Well not always. But today it was the numbers on the scale that didn’t go down from last Monday. Granted, they didn’t go up either, so that’s a plus.
Still, I should’ve been able to report at least the lost of 2-3 more pounds since last Monday.
See, since I determined in February that I was going to do something about this, I’m down somewhere between 14-17 pounds, depending on what those lying scales at the YMCA say on any given morning.
It should be more than that, but I got a delayed start both for reasons of intimidating arthritis issues and finding the right program for me. So really, this is since early April. Those aren’t bad results.
As for the program? I’ve tried just about all of them. I’ve got a closet full of weight loss books and failed programs. And I still get emails from “coaches” telling me how to lose another 20 lbs. before dinner time…if I’ll only buy their supplements.
I’ve been to the sessions about weight loss surgery as well. They always end with, “after the surgery, you need to eat this way.” At which point I tell myself that if I can’t eat like that before the surgery, there’s no real poing of going through that.
In the end, it’s come down to what I’ve known all along. You have to burn more calories than you consume.
I’ve been using a phone app called “Lose It” and it’s really working this time.
Well, except for weeks like last week when I thought I was making good choices. Except for the ice cream we had the night before our son went back to summer school. Or maybe the barbecue we had because, after all, I needed to review that restaurant. Or the brownie at the board meeting because that caterer really is amazing.
I guess I should be glad the scales didn’t move in the wrong direction after all.
Still, the equation is simple and it’s working. I think the “Lose It” app is frequently more generous in telling me the amount of calories I burn from things like yard work. But it does a pretty good job of helping me track what I consume. With it on my phone, I can record it at the time of consumption.
In addition to counting the calories, I’m trying also to make healthier choices. No fast food. Limit the grains. Limit the sugars and starches. Lots more fruits and vegetables. And water, more water. I never get enough water.
I still have a long way to go. I have a goal in mind and a date. I’m not there. But I’m on my way.
And, once I get there I need to remind myself that this is not a diet, this is a change of lifestyle.
It doesn’t mean I still won’t have the occasional ice cream, or brownie or adult entertainment beverage. It means instead that when I choose to do that, I know it means I need to make it up elsewhere.
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