THE STATS: 6’6” (78 inches), 278.0 lbs (Goal: 240 lbs), BMI 32.1, Current month’s weight loss (February 2011): 1.6 lbs, 2011 weight loss: -11.8 lbs, total weight loss: 105.8 lbs.
WEEKLY WEIGHT LOSS from February 5-February 11: -0.0 lbs
The second week of February couldn't have been more different from the first, and I'm writing this update, not because it's fun, but because honesty makes what I'm writing important and real. It's not like commercials on TV, where you see just the great success stories and guarantees of weight loss, this is real life---there are ups and downs, and the point is to learn from mistakes. That's how I got this far in the first place, by understanding, mostly, what NOT to do.
Laurelin and I had planned for a while that we were going to take a day-long exception to enjoy a Super Bowl party with a bunch of friends, as our current city's football team, the Steelers, happened to be in the big game! Well, as it turned out, I went out the night before with a couple of friends, had a beer, a Jalapeno-Cheddar Salad, and about a dozen fries off a friend's plate.
The next day, there was plenty of delicious food to be had at the party, and I didn't hold back. While I didn't go absolutely nuts, I did indulge in everything, not worrying about avoiding anything on the food table. I had some meatballs, spinach artichoke dip, hummus, baked pasta with sauce and cheese, chili, a personal favorite which I brought - Barefoot Contessa's Jalapeno-Cheddar Cornbread, among other dips and dishes.
The damage? My Saturday morning weigh-in was at 277.4 lbs. My Monday morning weigh-in after 24 hours of reasonable indulgence? 284.6. My body held in 7.2 lbs of (mostly water) weight from a 24 hour period of eating! It took me until today, almost a full week, to get back to my last week's weight. Now, I understand it's only temporary, but any sort of drastic spike like that should provide me with something to learn!
Forgive the Chandler Bing-esque answering my own questions to make a point, but here it goes. Do I regret what I ate last weekend? No, it was a great time with good food and good people, and I can make exceptions for those events. Do I understand the profound impact that eating foods like those on a regular basis could have on your body, as delicious as they are? Absolutely.
Would it be smart to make such exceptions (like, "I feel like getting a pizza" or "let's go get some beers and food") without a legitimate cause? Only if I feel like losing a week's worth of momentum. My diet right now is 100% satisfying, and I'm getting every nutrient I need, without the added junk.
So let your "yes" be "yes," your "no" be "no," and let your exceptions truly be exceptions. Don't throw off your momentum for a momentary craving, they'll pass, but the momentum you lose if you give in won't be nearly as easy to get back.
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| One of Fat Head's Saloon's gigantic salads |
The next day, there was plenty of delicious food to be had at the party, and I didn't hold back. While I didn't go absolutely nuts, I did indulge in everything, not worrying about avoiding anything on the food table. I had some meatballs, spinach artichoke dip, hummus, baked pasta with sauce and cheese, chili, a personal favorite which I brought - Barefoot Contessa's Jalapeno-Cheddar Cornbread, among other dips and dishes.
The damage? My Saturday morning weigh-in was at 277.4 lbs. My Monday morning weigh-in after 24 hours of reasonable indulgence? 284.6. My body held in 7.2 lbs of (mostly water) weight from a 24 hour period of eating! It took me until today, almost a full week, to get back to my last week's weight. Now, I understand it's only temporary, but any sort of drastic spike like that should provide me with something to learn!
Forgive the Chandler Bing-esque answering my own questions to make a point, but here it goes. Do I regret what I ate last weekend? No, it was a great time with good food and good people, and I can make exceptions for those events. Do I understand the profound impact that eating foods like those on a regular basis could have on your body, as delicious as they are? Absolutely.
Would it be smart to make such exceptions (like, "I feel like getting a pizza" or "let's go get some beers and food") without a legitimate cause? Only if I feel like losing a week's worth of momentum. My diet right now is 100% satisfying, and I'm getting every nutrient I need, without the added junk.
So let your "yes" be "yes," your "no" be "no," and let your exceptions truly be exceptions. Don't throw off your momentum for a momentary craving, they'll pass, but the momentum you lose if you give in won't be nearly as easy to get back.
- Dan -
Nice work, Dan! Thanks for the honesty. Once you fall off that diet horse once, it's easy to stay off.
ReplyDeleteVery true...what I now call exceptions used to be my way of life. It's strange to think about that now, things have changed!
ReplyDeleteDan this is awesome! I'm gonna stay tuned :) Good luck to you!!
ReplyDelete