Week 159 Update

We are back home again, and at 05:30 I stepped on Mr. Scale and he said, "186.0 pounds!"

It is hard to put a price on just how valuable "normal" can be. Going to work each day this week was such a pleasure compared with how life has been the last several weeks. I did not have a crisis hanging over my head, and I was able to focus for the most part on just doing the mundane things of life: earning a living; taking care of household necessities; and just plane relaxing. I have been fighting some physical ailments but even they seem to be backing off in the face of the more relaxed lifestyle. I unfortunately have the pager coverage this weekend, but I am hopeful it will not be too much of a problem. I don't know what I would have done if things had gone on in the crisis mode for much longer. I felt like I was about at the end of my rope.

On a happy note, Jim and Tammy, our dear friends from Spokane arrived in the wee hours last night to spend the weekend with us. It will be a real treat being able to visit with them this weekend. During our last visit, we all did the Bloomsday walk, and it was such a lot of fun. The time in between seems like a blur.

Eating and weight – Saturday we were at my mother's house, and I weighed in at 185.0 pounds. My meals were a little high at 37.5 points, including a taco salad for dinner, but I had 17.5 points in snacks, which boosted my total to 55.0 for the day.

Sunday, I weighed 183.0. We drove home that day, and were able to have dinner at Sweet Tomatoes. At day's end I had eaten 43.0 points.

Monday I weighed 182.0 pounds. It was back to work for me, and my normal breakfast and lunch. I had a hearty dinner in the evening, and consumed 40.5 points for the day.

Tuesday I weight 184.5 pounds. I had a light dinner that night, and only ate 33.5 points for the day. I also took an Aleve for my back. That is loaded with sodium, and so I expected my weight to go up.

Wednesday I weighed 186.0, which was no surprise. I ate 43.0 points for the day,

Thursday I weighed 187.0 pounds. That is getting a bit close to my weekly weigh-in day, so I don't like to jump up to my upper limit as I get close to Friday. However I was not too worried because I knew the sodium should be flushed out of my system by Saturday. I ended up eating 43.5 points for the day.

Friday I weighed 186.0, a more comfortable place to be. I ate 48.0 points for the day, which was a little high, but not overboard. And that led to my weigh-in weight of 186.0 today.

Exercise – Exercise wasn't all that I had hoped it would be for the week, but I did surpass my base goals of 15 miles, and 35 Aerobic Points. So, it was not a wasted week for exercise.

Saturday Dotti and I took a walk along the road that runs beside the South Umpqua River. We walked up a little over 2 miles and then walked back. According to my GPS, we had traveled 4.38 miles by the end, and we did it in 1 hour 25 minutes and 38 seconds, earning 8.06 aerobic points.

Sunday we drove home and didn't do any walking.

Monday I walked 3.8 miles. Part of that was alone, and part of it was with my walking partner. By the end I had earned 9.13 aerobic points. When I got home, Dotti and I took a 3.1 mile walk, and we took 52:12 to complete it, giving us 6.94 aerobic points.

Tuesday I didn't feel up to walking at lunch, but when I got home Dotti and I walked our 3.1 mile route in 53:11 earning 6.74 aerobic points.

Wednesday, I walked a leisurely 2.4 miles at lunch, taking 40:08 to complete it. I earned 5.21 aerobic points.

Thursday I was not feeling very well and I didn't walk at lunch or at home.

Friday at lunch I walked 2.3 miles with my walking partner. We took 43:47 to do the walk and that was good for 3.94 aerobic points. Once again I did not walk in the evening.

So, by week's end, I had walked a total of 19.08 miles, and earned 40.02 aerobic points. It was not a great week, but it was a definite improvement over what I had done the previous week.

Water – I am happy with how my water consumption went for the week. I got in at least 6 cups every day, and I averaged 72.0 ounces (9.0 cups) each day, which is above my minimum goal of 6-8 cups per day.

Week's evaluation – I am very happy with how this week went, even though I didn't get in as much walking as I would have liked. But I got in enough to earn over 35 aerobic points, which is my weekly goal. My weigh-in weight was within my target weigh range and so were all my daily weigh-ins for the week. My average weight was 184.79, which is very close to my target weight. I got in plenty of water each day.

3 years, 18 days OP; a lifetime to follow.

-Al-

6 '3" 239.5/186.0/180±2/BMI:23.25/WK-159
GRAPHS: Weight Loss/Year 1 Maint./Year 2 Maint./Year 3 Maint.
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