Day 100: Reevaluation

Now more than 100 days into the plan, I am reevaluating where I've been, where I am currently, and where I still want to go. Losing 70 pounds has been amazing. But has that success changed my original plans and goals?

I went to see my doctor last week. The nurse weighed me and then went to input the digits into the computer charts. When she hit enter, I saw the red flag pop up on the screen alerting her to a potential error. I just watched for the expression on her face as she realized there was a huge differential from the last time I saw her less than six months ago. She looked at the screen, looked at me, then back to the screen. "Did you, uh... Have you lost weight recently?" 

And while I get the congratulations, handshakes, and high fives for the success of losing more than 70 pounds so far, I am also hearing the "Yeah, but..." as well. You know, the people that tell you their weight loss story and then a few months later it's all back? Not going to lie, I don't need that pessimism in my life--though I understand where it comes from. Because while hundreds of pounds are regularly shed, they are also regularly put back on.

I still hear that nagging question--even if I'm the one quietly asking, 'What's going to be different this time?'

That's not going to be me. The longer I'm on my plan, the more disciplined I'm becoming. In fact, the best part is the discipline is carrying over beyond my diet into other phases of my life. As a result, I'm planning to write a series of entries on that growth in my blog at some point this summer.

But at the same time, I still hear that nagging question--even if I'm the one quietly asking, "What's going to be different this time?" 

Then I found my journal from a previous attempt to lose weight in 2009. My plan that year was lose weight--which I did. And by 2010, I had found it all back and then some. But reading from that journal I'm realizing something significant: I wanted the easy way down.

My coach at that time suggested I wrote down some questions to use as an evaluation with regard to my hunger, are questions I'm realizing I use every day now. Perhaps as you are journeying through the process, these can assist you as well:

1. Am I really hungry? I realize now that many people confuse being thirsty with being hungry. Sometimes just drinking a glass (or two) of water will satisfy that hunger feeling. In fact, when you are drinking adequate amounts of water daily, your food intake will naturally go down. Currently, in my health plan, I'm eating an average of 1000 calories a day. I would have never dreamed I could survive on so little. Yet, my best weeks of weight loss are the weeks where I regularly drink plenty of water, which for me, is approximately 8 bottles of water (16.9 oz).

2. Can I stop when I don't need more? Count the times you've finished eating, but are still having a conversation at the table, and so you continue to munch on something. Listen to your body. Stop before it wants you too. And then, when you're finished, get up from the table and take the conversation somewhere else. Listening to your body to make sure you're hungry is important. Listening to your body when you have just eaten, is equally important.

3. How long am I eating? I admit that when I'm hungry I may not chew my food enough. When I'm famished, stay out of the way. But over the past 100 days, I'm learning to slow down and enjoy every bite, every chew. When I was a kid my parents told me to chew at least 30 times before swallowing. But now, more than just chewing, I try to enjoy the flavors bite by bite. But the cool thing is, the longer it takes to eat, the less you are inclined to eat.

4.  Am I listening to my body? There are things I enjoy eating. Cinnabon Cinnamon rolls. Apply pie. Biscuits and gravy. Pizza. Enchiladas. My list is really long. But I'm also realizing I feel good right now. And sometimes after those meals and treats, I would feel heavy and groggy. I am beginning to realize and reinforce to my mind that I like how I feel now, better than I did eating those things. And don't misunderstand, it's not that I can't have those things eventually, the question for me is beginning to be--do I really want them?

I wrote those initial questions on February 25, 2009. At the time, according to my journal, I weighed 253.6. At at the bottom of that entry I wrote these four goals--which are my goals even now:

​1.  Is 190 possible? It's my goal.
2.  Listen to body better
3.  Stop eating so late
4.  To bed earlier--up earlier.

June 16, 2018, was day 100 for me. As of today, June 25, I weighed in at 240.5 (down 71.6 pounds from March). 

Pic of part of my journal, Feb 25, 2009

Distance to Goal...

55%