1/5/2020 Weigh In

218.5, up 8 lb from 12/14/2019's 210.5.

I clearly relaxed the regimen during the holidays. The holidays are now OVER. It is time to restart the regimen. I shall tow the line.

Christmas is the death of the diet. It was last year, too. I didn't regain as much this year as I allowed myself to regain last year, but 8 lb in less than one month ... yeah, not good. I know what did it, of course. All that butter. All those biscuits and pie dough chunks. All that cream. Christmas is the Season of Fat.

Well, here we are, with those eight hard-lost pounds easily regained. It was not a problem at all to regain that weight. 

I was reading about a weight-loss theory that involves confusing one's metabolism. I am well aware that weight loss involves slowing down the metabolism; that's why losing the tonnage is so miserably difficult. But this idea sort of makes sense. Diet strictly for x days, then on Day y eat more fats. Then diet again strictly for x days and eat more fats on Day y. Then diet strictly for x days and eat more fat on the Day Y. Basically, don't let the metabolism reset itself into starvation mode.

But I'm not likely to try it. The Diet Center has served me well for all these years; I'll just keep going with that.

I got myself a set of TRX straps for Christmas and I've actually been using them. They help with my hip pain, and they're good for strengthening muscles.

Today's Plan

11:00 Vitamins, water

1:30 Friendly's for brunch (I'll have a grilled cheese and soup, which is actually not unfriendly to the Diet), water

3:30 Wasa, water

4:30 Apple, water

5:30 Wasa, water

6:30 Chicken, spinach salad, water

8:00 Fruit, water

9:30 Yogurt, water

12/14/2019 Weigh In

210.5. No change from 12/12.

The TRX exercise system has not yet arrived; it's scheduled to get here on 12/18, which is this coming Wednesday. Just in time for Christmas!

I'm doing well this holiday season. I've not eaten any Christmas cookies or made any Christmas goodies. That will change for four days when Tess and Kraig get here; they will want Christmas sugar. I will make ONE (count it, ONE) eggnog cheesecake, and I will make pie crust cookies (I'll bring a plate of those to the neighbors next door). Then I will toss the rest of the wheat flour, since that's a BIG evil food for me; pie crust dough is about my favorite food on the freaking PLANET. Horrible for me, of course, but I do love the stuff. Always have. But I can't eat it if I don't have the ingredients around to make it. That's called "removing opportunity." It works.

Today's Plan:

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
10:00 am: Personal trainer, water
Lunch: Chicken/Fish, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack, water
Dinner: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack, water
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

12/9/2019 Weigh In

213.0, up one pound from 11/22/2019's 212.0.

I'm actually quite pleased with that. Thanksgiving ... Hog-Out Holiday ... happened in the interim, as did a week-long trip to London, which is the Land of Scones and Clotted Cream. I gained only a pound over the two weeks, despite all that. I could have lost weight (I certainly did enough walking in London), but I didn't. No excuses. And yes, I enjoyed myself.

I shall be back on the straight and narrow today. I have some grocery shopping to do for salad stuff (mine wilted) and eggs, but that will be an easy thing to do.

Today's Plan:

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Chicken thigh (air fried), water
11 am: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Lunch: Chicken/Fish, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

11/22/2019 Weigh In

212.0. No change since 11/17; that was Sunday and today is Friday. I stepped on the scales yesterday, but did not have time to make the blog entry.

It's been five days without change. I hate ... HATE ... plateaus. They are frustrating as all get out. If this one does not break tomorrow, I will do an egg-grapefruit day tomorrow to kick it into gear.

Next week is Thanksgiving. I'm off to the Boston area to visit my daughter; we plan to do sushi on the holiday itself (no one in my family, including me, likes turkey). I'm staying in a friend's condo in Gloucester, MA, about two blocks from the beach ... to which I will go and walk. I can walk a beach for miles and miles. The ocean air, even in late November, does something for me.

Jim wanted to be scattered at sea. I will fill four small urns with his ashes, one each for his three sons and one for me, and keep those, and I have part of his ashes (and his eyeglasses) in a lovely rosewood box urn on my dining-room mantel. That box urn I will eventually cause to be interred in a national cemetery (he was a veteran, and I will have my ashes interred with his when the time comes), but I will do as he wished and scatter the rest of his ashes on the Gloucester shore this Thanksgiving. It's been five years as of 12/7; it's time to follow his wishes.

Today's Plan:

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
11 am: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Lunch: Chicken/Fish, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Chicken/Fish, salad, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

11/5/2019 Weigh In

215.25, down 0.25 from yesterday! Little bit by little bit...

I cannot sing the praises of the old Diet Center weight-loss diet highly enough. It works. I feel good while I'm on it. And the weight comes off at a healthy rate.

Diet Center has revamped its weight-loss diet, I believe; it's now online and not quite so regimented. Me, I like the old regimen. I don't need the online thing, I have done this and am doing it on my own, and I have no doubt that I will reach my goal weight.

However, I have a trip coming up; I'm off to London right after Thanksgiving. The eating regimen will be different for a week. I will take food with me on the plane for the trip so I don't eat airline food on the way over. I will get a lot of exercise while I'm there; I'm going to be walking around museums and around the streets of London doing the tourist stuff I've never done. I will, though, maintain control of my eating whilst there, but I will not kick myself for stalling or even gaining a bit over that week; I will simply return to the regimen when I get back.

Last year at the holidays, I said those very words and didn't follow through. I ate whatever I damn well pleased from November until October; the result was that I gained back 29 of the 50-something pounds I lost last year. I shall remember that, and not repeat the mistake.

Today's Plan:

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
11 am: 5 minutes on NordicTrack, water
Lunch: Fish, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Chicken, salad, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

10/6/2019 Weigh In

229.0. Grumble.

When last I weighed myself, 11 months ago, I was 200.75. Clearly, I've slipped. My excuse (and that is EXACTLY what this is): Christmas happened. With eggnog cheesecake. Then I didn't go back onto the Plan. While Christmas will happen again, eggnog cheesecake won't.

It's time to get it back in gear and get this show on the road.

I started the Diet Center conditioning diet yesterday, and have one more day to go with that. Then it's chicken-and-fish, chicken-and-fish, chicken-and-fish forevermore.

I have a goal. I have Big Plans for next summer: I'm going to camp my way through the western National Parks. I'll start at probably the southern end with Grand Canyon, then drive up through the Rockies, hitting national parks along the way. I've gotten lots of recommendations for which parks to see; the Big Four on my list are Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Rocky Mountain and Glacier. To do this effectively, I need to be at least 50 lb ... preferably 70 lb ... lighter than I am right now by the time my birthday rolls around in late June.

I Can Do This.

MEASUREMENTS

Neck 16.5"
Chest 46.5"/43.25"
Waist 47"
Hips 46.5"
Upper L arm 13.25"
Upper R arm 14"
L thigh 22.5"
R thigh 23"
L calf 15"
R calf 15.5"

Weighing In 11/14/2018

200.75, down from last week's 201.5.

I haven't lost all that much this month: five pounds. But hey: five pounds is five pounds.

I'm going to give it a break from Thanksgiving until New Year's. If I eat a Christmas cookie, I will not beat myself up. If I eat pizza, I will not beat myself up.

Then, on 1 January 2019, I will restart the weight loss phase. With any luck, I'll lose another 10 lb in January-early February, and weigh well less than 200 lb by the time I go to Egypt in February!!

Weighing In 9/9/2018

210.5, down from yesterday's 211.

Fat is now coming off (well, water too). I'm feeling well, since the Diet Center diet provides for eating really good food; chicken 'n' fish...chicken 'n' fish...chicken 'n' fish..., lots of veggies, fresh fruit, and my ever-present bran muffin that keeps my eyes bright, my tail bushy and my bowels moving.

Also, it's FINALLY cooled down outside. This encourages long walks by the river (I'll take one today) as well as coming home to curl up by the fire with a cuppa tea. Not hot chocolate this year (😢), but I have a tea that tastes like minted hot chocolate, which will substitute well. Keeping body heat going in cool weather also takes a bit more energy ... calories ... just to maintain, which helps!

The holidays are fast approaching, too. Halloween is easy: just don't buy the candy, or buy candy with coconut that I will NEVER eat. Thanksgiving. Hmmm. Maybe I'll treat myself to my former gentleman caller's maple-marinated salmon. One day of maple won't kill me. And Tess and Kraig are coming for Christmas; perhaps rock cornish game hens, salad, broccoli (which Tess loves and Kraig hates 😈) and tofu apple dessert for Christmas dinner? I'll figure it out.

Damn ... I didn't post measurements as promised. Well, here they are, as of today, compared to the last set of measurements I took, in July 2017. As you see, I haven't changed much. They'll be up on the first of each month from now on.

	9/9/18	7/1/17	Difference	Total Difference
Weight	210.5	221.25	-10.75	-10.75
Bust	45	45	0	0
Waist	45	45	0	0
Hips	43	43.5	-0.5	-0.5
Upper Arm L	13	12.75	0.25	0.25
Upper Arm R	13.125	13	0.125	0.125
Mid-Thigh L	20	20.5	-0.5	-0.5
Mid-Thigh R	20.5	21.5	-1	-1
Calf L	15.125	15	0.125	0.125
Calf R	15	15	0	0
Inches Lost	1.5	0	1.5	1.5