meatless monday
lessons in weight loss: stay off that scale!


So, it's like this.

I know I'm supposed to avoid obsessive scale watching.  In fact, several years ago during the first leg of this fitness overhaul, I weighed exactly once a month.  And every month, for several months, I lost 8-10 pounds. That significant loss fueled my fitness spirit for an entire month, afterwards.  I didn't even OWN a scale.  I was so smart. I was smart enough to listen to the expert tips, and implement them into my fitness lifestyle. It was great advice, and it worked for me.  I lost 50 pounds in six months and kept all but a pesky 5-10 back-and-forth'ers who just didn't get the memo.

I was so, so good.  
Several years later, I take on this second leg of the fitness journey, and get all cocky, like I know everything, a little too confident, because I'd done it before, and I start taking shortcuts.  I, most cavalierly, don't concern myself with those habits that worked before.

Now, it's not that I'm not taking off the weight.  I am. Though achingly slowly right now.  It's much more about the mental challenges of weight loss.  That's what I'm trying to learn to navigate. Case in point--

Now I own that scale. And I am on that scale WAY TOO OFTEN.  I mean several times a day, sometimes.  And, as you'll see below, I see why I shouldn't.

Okay, so maybe I've not been so, so good.  But, oh, was this ALL so, so good!
Last week, after a particularly robust restaurant review/happy hour invitation week, and in the middle of the day, no less, I hopped on the happy little scale, to find, to my horror, that I'd gained 4 pounds. !!!!!  Of course, I rounded that up in my mind immediately to 5 pounds.  And reasoned that it was likely even more (for what reason, I am completely unaware) than those 4, 5 pounds.  I left for the weekend, believing I was a failure. That I didn't know how to eat. That I wasn't fit. That I couldn't do this. That I would never reach my goal.

That I should give up.

I felt old, fat, and ugly.

I'm sure no one else has ever felt that way, huh?

So, I spend 4 days away from that scale.  I can feel those 45, one million pounds. I am sure I am bloated. Am sure those shorts were looser the week before. I don't walk. I don't practice yoga. I don't lift one single pound. I break into tears more than once. I eat Rocky Road candy bars for dinner, because, really, what's the use?

Time to be so, so good, again!
I get back to that scale 4 days later, and find, yep, you guessed it, that all 45, one million pounds were gone. Did I lose those pounds while perched, inactive, like Jabba the Hutt, and enjoying candy bar dinners in the country? Yeah, um, no.

They were most likely the result of a high sodium meal, or some other unexplained cause of temporary water weight gain. And..... I'm still mad about it!  I still feel like I own those pounds even though they are no longer.  What the heck?  A week later, and my ego is still bruised, my resolve, faltering, my mood, oh heavens my mood-- cranky.  Cranky is a kind word for it.

Add to that mood one less-than-flattering picture that popped up in social media, and, well, I'm ready to turn this boat around. Whatever the impetus, whether real dissatisfaction with fitness, or imagined weight gain, I think the best way to approach this odd fitness frustration is with steadfast, razor-sharp focus, and determination.

It is a little more than half way through the birth year that authored this Springing Into Fitness personal challenge.  And my goal of losing 50 pounds?  Well, 35 pounds down, I'm 15 pounds, and 20 weeks away from....

A Fabulous Fifty

Phase II: Doing What Works


Get Moving:  Keeping the Pep in Your Step


The last time I successfully lost significant weight and kept it off, I maintained a vigorous fitness plan including cardio, strength, and flexibility training.  It helped me build confidence in my own abilities, it helped me have energy, it helped me have greater control over my results. endorphins kept me from running to the candy aisle.  So, again, I'll be returning to a more vigorous fitness plan. I'll incorporate cardio, strength, and flexibility training, and I'll be moving 6 days a week.

Habits: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly


The last time I successfully lost significant weight and kept it off, I did not obsess over the scales. I will be taking the scale from the bathroom to my closet.  On a shelf.  Under my boxes of shoes. Lots of boxes.  I will give myself one time per week to weigh in--Sunday morning. If that doesn't work, I'll go back to once a month. The goal is to become fit. The goal is not to become crazy. Um, crazier.



Fueling the Machine: Eating Well for Health and Wellness


The last time I successfully lost significant weight and kept it off, I carefully planned, and kept a 1000-1500kc/day meal plan.  I ate 5 meals a day.  I gave myself weekends to relax, but not much. I didn't keep a food diary--the meal plan was complete, cautious, thorough, and a system from which I did not waver.  So, again, I'll be returning to the meal plan.



I think I can speak for a whole lot of people in my world in saying that I hope this intensified focus turns this cranky mood  around. Have mercy, I can't even stand myself.  

How are your fitness plans working out in this sweltering summer heat?  Find a fabulous new lean dish?  Figure out how to tackle that flagging discipline?  Add some new music to your speed walking playlist?  I'd love to hear what keeps you going, collecting your favorite tips for an upcoming blog post, with credit, of course!  Leave your links, your tips, your secrets, your magic, your favorite personal fitness tips in the comments below, and you'll see it show up soon on Notes From Maggie's Farm.

Well I certainly don't want to be known as a Rocky Road.  I'ma turn this thing around.

15 comments:

  1. I find just going through last years photos as the push I needed to get back on track. It gives me a sense of accomplishment. You are looking really really good-Just stay focussed and your 50th will be fabulous. I have faith in you girl!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Girl, thank you! I saw that picture from Cupcakes and Cocktails and thought UGH...I thought I was looking better! lol So, it's back to strict adherance for a while. Hey, have you ever done a foam roller workout? I'm adding that today.

      Thank you for your encouragement! Love you!

      Delete
  2. You are not ugly, old, fat. The people who know you talk behind your back and we all say wonderful things. Mostly that you're a beautiful person who is often the life of the party.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh girl I love you!! I'm going to embroider this on a pillow! Thank you for making me feel wonderful, and more importantly, reminding me of what lovely people I have in my life. YOU ARE THE BOMB, girl!

      Love love love you for the motivation,
      Mags

      Delete
    2. Linda said it better than I ever could. :) Bravo for having the bravery to blog through this journey!

      Delete
    3. You sweet friend! Thank you so much for your support and encouragement as I navigate this journey or mine this year. Whew! Your kind words make me feel brave!

      Love,
      Maggie

      Delete
  3. You are a lovely lady! So glad you are happy, and doing this in a healthy way. I need to do more, as I am not moving, and with this heat, I am bearly moving. I am thinking of joining the local Y to walk and do some light weights to start. I can't do the scale thing that much, as I used to, and it just discouraged me. Keep up the good work!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, Winnie...the HEAT. It just gives me ZIP motivation to move myself out of my preferred temperature range. lol I think the Y is a great idea, and I have to say that the weight work is actually the most enjoyable part of my fitness routine. As I feel stronger, it's so much easier to get my move on.

      Thank you so much for stopping by with your encouragement! You always leave me smiling!
      Maggie

      Delete
  4. Gosh, Mags...I saw that photo of you from Cupcakes and Cocktails and thought how great you looked. You know what works for losing weight? Getting rid of the self-loathing. It's hard to do something good for someone you don't like very much. I'm sure the spiral you recently rode is not the norm, but it concerns me how quickly you "went there" when you hit a bump. That's why I have had to wait so long before giving this another try myself. I knew I wasn't in the right head space. And I have not been for years. That's where the real work exists. I say to you what I said with great love and admiration. You are already a success; and journey that does not stop when you hit 50 pounds or 50 years. You are doing this. You are successful. You are human. Live with it. <3

    ReplyDelete
  5. I didn't mean that comment "live with it" to sound so jerky. I am using it like "embrace" or "own" -- as in embrace your life, your humaness, your perceived flaws...your are perfect as you are...always. You are just polishing the perfection right now...and that takes time and patience.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I totally heard that as OWN IT, girl, and I have to thank you for your thoughtfulness and support. The self-loathing....I agree whole-heartedly. Case in point--Funny that the photo you thought looked good was the one that I hated. And you're right, this is usually not my norm, and that's why I decided to get real and share it. Because so many of us give ourselves so little credit, expect perfection from ourselves, listen to what Madison Avenue has told us makes us valuable and attractive. Gosh I appreciate your candor. And your journey, too! Let's get together soon, and catch up on this journey of ours.

      Love you to death, sweet lady,
      Mags

      Delete
  6. You need to eat plenty of green vegetables in order to capitalize on the benefits they have. For instance, green leafy vegetables have plenty of fiber to help your digestion. Regular exercise and proper diet make you fit. Be Happy : )

    Regards,
    Tahitian Noni Juice

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Lucas,

    Thanks so much for dropping by and sharing your wisdom. I do love me some greens, and eat them all day long. With a green smoothie in my hand, I say....

    Cheers!

    Maggie

    ReplyDelete
  8. You are beautiful inside and out! Thank you for sharing your ups and downs and inspiring others along the way. xo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, sweet friend. I appreciate your kindness, and your inspiration to keep on keeping on!

      Love you, girl!
      Maggie

      Delete

Thank you for visiting Notes from Maggie's Farm. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...