Tuesday, December 3, 2013

The body is crazy!

The body is a totally unpredictable and weird thing.  Last March I talked about set point theory and how some people believe that the body has a certain weight that it likes to be at and will fight to be there.  Some argue that this is why it is so hard to lose and maintain weight if you have been obese.  Those people say that we are born with this set point and it can't be changed.  

I think that there are definitely people who have it easy when it comes to weight and some that have it hard.  But I'm starting to believe that you can RESET your set point if one exists.  Let me tell you why.

The week or so before Thanksgiving I intentionally cut back on my eating and was especially diligent in my exercise to make sure I had wiggle - or should I say JIGGLE - room as I knew I would be eating a LOT on Thanksgiving day.  And for the week of Thanksgiving I hovered from about 117.5-119.1.  Thanksgiving morning I weighed in at 117.4.  I was satisfied with that.  

I ran the 5K Turkey Trot Thanksgiving morning and ate a ton of food.  Then my sister-in-law sent us home with leftovers.  I ate more than normal on Friday including a huge honking piece of banana cream pie.  My weight was way up Friday and Saturday.  

Yesterday I stepped on the scale and it read 118.0.  Huh?  So you mean to tell me I restricted and restricted and then, after a pig out, I'm only up just over 1/2 pound a couple of days later??  Hmmm.... 

So I think my body and I have come to an agreement.  Don't get me wrong - I still have to eat right and exercise MORE days than not.  But it used to be that a super-indulgence would put my weight up for a couple of weeks.  Now, I'm right back down.

This makes me super-happy and super hopeful.  And I hope that it gives you hope, too, that once you lose the weight, you can - reset? - your body to the newer, thinner, you!!  I don't want my former obesity to be a disability that holds me back for the rest of my life.          

In other news turns out that I placed 2nd in my age group for the Turkey Trot.  I have been OBSESSING about my crappy time and how I should have done better.  Here's a picture of my medal:


Next year I GET FIRST!!

1 comment:

  1. I believe we can...mine use to be 150. When I was younger now same as you hiving at my goalish of 124.
    Congrats on your race..It sounded really fast under the circumstances.

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