Saturday, May 3, 2008

It Sucks Losing Weight, It Just Does

Hello weight losing fans...

Today I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 183-pounds.

So, what did I do to achieve these results? I cut back to 1,500 calories per day. I decided that I cheated too much. As you can see my weight jumped.

I went back and calculated up my calories for the weekend. There were days when I actually consumed as much as 4,000 calories in a day. This is because I was eating things like ice cream, buttered popcorn, and wine. These were added calories that added to the carbohydrates, which effects insulin levels, and adds extra calories that the body doesn't have to have.

Last year I used to write about being a preponderant. I used to write that I am a preponderant. That's a legal term for tipping the scales. In this case it means tipping the scales in an unfavorable way.

Being as I am a preponderant person, I am not like the average Joe. I am sort-of like an Alcoholic, only my sickness is food. I can't eat food, and eat food, and eat, and eat. (That's deliberate syntax there.)

I have to admit to myself that I have had a problem. I ate too much for my own good. I like anyone else like sweets, chocolate, Ice Cream, etc.. And, I like anyone else have to strain with my will to avoid consuming to much of these things.

As you can see, it caused me trouble real fast. I only went overboard for just a few days. Look what happened: I hit almost 190-pounds. Oops.

My heart sank that morning when I stepped up onto the scale and saw that weight jump. Whew, I couldn't believe the numbers.

It's like being knocked off of a horse. At my age it's a long way to the ground. It hurts when I hit the ground, no matter how hard I have to fall. So, I was knocked off of my high horse. Ouch...

I had to stand up, dust myself off, and get back up onto that horse. I had to overcome the mental momentum that I lost. Fortunately, I have been riding this weight loss horse for well over one year. I knew how to get back up onto that weight loss horse and ride again.

I know what I had to do regain the weight loss momentum. I had to cut back, and "EAT LESS FOOD."

I Hate Eating Less Food
I hate eating less food. It sucks going back to eating smaller meals. Here is why: I don't like being hungry all of the time. Yes, it's back to dealing with that endless, nagging hunger. I hate it.

I Fantasize About Food
Last night I had to work all night long. I ate a TV dinner at around 5:00 PM, and a cup of strawberry yogurt shortly after my meal. That was it. I was at my calorie count for the day.

For the rest of the night I had to deal with that empty feeling in my gut. I had to deal with the thoughts of food all night long. Yep, I went from fantasizing about one thing, to fantasizing about food. Go figure....

This morning I woke up at around 10:30 AM after having about three hours of sleep. (I worked all night.) My tummy was rumbly. I ached with hunger this morning. I had to get up and out the door, so I made another TV dinner.

This TV dinner was 410 calories. I looked at the tray with dismay. All that was on the TV dinner tray was a little blob of potatoes, maybe 1/2 cup of corn, and a pork rib that was about the size of a playing card. This meal was 410 calories? That's what was written on the box.

I knew before I ate it that I would still be hungry after I ate this meal. Yep, after I ate it, I was still hungry. I made up an 8 ounce glass of protein powder. That was my whole meal.

Now, as I am sitting here typing this, I feel that empty feeling in my tummy. Even though I have eaten, I am still hungry.

This is something you may experience too. You'll have to watch those calories, and at the end of each meal, you won't feel like you ate enough.

You will have eaten enough. This is where you'll have to over come that mental anguish, and that psychological pull that food has on you. I did, and I still have to wrestle with my desire to satisfy hunger, and my neurotic connection to food.

Did I write neurotic? Yep, I am nuts about food. I love to eat, eat, eat, and eat. I love Cheetos, potato chips, popcorn, ice cream, mixed chocolates, big cheese burgers, fried chicken, and other goodies.

I don't like dealing with the hunger. I don't like dealing with my mental anguish. I don't like it. I have to deal with all the trials of losing weight...

When I have achieved that target, I have to remain vigilant. You will have to as well. Sorry, but you aren't skinny anymore. You won't get skinny again if you don't take dramatic action.

Bye for now...

And that's just the way it is...I'm David Dane

2 comments:

Dinahsoar said...

It's good to see your weight coming back down.

Yes, it is hard to eat less and be hungry and stay "on the horse". But the alternative is to gain back the weight you've fought so hard to lose...and it's just not worth it in the end.

I believe when you must work all night it is harder on the body to lose excess weight...so you have that extra facet to deal with.

Might I suggest when you eat your TV dinners adding a salad or some raw food like carrot sticks and an apple...that/they won't add a lot of calories and you will feel a lot fuller. Also the nutritional content of your meal will be better too...and an additional thing you can do to increase the fullness factor is to add a bowl of soup. Broth based soups are filling and not calorie laden. Most are around 60 calories for a cup.

I've discovered that I feel fuller on fewer calories when I eat volume foods...not that I'm aiming for the stuffed feeling, but just not feeling so hungry. It takes longer for your food to digest when it's raw and/or high in fiber so you feel full longer.


One last tip/tidbit...when you must eat fast food, for example at McDonald's instead of a burger and fries...get a burger and a side salad and the snack size yogurt parfait...I think those are all on the dollar menu and easy on the budget...you will be more full with that than the burger/fries. For a couple dollars the apple/walnut/yogurt snack will stay with you too. I find that even a carton of milk instead of a soda is quite filling.

If you aim for 500 calories per meal you will stretch out your food allotment over the day...I'd think you could even have a couple of small snacks for 100 calories each putting you at 1700 a day and still lose..

A said...

Hard work ahead. You've done it before.

How about posting some of your favorite recipes?

 Hello Weight Losing Fans,  Today I stepped up onto the Digital Scale weighing in at 208.2-Pounds. My heart is very heavy with pain since my...