Weekly weigh-in: 214.5Weekly weigh-in: 214.6
Loss: +0.1
Total loss: 76.9 lbs.
Emotion: Under Less Pressure
Trying to put this whole weight loss/maintenance deal on auto-pilot, just attempting to eat right without stressing out about every little thing and exercise with intensity that might be high, yet not dialed all the way up. I’m slowly wrapping my head around the idea that this doesn’t have to be an “all or nothing” proposition… and that I’m in it for the long haul so I’d better get comfortable with what I’m eating and what I’m doing.
This has been one of the few weeks where I’ve eaten well, exercised often and enthusiastically, not had any setbacks whatsoever… and gained weight (even if it was only a speck). More than anything else, that tells me that I’m probably not going to lose much more. I’m not complaining or fretting; like I said before: if I could lock it down right here, I’d be good to go. Keeping this whole thing in check is a whole new kind of pressure.
Speaking of pressure, I had a nice moment the other day. I was picking up a few things at the grocery store and ran across one of those blood-pressure checking stations. At my heavier weight, I was always hovering between borderline high blood pressure and your-veins-are-about-to-explode blood pressure. Just like I step on a scale with a new sense of confidence, I wasn’t stressing a bit as I slipped my arm into the cuff of the machine and pressed the “Start” button.
As I grimaced through the unpleasant squeeze on my bicep, I thought back about times when I’d checked myself on similar machines, trying to relax and mentally will my numbers to be low. With my diet how it’s been and my exercise level as high as it’s been, I simply wasn’t worried this go-round.
“Normal” blood pressure is 120/80 or below. And keep in mind that blood pressure tends to climb some as you get older, and that rise carries with it an increased risk of heart attack, stroke and kidney failure, as well as other complications.
My numbers? 88 over 65
Are you kidding me? I should put a faucet on my arm because there’s ice water in my veins. Actually, that’s now borderline too low, but in the range that athletes generally show.
Many of us focus on the “looking better” aspect of this weight-loss journey, but it’s hard not to appreciate the tremendous health advantages living lighter brings us. Whether it’s medications you no longer have to take, less pressure on your joints or simply having the energy to live a vital and active life, being successful with this is simply going to change you for the better.
And there’s nothing that feels quite as good as “better”…
