As the first rays of sunlight crept through the window and across the bed I found myself wide-awake. I didn’t have to be reminded that today was Friday that fact was clearly at the forefront of my mind. It’s funny; I used to look forward to Friday. It was the end of the workweek and with it brought the weekend where I could relax and lounge around without being on conference calls or locked in meetings.
Since starting this diet though I have found myself filled with equal parts of enthusiasm and dread. On the one hand it signaled the end of another week on my journey to a healthier lifestyle. On the other hand it represented the time where I would have to step on the scale and see the results of being on this diet.
So far each week has been met with progress. I have continually seen my weight drop so I should not be apprehensive about stepping on the scale. The problem is entirely mental. I have such high expectation for progress that I am never able to live up to the goals I have set.
This week I am especially nervous about stepping on the scale. For the first time in five weeks I have made a conscious effort to manage not just the food I am eating but the combinations to make sure I am in optimum fat-burning mode.
I’ve also added exercise and movement challenging myself to walk a minimum of 10,000 steps per day. This concerted effort of food management and exercise should mean that I have lost more than the 2.5 pounds that have been normal lately.
What if I step on the scale today and find out I have only lost 2 pounds or worse that I had plateaued? I am not sure how I was going to react to that. I had always assumed that if I worked harder I would be rewarded but in the weight loss game that is not always a given.
With eyes squeezed tightly closed I stepped on the scale and said a small prayer to the diet gods asking for leniency. I could hear the gears whirling and could sense the dial launching like a Space Shuttle. This was not going to be good.
I opened my eyes and looked down; it said 189 pounds. I had to do a quick double take and look again. It actually was hovering between 188 and 189 but I am going to say 189 just to be safe. I had broken the 190 mark for the first time this century.
Yeah I know the century is only 11 years old but it makes it sound so much cooler to say that I am under 190 pounds for the first time in the 21st century. If I thought tears would move the needle further south I probably would have cried.
For the week I had lost 3-4 pounds so obviously the time spent walking did make a difference. I let out a sigh of relief and looked down at the dial again. Nope, sighs of relief don’t seem to weigh anything, dang it.
Overall I am pretty happy with my progress. Not just the three pounds this week but overall I am now down 22 pounds. I am well over halfway towards my goal. Like a marathon runner I have gotten through the first half and every step I take now is one step closer to being my optimum weight. Yeah, this is a very good Friday.
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