Nothing to Write Home About

I am astounded to realize it’s been 19 days since I have written anything on this blog.  I knew it had been some time, but I really didn’t think I had gone that long.

It has been an odd time for me.  There’s really nothing particularly exciting  to report and I haven’t been feeling particularly creative or inspired.  Nineteen days is a long time, however, and it seemed wise to post something.

Things have been moving along in the gym.  Not quickly, but moving along,  nonetheless.  I’ve only managed a couple days since my last post, mostly because I’ve been sick again.  Well, I’m not sure how sick, I’ve been.  I’ve had a throat tickle and cough for weeks.  I don’t really feel sick, per se, just  coughy and a little snotty.  (There are those who would tell you I am more  than a little snotty and that it’s not a temporary condition, but I digress.)

I hate this time of year for this reason.  As much as I enjoy variety and a  theoretical change of the seasons, the change here in the bay area, is  remarkably drawn out.  It’s as if Mother Nature can’t make up her mind about  whether it should be summer, winter or spring and as a result we get a little bit of each, every week.  My body doesn’t react well to rapidly changing  weather patterns and I tend to get this coughy/snotty predicament every  “spring” and “fall”.  I always think it will pass quickly, but it doesn’t.

Anyway, I’ve still been getting up early, but I’ve been getting up to a freezing cold house and if it’s freezing cold in my house, I can only imagine what it’s  like outside and going out in that weather, let alone going out all sweaty, post work-out, seems like an un-wise idea.  But as a result, I have not been to the  gym nearly as much as I should and as I mean/want to.

I have made it to all of my sessions with the personal trainer and I must admit to being quite surprised by the amount of impact that one hour each week seems to have. This past Saturday, I met with Tawaiin and he did weights and measures.  As of that date, I have lost a total of 42 pounds.

I thought about what I would tell my mother next time we discussed it.  The last time she saw me, this past July, I was 288 pounds, so based on that, I  would have lost 21 pounds.  But I gained a few pounds back between seeing her and starting the gym on Halloween and based on that number I’ve lost  about 25 pounds.

I’ve decided that instead of trying to figure out and explain, “If you’re counting from ‘this time’ I’ve lost X number of pounds, and if you’re counting form ‘that time’ I’ve lost Y number of pounds” and I’m just going with the highest number I ever remember seeing on the scale, 309 pounds.  On Saturday morning, before going to the gym, I weighed myself in at 267 and thus, I have lost 42 pounds.

Pounds lost are not really my barometer.  I’ve said from the beginning that  I’m there to be healthier and get stronger and that’s definitely happening, but because weight-loss is not my primary, objective, I’ve not beaten myself up  too much over an occasional indulgence, or an indulgent day/week-end.  This week-end was definitely an indulgent week-end and I gained about three and a half pounds back.  That’s OK.  I’m back on track today with my diet and I have my next session with Tawaiin tonight.  No, pounds lost are not my measure of success.  It is a measurable result and I’m OK with looking at that.  I fully realize there is a direct correlation between pounds lost and general  health.  Certainly, at 270 pounds I’m not the healthy person I want to be, but I also understand that I don’t have to be 170 to be healthy, either.  My mindset is, simply, that I’m shooting for 175 pounds as a definable goal, all  the while realizing that I may well find satisfaction before I get their.

In taking my measurements this week-end though, Tawaiin determined that we needed to spend some time focusing on my legs and my chest and back.  It makes sense.  I didn’t lose any inches (or portion thereof) since my last set of measurements.  However, right off the bat he had me do an exercise that tired my quads out from the get go.  Today, the third day, my legs are so sore and tired and I have my next session tonight.  We shall see how that goes.