Skinny-Fat

The “Candyman” : You know what you are?

Nancy Botwin: What?

The “Candyman” : Skinny-fat. And what are we gonna do about that?

Nancy Botwin: We’re gonna start exercising right away.

The “Candyman” : Don’t humor me. I’m very serious. I used to weigh 314 pounds.

Nancy Botwin: Wow. Congratulations.

The “Candyman” : The key, exercise.

Nancy Botwin: You know, I’m not buying for personal use.

The “Candyman” : Are your customers just a bunch of Fatty McFat-Fats?

Nancy Botwin: Well they’re smokers. But it stands to reason that if they eat rather than smoke, they can breathe easier should they decide to exercise.

The “Candyman” : That’s a reasonable assumption.

(Scene from Weeds Season One Episode: Fashion of the Christ)

I recently found out two important dietary revelations from my doctor:
1. I am, at the age of 25, now gluten-intolerant.
2. I also have high cholesterol.

It's a brave new food world out there for me, and I'm not quite sure how to navigate it. I am not, and have never been considered what is traditionally referred to as "overweight". My weight has fluctuated between 138lbs and 160lbs for the past 5 years. Not exactly a healthy fluctuation, but considering I'm 5'9" I'm still within the normal BMI range at both ends of my weight spectrum. This blog is meant to help me track my progress through the treacherous waters of completely re-teaching myself how to eat in order to accommodate my new dietary needs and help get my cholesterol and weight fluctuation under control.

(Me at 138lbs. - my goal weight)

Currently I weigh 155lbs, so I'm definitely at the heavier end of my weight spectrum, and I would like to get that under control. I already mentioned the cholesterol problem (the skiiny-fat problem if you will), but also, recently I started training for a half-marathon, and about 4-weeks into training I got a stress fracture in my foot which I believe is related to the fact that I am significantly over my desired weight and therefore puts more stress on my bones and joints. Probably most of these postings will involve simple inventories of what I've eaten for the day and what I did for exercise. I will try to photograph these events to make them more interesting, but I can't promise anything. In addition, I'm going to try to get to the bottom of what is making swing back and forth on this pendulum of weight gain and loss and see if I can curb that to a certain extent. I have a feeling a lot of it is due to emotional issues that I choose not to deal with in any real way. Perhaps blogging and regular examination of my habits will help me to resolve some of these issues, become more of a whole person, and eventually take over the world!!!! Just kidding, but seriously, I'd like to give this a shot, a whole hearted shot because I'm still young, and change is not impossible.

The only time I've truly experienced any weight loss success is when I had a physical challenge that I was training to accomplish, or when I was on Weight Watchers. Both of these offer group support and goal management. I need to get back on track to have a goal for myself, and really pace my expectations and accomplishments.

Goal #1: Be ready to run the Austin half marathon on February 15, 2010.
Goal #2: Blog at least 2 times per week on this blog about my experiences and recording my weight loss/gain and my feelings about this.

Here I go again on my own.