Archive for May, 2007
Losing Weight Is NOT Like Getting Out Of Debt!
I want to thank all of you who took the time to comment on my last few posts. I must admit, I took a week “off”, ate pretty much what I wanted to eat, and now I’m ready to “hit it again.”
In the past, I’ve compared losing weight to getting out of debt. Boy, I cannot tell you how WRONG I was. See, I’ve always used the fact that you lose a few pounds, get excited, and then lose a few more pounds, get excited, lose a few pounds, get excited… to prove how powerful the debt snowball is, where you pay a little debt, get excited, pay a little debt, get excited, etc. But, this example has one flaw. Whenever I send in a payment of $50, my debt is reduced by $50 (plus interest), every, single time. I can predict, with absolute accuracy, the effect of payments, the effect of interest, the effect of pay dates… everything associated with debt reduction can be accurately calculated. In other words 2+2=4. This does not “work” with weight loss. Eat 2000 calories and you might lose 2 pounds. Eat 2000 calories and you might gain 2 pounds. Why? Because,weight loss is not just food in, food out. Nope, you have to worry about carbohydrates, fats, proteins, sodium, caffeine. In other words, there are thousands and thousands and thousands of variables. I hate it. I absolutely hate the fact that someone who is my age, my height, can eat the exact same things I eat and weight 50 pounds more or 50 pounds less than I do.
(As for the diets suggested in the comments… I’ve tried, literally, every single one of them. I’m NOT ungrateful for the comments or the suggestions! In fact, I super thankful for all of the support. But, I’ve been on a diet (in one form or another) for the past 10 years! I’ve tried them ALL! So, for now, it’s counting calories, getting some exercise, getting rid of stress, getting plenty of sleep, etc. Basic, basic, basic.)
Literally, Just Bummed Out
I promised myself when I began this site that I would not get “down” and let my feelings ruin my chance to lose weight. But, I have to be honest, after last week’s weigh in, I just don’t feel like worrying about my weight any more. Seriously, I did everything that I could think of to do, and still my weight just stayed the same. I’m frustrated. I worked out everyday, I ate sensibly, I never ‘cheated’ myself or my body… and still, nothing happened. So, I’m trying to decide what in the world I should do differently. I realize that I’ve lost a few pounds since January, but, basically, since February, I’ve been stuck in neutral. It’s no like I’m some thin dude trying to lose that “last few pounds”. I could easily stand to lose 75 pounds, and my body refuses to cooperate. If you’ve ever read my personal finance site, you know how “positive” I am about my life and my future, but this ‘weight issue’ has really gotten to me. I’ve been in a funk since early Friday morning when I stepped on that scale. I was CONVINCED that I was going to see a 2 or 3 or even 5 pound loss… and NOTHING happened. I know, I should grow up and be a man about it. Yes, yes, I hear you, and I know that I’m whining. Too bad. I spend most of my life giving to others, staying up late into the night on the phone listening to their concerns and trying to meet their needs… DANG IT, I really, really NEEDED to see that needle move!!! Do you understand? My ENTIRE week was centered on that weigh in. God, I hate trying to lose weight, especially when I do all of the work, put in all of the time, eat all the right foods, and the needle just sticks there…
The Weigh In That Crushed My Soul
I have hesitated to write this post. Here goes.
I stepped on the scale Friday morning. My eyes bulged out of my head, my heart raced, and I (literally) screamed.
231.5.
After a week of doing EVERYTHING that I could think to do, I still have not managed to lose any weight. I got down to 229.5 a few months ago, bounced around between 230 and 238, refocused my efforts, got to 231.5 last Tuesday (I took a peak)… and there I stayed until Friday morning. Now, I should be happy that I’ve moved away from the 235-238 range, but I was convinced that I had done so well that I was going to move past the 230 barrier.
Oh well, back to it on Monday. I’ll hit the gym and then go grocery shopping.
Being fat stinks.
