It's Picture Day!

Upped my treadmill speed last night for two reasons: 1) I wanted to get my two miles done quickly and get home because "Temptation" we being awfully lovey when I left and it made me want to come home and spend time with him.  2) As my weight goes down my burn goes down; the treadmill only counts weight in increments of 5 lbs so I entered 260 as my weight which means I only burned about 250 calories in 2 miles.  I really think that this is why so many people stall out.  They don't realize that as they get lighter their burn drops so if I were to keep walking 2 miles a day at the same speed eventually that would become "breaking even" for me.  As I lose weight I have to increase intensity.  The added speed caused a little stiffness in my thighs; that and the fact that I couldn't stretch until I got home because three girls were using the yoga mat at the gym as their own personal conversation circle.

The TV's at the gym show a lot of commercials for weight-loss products, I think one of them is even on some kind of perma-infomercial channel or something.  They all make the same claim "LOSE WEIGHT FAST!".  Well that leaves me with a philosophical question.  Overweight people, like myself, don't typically become overweight fast right?  I know I didn't.  It took years of slowly gaining to get where I'm at and then I've been overweight for a very long time ... this is true for most right?  So why is everyone suddenly so desperate to lose it quickly?  Is this some kind of instant gratification ritual?  We didn't get fat fast, what makes us (as a society) think we can get thin fast?  I mean I'm sure we can if we torture ourselves but why?  What's the rush?  Surely someone who has spent years living with excess weight can afford to take their time losing it within healthy parameters right?

I dunno I'm just confused I guess.  I'm not trying to lose a lb-a-day.  In fact I'd be worried that if I did lose weight that fast I might have excess skin to deal with but if I lose it slow and steady it will give my skin a chance to "bounce back" right?  Sure, I could deprive myself of anything even remotely resembling flavor and eat protein shakes and salads every day of my life to lose weight more quickly but why would I do that?  What's the rush?  I know from experience that if I completely eliminate my favorite foods now then when I've lost the weight I'll probably end up going on a "foods I've missed" binge and gain it all back.  Isn't it better to find balance while losing the weight, slowly, than trying to find it once the weight is gone and risking binge eating?  I dunno ... some of the dogma and myths around dieting just don't make sense to me.  Too many people buy into hype without using their brains to really think things through intellectually.

This is an important aspect of me, of who I am, so please take note.  I am not dieting right now, I am changing.  Dieting usually means drastic measures and desperation.  I'm not desperate, I am determined.  I have all the time in the world.  Changing means finding balance, harmony, and peace.  Diet food is not balance, harmony, or peace for anyone regardless of what they say.

Well here we go, picture time.

November, 2010: The Beginning

January, 2011: Current

Not much of a difference but I'm progressing ... it'll start to show eventually.



Food:
5 glasses of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1 pack Newton's Fruit Crisps
1 cup artichoke stew
2 slices bread
1 serving greek salad (1/2 the dressing)
2 cups cooked broccoli
--------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 1036


Activity:
Treadmill: 2 miles @ 3.5 mph


Today's Playlist:
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Living Syndication: Fight or Flight
Nickleback: Figured You Out
Korn: Freak On A Leash [Explicit]
Cranberries: Free To Decide
Rammstein: Freiflug
T.A.T.U.: Friend or Foe
Nightwish: Gatekeeper
Nelly Furtado: Get Ur Freak On
Rob Zombie: Girl On Fire
Evanescence: Going Under