11-26-17 and it's now about 10 AM.
I got on my scale last night but saw that I had lost any more weight, and so today, on Day 4 of my 100 day approach, still 6 pounds are gone.
According to my records, yesterday I had any more calories than I wanted--about 1800 overall when I was going for a number closer to 1000. Like most people, when I make a mistake, it is in overeating calories, rather than under eating. Oh well, 1800 cal is still under my calories needed to support my weight.
In getting on my scale this morning, I saw that I weighed a little over 219 pounds (but still under 220 pounds) and so I charted my weight as "219." However, had I weighed more than 219 pounds, I would not have moved my scale indicator higher. Knowing how much water weight, vegetable weight that's in my gut, etc., does not help me lose weight and it is demotivating. And when I move the indicator higher I feel somewhat powerless. But I know that over time my weight will go lower and that is very rewarding to me.
Today I'm at home doing chores and paperwork. I hope to stay out of the kitchen almost entirely throughout the day. It's too easy to go downstairs and watch cable television, to be near the refrigerator, to look through newspapers and magazines, etc., and then to eat somewhat mindlessly.
In just the short time since Thanksgiving, I have changed my habits considerably hope to further improve on them.
I am reminded of the corn that grows so slowly--so slowly that we do not see it grow hour by hour. Even week by week it is difficult to see the growth, but if we look back over months of time, the corn is over our heads and we wonder how it got so tall. Rather the same with putting on weight--we don't notice it until we are laden down with it. Similarly good habits also take a long time to work.
I am almost 70 years of age and one would think that waiting is something that I should have learned well by now, but it is in our nature to want things immediately, and that is one of the things that led me into overeating. I wanted this now--not later. Writing down what I'm eating on a consistent basis helps me control my eating. Now I'm writing things down after the fact, but I will start running him down before the fact. And soon, I will be having a drink of water before I eat to see whether I can simply scratch off my list what I was going to eat.
For me, keeping graphs and records is very helpful. I can look at my chart and see whether what I'm doing works and be more sure that what I'm doing will increased my health in the long run.
This practice of writing (or in my case, dictating) for 20 min. about matters related to health and weight control does seem to be effective in helping me remain motivated to reach my goal.
There is a terrific line about Pres. Abraham Lincoln who responded to a statement ("Pres. Lincoln--you are correct. Everyone agrees with you.") with this rejoinder: "If I am right, I am right, but if I am wrong, a thousand Angels breathing in my ear, 'You're right’ will not make it so."
I like this data driven approach. There is no need to rely on a belief of things when we have clear data in front of us. And clearly there are so many distractors out there that we're far better off keeping our own data on some of our behaviors and seeing what works for us.
Random Thoughts to help me fill the 20 minute assignment:
There is a multi-billion food industry/restaurant industry/etc. that is making us overeat on a regular basis. Aisles in our supermarkets now contain more snack foods and other enticing foods than in previous decades, and the number of these foods is increasing.
The idea that "breakfast is the most important meal of the day" was dreamed up by marketers, who wanted to sell you orange juice, and that nicely dovetailed into selling you breakfast cereal, etc.
Of course a good predictor of increased overweight in an area is whether or not there are fast food restaurants close by. A Burger King on every block, McDonald's on every corner, etc., and obesity is unstoppable.
In terms of exercise, I am going on my little treadmill for 20 min. a day, wearing ankle weights. I set my treadmill at the highest incline possible on my machine (after I put it up on wooden blocks to increase the inclin e) and am walking about 1.9 miles an hour. Another one of my techniques is to not take a breath after every step but breathe only when I need air. This helps build up oxygen debt and makes walking up this incline more effortful for me. By the end of the 20 min., I'm very sweaty, and breathing hard, and believe I've had a good workout. As time goes on, I’m going to increase the time on the treadmill to 30 min., and then 40 min. With a history of back surgery this exercise – as well as strength training – is enough for me.
For many years, I have thought that breath holding while doing such exercises is a safer way to exercise the cardiovascular/pulmonary system that is regular breathing (after every step). The research described in pubmed.gov supports this, with breath holding being quite conducive to improving fitness, especially in people who are not well trained.
In terms of sticking with the distant goal and not being unnecessarily misled by obstacles, there is a terrific sequence in the movie Apollo 13, about the spacecraft that had a major blowout to the extent that the three astronauts almost did not make it back to earth. At one point Tom Hanks is trying to put together a carbon dioxide "scrubber" with ideas and methods sent to him by Houston. The whole jerry-rigged system probably took many, many steps and this was required to save the three Astronauts dying of carbon dioxide poisoning. At one point the head of the Houston team working with Hanks said, "We have a problem in putting these two things together" and he named some parts of the steps that were well beyond what Tom was working on. Tom Hanks replied to Houston, “You're telling us about a problem with step 115 [or something]. We’re still on step 13. Let us continue to work.” And by the time they had reached the critical step further on, Houston had figured out how to do it.
We are all of us on "step 15" and should have some faith that the systems we have in place will be effective in the long run especially if those systems have worked for us before. But it is so easy to get offtrack, to complicate things, to over-think, etc. And we are so prone to confirmation bias where we are misled by wishes, hopes, etc..
At any rate, I hope that everyone makes their health and weight goals! This is a great site to practice and learn different techniques!
