Be honest with me, guys: On a scale of one to 10—10 being “so sick of you, I would punch you in the face if ever I met you in person”—how sick of me are you? For 16 weeks, I have been taking up space in the blogosphere. Wasting five, maybe ten, minutes of your precious time each Thursday. Trying, and sometimes succeeding, to find the humor in this whole weight-loss thing while reporting on recipes, classes and products that I’ve tried along the way. Smiling politely when, at one function or another where eating was involved (read: all functions I attend), someone looked at what I was eating and said “I’m sure THAT’S going to be in this week’s blog, right?” I even posted a fat picture of myself. Who does that?
All of this and I have lost … eight pounds.
Things you are currently thinking about posting/emailing to me after reading this (I know because I’ve said all of these things to friends trying to lose weight at one point or another; it’s what we do):
1. Eight pounds is great! You should be so proud. A loss is a loss!
2. It’s not what the scale says, it’s how you feel.
3. It’s not what the scale says, it’s how your clothes fit.
4. Weight loss isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon. Keep it up, champ.
Blah, blah, blah … And don’t call me champ.
When I started writing this column I thought it was the answer I had been looking for. I’d lost the weight twice before and, with the added incentive of doing it publicly this time around, I thought this would be easy as pie. Or a piece of cake. Or elbow-deep in a bag of greasy chips. (Okay, so that last one isn’t even a thing, but since when are cake and pie so easy??) I have been stuck in a rut between 122 and 125 pounds for the past what-feels-like-forever and can’t seem to get through it. WTF? I thought I would be done with this thing by now and rocking my size-26 Z. Cavariccis (which would have looked sweet with a tank during last week’s summer-like weather, am I right?).
And so, I put together a “get out of the rut” to-do list. (Anyone notice how much I love making lists? And writing in parentheticals?) Here goes:
1. Adjust my goal weight. At my annual gyno appointment (because you all want to know about that), I spoke to the doctor about my goal weight of 113 pounds. I kid you not when I tell you she said, “Are you kidding me?” Then I thought about it. Yes, I weighed 113 in high school, but is that a realistic goal weight for a 35-year-old mother of two? And, yes, I got down to that weight after I had my daughter five years ago, but wasn’t able to maintain it. I would rather raise my goal weight and then have the wiggle room to go below it or rise above it a little bit and still be comfortable in my own skin. I spoke to Andy, my fearless and fabulous WW leader, about this and she agreed with me. And so, I am hereby adjusting my goal weight to … wait for it … 118 pounds. Attainable, maintainable, and I like numbers that are divisible by 2.
2. Take this baby out for a spin. April 12th is around the corner and I’m almost ready to run my 5K. As of yesterday I am a C25K graduate (and am accepting congratulatory gifts), but only on the treadmill. It’s time to get off the ‘mill and out into the world to see if this thing has legs. Or maybe I’ll tow a treadmill down to the Art Museum, set it up right next to Rocky, and run the 5K on there. Same-same, right?
Current: 122 pounds
Last week: 123 pounds
Goal:
3. Ditch the bad attitude. For whatever reason, losing weight the third time around has not been a charm. Or easy. There’s no one to blame but me for falling off the wagon as many times as I have so far. It’s time to stop making excuses, refocus, and finish this thing.
What I Did This Week
See 1 and 2 above.
What’s next: Three friends and I are Dishing with the Yenta at an at-home healthy cooking class this Friday night. Then, 20 friends and I are embarking on a three-day Catalyst Juice Cleanse during Passover. Buh-bye, matzoh! I will be blogging about each in upcoming posts!
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Robin Raskin blogs about her weight loss journey every Thursday on Be Well Philly. Catch up on the series here, and follow her on Twitter at @RobinRaskin. Join Robin’s Healthy Recipe Swap Facebook group here.
Hi Robin!
what is a c25k graduate?
Hi Robin,
You and I could be weight loss twins. I am (almost) 35 with 2 kids and struggling with the last 5-10 lbs. Actually, last weeks blog by Maura about hitting a plateau was about me! I’ve done WW’s, trained for a 5k (and completed 6 of them!) and signed up for the Broad St run.
What I’m learning is that change takes time. I recently added weight training to my routine and reduced my carb intake while increasing my protein intake (while I love WW’s, they definitely push high fiber foods, and I was eating so many carbs even though I was in my daily point range).
I’ve been on this journey for 2 years now. I will always find something I don’t like about myself. But, for 2 years I’ve tried, tweaked, and continued to make healthy choices, and I’d take what I’ve learned over what the scale tells me anyday!
Thanks for sharing your journey. Perhaps we have to learn to be more patient with ourselves and realize sticking to something, even when there are struggles, is pretty darn impressive!
Jen R-C25k is the Couch to 5k program. I believe she means she has completed the program and can now run 3.1 miles. If you google C25k you will find the weekly plan.
Yeah… what Heidi said.
Heidi, I am trying to be patient, but it’s not one of my strong suits. When I lost the weight in the past it was quick and dirty. Maybe that’s why it didn’t last?!?
Rob, I think your new goal weight is perfect for you. I have to admit, 113 seems like an 8th grader weight. 118 even seems like an 18 year old weight to me. But, you are a bit shorter
Good luck with your new goal. Maybe the juice will push all of us to our goals!!!
Hey Rob- I know you don’t want advice but since you get to dish it out- here goes.
1) Running outside is very important if you’re training for any outdoor races because the landscape is simply harder and the street itself works your muscles a different way- so get out there before the race.
2) Intervals, intervals, intervals- The only way to increase your speed, endurance, AND weight loss is to add interval training to your workout, either speed work or hill work. Maybe you’re already doing that- Bit if not- it’s great to start.