Nailed It!: Week 14 Check-In

Double score this week: I hit my goal of 148.4 pounds, which was also the 30-pound mark. Yay for me! Somewhat coincidentally, I also got a new cell phone this week and lost my weigh-in history from my phone app. But that's okay, because I'm starting a new goal: losing 12 more pounds to reach 136. 

My two goals both have a very practical basis: they're set points that I know my body sticks at for a while. I had two babies in my early forties, after which I stayed within a couple of pounds of 148 for nearly a decade; and throughout my 30s, when I ranged from 132 to 136. I would say that 148 pounds is both a healthy and - as I have just proved - an attainable weight for me. And 136 is an even healthier and probably also an attainable weight. If I find I can't get there, though, I'm not going to beat myself up. Staying below 150 for the rest of my life is my overarching goal; if I can drop another 10 or 12 pounds, all the better, but not a huge deal if I can't make it. 

Yesterday was also my 16th wedding anniversary, and my husband and I went out to dinner with our kids, our niece and nephew, and our niece-in-law-to-be, which meant an excuse to dress up. Which meant an excuse to try on all the dresses in my closet that I've been hanging onto for years in the hopes of fitting into them again (or at least, looking good in them again). Instead of the 2 or 3 nice dresses I've been able to wear for the past few years, I had my choice of a dozen or so! I opted for an old favorite, a cherry red, high-waisted, clingy surplice dress. In a size 8. And I don't mind saying that I ROCKED IT.

But more important than looking good, I am FEELING good. I mean, think about it: thirty pounds is like two Thanksgiving turkeys. Imagine going for a walk carrying a full-sized turkey under each arm, and then putting them down. How much lighter and stronger would you feel? My kids are both BSA Scouts, and when they go backpack camping, the recommendation for maximum pack size is 20% of your body weight, so a 150-pound person should carry a pack that weighs no more than 30 pounds. Now, hiking while carrying a 30-pound pack is a lot. I had basically been "hiking" through life with a full backpack, and now I've taken it off. 

This Monday is Patriot's Day here in Massachusetts, and part of our local celebration is a reenactment of the historic battle in Concord, the famous "shot heard 'round the world." A regiment of Minutemen from our town marched to the battle, a 7-mile trek, and our local reenactors recreate that march every year, accompanied by my son's Scout troop, the Isaac Davis troop, named for the captain of that regiment, who was the first officer to die in the American Revolution. My husband and son have made that hike a number of times, but this year my daughter and I plan to join them for the final 4+ miles. A year ago I wasn't comfortable with the thought of keeping up with a bunch of teenage boys for 4 miles, but now that I've "dropped my backpack," I think I can do it.   

That's why I'll be happy even if I never lose another pound. I've found a place where I feel good, I'm eating healthy without depriving myself too much, and I feel like I could continue eating this way for good. Could I drop another fifteen or twenty pounds if I really had to? Probably. But I've found a balance between looking and feeling healthy, and enjoying the foods I love. And that's a great place to be. 

Quote for the Week:

I'd rather eat pasta and drink wine than be a size zero.

- commonly misattributed to Sophia Loren (who did say "All you see I owe to pasta.")

Not a size zero, and gorgeous

Closing in on the Goal: Week 13 Check-In

My initial goal for this weight-loss journey was to get under 150 pounds. I am within 2 pounds of that goal!

This week was something of an experiment in loosening up my restrictions, for a number of reasons. First of all, last Sunday was Easter, which meant a special dinner (including appetizers and a special dessert) shared with family, as well as the presence of candy. A LOT of candy. Chocolate bunnies. Pastel M&Ms. Robin eggs. Marshmallow Peeps. Jelly beans. More jelly beans. Yet more jelly beans. Temptations were all around! And I resisted. (Mostly.) Another thing that made it difficult was that I had two wisdom teeth removed and was on antibiotics, which meant needing to eat something in the morning and just before bed. It also meant some degree of mouth pain, especially while eating, with the recommended soft foods generally being high in fat and/or sugar, like pudding, jello, ice cream, mashed potatoes, yogurt, etc. We also went out for dinner last night and the soup of the day happened to be one of my favorites (ginger carrot), one that I don't get to have very often. I did limit myself to an especially small portion of my dinner, but it was still a larger dinner than I've been eating.  

The good news is that despite eating somewhat more than I had been, I continued to lose, albeit a little more slowly. It gives me confidence that I will be able to maintain my weight loss by continuing to keep an eye on my eating habits relative to what I see on the scale, and that I can find a comfortable balance between eating well and staying at a healthy weight. It also means that I am planning on continuing to lose a few more pounds past my initial goal, assuming that my body continues to cooperate. 

Quote for the Week:

Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out. 

-Robert Collier