Not Breaking My Stride (Evaluation: Week 25)

Last Weigh In: Saturday, 15 February 2014

Weight Information -

• Weight: 369.6 lbs
• Weight Change:
• This Week: +1.2 lbs
• To Date: -83.6 lbs
• Weight Gauge: Not Breaking My Stride
• Body Mass Index: 57.9 (up from 57.7)
• Daily PPV:
• Assigned: 69 (unchanged)
• Personal: 28 (unchanged)
• PPV This Week: 
• Used: 120 out of 483
• Not Used: 363 (75.2%)

Goals (Description / Evaluation) -

• Chronological Goal: No longer obese in 2014 / Well on my way. Latest projections for leaving behind morbidly obese using:
• The last 15 weeks of data: Between July 9, 2014 and July 13, 2014, an increase of 6 days
• All 24 weeks of data: Between August 20, 2014 and September 5, 2014, a decrease of 1 day
• Employment Goals
• Make at least 5 networking contacts each week. / Slipped backwards a little on this one this last week. Have to re-energize myself with the interview to build stronger and more numerous connections in the network
• Apply for at least 5 positions each week / Applying for positions is time consuming but I am hitting this one and then some. Many fascinating applications this week. Excited by the prospect of an interview.
• Prepare for my interview on Tuesday. / Need to re-read This is How to Get Your Next Job, a wonderful book on interviewing. There are tests and exercises near the beginning that are used to improve interview skills. Need to craft elevator speech(es) specific to the interview.
• Weight Watchers Awards this Week: None *sigh*
• Number Goals: Overall direction is exciting. Long-term quantity is thrilling. Weigh-in this week was confusing. But it's done and behind me. Time to keep moving forward.
• Weight: Next hurdles are as follows
• 20% Weight Loss at 362.4 lbs / 7.2 lbs away
• 100 Pounds Lost at 353.2 lbs / 16.4 lbs away
• Transition off of Kimkins at 350.0 lbs / 19.6 lbs away
• BMI: Reach a value below 40.0 (morbidly obese) / 17.9 away
• PPV Not Used this Week: 301 PPV / 363 PPV - Beat goal by 62
• Waist Goal: Lose another available hole in the belt until I need to switch to a new belt. / Belt is comfortable and effective back at 4 available holes. 5 is ineffective. 3 is frequently but not consistently used. This reverses last weeks reversal. Weight went up awhile belt size went down. Strange things are happening.
• Feel Good Goal: Consistent practice of my meditation and relaxation techniques / Meditation was more miss than hit this week. Continuing review and research of meditation. Started some simple relaxation techniques. Looking forward to working up to some directed relaxation audio files I downloaded. Being sick this week, I was afraid I would relax myself into unconsciousness.
• Physical Goals: 
• Put on the seat belt in my car using both straps, not one strap. / Not quite ready to call this one met but it is quite close. Not too hard to do without my coat. Difficult but doable with my coat. ACCOMPLISHED! With or without my coat, I can buckle in. Without my coat is easier, but with my coat it is achievable.
• Walk upright up the stairs of my house every time using the railing only for precaution. / I still need to mountaineer my way up the stairs. I consider this one fairly close because I come down easily and go up more willingly.
• Tie my shoes unassisted anywhere. / I cannot tie my shoes without physical aids but it is getting easier. I didn't need any personalized assistance this week.
• Take a bath in my bathtub. / My bathtub is big enough, but I cannot get into or out of it when it's dry without painful exertion. This would negate any lasting value to the bath. Don't want to try to get out when wet yet.
• The Y: Swim laps four days next week. Use the recumbent elliptical machine ahead of swimming. I am going to set my alarm for 5 am for next week. / Reached this three days this week before a virus became severe enough that it lowered my willingness to exert myself strenuously. I worked out at the Anytime Fitness on Monday and Wednesday. Starting Wednesday, the day after my interview, I am going to add in strength training at the Y.
• Alternative to the Y: I need to research further for options outside of the Nampa Rec Center and Axiom. / I used Anytime Fitness this week as a free trial. I liked Anytime Fitness, especially now that I have used it. Still attempting to determine the best methods of cardio that are within a distance I can afford.
• Exercise without the Gym: Locate workouts options that don't involve a gym. / Located more online resources, especially from Weight Watchers. I am trying to filter exercise searches through the level of fitness I am at. Nothing new to report that I can post since Weight Watchers links are behind a log in.
• Weight Watchers:
• Use the paper tracker to record calculated points every day this week. / I have tracked for 17 weeks. The only day I missed was Christmas. Go me!
• Keep available PPV at 28 for my daily points instead of 69 as assigned by WW. / Easy! I have even been eating a little less than this. The assigned points have finally started decreasing. Eventually, the assigned points and my personal points will meet up somewhere. That will be an exciting day. As will the restoration of the 49 weekly points.
• Range of PPV in past has varied daily between 6 and 18 points from goal in one week. Keep range to 4 points except while fasting. / This week was atrocious. But I'm not going spend all that much time worrying on my numbers this week. This week has been an aberration.
• Avoid using 49 weekly points. Daily points leave 41 available every day. That's 287 leftover points available per week. / Nailed it!
• Attend two meetings this week. Scheduled for Wednesday and Saturday. / Missed Wednesday. Wednesday is frequently a problem. No more scheduling visits or activities anywhere near Wednesday's meeting. And while I didn't schedule anything over this meeting, life did.
• Overeaters Anonymous: 
• Attend two meetings this week. Scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday. / Missed Thursday night because of illness. Made Tuesday's meeting even though a trip to the Basque Museum was scheduled right before it.
• Perform moral inventory for Step 4. / Worked on this one. Putting this into my calendar made it more likely to happen.
• Never Ceases to Amuse Me Blog: Journal 300 out of 365 days. / Journaled 46 of 46 days so far this year.
• Reading Materials - Self-assigned reading assignments
• What Color is Your Parachute? - Starting to read this week / Didn't read at all this week, even with reading time in my calendar. Read next book much more.
• This is How to Get Your Next Job - Starting to read this week / Read this several times throughout the week, completing several chapters. I am completing the exercises int eh book and reviewing the information.
• Start Strong. Finish Strong. - Read Chapter 4 / Read much of Chapter 4, still reading while working out.
• AA Big Book - Read Chapter 5 and Chapter 6 of the AA Big Book. / Read a little of Chapter 5 three weeks ago. Didn't read at all this week. Reading time in my calendar tends to go to job search books.
• Some books I want to read soon but don't have time but want to read right now:
• WW Find Your Fingerprint
• The Doctor is In
• Good Calories. Bad Calories.
• Hot Button Review
• Mental-Function - I might be sticking to my exercise efforts for intellectual reasons, but this week I was mentally sluggish. 
• Spiritual - Mixed week this week. Didn't approach the spiritual much this week except for a marathon day of fasting. Tried to renew that feeling with praying frequently. That worked great for one day.
• Numbers-Game - No idea what my numbers are now except blood pressure, so focusing on this one. And didn't take my blood pressure much this week.
• Sticky Notes
• Interview this week! Cut Hair / New Clothes
• Interview this week! Research job, dept, college, req. skills, responsibilities, etc. Plus, get address / names for TY card
• Interview this week! Read job books
• Interview this week! Sleep early
• Interview this week! Schedule Tuesday's events
• Interview this week! Map route early, to campus, parking garage to interview building
• Interview this week! Prepare materials for thank you cards to take with (stamps, pen, envelopes, cards). Pre-write several samples.
• Be active for 5 minutes out of every sedentary hour
• Put down the fork and sip water between bites
• Eat more veggies
• No high carb nibbling. Kimkins separation in T-minus 20 pounds.
• Get to Bed! 5 AM Comes Early!!

Strange numbers in the results of this week. I have several hypotheses, but those don't matter. I’m eating properly. I'm exercising well when I'm feeling well. I'm doing what I need to be doing. This weigh-in aberration is irrelevant. What matters is my reaction. I was dismayed at first. But I do have more than 80 pounds lost. And that bolstered me up quite a bit. Granted, I did come home and put a full slice of cheese in my omelet rather than my usual half slice when I make an omelet. But that, too, is okay. I accounted for it in my points. I know I will return to exercising. I am already eating well. It's time to take seize the day by preparing for my interview.

And I need to prepare to accept what my scale at home is telling me. It has never been more than 0.2 pounds different (up or down) from the Weight Watchers scale. This tells me that it will be a good resource when finances for Weight Watchers runs out. Which may not be an issue. We shall have to see.

As things stand right now, though, my 100 pounds lost WW award is going to take work to reach given the loss of a week and the gain of a pound and the currently unchanged deadline of 3/22/2014. Here is how the numbers stack up this week:

Weight Watchers Meeting	Weight Loss per Week for 100 lbs Lost
2/22/2014	16.4
3/1/2014	8.2
3/8/2014	5.5
3/15/2014	4.1
3/22/2014	3.3

I'm not quite as hopeful that I will pass the 100 pounds hurdle by the March 22nd deadline. But I am still quite sure I will pass that mark. It's just a matter of time.


Looking Forward:

• Preparations for interview on Tuesday
• Stay on program with Weight Watchers, especially keeping the daily points consumed to a daily maximum of 28 and a daily range of 24-28 PPV.
• Avoid the temptation of high carb nibbles into my week.
• Get back on track with cardio machines and swimming laps at 5 am. Add in strength training starting Wednesday.
• Attend all meetings. Don't schedule things before them. Except something like an interview.
• Hold onto the joyful feelings of this day to get me through the the times of lesser success in weight loss (like gaining 1.2 pounds this week), the trudging through job searching, and other complications life is throwing my way.

IVCUFI:

IV - I have found the way of hitting and keeping my stride regardless of stumbles caused by the twists and turns in the road.
CU - I have seized the road by retaining the long-term view which includes enjoying the more than 80 pounds lost.
FI - I am enjoying the journey by accepting the numbers the scale gave me this week secure in the knowledge that I was working hard at this tasks.

Post Number: 134

Review of Yesterday's Progress

     Daily PPV Used/Left: 29/40 of 69 (Goal: 28/41)

     Pedometer Reading: 7568

     Meetings Attended: Weight Watchers

     Exercise Completed: None Scheduled

     M-W's Word of the Day: Lorn

     Page Views to Date: 1796 (Increased by 113 Page Views This Week)

I have been dealing with a virus for the last several days. MBWM pointed out today that I started getting sick not long after I stopped taking my daily vinegar swig as a weight loss aid. I paused to consider her comment. There were four days between when I stopped drinking the vinegar and the first day I was suspicious of having symptoms. I took vinegar again yesterday. We shall see how well it helps. I feel somewhat better today, but still need to get through my day.

Getting through the day is going to be difficult for the next several days as we are down to one vehicle. Our minivan has a flat tire. And I've not been willing to do anything about it because of a lack of ready funds. This has made my car the primary vehicle. I am hopeful that I will be able to purchase a new set of rear tires before too much longer.

I am more interested in purchasing new clothes for my job interview. I am uncertain I can afford that either, but that is where I would actually put my money. The new clothes would be cheaper than a new tire, but not by very much. Plus, the other tire is nearly as bald. And I know I need a set of tires because a good Samaritan stopped by to see if I could use some help with the tire. It was aggressively flat. After three days, it was time to give it some attention. I inflated the tire. Thanked the good Samaritan. I drove to Les Schwab. After their inspection, I was informed that they could not repair the tire because there wasn't enough of the outer tread. When I returned home to put the tire into the garage, I surprised to see the head of a screw embedded in the tire with tread plainly showing. This gives me at least a little bit of hope for the minivan to remain road worthy for a few more weeks.

But hope gave out for some reason last night. I'm not sure which of the several disappointments, the tire being merely one of them, pushed me over the edge. I am afraid I ate a little too much (9 PPV) of the wrong things (high carb) late last night. To help get me ready for the interview and get me back on track, I started a fast. I need to push past the extreme lack of sleep by getting to bed. That will ease so many aspects of my life. One of them being the upcoming interview.

Yours in the process of recovery from viruses and disappointments,

Eliot

P.S.: When something goes wrong, yell, "Plot Twist!" and move on.

NOTES

Weight Watchers, 15 February 2014

Last Month's Theme: The Power of Routines

What did you learn from last week?

• Harder than heck to put down the fork and sip water between bites when on a half hour break. Remembered sporadically. Played catch up by drinking more water when I set down the fork.
• Sleep. Made sure to be in bed on time. Helped to get to the gym.
• Sleep. Turned off lights and TV. Don't feel so tired. Hit gym more often.

What would make next week even easier?

• Turn off lights and television
• Use Simple Start choices
• More fruits and veggies throughout the day
• Share with Weight Watchers friends

When Food is Not the Answer.

Food is the answer only when hunger is the problem.

Which emotions drive you to food?

• Stress
• Anger
• Celebration (Joy)
• Avoidance
• Boredom
• Depression (Sad)
  Lonely
• Tired
• Anxiety
• Apathy
• Rebellion
• Reward
• Ill
• Food pusher

MBWM mentioned PHALT - You will make poor choices and be at PHALT if you go shopping when/in:

P ain
H ungry
A ngry
L onely
T ired

Lots of reasons why we want to eat. Why do we eat when hunger is not the issue? How does it help?

• Struggle with eating quantities
• Redirects attention
• Distraction
• Comforting
• Chemical responses, affects mood in a good way
• Tastes good
• Provides interest
• Increase happiness
• Rewarding
• Bring warm memories forward
• Pride
• Everything looked good, tastes good
• Don't want to be left out
• Accepted

Identify what we get out of succumbing to food when it's emotional eating

There is a positive even if the ultimate pay off is negative

Combat emotion before it happens, especially if tired

Why is it so hard to push down the emotions that lead to eating?

Push down the behavior that are responses to emotion

How do you deal with emotions without food? Need to let yourself feel the emotions and deal with them.

Non-food stand-ins

• Go for walk when stressed
• Go to mall without credit cards when lonely
• Listen to podcasts / talk radio when lonely
• Read a book
• Call family / friends
• Puzzles
• Meditation / prayer
• Exercise
• Celebrate without food

Think about ways to make your week easier, even if it's only deep breathing.

"Don't let your mood eat your food." - Missy Lavintman, Leader from Minnesota

Next Week: Love Your Weekends