Weight Loss Wednesday: Week 3

So here we are, three weeks in. Can’t say as I feel much thinner, although my energy level is way up. I have spent the last three weeks watching the scale go down, but until I saw the comparison photo above I wondered exactly where the hell all this supposedly lost weight had gone. I hadn’t looked at the “before” pics since I took them, so when I saw these two photos next to each other this morning I was pretty astounded. Was I really that much fatter three weeks ago!? Well, er, yes! I was. Proof positive that this thing is working, and working pretty fast.

It’s only been three weeks, but I feel like I’ve learned a lot. Aside from getting good experience in portion control, meal frequency, and nightly reinforcement of how much vegetation I should be eating versus meat, I’ve also learned a tremendous deal of self control. You’d think after quitting smoking that one would fancy himself the Zen master of self control, but it is not so. My cube sits very near the cafeteria here, and the delicious smells of meatloaf, country fried steak, and taco salad waft through from about 10:00 to early afternoon, every day.

At first it was exceedingly annoying, not so much because I was tempted to go eat the stuff (though I was) but more because I knew I couldn’t. Even before this diet, I didn’t always eat that stuff when it was available, but I could have. It felt like a self-imposed punishment, and in a way I suppose it was punishment for letting myself go for so many years; in any case I’ve learned to actually enjoy the tempting odors. So what if I can’t give in and eat it? I can enjoy the smell of it, in the same way that I enjoy the occasional waft of tobacco while not wanting to actually smoke it myself.

Unfortunately I did not begin the workout program as anticipated last week. I didn’t end up starting the cardio part until this week, but I plan on keeping up with it from here on out. I will try to work in the strength training as soon as possible.

Now for this week’s stat update:

Date: 04-4-2007 (Days on program: 21)
Weight: 209 (Total lost: 18 pounds)
BMI: 31.8 (Category: Obese)
Belly: 42″ (Started: 45″)