Day 168

June 23, 2009

I didn’t weigh in tonight as I begin transition tomorrow and will begin meeting with a new group on Wednesday mornings instead of Tuesday afternoons and when I say transition I mean transitioning to FOOD! For the next four weeks I will s-l-o-w-l-y be adding food back into my food plan in place of the protein supplements. This week will begin by replacing 1 of the 5 daily protein supplements with three ounces of cooked chicken at dinner time. Go and measure 3 ounces of chicken. No really. It’s not much but it’s food people! I won’t say more about it at this time because I haven’t actually sat down and talked with the group about the details of what this week will look like and so I’ll give you more info as I get it.

What I do know is that during the month of transition (adding foods back in), I should continue to lose weight but again, I have to tell you that my weight loss, despite existing on 650 calories a day (plus a bite of bread and a sip of juice every week during communion) has been incredibly slow. All together I’ve lost 50 pounds while other women in my group in the same period of time have lost 15-30 more pounds and don’t even get me started on the men’s weight loss! I’m okay with the slowness of it because it is what it is but still, I hope to lose another 15 pounds in the coming months by eating well (moderately, nutritionally, carefully) and remaining physically active. Hopefully when my body realizes I’m not intent on starving it, it will begin to cooperate a little more willingly.

Anyway, here are a few stats. On January 6 I weighed in at 213 pounds. Today I weight 163. My waist measured 41 inches and is now 32 inches. I was wearing a TIGHT size 16 jeans. I’m now wearing LOOSE size 12 jeans. And I feel great physically. Plenty of stamina, surplus energy, and whatever vim and vigor are, I have both. In other words, I feel good. Really really good.

And still there’s a certain weirdness to the whole thing. I don’t recognize my body in the mirror and some days think I’m just as big as when I started all this. When someone directs me to the smaller sizes in a store, I hesitate for a moment thinking I should mention that I’m actually a big girl and need big girl clothes. Only thing is, the big girl clothes are too big. Weirdness, but wonderful weirdness.

So that’s the scoop for now.

And rest assured, I will be taking a photo of that first bite of chicken.

Posted in Body Image, Liquid Fast