Weight-loss 12: Tricky 2023

It seems I’m posting these weight-loss journey reports biannually now. Apparently, I wax weight management when my work life wanes; during winter break and just as summer starts.

A year ago, I recalled in part 10 the food challenges during my November reverie (birthdays, anniversary, Thanksgiving) and into the winter holidays (Chanukkah latkes and Christmas overload). That is when the extra salt, fat and alcohol attributable to the celebrations of life seem to logjam in my world.

June’s entry (part 11), was a reflection on the slow, upward, craggy climb of the numbers on the scale and the challenges that someone my age (read: perimenopausal) must be mindful of to maintain some semblance of a healthy weight. I dutifully visited the nutritionist every month, except in March and September. Both of those months were problematic for different reasons.

2023 by the numbers

January	172
February	170.5
March	(no weigh-in: work insanity)
April	173
May	174
June	173
July	174
August	173
September	(no weigh-in: broken foot)
October	177
November	175.5
December	173.25

Ideally, the number I should be hitting is that magic 165, according to my endocrinologist. He’s been talking about that number for about a decade now. I managed to get there during much of 2022, so I know it’s possible with a little more diligence. I think this year has given me a little more trouble, so maybe there have been a few more allowances. I now have some Ben and Jerry’s in the freezer, which I go to once in a while.

Challenges that informed the numbers

In general, I’m more an eat-to-live kind of person; I don’t feel compelled to stress eat, which is very helpful. I don’t buy junk food, so it’s not in the house when I’m looking for a snack. To be honest, while most people crave the salty-crunchy-fatty stuff, my body doesn’t respond well. If there are Doritos, I’ll eat three or four, enjoy the taste and crunch, then regret it later as it’s digesting. It’s like built-in aversion therapy.

So what do I think accounts for the 5-10 pounds in 2023? It’s never just one thing; more like a 10,000 foot perspective. Let’s take a look:

Work

While being at work provides a good sense of routine, which is good for staying level, there are two months in the year where things tend to go off the rails: March and November. Both are when I go into more intense mode as the play productions ramp up to opening night. Rehearsals get later, and food sometimes becomes an afterthought. I make fewer meals and order in more. It’s a weight-management stumbling block for me.

Vacation

I also ate like an asshole: pancake breakfasts, all-you-can-eat restaurants, and late-night ice cream and wine with every dinner. It was a healthy food black hole and the best I could do was have my protein shake in the morning and hope for the best for the rest of the day. It was a kiss-it-up-to-God week.

Perimenopause

Also in July, I was starting to experience some weird symptoms that I chalked up to the impending life change that all women around my age eventually go through. To mitigate the level of freak-out, I started writing about it (Not For The Faint of Heart). I’ve been told by my doc/nutritionist/interwebs that between the drop in estrogen and increase in cortisol (stress hormone), you become more insulin resistant, which messes how your body deals with glucose (carbs), which leads to weight gain. At this time in my life, it’s really important to reduce carb intake in the morning and at night, since insulin resistance increases late at night, during sleep, and into the morning. It’s a delicate balance that’s hard to keep up with and worth putting in some extra thought.

Injury

In the spring, I was managing some significant hip, lower back and rotator cuff issues, which caused me to shift my workouts to more rehab-centered exercises than pushing myself to advance my skills at the gym. By the end of July, I was feeling stronger and tried getting back on track. Things were going well until mid-August, when I broke my right foot while working on a move I had lost and was trying to regain. It was a terrible, freak accident that set me back once again for months. (Read the whole foot saga here.) 

My calorie balance was way off because I was suddenly inactive. I didn’t get out of the boot until early October, but it was still many weeks before I’d be able to really ramp up my activity. The October weigh-in is a direct reflection of that. I did whatever non-standing strength training I could, but it paled in comparison to what my body was used to. Even now, at the end of December, while my foot is feeling really good and my gym activity is closer to normal, I’m still very conservative about how much I push it. Fear of re-injury is a real thing, so I’ve been moving forward very slowly and carefully. I’ve come a long way and I’d like to keep the forward momentum going.

Illness

Of course, just as I was looking forward to a restful winter break, COVID struck my house. Both my husband and I got it at his winter concert mid-December. In my two sickest days, I dropped a pound or two, which (if you’re looking for a bright side), was nice to go into the Christmas holiday, which was masked and distanced for us.

Strategies to break the barrier

Minding your weight and health is a daily task, embedded in every choice you make. You have to think of how you get your nutrients to supply your body with the daily necessities, and not overdo the portions you consume. My goal is to stay mindful and see if I can once again break the 170 barrier. I did it for all of 2022. I’m close; I think I can do it again.

Lunch prep

A creature of routine, I tried doing a specific lunch prep for a couple of weeks. On Sunday, I made a grain salad with barley, farro, lentils, dried cranberries, chopped celery and nuts/seeds. It’s only dressed with a bit of olive oil and balsamic glaze. It keeps nicely in the fridge and the mix provides protein, carbs, protein and fiber. The chewy, nutty bite of the meal is satisfying to me and just over a cup lasts several hours. While I am not so organized all the time, it is a nice way to have a grab-and-go option that I don’t have to think about first thing in the morning.

Probiotics

Also at lunch, I added in one of those Activia dailies drinks. They are tiny, but provide a bunch of probiotics that help me to keep things moving well in the gut. I didn’t know if they’d work at first, but after a few days, I became more regular and when I forgot to take them, things got more difficult. So now, it’s part of the routine.

Fiber like crazy

I go for at least two fruits a day and get veggies in wherever I can. In my plant-based protein shake every morning, I add a spoon of psyllium powder and chia seeds. The grain salad for lunch also had lots of fiber. I enjoy eating foods from the Mediterranean diet. I try to keep crunchy veggies and salad fixings in the fridge in case I get the munchies. It’s not a long-lasting food satiation, but at least I can chew and crunch on more stuff.

Protein

We need protein for every function of life. The Mayo Clinic advises that 10-35% of our calories should come from protein. Generally, we don’t consume enough, especially if we are trying to cut down on meat consumption. My morning shake has 20 grams, but that just scrapes the surface for the day. At a minimum, I need about 60 grams per day, but that’s if I’m sedentary. Increase the activity, and your protein needs increase. And, you are supposed to eat the protein with a carbohydrate (again, think Mediterranean diet choices). So I’m always checking nutrition labels for protein sources with lower fat content.

Hydrate like crazy

Even in the fall/winter, you need to hydrate like crazy. You may not be sweating as much as in the summer, but everything is so dry in the winter. I also find that when I drink less, it makes things much harder in the bathroom. The hydration question is usually the first thing my nutritionist asks me about when I visit. I usually go for 8-10 cups a day of fluid and I don’t count anything with caffeine or alcohol. What does 8-10 cups look like? My base is two cups for the morning shake, a 3-cup thermos of herbal tea and a 3-cup water bottle. I’ll try to refill the water bottle and keep sipping that into the evening. Everything over the base is gravy.

Cut the salt

I’ve talked about this before. Salt makes you retain water, which spikes the number on the scale. It takes two days to clear it out of your system. Chinese food = buckets of salt. I’ve generally gotten used to food with less salt, which makes anything you eat outside your home-cooked meals taste over-seasoned. It’s not an easy transition, especially if you’re a salt-everything-at-every-stage-of-cooking kind of person, but it’s do-able and necessary. I look for low or no sodium options and then I have more control over how much gets put in my cooked meals. Typically, I’ll now salt a bit at the end of cooking and it’s usually enough for me.

Morning weigh-in

Every morning before my shower, I pull out the scale. This may not be something for everyone, but it helps keep me honest as I approach my choices for the day, like when there’s been a particularly salty meal in my life. I do this so there are no surprises, especially during my visits to the nutritionist. I don’t let the number get in my head; I see where I am, use it as data, and move on with my day.

When in doubt, move!

I happen to be happiest when I’m active and moving around. I like that my body is strong, generally more mobile than your average 52-year-old, and I’m keeping my healing injuries in check (best I can). If I get antsy, I get up and go walk somewhere or do something on my feet. The gym is my solace. I’m a dance and physical education teacher, so there’s no lack of movement in my life (unless I’m blogging, but I digress…). For your entertainment pleasure, I attached my 2023 Geriatric Gymnast wrap-up at the gym. It takes you through all the ups and downs from my year in flipping.

Keep paying attention

The bottom line is that there is no perfect way to deal with food. It’s all about managing myriad choices and making the wisest decisions that you can. Sometimes you’ll eat more, sometimes less. I leave some mental space to navigate the delicate balancing act, then I leave it be. If I have an extra glass of wine today, I’ll not have any tomorrow (or the next day). If I enjoy my mother-in-law’s amazing (but super salty and fatty) pernil, I’ll hydrate more and make sure the next few days include less salt and fat. If Ben and Jerry’s is calling to me, I take a reasonable scoop and savor it slowly with a teaspoon. I won’t deny myself the good stuff, and I can put limitations on just how much I make my body work to process my less-wise choices.