"Isn't there like a statue of limitations on that?"
"Statute."
"What?"
"Statute of limitations. It's not a statue."
"No, it's statue."
"Fine, it's a sculpture of limitations."
- Kramer and Jerry, in "The Cafe"
I've mentioned this before, but each and every Wednesday when I post the percentage chart, I always feel a bit silly. Until recently I've been up at the top pretty much on my own, and I honestly haven't felt like it was an accurate depiction of whats been going on. It's been quite a long time since I really made significant progress towards my goals, and I have been in maintenance mode for the better part of a year now. I keep asking myself the same question over and over.
Is it time to move on from being a guy who lost a lot of weight, to just a skinnyfat white guy?
I think for me, that time has come. Now when I step on the scale, I don't think about where I've come from, but rather the ten pounds I've packed on over the winter. I am struggling with what everyone else struggles with. I am trying not to eat too much when I go out with friends. I am trying to get good workouts in during the week, and trying not to let all of that run my everyday life.
Honestly, the hard part of this whole journey has really just begun. Now is the make or break moment where I need to follow through and make lasting life long changes to prevent myself from getting back into the obese category that I fought to break free from.
So . . . I decided yesterday to reset my percentage weight loss back to 0. In fact I believe my percentage is now negative since I gained from last week to this week... and I kind of like that. I like not having that huge ~35% buffer to hide behind, pretending like I have pounds to spare . . . or some weird logic like that.
I guess it is kind of like the new guy at work. Eventually, he stops being the new guy.
Ha! What a good way to put it, likening it to the new guy at work.
I agree, though. I think of the following two situations as a barometer of sorts: (1) Have you found that most of the people you hang out with now never knew you at that weight (as in, you were heavy in high school and are now in your forties or something with new friends/coworkers)? (2) Or do the people you hang out with not remember what you looked like when you were your heaviest, except when looking at pictures (do your old friends and family say “Whoa! I forgot you were X weight! That was so long ago!”)?
There is definitely a statute of limitations, but it’s a good thing. You’re claiming your new life! You’ve become a new person! And a lot of people, for as long as they’ve known you, already thought of you as this new person or accepted the person you’ve become, even if you still struggle to see beyond yourself at your heaviest weight.
Sounds like you might need a new challenge, there Jono. I always find that I stagnate if I don’t have s specific goal or race to train for. Of course, then I always end up going the other way and end up running two marathons in four months (shaving off an hour between the two) in the middle of the winter. Effective, but unpleasant. I say sign up for a half marathon or something for the fall, set a goal time, then follow a proven training regimen. Worked for me, and definitely helped my motivation.
I agree, the only way to stay in the game is to keep pushing for the next level.
Half in May, Boilermaker in July, and maybe a full in the fall!