Success and the Fat Man
I have been encouraged by many people telling me that I am progressing very well and that I should be proud of my progress. That support is appreciated because, frankly, I don’t see the progress, feel the progress, and find it hard to accept the progress. Let the mind games begin.
I weighed in at 345 today which is down 33 pounds from November and 21 pounds down since Dec. 26. Now, 33 pounds is not a small amount of weight taken by itself but it is only 18.5% of the 178 pounds I wanted to lose. It is only 8% of my original total body weight. Depending on your frame of mind those are not very impressive numbers. The sheer amount of weight to lose overwhelms the weight lost.
When you take the numbers and couple them with the physical feelings encountered in the body and you can get rather depressed. What do I mean by ‘physical feelings’? My body started out feeling fairly firm. Yes it was fat, but it was dense. As I lose weight I actually feel fatter as my fat breaks down and becomes looser. My skin is looser and saggier. This combination makes me feel less fit than when I started. This combination of numbers and physical feelings is what I believe to be the greatest reason those needing to lose a lot of weight quit. You put in all this effort and what do you have to show for it? This is also why lifting heavy is so very important. Not only does muscle help the MBR but it firms up that sagging skin and compensates for the loosening fat.
I am feeling stronger and the absence of 33 pounds has helped my endurance. This helps counteract the feelings I have as listed above but if my mind is not right it does little to overcome the enormity of the task ahead. Again, it is simply a mind game.
So have I done well? Yes, but I don’t dwell on the accomplishments. I accept the fact that 33 pounds down is good, that 345 is better than 378. Then I focus on the moment, the now again. If I focus on the past, even the good news of the past, I will stall or fail. If I focus on the future too much I will stall or fail as well. There is only today, this meal, this workout. This is why support is so important.
I am in a marathon race or a long road march, not a sprint. The focus is on putting one foot in front of the other and not the finish line and by all means not the starting line. The cheers from the supporters on the sidelines of my race keep me motivated to put that one foot in front of the other and not to think of the aches and pains. Hearing the advice from those around me that have run this race is invaluable. They constantly remind me to pickup one foot, put it forward, and set it down.
Again, it is all a mind game. Losing this weight is doable. Heck, anything you put your mind to is doable. The trick is keeping your mind on the task at hand. The trick is ‘Keeping your MIND RIGHT.’
February 6, 2008 at 4:20 am
Woot! Good job, looking good! Keep it up. Your attitude is great - focus on what you can do now and the future will take care of itself - forget the past.
February 6, 2008 at 7:58 am
You are doing great, 33 lbs is awesome, you are stronger, and your endurance is up. Sounds to me like you’re doing everything right and in the end it will all come together keep it up..
February 8, 2008 at 10:40 am
Don’t let those mind games fool you. You are making great progress. You are doing all the right things. Keep it up!