Just like it is every month around this time…here’s the step back in this cha-cha of weight loss. My ankles were puffy this morning despite being in bed for nearly 9 hours and downing over a gallon of fluid yesterday. I’m not going to sweat it but that doesn’t make this any less frustrating.
I am at the point in my weight loss where I am fighting hard to lose each and every pound. Now, I really closely scrutinize what I eat, when I eat, how I move, and how often I do it. I have decided to add an extra day at the gym because while I don’t think my eating is awful, I know that my body is getting used to the level of activity I’ve been engaging in for the past 6 months and it’s time to ramp it up a bit.
With my extra gym day, I’m going to work in strength training, and once I learn to swing them properly, kettlebell workouts. One of my cousins is an instructor at a gym in Albuquerque, so at the end of the month when we head there for a family reunion, I’ve asked her to spend some time teaching me proper technique so when I get home, I can start doing some exercises on my own. I’d also like to see if the city is offering water aerobics at a time I can do the classes this fall, but I will have to wait and see. Generally, the classes are on Tuesdays and Thursdays, or Mondays and Wednesdays, and my Tuesdays are out as that’s therapy night. 
Wednesdays are out as that’s Rotary night, and I can’t really miss meetings as I’m the club secretary.
I’m eating 1200 calories or less daily, which my docs have said is good. I’m getting 80-100 grams of protein daily, usually less than 70 g of carbs, and between 30-40 g of fat each day. Some days I eat a little more fat than others, and on some days I eat a few more carbs than others (these are generally workout days), but I don’t go crazy, and I certainly don’t approach what I’m guessing my pre-op numbers were. So I think my nutrition numbers are okay. I could be wrong, though. It might be time to visit with the dietitian again to fine tune some things, but I think I’m going to wait on that until the end of the year. I think going back to school here in a few weeks will be helpful since I won’t be home all day long around the refrigerator. I might also try to crank my calories down closer to 1000 daily to see what effect that has. That’s one of the things that’s frustrating about this whole process: every week, every day, I become a new experiment. You would think that as a scientist, I’d enjoy that.
But I don’t.
I want consistency and predictability, but I guess there is no such thing when you’re trying to lose weight. For the first time in my life, I don’t have a huge, seemingly insurmountable quantity of weight to lose. And this is something I’m struggling with a little as I near the end of my weight loss period inching closer to goal.
My whole life, it’s always been “OMG I HAVE TO LOSE 100/150/200/250 POUNDS TO GET TO MY GOAL.”
And now?
A mere 49 pounds stands between me and my goal. 49 pounds.
And I feel like this is going to be the hardest part, the most insurmountable part of this path I’m on. I’m not only fighting behavioral fatigue, but I’m fighting biology too–now, in the worst way because my body is learning that the exercise I’m doing is too easy now. I don’t know how to mix things up in such a way that I won’t get discouraged because I think it’s too hard and just quit. I’m already discouraged by the fact that I am on a self-imposed hiatus from running since my sprain two weeks ago. I also feel like my body’s getting used to eating so few calories that it’s become efficient on 1000-1200 calories now, so losing weight is getting tougher. I don’t want to drive my eating down to 600-800 calories a day, because I felt miserable when I was eating that few calories each day.
It’s all very frustrating, and I’m not sure what I should be doing at this point. I know Dr. Nicholson said, “What you’re doing is working” but this summer hasn’t been great in terms of weight loss. I’ve only lost 10 pounds since the end of the school year. The only good thing is that my body’s shape has changed, I suppose, because fat is being redistributed and bones and muscles are showing through in places they didn’t use to.
I’ve also decided that it is time to start aiming at new targets, both personally and professionally. I feel like I always need something in front of me as a carrot to stay motivated, so it is time to create those carrots for myself. I have always been one who does well when there is a clear target to aim for because it gives me direction. So I’ve been thinking of new targets to aim for.
New target #1: Fit into a tailored suit by May 31, 2015.
Steps I will take to get there:
- Learn how to use a kettlebell properly
- Begin incorporating kettlebell workouts into my fitness routine 2x weekly (not sure if this is enough to get me where I want to be but it is a start)
- Increase strength training to 2x weekly (2/4 workout days)
- Take swim lessons to relearn how to swim (found a class for adults through the city, registration opens next week)
New target #2: Give a professional development presentation at a national conference by December 31, 2015.
Steps I will take to get there:
- Write two proposals for the APNC in Austin next summer.
- Write a proposal to present at the 2015 NABT conference.
- Write a proposal to present at mini-CAST locally in January 2015.
- Practice by giving workshops locally.
New target #3: Relearn to play softball.
Steps I will take to get there:
- Find a baseball bat I like and relearn how to swing it so I can go to the indoor batting cages and swing.
- Take lessons if needed.
- Practice my swing once a week. It’s all I think I will have time for this school year.
Those are the first three targets I plan to aim at. Here’s to hoping I hit them.
La Guerra de La Gorda 