No Sweat

For those who follow my blog (all others will just have to catch up), I did go out and buy an 'off-the-rack' dress for the wedding.  I spent more than I wanted to but did not splurge outrageously although one woman's splurge is another man's golf allowance for the week.  I actually had little choice in style or cost, because after hitting 4 major department stores and two expensive dress boutiques, I found only two dresses in the right size, in a decent color and with a style that wouldn't leave them laughing.  That whole experience I will save for another post when it is far enough in the back of my memory and I can try to make it sound funny rather than pitiful.  Anyway, I got a dress that I liked if not loved.  I left it for alterations, so no photo.

But, this post is not really about the dress.  It is about my health.  I have had a 'small' (small meaning I am about 5 pounds from being declared overweight) weight problem since I was in my late 40's and it has gotten larger...to overdo a pun.  I exercise sporadically, I try to watch what I eat, but I never seem to make the scale number or dress size budge.  (The few men who read this blog are now clicking elsewhere.)

I have never joined a weight group as they are too inconvenient for me.  I do not buy those weight meals because I understand portion control and nutrition very well, thank you.   I eat a reasonably balanced diet and avoid desserts most times. (While I do not give up wine or chocolate I control them tightly.)  But I decided to begin tracking what I am eating and doing so that I can make sure I am not kidding myself.  I logged onto WebMD which has charts that track your fitness burns along with your food consumption.  It is not super easy to use, but reasonable enough for someone who wants a basic outline on what they are doing to reach a goal and it is free.

I set my goal as the loss of one pound a week.  That is not a crazy goal and it was something I was sure that I could achieve.  WebMD suggested a daily consumption of 1,381 calories to achieve this goal for my age and weight.  That is not much in calorie intake, but if you exercise or do other physical activity that will compensate for more food that you eat and WebMD follows that.  Below is my second week's charts...food and physical fitness with caloric tracking in the first chart and fitness in the second.  I cannot access the first week (I guess because this is free), but it was almost identical to this week's work.  Please note that only one day did I go over my daily goal in caloric consumption---I ate a piece of lemon cream pie at a meeting.  My fitness activities include elliptical, free weights, yoga, walking, heavy gardening, etc.  I do these fairly vigorously, for instance, on the elliptical I will run 3.20 miles in about 35 minutes and I do this three times a week.  My hand weights are 10 pounds each. That is not bad for a woman past her mid-60s.  I am keeping well below my goals when I combined the physical activity with my food consumption.  Wednesday I folded laundry but was sitting that afternoon so did not include it.

For the past two weeks since I began this detailed look at my lifestyle,  I have been afraid to weigh myself but became brave yesterday because I have been really good according to these charts!  Guess what?  I GAINED two pounds!  Do NOT appease me by telling me this is just muscle.  I am really discouraged for now, but not giving up.  I will work hard for another month, and then see how I feel and weigh.  (What is even more discouraging  is hubby goes off his feed for a few days and immediately loses 5 pounds!)  Yeah, I know this story is an oldie...but it is mine for now and I am sticking to it.