Weigh-in Wednesday: Feb. 7, 2024

Universe, you've done it again

I busted through The Big Plateau.

Got the scale under 180 to a number with a 7 in it.

The secret?

Chopped off part of my leg – BUT not an important part. One of the parts that's just sort of along for the ride with the rest of the leg, coasting by on all the goodwill generated by the knee and the calf and the other bits that do all the heavy lifting. Trying to lose weight for long periods really makes you question how necessary your ENTIRE body is.

I’m kidding.

The real secret is The Secret.

I've told the universe what I want, and several times in the last few weeks someone I know has offered me wise counsel, and I've taken it, and it's helped.

When I hit the wall two weeks ago, a few of you wrote in with words of support and good advice. I acted on that advice by figuring out my basal metabolic rate (BMR) and running a calorie deficit. But the universe wasn't done.

I was telling a friend from work about my BMR, and she told me about an app she swears by that tracks calories and keeps her in check. (I won't name her because I don't want to sully her good name by associating it with my asinine newsletter, but if you work with me, you can guess who it is, and of course she has an app to keep her physical fitness organized.) I told her I already had a calorie app, but hers sounded better, and because on this journey I have invited all of you in, I downloaded the app and tried it.

You should know: I never get excited about apps. Ever. And I hate paying for them.

OK, foreshadowing complete.

The app is called Lose It, and it has many features, but here are the three I use: 1.) There are multiple plans you can choose from for how quickly you want to lose weight and how you want to do so 2.) If you enter almost any food, it will have the nutritional value available 3.) If you pay to upgrade, it will connect with your Fitbit, which means it tracks the calories you burn and subtracts them from your total calories eaten so you can have them back at the end of a long day in the form of a nice agave tequila with a lime (it does not have to be that exact drink, but dear reader, it should be.)

I am excited about this app, and I paid for it.

OK, callback complete.

The only other thing I needed was a small kitchen scale because I am always surprised by how many ounces something (usually a pork chop) actually is. I'm still bad at guessing, but now with lots of practice a pork chop has become my standard unit of measurement, and I can tell you with great certainty that a chicken breast is 1.5 pork chops (American).

Of course, there’s stuff the app and scale don’t do for you — the hard stuff, the mental stuff. With success comes the risk of complacency. I want to be done dropping pounds by March, but I am feeling good again now that progress is being made and oh, look IT'S ONLY ONE WHOLE CHOCOLATE SILK PIE AT 9 PM WHAT COULD THAT HURT? I'VE BEEN DOING WELL. I EARNED IT. Nope. Not doing it. It will just go to a freeloader part of my leg.

This week will be about not succumbing to temptation.

I’ll let you know how it goes.

Drum roll, please...

Starting weight: 187

Last week: 180

This week: 179

Goal: 170

Feeling: Good. My face is starting to look different. Less, shall we say, chinny.

Shout-outs

Doug, a friend from way back, wrote: “Good for you all-around, Joe. Much like travel is as much about the journey as it is the destination, the value of this kind of project is exploring and better understanding ourselves as much as it is about beach photos for the Gram.

“I’ve lived within a 30-35 pound window as an adult, with many factors leading me one way or another (long story). I don’t count calories or weigh myself, but my clothes always tell me the truth.

“I try to eat a solid, filling lunch. And mostly just salads for dinner, with limited meat in general. I gave up breakfast a few years ago, unless I’m going to be unusually active that morning.

“I try to swim and bike a significant distance once each per week, and I sometimes glance at the adjustable dumbbells in our condo. For me, exercise is more about maintaining mental health. Any other health benefits are a bonus.

“But I also like to have a beer pretty often, plus bits of chocolate and ice cream, and I would sell my soul for endless sour cream and onion chips.

“I’m still about 20 pounds over what I think my ideal weight is, but I get closer when I do a bike tour or when the sun starts setting after 5pm.

“All of that said, we should understand what a ridiculous place America is regarding food. Every time I read a story about the school lunches in France or Italy I realize how our food system is waaaay more about creating profit than giving us solid nutrition. We all can eat well, but goddamn there are so many hurdles we have to clear first.

“And don’t get me started on the impact of non-walkable communities, driving, and such in the land of freedom. I mean, the Dutch dip their fries in mayo and seem to be doing better than us.

“So yes, if you are maintaining your weight as an older person in America then you are doing something correct. Push harder if you can, but do not be ashamed or sad.”

First of all, thanks for writing, Doug. This is a sharing place, and I appreciate that you shared so much. I want to respond to one thing – walk-able communities.

I suspect the fact that we are among the first generations in human history to decouple walking from daily life has something to do with the increase we've seen in so many lifestyle-related illnesses. I think future generations will look back on us centering our way of life on the automobile the way we look back at ancient peoples who treated cats as deities. (Nothing against cats. But the thing about cats is they want the title – they don't want to put in the work.)

Last year, we moved so we could live in a neighborhood where the kids could walk to the park and to their friends' houses. We also have a small main street we can walk to. Walk-ability, I have written before, is the secret sauce of why Ohio University and Athens are so deeply beloved. I think more of us would have less to worry about with our health if we didn't get around by car so much. It's a really good point you make.

Laura wrote: “Wow...you got a lot of good advice this week (not talking about me) and I hope I learn from it too. I tried looking up 'converting WW points to calories' and it confused me. I'm comfortable with points so I'm sticking with those. WW has been around for a long time and has worked for me before.

“I looked up what to eat and not eat on a keto diet and I decided I could not eat like that for the rest of my life. That is my goal....eating in a way that will help me lose weight and maintain a healthy weight for the rest of my life. And I like what your friend said about what you eat is king and exercise is queen. Exercise makes me feel good (words I never thought I would say....or type).

“I did not lose this week, but I did not gain either so that's a plus. I did discover something though. Our family has always been very traditional. When the kids were home we always ate dinner together. Even now, most of them come over for Sunday dinner. I am the cook. I cook dinner for my husband and me every night. There have been a couple times where circumstances kept us away from home and out late where I decided to skip dinner because of the late time we returned. That one meal often leads to weight loss. It's hard to skip dinner because it is a special time with my husband, but I think not eating that one final meal of the day is what I need to do occasionally. Maybe I'll try that this week and see what happens.

“And please don't quit! I don't like talking to people about 'dieting' because I feel they then watch everything I do, and I don't want to be that person always talking about it. I do WW online because I don't want to go to meetings and talk about celery sticks. It's nice knowing someone else going through the same thing. Good luck this week! And I am going to look up BMR.”

Laura – I agree with you on skipping meals helping. I don't eat breakfast anymore, and it allows me to divide my calories between two satisfying meals rather than three paltry ones.

Also: I am not quitting. I am doubling down. You people are on this journey with me until I look like a solid Ohio 7. (For my California readers, that would be an LA 5.)