30 April 2010

Things I'm Doing - Fit By Forty: Week 4

I really need to catch up on my Fit by Forty posts - looking through my calendar and notes over the last few weeks I'm amazed at how much things have changed in just a few short weeks! Week 4 was March 22-28.


For background on my Fit by Forty efforts, click here.


Week 4 - Stress, Not to Put Too Fine a Point On It, Sucks

This week started out well. My body was accustomed to the increased exercise & healthy eating, and I was feeling good! Making progress! By Thursday I was down 2.5 lbs! Then that night, The Imp came down with a case of croup, and the sleeplessness of Seizure Watch combined with having him home from daycare with me during the day meant all my newly-acquired self-care skills kind of went out the window. And we live on the 21st floor, so there was no going after them.

Eating
Started the week well but things fell apart when The Imp got sick. I basically didn't sleep for four days, which does not lead to good decision making - I don't recommend it. I sought the succor of caffeine and sugar, consuming more chocolate in those four days than I'd eaten in the previous four weeks. Sugar high, sugar crash, sugar coma. Bit of a zombie, I was. I also got my period for the first time in this process late in the week. Double whammy! I was helpless against chocolate's siren call.

A sampling of the chocolate truffles I make every Christmas. You totally want to be my friend now, don't you?

Takeaway
 Even with the increased sugar and fat intake, it's interesting to me how much less of everything I've been eating. I'd estimate that the volume of food I'm taking in daily is 1/2 to 1/3 what it was. And like I've said before, I'm far from starving myself - I'm eating minimum five times a day. Which just shows how much we, as a society, have grown accustomed to eating so much more than we need. We're bombarded with consumption messages all day long - it's hard to separate the desire (ooh, that looks yummy!) from the need (actually I'm not even hungry right now). Moderation is the key. I hate it when cliches are true. Sigh.


Exercise
I did manage to get a solid amount of exercise, thanks to my trusty steed. (Thanks for your name suggestions! I've just christened him "King".) One of the folk remedies for croup is to get the sufferer out into fresh air, so The Imp spent a fair amount of time this week in King's child seat.

Takeaway
Getting out and biking was good for not just my physical health, but my emotional/psychological wellbeing too. There's nothing like caring for a sick child with a history of febrile seizures to send your stress levels through the roof. And the unaccustomed levels of sugar! and caffeine! in my bloodstream were making me a little manic. Then add having my period and all the joys of that whole process. I really do think I survived the week with sanity intact (as intact as it ever was, anyway) because of our daily bicycle outings.

And now, for the numbers:
Starting weight: 149 lbs
Week 1 weight loss: 3.5 lbs
Week 2 weight loss: 3 lbs
Week 3 weight loss: 2 lbs
Week 4 weight loss: .5 lbs
New weight: 140 lbs

How do you make sure to look after yourself when there's chaos all around? Or like me, does self-care come last in times of stress?

3 comments:

  1. A little set back, yeah, but you are doing great! Weight loss usually decreases as time goes by. Considering what you have been through, I wouldn't be so hard on yourself. Hey, it could have been worst say if you gained weight ;-)

    Lovely chocolate truffles, by the way :) I love making truffles too!

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  2. I eat when I'm stressed, totally. And in the worst possible ways. I think it's one of the reason I've gained so much weight since these precious little children came along.

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  3. MG. SO stressful. Poor lad. Poor mama.

    But gosh darn those truffles look beautiful and tasty.

    I'm the opposite around stress. I drink too much coffee and give myself ulcers.

    But my best stress reducer is to get out into nature. Nothing better. (not helpful in your situation).

    Hope the kid is on the mend. He's so so cute.

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