I lost 9 pounds lost this month (and 24.4 pounds in total)! My lowest weight was 197 and I’m not exactly certain why it spiked up nearly two pounds only one day after. Two theories: (1) my body is continuing to fight the weight loss, because the change is sudden and my equilibrium is still at the level of ~200; and (2) I’ve been eating an excessive amount of sodium recently because of the types of foods served during the Christmas season.
Regarding the first possibility, a recent article in the New York Times described the body’s response to extreme weight loss in terms of a coordinated defence mechanism, similar to our immune response to disease. As I’ve now lost over 10% of my previous body weight, it’s safe to say I may have undergone sufficient change to evoke a defensive response.
If it’s the second possibility, this may be simple water retention. My weight has continued to go down every day since the spike, and I’m currently at 197.4 as of today.
I took more chances this month. I started drinking less unsweetened green tea, and branched into more Splenda–flavoured coffees and teas. I returned to eating favourites like pita bread and hummus. I even completely gorged myself at a buffet luncheon on Boxing Day, eating over 2300 calories in a sitting and over 3000 for the day (though I did exercise 1500 worth that night). The net result is that I felt happier, making it easier to continue to engage in what still amounts to controlled starvation. It doesn’t feel like starvation most days, though. I eat what I want to eat, provided I’m willing to engage in sufficient exercise that evening to work my net calories back down into balance.
I also revised my goals. My target of 150 pounds represented my high school weight, which I now feel is an unrealistic goal given that I had very little muscle as a 17 year old. My new target is 162, which I hope will give me sufficient room to retain the muscle I’ve built under this fat over the last 20-odd years.
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