Weekly Weigh In #11: Running the Numbers

This week, I weighed in on the Body Composition Scale, so I have more numbers to report than usual.


Weight:  229
Pounds lost:  2 lbs.
39 lbs. lost total.


When I started this diet, my body mass index was 48.3.  My doctor said this was good because people who typically are over 50 have a much harder time losing weight, so I started at the right time.  This week, it was down to 41.  


The analysis of the 39 lbs. I've lost showed that only one pound of this weight loss is muscle mass - the rest is fat (or water).  That is a BIG deal - that means this kind of diet is the right kind for me, because I'm not losing muscle mass.  It also means that this relatively rapid weight loss I'm doing is not hurting my body in a way that might be a problem later... it's healthy for me, and it's working well.

At the start of my diet, my waist measurement was 51.5 inches.  This week, it is 45.5.  I have lost 6 inches in my waist.  My neck measurement was 16 inches, and now it's just under 15 inches.  (This explains why my snoring is practically gone.)


We did not take measurements in June of my hips and bust, but I measured them at the end of August when trying to figure out what my clothing sizes would be.  At that time, my hips were 55 inches... they are now 53 inches.  My bust measurement hasn't changed since late August - the girls are holding steady at 51 inches.  (Oh, how I wish they'd get smaller already...)


So, in total, I've lost 9 inches that I'm aware of, 39 pounds, and a ton of insecurity.


All of these numbers are a great indicator of what I'm achieving.  But I had a few other indicators this week, too.  More than a few people walked up to me and said, "you're really looking great!"  I felt great standing in front of groups of people and talking with media.  I wasn't wondering if I should suck in my belly all the time - I was just confident that I looked better - even pretty.  All of this matters.  Every bit.


This coming week, I'll learn a little more about how this diet is making me healthier - I had blood work done this past week, and will get the numbers on Wednesday.  I'm eager to see if my cholesterol is getting better, and hopeful that sometime soon I'll be able to stop taking that medicine.  


The realization of all this progress has me thinking about something else.  It's incredible what we do to ourselves, willingly.  By being overweight, my health was in jeopardy in ways that I wasn't acknowledging... my heart was working too hard, I was snoring, feeling tired and fatigued in my legs and feet, and my cholesterol was awful.  And I did that to myself - nobody else is to blame.  I ate the greasy burgers, the mountains of cheetos.  Year after year of ignoring nutrition has led directly here.  It's amazing to think that not only is the long term affect dangerous - but it's totally reversible.  And for that, I'm grateful.


This diet isn't just about how I look.  It's about making sure I'm around for a long, long time... to open museums, run errands, take vacations, and smooch my husband... to see my niece grow into a beautiful young woman, and my stepson grow into a strong young man... to do things I haven't even dreamed up yet.  And to look fantastic doing it.