Cutting the String

I posted my new weight in the Weight Watchers counter thing, and it actually warned me that I'm losing weight too quickly. I mean, I understand that losing weight at alarming rates can have negative health effects, but really--I lost less than one percent of my body weight. I'll be okay.

I was looking at the website, and it has this progress graph. I reset it to show my progress from my first day with WW until now. Here's what I saw:
See, I joined WW in January of 2006. That's right, five years ago. I've been paying a membership fee for all this time, even the stretches where I didn't track anything. I considered that my "fat tax."

You can see there my very first "Week 2" weight. I lost ten pounds that first week. I ended up dipping down to just under 411 in July 2006, before bouncing back up. That's the lightest I've been in five years.

It's interesting, isn't it, to think about five years of your life. Struggles, victories, relationships gained and lost, lovers, enemies, apartments, houses, friends getting married, friends having babies, friends divorcing. Lots of time.

In that time, my weight, as you can see, has gone up and down. You can easily track the moments in which I recommitted to getting serious, and the times when I gave up and gave in. Little valleys, that eventually led to new peaks. Each of those little dips? About 10-15 pounds. I'd get serious, work hard, and then fade out. And get heavier. From January to July of 2006, I lost 61 pounds. Then gained it back. In January of 2007, I lost 15 pounds in three weeks, and then gained it all back. Over a month in the fall of that year, I lost about 25 pounds. Then gained it back. Over six months in 2009, I lost 25 pounds. Then gained it all back. (Incidentally, it turns out that when i started this latest trip on the weight-loss train, I was not my heaviest ever. In March of 2009, I actually logged a weight of 505. At least, that was my tracked number--who knows what my actual heaviest was.)

I am the living definition of a yo-yo dieter.

I'm sharing all this because I want you to see the pattern I'm seeing. I get a little success, and then stop trying. When I start putting the weight back on, I get frustrated and give up, and end up worse than when I started. I mean, look at that graph! That's bad news!

We've even seen it in me thus far this year, haven't we. First week: big loss. Second week: no loss. Third week: gain. And now, I'm almost at that magic 15-pound mark.

It's clear to me that I need accountability and I need to be called out by caring friends, so that I stop falling into these patterns. So I'm asking for help. I'm tired of being a yo-yo. Will you help me? Comment, email, text. Call me out on video if I start slacking off. Get my attention.

My goal weight, is about 3 full "squares" below that plotted line in that picture. Which means I need a lot more of these 4-pound weeks. I need to stay focused. I don't want to give up. I'm gonna do everything I can not to give up.

But I'm not going to be able to do this alone.

Week 4, Day 1 Weigh-in: Back on Track

Okay, this feels better.

Starting Weight: 504.0 pounds
Previous Weight: 495.0 pounds
Current Weight: 490.6 pounds
Week 4 Change: -4.4 pounds
Total Loss: 13.4 pounds

Yeah, I feel much better about that. Heading in the right direction. Would have been a little more, but the diet went kind of sideways on Sunday. Back to it today.

Overall, I'm doing okay. My ankle's still giving me some trouble, so I'm going to try to get in to see a podiatrist next week and make sure nothing nasty is going on. But I've been getting to the gym, though not as often as I want to.

But it's a new dawn and a new day. So let's get to work.

And I do apologize for not getting a video out this week. Look for one in the next couple of days, hopefully.

Waddle on, friends.

Week 3, Day 2 Weigh-in: Let's Just Get This Over With.

I gained a pound last week. Actually, i gained a little more than a pound.

No excuse, no blame. I'm mad at myself.

I know what went wrong. When I started upping my workouts, I fell into the trap of upping my food intake to (over)compensate, because i was hungrier more often. Also, my pledge to recommit to the food journal didn't last long.

Lesson: Working out makes you hungry. Don't overeat and nullify its benefits.

And KEEP. THE. FREAKING. FOOD. JOURNAL. Don't be an idiot like me.

===

So I'm going to take my own advice, and just focus on winning today.

I'll post something in video form later in the week.

Starting Weight: 504.0 pounds
Previous Weight: 493.8 pounds
Current Weight: 495.0 pounds
Week 3 Change: +1.2 pounds
Total Loss: 9.0 pounds

Dave's A Loser, Too: Week 2 Weigh-in Frustration (Vlog 4)

Heres ya go.

Week 3, Day 1: Weigh-in Frustration

So remember when I said I wasn't gonna back down after a strong first week? Yeah. I backed down. But I realize where my big mistakes were. I'll talk about that in the upcoming video. In the meantime, here are my frustrating weigh-in results:

Starting Weight: 504.0 pounds
Previous Weight: 494.2 pounds
Current Weight: 493.8 pounds
Week 2 Change: -0.4 pounds
Total Loss: 10.2 pounds

Yes, you read that right--4/10 of a pound. What is that, 6-7 ounces? So basically, no change. No gain, yes, but I don't have time for no-gain weeks.

Okay, video forthcoming. Back to work.

Dave's A Loser, Too: Addressing the "Biggest Loser" Discussion (Vlog 3)

A quick video addressing the "Biggest Loser" issue that Trevor brought up this week.

AND: I added a comment in Youtube to clarify this, but: About 2:45 into the video, I say that you can't wait for an outside savior to rescue you from being fat. And it's clear within the context that I'm talking specifically about weight loss and the tendency of people to look for outside fixers instead of trying to address their own issues. But this wasn't a theological statement, and I will be clarifying this in the future, so at least anyone following me on Youtube will hear a clearer statement about the "savior" question.

So, like, don't freak out on me and accuse me of apostasy, because that's obviously not what's being said. Thanks.

Dave's a Loser Too: Week 1 Results (Vlog 2)

Week 2 video!!! And I look funny in a hat! Enjoy!

Week 2, Day 1: Weigh-in

It's been an interesting week. It's definitely strange, getting back into the "write down everything, point everything" mindset. But it's very clear from the get-go that doing so makes you mindful of just what and how much you put in your body.

I will readily admit that I didn't write down every single thing, and had a couple of meals that went a little off the rails, but for the most part, i was militant. I'm ready to make war against this disease in me--not obesity, but laziness.

SO. Things are going well. God is good. (He'd be good even if things WEREN'T going well. I'm just sayin'.)

Okay, here's the number:

Starting Weight: 504.0 pounds
Week 2 Weight: 494.2 pounds
Weekly/Total Weight Loss: -9.8 pounds

Praise the Lord for that.

And how sad is it, with simply changing my diet (I've been sick so i haven't gotten back to the gym--will do so this week), I shed a tenner. It's like my body is so desperate to be healthy that it jumps on the chance to burn off the excess.

Okay, body. Imma help you out from now on.

Waddle on, thunderin' herd.

Dave's a Loser, Too (Vlog 1)

That's right, we're hitting the Youtube airwaves. Now you get to see/hear what a loser i am! ;- )

Last night was hard. After a biggish dinner, I broke down and snacked an hour or so later. And by snacked, I mean, a bowl of cereal...followed an hour or two later by two PBJ sandwiches. (Is anyone surprised that i'm over 500 pounds?)

Before, this would have been devastating and disheartening. Now, it's just disappointing. Irritating. But it won't stop me from getting back on the horse.

OH--did you realize Subway's food has a TON of sodium? I mean, i figured, processed meat, no big shock there, but a TON. So yeah, I don't think I'll be going there very often.

Okay, gotta work. Catch you on the flipside, thunderin' herd.

Dave is a Loser, Too

(Note: I may come back and update this blog with what's gone on in the past 8 months, but that will have to wait.)

Resolved: Okay, Trevor, I'm on board.

I've got my food journal going.

I'm back on Weight Watchers, and am back to logging points.

You other readers--are you ready to waddle on with me? 2011 is the year when the Gospel starts to change my life in a new way. My prayer is that, throughout this year, God will be glorified in my health, as much as He is in my obedience in other areas.

Short-term Goals: I want to lose at least 15 pounds a month for the first 3 months, and then 10 pounds a month after that until i reach my goal weight. And no more yo-yo weight changes. Sustainable weight loss. Consistency.

Current Status: I'm ashamed of this--but I'm now the heaviest I've ever been. After losing about ten pounds due to dehydration and sickness in Haiti, I've put on 30 in the last 4 months.

2011 Starting Weight, as of yesterday morning, January 3: 504.0 pounds.

Expect something visual soon. Pictures, maybe even a vlog if i can get the tech to work out right.

More soon.