So close I can taste it

I’ve been working seriously at this weight loss crap for about a year now.  I set my original goal at 150, and 3 out of my last 4 times stepping on the scale I’m coming in at 153.  I started this year at 195 (the gym weighed me at 198, but I think that was just a spike).  To get my BMI under 25, I need to weigh 148, so that’s 5 pounds.  I think my breasts weigh about 8, maybe I can just chop them off?  OK, maybe not.  I wear size 10 pants, medium shirts.  I don’t hesitate to put on a bathing suit and swim if I find myself somewhere warm.  I am far from thin.

I am more likely at this point to eat too little than eat too much, and have to be careful not to ambush myself.  I don’t have a set pattern of eating, and I tend to make it to the gym 3-4 days a week, which includes 2x strength training, 3-4 cardio, I would like to do more yoga but apparently it’s low-priority, and I don’t have a convenient class that I really like.  I leave the city once a week or so for a real hike, usually 7+ miles and steep.  The rest of the time I bike or walk around the city, sometimes for exercise, sometimes just doing errands or shopping.    I consider these my rest days, and even they consist of  over an hour or two of leisurely exercise.  I like leisurely exercise, and I like the kickboxing because I won’t get my heart rate up there if nobody is yelling at me to do so.  I am lazy by nature.

I spend about $50 at the Farmer’s Market every weekend, and eat so much of this that I don’t worry about the rest of my diet.  I would happily live on fish and fruit, if I lived in Thailand or somewhere where both were abundant and cheap.  Since I don’t, I have to eat vegetables, beans, cheese (yum), grains-whole and processed (meh to both), small amounts of unhealthy red meat or chicken (yuck) and vodka/grapefruit.  I prefer raw veggies, raw fish, but I see the health advantages to cooked, so I am trying to cook more veggies.  I drink once or twice a week, but am such a lightweight that two is more than enough.  Sometimes when I drink I overeat, but in my new way of thinking, that’s probably a good thing since in general I now tend to undereat.  Calorie cycling, yeah, okay.  I’m just lazy and I don’t want to make the effort to feed myself.   I have to make a conscious effort to eat protein, which I could be better at.

I’ve actually been losing quicker than normal recently.  I think there are just fewer occasions for me to eat lots of crap.  For example, I sometimes go to a friend’s house who always has ice cream, chocolate covered almonds, tortilla chips (not as yummy as potato chips), baguette.  Sometimes I eat the stuff, not binge level, but probably 5-600 calories worth.  (If I try to stop myself from eating it, when I actually want it, I’ll eat 1000-1200 instead).  I understand and respect my weak spots.  I exercise enough that it’s mostly irrelevant, but I won’t lose that day or the next.  I have been doing stuff like this less and less.   I think these episodes, and the occasional beer/pizza or other restaurant meal keep my metabolism up.  I don’t consider any foods to be problems (except potato chips), though there’s plenty I won’t keep at home.  I am not afraid of sugar, HFCS, MSG, saturated fat, processed carbs.  I may not seek them out often anymore, but don’t avoid.

On a funny note, sometimes I read these arguments that involve various types of athletes who believe various arguments about nutrition.  They argue about whether carbs are evil, whether people who believe carbs are evil are stupid, how soon after working out you should eat or drink, what you should eat or drink.  Anyway, bodybuilders tend to be the ones who shun carbs, follow rigid rules about exactly how long after lifting they should eat xyz.  Meanwhile, the majority of bicyclists think the obvious choice after a long workout:  BEER!  Hooray for cyclists!

OK, long rambling early morning post.  I’m moving in 4 weeks, is there anything more stressful than moving?   I can live much cheaper where I’m going, have no choice, no job in sight.  I’m finally making friends where I’m about to leave.  Oh well, it’s time to grow up now.