Weigh in #15

Another week bites the dust.  This week has been busy and I think I exposed further weaknesses in my healthy habits which I need to focus on fixing.  I was called in to my day job early a couple of times this week and I got caught without home cooked food most of the week.  I do not mean to intimate that I eat food I cooked myself for every meal, on the contrary.  On workdays I usually have my during work meal at one of the spots around my office building, but when I work late the options narrow.  I can almost always find a low calorie option, but the sodium is a huge issue.  Even at Subway, my go to evening spot downtown, it is pretty rough.  This week I am going to think about ways I can prep items that I can throw together easily in multiple combinations.  It is great to have tasty leftovers, but having the same meal 4 out of 6 dinners is a bit wearing on the palate.  I am not yet sure how to accomplish this, so I will be giving it some thought this week, but those of you who cook, especially any moms, whose lives are ten times busier than mine, your ideas are welcome.  With all of that being said I was very good with my calorie intake this week and the results show it:

Current Weight: 368.6 lbs
Starting Weight: 440.2 lbs
Weight Loss This Week: 4.6 lbs
Weight Loss Total: 71.6 lbs

Over seventy pounds lost and now below 370.  The steady progress is, of course, very gratifying, and confirms that I can get to my 100 pound goal  by my deadline.  My dance call and this week, and some of my recent exercise sessions have been enlightening as well, because I am starting to really notice some big changes in the physical function and abilities of my body.  My musculature is built for a 440+ pound person, but I am a full 15% below that now, and because of that I feel strong.  I am able to jog for a more extended spurt now.  I am jumping a bit higher.  My stamina has certainly increased.  Some of the adjustments I have had to make are a bit strange as well.  My joints feel like they belong to someone else when I am out walking or working out.  I think this is partly because after years carrying as much as they have they are not in the best shape.  As my muscles adjust and take pressure off of the actual structure of the joints (particularly my knees and hips) it should get better, but I think some damage is done and I will have to live with that.  Part of the reason my joints feel weird is because as I have lost weight and body fat my joint alignment has been shifting.  My feet can face a bit more forward.  My knees are more under my shoulders because I have less thigh to force them apart.  My butt is smaller so I am able to straighten my back more naturally.  I would say that a good bit more of the weight I have lost is from my front, so my entire center of gravity is further back.  It is a strange adjustment, but beyond the joint discomfort I am really able to use my body more efficiently.

One week closer.  I seem to find something new to work on or fix almost every week, and that is good because it keeps me active, moving in the right direction, and prevents complacency.  Setting these smaller goals has really been helpful as well.  It gets my competitive nature going, and once that is going my family can tell you that I am more than a bit focused.  This whole process has been an incredible learning experience as well.  I have learned what motivates me, how to get myself to work when my natural inclination is to let things happen to me, and how to enjoy what I thought would be an austere and painful process.  All of this almost seems normal now, and I guess that is the ultimate goal.