Week 135 Update

It was 06:15 when I woke up. I was surprised that I had slept in so late. I stepped up on Mr. Scale and he said, "185.5 pounds!" Whew! I am happy with that.

I don't know why, but my back has been worse the last few days. This put me into a dilemma on Thursday. I normally just won't take medications on Thursday or Friday in order to bring the scale back down from the water weight increases. This time I decided to risk it. I had been doing very well on keeping my points down for the last couple of weeks, and I hoped that would be enough to overcome the water retention. As it turned out, it was. Over the last 4 weeks I have eaten 1277 points total. To maintain, without the water retention at 185 pounds, I needed to eat 1400 points. That means I ate a total of 123 points less than I needed to hold steady on the scale. Since 70 points approximately equals one pound, I should have dropped 1.75 pounds of fat for that period of time. I have also done fairly well at walking over those 4 weeks, and may have dropped even more as a result.

We are nearly halfway through December. It is just going by too fast for me. For several thousand years the winter solstice has been a time of celebration. ⁽¹⁾ The invention of the electric light has made the process far more appealing to the eye in the lengthening dark nights, as houses become magical scenes of elves, reindeer, snowmen, and candy canes. Everywhere you turn are more treats for the eye. Each night as I have driven home from work there has been at lease one new house that has come alive, as its owners have put up their contributing decorations to the celebration. The only sad part is that it will be over far too soon! But I, for one, am going to enjoy every last second of it while it is here.

Eating and Weight – I started out the week at 186.0 pounds. I held my points down in hopes of conquering the water retention problem. On Sunday I weighed 186.0 once more. I ate 40.5 points. However, I was up to 187.5 on Monday morning. I ate 44.0 points, and held steady at 187.5 on Tuesday. I ate 44.5 and Wednesday the scale moved up to 188.5. Not good. I ate 46.5 points, but the scale came back down to 186.5 on Thursday. I ate 38.5 points, and drank plenty of water, and the scale held steady at 186.5 Friday morning. I held my points down to 41.0 points, and this morning I was down to 185.5.

I don't know if I have my weight down enough to tolerate the extra water and still be at 185, or not yet. I think this next week will tell me more.

Exercise – On Sunday I thought that I would like to get some walking in, so I would have less to do during the workweek trying earn my 30 aerobic points. I drove around the neighborhood and, using the car odometer, I measured off a couple of walking distances that I could use in the future. I found a 1.4-mile loop, which I will probably use one day, and a 2.0-mile loop that has a lot of path that has no sidewalk, so I may not use that one often. However, I found that from our driveway to the sign in front of the Target store is exactly 1 mile. So, went I told Dotti about that, she was ready to go for a walk. We walked there in 18:42, which earned 1.20 aerobic points. We walked around inside the store for another half mile or so, which I didn't time or count, and then we walked home in 17:41 carrying our purchases, for another 1.34 aerobic points. So, by weekend's end I was 2.54 aerobic points closer to my goal of 30.

Monday I didn't get in any walking. I had my annual physical for work in the morning, and didn't have any breakfast before that because of the blood work. So, by lunchtime I was really hungry. I ate my lunch rather than walking first.

On Tuesday I got to work early enough to get in a 1.3 mile walk, which I completed in 16:29, for 3.84 aerobic points. Now I was up to 6.38 for the week. During the morning for work, I had to make a run to the office to pick up a part. I decided to eat my lunch early on the road, to free up my lunch hour for walking. So, I had a whole hour to work with. When I started out, I could tell that I had eaten a bit too close to my workout time, but as I went along and held my pace in check, I started feeling better, and by the end of the walk I was feeling pretty good. I completed 4 miles in 56:36, for 11.96 aerobic points. That brought me up to 18.34, less than 12 from my goal.

On Wednesday I did not arrive early enough to do any walking before work, but at lunch I did 2.0 miles in 29:12 for 5.21 aerobic points. (23.55 for the week.)

On Thursday, I knew I was close enough to finish things off. I needed less than 6.5 aerobic points. I got to work just early enough to get in a 1-mile walk in 14:03 (2.26 aerobic points, bringing me to 25.81 for the week). Then at lunch I did a 2-mile walk in 27:01, for 5.88 aerobic points. That brought me to 31.69, and met my week's goal!

Water – This week I had at least 6 cups every day. I average drinking 68.57 ounces (8.57 cups) each day, which exceeded my minimum goal of 6 to 8 cups per day.

Week's Evaluation – I am very happy with this week! By holding my points over 7 points per day lower than normal, I battled the water retention beastie and won, keeping my weigh-in weight inside my target range, and even held my average weight for the week to 186.86, and inside my target range (but just barely!). I got in my walking exercise, and reached my goal of achieving 30 or more aerobic points. I still have to figure out a way to get to the gym, because I think that may help my back problems. (There is always room for improvement!) I not only averaged plenty of water but I actually drank at least 6 cups worth every day this week. My annual physical showed my long range vision is still better than 20/20 and my close up vision is correctable with glasses. (I remember when my dad hit his forties and started wearing reading glasses and I thought he was getting old. Now I realize how young he really was. ) My resting pulse in the doctor's office was 60, a good sound number, considering the fact that I was in surroundings that I am not totally comfortable with, I had just completed two tests that I hate (lung capacity and hearing), and I had just had my arm stuck seconds before to have blood drawn. This also didn't hurt my blood pressure reading, as it was 120 over 72, which is pretty close to where it has always been, and the doctor said he thought I was "good physical health." I still have to wait for the lab tests but right at the end he said my hearing test and eye test also looked good. Other than my back issue I am feeling great.

This is the 946th day of my journey, putting me 54 days away from day 1000. It is hard to believe!

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^{1.    Circles for Space -- German "Stonehenge" marks oldest observatory
December 08, 2003; By Madhusree Mukerjee; Scientific American.com
The world's oldest observatory (7,000 years old) was recently found in Germany, which marks the point of sunrise and sunset on the Winter Solstice.}
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2 years, 215 days OP; a lifetime to follow.

-Al-

6 '3" 239.5/185.5/180Ý2/BMI:23.19/WK-135
Weight Loss Graph/Year 1 Maint. Graph/Year 2 Maint. Graph/Success Story