Waisting Away

It was way back in January that I wrote about my chin up bar. I hung it and set a New Year’s Resolution to begin to hang in the door each day.

When I first hung the bar, I could only hang for three seconds.  It may not sound like much, but now I can hang for fifteen.  Yesterday, I was actually able to lift my body slightly.  I’m nowhere near a pull up, but I’m certainly getting stronger.  It’s very exciting and encouraging.

I have given SO much energy to weight loss and health through the years.  I have a tendency to put on weight in the winter.  I get sluggish and find myself eating more.  I’ve come to realize that this is due, in part, to our natural “hibernation” mode associated with the sun.  I don’t think I have a full blown case of SAD, but I am definitely affected by seasonal change.  As I feel sluggish, my brain says, “you’re low on energy …. eat.”  So, I do.  But, I don’t truly feel energetic, so I continue to eat.  It’s not a good cycle.  But, I’m fully aware of it and pray that this winter will be different and I will be able to make some changes that help me keep off the weight that I have lost recently. 

This is exciting to me.  I haven’t seen a scale below 150 in at least four years.  My highest weight (and where I’ve hovered for about two to three years) is 179 lbs. I’ve lost a total of 30 pounds since January!!  Yesterday was the first day in years … maybe even a decade … that I felt completely comfortable in my skin.  I’m near a weight that is comfortable for me.  I hope to keep the weight off and continue to get stronger.  My ultimate goal is to be able to do a push up …. and eventually 5!!

I wrote about being invisible back a few weeks ago.  I think it’s funny how our society sees weight.  One thing that is really strange is how people will comment on thinness and say things that they will not verbalize to the person who is overweight.

A good example is what my son, James, goes through.  He’s exceptionally thin.  He’s thin enough that it makes him uncomfortable.  People actually comment on his thinness and it’s difficult for him.  Recently, he was hugged by a  girl who said something about him being “skinny.”  She was even sweet to later apologize.  She meant no harm. None the less,  it was a hard afternoon for him.  It bothers him.  But, he can’t change it.  I don’t think he could possibly eat more!

I remember about fifteen years ago when I lost a good bit of weight.  I still remember a comment from a lady at church. She said, “You don’t need to lose any more weight or you’ll be too thin.”  I was speechless.  Because I had been very heavy and she was used to me that way, I think my weight loss was exaggerated in her eyes. I certainly wasn’t a waif, by any means. And this wasn’t a friend speaking in love out of concern.  This was a lady who sat on a church pew that I didn’t really know. I was taken aback.

Let’s flip this around.  If I had been thin and started to gain weight, would she have taken the liberty to tell me that I didn’t need to gain any more?  Of course not.  Why is that?  In reality, gaining weight is much more of a danger to our health than losing (unless of course you are too thin … I have never been that …. ever).

The summer solstice just passed. Each passing day will be slightly shorter than it was the day before.  I still have at least two months before things begin to get tougher for me.    My prayer is that this winter will be a better winter.  With a fresh understanding of how my body operates, maybe this winter will not be as difficult as some of those in the past.  Only God knows and time will tell.