Diet Update: Week 16

It’s interesting. Back when my diet started, each update I would post about it each week got quite a few hits. People seemed interested to see how I was doing. These days? Not many hits at all. You’ve all stopped caring, possibly because I keep losing weight? I’m not sure. Just an observation . . .

This week was the first since the diet started that I got well and truly sick. Stuck in bed for five days straight with bronchitis. No fun whatsoever. So that’s the first time in four months. Is that less than previously? Maybe. But the fact is that when I’m not sick, I still feel better on average–so even if I still end up getting sick as often as I used to, it’ll be a net gain, since I feel better the rest of the time. (Though I do think I’m getting sick less. This last bout was just really nasty and no fun. It happens.)

When I’m sick, I like to eat. Comfort food. I also stop exercising, because, well . . . sick. On the plus side, I don’t eat as much. I just want to eat junk. It’s a complex equation. What can I say? So the end result can be very fluid.

This week? I lost weight. I’m down to 189.6 pounds. Busted through that 190 mark. That means I’ve lost 1.4 pounds since last week–24.4 pounds total. Feels great!

Of course, I’m beginning to see some potential problems. First up is the fact that if I lose much more weight, none of my pants will fit me. They’re already fairly baggy as-is. I don’t like shopping, and I really don’t want to have to buy all new clothes. Secondly, I think it’s going to become harder and harder to convince myself that this whole “diet” thing is a good idea the more below 190 I am. My BMI is now 24.4. That’s quite safely in the Normal range. My original weight loss goal was 178, so that I could bounce up to 185 and settle in there comfortably.

These days? I’m thinking of getting down to 185 and then just trying to settle in there without the need to go all the way to 178. Ideally, I need to transition to a maintenance diet and keep at it for several months so that I develop good habits. Before, I’ve always gotten great at dieting, and then I stopped–deciding to “be good” after that. A general “be good” doesn’t last long, folks. So I think I need some sustained practice at what “be good” means–and then I need to stick to that. Why force myself to go to 178 (and need to buy more clothes) if I just stop at 185 and actually stay there?

I don’t think I’m weaseling out of the diet. If I get to 185, that’ll be 29 pounds lost. Maybe I’ll shoot for 184, just to make it an even 30. We’ll see.

In any case, another successful week. Onward and downward!