Week 397 Update
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| Weigh-In Date: | 12/20/2008 |
| Weight: | 200.0 |
| Body Mass Index: | 25.00 |
| Average Weight for week: | 199.36 |
| Miles Walked for week: | 2.00 |
| Miles Walked in 2008: | 314.82 |
| Pounds +/- for this week: | +0.5 |
| Pounds lost total: | 39.5 |
| Pounds From Personal Goal(185 lbs) † | +15.0 |
Week's Data
Saturday |
Sunday |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
12/13/08 |
12/14/08 |
12/15/08 |
12/16/08 |
12/17/08 |
12/18/08 |
12/19/08 |
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199.5
|
198.5
|
200
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198.0
|
199.5
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199.0
|
200.5
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CONTROL PANEL
GRAPH |
FUTURE
GRAPH |
60-DAYS
GRAPH |
90-DAYS
GRAPH |
1-YEAR
GRAPH |
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It was 6:00 AM when I stepped up on Mr. Scale and he said, "200.0 pounds!"
Life continues to spin about us and eating has been a catch as catch can affair. Another trip to Vancouver and another drive down with another truck and we are still a long way from being done. The building is not as far along as we had expected it be, and it pushes our opportunity of settling into a normal routine off weeks if not months off into the future. I want this move to be over, but it won't be, at least for some time.
My Weight Commander Control Panel Graph has only positive story to tell: I am not climbing rapidly up outside of my Normal Range. But it is still climbing, and I will be into the wrong territory very soon at this rate. I am clearly not in command of what I am doing right now.
One of the very difficult aspects of weight loss and maintenance is the balance between positive thinking and living in denial. It is important to keep a very positive attitude towards what you can do, and what are going to do, but you have to have a very critical eye on what you ARE DOING, to make sure that you are not just pretending that something which is not okay is something that you can live with indefinitely. The past is for memories and a very powerful database from which to draw tremendous amounts of insight about you as a person. It is not for guilt, because guilt will cripple your efforts.
With that in mind, the past tells me that if I leave things to chance and natural self-control, I will drift up and up over time. I also know that if I plan and do my best (I don't have to be perfect, just do my best) I can put my weight at any safe weight that I choose and keep it there. This graph shows that I not doing that. I am just about out of safety room at the top and I am about to break through the fence into the overweight territory once more. Clearly what I am doing right now cannot sustain my weight in my Normal Range, let alone bring me back down to my personal goal.
As for the future aspect of my journey, the Weight Commander Future Graph indicates that, should I continue on the path I have run the past two weeks or so, I will hold steady right where I am for the next 3 months. But having evaluated my past performance in this area, I know that is unrealistic. I will either change what I am doing and move downward, or I will continue to drift upwards.
Which is it going to be? At what point will I have the chaos in my life beat down into some semblance of order? Must I do that before I can start writing things down again and planning out my meals and snacks?
My Excel spreadsheet projections are both less optimistic than the Future Graph was. The one based upon the change in my weight over the past 14 days shows me weighing 209.64 pounds in 90 days. The one based upon the change in my 14-day average weight puts me at 204.54 pounds in the same three months. The one thing that all of these projections shows is: I am not losing weight at this time.
My Weight Commander 60-Day Graph shows that I am gaining weight. Pick any point to the left of today's weight and in almost all cases you will find the line has a positive slope when you draw from the chosen point and today's point. Or, in other words, my weight is up today compared with almost any day of the preceding 60 days.
My Weight Commander 90-Day Graph is a little nicer to me. I am still below where I was 90 days ago. But then, I am not all that far below it, so as to be cheering about it. I need to get my focus back. Hopefully things will settle down soon, and make it easier for me. But it won't be really soon unfortunately.
My Weight Commander 1-Year Graph shows a path that a drunk man might follow, while trying to walk a straight line. That isn't too encouraging, but I refuse to be discouraged anyway.
Officially winter doesn't arrive until the Winter Solstice on Sunday December 21. However, snow decided to come a week early this year. I was up earlier than the sun on Saturday, and was out taking pictures in the dark of the snow.
The deer seem to come at any time of day. I used a long shutter speed and it over exposed the door and front of the house, but the deer came out pretty well, and even the snow-tipped needles of the trees up on the hillside came out pretty good.
Standing out back on the deck, I took a picture of our new building. The shutter was open the entire time a car drove across the field of view and its headlights made what appears to be a single stream of light running behind the van and trees. Even though the sun isn't up yet, the scene looks as if it were just a cloudy day.
The sun is up, but being filtered by the cloud cover. Fog is hanging on the hills in the background, but the snow spattered branches are still visible. The area right before us has a light covering of snow, as if added by a painter, just for highlights. Every time I look at this part of the river it seems to present a different face to me. This face is one of its most striking!
The view across the river, looking from the deck, is so much nicer with a bit of snow dabbed on from above. The seagulls are wearing a snowy top to their heads and wings, as is the railing along the deck. We have taken pictures from this location a number of times but one of them really stands out for me…
In 2006 we had our little Coon family together for a reunion, and we all got in front of the camera at this very spot. It was hot out, being in July, and we didn't have any snow, but it was wonderful!
Does this road lead to the North Pole? Add a touch of snow to an evergreen setting and it almost magical what appears.
Like the river, the road outside out front door looks different from day to day. It really has on its holiday clothes here!
I drive Mom to church on Saturdays. I drop her off before services begin and pick her up after they are over. I had to clean the snow off first before we headed out.
This time, since there was snow on the ground, Dotti also came along with her camera and we took some pictures at the school.
Planted by the White Witch, after bouncing a light pole off of the Lion's head, "The Lamp Post" in Narnia grew, and remained perpetually lit, becoming a landmark that Lucy and the others came to know.
This lamp post has nothing to do with the one in Narnia of course, but it reminded me of it nonetheless.
Thirty-nine years ago I was walking on this covered walkway, slide-rule in my pocket, with no clue of what I would be doing in a few years. Today, I am walking on this same covered oval shaped walkway, and still don't know what I will be doing in a few years.
During my school days, it was really nice that a covered path existed for those rainy Oregon mornings and I had an early class. Of course for when the sun was out, they had nice concrete paths that cut across the campus to shorten the route.
Fast-pitch softball was what we played at Milo Academy. I am not sure if it was insurance issues or what, but they didn't have a baseball team. However, I learned that hitting a ball thrown by a good fast-pitch pitcher was every bit as challenging as hitting a baseball pitcher. I played a lot of games as catcher, positioned right behind the plate right here. Of course there was no snow on the ground when we played, and the field had picket wooden fence around it, but it was the same spot.
I had never seen fast-pitch played before, and the first time I squatted down behind the plate, the pitcher threw the ball right by me, and I wondered what happened. Later, I got used to it, and catching became fun, because you were in on every play. Most of the pitches came through to my glove and I had to watch for guys stealing and so on. I was surprised that we only got a mask and no chest protector or shin guards, but I got pretty good covering up with that glove and didn't get hit with the ball very often. The mask really rang my bell when a foul tip found its way past my glove. Wham! Memories…
Believe it or not, they used to land planes on that strip of dirt road running up the hill. They used to take off from there as well, naturally, and it had to have been quite a thrill running down that hill, and hoping you would get enough speed up to clear the boys dormitory at the end. I used to take walks up into the woods along that path and it was a very quiet spot with serenity fairly oozing out of the ground and pine needles.
Monday we headed into Roseburg for Mom's doctor's appointment, after our new building passed the preliminary electrical inspection. (It is always good when you can proceed and not have to back up and redo something.)
We had some trouble with the communication line with this doctor in the past, and so it was exceedingly surprising when the doctor sat down with us, and discussed Mom's problem in depth. She made Dotti and I feel much better about what we had to do, because we were just guessing before, as to what would be the right thing to do. I can't say that I like it, but at least I know I am not off base having to do it.
The road to town was dry, but surrounded by beautiful snowy trees. It was the best of both worlds.
In town, Dotti was having fun doing some shopping with Mom.
Mom found a Tweety pajama top and looked very please with her discovery!
Back home, out on the deck it was funny seeing how the temperature changes so much between shadow and sun. The snow is holding to the shadow and has disappeared everywhere else.
On Tuesday the three of us took another walk. The sun was shining and so was Dotti's beautiful smile, underneath her cute hat.
Mom was looking up at the trees beside our walking path when I snapped this picture.
Dotti had spent some time on the opposite side of the road looking for some interesting photo shots, and she fell behind a bit. Here she was pouring it on, catching up with Mom and me. You can see the blur of the left hand as she is swinging it as she is stepping smartly along.
On Thursday, Mom, Dotti and I went north to Roseburg for Dotti's WW meeting, and then continued on up to Vancouver. We had the timing for this planned in advance, because Rip could get off this weekend and help us load up the truck. He also was going to come down with us to unload in Tiller. We had been trying to get our new building done in time for this weekend, but it was one thing after another slowing that down. Still, we had to be out of our house, we needed help with loading the truck, and we had to move now. So, we pressed forward.
Looking out our window after checking in, showed how the snow was already getting started. What was the weather going to be like on Saturday and Sunday?
The wintry surroundings were not very encouraging, even though they were beautiful. Even though we originally had planned to get the truck on Saturday and load it then, when we got a look at the weather forecast, we found that Saturday was looking like it was going to be a very snowy day, with lots of cold to go along with it. We didn't want to get stuck!
So, on Friday Dotti called up U-Haul and arranged for us to pick up a truck a day early. We picked up our U-Haul truck, and Rip came over to help us load up. It was a long day, but we got the truck loaded and started our drive home around 7 PM. I was driving the truck and Rip was driving our van.
The weather wasn't too bad yet, and we made it out of town ahead of the bad stuff! About half way down, at Eugene, I got too tired to continue. So, we all stopped for the night and checked into a hotel. The rest of the story will have to wait for next week.
Have a great Christmas Holiday Season!!!
7 years, 222 days on my journey; a lifetime to follow.
-Al-
6'3" 239.5/200.0/185.0±2.5/BMI:25.00/WK-397
Starting weight: 239.5
Target Weight Range: 185.0±2.5 pounds
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