Insert Success Story Here (Evaluation: Week 17)

Last Weigh In: Saturday, 21 December 2013

Weight Information -

• Weight: 402.4 lbs
• Weight Change This Week: -4.6 lbs
• Weight Change To Date: -50.8 lbs
• Weight Gauge: Likin' it! I'm really likin' it!
• BMI: 63.0 (down from 63.7 last week)
• Daily PPV: 71 (unchanged)
• PPV Used this Week: 126 out of 497
• PPV Not Used this Week: 371 (74.6%)

Current Goals -

• Number Goals
• Weight: 399.8 lbs (2.6 lbs away) - Remove myself from the 400's
• BMI: Reach a value below 40.0 (23.0 away)
• PPV Not Used this Week: 217 (Beat by 154)
• Waist Goal: Lose one more available hole in belt (currently at 7)
• Feel Good Goal: Set up the house. Get in the water with the kids.
• Physical Goal: Walk upright up the stairs of my house easily every time
• The Y: Swim laps twice (takin' Christmas off) and work out on the bicycle machine once next week
• Weight Watchers:
• Make a meal plan with the PPV's worked out for one day to serve as a fall back
• Use the paper tracker to record calculated points every day this week
• Use 40 for my daily points instead of 71
• Avoid using 49 weekly points. Daily points leave 31 available every day. This is up from 21. That's 217 left over points available per week
• Attend at one meeting this week. Scheduled for Saturday. Closed Wednesday
• Overeaters Anonymous:
• Attend two meetings this week. Scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday
• Face up to Step 1
• Read Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 of AA Big Book
• Sticky Notes
• Be active for 5 minutes out of every sedentary hour
• Put down the fork and sip water between bites
• Get to Bed!

Evaluation:

• Weight Watcher's Awards this week -
• 10% - for losing 10% of my original weight
• 50 lbs - for losing 50 pounds
• 5 lbs - for losing 5 pounds this week
• Number Goals: Always moving closer. Direction feels good. Quantity feels great.
• Waist Goal: Belt tail is still expanding. I have reached 7 available holes, very nearly at 6.
• Feel Good Goal: Still working on it. The garage made progress so the family room will too, soon. Not sure when to take younger kids (Jaguar, Lemur, and Iguana).
• Physical Goal: Still need to crawl up the stairs, especially while recovering from exercise. Exercise particularly difficult on the leg muscles this week.
• The Y Goal: I'm making it to the machines. But 5 minutes is about all I'm good for.
• WW Goal: Doing great in the numbers. Terrible at making meal plans.
• OA Goal: Still facing up to the spiritual challenge of Step Zero - Is this where I belong for the spiritual assistance I need?

I am feeling (to borrow from Tony the Tiger) GRRRRRRRREAT! I am in striking range of being in the 300's. 

Looking Forward:

• Stay on program with Weight Watchers.
• Stay on track with low carb / low fat food selection, especially during Christmas and especially in the evenings.
• Keep on track with swimming and exercise machines, taking Christmas off..
• Next three number goals:
• Entering the 300's at 399.8 pounds in 2.6 pounds
• Losing 15% of my starting weight at 385.2 pounds in 17.2 pounds (14.6 pounds after previous goal)
• Hitting 380 pounds to be able to use our bathroom scale in 22.4 pounds (5.2 pounds after previous goal)
• Expected minimum number of weeks to achieve these goals:
• 1 week from now
• 6 weeks after that
• 2 weeks after that
• Enjoying Christmas!

IVCUFI:

I have found the way (IV) because I know how to make the weight loss work in the short bursts when it is time to sprint.

I have seized the road (CU) by making achievable goals. Having 222.4 pounds still to lose: scary. Hitting my next three number goals: reasonable. Hitting my next number goal: especially exciting for its proximity.

I am enjoying the journey (FI) because I am beginning to enjoy what I eat. And I am enjoying feeling satiated even when I don't eat all the much. Soon, I will be enjoying how I feel. And for the first time, I can see the marathon for what it is. My opportunity at long-term success derived form long-term struggle.

Post Number: 78

Review of Yesterday's Progress

     Daily Points Left: 43 of 71 (Goal: 31)

     Weekly Points Left: 49 of 49 (Goal: 49)

     Pedometer Reading: 7318

     Meetings Attended: Weight Watchers

     Exercise Completed: None Scheduled

I am in something of a strange place. I am looking forward to this time next year. But I'm not looking forward to tomorrow evening. This time next year, I could well be down into the 100's. Current projections have me in the 100's by October 11, 2014.* I am not looking forward to tomorrow evening because I am beginning to dread most evenings. When I have goofed, it was usually in the evening. I have been thinking about eating my dinner early and then locking myself away while everyone else ate dinner. I'd miss them, but I wouldn't be very far away.

Never far away is the joy of feeling the strength that comes from the successes I am having so soon after having them. Most weeks, one week is a marathon for me. But I am already anticipating my next weigh in. I want very much to be found in the 300's before the year is out.

With so much to look forward to, I am grateful to have this journal (soon to be blog) that will allow me to review where I came from when I look back from the mental, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, and caloric transition that will be here one day. There is a transition coming that I am only acknowledging at this point since it is so far into the future. That transition is from losing to maintenance. I will be changing from one marathon to another. I look forward to writing about it at this time next year.

In the meantime, I have the current marathon to run with sprints along the way. This week will be one of those sprints. I will have to be actively engaged in the weight loss process. But that doesn't mean I won't be deeply involved in the Christmas celebration.

Yours in the joyful moments the we build with our families,

Eliot

* - The linear regression I am using appears to be much more accurate at interpolation than at extrapolation. So this date needs to be taken with a grain of salt the size of a duplo block.

P.S.: Take time to be quiet. Zig Ziglar

NOTES
Weight Watchers, 21 December 2013

This month's routine: Before you leave the house, make sure you have a healthy snack with you.

What have you been relying on to overcome holiday temptations?

• Laziness - Not getting up out of my chair to fetch calories (MBWM's contribution)
• Will exercise for food
• Look for alternative choices
• Bring PPV friendly choices to pot lucks
• Take workplace food that are sent home to other family / friends
• Used small plates
• Nibble thru a treat for quite some time
• Support system - Weight Watcher buddies and other positive reinforcement
• When it's time to stop eating an item, say, "That was yummy."

Fend of food pushers

Who admits to having been a food pusher? Lots of agreement but no specific comments recorded

What might be a food pusher's motivation?

• Showed love
• Don't want to waste it
• Share the guilt - want someone to indulge with you
• You eat the food so I won't (Or as MBWM says: "The more I share, the less I wear." You go, Girl!)
• Social norm

What are your feelings and reactions when you are confronted with a food pusher?

• Appreciate it
• Upset if pusher is slim
• Don't want to disappoint them

How can you respond to someone who says:

• But I made it for you
• You can't diet during the holidays
• Come on, you deserve it
• You can have just one
• But we always have this. It's tradition!

Responses:

• Push them away
• Tip the plate (into the trash, for example), while keeping the plate (although it was suggested to "accidentally" drop the plate to the floor)
• Take it with you, dispose elsewhere
• Say Thank you
• Accept the love (key to all responses you might give)
• Thank you for thinking of me
• Hugs, which are delightfully non-caloric
• Eat before
• Small plate / Small portions / Leave space on the plate
• Loaded up with pre-prepared fruits / veggies
• Put the onus back on them: "Yes, it is hard to diet during the holidays."
• I deserve to be happy

Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. - John Maxwell