Friday, January 4, 2013

It's Not About the Weight (Except When It Is)

Toaster Time Machine

I am not making losing weight one of my 2013 resolutions.

Yes, my weight gone down significantly--that's going to happen with consistent movement and (semi-)mindful eating. Where I get frustrated is that there is no predictable way to control the number. My hormones fluctuate and I retain water (no matter how much water I drink). I get sick, and I have to cut back on my activity. Someone brings cake to work--and I have a tough time saying no to cake. Even when I record everything I eat, I never seem to lose the recommended pound a week. For me, this is a recipe for crazy, and I have enough of that in general.

What I can control is how often and how long I engage in activity. I can control only having one helping of dinner and filling up with veggies, fruits, and/or another glass of water. I can control the number of races in which I participate and how I train for them.

If there's going to be a bumper sticker, this is it: Losing weight is a byproduct, not the goal.

That being said, I do dream of being able to walk into shop for pants in the "regular" section. I dream of being able to buy a geeky print skirt or dress from Etsy without having to special order it. I dream of being able to buy cute workout clothes without studying fitting charts or searching racks. Already, however, I can buy a girl cut t-shirt from Woot, and it fits without my boobs distorting the image or too much back-fat ripple; that feels like a definite start.

If, however, weight loss is your goal, that's cool. It's just not mine. Instead, I'm going to try to run/walk at least 500 miles, run a total of 12 races (virtual and in person), and do a 10K before the end of the year. I'm pretty sure in all of that I'm bound to lose some weight somehow.