Over 55 Pounds Gained?!

(The picture is the conflicting scene at my works break room... Did you see the donuts or the scale first?!)

Speaking of conflicting... Well I’ve enjoyed quite the roller coaster gaining 55.5 pounds of winter fat!!! Last years low was about 282 and at the end of the winter I had skyrocketed to 338 pounds! That’s a mere 5 pounds away from my starting weight a couple of years back!!! All that work and poof in six months!!!

Though fear not. This is indeed Fools Fitness but even a fool can learn, abet slowly. In the month of April, naturally April 1st I tried to renew my commitment to a more fit me. In April I dropped 21 pounds!!! Currently I am 317.

So what have I learned? What has changed? Wow there seems like so much. Some of it seems so elementary yet it really takes me a while to pick up on stuff.

1) I am *way* more active in the summer. (example Aprils bicycling over 50 miles, March zero) At lot of the fitness I enjoyed centered around walking and biking.

FIX: Now Set a rule of minimum 4 days a week walking (or bicycle) at least 3 miles. OR during bad weather an hour in the pool doing my Alan Paddles. (I don’t call it dog paddles because it would insult dogs. A simple goal of to keep moving.) It usually ends up more miles and more days a week but the minimums get me out.



2) I may have set myself up for failure in setting my calorie intake too low and never eating anything of any seriously nutritious value… then starved and binged.

FIX: bumped up my calorie intake to 2000 calories a day, and try to hit all major food groups. Even that tracked at a consistent 4 pounds dropped each week for 3 weeks. This works when I am active.

I even take a multivitamin from time to time! My rules of all foods stands though. I still have pizza, Funny Bones, gooey yummy Chinese food, ice cream, peanut butter, and Doritos. Big Macs are still tasty! Anything goes! But not everything of anything! I try not to do them all at once!!!



3) I fail to continue to pay attention. I also get a bit overconfident as I succeed.

FIX: I’ve started to write down all my food in a journal as well as the exercise I do, every day. No exceptions. Tracking it keeps it fore front in my mind. it’s a bit of work but I think pays in the end. I can see trends and writing it down physically makes it real and tangible. Also the blog journal. If I stop paying attention and start my evil super villain laugh it’s a set up for a failure.


4) I can’t cut corners loosing the gym membership.

FIX: I need the mood and energy boost, especially during bad weather… rain or snow. That membership is very expensive, but it’s also very expensive to get in a funk and gain 55 pounds!



5) Food is not medication and it will not fix my car!

FIX: awareness and reminding myself that some comfort food really isn’t a good long term fix for what ever is going on.


6) Staying connected… The blog and friends are key elements too!

FIX: there is a correlation when I dropped writing and started gaining and I don’t think its coincidence. If that means bringing a jump drive with a blog entry to upload at the library it’s still worth the effort. Also having feedback (on the comment section as well as with friends off line) is helpful. It gives me a third person perspective, keeps me thinking, and with new ideas. I’ve got to stay connected somehow.

55.5 pounds x 3,500 calories= 194,250 calories gained in six months… Mind boggling. Am I a bear needing a winter coat? I may be in a cage, but I’m still a panther!!! Doctor Chinese Food and his Diabolical Ice Cream Minions armed with Hunger Ray Guns won a round… but don’t count out Captain Unbelievable yet! 21 pounds gone… AGAIN! A month ago I was devastated, but these things I think I am learning are gems of incredible value. Gaining 55.5 pounds is a victory at Foolsfitness.

(Captain Unbelievable, Doctor Chinese Food, and the Diabolical Ice Cream Minions with their Hunger Ray Guns are intellectual property of Fools Fitness May 1st 2011... Get your own Superhero and arch nemesis… before they are all gone!) Foolsfitness- Alan