10×10 in 2010

Whether you think that you can, or that you can’t, you are usually right.
–Henry Ford

January’s over half-over, and the project has been under way for a full three weeks now.  Carrying the eating cards is becoming more comfortable, and it’s an opportunity to start a conversation with those curious about the project. Mary at work helped the project along by denying me access to the magical Dove Chocolate dish on the counter.  The card system does provide for a small amount of treats and cravings so it’s not total privation.

The black bean burger recipe got a big workout early in the week – we mixed up a quintuple (5x) batch on Tuesday night; it yielded 27 burgers.  Bagged and frozen, the burgers have served all week as the lunch centerpiece.  They’re not quite as tasty reheated, but the cafeteria at work has Frank’s RedHot.  Poor drowned burgers.

Learnings This Week

Some random educational thoughts for week 3 of the project.  These are personal, anecdotal observations.  If I do something stupid and you follow my example, remember Mom asking “If your friends jumped off a bridge, would you follow?”  Let common sense apply.

• Stretching in the morning after workouts is a great time to listen to your body.  If a stretch hurts, you’re probably pushing it too hard, back off a little.
• It’s better to have a lousy workout than no workout.  Even if you’re not feeling particularly well, do the exercise.  That way when you’re not feeling well later, you can look back at *this* success and remind yourself it can be done.
• The mirror is a poor gauge of weight loss, especially early on when you’re still the size of a beached whale.  A better gauge is the fit of your clothes (my poor wife needs a whole new wardrobe after running for a few months).
• This is going to sound strange, but hunger is your friend. Now, I’m not talking about ravenous starvation.  Walking around feeling stuffed (or even just full) probably means you ate too much.  Having a mild hungry feeling is your body’s way of saying, “Hey, I’m eating into some fat reserves here, just want you know.”

Have any learnings or comments?  Click the comments link below and let me know what you think! Words of wisdom, encouragement and correction always welcome. (All comments moderated to keep out the riffraff.)

Week 3 Results

• Starting Weight: 328 lbs.
• Last Week: 317 lbs.
• This Week: 312 lbs.
• Weight Lost: 5 lbs (16 lbs overall)

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