Well, it’s Christmas Eve. It’s also Thursday, the day I check in with you each week with a report of how things are going. Today’s column is No. 4 in a series.Â
Last week I was so happy; so proud. I bragged that I’d lost 5 pounds and 2 inches. Â I was so stoked.
But that was fleeting, because I discovered that my home scale and Align’s scale have a difference of opinion when it comes to how much I weigh. It turns out that I actually lost more like 3 pounds, not 5.
I was pretty bummed. But to make matters even worse, when I weighed in this week the scale didn’t budge. On the bright side, I did lose an additional 1.4 inches, bringing my total inches lost in two weeks to 3.4. Â I wish I could feel happier about that. (Don’t tell me I gained heavy muscle. It’s only been two weeks.)
It will be after the weekend before I see Matthew for my next appointment/work out session. He kicked my butt tonight with 40 minutes of cardio; having me go back and forth between the recumbent bike and the rowing machine. Both are devices I normally don’t mind; like, even. Matthew’s instructions sounded simple: Five minutes on one, then 5 minutes on the other, until I’d done 40 minutes. Easy as pecan pie with an all-butter crust topped with whipped cream.
By the 30-minute mark I was ready to stop. And THAT’S one of the reasons I like having a trainer. He pushes me beyond the point where I would have quit, had I been alone.
One of the other things I like about working out at Align is there are different people at different stages of their journeys, all doing whatever workouts Matthew has devised for them. I’m so curious. I am fascinated by the snippets of conversations I hear, and it’s finally dawning on me that everyone is on his or her on path and program. For example, one guy is on a high-carb diet, which blew me away (he’s soooo sick of rice). And another man is actually there with help in gaining weight. (Here. You may have mine. You’re welcome.)
When he’s not busy making me do moves that leave me feeling the next day as if I’m recovering from another C-section, Matthew is so knowledgeable that he answers any questions I have, such as couldn’t wine really be considered a fruit? No.
And is it OK to use low-sodium V-8 juice to sometimes replace vegetables? Maybe. He looked up the number of carbs per 8-ounce serving, and found it contains 9 carb grams, which is about twice as much as Matthew would approve. So we compromised: I may have 4 ounces of V-8 juice – sometimes – to replace a vegetable. (His first preference is for whole food.)
He’s also smart, such as when he noticed I hesitated when he asked me to do a plank with my forearms on a bench. “Oh, you can have your feet face this way,” he said, respectful of the fact that I didn’t want to do a plank with my butt facing the workout people.
It’s Christmas time, a tough time to stick to a diet. Even Matthew admits that the holidays are the bane of his existence, because it’s such a struggle for his clients to not eat, drink and be merry.
Case in point was last weekend, and three holiday parties. I told myself it was OK to have just 1 inch of wine in a small glass. OK, and I sampled some beer made by a friend. Just another inch. The only thing I ate at the parties were vegetables. Yawn.
But food temptations are everywhere. Tonight I was in Safeway and a clerk was walking with a tray of tiny Starbucks samples. The former Doni would have gladly taken one, rather than practically running in the other direction, which is what I did tonight. Come to think of it, the former Doni may have purchased a bear claw (because if there were any there by evening, surely it was meant to be – for me – a food sign) from Safeway’s bakery. But I didn’t.
Even so, frankly, I’m feeling kind of blue. After last week’s “5-pound” loss I was doing the math and figuring how, at that rate, I’d be slim in no time. Five pounds a week! Sign me up!
Now I am reminded – as Matthew reminds me – my weight-loss journey is long haul, and it’s hard work with many peaks and valleys. Last week was a peak. This week is a valley.
Matthew said that my goal for this Christmas week isn’t so much about losing weight, but about holding steady and trying not to gain.
I will do my best. But it’s not easy. I still baked challah and made toffee and decorated cookies. I broke down and had two cookies. It’s incredible how much shame I feel about that, and how hard it is to admit to you that I gave two iced cookies so much power.
I will hang on tight and stick with the program. And when I leave town for a few days before the New Year, I will be kind to myself, and pack a bag filled with all the things I can eat, so I don’t sabotage myself by eating badly when I get hungry.
On this Christmas Eve I wish you all a wonderful Christmas. May you find comfort, joy, will power and lots of celery sticks to get you through this holiday season without gaining weight.
