Also, I waited until I weighed < 240 for at least 3 days straight before posting this. My lowest weight was 239.4 (or 238.6 el bucko after subtracting the 0.8lbs). I'm going to keep pushing until I get under 220, so
I'm no longer medically "obese" I find it funny that I feel driven to only being "overweight" medically speaking, but it's a goal. I'll take it! LOL
Last time I remember seeing a 230 something weight was way, way back in 2000. (in the year 2000, in the year 2000!!!! Conan O'Brien reference) I was visiting Jacqui down at Chapel Hill, UNC when she was getting her PhD. At the time, I remember stepping on the scale in her bathroom and being bummed at seeing 234 something. Not upset enough to actually change anything, just remember the feeling of being disappointed I'd let myself gain the weight back after all the work I did the last couple years of college. Back in Mass, I hadn't even bought a scale for my house yet.
During my solo years in Mass was when I really went off the rails, weight-wise. It's all on me. To be honest, I think the same thing would've happened if Jacqui went to school in Mass. I had a job where I could go out to eat during lunch 2-3 times a week, and I piled on the weight at the Chinese/Indian all you can eat buffets, and nearby Italian place (Ziti's). I was just enjoying food way too much. It was my reward/stress relief of choice, and I spent the last couple decades drifting between 250-275lbs most of the time because I kept indulging that vice.
I think part of my new found motivation is that I'm jut too old to eat poorly (and too much) and still feel ok. It finally started making me feel unhealthy, and occasionally flirting with going over 300lbs was going to shave years if not decades off my life.
I recorded some specific weights in my spreadsheet where I could remember specific milestone weights. Double click on the screenshot below to make the photo bigger. The couple of decades, I'd gain at least 20lbs over Winter and lose most of it over the Summer. As I've gotten older, I slowly stopped losing as much as I'd put on. The only exception was 2018. That was the year I was finally org'd out of AZ, so I wanted to look better for interviews while I still had a job; plus I needed to get my blood pressure down to get the good pain meds for a dental implant. Lidocaine raises BP. During the first extraction, I only got the less effective stuff. All I'll say is Ouch, and that I definitely had extra motivation to drop weight that year. But the motivation was fleeting.
I've blogged about it before, the HUGE difference this time around is that I've finally improved what I eat. I'm now following the Mediterranean diet, like the following food pyramid. It doesn't literally mean eating Greek/Italian regional dishes. To me it means eat fruit, low starch veggies, and beans/lentil based dishes most of the time. I'm not losing weight by fasting until Lunch like I did back in 2018 to lose weight over Winter.
6 months on the new diet I feel great, and with my new stable of healthy dishes, it feels
far easier to maintain and keep going. I now have a quiver full
of high fiber meals that are filling. for recipes click here I will say the only downside is when I travel. I haven't figured out fast food options that fit well with my new diet, but if I have my truck it's easy to cook/bring stuff along.
I'll also say if I was working full time still, it would have taken me way longer to figure this stuff out. It takes time to learn how to cook this stuff and to find recipes you like. And it's kind of antithetical to how most Americans eat. You'll feel like you're on your own, most likely
Finally, I've cropped the photo below a bit, I had major bed head. The joys of balding. the wispy hair I have left now likes to stand straight up after I roll out of bed. Sorry the photo is a little blurred too, not important. This red jacket was super tight last Winter. I could barely zip it up. I looked like a stuffed sausage. The poor zipper has hanging on for dear life. Now, the jacket is nice and loose. I've lost 6 inches off my waist per my belt.
