Week Twelve: One Quarter Weigh-In

A quarter can mean many things; Twenty-five cents, fifteen minutes, three months...but whatever the meaning, it's one-fourth of something. Four is always involved.

It is one-fourth of the year, and four pounds are what I lost! I'd love to say I'd lost a quarter of my weight, but I'm not even close. But that's okay- this is a marathon, not a sprint. I'm now a more slender 338 pounds. I feel so skinny!

I would've liked to have lost more, but I'll take it- especially since my husband found Lindor chocolates on sale. Yes, I am a weak-willed woman when it comes to good chocolate!

Again, no pictures until I lose at least two more pounds (10-pound loss minimum, at least for now) because there really isn't much to see...er...or maybe there's too much to see. Either way, you ain't gonna see nothing until the next weigh-in!

I also took measurements. There wasn't much of a difference, but the differences were mixed, so here goes:

Original numbers:          4 weeks ago:              Now:                Difference:

Weight 363 lbs.                  342                        338                  4 pounds

Biceps- 23"                      21-1/4"                   21-1/2"               +1/4"

Chest- 61-1/2"                 61-1/4"                     59                    2-1/4"

Waist- 58"                          57"                      56-1/2"                1/2"

Hips- 69-1/2"                   63-1/2"                  63-3/4"               +1/4"

Thigh- 32"                        31-1/2"                     31                     1/2"

Neck- 18"                         17-3/4"                   same                  none

Not too shabby, if I do say so myself. 

But it gets better folks. And the holidays actually helped me this time, despite the chocolate surge. I went shopping.

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay 

Let me rephrase that. 

I. Went. Shopping. 

As in standing and walking. As in walking from the parking lot into the store, walking up and down aisles, and standing in lines. This might seem minor to most of you, but this was major for me. Hugely major.

Why?

Because my fitness level before IF almost had me in a wheelchair. I couldn't walk for more than fifty feet without needing to sit. My back would spasm, my knees would kill me, and my calves would burn like fire. My feet were swollen like footballs, and though I had no real health issues per se, I felt trapped in my own body because it hurt to move. Shopping became a pipe dream I'd never thought I'd do again.

But guess what? I did. In fact, I shopped in a store twice this past week!

Walking is no longer the pain-etched trial it used to be. While I still can't stand for a great length of time, lines are no longer as daunting as they were before. My back has almost stopped spasming altogether unless I really start to overdo it. 

I had a hysterectomy a few years back, and though it was supposed to be a six-week recovery, I kept overdoing it and it became a whopping twelve weeks of having to lie flat, which severely weakened my core muscles. So any upright activity would end up with my back in agony. I started doing core exercises which helped, but I had to stand up and move more, which was nearly impossible.

Not anymore!

It was such a feeling of freedom to be going Christmas shopping without having to worry about being a human pretzel at the end of the day. I did one trip before work, and one trip after work on a different day- and though I was hurting a bit, once I rested I was back on my feet doing what I needed at home. It's a tremendous feeling!

I even had the energy to tackle my half-organized sewing/writing space in preparation for a Christmas wrapping station. Stuff needed to be moved to make way for the uncloseting of the gift wrap, tape, bows, and scissors, and though my crafting things were put aside and not away, all that bending, lifting, and stretching actually felt good. I'm confident that I can get the room in order after the holidays.

As for the food plans for the next month- I need to add salads and cut down a bit more on my intake. Snacky stuff has taken over the house, and though I don't have to eat it, I want to. Sometimes it's a good thing to have five people living in one house...they might eat all the good stuff before I get a second taste, but that also means the junk will go fast too.

Since there are so many in the house, I also get the 'eat it before it gets eaten by someone else' mentality- I really wanted some leftover soup from the other night, only to find out everyone else finished it off. 

Ugh!

I have to remind myself I don't need a full serving of everything just because someone else might eat it. Breathe, Beth, Breathe! We can always make more! Cherish what I get, taste everything with gratefulness, and stop stuffing myself because it might not be there tomorrow.

I want to thank you for following me in my IF journey. You give me the inspiration to keep posting my progress, whether the outcome is good or bad- your support is awesome!

See you next week, and have a great holiday!