Ego Over Matter 2008: Week 2 Weigh In and Random Thoughts

Alright, here’s my Week 2 numbers and where I’m at. This morning, Monday, June 16th, 2008, I weighed in at 211 pounds, which is 5 pounds down from last week, and now has me down 9 pounds from my starting weight of 220 pounds. Now *that* is quite a bit more aggressive than I had planned. A first week with a big drop can be considered recalibration. Two weeks with a greater than two pound average drop means there’s some catabolism going on, so I need to slow down my burn rate just a little bit.

Now for the random thoughts section. I’m an organization nut… not that I’m really all that organized, but dang it, I do try. To that end I make an effort of trying to keep track of things I do, from productivity, to spending, to keeping track what I actually eat. I use a small portable notepad that I can stick in my pocket and have available any time I need it. The act of writing down what I eat, and when, has both a measuring and tempering effect. Sometimes, just pulling out the notepad and writing down what I’m about to eat (no matter how small) acts as the gate I need to say “never mind”, and just walk away.

Other little I’m doing to help stay on track… Steering clear of most processed foods; my daily meals currently include oatmeal in the mornings, various mixed vegetables that I usually douse with hot sauce, various fresh fruits (usually citrus or apples) and a 2 liter water bottle that gets filled daily and is nursed regularly by yours truly while I’m at work. When I am at home, I do my best to either prep food for myself, or Christina helps with making various dinners that tend to be on the lighter side. Whenever I try to work at losing weight, I tend to buy and go through a *lot* of chewing gum. I think the act of constantly chewing something helps to blunt my drive or need for getting up to grab something to eat. Since I work in an office that stocks the cabinets with lots of potential diet breakers, this is a big help.

There are some fairly decent hills surrounding where I work. North of me is Telegraph Hill, my normal daytime lunch break walk. From my office, I can walk up Montgomery to the end and then climb the stairs of Telegraph Hill Terrace to the base of Coit Tower and Pioneer Park, then turn around and head back. That can be done in about 30 minutes, and it definitely wakes you up in the middle of the day. Due West is Nob Hill, and the market where I do most of my grocery shopping. I do most of my grocery shopping here in the city for while I’m at work at the Bell Market on the corner of Hyde and California. It’s roughly a mile walk, including going up, over and down Nob Hill. Thus I get a pretty decent workout every day at work. The key is to make sure that I get out and do it every day. The Coit Tower hikes are done on average four times a week, with the Nob Hill jaunt done once a week when I need to replenish groceries.

I like making larger meals at home and freezing portions of them. This way, I can take those meals, where I know *exactly* what’s in them, and have them on tap. Another bonus, having items on hand to make batches of food costs less for food in the long run. I limit eating out to no more than once or twice a month. Since I have no clue what’s been put into the food that I get at a restaurant, it’s hard to keep track of what I’m eating.

This may sound like drudgery to some, but for me, these steps help me keep track and remain aware of what I actually do. Measuring increases awareness dramatically, thus I can see and anticipate potential progress. Do I recommend living like this *all* the time? No, but I do think keeping track or having baseline knowledge of things you do is helpful. Obsessing over it *every* day gets old quick. Making strict boundaries that you chafe against will ensure you not follow through after reaching the goal. Developing habits you can live with, and perhaps even enjoy, has a better chance of success.

OK, that’s it for me this time. Have a great week and we’ll see where I stand next week, and how much of me is still standing (LOL!).