A Bad Week Is Not A Reflection Of Weakness
Weigh Day #37
Saturday, 20 July 2024
Current Weight (20 July 2024): 118.1 Kg, 18.59 Stone, 260.36 Pounds
Weekly Weight Gain: 1.6 Kg, 3.52 Pounds
Total Weight Loss: 19.6 kg, 3.08 Stone, 43.2 Pounds
Weekly Summary
A Bad Week Is Not A Reflection Of Weakness
A bad week is not a reflection of weakness. This statement has been repeated as the week descended into carnage. The old me return. That hopeless food addict, scarily scoffing at every scrap of bad foodstuff available. And more. I felt utterly helpless, so as I often stipulate, I went with the flow. Only this flow ran on way too far.
This week was more than bad. It was atrocious. I let things back into life which I shouldn’t. Bread, butter and biscuits, most notably. I’ve been eating both in abundance. It felt like I got caught in a trap with no way out. The cycle repeated every day.
A gain of 1.6 kilos is a little more than I expected, but in hindsight, given what I’ve eaten, it is completely and utterly deserved. Sometimes, you have to take a weight gain on the chin. Dust down and move on.
No Control
I had no control over what I ate, and my brain simply switched off when it came to healthy mode. I tried counting but to no avail. By yesterday, I’d given up completely. This didn’t help my Friday consumption, as I scoffed half a dozen biscuits after dinner.
I’ve been racking my brain a lot. I haven’t had such a disastrous week since Christmas. Last week’s illness probably gave a false reading. I lost my appetite, and when it returned, wow! And can barely explain where my brain has been this week.
I feel like a pilot desperately trying to keep my plane in the air but steadily losing my grip. The inevitable crash was when I plonked my feet on the scales. Ouch, that gotta hurt! Not surprised, but it hurts nonetheless.
Bad Weeks Happen, Right?
A Bad Week Is Not A Reflection Of Weakness
Of course, they do, but this was different. However, a measure of where you should be is to recognize serious problems and do something about them. Knowing you’re going to step on the scales and see bad news spurs you on to make sure this doesn’t repeat. Once you start sweeping such bad weeks under the carpet, you’re on the path to weight gain. DON’T LET THAT HAPPEN.
A bad week is not a reflection of weakness but merely part of the long-term cycle of weight loss. When you accept this, you’ll find yourself in a much better place.
Who Or What To Blame?
A Bad Week Is Not A Reflection Of Weakness
This is where your head can start hurting. Blame yourself at the end of the day, but don’t beat yourself up. A bad week is not a reflection of weakness; it is a reflection of your humanity. You can easily tell yourself you’re weak, but thinking this way will do you no good.
I find it pointless to pinpoint blame left, right, and centre. We all have reasons we overeat. If you can control and moderate your eating, you’ll be in a much better place. But when it goes out of control, sometimes you can do nothing about it.
You can pinpoint blame at anything you like. Fat people always find an excuse to eat. That’s how we got fat! It’s weird because last week, I lost my appetite. This week, it’s returned in droves. Over the two weeks, things have evened out. Like football, everything is like football!
A Stark Reminder
Sometimes, you need that reminder of what you need to do. How easy it is to go off the rails. How can you put on that weight you lost much quicker than you lost it? That’s the depressing reality of the dieter. Take your eye off the ball or get complacent, and bang, those clothes start feeling tighter, and you begin to lose your grip.
Whenever I go off the rails, something clicks inside. I’m nagging away, knowing I shouldn’t be doing this but doing it regardless. I’ve felt helpless this past few days. Resigned myself to weight gain and accepted. Naturally, the scales duly delivered the truth.
This is where weigh day and food diary become your best friends. You may not be filling out that diary properly, but it’s there in the head, niggling away.
Back To Basics
I’ve not read any of my book on Ultra-Processed food this week, which is disappointing. But I have listened to a fair chunk of Adrian Chiles’s The Good Drinker audiobook, which is becoming quite inspirational.
I’m trying to follow his moderation approach to drinking and food. He says that sometimes he overdoes it and has to reign himself in. This is where I feel I’m at this week. You need to at least subconsciously think about what you’re consuming, even if you don’t write everything down. The learning curve never ends. If you have a problem with food or drink, you need to address it head-on. Don’t let it slip. Ever.
This week, I’m going to have to go back to basics. Cut out sugar, no bread and certainly no biscuits. It’s not even about the weight loss sometimes as I look at the bigger picture.
Just A Bad Week…
The weekend was bad. There was plenty of overeating. I’ll get back to it on Monday—only I didn’t. I hit the biscuits on Sunday at work. I got a taste for them again.
Matters came to a head on Wednesday. At work, I was ready to demolish the biscuit tin, but thankfully, it was empty. I’ve been raiding the biscuits a lot this week after barely touching them for months. This week, I’ve been eating half a dozen at once without blinking. Just like the old days!
Old habits die hard.
When I got home from work, I was like a caged animal unleashed. A huge plate of sourdough bread with butter, peanut butter, and mayonnaise! Snack a Jacks as a side. Subsequently stuffing bits of bread into my face as I prepared. Everything I used to be had come back to haunt me.
Giving Up Counting
Thursday morning, I counted calories as best I could. I consumed around 2000 calories in one sitting at home. This is the scary side of food addiction. When things become so out of control, you literally cannot stop. I gave up counting Thursday afternoon.
Yesterday, I tried hard to stay in control but didn’t. This is a reminder that when you give up counting completely, you’re asking for trouble. I knew the damage was done and had literally given up.
One huge advantage of being on top when you’re on top, it’s not nearly as bad.
Think Of The Positives!
Think of the positives. Where you are now compared to where you were before, all the good work done so far. You do not eradicate this work in a week. But, a stark reminder is not a bad thing.
I’m still three stone lighter than nine months ago. My clothes still fit nicely.
Bad weeks happen. Good weeks happen. You have to keep going.
A Stronger Me
A Bad Week Is Not A Reflection Of Weakness
The difference between my old and new self is I’m stronger. I can take these bouts of the ride, which are rocky and know enough to be able to see them through and come out the other side unscathed. I remind myself a bad week is not a sign of weakness but a sign of humanity. And as humans, we are always going to make mistakes.
I type, feeling positive. What’s happened has happened. I might even have a beer or wine tonight. In moderation, of course! Moderation should become your favourite word. I’m glad this week happened.
A measure of how much stronger mentally I am these days is brushing off such a bad week and accepting it for what it is. Another week begins today!
The Week Ahead
A Bad Week Is Not A Reflection Of Weakness
Furthermore, I’m slowly getting into what I call holiday mode. Ten days in Turkey are looming. Accordingly, this is playing on my mind. I still have two and a half weeks to go. I need to be patient. Good things come to those who wait.
It’s easy to lose focus when life events are around the corner, and it’s even easier to lose focus when you’ve done really well and are feeling great.
Every so often, you need a stark reminder of where you were, but if you’re on top, you WILL succeed in the long run.
This is when you have to remind yourself that you’re not being weak. You’re being human.
A back-to-basics week is required to get back on the right track. And keep telling yourself that a bad week is not a reflection of weakness.
See you Weigh Day #38.
