I just clocked in a new lower low weight and extended my alcohol sobriety record to sixteen days. I’ve come to the realization that it will be difficult to get my weight below 200 pounds by Thanksgiving. However, I may get close. We’ll see.
Zero+ ; 16’er ; M: 166 ; C: 128 ; P/U: 75 ; W: 4 mi
Health R.O.S.
- Weight: 203.6
- BMI: 27.5
- Fat %: 20.9
- Water %: 57.7
Weight and Timing
I’m convinced now that I should remove any timing expectations from my weight loss journey. There is no doubt that this episode has been and continues to be the toughest weight loss slog of my life. But, while slow, it is steadily moving in the right direction. And that would be DOWN. It may take me a year to hit my goal.
And that’s the best I can ask for. I gradually re-gained 35 pounds of the weight I lost in 2018 through the 2+ years of covid induced comfort eating and beer binge drinking. Reapplying what I learned from The Plant Paradox over the past few months, I’ve lost roughly 27 of the 35 pounds. That leaves eight to go to recapture my pre-covid weight and 20 to go to get my BMI under 25.
And as I’ve written previously, the longer it takes to ultimately arrive at my ideal weight and, more importantly, BMI (per the National Institute Of Health), the more likely I am to maintain my weight loss over the long haul.
I’ll admit, things that take a long time to manifest tend be frustrating. It’s hard for us in today’s instant gratification culture to stick with anything very long, especially with our attention hacked and our focus stolen. But excellence is rarely achieved overnight. If it was, everyone would do it!
Beerlessness Helps
Drinking beer is an excellent way to gain weight. Conversely, not drinking it is an excellent way to lose weight. I estimate (only because I bought my bathroom scale kinda late in the game) that I lost somewhere in the neighborhood of ten pounds just by drinking a lot less beer. But that’s not all.
When marijuana quit me, I no longer suffered from that frenetic late night eating popularly known as ‘the munchies’. I cringe whenever I think about the thousands of calories I used to consume in a single night in both beer and snacks. Drunk with the munchies might be ideal if you’re a Sumo wrestler looking to pack on some extra pounds, but no much for the rest of us.
Drinkie May Be Gone, Be He’s Not Forgotten
As I mentioned in the opening of today’s post, I have successfully extended my my longest alcohol sobriety streak to sixteen days. Drinkie’s once constant, nearly incessant, nagging voice has quieted. Significantly.
I’ve barely noticed any of his chatter at all lately. In fact, I’ve not heard him at all over the past couple of days. There remain five days ahead of me to hit the ‘Thrice Lucky’ (21 consecutive days). I’m laser focused on that goal. It does require that I make it through a Sober Thanksgiving, which will include a night in the mountains and all that entails. But after surviving Temptation Island last weekend, I feel I’m up for the challenge.
Today will be a 17’er.
I own all of these books.
