Day 7: Watching The Body

The body doesn't operate according to linear functions, and this is evident in dieting. Last Thursday, I had moved my belt from the fourth notch to the fifth, and had assumed (with natural pride) that I had dropped to that belt level for good. I was actually planning to brag about it a little in this blog, although I didn't because another subject came up.

In retrospect, I was lucky, because I would have had to take it back because I had to loosen up the belt back to the fourth notch as of Friday. The body does not follow a linear function.

Even though I've gotten back some bulk around my hips, I'm seeing shrinkage in other areas. As far as I can tell, my belly juts out as much as before in the front end. It's beginning to shrink in the side parts of the front, though, so my pot's developing a dent or two. Also, a pair of pants I had begun to burst out of are a little less tight than they were about ten days ago. Once again, I note that the body does not follow a linear function. (For the pedants in the room: I'm referring to the biochemical processes of the body at the macro level.)

The only lesson I can draw from this uncertainty is to watch the calorie counter and tell yourself that if you're dieting and you're eating less than you use, then you're going in the right direction, regardless of what the most visible evidence tells you either way. The body does not follow a linear function.


A technique that some may want to experiment with, although I lucked into it. Some months ago, I got a bunch of popsicles as a gift. I accepted them, although I didn't later have much of a desire for them. Some of them are still in my freezer.

Here's the point: there have been some high-calorie treats in my freezer that I've basically ignored because they're not on my favourites list. I didn't have one of them, even while gorging myself last month. If you're in a pre-diet phase, it may be worth your while to shop around in the treats aisle for a high-calorie treat that you find you don't really have a taste for. Then, buy some and keep in it the shelf/fridge/freezer before starting your diet. Once you shift to diet, you can use that treat as a mental anchor, in this way: "If I can let [such-and-such] lie around, why can't I let [the more tempting target] lie around too?" Untested, but it may work, especially if backed with the wisdom that tastes are subjective, and can change over time.


Weight as of approx. 6 PM today: 250 pounds.