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The last week of February was frustrating for me. Though I didn’t “fall off the wagon”, I didn’t do a good job of pursuing my fitness goals, either.
On the positive side, I continue to eat smaller portions. When I’m served more than I can eat, I listen to my body. If I begin to fill full, I stop eating. I’ve been drinking a lot of water. I’m choosing fruits and vegetables (sometimes). I haven’t had alcohol in ten days.
(Note: when I mention my concerns with alcohol, it’s only because it’s a highly-caloric “food”. I don’t worry that I’m abusing the stuff. I just want to drink less of it in the same way I want to drink less soda pop.)
However, I only found time to exercise twice last week. I ate lunch in a restaurant every day from Monday to Friday, and then three times for dinner. (Not only is this unhealthy, it’s expensive.) I’m not choosing healthy options, either. I eat the beef curry instead of the vegetarian pad thai. I have a burger instead of the fish and chips a gardenburger. I’m drinking diet soda still. (I had about 32 ounces of Diet Pepsi for dinner last night. Any wonder I’m so tired today?)
Overall, I’m simply maintaining. I’ve reached some sort of stasis. I’ve weighed in at just under 200 pounds for the past two weeks. Yes, this is still seven pounds less than when I started, but it’s a lousy place to get stalled. I want to keep moving forward.
So what am I going to do? I’m going to continue to pursue my goals.
I’m going to find time to exercise. I’m going to maintain the small portions, but eat more meals at home, increasing my intake of fruits and vegetables. Also, I’m going to focus on the positives rather than the negatives. It’s great that I’ve lost this weight so far, and I know that.
I’ve just got a long way to go, and I have to learn to cope with the periods where don’t make any discernible progress.
Mac
14 responses so far ↓
1 Red // Mar 1, 2008 at 6:06 pm
We’ve all been there, you can’t let lack of progress discourage you. Stasis is better than a lack of progress, and you weigh SEVEN POUNDS less than you did when you started.
Take this as a wake up call to re-focus.
Note to self: Follow own advice.
2 Mark // Mar 1, 2008 at 7:47 pm
Eat at home whenever possible. When you eat at home you are in control and that can make a big difference. As far as exercise goes, do anything you can, whenever you can. Take a walk for a break, use the stairs instead of the elevator, that type of thing. Any activity is better than none.
Keep moving forward and don’t look back at “what could have been”. If you focus on getting activity on a daily basis and eating healthy you should continue to progress toward your goal.
3 Jeff // Mar 1, 2008 at 10:39 pm
Hang in there. You’re keeping track, and you know what you’re doing wrong. That’s a step down the mental path you need to walk.
4 Jeff Preischel // Mar 1, 2008 at 10:44 pm
OK, here we go.
I’m gonna lay down the contest.
Marathon by the end of the year.
That’s right, 26.2 miles in under 5 hrs.
You pick the site (continental 48 in NOV or DEC) and I’ll be there to run it with you.
Let me know.
–Jeff Preischel
–jeffpreischel.com
5 Dan // Mar 2, 2008 at 5:44 am
I think everyone levels off for a while. I had lost 23 pounds in the first 7 weeks of diet/workout but have stayed there for the past 2 weeks. I’ve still been dieting and exercising but for some reason the weight doesn’t want to leave me.
I’m hoping that once I push through this plato I shed a few pounds at once..
Stay on track and it will come off soon enough.
6 TosaJen // Mar 2, 2008 at 5:53 am
I agree with Jeff Preischel in principal, but not about doing a marathon, per se, unless that’s something you want to do. Find something you want to be in shape for, and work towards that. Exercising for exercise’s sake can be done, but it isn’t very inspirational.
It’s a lot easier to “fit it in”, if you envision yourself on a 7-day backpacking trip, or a 100-mile bike ride, or a 1/2 marathon, and have a training schedule to follow to get there.
7 brooklynchick // Mar 2, 2008 at 6:53 am
You’ve done well - you’re maintaining some lifetime changes (portion control).
I’ve lost the same 20 lbs over and over, and this time my lesson is slow and steady is SO much more sustainable. If I eat and exercise “perfectly,” I will lose fast but I can’t keep it up!
If you are making permanent changes to keep this off for life, you will have good days and bad. What, you’re never going to eat a burger again? Keep up the changes, keep a slow, steady improvement, and don’t beat yourself up.
We’re rooting for you!
8 Anne Keckler, Personal Trainer // Mar 2, 2008 at 7:52 am
I agree with everyone else here, so far. You’ve made some great changes. Slow and steady wins the race! You are keeping track, so that you know where you need to improve. You have lost seven pounds, and kept it off. These are reasons to celebrate!
You didn’t mention bodyfat. Perhaps you are losing fat, but gaining a bit of muscle, so that your weight is staying the same? Have you checked your bodyfat, or taken your measurements? The scale is one of the worst ways to measure your progress, really.
It’s good to eat more fruits and vegetables if they are taking the place of empty carbs, but not if they are taking the place of needed protein. I recently wrote about the importance of protein in my blog. Then, to answer various questions that arose from that article, I wrote The Protein FAQ.
Keep up the good work, JD! As brooklychick said, we’re rooting for you.
9 Pam // Mar 2, 2008 at 8:30 am
I am with Jeff Preischel and JD knows it!! He DOES say that he wants to run a marathon - so now DO IT. I even offered “coaching” advice. But I have been pushing him for Portland ‘08, (Oct. 5), which doesn’t sound like it fits you current training schedule, Jeff.
I signed up for a 30K trail race in April, with hopes of doing a marathon in May. I’ll also pledge to racing with JD at the marathon of his choice.
Bring it, JD!
10 Anonymous // Mar 2, 2008 at 10:19 pm
You’re lucky you have Mac- otherwise this site would be “sitting around thinking about getting fit slowly!”
I don’t mean to be harsh, it’s just that there’s a lot of talk and not a lot of action. What I mean- constructively- is that good intentions don’t get you very far. If you’re going to eat in restaurants all the time, just order an appetizer, or box up half of it at the beginning of the meal. Etc., etc.
11 J.D. // Mar 2, 2008 at 10:39 pm
But very very true.
I thought I had it there during the middle of February — there were ten days where I was making all of the right decisions. It felt great.
I’m stumbling a little right now, but let’s see if I can’t pick up the pace again…
12 brooklynchick // Mar 3, 2008 at 5:29 am
i recently read this quote in a WW article, and had to post it for you JD:
“Your weight didn’t come on overnight, and it isn’t going to come off over night!”
Seriously, how long did it take to put it ON? Be kind to yourself.
13 plonkee // Mar 3, 2008 at 6:15 am
I haven’t got any suggestions, except to say ‘keep going’. Every good choice is something to be celebrated. You will get there if you want to.
14 Eden // Mar 3, 2008 at 2:39 pm
I hear ya man. I hit my first milestone of 20 pounds lost back on January 28th. At the end of February I was at 19 pounds lost. Not only did I go backward, but it was basically a whole month lost.
That being said, I have regained my motivation and I am working harder again to go in the right direction.
I don’t know about you, but I think getting out of debt is a lot easier than losing weight.
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