(I'm not sure where to put my edits, if I should put them on top, to keep it current, or on the bottom so that you have to read through the whole entry...)
MID-DAY EDIT: I had a great workout today. I did a longer run today, which I'm really proud of, although I didn't do as well as I had hoped because I was not properly fueled from yesterday. That is to say, if I had eaten more carbs yesterday, I would have done better on my run today. Still, it was a good run.
I have come to the conclusion that even though I may not like the number on the scale, if I can be confident in myself and comfortable in my own skin, then that is what is more important to me than some dumb number. I know I'm holding onto some water weight, either from Monday's Ice Cream Encounter (ruh-roh!) or PMS or from exercising, and it's just maddening to see the numbers up higher than I would like.
I started to think about what I find attractive in other people. And one of the major things that I find very "sexy" is self-confidence. A person doesn't necessarily have to be aesthetically beautiful to be attractive or desired (meaning, people want to hang around you), i.e. "sexy".
I am thinking that if one exudes self-confidence, then people take what that person does or has to say more seriously than someone who comes across as some basketcase or nervous wreck. And I'm sorry to say, but when one is so obsessed with numbers (calories, weight, reps, miles, etc.), that cannot possibly come across as being desirable.
That's not to knock the tracking of calories here or what we do. That's more of an accountability thing, which is a helpful tool in weight loss. I'm talking about dysfunctional thinking patterns, where it's all-consuming.
OK, I think I'm treading on thin ice here, and I don't want to insult the purpose of this website, so I will end this here. What I have said is mostly for my own insight and not meant as a criticism of anyone else's posts or journey or struggles.
All is well.
***********************************
MORNING POST:
It's the middle of the month so I thought I'd report my weigh-in even though I'm not very happy with the numbers.
Everything seems to be "on hold" until the last week of August, when the kids start school again. I am so eager for them to go back so that I can have more time at the gym to do weight training. As it is now, I have to hurry up and get my cardio done so I can get home before my husband leaves for work (or shortly thereafter), with no time to use the weight machines.
I am already imagining using the free weights and benches in the "Man Section" of the gym to really work on my legs and upper body.
Progress as of today: 22.5 lbs lost so far, only -8.5 lbs to go!
OK, since I read that others are having problems... I thought it'd be best to be HONEST with myself and with all of you and post my weight number.
I had an encounter with some ice cream last night. A lot of ice cream.
But it was not a total defeat. Even though the numbers are up and all that blah blah blah, today is the First Day EVER that I have felt that I have the balance between carbs and protein and exercise and portions IN BALANCE and UNDER CONTROL.
This is like a huge victory for me because I tend to be a black-white sort of person, and what I really need in my life is to learn how to live with the grey.
I can only hope that tomorrow goes as well. I plan to use today's menu as a template for the future. Especially for some very trying days, which I have ahead of me soon. This I know for certain.
Progress as of today: 23.5 lbs lost so far, only -9.5 lbs to go!
Just checking in with a weigh-in. *sigh*
Stuck. Very stuck.
Progress as of today: 25.5 lbs lost so far, only -11.5 lbs to go!
feel better donkey. thanks for your helpful comments. i hope i do end up meeting someone good online. it has been getting better :)
Do you think I'm freaking out????? THIS is what eating frozen watermelon at 9p will do to your numbers on the scale. UGH!!!!
Woke up feeling VERY puffy today. Just call me the Puff Donkey (or P-Donkey, I suppose, eh?).
I hope to update this entry later on today with something more substantial to say.
Progress as of today: 25.5 lbs lost so far, only -11.5 lbs to go!
well, watermelon is filled with healthy water and some sugar! so, it's normal for the water to bloat you a bit if you eat a lot of it late. but, it's totally healthy so stop it!!! don't go totally by the scale. i think you are a bit addicted to the scale, actually. i remember when i get addicted to weight and start weighing myself every day, that's not good. now, i can tell if i'm up or down just by how i feel. i do like to weigh myself when i know i am down, but i am not at all addicted to the scale. if you weigh yourself once per day, that's good but i'd recommend you take an average of your weights for the week to see if you are really up/down. so, average 7 days and see where you are week to week. that's what i'd do.
i am STILL doing pushups and i love them so! thank you thank you thank you! I like how they make my shoulders look BROADER. it makes me look more athletic. yay! :)
Several things to talk about:
1. I started seeing a therapist 2 weeks ago and he knows about these issues I have with food and weight. I try not to give them too much of the therapy sessions because that's not what's REALLY bothering me. The food and the weight -- that's just noise to protect me from facing my real problems.
2. It's not about the numbers. Ha ha - sometimes I forget this, as you saw in yesterday's post. I hit a really low point yesterday, and that's when the numbers (calories, weight, exercise, etc.) kind of take over my brain. Total defense mechanism, but I can't go there. Or if I do, I have to make sure I don't stay there too long or turning around will be harder and harder.
3. Being thin doesn't count if you're not healthy & happy. This kind of repeats #2 listed above, but more compactly and precisely. I should have a bumper sticker that says that.
As you can see, my numbers (ha ha) are up today, but that is probably because of the ice cream that I had last night. I seem to be making Friday nights sort of a Treat Night, where I have an indulgence or 2. I had 1/2 cups (give or take) of 3 or 4 of the flavors of ice cream that we have here in the house. I'm not replacing them once they are finished. Time to get that **** out of the house.
OK -- this post has already started to become WAY too involved in food and numbers and weight. So I'm ending it here. It stops now.
Progress as of today: 27 lbs lost so far, only -13 lbs to go!
Exactly. And some of us use food to protect us from our problems and go the OTHER way, which is gaining weight. You did work very hard to lose the weight and you did it during some very, very stressful times, and you were successful. So it is only natural that you would return to what you did that you feel very good about, and have that control, even when you know it might be a bit too much. Your weight and what you put in your mouth, or don't put in your mouth, are things that nobody can control or take away from you. My sister does the same thing but does it with eating too much food and not exercising. To her, being obese is what SHE wants...so because she is obese, she is therefore in control of her life. Even though she isn't happy and knows it isn't good for her.
Hang in there Donkey, you will eventually break through your real reasons and regain more control of parts of your life that you feel you can't right now. For whatever reason.
I am really very happy to see someone addressing the OTHER side of weight obsession, and so openly. In reality, overeating/underexercising and overeating/overexercising, are in a parallel universe. I am glad you are seeing the therapist..maybe it won't be so scary getting to the other side. Take care =)
anyways, back to you. what you wrote up there, the points you listed, are good. it shows you are striving to focus on your internal health. keep it up!
I cannot possibly describe how strong the desire is to see a lower number on the scale. Throw me a bone: 115, 114.5.... 113 would be such a pretty number.
I'm tired of seeing 116. Blah.
Progress as of today: 28 lbs lost so far, only -14 lbs to go!
Now that you have done so well, why not just maintain where you are and move on to thinking about other things...other things to DISTRACT your mind with instead of the scale? My Hubby threw out my scale last month cause he was concerned about me and while I am not saying for you to do likewise, I AM saying that you really need to think this through...and take good care of yourself in the meanwhile. ~Love, Maria
Oh wait,116 lbs? Girl you are slim!
:D
It's going to be OK... It's going to be OK... It's going to be OK... It's going to be OK... It's going to be OK...
One of those days...
Progress as of today: 28 lbs lost so far, only -14 lbs to go!
I seem to have stabilized at around 116. Lately, I have been feeling very large. I swear, last night, I thought that certain body parts had gotten noticeably larger within the last week or so. I don't think so.
I need to learn how to deal with anxious feelings. My husband is such a calm and cool guy on the outside in most situations. Me, on the other hand, I seem to wear my heart on my sleeve. I'm so transparent.
This here nerdy Donkey needs to work on being one cool racehorse. Or at least coming across like one.
Progress as of today: 28 lbs lost so far, only -14 lbs to go!
As for your comment to me yesterday, we may very well be sharing the same man, because mine is really cute too. he's just not really 'mine', dang it!!!!!
YOU ARE NOT BIG...you are small. You are very small. You are so small that you were worried about your small self. The anxious feeling is probably just making you feel bigger, freaking you out and all that stuff.
I do, however, understand that people with distorted body image or distorted eating, also have that feeling. And that sometimes when your life seems totally out of control, if the only thing you feel good at controlling is your weight, sometimes it becomes an obsession because it feels good to master the weight loss. And it can happen to anyone. I think we all have obsessions, and some of them can be weight control.
You are not big. You may have parts of yourself that you don't like, we all do. Right now the part I don't like is my whole body.
Hang in there Donkey...and don't pretend anything. =)
OK, yesterday was 114.0 and today was 116.5. And before that it was 115.5. So I took the average and it seems as though I've settled at around 115, which I can live with.
My one scale (yes, I have 2 scales and I weigh-in on both) measures water weight, and it is elevated this morning, so I'm sure I'm holding in quite a bit. It's rather humid today, and tomorrow it promises to be very hot and muggy, which I detest.
Progress as of today: 27.5 lbs lost so far, only -13.5 lbs to go!
i will make sure to keep eating often. i always do but lately it's gotten to be too much so. i need to keep some kind of schedule bc at work i just take coffee whenever i feel like it and i'm going overboard. getting bloated all the time and just consuming too much volume. i think. tomorrow's going to be difficult at work. perhaps i'll pick up one of those starbucks drinks on the way there! :)
OK, the only reason why I'm reporting this today is because it's the first of the month, and I thought it would be a good idea to have a reference point for how I do in August.
I would say that I'm starting to get concerned. I'm trying to work it out in my thoughts, to gather inner strength and a clear perspective. Definitely time to phase in a healthy maintenance program. Definitely....
Progress as of today: 28.5 lbs lost so far, only -14.5 lbs to go!
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Wherever you want to put them.....I put mine in sequence, but others put them at the top....
Have a good day!
grumpy on 08/15/2008:
Well I agree with you in parts. Of course self confidence it attractive, but i was always very self confident in all areas of my life, but not so much my appearance. but since appearance is one of maybe 6 major factors in your whole, i was always perceived as confident by all. i never get embarrassed or shy, i have interesting conversations and i can talk to any one in any situation. and yeah, people find that attractive, but if you don't have looks to go with it, this attractiveness is just an attractiveness as far as chatting or a social interaction goes. never more than that. at least in my case.
WI3 on 08/15/2008:
I like the updates at the top personally lol. And I couldn't agree more with your post. Self confidence is very attractive. One of my biggest thrills is walking into a room and feeling like I own it. And other people pick up on that as well. Something my dad said to me a long time ago when I was going through my divorce. A woman I worked for wasn't all that attractive physically or looks wise..but she was pretty in an odd way that I could never define. My dad was at my office one day when my boss walked into the main office area. He had no idea who she was but he said "That must be your boss, you can tell she is in charge." And I looked at her, and sure enough, she had a way of standing, tilting her head, and holding herself that exuded confidence and power. From that day forward I got in touch with my inner confidence and started working on being the one who walks into a room and have that sexy confidence that people of all sexes find exciting. I think that is part of the reason why I didn't lack for male attention even when I was at my heaviest. And why a lot of people never 'saw' me as a heavy person. My personality has always been bigger than my body lol, and then I turned it around to be something more intense as I got older.
CONGRATULATIONS on the workout! I LOVE those days when you hit it hard and you just KNOW you did some good! YAY!
Jen40 on 08/15/2008:
Yay you!!! You are really thinking smart today. :O) Loved this entry.
Horn_Of_Plenty on 08/16/2008:
hi donks. i've been having the same thoughts: using the "man" section of the gym. i used to but i have fallen sooo out of the loop for at least a year that it is really hard to go back and feel confident. but, the summer is sooo much less crowded so it would be the perfect time. i may...
right now free weights,sometimes abs, and pushups always are helping me. feel free to offer any other fitness advice.
i think self confidence is attrative too. i know i am definitely calorie/weight/diet obsessed. i helps me feel sane, even though it's not healthy. that's like an oxymoron!
Horn_Of_Plenty on 08/17/2008:
i always do my updates at the TOP because people read that first. will you be working this year when your kids are in school?
Jen40 on 08/19/2008:
where are you????