I refuse to weigh myself...

I have been debating whether I should weigh myself and get an update on my progress. I have goals and should have progress reports on those goals to measure their success—or lack thereof.

My workouts have been very consistently better for the start of the year. I work out at least 40 minutes each day and some days twice. On two occasions this year, I had three workouts with a minimum of 30 minutes (before, at lunch, and after work). This past week, most workouts were over an hour for at least 6 days a week this year. Today, I did 90 minutes of hard elliptical, lifted upper body weights routine, and felt fine. I do not feel much lighter but stronger, so I do not want to weigh myself yet.

So, how often should I weigh myself? It depends on who answers the question. Many respected experts on weight loss do not recommend daily weighing, but researchers at the University of Minnesota studied 1,800 dieting people and found that the people who weighed themselves daily lost more weight over a two-year period than the people who only weighed themselves once a week. So maybe it is a mistake not to weigh myself.

I have monitored my diet in detail using three different programs (FitDay, Spark People, and Livestrong's Daily Plate). I have had a calorie deficit of about 900-1,500 calories daily (including the workouts). Should I be down 4-5 pounds? I use the three programs as each has its benefit for monitoring calories, nutrition, etc... All three are always different, but they are close enough. But, the biggest reason for not weighing is that it can lead to an unhealthy obsession with the scale. I have been there before and want to avoid that obsession.

I have found that my weight can also fluctuate during the day, so if I get on the scale in the morning one day and then in the afternoon the next day, I may see a "false" weight gain. Either way, I am going to wait to see if I have lost weight. Then, I will probably be upset that it is less than I thought.

I will never win this battle, so I need to live with it. I hope those who attempted the Winter Carnival 1/2 today succeeded. It was not ideal weather.

Life has been busy, and my next post will probably be after I finally step on the scale unless I break everything in the house?

Carry on...

The lost art of letter writing

Been a while since I have posted. There is not much to say. I have been working out regularly, did 40 minutes at a 15 percent incline at 17 minutes per mile, and felt good. The Plantar Fascia on the left foot has been an issue, but I have been there before and will get through it. The last time I stepped on a scale was before the previous post. I will wait at least four (4) weeks and continue to focus on balanced eating and working out consistently. Tonight, I decided to post this brief update and tell you of another interesting situation I discovered.

Recently, I watched a few old movies. I love old movies—well, it depends on what we think is old. I am talking about those from the 40s and 50s. Recently, I watched "Love Letters," which made me think of the many movies that contained letters to and from friends and family to those fighting a war. It made me think of Gump's letters to Jenny in that movie.

Although Love Letters was about much more than writing letters, it got me thinking about what has become a lost art, letter writing with a pen and paper. The art of letter writing has become an extinct part of communication.

There was a time when writing letters was the only means of communicating over long distances. In today's world, we can pick up a phone and speak to anyone anywhere in a second or two. I even thought about my diary. Did it go electronic over a decade ago? I went to get an old diary. My clarity in the words on paper changed with my emotions. My little drawings and emphasis that can only come from a pen were shown.

So tonight, I decided to try to see if I even had that long-lost skill. I failed! Spelling, grammar, and readability went out the window. So I picked up my laptop and started to type a letter I would then write. But that is stupid, is all I thought…

I thought… What is it about a letter that once had so much appeal? I think about the letters that were part of my favorite sitcoms (M.A.S.H.) I saw an episode where Trapper talked to his wife on the phone.  They finished with "I Love You," and it was short-lived. Then, there was another episode where she wrote about her love for him. It lasted the entire show. Not only that, I remembered it in the next episode…

Yes, reading something in a letter, knowing someone took the time to write it, makes it much more meaningful. It is permanent. And even if they take those words back at some time in the future, you still have a permanent record of it.

I know that is true with an e-mail or text, but there is a flare to the curves in the letters on the paper, which are part of an individual's uniqueness. It is unique in appearance and memorable when you see it again and again. It is hard to explain, but there is so much more a precious meaning to a well-written (with a pen) letter… I think of the days I got Christmas letters; you could see the joy in the style. In as much, you could see tear drops on those sad letters. Get that in a text or e-mail, never…

Strangely, my failed effort to write a letter (with a pen) struck me. I began to wonder if I knew myself sometimes. It reminded me of many other times when I thought I had no clue who I was or where my place was in this world. Then it reminds me of what my Political Science said when I struggled academically and personally. He said:

"All we do in life is a journey, and taking the next step is the most important part of any journey."

What is exciting about taking those steps over the past 48 years is that I have met people who are in the same place at the same time in their lives, yet we got there in completely different ways. Then we take another step in perfect sync with one another, yet it seems like it never fails; we go on to a completely different place.

Strange… So I will close by saying that I made a second effort to write a letter… before I just quit… Give it a try… It sure made me think about myself, my past, and some of the simple things I cherish!

Carry on…

&^$*#(@ and Vitamin D again...

I decided not to weigh myself after I had lost 2 pounds in three weeks, which included Thanksgiving. I felt good about that. I did today. I had not stepped on the scale for the past three weeks. Well, I am up 8 pounds in the three weeks since I last weighed for a 6-pound gain since November 1... OUCH. I have gained 75% of the weight I lost in 2005/2006. I have no clue what is up with that as I try, but it seems to be issue after issue...

I am not going to get too caught up on it as I have felt bloated and think it may be a sodium/water thing or just that I have been working out more, and in the past, I found I would go up and then shoot down more than up a little and plateau and then drop quick and so on. Doing over 30 minutes at 15% incline or a hard 40 minutes on the elliptical is much easier. This was not the case in November, so I know I am stronger.

My son had a check-up last week. We got blood test results back today, and they say he has a Vitamin D deficiency. I wonder if this is just a medical fad if there has been a change in blood tests lately, or if something strange is happening. Now, he is in Colorado and gets outside often—more sun than most. That is now over 20 people I know who have been told they have a Vitamin D deficiency. Puzzling...

In closing, I am preparing myself for the Biggest Loser season, which starts tomorrow night. There is a father-daughter from Minneapolis on the show. O'Neal Hampton Jr. (U.S. Postal Service station manager), age 51, weighed 359 pounds at 5 foot 11 inches. His daughter, SunShine Hampton (a waitress), was 24 and weighed 275 pounds at 5 foot 6 inches. They are stated to be from Minneapolis. Some segments were filmed in Moir Park in Bloomington and the Mall of America. O'Neal dines at Rudolfs BBQ as a "last supper" in October. Some of you readers hate this show, but it is one of the few I watch and usually enjoy. I have a DVR, and I turn it on at 7 PM and then rewind it at 8 PM and watch fast-forwarding through the commercials, and I am normally back to live TV by 9. They have so many ads.

Carry on!