Weigh-In

I put off writing this post for five days because I got frustrated.

I thought I was doing things right and was sure I would lose weigh.

But I gained a pound.  Last week was an anomaly.  I ate out a bunch and was very sedentary because I was very busy with work stuff.  This week has been a little different, I've been eating at home more, I exercised a couple times (which felt great).  and I've had a more regular work-day.  However, I can feel my appetite starting to come back.  I've got to watch out for that.

This weigh-in taught me that even though being on Concerta is controlling my appetite, I'm still not going to lose weight unless I work to buck my bad eating habits and get out and exercise on a regular basis.

I'm feeling less confident than I was last week, but as long as I take away the idea that my meds won't make me skinny by themselves and maintain the idea that I CAN make the changes I need, I'll be fine.

Here's to making changes!

I have not been eating well

This past week I've done remarkably little snacking.  I even forgot to eat lunch once this week.

I doubt tomorrow's weigh-in will show a loss.

Why?  Because I've eaten a lot this week.  I've not been exercising.  It boils down to me not having free time this week because of work and various other obligations.  But I have free time now.  So, internet, I'm going to get off my fat ass and go for a run.

First Weekly Weigh-In in a Long Time

First off, I forgot to eat lunch today.  Yesterday's post sums up my experiences getting back on Concerta.  I got so wrapped up in work today I completely forgot to eat.

I know it's not healthy to skip meals, but it's a hell of a lot easier than counting the minutes until it's socially acceptable to stuff my face again.

I'm hoping since the voice telling me to eat immediately has gotten a lot quieter, I'll be able to eat more fruits and vegetables and be satisfied.  I think I'm going to start counting calories soon, but it's so time consuming to enter them.  I suppose complaining about how fat I am is time consuming too.

A long time ago, I used to do weigh-ins on Mondays.  They kept me motivated through the temptations of the weekend and I wasn't weighing myself so much it was making me crazy.

Let's get those started again.

I can get behind 299.3.  Last Wednesday at the doctor I weighed 309.  Can I count that as a 10 pound loss?

Concerta

Recently I said I was going to be a dad in November.  Today Claire had her baby shower and we got to reveal that we're having a girl!  I'm a lucky man.

Doesn't Claire have a gorgeous baby bump?

Changing gears now.  Last Thursday I started taking meds for ADHD for the first time in almost 8 years.  The doctor told me that since I was diagnosed as a child it was a lot easier to start me on medication again and prescribed me Concerta, a time-release form of ritalin.  A lot fewer hoops to jump through I guess.  We talked about my weight as well.  He said one side-effect of Concerta is weight-loss and ritalin was actually used as a weight-loss drug, so we decided to wait until I'm acclimated to it and reassess the next time we meet.

So I went down to the pharmacy and got my prescription filled.  The next morning I started my first day of being treated for ADHD.  Here are some things I noticed:

I talk more on meds.  A LOT more.  Faster too.
Having ADHD and taking meds doesn't make the ADHD go away, it just makes some parts of your brain work faster to keep up.
I can finish a task.
It bothers me more when a task isn't completed.  I've been compelled to finish some things on my to-do list.  I also pulled out the oven and cleaned underneath it today, so there's that.
I feel jittery a lot.
I have trouble sitting still and not doing anything.
I have it on good authority that I'm more coherent when telling stories.
I have a much harder time realizing I'm hungry.

That last one might be just what I need to develop a healthy relationship with food.  Normally I have this compulsion to eat.  I can't stop eating until I'm stuffed.  It's like I don't have a shut-off switch.  Once I've started eating the urge to keep going is so overwhelming that I can't stop shoveling food into my face until I'm about to burst.  Since I started taking meds, I haven't snacked at all.  I have to learn to recognize other signs that I'm hungry in order to make sure I eat and stay healthy, but the compulsion to binge seems to be gone.

Now, I know it's early yet, but I think this is a good start.  I feel like this is how people who have healthy relationships with food feel.  I'm going to try to use this to develop good diet and exercise habits.

Hell, maybe I'll even be blogging more.