In Bulk

As of this moment, I have lost seven pounds since Dec. 1. My goal through the holidays was to lose not gain. Even one pound would have been a victory. And it was FIVE, then another TWO in the past week (since I started lifting/cardio regularly). There were ups and downs but never up to or over the starting point.

I call this an unqualified success. Go, ME! I am also around pain levels of 2-3, with occasional 5s. But nothing over a 5 in the past week.

One way to approach everything, that I sometimes over use, is the modeling method. I "model" success and then try to recreate it. This comes from years of reading self-help crap as well as business plan advice. For the most part, it works. But there are times when you don't want to analyze the miracle - you just want to move ahead, be grateful, enjoy it, and keep the benefits coming. So for now, I am not going to analyze why this has happened. There is also the idea that analysis will be a jinx. Or perhaps hubris, that I can somehow advise or prescribe success. I am successful right here and now, but there's always tomorrow and that little thing of buttercream in the freezer.

But what I can safely say is that all of the information I've gathered about pain, exercise, my body, losing weight, nutrition and the random nature of the universe has finally come around to help me. Maybe I just got out of my own way. I don't know.

In many ways, I seem to live my life "in bulk" - aka always as much of a good thing as I can stand until I overindulge. Books, food, dogs, booze, yarn, fabric, dates, activities, plans.... and then I spend a good deal of time washed up and burned out. Not a good thing. So, as vanilla and bland as it sounds, I am working on living in moderation. Skimming along the surface on a sailboard instead of madly thrashing about in the water doing the butterfly.

Metaphorically, of course. My sailboard days are probably over (never say never!), and the butterfly stroke timing has always escaped me. Kick, kick, whut?, drown, arms, whut?, kick... flail.... switch to breaststroke.

Lost in my own metaphor, I will close this entry for now. A final word: Tiberius! (shout-out to some new readers, perhaps?)