Losing a part of me

I spent most of yesterday afternoon feeling a bit light-headed. When I told Leslie, she suggested I consider taking a day off my walking routine. It has been said by some that I am not very good at taking advice, but this advice I accepted… even though I was kinda jonesing to go for a short walk. Instead, I ran an errand that I had put off for several months, and when I came home, I sat on the patio with a cigar for the first time in several days.

There are mornings when I step onto the bathroom scale and say ‘Hmph… I was pretty good yesterday, but I am still half a pound up from yesterday.’ On those days I take comfort in knowing that my progress will balance out, and that tomorrow I will be lower than I was yesterday. Then there are days like this morning, when the numbers on the scale are nearly three-pounds higher than yesterday, and I want to hurl the damned thing out the window. How can my weight be that much higher today than yesterday? I know that weight loss will not be a constant and unbroken downward linear graph, but really? A 2.5-pound gain in one day not only is a tough blip, it also tipped me back above my last decade milestone, which is never fun. When you are staying true to the program, you are supposed to look back at milestones, and not fall back and have to achieve it over and over again.

There were three things that I did differently yesterday that could be factors in this slip, although even if we combine all three, I am truly shocked that my weight was not (as expected) much lower this morning. The first, I did have a Japanese biscuit after my lunch. I have done that a few times before, and that should not be a big deal. Second: I was truly hungry in the evening between my third and fourth meal replacements; I thought about making myself a salad, but decided instead to just cut up a tomato and eat it with a drizzle of salt. Of course, the third is that I did not walk yesterday. The factor that I think actually caused the blip is the tomato… or rather, the salt that I added to it. I seldom add salt to anything, and I know that it can cause water retention. If that is the case, that terrible number on the scale should right itself by tomorrow… as extreme as it is.

Last night I was speaking with Leslie and we discussed my next visit, and I asked how amazing it would be if I could lose another fifteen to twenty pounds between now and then. She asked if that was possible, and from last night’s perspective I thought it was. In the morning gloom, following the ridiculous weight gain this morning, I wonder if I was overconfident in that prediction. Again, weight loss is not a constant downward linear graph… but on days like today when I gain so much weight, it is easy to lose faith. I do plan to keep on track, but still…

One of the reasons I was really surprised by the weight gain this morning is the sheer volume of urine I expelled in the previous twelve hours. Twice before bed, and then several times throughout the night, I peed like the proverbial racehorse. I figured that I might be two kilos lighter based on the expelled liquid. No such luck.

As luck would have it, the forecast for the rest of the day shows a 40% chance of showers between 6-8pm, which is exactly when I would like to be walking. I did not walk yesterday, and I have said before that I am hoping that the positive behavioural change will become a habit. With that said, I will dress for it, and I will go for my walk after class… whether or not I get wet. I will wear an older pair of shoes, I will wear a hat, and I might even bring a light jacket if I feel it is necessary. I will not be breaking any records on my walk, but I will keep up the exercise, and I will still try to walk between 6-8 kilometres, rain or shine.

When I am done with my walk, I am hoping that my wife and I can have a nice, relaxing long-distance date over video chat. Tonight is the first night in two weeks that her son will be with his father, so we should be able to have a nice and relaxing evening, maybe a little drink and a cigar on the balcony… who knows? I just look forward to spending some time with her, without her having to be on edge that her son will be calling on her to clean up whatever.

I was still hungry after my lunch, which was salmon and a salad. I decided that instead of having a biscuit, I would make another salad. I should now be able to get through the rest of the day with my meal replacements before and after my walk. If I can, then there is no reason why tomorrow morning the bathroom scale should not be down. Here’s hoping!

Have a great day folks!