Original Post:
Date: October 6, 2008
Title: Dodged a Bullet
I’ve changed up the format slightly this week. I’ve moved the original post date into this block and in doing so realized I was leaving off the original post title. The side-by-side comparison now follows the original post. And I do like this particular post, it’s flagged as one of my favorites on the All Posts page. Enjoy.
Morpheus: I’ve seen an Agent punch through a concrete wall. Men have emptied entire clips at them and hit nothing but air. Yet their strength and their speed are still based on a world built on rules. Because of that, they will never be as strong or as fast as you can be.
Neo: What are you trying to tell me? That I can dodge bullets?
Morpheus: No, Neo. I’m trying to tell you that when you’re ready, you won’t have to.
It was late Friday evening. No one was home. I had just settled on the sofa with a book when an Agent burst through my front door, gun drawn. Up until that point, I’d only eaten about eighteen hundred calories for the day, and that included treating myself to one and a half ounces of Cheez-Its. Weaponless, I tried to quickly duck behind the couch, but there was nothing I could do. Approaching, the Agent said, “There’s some chocolate chip cookie dough in the fridge. I need you to bake some cookies for me for this weekend.”
Dragged against my will, I had to face one of my greatest fears. Cookie dough. I cracked opened the tub, smiled grimly at the “Zero Grams Trans Fats” proclamation on the side, and stared at the great mass of sugar, fat, flour and chocolate before me. I began spooning dough out of the tub onto ungreased cookie sheets. “One for the cookie sheet…” plop “One for me…” gulp “One for the cookie sheet…” plop “Two for me…” gulp, gulp.
And do you know what the worst part is? Not the fact that I’d been under my calories for the day. Not the fact that I decided to pig out on a few globs of cookie dough. What gets me is I don’t even really like the stuff. I mean, if I want to fall off the wagon, I’d rather do it with a ginormous bag of Ruffles with French onion dip. I’m not a sweets person at all. Yet there I was. About eight hundred calories and two glasses of milk later, I felt awful. The Agent holstered his sidearm, and walked away; his mission accomplished.
I’d been bouncing between 209.5 and 210 all week. The morning after the cookie dough incident, I very reluctantly made my way toward the scale. I wouldn’t have been a bit surprised if it said 224. To my utter astonishment, it said 209.5. “Whoa.”
Onederland Update
| Day 70 | |
| Starting Weight | 224.0 |
| Current Weight | 209.5 |
| Change from Last Week | -0.5 |
| Lost So Far | 14.5 |
| Pounds To Go | 10.5 |
Despite my squeaked-by success on the scale Saturday morning, I fell apart again that afternoon and ate … um, … let’s say … three servings of Kettle Brand crinkle cut Salt & Pepper chips. But I held it together the rest of the day and Sunday’s official weigh still found me at 209.5. I think the lesson learned isn’t that you can dodge a bullet once in a while. It’s that if your diet is strong enough, you won’t have to. I bet this would make a good movie.
Side by Side Comparison
Caloric intake was down but due to that horrible three days in a row at 220, the weight charts have slightly diverged. But it’s less than a half pound. I’m hardly worried about it.
I still think it’s funny that my first up-week on both charts happened at Week 6. I’m sure there’s some biomechanical explanation for that. I went back to see what had happened on Week 6 last time around and this is what I wrote on September 8, 2008:
I wish I could have written this post on Saturday, when I was actually down eleven pounds. Stepping off the scale and seeing a new low number was most awesome. I ate well all day and was under 1100 calories before dinner. Then BAM, just like that — I found myself at a restaurant. Oh no. Two beers, eighteen baskets of tortilla chips, and one chimichanga later, I topped out the day at over 2800 calories: about 700 over goal. Sunday morning? Up three pounds. It ain’t fair, I tell ya.
And, of course, this time around Week 6 coincided with my mom’s birthday party and a lot of extra eating that goes along with it. So I guess the biomechanical explanation is that if you eat too much your weight will go up. Who knew!
on October 28, 2010 at 11:09 am
Well you goofed, you move on and you are doing wonderfully. I did sneak a peek at the scale today because I was so mad about the 3 lbs increase on Monday and found it back at the 197. Maybe by Monday there will be a loss, like it use to happen but hasn’t in a month.
Keep up the great work Charlie, keep inspiring, keep sharing and keep supporting. Love it all. Thank you.
Take care and God Bless!!!!
on October 28, 2010 at 12:42 pm
Ha, loved this post Charlie. I too don’t have much of a sweet tooth, but chips and dip? Sesame pretzels from Trader Joe’s AND Cheez-Its are my go to – salt all the way!
And don’t even get me started on the Kettle Chips – have you tried the salt and vinegar?? OMG, perfection in a chip!
Tony and I are going to be starting South Beach next week – his doctor recommended it – no alcohol, potato, bread, pretzels – eek! 😀
Love, your prettier sister Biz