My dramatic struggle with my nemesis: the scale!
It really is “One Step Forward and Two Steps Back” but in my case it seems to be the One Pound Down and Two Pounds Up
My Vent
If you have been following my blog (and I hope that you have been with me from the start), then you know that my goal has been to lose weight.
Yes, there are many factors against me: my age, my present body, my joints, my inherent laziness and the fact that some foods are oh so good!
And yet, I fight on! (Insert background cheering here)
The Facts
I cannot fight the age factor but even ten years ago, I moved quicker, and the knees were more agile. It does get harder to lose weight as you get older and there are female factors in play that make it harder too.
Along the years, my knees have gotten worse and I have injured my back twice in the same place (currently still have the problem but figure that I have the pain either way, I may as well keep going).
I have continued to consistently walk three times a week, which is surprising to me that I am still doing that. I would have given up a long time ago, but I have to keep pushing myself to do it. There have been a few weeks where it was only two times and a few times when it was four times (like an added walk with my rambunctious dog).
I have been walking around 1.5-2.0 miles each time in my efforts. Sometimes I am at the gym and other times I am walking in the neighborhood. The gym is good because I can add an incline to my walks which helps my quads (thighs), which really need a boost.
It has not made a weight difference, but I am an educated person, so I know that walking is good for my heart, lungs and general health. This I remember when I really want to just plop on the couch with a good book!
The Newest Factor
I have watched enough seasons of The Biggest Loser to see those overweight contestants lose huge amounts of weight, especially when they start their journeys. So, I waited to see some changes with me.
And I waited…and waited…and waited.
I was not in the gym for four to six hours, which I have heard is what they do, but I did start to think of the other big factor in losing weight: food.
I have heard that if you are trying to lose weight it is 80% food and 20% exercise.
Ugh! Really?
Love it…hate it…indifferent to it, we all need food to survive. But I guess we do not need all the cookies, chips and other snacks to survive.
As I continued to walk, walk, walk and did not see any physical changes or changes on the scale, I decided to work on the drastic idea of (gulp) counting calories.
How to Count Calories
No matter what the topic is, if you want information it is right at your fingertips. Back in the day, I had written down in a notebook what I had eaten for each day. It was time consuming and after a while annoying to complete each day. But now, with all the technology surrounding us each day, it is easier to do a food diary.
There are many apps to track your food. I am using My Fitness Pal because in many Facebook group threads about losing weight, it is mentioned many times and a lot of people are familiar with it.
Another topic that comes up a lot is Intermittent Fasting, which I had written about in a previous post. The link to that post is: https://figuringouttherest.com/want-to-lose-10-pounds-me-too/
There is no affiliate marketing going on here. I have not even figured out how to do that yet.
My Fitness Pal is a free app. There are plenty of other apps online as well. It was just the one I had heard about a lot, so I downloaded it onto my phone.
I have only been using it for almost three weeks now. Again, I would not have thought that I would be consistent with it, but I guess I am getting to the point that I know (deep down) that I need to do this.
It has tons of different foods in the app so when I type an item in, it pops up and you choose it to add to your food diary. It even has where you can scan the barcode of a product and it pops up. If you go out to eat, there are many menus for a variety of restaurants already uploaded for you to record your items.
Another feature that I like is the serving size can be adjusted. There are times that I need a sugar fix, but I will eat one-half of a serving or three-fourths just to satisfy the craving. It keeps track of that too.
Do you remember that I decided to take out two ounces of my Dr. Pepper soda (that I drink every day)? I had it on my you tube channel and facebook page for Figuring Out The Rest. I actually now take out three ounces of soda before I pour it into a glass. That is one-fourth of the can so I can adjust the serving to three-fourths of a can. It adjusts the calories automatically.
My Results So Far
I know that you may think that I am crazy to pour out that small amount of soda, pouring it into a measuring cup, before I drink my soda. And maybe it is, and maybe I am.
That little bit of soda that I do NOT drink helps me to save 10 grams of sugar. Every little bit helps, I think and hope.
I thought by now that I would be further along in my journey and be celebrating my successes, small ones along the way. I am still waiting to lose “Only Ten Pounds” which was my first blog post several month ago when I started on this journey. You can find that post at: https://figuringouttherest.com/only-10-pounds-part-1/
The app has configured my daily calorie intake at 1330 calories a day, which is not a lot. And for the most part I try to stay at that goal. I usually go over some but not as much as I thought I would. I get some extra calories added into my daily total when I go walking too (exercise points).
The weekends are hard. If you have been following me for a while, you know that we eat out on the weekends. I have talked about the dinner struggle with my child in my blog post, “Thank God It’s Thursday”. Here is the link if you missed it. https://figuringouttherest.com/thank-god-its-thursday/
I have been trying to not eat as much during the day when I know I am going out to eat for dinner. Also, I have been trying to make better choices when we go out, choosing grilled options over fried.
Will it work? I am not sure. It has gotten me thinking about the calories in many snack items and does deter me from mindless snacking, so that is a positive in that regard.
I see the scale go down one day and then back up the next. I should probably not go on it as much, but I like to see it go down, even by half a pound.
I have generally lost a few pounds. It is not enough to notice in any way yet, that will be a while down the road, but here is to hoping, and praying, and walking, and counting calories!
How about you? What has worked for you? Have you done apps, Weight Watchers, intermittent fasting, praying, calorie counting with a food journal?
No fads though. I do not do those. I do not think they are sustainable, and I am going for the long haul here. I think if I stick with this effort, I will see a difference as my body realizes that I am serious about it. We will see. Stay tuned.
I know you can do this. It’s just a matter of motivation and wanting it enough. Clearly something different or more extreme versions of the same need to take place, because what you are wanting to do is lose and lose consistently and as of now we are only even and have not made statistical ground. So something must change or the same must be more diligent.
I often go up in weight in winter and cut a lot of weight for summer. I find my biggest issue is knowing I can lose the weight quickly. This makes me carefree about putting the weight on. I complain through the winter and then the weather wakes and I get sick of the weight so I persist through what I know I must do.
Finding motivation and having the discipline to stand fast are the two pillars of weight loss and fitness.
My hope for you is to find the motivation now, before the motivation is forced on you. So many people find motivation only after a severe health crisis and for some that is too late. I often remind myself this when I go up too high in weight and it will motivate me too get started. As I write this, my father is at deaths door. His liver and kidneys have failed, his breathing is labored and he is skin and bones. He knows his time is near and it’s is amazing the motivation one finds when the end is in sight.
Reach inside yourself now and formulate a real strategy you can stick too. A gameplan for commitment. How will you lose the weight. What will you eat and how will you exercise? What will you turn to for motivation? Stick it notes around the house with words of personal motivation? Daily reminders in the morning? What will be your backup plan when weakness sets in? Do you have a buddy for accountability and encouragement? Have a plan and know the escape routes, should contentment and comfort make their way to your gate, lest you are overcome and lose all progress and ultimately your will. Plan your route. Plan everything. Prepare to win and stand your ground. Do this and you will crush your goals.
As your friend who cares for you, I offer my own assistance and stand ready to assist, encourage and support you. I know you can do this. I know you can. The body is strong, it is the will that lags behind. Dominate your will and the body will follow.
The first three weeks offer the greatest challenge. Persist for three weeks and the cravings flee. The body heals. Habits are formed. Forge your will. I know you can.
We miss you, especially this time of the year. Hope to talk soon.
I know you can do this.
Motivation and discipline!Ugh! Sometimes, they are lacking. But I know in my head that eating healthier (and less) and getting more exercise (instead of laying on the couch) is better for me in the long run! I am just frustrated that I’m not seeing the results that I thought I would by now when I’m actually trying. That being said, as a man you will lose it easier than women because of the muscles men have and also you are younger. So, down the road you will have to see if that holds up, you being able to lose weight easily. Though I’m jealous of that superpower you have. I know that on the shows I’ve seen on tv when they start actually eating better and exercising, they drop like 10-20 pounds in a week. I know they make them work out insanely but I’m just trying for 2 pounds a week. I will stay with it and hope to see the numbers coming now as I progress.
Thank you for the motivational speech. I need it at times. Love the comments also.
I’m so sorry about your dad. It is hard to watch someone go through what he is going through. It does remind us of how fleeting time is and to treasure it and the time we have with loved ones.
Sue, I love that you keep trying. I too use the MyFitnessPal app. It’s amazing to see how many calories we are actually putting into our bodies. And it’s cool to see it broken down. But you are so right. It is hard work. Keep at it. You may not go down, but i know, if I’m not working on going down, I’m going up!
It’s funny because with the app, sometimes when it’s dinner time and it’s hard to figure out how many calories I ate, I just don’t finish recording the day. Casseroles are hard. Much easier if it’s a grilled chicken breast and veggies but add things together and then it’s harder. I love when it’s a UPC code, so much easier. Anyway, I agree with you, that if I don’t pay attention, it’ll get worse, so I trudge on. I’m working on eating less earlier in the day, cuz the nights are the harder one for me. The weekends are worse with going out but if I save the calories, it helps. Thanks for the comment. It came up twice but was the same message, so I only replied to this one.
As a mom of three boys, I understand everything about losing and gaining. It’s a constant battle, I’ve tried the app too but never stuck with it. great post!
I hope to stick with the app or to get used to what is good to eat and not. I stopped logging in for about a week recently and didn’t lose anything. I didn’t gain anything either which was good but logging in helps me stick to it better. I have a lot of weight to lose so I need to be more diligent about it also. And Yes, it is a constant battle that I think women wage more than men. Sometimes, I just want to eat the bad stuff but I have started to lose some so hoping for more weight loss along the way. Thanks for the comment.