Still Making Progress

The challenge of losing weight and getting healthy is to be consistent and to not become discouraged if your OVERT progress is not as phenomenal as desired. This week is a perfect example. Due to weather and "life concerns", I only made it to the gym once this week. It was, in fact, one of my better workout days, but was "only once". I am a bit bummed about that, though I intend to do some home yoga to compensate a little.

When I weighed in today I had only lost "1 pound" for the week (7 in 3 weeks). It is my hope to lose 10 lbs a month, and it looks like I'll only hit 8-9 this month. That being said, I don't depend upon my "weight" alone as the deciding factor in my measurement of success. In addition to the 1 lb, I shaved another 1/2" off my waist and what appears to be another a reduction of another 1% body fat. That would put my total since New Years at -7 lbs weight, -1.5 inches waist size, -3% body fat. These results seem fairly reasonable as I've found 5lbs of body fat equals approximately 1" of waist size, and a reduction of 7 lbs from my starting weight is about 2.7% of my body mass, which leads me to think I've lost 8 lbs of fat and put on a pound of muscle.

So, at present, these shifts are not very noticeable, in my appearance or physical health... but I know that slow, little changes have amazing long term effects. I am pushing more weight on the machines and am walking at a higher intensity longer -- all good signs. By May I want to have my mid-year physical and see significant improvement in my cholesterol and blood pressure

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And yes, I still daydream of being able to do sexy cosplay again... before I'm 50!

One posture at a time

Warrior 1 on the beach, 2005.

Weight loss is important, but lifestyle and comfort and ability are more important. I have returned to daily yoga... only 15-30 minutes a day, and I can't do inversions or positions which stress the wrists or shoulder, but I am DOING yoga. I want to be able to reach and tie my shoes comfortably and easily. I want to go up and down stairs without hip twinges, ankle aches, or heavy breathing. I want to be able to grab a bottle and twist off the cap without gritting my teeth and struggling.

Reverse Warrior on the beach, 2005.

I want to be able to enjoy the strength, vitality and power of my body again. I look at photos of myself a decade ago, effortlessly doing yoga in the waves. No, I wasn't "model body" but there really wasn't anything to complain about. I was strong, energetic, flexible. Yet I thought of myself as "fat". Amazing the power of thoughts to shape our realities... I thought of myself as fat for so long that I finally matched my body to my mental image of myself.

So now I have to use the same magic that brought me here, to take me where I want to be. I am a valuable, strong, healthy person. I will think that, and be that. I will have to have patience, it took a decade to go from a beach body to a beach-ball body... it will take time and effort, physical, mental and emotional, but I can become the person I really want to be!

Progress while in Rehab

So, here's the deal... last night I went down on my scooter. I'm banged, bruised, strained, scraped, and otherwise not in a condition to "push it hard" for the next few days. This is FRUSTRATING (in addition to painful) because I've been making such good (if slow) progress. Another concern is my eating... when one is in pain and being "pampered", comfort food becomes the norm. There is no concern to calories, or food composition beyond whether it tastes good and provides emotional support.

I will not, however, be cast down or allow myself to let this set me back. No, I will not be stupid and go to the gym and "work through it". No, I am neither that "macho" nor that stupid! I shall take this time to do more holistic self-improvement... yoga, qi gung, and meditation. It all works, and should all be used! As soon as the strains are mended and my torn skin out of bandages I will be back in the gym sweating it out and pushing my limits physically -- until then, I shall push myself in more etheric but not less rigorous exercising.