller, my business clothes were flattering. Without thinking, I paid myself a compliment.
“You look really good today. Handsome.”
And I meant it.
I’ve always kind of thrived on external validation. It’s probably what pushed me out of my bedroom and onto the stages of nightclubs and restaurants (back when I had the time to keep late hours). But there’s nothing like the power of being able to pay yourself a sincere compliment. I’m highly critical of myself. So when I’m kind to myself, I really mean it.
It gave me the confidence to start weighing myself nude. My socks and undies don’t even register on my scale, so it’s not an advantage (believe me, I checked). But for those few minutes of privacy during my morning weigh-in, it gives me the chance to see absolutely everything, and evaluate my progress.
I’m pleased, not thrilled, with what I’m seeing. Over the coming months I want to be increasingly impressed… I’d like to be as captivated with the naked me as I recently was with the dressed-up me.
In the long term it would be nice to think that I’ll look good enough that even strangers will be impressed with my body, and possibly wonder how good I look without the clothes.
Hey, it could happen.
In the very least, I want to make it to the point in my life where people don’t really remember me being fat. Or can’t imagine me being fat.