Electronic Judgment
Not often do I spend $50 on something I am sure I will hate so much, but this was a necessary purchase. Yesterday my Escali glass top scale with body fat and water analysis arrived.
It is actually kind of pretty in a stainless steel refrigerator kind of way. But that is not why I got it. This is post #1 of weekly posts of my weight. I will probably post more frequently to discuss my trials and tribulations, but once a week is the bare minimum.
When I weighed myself this morning I discovered a small problem with the scale. Depending on how I balance myself on it (as it is a bit narrower than my natural stance) the result can vary a bit. So I will be averaging two readings to come up with my weight each week. Without further ado then, here is my starting weight.
440.2 Lbs.
It is a bit higher than I thought it would be, but being perfectly honest a number that high is not unexpected. I am shocked at how easy it was to get here, but the past is the past. This is the starting point. I am not sure how effective it will be to set a target weight because I have never been thin enough to really know my body type or how a certain weight level will sit on me, but I think 225 or so is a reasonable goal weight. I don't have to be married to that.
Do They Have Methadone For This?
Other beginnings I have made since my last post are to experiment with exercise and eliminating soda from my diet. The Biggest Loser Fitness book I got recommends starting with exercise three days a week to start with and I think that is a great start. Thursday morning I did 15 minutes on the treadmill and 70 crunches as well as some stretching to warm up and some light calisthenics. As I feel more comfortable I will be adding more time and exercises, but right now I just need to build up a bit of endurance.
Eliminating soda so far has not gone according to plan. Instead of being smart and doing a little research I just stopped drinking soda. Since I used to drink so much, and it was the only source of caffeine in my diet the withdrawal symptoms were incredible. I had to have half a cup of coffee at work Thursday night and another small mug Friday afternoon. The headache was still so bad that I vomited Friday morning and had to miss work. I heard once that caffeine was more addicting than heroin, and now I believe it. I am feeling better today, but stubborn refusal of all caffeine is in the past. If the Mayo clinic strongly recommends against quitting caffeine cold turkey, who am I to disagree. I do have some Folgers in the freezer and splenda in the pantry, so the effects on my diet should be minimal when I am forced to drink coffee as long as I remember to chase it with twice as much water.Next post I will highlight some of my better food choices and struggles with cravings, but I think that is enough for now.
The game is afoot.
Try drinking green tea. The caffeine is great and it is natural appetite suppressant and diuretic.
ReplyDeleteI'm so proud of you Chase for making such a positive effort in your life. If you would find it helpful, I have the Biggest Loser Complete Calorie Counter book and embarrassingly enough have never used it. :( I would be happy to get it to you, if you would like it. If you ever need someone to walk with or exercise with or try out some new healthy dishes, give me a buzz! I'm very excited for you! You are a strong man and I know you will see some great results! Just remember that you're not perfect, and sometimes you might slip up, but that doesn't mean you have to quit. Keep on keepin on!
ReplyDelete*Sara Jo*
Contrary to popular belief, caffeine is not all bad for you. The key is moderation. A half cup of coffee with skim milk and splenda is the way to go for coffee. If you can cut out the splenda - even better. Also I heard that having milk with your coffee helps to keep it from staining your teeth.
ReplyDeleteEven better - tea. Someone above recommended green tea, which is excellent. In addition to having about a 1/3 of the amount of caffeine found in a cup of coffee, it has no calories. It is said to help with food cravings as well, so that is a diet plus! However, DO NOT drink it from a bottle. Usually they add a ton of sugar. I would recommend buying a box of tea bags and making it yourself. If you find the taste too strong or bitter, add some lemon. If you want to drink it iced, brew two tea bags in hot water and then pour over a glass with ice in it.
I am a fountain of tea and coffee knowledge, what can I say - I used to work at Argo Tea.
I would like to point out I called the headaches coming from giving up the sodas. Go ahead. Look back at your first post.
ReplyDeleteBut seriously this is cool and while it's gonna be hard you can do it and you will feel so much better. I'll keep checking in to see how its going.
I love coffee. Love, Gwen
ReplyDeleteI kinda of love how evil the Dr. Pepper looks in that picture you chose. Seriously, it looks like it's plotting something unseemly.
ReplyDeleteIf you don't like coffee and still need caffeine, try drinking Pepsi One with Splenda or Diet Coke with Splenda. Splenda doesn't travel through your blood stream like aspartame does, so it's not as challenging with giving headaches and such. Also, trying to only have one caffeinated beverage a day is a good idea. Focusing on your water intake is a great idea too.
ReplyDeleteAnother key is making sure you have the correct balance of vitamins/nutritional supplements in your diet as well.
I know you can do it Chase! I also know how hard it is...I've lost almost 45 lbs in about 8 weeks, so I know it's possible!
Oh and sea salt! Natural, unbleached, unprocessed sea salt helps flush your kidneys and keeps you from retaining water. You'll find that you'll crave the taste rather than iodized salt!
Good luck!
Jenni Passig