jerrymiller's Journal, 26 February 2016

Meh, sometimes its nice to see a certain number that get stuck in our head. Its all about where you feel comfortable. If you really want to, then do it and see how you feel. 

nope..I need tangible goals, something to see, hear, taste, feel. first it was hitting 315, then 300, 275, 265, 250, 235...etc. Some amorphous conceptual ideal is too easy to...hmm...'massage' into something else. 

I get where you're at. I've plateaued about 5 lbs above my goal weight. I've been wondering if maybe this is where my body is just happy. According to the health tables, doctors and the world in general, I'm at the top end of the healthy range for someone my height and age. But for some reason, the goal haunts me (or taunts me?). I know I'm healthy, but I want to hit that number. I feel like I can't move ahead with other goals until I accomplish this one, even if I only hit it for a day. Funny the games we play with ourselves. I guess it's what makes us all human and unique. Hang in there Jerry. I'm with you. 

A few years ago I did WW, lost 60# and was 15# from where the WW charts had me placed for "ideal weight". I had plateaued for a few weeks and the scale wouldn't move. I didn't have a set goal yet, so I went into my doctor to discuss my weight goal and told him about my stall in loss. His response was he thought I was where I was suppose to be, even though heavier on the charts. I had my head wrapped around those chart numbers and decided on a number. I never reached that goal, in fact felt I set myself up to fail. I just couldn't get past those weight charts or that dam scale. This time around I have not focused on number goals. I do celebrate victories and also have had disappointments when getting on that scale, but am determined to not allow myself to become obsessed with the number either. So with all that, I have to agree that our bodies know when we are at a healthy weight.  

Hmm, interesting discussion Jerry, @Ptgrand & @RkTkFx...weight goals give us a target to shoot for but when they are impossible to hit or maintain, then what? Is it better to shoot for a goal that we may never achieve (or achieve only with unsustainable effort), but probably in the process of striving to reach for it we optimize our present fitness and health OR is it better to reach a goal which is sustainable through life's ups and downs even though we might be able to do more? Is there a right or wrong answer to which is better...maybe not. I've chosen a target weight that I felt would be attainable with some effort but I wasn't sure if it would be the final goal, could be higher, could be lower, and I probably won't know which for some time. What I do know is I'm enjoying the process right now, learning new things and content to see where this ends up. 

For me I think the goal for better health is what will keep me on this journey. For awhile I did the "wish I would of or should of" talk to myself when looking in the mirror or having to face the scale in the doctors office. It got to be very depressing. I am not nearly as mobile as I was a few years back also. Got to be a chore to do fun family events. I had a wake up call last summer when I had a gout attack. I was in shock. I knew then I had to do something, as I felt I was going downhill fast and had pictures of what was next to come. First thing was to come up with an eating plan that would keep me off meds and to keep the gout away. Second was to get myself off the couch. Losing weight was the only way I could achieve either. So I set out late last summer to take on the eating part first. I had to be realistic with it. So I aimed for menus that were more friendly to my joints. This meant I had to change the way I cooked and what I purchased to make them. My husband has been supportive, but I know he misses those "MN Hot Dishes" I use to pull out of the oven for dinner, as well as the meat and potatoes , cookies and treats. So I also have set goals to work on changing a few of them up to fit in to my eating plan also. Not setting a time limit on any of this. Now that winter has decided to give us a break in MN I have started getting out more. I am making progress with getting activity back in my life. Not so much measuring how much I do, but how I feel when I do. So again, not wrapping my head around a number.