End of Week Two of Donate the Weight

Week two flew by, as I was consumed with major events in both my full-time and part-time jobs. The accounting course I am taking was totally neglected, and when it is over at the beginning of March I am going to take a break from my studies for three months so I can concentrate more on my weight loss. When I resume studies toward the end of June, I plan to be at or close to my ideal weight.

The last week was a blur, but some things stand out in my memory. Shirley visited me and offered encouragement. We talked about diet, and she pointed out that since this is the last time I want to have to lose weight, it must be achieved in a sustainable manner. That means I have to adopt a diet I can follow for the rest of my life, rather than one that brings rapid weight loss but is unstainable for long periods of time, and is followed by rapid weight gain when I go off it. Basically that means I should eat a healthy breakfast as soon as I get up, and then eat something every 3 hours thereafter, consuming 5 or 6 small meals or snacks each day, made up of whole grains, fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables, lean protein, healthy oils and low fat dairy products. Processed and fast foods are out, as are things that are white: white flour, white rice, white potatoes, etc. None of this is new to me, and I have adhered to such a diet for much of the last 3 years. However, it was not combined with exercise, so served only to maintain my weight rather than reduce it. I would get discouraged and go on a binge for several weeks or months, then have to go back to the gym and a severly restricted diet in order to lose most of what I had gained. A rather foolish pattern. So now that I am being guided through a more effective exercise regime in combination with eating right, I will be motivated to continue eating properly as I experience sustained weight loss. As Zee puts it, "You'll soon be able to trade in that keg for a six-pack."

I am staying off the scale until the weigh-in on Saturday, January 22nd. I don't expect to see a miracle, as I have definitely been building muscle, which weighs more than fat. I will admit I don't see much of a change in my body yet, but am much stronger and constantly aware of the muscles that are being worked on. Sometime Brian McCullough works out with Zee at the same time I do, and last night he told me he thinks of pain as weakness leaving his body. What a good quote!