Friday, October 21, 2011

What Weighs on My Mind




I ramble every day. By ramble I mean walk. (I lose my train of thought every day, too, but it's hard to write a blog post about forgetfulness because the topic keeps slipping my mind.)

Since January, I've covered almost seven hundred miles on local park paths. I like being outdoors and love the chance to spot rabbits, possums, and the occasional blue heron. My blood pressure's good and I've dropped a few pounds. In August, however, I hit a weight-loss plateau and haven't, sob, shed an ounce since.

The Tibetan Plateau is so massive it's nicknamed "the roof of the world." I've met my personal Tibetan Plateau.

My husband nudges me to walk faster, and I've added sprints to my daily ramble. I also take an exercise class. Eventually, the scale's needle will budge. I believe that. In the meantime, my motivation dissipates—and my inner child whimpers.

Yesterday, as I trudged along the park path, feeling a little baffled and a lot sorry for myself, I had a breakthrough moment. Ta da!

We all know someone who sticks around past the party's end and won't or can't pick up time-to-go cues. My fat cells are either clueless or defiant, and I pictured them clumping together to belt out, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," the song the Effie White character sings in Dreamgirls.

The image of fat cells, raging against being unwanted and unloved, cheers me. They wouldn't be raging if I weren't winning, right? I will make it off this plateau.

What unwanted and unloved thing have you ditched? How the heck did you manage it?

9 comments:

Lark Howard said...

Oh, Pat, I so get that weight loss plateau! I went on vacation without gaining, came home and lost a few pounds only to put 1.5 back on. And they don't seem to be budging! This NEVER happened when I was in my 20s!

I've resigned myself to being happy with my weight loss so far and just keeping up with my new lifestyle--low carb eating and daily exercise. Instead of railing against the ten pounds that won't melt away, I'm thumbing my nose at the 20 I banished.

Your walks do more than burn off fat, they keep your body active and healthy. Good for you for keeping to your outdoor exercise through the long miserable summer!! I think you should pat yourself on the back for your progress. Changing one's lifestyle is a major accomplishment!

Pat O'Dea Rosen said...

Hi, Lark,
Congrats on banishing (excellent word choice!)twenty pounds--and thanks for the pep talk.

I know exercise is good for me but crave measurable results. When will I learn patience?

It's easy to keep walking--and writing--when our efforts earn rewards. It's hard to keep going when there are no rewards in sight.

Lark Howard said...

Don't lose heart, Pat. Sometimes we have to walk and write just for the joy of it and let the pleasure of the moment be our reward.

Prudence MacLeod said...

Hi Pat, I've trudged across that plateau myself, more than once. I'm sure many of us have. There is one thing you can do to burn extra calories on your walk without stressing yourself. Get a large dog, preferably young, to take with you. managing rover while maintaining your pace burns more than you might guess. Don't want a dog? Borrow a neighbor's.

Good luck, Prudence
http://www.prudencemacleod.com/

Pat O'Dea Rosen said...

Hi, Prudence,
The dog idea's a good one. I'll borrow a neighbor's as I have cats. They eat and sleep a lot and hate exercise. Yikes! Now I know why I gained weight.

Anonymous said...

Hey, Pat . . . I don't care how much, or how little, you weigh, so long as you remain healthy enough to write with your quick sense of humor! Much enjoyed.

Pat O'Dea Rosen said...

Thanks for the kind words, Anthony. By the way, I can't get your Hilda and her meow-meow glasses out of my mind.

Coleen Patrick said...

The fact that you keep on walking is great! Your overall strong health will be your progress. Or at least that's what I tell myself! I walk too, but what I want to get rid of are the unwanted thoughts that say I should be in the gym strength training, running 5ks, etc.
And thanks for leaving your good wishes on my blog!

Pat O'Dea Rosen said...

Hi, Coleen,
If I could, I'd wave a wand and rid you of those unwanted thoughts. Why do we focus on what we haven't accomplished instead of what we have? Good luck with Nano next month. I have the feeling you'll cross the finish line with more pages than you set out to write.