12/06/2011; 11:40a.m.: Ok unfortunately I was right about the feelings I had going to weigh in at Fat Camp last night. I did lose, ....an uninspiring 1.2 pounds, bringing my total weight loss to 22.4 pound in 28 days, and I now sit at 252.6 pounds.
Needless to say an expletive slipped out under neath my breath when I saw the numbers, but I still had to consult with my dietitian and attend fat class with the Behaviorist for the Aultman Weight Loss Program. Thank God I did! I learned so very much about not only the process, but myself! But let me digress and set up the scenario causing me only to lose 1.2 pounds.
I should stipulate that 1.2lbs is a solid weight loss for anyone and my discontent only stemmed from my perception and a goal number I had in my head going into the evening. But as I mentioned in my previous post, my body just hadn't felt right the last couple of days, and even though I did not veer from the prescribed program at all, I did cause myself the initial plateau.
As I mentioned in the beginning I currently work for the Canton Stark CVB as the Sports Promotions Manager. Part of the tasks of my job is to plan and execute the Ohio High School Athletic Association State Football Championships Weekend. We work with a local host committee and scores of volunteers (almost sounds like the needs of a marathon eh) to plan on a year round basis to execute the finals and the ancillary events wrapped around the weekend. But the task of Championship Week execution is an animal unto itself! It means long hours including really early mornings and extending into late nights for about 8 straight days. Because of this I asked to go on all shakes and protein bars so I would have an exact amount of calories going in each day and wouldn't be tasked to count and measure each piece of the diet due to the extreme time crunch we face that week. The thought was to grab and go but not to break stride with the progress being made.
HOWEVER, I made 1 HUGE miscalculation. Part of the program from the beginning has been to keep the body hydrated at all times to properly process the greater amounts of protein being taken in and to keep the kidneys flushing on a healthy and regular basis to avoid unnecessary storage of excess waist. Because I was literally on my feet and moving for about 15-16 hours each day I consciously avoided the amounts of water I typically drink so I didn't have to be taking restroom breaks too often. This caused my body to shut down and go into survival mode, storing more than necessary. My dietitian has increased the water intake from 64 mandatory ounces to 96 for two reasons: 1 - it'll help get my body back into the routine of burning calories that it had attained prior to last week and two, since the initial water weight is off, it allows the body to process the food and drink on a regular basis to allow me to continue to burn in a healthy way.
Now if not irritated before this "Not Such A Revelation" moment, I was completely cranky at the realization that I stopped "the burn" myself by not following one of the major premises of the program, constant hydration. But the wonderfully patient and pleasant dietitian (despite my mood not being on par) reminded me of two things: 1 - a loss is a loss, and 2 - plateaus happen. Needless to say I didn't really care to hear any of it at the moment, but I thanked her for her time and went into class to hear the behaviorist speak.
Here is where the night turned into a positive experience. The Behaviorist picked the topic of staying motivated despite plateaus and remembering why I am losing weight. Hmmmm....... divine intervention, maybe! Luck of the draw, Absolutely! This was what I needed to hear. So aside from the obvious pep talk involved with this particular topic, came some real clear points! I learned in ANY weight loss process people hit plateaus. (This I did not know) And once the body rids itself of the water weight and initial weight loss happens, it becomes tougher to achieve higher numbers, but it is at this point the body makes its most dramatic and significant shifts. (Ok- finally something I can grasp on to here!) As the body burns consistently, a person could be on the exact same schedule and perform the exact same activities, and eat the exact same things and have dramatically different results from week to week. (Wow - so this stuff is part of the routine, and somewhat beyond my control, ...Ok - go on.) Furthermore we need not be so entirely focused on numbers that we forget the purpose of the journey - HEALTH! (Now I'm sold)
I have said all along that I am doing this for long term health and that I want to feel good about myself knowing Ill be around for the long haul to care for and enjoy my life and family. It was this reminder that convinced me whether it be 8.2, 4.8,or even 1.2 or less, every time I get on a scale and the number decreases it is less weight I have to worry about losing moving forward. (And NOW we have the proper perspective, it just took an hour or so to sink through the 4-5 layers of concrete located north of my neck!) This being said I believe all in all it was a successful week. I learned important points for staying motivated and better understanding the journey i am on. AND, I've gained some perspective on the ebb and flow of the weight loss process!
This was a great night because I realized, pant sizes don't change week by week most of the time but rather it is the bad habits I'm reforming day by day and week by week that will ensure long term sustainability once I reach my goal. With that in mind I am typing this as I am finishing my 70th ounce of the mandatory 96 and the two shakes plus food routine is back with a vigor! Funny isn't it, the week where the results of the numbers were the least impressive, the lessons learned and the knowledge gained have been the most valuable! I like these folks at Fat Camp (Aultman Weight Loss Center), and the blob blog (fat2fit) has spun in a slightly different direction, not with standing the sarcasm of course! ;-)
Ps- you can follow this link by clicking on the people tab of www.cantonmarathon.com where you will also see the less than inspiring "before" pics of me. Hopefully as the results become more dramatic we will be able to post updates to those photos. (I've always said I have a face made for radio, but at least I hope to lose the body form to match...Geeesh!)
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