Weighty Matters

I mentioned in January that I’d joined the YMCA and started exercising more, and the results are finally starting to show.

I’ve lost nearly 20 pounds since November when I decided it was time to lose weight, and most of that loss has come since January. I never really thought I would lose weight between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I just tried not to gain my usual ten pounds while still enjoying a season that for me has increasingly meant good food and cookies, not presents. I was happy not gaining any significant weight.

Once I started exercising four times more a week, though, I was losing nearly two pounds a week. Of course, I was also “dieting,” if that means not eating every time you’re hungry and trying to make better choices when I did eat. I’ve managed to cut my cola thirst in half, and often find myself thinking even that 8 oz bottle is really too sweet to taste good.

I’ve cut out most of the hot dogs and bacon, and found myself returning almost exclusively to eating Cheerios with fruit for breakfast. We’ve gone to one vegetarian meal per week, and one fish meal per week, but I haven’t given up my one steak a week rule.

Unfortunately, most of the body fat I’ve lost, and I know I’ve lost some because my scale measures the percentage of body fat, has not been the fat on my stomach. It’s amazing how hard it is for me to lose fat there. Even if a I had abs of steel, which I don’t, no one could see them due to the layer of fat on my stomach.

Still, I feel considerably better. My resting pulse is down considerably. My blood pressure seems somewhat better, though it’s hard to tell since I hit panic mode every time I hook myself up to one of those machines at the gym.

I know I’m in better shape, though, every time I take Skye for his daily walk. Most of the time now I can actually make it all the way up the steep hill at his pace without having to stop and gasp for breath half way up the hill. I even find myself walking further faster than I used to.

I feel less tired throughout the day, though I still haven’t managed to get motivated enough to make good use of that extra time.

My biggest complaint is that I resent the fact that I’m now burning less calories on my daily walk because I’ve lost weight. That just doesn’t seem fair considering all the effort I’ve make to get back in shape.

To make matters worse, I’ve hit another of those plateaus the last two weeks. Though I dropped to 179.5 several days, I’m just as apt to bounce back to 180.5, especially if I splurge on an extra Pepsi and burrito, or two, after a five mile walk. Losing the next ten pounds looks like it’s going to be a lot harder than losing the first twenty.

10 thoughts on “Weighty Matters”

  1. WOW! Good for you! You make me ashamed that I haven’t done anything about the last 10 lbs. I put on. Maybe I’ll start at my health club again – or start walking – now that spring is coming.

  2. Congratulations, Loren. Sounds like we’re both working at about the same pace. I’ve lost 22 pounds since the first of the year, and yes, it comes off the stomach last! (“First on, last off.”) But I am wearing 36in slacks for the first time in a long, long time, and they’re starting to feel loose.

    Of course, I’m still heavier than you at 199, but I’m hoping to be down to about 180 by my 50th birthday on June 2nd.

  3. Sounds great, Dave.

    I’m not stuck at a set weight, but I’m going to try to hold to this routine and diet until I get rid of more of the stomach.

    Now that I’ve added weight lifting to my routine I’m wondering if I’ll continue to get rid of fat without losing so much weight.

  4. Take consolation in the fact that belly fat is the absolute (pun intended) hardest to divest, be ye man or woman (and it’s harder for women, believe me).

    You’re on the right path. Just keep on enjoying the scenery and sending us pictures.

  5. Having walked with you a few times, and having trouble thinking of you as “fat” I am impressed with your determination and surprised to hear you were out of breath. I could barely keep up with you on the wetlands walk. I’m wondering now if you were just disguising your fatigue by pretending to stop and watch birds. I may be able to help you with that belly fat problem. Even without losing much weight, I cut an inch or two there just by using a Pilates ball faithfully. And you’ve got to stop reading that high calorie poetry by Jeffers.

  6. No, Mike it’s only when I walk Skye and try to keep up with him on the steepest hills that I’ve gotten winded.

    I can walk fairly fast for extended periods on flat ground, and the wetlands, like Nisqually are remarkably flat. I find treadmills deadly dull unless they can be elevated enough to make them challenging.

    I’ve never really considered myself fat, either, but I’m probably not in good enough shape even now to go backpacking up in Goat Rocks Wilderness without suffering a considerable amount of pain, and that’s the goal I’ve set for myself this year, five days in the mountain wilderness carrying everything I need on my back.

  7. Good for you – I’m working on it too, but so far have just gone up and down the same 5 lbs about 3 times since Christmas. And I don’t even drink cokes!

  8. Loren,

    According to what I read recently, it is best if a
    person who is trying to lose weight/ lose no more
    than 2 pounds per week. Therefore, you are doing
    fine, and I wish you the best.

    Have a sprintedon spring.

Comments are closed.