Sunday, August 16, 2009

Hopping Back Into It


Back from my little mini-vacation, and I was halfway done with a post about a morbidly obese couple and their family that seemed to be stalking me in St. Louis, but it occurred to me that I was writing about them to avoid writing about myself.

Sundays are my traditional weigh-in day, but I’m steering clear this week. Nine or ten straight restaurant meals, topped by some salty car snacking can’t spell good news on the losing front. Next Sunday will be soon enough to settle up with SeƱor Scale.

The troubling thing though, is how time away from my everyday routine seems to chip away at my resolve and the good habits I’ve been working so hard to build up. I didn’t have any major setbacks while I was away, but each day seemed to be a little further off plan than the day before. It was as if I was testing the water in a pool, going a little deeper, a little farther out each time.

“But you’re on vacation,” you’ll say. “Enjoy yourself.”

I did enjoy myself, and that enjoyment isn’t what’s troubling me, per se. It’s the idea that bad habits can creep back up on you so quickly. You can turn around twice and be doing things that you wouldn’t have even considered a short while back.

Do you know how to boil a live frog? (and no, this isn’t a low-fat recipe I’m sharing with you, thank you very much). If you throw Mister Toad in a pot of boiling water, he’ll just jump right out, hopping indignantly across the stovetop and kitchen counter. However, if you put him in and slowly heat the pan up, he’ll just sit there and cook, never realizing the serious trouble he’s hopped into.

I have an active imagination, and I can easily conjure up how this deal would go for me if I just dropped this blog and decided I was at my goal weight right now. I’d go for a bit thinking that I was on top of things, working out three times a week and snacking a little more than before.

Then the exercise would slack off and the eating would pick up.

The skinny jeans I’m so proud of now would quietly get folded away onto a higher shelf.

The snowball would start rolling.

The water would start boiling, and I wouldn’t even notice...

I don’t know what you see when you look at this blog. I don’t know if you see a funhouse mirror, an abstract sketch or a window into your own soul. I don’t know if you see me as a clown, a kook, a fellow traveler or a kindred spirit. While some may view this blog as a hodgepodge of quirky oddities and oddball sensibilities, I see it was a life-saving raft in a sea of boiling water.

And I’m glad to be back.

The water was gettin’ a bit warm.

49 comments:

  1. I feel that way about holidays.
    Actually I feel like I coulda written this post.

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  2. Just being back from vacation, I hear ya Dude. I find myself looking forward to get back to my own kitchen, the gym and my yoga mat. I do better and feel better in my "normal" routine. That's a good part of the reason that I don't have an eating plan that includes "off" or "cheat" days. Cheat meals or cheat days turn into cheat years. Great post, per usual.

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  3. Thats how I was on my vacation!!

    When I read your blog, I find I often have several "aha" moments. Or "I never thought of it that way" moments. Either way, its a good thing.

    We're glad to have you back!

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  4. i hear you too on this one! Its good that you get so much out of your blog and more so that you realize it! Good luck getting back to routine and back fully on track not that it sounds like you steered too far off the path :o)

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  5. ooo I did the same thing on my vaction, not to mention the "I'm to stressed to give a shit" weeks I so often have. Great post, glad you're back :)

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  6. Welcome back. There's always that little voice in the back of your mind... it's you, 60 pounds ago, saying "I'm still in here, you know."

    And it's scary.

    But you've come too damn far to turn back, fellow traveler. Keep going on this journey with us. Keep posting, and we'll all get to that same, beautiful destination soon enough :)

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  7. Incredible analogy. I've always known there was something deep, well beyond the extremely funny and creative post we've all enjoyed. Every now and then you throw us one of these postings that reminds us that you're one of us..struggling with the same issues. Very strong, very revealing, very honest and real. That's how I see you. Your combination of humor, sincerity, honesty, realness, complete self-honesty, integrity, consistency---it all goes into the mix just perfectly---and out comes a brand new you.
    There isn't a doubt in my mind concerning your success. You know too much to ever turn back now.

    My best always
    Sean

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  8. I love this post! I see you as a guy that has great humor & writing wit but has such a fantastic way of getting important weight loss facts & information out to others. You make it real, relatable & fun at the same time although I suspect there is some seriousness under there at the very least!

    It is very easy to slip back but for me, the longer I kept it off, the longer I kept at it, the longer I worked to understand my body, change things up & keep moving forward with new challenges, the more it became that I would stay that way no matter what.

    When I am on vacation, I do enjoy to some extent BUT I find ways to keep active, I PLAN for the food & I bring exercise bands so I can do a bit of that at night in the hotel room too.

    I see you never being that frog in the slowly boiling pot. Keep on writing if that helps you cause we will keep on reading!

    Glad you had a nice vacation!

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  9. We're all frogs! Good for you for jumping out in time...

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  10. Glad you're out of the pot. It is really easy to fall back into old ways especially being away from home. I know I did the same thing on vacation, gave myself permission to eat and do what I wanted. Sounds like you're back to it though so here's to a great week.

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  11. I felt the same when I was on vacation.... glad your back and that you had a good time

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  12. Glad you're back, and that you hopped out of the pot!

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  13. Jack,
    I see you as all of the above a funhouse mirror, an abstract sketch or a window into my own soul. see you as a fellow traveler or a kindred spirit. you just have a very special way of not being serious all the time and going out of your way to be different and make what you write count, its fun, sometimes crazy, and insightful all at the same time, I love reading what you have to say and look foward to your tales all the way doesnt matter what you write love the way you write it and wait for the fun things you say, how you mix it up to make it such a joy to read but still get a brilliant message across...
    thank you
    irene

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  14. Thank you for such an honest and sincere post. I enjoy all aspects of Jack. You have a lot to offer this world and it nice to get know you though your posts whether they are quirky or not. Welcome back man!

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  15. Glad to have you back, Jack.

    I'm not sure how I 'see' you. Right now that's a bit deeper than I feel like going. I do know I like my Jack funny, but I like him even more after reading posts like this.

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  16. Welcome home kindred spirit...we're all here with open arms, and we've missed you so.

    Don't you dare let go of this blog...I want to still be reading it when you're maintaining!! I know all about the life-saving raft in the sea of boiling water...I feel exactly the same way about my blog.

    You're back home now, and I know you'll get back into your daily routine and good habits. Time to put the blinders back on honey and rock it out like I know you know how to do. :)

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  17. Welcome back. Now toughen up! No slacking on exercise this week, no going out for tons of restaurant meals, no mindless snacking. Let's get you closer to those pickles!

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  18. Skipping your Sunday weigh in is a continuation of the slippage into bad habit land too. Blogging helps us lose weight and keep the weight off because of accountability.

    Great post, as usual. I do urge you to get on the scale and keep it real though.

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  20. yup... the water gets warm and deeper and then we sink... glad you jumped out!

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  21. I am in EXACTLY the same spot as you. Last week & this week has been, well not a train wreck, but not great either. We are on holidays (one more week to go)& while we are having a lovely time, I'm not looking forward to weigh in wednesday (& am seriously thinking about avioding it too). But next week I will rock!

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  22. I apprecitate your honesty. I am so afraid to even miss a day walking, for fear I will be back to being a sludge.

    Your home now, so hopefully you will jump back in with both feet.

    I would never even think to label your little corner of the world here....unless it was AWESOME! lol

    Grateful to be on journey with all of you!

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  23. Vacations are rough! Glad you're back! :)

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  24. Hey... does this make you "jumping jack sh*t" since you hopped out of your pot of water? I really look forward to your postings. Funny or serious. I have enjoyed them all.

    You know, I felt a little slippage on Saturday when we went to the pizza buffet. I thought to myself, "You're doing so good. You can have one more piece of pizza. What will it hurt compared to what you used to eat. And one more breadstick can't be THAT bad for you..." That's the way of thinking that gets us into trouble. I'm avoiding buffets for a while until I have a little better steal curtain zone, as Sean calls it.

    Glad to have you back. Keep keeping it real for us.

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  25. Great analogy. It does have a way of creeping up on us, doesn't it.

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  26. New habits take practice and then they just become habits. Did you miss them? And the way they make you feel?

    Concentrate on that. Nosh on it. You'll be fine.

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  27. I see you as a hilarious inspiration to all of us in blog world! Don't ever go!

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  28. Right there with you. I had two "off the wagon" days in a row and I was going down that slippery slope.... I snapped out of it...mostly by getting my big bottom to the gym. Sweat seems to be a decent wake up call for me, thankfully. Then, when faced with the "wrong" kind of food I can think...."ok....chickie poo....you jostled your big fat ass for an hour on the treadmill and burned 580 calories...now...you want to eat THAT...and negate that entire HOUR!?!"

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  29. Hi Jack, I like your posts, and I would say you use humor to cover painful crap, and sometimes you use humor because life is funny. I just want to play SPOT THE PATTERN for a second. You are really good at poems and such, I am good at spotting patterns. Look at your weight loss roll. Your two pound gain and your additional bad week followed your 'perfect week'. Psychologically speaking, do you think you could be reacting to the idea that you think to be thin, you are going to have to be perfect. If I remember correctly, your perfect week left you feeling hungry, deprived and tired. You don't want to feel that way, so you have regressed to prior behavior? You don't have to be perfect to be thin, contrary to some opinions. You just have to be op at least 80 percent and you can still have some high calorie days, days where you don't exercise. Don't fall into the perfect trap. I love your blog, I love your progress more. Be honest with yourself. Weigh youtself, the truth is a disinfectant. You don't have to post, just know where you stand and get back on track.
    Hugs,
    Chris

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  30. I'm going through the same thing. Food addicts are the same as drug addicts. If they give just a little the bad rushes in with speed and picks right back up again.

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  31. Amen Mr. Jack Sh*t. I have felt this way about the months of July and August. Each day is a little slacker than the last. Thanks for putting words to this. Great Blogs!!!

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  32. Well, I just lost my whole response to you Jack. Grr.

    I'm just wrapping up my vacation and looking forward to getting back to my own home, my nice long walks and regular yoga. I'm feeling a bit froggy myself.

    BTW, those fine folks at the Holiday Inn give all their Priority Club guests (yes, that's me) a nice little bag of 2-bit brownies when they check-in. What the heck are they thinking? The good news for me, is that out of the 4 brownies, three were eaten by hubby and boys. Mine remains, alone, sad and uneaten in the bag.

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  33. I do not think most people look at you like a funhouse mirror, but more like a box of chocolates.

    You never know what you are going to get, but it is always sweet and from the heart. And that my friend is why you are popular!

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  34. You wear skinny jeans? lol

    Weigh in is a MUST for me- after vacation or just a dinner out. I dont skip them, ever.

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  35. I'm so glad I've found your blog. I just started reading it yesterday and you are just too funny. Thank you for making me laugh about the struggle of weight loss.

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  36. brilliant post and so relevant to so many people from what the comments list says- and very relevant to me. Keep on keeping on!

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  37. Hop on the scale, Jack! It'll be far better to know what's going on. Besides, I'm pretty dang sure it's what you would tell any of US to do.

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  38. Since I moved back to MS from MA, I've struggled to find "normal". It's great to read this post and know that someone else understands the perils of change.

    Thanks for this post!

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  39. You write well. Way to get out of the warm water before your skin started melting.

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  40. I've noticed the same thing this weekend. I had one "celebration meal" that turned into a "celebration day" that turned into 2 days off track...way to easy to go back to the old ways.
    Here's to a good day back on track...

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  41. Welcome back! It's so easy to flip the switch off but it takes a lot of effort to switch it back on. I think Lynn posted about that a while back. I always say after vacation "Re-entry is a bitch" :)

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  42. Jack - very glad you're back too - i needed this post today.

    I see you as a fellow traveller on this weight loss journey with amazing talent for writing and creativity.

    I had a weekend of being in the frog-pot, and almost avoided blogging today.. but read this last night, and it kept niggling at me.

    The best accountability is to ourselves, to write it down. Blogging really does help. Thanks for this very timely post.

    Amy

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  43. Great post Jack! Very insightful as always.

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  44. Yeah, I think we all have the boiled frog fear - there are moments when we know deep down that it could all go the other way. Probably because we have been there before.

    Those diversions away from routine are definitely the hardest. We need to enjoy ourselves for both our own sanity and for those around us, but it takes its toll on the resolve.

    How we make this time different is a mystery, but make it different we WILL!

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  45. I know the feeling, but know it or not the weight is still the same. Life is about ups and downs, and so is the same with weightloss...

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  46. It IS kind of scary how easy it is to ease back into the "old ways." As you move forward, though, you'll get more confident in your ability to enjoy a few days of indulgence and move right back into your plan. Fwiw, I think that waiting a week to weigh in helps, as it serves as extra motivation for getting back in the game.

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  47. It's always hard to stick to your routines when you're in a new place, a new schedule, etc. Realistically, unless you really go nuts, you're unlikely to gain so much in a week or two that you can't turn around and lose it in a week or three. Just keep on keeping on. I don't weigh within a few days of vacation (or in my case, moving). I eat less, but heavier and saltier, and drink more. I need a day or two to drop the bloat.

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