Week in Review

Some people like weighing themselves every day when trying to lose weight.  ("Lose weight."  What a loose, ambiguous phrase!)  I do not.  The numbers drive me frikkin crazy.  It has caused me to hallucinate, weighing every day -- the scale grows horns, evil laughter fills the air, smoke and venom emanate from under its surface, and I find myself premeditating malice and destruction.  This, despite knowing that it's all an illusion.  All of it.  The scales are a tool.  One generalized form of measurement.  But they are by no means The Gospel of progress in the wonderful world of "weight loss."

I like weighing on Fridays and/or Saturdays.  I tend to have more carbs on the weekends, which causes water retention often -- usually -- and I don't need to see PROOF of that on Sunday or Monday, setting my mood and upsetting my focus for the rest of the week.  From last Saturday to today -- one week -- I've dropped two pounds on the scale.  Again, a general measurement.  Yay me.  Bravo.  Rejoice.  But weighing this morning was like celebrating the New Year a day late.  I KNEW I was making progress simply by the way my clothes were fitting and my encounters with the mirror each morning.  "Coming attractions."  The scale only served to validate those sneek previews.

Being this close to "goal weight," -- again, ambiguous terms -- I have to maintain vigilance and initiate attacks as necessary from time to time.  I lose a few, gain a few, maintain a few, repeat.  It's called living.  Life.  The important detail being -- keeping an eye on balance and control.  Too far across center line, or too far off the edge of the road, things can get ugly.  Vigilance.  Maintaining control, cruising.  These allow you to enjoy the ride

My strategies for my "attack" this past week included:

• Carbs very low 2-3 days, slight increase for one day; repeat
• Calories controlled to a slight-to-moderate deficit daily
• Egg whites (with one yolk) omelettes each morning; Tilapia for Meal 2  (creature of habit and I like the taste of both)
• Weight training at the gym:  Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday -- approx one hour, followed by light cardio 15-20 mins
• Morning fasted cardio 25-30 mins -- walk/run intervals; endurance running
• One full session of Callanetics (45 mins); Callanetics stretches every day; Callanetics hip/thigh session only x 1
• Sufficient rest and ample water

Today I'll be traveling to watch Big G's game.  It is my rest day.  No exercise.  It is also likely to be a carb up day -- not full-go-crazy-caution-to-the-wind, not even close, but slight indulgences to keep my metabolism and hormones happy, diffusing the alarm mode.  Tomorrow I'll do some light cardio only.  And then I'll repeat that weekly plan once more and continue until I hit a road block or until the mirror or my clothes say --- THERE!  YOU DID IT!  NICE JOB.

Looking forward to a repeat at The Union Grill this evening.  All my sons will be present this time, a whole family affair.  Should be fun -- AND DELICIOUS!