Scott in Florida - 35 weeks

[scottinflorida]

It's Wednesday, so I had my morning meeting with the scale (we actually meet every morning, but our Wednesday get-together is the one that counts each week).  This week .8 pounds went away.  I do miss the early days of losing 3-5 pounds each week, but I know that doesn't continue forever.  (I guess if it did continue forever, at some point I would disappear completely   )

Now that I am getting close to what I set as my "goal" weight of 180, I am considering changing the goal.  When I was in college and running all the time, I was at 165.  My height is about 5'9" or so, so I think 165 is reasonable, and that extra 15 pounds gone would only help my running.

What about you guys - have you ever gotten close to your goal weight and then changed the number?

Scott

[mouseissue]

Hi Scott!

Even fractional pounds count towards the goal.
You're that much closer!

As far as changing goal weight, I would be cautious.

Years ago, I was on a diet and lost all my excess weight... and then some.
Someone took a picture of my face at a family gathering and I saw for myself what others were saying;
I looked gaunt and underweight. My cheeks were sunken and my skin had a faint "grayish" pallor.
And although I was exercising vigorously, I felt weaker and weaker all the time.
I overshot my goal by about 20 pounds.
The problem was (like in most diets), when I started to put weight back on, it did not stop at my "ideal".
It came back fast and kept on going up, up, and up!

So Scott as your weight comes off, just monitor how you look and how you feel.
When you reach your goal, do an honest reevaluation of your body's condition.
If needed, that would be the best point at which to adjust your goal.
You'll discover what you should weight when you get there!

[scottinflorida]

Thanks Tony, sounds like great advice.

[Doug Varrieur]

Losing weight becomes an addiction Scott, and we all have addictive personalities to some degree. When I reached my first goal weight of 175 I said to myself why not lose some more. Check out this article I wrote "How Skinny is to Skinny?"

click here to download- https://www.onlinefilefolder.com/3si3DjwSi20mMs

[scottinflorida]

Thanks Doug, very interesting.  I too have never thought about having the problem of being "too skinny".  I think I will be able to be objective about it and hope I would handle it as well as you obviously did.  Thanks for the insight.

[SherriPie]

Addicted to loosing weight? That is definitely better than being addicted to eating. I am only 15 pounds from my goal but I'm thinking about adding another 20 to loose to my goal weight. I guessed when I first started, just hoping to be able to loose whatever I could. Now that I am getting closer, like you Scott I am thinking I would like to go a bit lower. I was going to change it today but I thought maybe I should hold off and hit my goal then add the additional 20 pounds or so I want to loose.

[scottinflorida]

Addicted to loosing weight? That is definitely better than being addicted to eating. I am only 15 pounds from my goal but I'm thinking about adding another 20 to loose to my goal weight. I guessed when I first started, just hoping to be able to loose whatever I could. Now that I am getting closer, like you Scott I am thinking I would like to go a bit lower. I was going to change it today but I thought maybe I should hold off and hit my goal then add the additional 20 pounds or so I want to loose.

I know what you mean Sherrie! I guess I agree that being addicted to losing weight is "better" than being addicted to eating, but a couple of thoughts occur to me:
1. Even thought it appears "better", it doesn't mean that either addiction is "good".  Either one taken too far is unhealthy.
2. Anyone that was addicted to eating is probably still an addict - it's just that the addiction is being controlled.

I keep thinking that maybe, back when I was getting started, I set my goal weight at 180 just because it sounded like a good number and I hadn't been there for years, and it would definitely mean a huge improvement over where I was.  So I am thinking, maybe it was never the right number to start with.  I will do an evaluation when I get there I guess.

[mouseissue]

Hi Scott and Sherri!

You hit the nail on the head Scott when you said;
"Even though it appears "better", it doesn't mean that either addiction is "good".  Either one taken too far is unhealthy."

The "Addictive Personality Type" is real.

This personality type has a tendency to become "addicted".
Most of us here have personalities that qualify us for this distinction.
This personality type can also very easily trade one addiction for another.

Being addicted to food (most notably carbs) will make us obese.
Being addicted to weight loss could make us anorexic (inordinate fear of being fat).
Both of these conditions are not only unhealthy. They are potentially lethal.

As always... Good health is found in balance and moderation.
Too much of ANYTHING can and will hurt us!

[joagain]

Scott just believe your family if they say you are getting to thin . My dad lost weight once and like Tony said ,he looked terrible . It was not till he got sick and the doctor told him that he needed  to gain a little  . He gained 15 Lbs and he was perfect . 

Congrats  to you for beig so close to your Goal !!!

[scottinflorida]

Well, I will say this much...I am having good old fashioned spaghetti for supper tonight, the kind that is loaded with carbs.  This is intentional as I am planning to do a 5 mile run Saturday morning and I want to see what effect this has on my energy level.

So I don't have to worry about getting too skinny this week!

 

[mouseissue]

Well, I will say this much...I am having good old fashioned spaghetti for supper tonight, the kind that is loaded with carbs.  This is intentional as I am planning to do a 5 mile run Saturday morning and I want to see what effect this has on my energy level.

So I don't have to worry about getting too skinny this week!

 

Hi Scott!

Although not a foregone conclusion, be prepared for a plateau and/or dealing with sugar detox.
Either of these is very likely by eating wheat flour-laden pasta.

I've seen this happen over and over here... Folks mess up and stop their weight loss cold in it's tracks for weeks.
And some even go thru sugar detox AGAIN while their bodies rid themselves of the poison.
On the other hand, you might luck out this time.

You have come so far!!!... I believe it's VERY unwise to take such risks.

Since you have insulin sensitivity issues, you and I both know that regular pasta can NEVER be a part of your routine.
So I can't see one compelling reason (other than simple curiosity... which killed the cat) to purposely eat it.

You may get a bump in energy... But it's energy you should be taking from your body's fat stores and not carbs.

After you've reached your weight goal, you could then try bumping your carbs to see what it will do.
Until then, you're most likely stopping the very thing that started you on FTS... weight loss!!!

[scottinflorida]

Thanks Tony!  I am definitely not making this part of my routine; it's just a sort of experiment to see what my energy level is like for tomorrow's run.  I don't think I have any insulin sensitivity issues, at least nothing I am aware of anyway.  I have never been diagnosed as diabetic or pre-diabetic.

I do appreciate the input though.  I will report back here on this thread about how it goes tomorrow.

[umpa]

Have a great time!

[scottinflorida]

Well, here's the scoop...

Last night I had a plate of spaghetti and meatballs, and a slice of bread and butter.  That was it.

This morning I got up around 6 am.  My morning weight was 1 pound over my previous Wednesday weigh-in (this is common though). 

I started running around 7.  I did a total of about 5.25 miles, but I walked the last mile.  I can't really say that the carbs in the spaghetti gave me any more energy than what I would have had anyway.  It was a good morning run though.

At the end, just a few hundred yards from my house, I got charged by a pit bull.  I was familiar with the dog already because he has been loose at least a couple times before, and other neighbors have told me that the dog has bitten people before (the owner has been cited for having a dangerous animal at large).  He came about halfway across the street to me and we were in a standoff for a few minutes.  It was long enough for me to call the sheriff anyway.  The owner told the cop that the dog is just a puppy, only 6 months old.  Like that makes any difference when their jaws are clamped onto your leg.  Anyway, it was a bit of adrenaline to start the day 

Now to see if my weight drops again next Wednesday...

[shawn116]

Oh wow.... what a scary moment that must have been.  I see people around here walking or running with a walking stick all the time.  It's not hard to figure out why....LOL  Many just let their dogs run.  It might be hard to go running with a stick though??  Maybe keep pepper spray?  I love animals and have several myself and would never let them run loose.  It is a danger for them and people as well.  They need to have tougher laws about that.  About 5 months ago in the local news a woman and her daughter were mauled to death by a neighbors dog while they were out for an evening stroll.  Be so so careful!!  You are right.... a 6 month old puppy can hurt just the same