Sunday, January 18, 2009

Weight loss, exercising and reconditioning the brain...

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I counted and this is around the 27th week I've been doing this lifestyle change. I lost 2.2 pounds this week! Yeah, I'm a little surprised at the amount, but I think I’m catching up from last week too. I haven’t been exercising per se, but I’ve been more active in other ways. I’m not a good exerciser – it’s one of the reasons that I wanted to lose weight by learning to control my eating rather than depend on exercise. I realized that in the past I’d lose weight by exercising a lot but still eating too much. Then, when the exercising lost its initial attraction, the pounds came back and I felt defeated. I had to accept I am not a person who can maintain an exercise regimen, but I need to lose the weight via restricting food intake. That’s helped a lot the last couple of months. This pertains mainly to the winter months – spring and summer I do much better. I just need to maintain my reconditioning through this winter and I’ll be very much on my way. I do try to be active in other way, being sedentary is a bad thing.

My dog developed some issues recently, so I contacted an animal behaviorist and had a very interesting discussion with her. Funny, I was able to relate it to me maintaining a proper weight as well as to the dog. For me, it’s all about conditioning and reward. I cannot reward myself with a big meal or a treat of some kind. It sends my tiny brain the wrong signal, I guess. I found that I need lifestyle rewards – feeling better about myself, new clothes, etc. I think of those rewards when I’m tempted and it’s a better trigger for “correct” behavior.

Oh, the extra activity – longer and more walks for the dog… a bad week to start – I think I lost more weight by my body burning calories to keep warm than the actual physical part!

Have a great week everybody!
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7 comments:

Pamela said...

Hey! Congratulations on your loss this week! 2.2 pounds is fantastic! I completely understand what you mean about the exercise. I am almost exactly the same way. That's also really interesting about your dog and how you were able to relate the situation with it to food. It makes sense though!

Ron said...

Congrats on another nice loss, you are doing so good....Awesome!!!! I understand what your saying about the exercise... I do great for about 3 months then I kinda slack off, I am kinda in one of those slack off moments now... but I am tyring to get back into it. I want warm weather with no snow so I can ride my bicycle!

Anonymous said...

Keep up the good work. It's hard NOT TO slack off, but in the end it will all be worth it. Cheers!!

Ron said...

Yes, I enjoy bicycling, I used to ride 20 miles or so every day, however, we lack bike trails here and the current trail has been closed for the past year due to road construction and a new exit ramp being put in on an interstate. When they get it completed, I have heard the trail will be better, with a tunnel under the interstate and railroad tracks. Just not sure it will be open for quite some time yet.

IdaR said...

Great weight loss. Reconditioning is hard, but you can do it. I'm not much of one for exercising, especially in the winter. But I make myself do it, because it is good for me.

Diana said...

Great job on the loss! 2.2 pounds is excellent.

I agree on the rewards for weight loss. I reward myself each week that I lose with a new piece of workout clothing since I spend 6 hours a week at the gym. I counted my workout tops a couple days ago and I have 29! I think I need to find something else to reward myself with. :)

About the exercise, that's exactly what my Weight Watcher leaders says all the time. Don't go crazy on the exercise if you don't plan on doing it for the rest of your life. Because whatever you do to the lose the weight, you'll have to keep doing to maintain the weight loss. So true! And you figured that out on your own. You're a very smart man!

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