John's 6th Week

After losing 5 lbs in the first 5 days after my surgery, I expected to gain some “rebound pounds” when I finally recovered my appetite. But my weight has mostly leveled out and leaves me a scant ½ pound lighter than last week. Not great, but probably as much as can be expected. I have now been cleared for vigorous activity, but I still can’t lift anything heavier than a gallon of milk, so my exercize will still be limited. Shucks!

I'm trying to come up with a commitment to match Nancy's, but if it is at all meaningful, I am afraid I will just break it. It seems so much safer to say "I will try to do thus and such," especially when I feel so deeply encumbered by my history of weak resolve. Yet, I know that character is built when we make and keep our promises, even if they are just to ourselves, so I want to join you in some decisive act. But I can't imagine a weight loss commitment I can honestly make (except maybe to never pour bacon grease on my cheesecake). Maybe that's one of the great lessons of life, how to be less bound by our habits and history. I think I have a lot to learn in that regard.

Commitment to exercise has been thrust upon us in the form of a now 10 week old beagle mix pup that we adopted from the Humane Society 2 weeks ago! Just how many times a day does he really need to "go", anyway? Up the stairs, down the stairs, up the stairs, down the stairs...all day long! We're trying to train him to be an indoor dog ( our last one was outdoors. She passed away in November). He's a real cutie, though, and I think the conversation with Brinna on getting the puppy went something like this....PLEASE!!!! But he's so CUTE!!!! We're enjoying him and all that goes along with puppydom (well, almost all. Except the constant chewing of everything in sight!) Hopefully, we will end up getting more exercise as we chase the little guy around and meet his potty demands. For this week, Junice is 177, down a pound. Brinna is 203, up 2 pounds, and Robert will have to weigh in later as he is sick in bed at this posting. Love you guys! Junice

Committment - after February

February is a hard month for me. For the last 4 years, February feels like a long, steadily increasing stranglehold. The deeper we get into the month, the more I want to do what I refer to as 'cocooning'. I guess that is about the same as hibernating - staying in, curling up and avoiding everything. Alas - or maybe it's good, life doesn't let me cocoon completely. But I think the effect is the same on my weight. I don't think I'm really trying. It is time to really commit - not even REcommit, since I don't think I have ever committed to this yet. Here's my commitment:
I will resume exercising (haven't done that since Halloween, when I slipped down the stairs and hurt myself.) I will commit to at least three 20 minute sessions this week. Hopefully I will do more. This is where I will start.
Does anyone else want to make a commitment? Exercise, better breakfast, smaller portions, more water, etc?
Good luck to all.

John's 5th Week

Though the sharp pains from surgery continue to diminish, a bloated stomach/belly ache has destroyed my appetite and sapped my energy. This week my weight has dropped precipitously. I’ve lost 5.5 pounds since my surgery on the 12th. (Today I weigh in at 185 lbs, 4.1% total loss)
I want to cheer, but from what I have read, rapid weight loss may trigger a starvation response which makes it harder to lose future weight as your body holds on more tenaciously to fat reserves it might need for energy if the “famine” continues. I think even those who do not hold to this theory, still agree that very rapid weight loss is often an unhealthy loss of water, or muscle rather than fat. Dieters too often see initial success as they dehydrate, or lose muscle which is their major calorie burning engine.

That is why my goal is a gradual loss of only 1.5 lbs a week. For losing 4 lbs last week, I should deserve a D grade or worse, but since I am kind of sick recovering from surgery, I think I shall excuse this excess and also try to be patient with some nearly inevitable weight gain when I get feeling better.

I am interested in knowing how much of a healthy weight loss ought to be fat and how much other tissue. It doesn’t seem reasonable to expect 100% fat loss even from the best program. I would think that a leaner body probably needs less skin, vessels, blood, etc.
Anyone know anything about this?

Weigh-In February 17-23

Please click on the comments for this post and weigh-in for the week.

Hi!Another week, another post! (wow, 2 in a row...my biggest challenge may be remembering to post each week, so I'm hoping to make Sundays the day I do this. So, I was headed to bed at 10pm and just remembered...made everyone weigh in, and here you go....Junice still 178, Robert down to 187.4, and Brinna up 1 to 201. Valentine's chocolate was probably the culprit this week! Junice

Einstein discovered- Fat=Fat2

John's 4th week

It's been a month since I started this contest. I'm down 5 lbs. (188lbs, 2.5% loss). That is OK - my goal is only 4-6 lbs per month, so I give myself a solid B grade. I've done moderately well in cutting portions, and occasionally I even cut high-cal snacks - still my biggest problem. I have over-eaten at restaurants 2 or 3 times, and have had a bunch of high-cal pizza type meals because of their irresistible convenience. My strategy is to not create rigid expectations for myself that I cannot possibly meet, and to avoid tons of guilt (pun intended). I expect some unhealthy eating is part of our culture that I can't avoid, but even so, I must create a healthier lifestyle. So, it is still a work in progress.

BTW - I am recovering from this week's hernia operation remarkably well compared to last time - 1/4 the pain & no noticeable brain fog from anesthesia. As long as I don't cough, I am doing very well. But for a while, my exercise will be mostly getting up and down the stairs, and in and out of my chair.

Oops! I think we let a week slip past us without posting! Well, here goes....Junice is at 178, Brinna is at 200, and Robert is at 288.4. Hopefully, we've started a nice, but gradual, downward trend. Best of Luck! Junice

My Strategy

Hey everybody!

I just thought I'd share what I'm doing, in case anyone cares.

Actually I'm approaching this whole thing very sloppily at the moment. Basically I'm so busy with school and family right now that I haven't put any more effort into it than the occasional, "Oh, I shouldn't eat that" or, "Oh, I should eat less of this / I guess I'm full enough."

As for an exercise routine, forget it! I have no idea how to incorporate that at the moment, seeing how I don't want to wake up any earlier than I do, and I don't want to exercise at night-time. The good news on this front, however, is that my schedule changes every 4 weeks, so there's always next month to hopefully implement some good cardio....

Tomorrow is the osteopathic match, and so in a few days I'll know where I'm going to be living for the next 4 years. If I get my #1 spot, Genesys, in Grand Blanc, MI, then I'll probably be able to attend their athletic club which is right next to the hospital. It's a very nice facility. That would start in July, so there's that to look forward to.


But, John, I know what you mean about charts. I love a good chart, and in fact, I'm going to make one now!

Weigh-In Feb 10-16

Click on comments and post your weight for the week.

John's 3rd Week

This week's graph looks like a left-toppled 7. I gorged in celebration of the end of a cold, cold January, and jumped 2 lbs. I have spent the last week getting back down to where I began the month. I give myself a C+. I like graphs because to me they are both psychological carrot and stick. This last week's graph reminded me how much easier it is to gain pounds than to lose them, and leaves me wondering why God doesn't just tweak a few natural laws to make the physics of metabolism a bit more congenial. On the flip side, my graph also gives me the great satisfaction of visualizing a nice downward trend. Sometimes I just sit and contentedly stare at my gently sloping red line, and warm to the knowledge that I am so easily entertained.

I'm hungry

The funny thing is that I KNOW it's psychological. Just thinking about losing weight makes me hungry - and defiant! I want to prove that I can eat anything I want to and still be healthy. Actually, that was kind of true when I was younger, but obviously not any more. I crave sweet, fat things. I have bought a few of those 100 calorie snack packs, thinking that, if I really am going to eat something sweet - and I will find a way - then I can at least control the calorie intake by allowing one package. As if. This is my major hurdle, the first one I really need to get over before I can be successful. I keep trying to give myself pep talks and motivation, but they don't last past the moment. Any ideas?

Grandma Gloria reporting in. My first week was a disaster and I gained but this week was better and I'm down 1/2 pound. Fast Sunday helped me get back on track.

Weigh-in Feb 3-9

Time for our first weigh-in. Please click on the comments and post your weigh-in there any time this week. Thank you.