Perception

It really is all a matter of perception. I perceived that I was stuck. I was never going to push past this wall and I would be struggling with this weight indefinitely. This weight, even after losing fifty-five pounds, is momentous because this is the size and weight that I was eight years ago in Madison. This is the weight I was four years ago after doing South Beach and losing thirty pounds. I had an appointment with my weight doctor yesterday and I had lost eleven pounds in seven weeks. That's not too shabby. In fact that is almost spot on with what they suggest you lose a week. Yet, I've been over here bemoaning the fact that the scale has not moved in the last four weeks. I need to cut myself some slack because I was sick for a month. It has only been in the last couple of weeks that I have been able to add aerobic activity back to the mix.

Here is what I did last week: yoga/Pilates (it was supposed to be our normal Pilates class, but our instructor left and we got stuck doing some hybrid that hurt my knee), belly dancing, yoga, three mile jog/walk and a mile swim. Still stuck. Granted, Sunday I drank beer and had dessert. I was pretty amazed at myself on Saturday because I went with my gym buddy and she wanted to run, but I said I would just walk. For the heck of it, I jogged for a couple of minutes, walked for a couple of minutes, cranked up the ipod (courtesy of a great mix from Sheska), and I ran for five minutes. I could not keep up the five minute pace but I managed to do 16 minutes jogging total. I did three miles in 45 minutes. It felt so good. I was afraid that I would not be able to do anything since I have not jogged in over a month, but the body is a wondrous thing.

I went to Pilates last night with the good instructor, but I had the time wrong so I had half an hour to kill before class. I jumped on a bike and did five miles in half an hour. Bike riding is kind of satisfying because you go so far so fast! Then I went to class, which kicked my butt. This morning I got on the scale and it had moved. As much as I know it is partly because of the amount of effort I've put in, I think it is also because I changed my point of view.

I also talked to the doctor about some ways to push past this. I mentioned I have some clothes that do not yet fit, but I occasionally try them on to see if they fit. It has been an incentive that has been working well for me. She said she bet they were up on a shelf in the closet, some where almost out of reach. She was right. She said I needed to put the incentive out on display as something to strive for. This morning I took a black and white dress that makes me feel like Sophia Loren and I hung it right on the closet door. It zips up, but instead of looking all sexy, like I poured myself into the dress, I look like a lumpy sausage. I think it will fit in five pounds. Next time you see me, I'm going to be wearing that dress.