4XLT

Today’s Weigh-In: 324.8 pounds – New Low!
Total Weight Lost: 115.2 pounds
Days till Goal: 13
Pounds to Go: 4.8

… I just let my guard down.

It seems that every time I hit a new low or other health related milestone and blog about it, I let my guard down the following day and end up bouncing back a few pounds (e.g. Cakegate and Wingsgate, rather recently).

I got to thinking about this on RodeDaddy’s recent blog: I always pack on a few pounds after my indiscretions. Even though in the big picture two or three pounds may not seem to be a whole lot, let’s look at the effect it has.

For the sake of my example, let’s say that I’m tracking at one pound every day of weight loss and start at 330 pounds.

I have a pretty bad weekend, and gain three pounds over Saturday and Sunday (333 on Monday morning). If I get back on my normal weight loss progress, it will take me three days to get back to the 330 mark. It be Thursday when I would have otherwise been five further pounds down the weight loss road at 325.

I haven’t just gained those three, but am instead five pounds down (if my math is correct – and that’s always suspect).

But in reality, the pound a metric is astounding (and even happens on occasion), but hasn’t been sustainable for me. So, let’s look at something like 2/3rds a pound every day. If I put on those three pounds over the weekend and start out on Monday at 333, it would realistically take four and a half days to get back to my starting mark of 330.

By the time the next weekend rolls around, I get back to my previous weekend weight of 330. If I would have kept eating healthily the whole time, I would have been at that 325ish mark.

That still puts me a full five pounds behind schedule. Now, multiply this a few times and it’s easy to get 10 and 20 pounds behind schedule.

It’s just more proof that wanton “off” days aren’t worth the damage they do to the hard work of fat loss. This isn’t to say that I don’t enjoy my off days, but I make sure I don’t go crazy.

And this time, with my new low weigh in, I refuse to drop the ball again.

Today’s Weight In: 328.2 pounds
Days Till Goal: 16
Pounds To Go: 8.2

If you’ve been reading 4XLT for a while, you will remember my mentions of a Seahawks jersey I bought two sizes deliberately too small back in late December. I hung it on my bedroom wall and used the jersey for visual inspiration. I wanted to lose enough weight to fit in that thing by the start of the 2008 season!

It’s just that now I’ve got a problem.

I fit in my jersey (I wore it to the game last weekend). I need some new too-small clothes to use as visual inspiration.

So, I was at Target earlier this week for some odds and ends and decided to try out a pair of size 42 jeans. You never know, right? What if? Ah, what the hell, why not!

The pair of Levi’s fit… snuggly. In fact, way too snuggly. Even though I can technically proclaim that I wear size 42 jeans and have returned to the world of normality (at least with jeans – finding shirts and jackets in Tall sizes is an exercise in futility), I won’t – yet.

The fact is that I won’t go prancing out and about in the 42s yet, but I do think they look good on my wall in place of my jersey.

I can’t wait to be at a point where I can legitimately get away with wearing size 42s, because it’s right at 42 that most stores start carrying jeans in their “normal” clothing sections.

And I gotta say, it’ll be nice to be normal.

Today’s Weight In: 331.4 pounds
Days Till Goal: 19
Pounds To Go: 11.4

In an frustratingly similar experience with last week’s episode of eating twelve hot wings and gaining three pounds, I ate well yesterday, but a small mistake at the end of the day cost me big time.

One of my spiritual moms begged me to come out to her and her husband’s house Monday evening, which I was happy to do. I arrived that evening at roughly 1850 calories of my daily goal of 2400. That gave me about 550 calories of wiggle room, although I had deliberately eaten at Subway after work to keep myself from feeling like I had to eat.

But Vicky had fixed a chocolate cake, and I had failed to keep my wits about me and had a piece. Not a small piece, but not a big piece, either. Just a normal piece of cake, with 500 calories to spare (could it have been more?), three and a half hours before I went to sleep that night … which had me gain two pounds in the morning.

I have to learn what went wrong here if I am to not repeat this mistake again a week and a half from now. Here’s what I’ve learned from my recent Wingsgate and Cakegate scandals:

1. Food is Fuel

I’m not what you would classify as an “emotional eater.” I’ve never been the type to dive into food when I get tired, sad, angry, or anything else. My problem has always been that I made extremely poor choices when I ate.

I drank a lot of pop and a lot of fried food. I had GIANT-SIZED meals and rarely ate breakfast. I’d eat really late at night. I loved fast food and super sizes. I thought it was good. It was bad.

I have to keep looking at food as nothing more than simple fuel for my body. Nothing more. I want the best fuel possible at the right times. If I deviate, I’m prone to breaking down, and since I’m in the race for my life, I can’t let that happen.

2. Food Plans are to be Followed

Along with the allegory of food as fuel, I have to begin being extremely disciplined and proactive in following my food plan. If I had to single my mistake down to one thing last night, it would be that I had a carbo-overload (damn cake) at 8:00pm.

I have to follow my macronutrient and calorie plans rigidly. Some deviation can be worked around, but last night – though it seems minor on the surface – was anything but minor.

3. Food is Not for Friendship

Food can be a social glue, but I’m going to have to learn to be sociable without it. The big reason I had the cake last night was that everybody else was having one, and I didn’t want to be rude.

But the truth is, had I simply smiled and said “No, thank you. I’m fine,” no one would have batted an eyelash.

I make this mistake far too often. I hang out with a friend, and we go get our grub on. I’m at a friend’s place, and we snack (this is rare, as I’ve not been super-sociable as of late). People are all eating, so I eat.

Food is for fuel, not for friendships. If I can learn to implement this, then I’ll be well on my way to making a real, long-lasting change in my eating habits.

Well, here I go, off to lose those two pounds all over again. Stupid piece of cake.

Today’s Weigh-In: 329.2 pounds
Days Till Goal: 20
Pounds To Go: 9.2

Dear blog,

I went to Seattle this weekend.

I bought a new rain jacket that was long enough for my gorilla arms. It says Seahawks. It is neat. It keeps my dry.

I bought a lanyard for my Intel ID. Now swiping the access pad at the turnstile is much easier. That is nice.

My truck now has a cool Seahawks sticker, too. I didn’t want it to get lonely when I wore my Seahawks lanyard. Now it won’t be.

The Seahawks won – FINALLY! IT IS AWESOME, TOO.

I made new friends. I cheered for the Hawks.

I even hung out with a friend from Portland who was in Seattle, too. My friend had a friend who may one day be my friend, too. But right now, she’s just my friend’s friend. Maybe I’ll call her my acquaintance.

The three of us drove around after having a cocktail listening to Flight of the Concords and eating Thai-Mexican fusion cuisine. This was also fun.

I tailedgated and ate lamb and Red Bull, Diet Coke, and water. Somebody just had a baby boy and gave out cigars to celebrate. I had one. it was nice. The Red Bull wasn’t, though.

I watched the Hawks play, which was so cool my mind almost melted. Almost.

I drove back to Portland. I went to sleep for a long time because I didn’t sleep much this weekend.

I woke up and saw I lost pounds. That’s good.

The End

Today’s Weigh In: 330.8 pounds
Days Till Goal: 23
Pounds To Go: 10.8

The crazy superfans over at Seahawk Blue are throwing a party this weekend called “Motherland III,” and I’m joining them up in Seattle. There’s a party Saturday night, and then I’ll head to my first ever Seahawks game on Sunday.

It is going to be a total blast, but it also holds all the possibility in the world for bad, terrible, catastrophic damage to the forward progress I’ve made in my weight loss this week. I’ve got to be smart and plan how to keep moving forward. Here’s my plan.

1. Keep Drinking Lots of Water

I’ve been drinking more water than I’ve ever before in my life at my new job. I keep my water bottle open at my desk and work my way through it a few times during the day. I’m still getting used to peeing so often!

I’m going to keep my water intake up. I’m not sure if it has any direct correlation, but it definitely can’t hurt!

2. Booze Intelligently

I’m talking about alcohol consumption in general here, rather then going out and getting smashed. The get drunk and party scene has never been mine, and I don’t plan on that beginning this weekend.

But, I do enjoy a drink from time to time – a fact made wonderful by living in the beer capital of America: Portland, Oregon. There’s so much to choose from! But there’s no way around the simple fact that alcohol is just plain bad for your body. Add to that the tons of empty calories (just like drinking soda) and carbs (barely and hops) that are in the good beers, and it equals major weight gain.

I want to avoid that for obvious reasons, but I don’t plan on abstaining outright. I’ll stick with cocktails that are relatively lighter on the caloric levels and free of carbs (which I avoid at night). Anyone want to class it up and drink a martini with me?

3. Plan My Eating

I’m hitting the road early Saturday. There’s no reason I should exempt myself from healthy eating for the 36 hours or so of fun I’ll be having. In fact, I consider this a test of sorts to see how “real life” works (if that makes sense).

I’ll continue eating my five meals a day. There’s no reason it’s not possible – I just have to exercise self-control. And really, self-control is the foundation for a healthy life at its most basic. Just because I’m at a tailgate party with a lamb getting roasted and tons of beer and good eats doesn’t mean I have to eat until I’m sick to my stomach!

4. Hit the Gym Before and After

As I mentioned, I leave for Seattle Saturday afternoon and get back to Portland Sunday evening (possibly late).

That gives me some time on Saturday afternoon to go to the gym and get in a good weight training session (dumbbell swings are brutal, but effective). When I return Sunday, if it’s not too late and I’m not too tired, I’ll go to the gym and work through my HIIT cardio plan.

I’ve got to keep my training regimen going just as strong as my nutrition.

5. Have Fun

My life has been really crazy, frustrating, and stressful the past two months or so. There’s definately stress and chaos waiting for me when I get back to Portland on Sunday night, but for these 36 hours, I’m going to leave it behind me and enjoy myself.

Seattle, here I come!