The anomaly

That’s  what John calls me.   The scale blipped up 1/2 a pound yesterday and John said that he would be banging his head against the table.  I’m kind of past that at this point.    In the past week I have done:

40 miles of outside biking, 10 miles of running, 10 miles of walking, 50 laps in the pool, 30 miles on the stationary bike, 3 strength training workouts (25-30 minutes each), ate well, took 1 complete rest day.  My GoWear fit had me in a deficit all week, and the result was a 1/2 pound gain. 

The math does not add up.  It just doesn’t.  It’s not muscle gain, you don’t gain that much in a week.  Could be water retention, but I’ve been stuck for quite a while. 

Most days I kind of laugh about it,  but yesterday it really bothered me.   John thinks I should be studied, if science could harness the seeming creation of energy from nothing, it would solve global warming LOL!

Anyway, I’m just bitching a bit.  I am stressed from being really busy right now for the next few days (and I ended up snacking extra yesterday… way to handle that, Lori).

I know that this training for the triathlon is going to make my body a little funky and I don’t want to worry about weight loss while I do this, but it is a habit that is really hard to break.

All said and done, John was a great comfort because he pointed out that even if I never lose another pound, I should not lose sight of my achievements thus far.   Sometimes I kind of forget to think about that. I am coming up on a year of maintaining at least 100 pound weight loss, which is no small feat.  And if it means that I will “only” be a size 8, I can live with that.

On another front – I have a fresh pot of basil planted on the back porch.  I can’t wait for pesto!

basil

17 thoughts on “The anomaly

  1. Chai Latté

    Ha! That’s what everyone says about me, too! That I should be studied, because my body goes against all science!

    It is so frustrating. I feel you!

    I’ve been eating good, working out like CRAZY, and I am still UP almost 10lbs this month.

    Our bodies are stupid! But, chin up… you’ve come SOOO far, and you’ll go even further!

    Also… my basil died 🙁

  2. debby

    Yes Lori, very frustrating indeed. But I think your last paragraph is very important. We have to work at being content-at peace-whatever you want to call it-where we are now. We already know we are an anomaly–losing a large amount and keeping it off–less than 5% of the population.

    Does it help you that I am jealous of your size 8 body?

  3. Kelly

    So you had a deficit all week and gained anyway? Huh. That is odd. I’m all about the numbers and math. That’s just weird. *scratching my head* Could be water retention and/or sodium intake?

    I’m also jealous of your size 8! LOL Try not to let it bother you too much. If you’re showing a deficit the body will have to catch up with the numbers. It’s science, I tell you! LOL

  4. A Daunting Tale of Scale Warfare

    I have given up on counting on my weekly deficit to equal a loss. I have a deficit EVERY week, sometimes enough to show that I should lose 2-3 lbs, but then I’ll lose 0.8.

    I understand the science and math behind calories in and calories out, but for me personally (and sounds like you too!) it isnt as simple as a basic addition and subtraction.

    It’s so flippin’ frustrating, but I try to remember that I have my entire life to live this way, so I might as well just take it one day at a time. I’ll get there eventually!

  5. Jack Sh*t, Gettin' Fit

    I can tell you from personal experience that the scale sometimes lags behind good behavior. And don’t discount what muscle mass can do to true weight. I know it’s demoralizing, but hang in there and keep doing what you’re doing. I wouldn’t be surprised if next week wasn’t a whopping number.

  6. Jack Sh*t, Gettin' Fit

    I can tell you from personal experience that the scale sometimes lags behind good behavior. And don’t discount what muscle mass can do to true weight. I know it’s demoralizing, but hang in there and keep doing what you’re doing. I wouldn’t be surprised if next week wasn’t a whopping number.

  7. arielcircleofnine

    WOW, I am sure as Jack Sh*t, Gettin’ Fit said–the loss will catch up with you. You are inspiring–and yep, Im with the other ladies being quite jealous of your size 8!!!!

  8. Shelley

    It IS frustrating to do everything right and go up! But you are so wise to focus on maintaining your 100 pound loss – for a year, now that’s inspiring! Reading about your journey has helped me so much with mine…thank you for being there!

  9. Cynthia

    It’s my understanding that as you build muscle, your body retains water to repair the ‘damage’ caused to the muscle by working out. I’ve noticed that I weigh more the morning after a good, hard workout than I weighed the day before. May or may not be true but it’s something to consider.

    I think everyone’s body is a little eratic in how it looses. Just as there is no explaination for the 1/2 lb. gain, sometimes our bodies suddenly seem to drop 2-3 lbs. that aren’t really explained either. I just wish THAT happened more often than the other!

  10. NewMe

    I think the simple mathematical approach to weight loss (i.e. x calories expended = x pounds lost) is a load of crap. You are not an anomaly.

    Weight loss or gain is vastly more complicated than the above formula. It`s the same with x-rays. We have been taught to believe that an x-ray tells the whole story of an injury or a physical condition. NOT! X-rays are actually very primitive in what they tell us about our bodies. (I have personal experience with this.)

    But back to weight loss. I really don`t think scientists know all that much about why we gain or lose weight. Knowing that a steady diet of Twinkies will probably make most people gain weight (but not all, now why is that, pray tell????) is a fairly uninformative fact. Understanding why I gained weight while travelling with my friend Marsha who lost weight, even though we were eating the same things and expending relatively the same amount of energy would be a much more revelatory thing to study.

    You have achieved something that we know is beyond the powers of 95% of people. You’re in fabulous shape. Continue doing what you’re doing and tell the scale to stuff it. BTW, if you don’t do it already, keep tabs on your measurements. At the point where you’re at, your measurements will tell a much more accurate story of success or failure.

  11. SeaShore

    If you gained 1/2 a pound, at least you know it’s all muscle! I dare say I could learn to live with being “only” a size 8, too! And, you still have a sense of humour about it, despite the frustration. Good on you 🙂

  12. Fat[free]Me

    Definitely a case of scales with an evil pixie residing within.

    Only solution is to dance naked around an oak tree at midnight and another week of the humungous amount of workouts you have been doing.

    If you do it right, the loss next week will be fabulous!

  13. Susan

    Have you ever thought of calorie cycling? The body will often start responding once you shock it out of the pattern it’s used to. I’ve heard of a lot of people who’ve had success with it. Or maybe just start eating more! I plateaud after after losing 17 pounds, increased my calories by 500 a day (over a 4 week period) and lost my last 5 lbs (and then some, I’m still losing now and I’m not even calorie counting!) Anyways, just a thought. It’s like that saying – if you do what you’ve always done you’re going to get what you’ve always got.

    PS I still think you look fantastic regardless. And your husband is right, you should still take comfort in what you’ve achieved thus far!! 😀

  14. mythreemonthokinawadiet

    I think NewMe is spot on…The sceince guys really don’t know what they are talking about. Okay they know more than me but all those food pyramids I studyied in school are out the window now.

    Tenacity and Persistence is the only thing that takes weight off.

    cheers and good luck to you

  15. carla

    damn.
    Im really late to the soiree but wanted to chime in anyway.

    it is all about consistency for me.
    TOOK ME EONS to lose about 35 pounds or so but Ive been surprised at how moving every day and eating clean has kept it off (what everyone said about persist. & new me about science).
    you are doing such a great job of sticking with it.
    you look FANTASTIC.
    please to ignore the scale 🙂

  16. Ron

    I we could figure out this weight thing along with just how much exercise and how much food… I guess none of us would be blogging LOL

  17. Lynn Haraldson-Bering

    I like John. He seems to say the right things 🙂

    When I’m stressed, the scale ALWAYS goes up. Not sometimes, not once in awhile, but all the freaking time. I can work out, eat perfectly, and gain a half pound, just because I’m stressed, not sleeping as well…If this makes us anamolies, well, then we’re at least in good company. Chin up, chicka. As John would say, look at the big (no pun intended) picture. It’s easy to get lost in the minutea.

Comments are closed.