WEEK 2 WEIGH-IN

I Lost One Measly Pound… And I’m Jumping For Joy

At last a tiny victory… and it feels huge

I didn’t want to step on the scale this morning.

Maybe you know the feeling. I suspect if you’re here reading this, you probably do.

I was not expecting good news. We just celebrated Thanksgiving here in Canada, and I partook of my turkey dinner with gusto.

By which I mean I ate a lot of turkey. And stuffing. And potatoes. And pie with whipped cream.

I should add here that my joyful (and grateful) indulgence was always intentional. I never even entertained the notion of worrying about calories at this one meal. I wanted to just relax and enjoy my dinner with family.

But I also knew that there would be consequences, as in no movement, or movement in the wrong direction, on the scale.

So imagine my delight this morning when I discovered that in the past week, I have actually lost one pound.

I know what you’re thinking. One measly pound? Big whoop, right?

It is to me. I’m over the moon. I’m dancing like Snoopy in the Charlie Brow Christmas special. I’m spinning on a hilltop like a maniacal Julie Andrews. The hills are freakin’ alive, my friends.

Why? Because I now have empirical proof that the small, daily efforts I’m making are working.

Curious as to what those daily efforts are? Here you go:

I’ve Been Meditatating and Visualizing Every Morning

I have written before about my daily meditation practice, which I have been doing now for a few months.

I combine loving-kindness meditation and visualization. It goes a little something like this:

• During the loving-kindness portion of my session, I breathe deeply and silently repeat a mantra while, in turn, thinking of a loved one, then thinking of someone who needs a little extra care, then thinking of myself.
• During the visualization portion of my session, I breath deeply and picture myself, in as much detail as possible, at my ideal weight and health.

The whole thing takes about 45 minutes, which, sure, can feel long. I can get a little squirmy and sometimes my mind wanders. But without fail, I feel calm and focused at the end of my session, even if it hasn’t gone perfectly.

So how is this helping with the weight loss?

Well, that vision I have of myself looking and feeling my best — it stays with me throughout the day. I’ve come to understand that this image of my future self will be reality soon enough if I continue to make the right choices of eating sensibly and exercising regularly.

The net result? It has become easier to make those right choices.

I’ve Been Keeping My Hands Occupied

This is a tried and true weight loss tip, and I do believe it works. Simply keeping my hands busy means that they are unavailable for the act of depositing food into my mouth.

These days, my hand-occupying activities of choice are knitting, reading, and tapping away at a keyboard.

I Am Returning To The Exercise I Have Always Loved The Most

I have been a regular runner for a few years now, but lately, my aging hips and a not-fully healed foot injury have been protesting at the intensity of the activity, so I have eased up a little.

Instead, I have gone back to the activity I have always loved the most: walking.

There is so much I love about walking, especially at this time of year, when the weather is still summery and the colours are jaw-dropping.

I have a full library of audiobooks on my phone, a good-quality headset (I hate earbuds), a pair of sturdy boots, and an enthusiastic walking buddy in my dog, all of which make it easy and inviting to get out the door.

Now that I am running less, I walk for a total of about one and a half hours a day, not all at once. I’m probably burning about as many calories as I would on a 30-minute run, and my joints (and my soul) are thanking me.

And so is the scale!

The beauty of these small daily efforts? They are not difficult.

In fact, they are actually all pleasant and soul-soothing.

And this is why I’m jumping for joy at their effectiveness: Because they are effortless efforts. I don’t have to talk myself into doing any of them… and they’re working.

Happy post-Thanksgiving and lovely autumn to you all. I am so thankful to you for reading.