8/6 weight loss thoughts

First things first. Let's all plan on checking in tomorrow. I like checking in on Fridays. For me, at least, that will include disclosing my weight in number. You can just give a status report or say you lost a pound or you got your contract done or whatever, ok?

My weight loss thought for today centers on vision: imagining our right-weight future. What will it look like? What will it feel like? We want it to be vivid so that we can always choose our vision rather than pigging out in the moment. (More later on how totally unsatisfying that is.)

I already touched on this in my contract:

picture this!
1. eventual goal: 170 pounds
2. nice and fit (with all that exercise)
3. feeling better about myself
4. fitting into my clothes better
5. getting new clothes, or getting out old ones i no longer fit into, including jeans
6. doing my push ups and pull ups easier

We want as much detail as we can get. What is your vision for your weight loss? What concrete details can you add?

I forgot one that I've said before and my brother, Ryan, reminded me of: to look better naked :-) Part of the joke here is that often when I say I need to lose weight people will say 'No!' Asking them 'Have you seen me naked lately?' shuts them down every time. And, seriously, I do want to look better naked. Don't we all? (If not, let us know, if you're not too shy ;-)

One way I've been thinking about my right-weight future is imagining going through my day. How is it going to be different? What is it going to feel like?

For one thing, I'm looking forward to wearing jeans again. I haven't really worn jeans since I gained weight. I never bought new ones and the plan was always to lose weight, not buy 'fat jeans'.

I told Wil he's going to be sad when I lose 40 pounds because I won't be as physically cuddly (soft and squishy). I really like to cuddle and snuggle, too, but it's just going to have to be with a fit body :-)

Something else I'm looking forward to is a 2000 calorie diet. My weight loss caloric intake is 1400-1500 calories before exercise. I think (though I might just be kidding myself) that since that sometimes feels a little depriving, 2000 calories once I've hit my target weight will feel more 'normal'. That's one reason this time I'm building in at least one break (at the end of August) where I eat 2000 calories like my maintenance diet will be. I'm hoping this will be encouraging and even feel a little 'pampered' in comparison to the 1500 calorie diet. It should give me something else to look forward to.

Something I didn't include in my contract, but which I'll bury down here where almost no one will see it, is that I have had some minor, semi-medical 'problems' that have accompanied my weight gain. Without going into too many gross details: 1. I sweat at the slightest provocation and it's really gross. 2. I snore now, which is a problem for Christine and maybe the load on my body (I've been wearing nasal strips for awhile to try to ameliorate this), and 3. I have some annoying psoriasis on my face (that may or may not be related to a yeast infection). I am really looking forward to at least two of these problems going away, and maybe all three. If not, once we've got the weight under control, those will be the issues I try to track down next. But the weight loss is the top priority.

Diary

Another waking-up-early failure this morning. In fact, I shut off the alarm clock without even being aware of it! Not good. Got to get this thing licked and get to bed earlier.

However, once again it's not totally mission-critical because I had planned to mow the lawn tonight, anyway. I think I'll adjust by planning to bike tomorrow and Saturday morning and call tonight's mowing what would normally have been tomorrow's walking.

Even got my road bike down and pumped up the tires last night, was going to try it out before going on a longer ride Saturday morning, and then I got to thinking 'These inner tubes are, like, 5 years old. What are the chances they'll hold up?' Seems slim. So, I've almost made up my mind to get my road bike tuned up, including new inner tubes. I've been holding off because it's going to cost a little money and we're on a budget, but, probably need to bite the bullet on this one...