Retail Therapy ... in reverse

I revisited my closets in search of something to wear that wasn't either too baggy or too tight or too out of date. The selection was pretty minimal. I have no intention of replacing my wardrobe while I'm halfway to where I intend to be weightwise for the rest of my life. So I decided to have a sale of some of my queen-size special occassion and career wear. Off I went with racks full of clothing to the Greyhound Park's Indoor Garage Sale. It was cathartic to be ruthless as well as realistic in parting with favorite and familiar things. For the next few months I'll continue to wear and rewear the things that are still workable but look forward to the day soon to come when I'll happily shop in the regular size apparel department to fill the gaps in my incredible shrinking closet.

Plateau Be Gone

For the past few weeks I've kept my eye on the goal and my rear end in the gym and the pool. But the numbers on the scale are in suspended animation. Thankfully, the number is the lowest in years for me, instead of at my highest but I'm impatient to see numbers drop about 2lbs a week as they have since last fall. From mayoclinic.com I found the solution. I need to kick it up a notch (or five or six) in physical activity, build more of a relationship with my treadmill, I'm thinking. Here's more Mayo tips:

If you're at a plateau, you may have lost all of the weight you will given the number of calories you're eating each day and the time you spend exercising. At this point, you need to ask yourself if you're satisfied with your current weight or if you want to lose more, in which case you'll need to adjust your weight-loss program. If you're committed to losing more weight, try these tips for getting past the plateau:

• Reassess your habits. Look back at your food and activity records. Make sure you haven't loosened the rules, letting yourself get by with larger portions or less exercise.
• Cut more calories. Reduce your daily calorie intake by 200 calories — provided this doesn't put you below 1,200 calories. Fewer than 1,200 calories a day may not be enough to keep you from feeling hungry all of the time, which increases your risk of overeating.
• Rev up your workout. Increase the amount of time you exercise by an additional 15 to 30 minutes. You might also try increasing the intensity of your exercise, if you feel that's possible. Additional exercise will cause you to burn more calories.
• Pack more activity into your day. Think outside the gym. Increase your general physical activity throughout the day by walking more and using your car less, or try doing more yardwork or vigorous spring cleaning.

Sweet tempations ...

February has already brought a couple of lifestyle lessons. Early in the month I traveled on business for a few days. Being out of the routine of working out and swimming was hard, although I did get some walking in between hotels in Boise. Conference food wasn't difficult to avoid but any time you're needing to depend upon restaurants for meals is a challenge. Felt good to make the right choices, even out of my regular routine.

Then along came chocolate. Lots of chocolate. I accepted a request to judge the Coeur d'Alene Downtown Association's Chocolate Fair. Comes with the territory of being a local "celeb," certainly not the level of having autograph seekers or papparazi, but of being a known face and name through a newspaper column and morning radio show. I prepared myself to simply taste, not eat, an assortment of chocolate confections, and my OptiFit trainer Cate and I talked about how many potential fat calories I might consume. I ate smart on Friday morning and afternoon so by the time I arrived to begin judging at 4:30 p.m. I wasn't hungry. Walking to the different judging locations in downtown added up to several blocks in motion. Tasting approximately two dozen sweet treats took a toll, though. By the end of my judging duties I was a bit nauseous, not for lack of the quality of the entries but because I no longer consume much sugar or fat. Realistically it was maybe 300-400 calories but I'm glad I did it. It's real life, part of my real life, and it was a valuable reminder that I like the way I feel and look now far more than I like chocolate. :)
*if you click on the Downtown Association link there are photos of the event, including a photo of my "leftovers," the sampled but uneaten treats. I carried a ziplock baggie in my pocket and after sampling I put the remainder in the bag. My husband enjoyed his own sweet treat sampling when I got home. :)