Dan Nied's Fortress of Weight Loss: Day 54
Published February 19, 2008
But habits can’t be followed every day. And when I am down to 240, and still eating roughly 2,000 calories per day, I will gladly take time out once a week or so to enjoy the unhealthy foods the way I like to enjoy them. I don’t want to eliminate that from my life totally, and I don’t want to be miserable with a garden salad at a restaurant while others around me enjoy spaghetti. There will be times when I just won’t care about caloric intake or weight loss. I think that will be ok then, and I think that it is ok now. But I can’t and won’t let those times become habit, like they were in the past.
As for the weigh-in issue, I should explain my method. I don’t weigh-in just as much as before. Back in the beginning, I was weighing myself at least once a day, with no regard to the previous day’s events. The mere fluctuations of the numbers (i.e. I weighed 289 two days ago, 288 yesterday, so why do I weigh 291 today?), without being able to discern any real patterns, was throwing off my motivation and making me question my methods. Now, I schedule weigh-ins for Sunday morning, and that’s the weight I reference throughout the week. However, during the week, either on Wednesday or Thursday, I weigh myself again just to gage how the week is going to that point, and see what I have to do to reach my goal on Sunday.
Last week, I called an audible because of the Thursday screw up. I reserve the right to do that. This is, after all, my plan, my blog, my mind, my body, and I make all the rules here.
The fact is, this weigh-in schedule works best for me and helps me achieve my goal, where the last one didn’t. It might not be the same for everyone else, but it is what works for me.
From: Alexa Cooper
Comments: It is awesome to see how far you have come and how long you have stuck to it. Kudos to you. Also, thanks for talking about how your off-days are important to you. That was really good. I'll keep reading about your weight loss.
Alexa, I just hope you will stick with it until the end. The off days definitely are important to me, because they are a time of reflection and of salty food products. That’s a solid combination. But they must be limited, and I must be disciplined in their usage. Last week, when I took Sunday and Monday off, well that was stupid. More than one per week is kind of idiotic. Ideally, I’d like to do one every two weeks. I think that works the best.
From: Alexandria Jackson
Comments: When I was at my hottest (and that was pretty hot), I was in love with someone morbidly obese - in fact, he will always be the one that got away. That's why I can tell you that it isn't that "women can't see thru the lipids" but that maybe "teen/twenties women in singles bars can't see thru the lipids." You have to meet potential partners where your personality shines through so they can fall in love with who you are rather than the "who can I hook up with tonight" bar scene of youth.
- Dan Nied's Fortress of Weight Loss: Day 54
- Published: February 19, 2008
- Type: Opinion
- Section: Sci/Tech
- Filed Under: Culture: Society, Sci/Tech: Health/Fitness
- Part of a feature: Dan Nied's Fortress of Weight Loss
- Writer: Dan Nied
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Comments on this articleComments
Great job as usual. Your attitude remains an inspiration.
So you DO do weigh ins more than once a week, but you only have one official weekly weigh-in?
So basically, you see the wisdom of having more than a weekly weigh-in as is the common wisdom in the weight loss world, but the others don't count for you because they aren't official? I feel as if all that stuff about doing it your way is a lot of blathering on. And yet, you make this honest revelation.
This is beginning to remind me of those confessional dramas and make me think that perhaps you need a mental check up.
I weigh in every day. Every morning. Every day is an official weigh in. I make sure I'm not overweight or underweight.
In general American society is much harsher with women who are overweight. So I wonder how you treat overweight women and if you'd consider dating one. When you're talking about seeing a boob for free (not hard in this country IMHO) and getting some ass, it doesn't sound like you're ready for a fruitful, meaningful relationship.
It sounds like a crass 15-year-old talking.
jesus, p.t....
that was some harshness. i'm in a serious, committed relationship and i still turn into a giddy little pervert as soon as the top comes off.
call me what you will, but i doubt that i'm some 15-year-old... and i doubt dan is as well.
daily weigh-ins are not recommened at all for real measurement. It is not an accurate weight. There are other factors affecting the scale besides food and exercise - so once a week is the way to go.
Purple Tigress! You're back! Where were you all this time? I missed the beratings. I'll talk about it a little more later this week, but I think I need the harsh comments, someone to share negative views on the Fortress. If it is all lollipops and congratulations (not that I don't love those, too), it is easy to lose focus as to what the real goal is. So thanks for offering your views. And thanks Zing Zang (if that is your real name) for defending me. Women don't truly understand the power that boobs have over guys.
P.T., the big problem with daily weigh-ins is that weight can vary quite a bit due to factors other than eating, and there is often a delay between an eating event and the increased weight gain associated with that event. If I weight a pound more on Tuesday, I'm liable to think I did something wrong on Monday, when it could just as easily have been Sunday, Thursday, or a random weird schedule alteration.
Weighing weekly keeps one from getting bogged down on chasing details.
Awww Dan, you do care! Thanks for posting on one of mine.
I'm beginning to think that P.T. is Jillian from The Biggest Loser (in episodes 7 & 8 or during any "last chance workout").
I never heard you say you were ready for a meaningful and "fruitful" relationship. I heard you working on yourself, for your own needs, sharing yourself for your needs (and the bonus is that it helps others) and that you are doing it your way in your own time. In fact, that 240 'girl across the room' was just a metaphor...right? (please say yes). So someone might need to reread your story.
And you know what? sometimes you do sound like a crass 15 year old...I love that about your posts! I laughed at the boob (for free) line. But then again, I have both a sense of humor AND an appreciation for the fact that there is more than just MY way of doing things.
Take care.
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You gotta love viewer mail days. And I stand by my comment that I think you've begun to look at this more as a life change. I know you said all along that it was, but often times your actions revealed you to be, at best, dillusional and at worst, a liar.
I think it's worth noting that you still have a long way to go in terms of this thing making you the best person you can be. I know you can cook for yourself more, that you can keep a serious food journal, that you can count calories better and that you can make healthier eating choices- both on off days and regular days. But I'm not going to beat you over the head with it.
Jake's tough love approach isn't slanderous but it isn't really that helpful either. Anyone who knows you, knows you gravitate toward the path of least resistance the way a wingless plane would gravitate toward earth. This whole deal involves many small steps towards rethinking that perception- but you have to follow through.
Good to hear from Jake though- I would have thought for sure that he would have been knifed in some bar fight by now for running his legendary mouth.