The Latest Weigh-In: Surprising Success

This week's weigh-in yielded another pound lost, which was a bit surprising.  I faithfully tracked what I ate, or more accurately, what I ate too much of so I was WAY over my points allowed.  Needless to say, I didn't expect to see a loss this week.  My only explanation: exercise.  Ever since Fryeburg Fair, I have tried to remain consistent with my exercise routine.  I was active at the fair for nine of ten days, so I knew it would be in my best interest to maintain that level of activity. Some days, I don't think I am going to be active at all, but I tell myself "just do a ten minute video" and that tends to become at least 40 minutes.  Tonight I noticed that I was starting to enjoy the time to focus on just me and my body, which is important in developing a long-term relationship with physical activity.

World Food Day - think before you eat!

What better time to dust off the blog than to post regarding World Food Day.  When I read that phrase, I immediately think of food production and food insecurity in third world countries, but upon further contemplation, food insecurity in industrialized countries is an ever-increasing problem, too.  I know how incredibly fortunate I am not only live in a society where food of different types is readily available and easily affordable. I am also educated enough to know where my food comes from and how it is grown.

On a different angle, I can't help but think of the brief time I spent in Russia during my junior year of high school.  The difference in food culture from that of my own was significant in a number of ways.  Yes, food was prepared differently yet it was also presented differently.  During school, we sat down and were served our meals, usually in at least three courses. The idea of self-service was practically non-existent. I felt completely humbled by the hospitality, and wished we had been much more accommodating when my student, Julia, stayed with us.

Another facet of the hospitality shown by my host family was the fact that they purchased food items they would not normally buy to suit my palette. It is extremely difficult to fully ascertain the financial lengths they went to, but I have never forgotten it. This year, with the World Food Day discussion revolving around food prices and reducing the impact of their volatility, it's worthwhile to really step back and consider our consumption and its effects on others. We must also assess the factors that contribute to the expenses of food production and transportation of food goods to an increasingly urban planet.

Ultimately, food is provided by the earth, assisted by farmers' stewardship across the globe. Each of us need food for sustenance and growth; some of us consume more than we should, and yet, there are still too many people on this planet unable to meet their nutritional needs to survive and thrive. I don't know if we can solve the challenges of malnutrition and starvation, but we must continue to try.

For more information on World Food Day, be sure to check out the website of Food and Agriculture Organizations of the United Nations.

Wednesday Weigh-In: Wrong Direction - Time for a U-Turn

Today's weigh-in yielded similar results to a few previous - I am up again 1.4 lbs, which isn't horrible, but it's still a little discouraging. And with some life stress, lately I've been in a funk anyway.  I just keep trying to tell myself that tomorrow is always a new day, and not to give up on myself (and I know I did that this week).  I've been more active over the last week, and that will be the positive thing I focus on as I try to change some other strategies this week - better meal planning and portion control, in addition to diligent tracking.  Sometimes, you just have to rework your strategy to find success, like when you're playing Angry Birds. That's right, I just compared my weight loss journey to Angry Birds.

Feast or famine

The saying "feast or famine" popped in my head when I thought of my social media activity today.  Suddenly, after not having tweeted in several days, I've tweeted/retweeted others a combined five times today.  I almost feel the need to apologize for the flurry of activity. Yet most people probably realize by now, this type of activity is sporadic for me.

And then there is my blog.  I seem to go through periods of "famine" in the sense that I don't blog AT ALL, and then I blog fairly regularly.  But I really think I can change that. Really. I'm totally serious this time.

On a more somber note, though, the title of my post also applies to the Lose-A-Palooza event going on today by WeightWatchers, as part of their  "Lose For Good" campaign.  I've just passed my three month anniversary with WeightWatchers Online, and have dropped 15.4 pounds and 2.5 inches off my waist. I do think it's a great program.  On top of the regular program and its benefits, though, WeightWatchers has teamed up with the organizations Share Our Strength and Action Against Hunger in an effort to end childhood hunger in the U.S.  It's difficult to fathom that there are people - especially children - in a country as wealthy as ours going hungry each day. Yet, it is something that I think we can address and resolve, particularly since our agricultural producers are so efficient in creating healthy food for everyone in this country.  I'm not sure what the solution to the problem of hunger is, but I am sure we can find one if we make it a priority.

Plateaus....grrrrrr

I thought I had blogged at least once in the last month, but apparently not.  No excuses, but I have been away from the computer for a few weeks due to commitments at local fairs.  I have a bit of a lull now so I best catch up.

So I have hit a plateau in my weight loss, but I knew it was coming. I am extremely proud of myself for not letting things get wildly out of control, though, and I'm trying to focus on the basics again - journaling food, drinking plenty of water, and getting into an exercise routine. I look at this next week as a challenge; I hope to lose a pound but more importantly, I hope to reestablish a healthy routine.

And I decided to take a vacation from Facebook in hopes of finding a more productive and positive use of my time. We'll see how long it lasts and if it helps.

Persevering through the pages

When I was in college, I enrolled in the philosophy course "Existentialism and Literature" in order to fulfill my philosophy requirement. One of the books required for the class was Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian. Now, for reasons I won't get into in this blog post, I didn't complete that course that semester. I did complete the course later, but with a different instructor and different books.

So, I had struggled through a third of the book before I just walked away from it. Yet I came back to it, before I  finished college, in an attempt to read it for pleasure. My second attempt was no more successful than the first. The book made its way to a box with a number of other novels yet to be read (Anna Karenina, War and Peace, and the beginning of Stephen King's The Dark Tower series, just to name a few).  Fast forward a few years to my time in Brattleboro, and on my third attempt, I made it nearly halfway through the novel.

When I moved back to Maine, though, I took one look at the cover and made peace with me NOT finishing the novel and tossed it in the pile of books to be passed along. But then...it stayed at the back of my mind and one day...well, I guess I just looked at it as my Everest. I had to conquer it because it was there.  And again, I am about halfway through the book. There are definitely moments of pure artistic genius, but it is certainly a book that requires one's undivided attention and perhaps my inability to not finish it has stemmed from laziness more than anything else. Either way, I am determined to see it through but I wonder if I am being too stubborn. Is it possible I'll regret spending so much time on this book when I finish it? There's only one way to find out!

Weigh-In #7...Eh

I can't complain about this week's weigh-in.  I didn't gain weight, nor did I stay even. I lost eight-tenths of a pound. Obviously, I had hoped to be more "successful" in the sense that I would have lost at least a pound. Still, in the back of my mind, I knew my expectations were a bit high. I went over my points allowed by a few points so at best, staying even would have been a good thing. I also know that I am likely approaching a "plateau point" for me.  My body has adjusted to consuming massive amounts of water, and as I've been able to push myself during my exercises, my muscle mass is probably increasing, too. My immediate goal for the next week is to lose one pound, which will bring me down to my first goal of losing 5% of my weight.