Saturday, November 03, 2007

Progress: wrestling with discouragement

And so we go on.


I meant to post a status report. I've been putting it off, since it's not that encouraging. But Scale Junkie just wrote a post about how to keep going even when things haven't been going well, so I thought maybe I should come clean about things. (Odd expression. Is lying dirty, and therefore telling the truth is seen as clean? Mary, stop dithering and go confess what you came here to confess.)


Inner Slug: You've been trying to eat healthy stuff and work out since July. I don't see any results on the scale. Why not give up?

Me: Whaddya mean no results? I've lost over fifteen pounds.

Inner Slug
: Yeah, from stopping that medication. You're at the weight you were before you started taking the stuff.

Me:
So I haven't gained any weight. Probably I've gained muscle.

Inner Slug: C'mon. This is the weight you are supposed to be. Accept it.

Brief, not pretty, struggle of a woman wrestling with her inner slug. Finally the slug is subdued with the use of metaphorical duct tape.

It's a good thing I'm so stubborn.

This month (the past ten days, actually) I've gained back six pounds and only lost two of them again. I'm tempted to blame this on the thyroid, simply because gaining six pounds in a single week is very hard to attribute to an increase in fat or muscle. I know I should go get blood tests done, see what my TSH level is at. Sigh. I'd rather go jogging.

Good news: I invested in a watch/heart monitor. (I could not persuade anyone at REI that watches exist with two different timers so you can run two different times.) I've learned a lot from the heart monitor already. All my video workouts? Not getting the heart rate above 50% or so. No wonder I've been getting bored with them lately. I was still raising a sweat, and I'd always feel good afterwards, but perhaps I'm getting too used to them. One thing I love about running (never thought I'd use that phrase) is that it gets my heart rate up there. Sometimes too high, but that's something I can control.

Also, the NOVA program on marathon running made a good point. If you want to lose weight, you have to diet. Exercise is good for maintaining, making sure you keep the muscles while you lose, but diet is crucial for the actual loss. I need to focus more on being Good.

I have great faith that using the heart monitor will show some good results on the scale this month. And I'm putting that statement out here so that I will feel held to it.

This month:

- I will make sure when I work out, I'm really getting a work out.
- I will concentrate on eating them green leafy things before I walk into the kitchen at work, so the sight of all those cupcakes and brownies will not make me hungry. The next eight weeks are going to be dangerous.

6 comments:

Heather said...

I think you have some really great goals and plans for the coming months.

The kitchen at my work is loaded with every kind of chip or piece of candy you could imagine so I know how you feel.

Good luck with everything and I know the weight will come off for you.

Keziah Fenton said...

I tricked my Inner Slug the other day. I slept in, relaxed and went to work. Came home, switched shoes, snapped the lead on the dog's collar and got out the door before the Inner Slug realized what was happening. I broke the routine and confused it.

Good luck!

C said...

I hear you! The next eight weeks ARE going to be rough, but we'll all be there for each other to help get ourselves back on track.

All right, I swear this week I am going to start the running program. And start toning again. One of the girls in my Weight Watchers group who has lost 61 pounds swore by lifting weights because building muscle helps you burn more calories when you are at rest. That sounded logical to me, so I thought I would give it a go.

Good luck!

Diana Swallow said...

I love that your inner slug is all wrapped up in duct tape where it belongs!!

I'm so proud of you for going out and getting a heart rate watch (I want one sooo bad) and getting back to exercise!! YOU ROCK!!

Anonymous said...

Oh, my inner slug has definitely been out in force lately when it comes to exercise.

The Merry said...

Something about the cold weather seems to stimulate the inner slug :(