Week Thirty-Two: Don't Let The Numbers Fool You Weigh-in

Image by FotoZeit from Pixabay 

Surprise, surprise! I have pictures!

It's been an interesting week, and I really thought I sabotaged myself. Maybe I did, but not as badly as I thought. Sometimes I get what I like to call that 'Skinny Feeling'; it's a happy, sexy feeling I get when I have energy, and my fanny pack hangs at just the right spot, so it seems as if I have a flat belly, tiny waist, and hips that sway better than any hula dancer.

That didn't happen as much this week. I felt big and bloated. Not quite like a beached whale- more like a waddling walrus. The hippo hungries weren't nearly as needful as they were last week, though I found myself grazing more than I liked.

My indoor garden was ready to harvest this week, and I'd made myself some wonderful Zuppa Toscana soup, using all of the kale and spinach I grew. It was so good! I enjoyed it this entire week.

I wish I could say I grazed on the ton of romaine lettuce I grew. Chips, nuts, and some Swedish fish were what I grazed on instead, except for one day where I remembered I had all that lettuce. I still have some left, but I also have the other stuff left too. That's also a good thing because that means I didn't eat it all within a few days. It's been at least a week and a half, and all that stuff is still here!

When I get off track, I always go back to the book Fast, Feast, Repeat. I have a bookmark where Gin Stevens talks about the up and down days and how to adjust them. Why? Because that's where I tend to mess up.

I don't get the diet mentality as much as before, but it still hits me occasionally. I close the eating windows too tight, restrict too much on up days, and WHAM, my body gets sluggish and plateaus. 

And that's exactly what I did. I'm currently doing a 4:3 up and down days, with my hours being 19:5 on weekends, 20:4 to 23:1 during the week- one meal on my down days, two on my up days. I should be doing 18:6 on my up days with two meals and maybe a small snack. And all I drink during my fast is water.

My measurements didn't change much this month, but the scale did! I lost six more pounds!

Here are the numbers:

Original numbers:        4 weeks ago:            Now:              Difference:

Weight 363 lbs.                332                      326                      6

Biceps- 23"                   19-3/4"                    20"                  +1/4"

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

Waist- 58"                     54-1/2"                 56-1/4"              +1-3/4"

Hips- 69-1/2"                   62"                    62-1/2"               +1/2"

Thigh- 32"                       29"                     28-3/4"                -1/4"

Neck- 18"                     17-1/2"                 17-3/4"                +1/4"

And the pictures!

When I started:

Now:

I decided to hold my arms out from now on so you can see the changes in my bat wings. The shirt feels loose and comfortable now, and the shorts are very loose, though not falling off my hips. 

I lost a bit more roundness in the booty than I'd wanted, but exercising my glutes can adjust the curves. But look how much the sleeves hang down now! My arms look much slimmer.

Now I have a story to share. I weigh 326. I lost 37 pounds. Nearly a decade ago, I maxed out at 325. It was the heaviest I'd ever weighed at the time, and that weight healed steady for several years. I never thought the scale would tip so far forward that my first main goal would actually be my 'heaviest ever' weight. 

One pound shy of that first goal- isn't that crazy?

I have several mini-goals. 325, 300, 278, 265, 225, 200, 180, and 160. All of these during my lifespan, each was my 'heaviest' weight at the time. 

300 was my weight when both kids were born.

278 was the baby weight lost after the first child. I never lost it after the second.

265 was my marriage weight.

225 was my heaviest ever in my twenties.

200 was when I considered myself fat.

180 was when I lost twenty pounds and was feeling skinny.

160 is my ideal goal weight, though I'm cool if my body wants to go lighter.

Yes, that's a lot of numbers. Each represents a hurdle I need to jump and a mindset that needs to be conquered. I can honestly say no diet has ever given me the hope that this IF book has. 

I still have to wrap my brain around the fact that I need to eat more to lose weight! I hope my journey inspires you as well. I'm not holding anything back, good or bad, or trying to polish a turd so the crappy parts look shiny. It's a life-long trek into a thinner, happier, more active life.

I've come a long way already. No more contemplating wheelchairs for me! I'm planning on walking on the beaches in Cape Cod next year!