The last week or so has been one of very slow progress, or none at all, if you want to be less charitable. I continue to battle issues here, but even still, I have made virtually no progress, despite maintaining the diet that I've been on all this time and working out as hard as ever. I've started to google weight loss plateau a little just to see what I can find and I may have to make some adjustments, but I'm probably not ready to do that yet, as I am still north of double digit pounds lost over the last month and that hardly seems like a plateau if you take a little bit longer view. I would guess that focus on the short term is one of the things that causes people to become discouraged in just about anything they do.
I remember my days as an engineer when I worked on multi-year projects. In the middle of the project, when all of the excitement had worn off and all the problems still needed to be solved, I spent many a night thinking that it wouldn't work, we wouldn't get there. Somehow, though, we always did get there. I have to remember that thinking and just keep pushing forward.
Even if I didn't lose another pound, maintaining this weight would be a vast improvement. Then again, I recall when I was in my mid-twenties. I got so disgusted with my weight that I went on a program and lost 40 pounds. I'm still almost 10 pounds heavier now than I was when I became so disgusted. Actually, what discourages me most is not how far I have to go on this weight loss program, but how I was able to let myself get to this point in the first place, especially when I had already undergone a couple of previous weight reduction programs. The short term isn't this week or next or the next month. The short term is this program. The long term is what comes after that. Looking at the long term, I have to stop worrying about whether this phase will be over by this day or that day. Just keep my head down and work.
Day 96
Weight: 239.5
Total Loss: 45.0
Last Ten Days: -0.6
Today is a day of rest here for me. I made it to the gym Mon-Sat and I'm feeling sore, so it's probably best to let myself recoup.
You're right, you just need to keep plugging away at it. There may be some adjustments you need to make--as someone said a few days ago, the first pounds we lose tend to be easier. The important thing, though, is to keep trying and not give up. If you quit, it's only a matter of time until you go back to where you were. If you keep trying, eventually you will find a way.
1959.5
Albuquerque. Wait, what was the question?
Cross training day - went over to the park and shot some hoops - man - haven't done that in a while - took a while to get the rhythm back on.
I made falafel for the first time tonight (every time I have made falafel from scratch, the Giants have clinched the World Series!)
Easy recipe: soak two cups of chick peas overnight. Drain and rinse. Grind in food processor or food grinder with five cloves garlic, half an onion, teaspoon of cumin, teaspoon of paprika, quarter tsp of cayenne, tsp of sesame seeds, a half tsp kosher salt, lots of black pepper, and a few tbsp water if needed. Grind coarsely in batches. It should not be too smooth.
Mix with a half cup each chopped cilantro and parsley, and fresh breadcrumbs made from two slices of bread. Cover and let stand for about 45 minutes. Mix in two tsp baking soda and knees the mixture a bit, then make about 20-25 small balls.
Shallow-fry in oil until hot oil until well browned on all sides. Serve hot in toasted pita (or not) with tzatziki, cucumber, tomato, onion, lettuce.
Watch out. These are awesomely good, but really filling. (h/t to the hummus website. this us the palestinian/israeli restaurant in England, with the new cookbook, which was pimped recently on Morning Edition).
And really. Don't use canned chick peas, and don't cook them. Just soak and rinse.
Knead, not knees.