238.2 lbs.
I stared at the scale for a second, stepped off, stepped back on. Still 238.2. Under 240. For the first time in, honestly, I don’t even know how long.
The Numbers #
Let me lay out the weight journey so far, because the numbers tell a story:
- December 30: 244.3 lbs (starting weight, BMI 34.1)
- January 11: 249.0 lbs (post-Cancun peak, BMI 34.7)
- January 15: 243.3 lbs (post-vacation water weight dropping)
- January 18: 242.1 lbs (steady decline)
- January 22: 241.6 lbs (creeping down)
- January 28: 238.2 lbs (today, BMI 33.2)
That’s 10.8 lbs down from my peak of 249. It’s 6.1 lbs down from my starting weight. My BMI dropped from 34.7 to 33.2 in less than three weeks of consistent effort.
I’m still Obese Class I. Let’s not pretend 238 is where I want to be. But I’m heading in the right direction, and the trend line on my dashboard is finally pointing down consistently.
What 11 Pounds Feels Like #
People always ask “do you feel different?” and the honest answer at 11 pounds is: sort of. I don’t look dramatically different in the mirror. My clothes fit about the same. Nobody has said “hey, have you lost weight?” and I don’t expect them to.
But I notice things. My yoga is getting easier, not because I’m suddenly flexible, but because there’s slightly less of me to move around. My energy is more consistent throughout the day. I’m sleeping better, though I credit the bedtime yoga as much as the weight loss for that.
The biggest change is mental. I look at the dashboard and see 18 days of consistent exercise on Streak #2. I see a weight chart that’s trending down. I see protein targets I’m hitting regularly (today was 184g, which is absolutely crushing it). That data creates a feeling that no motivational poster could match. I’m not hoping this works. I’m watching it work.
The Ugly Parts #
Let me be honest about the days leading up to this weigh-in, because it hasn’t been clean:
- January 21st: 3,525 calories. Pizza, cookies, bourbon, vodka seltzers. Over by 1,725 calories.
- January 24th: 3,245 calories. A bottle of wine, peanut butter pretzels, Maryland crabs. Over by 1,445 calories.
- January 25th: 2,065 calories. Cheese fondue and champagne. Over by 265 calories.
I’ve had some truly awful calorie days. Like, embarrassingly bad. The kind of days where you look at the food log and think “how did I eat that much?” But here’s what’s interesting: the weight still went down. Because the good days outnumber the bad days, and the exercise is happening every single day regardless.
I’m not perfect. I’m not even close to perfect. But the trend is there.
Fiber is Still Kicking My Butt #
Every single day, the same story. Protein? Crushed it. Usually 150g or more. Calories? Hit or miss, but trending in the right direction. Fiber? 6 grams. 13 grams. 15 grams. Against a target of 25 to 35.
I know I need more vegetables. I know beans exist. I know that if I just ate a big salad with lunch every day, this wouldn’t be a problem. But somehow, fiber is the macro that keeps slipping through the cracks. More on this in a future post, because it deserves its own rant.
What’s Next #
At 238.2, I’m still 23 pounds away from exiting the Obese category at 215. At my current rate of about 0.8 pounds per week (the conservative estimate), that’s about 29 weeks. Call it July.
But here’s the thing about conservative estimates: my actual rate has been faster. The trend since I started tracking seriously has been closer to 1.5 to 2 pounds per week. If that holds, I could be looking at 215 by early summer.
I’m not getting ahead of myself. Today is Day 18 of Streak #2. I’m 20% of the way to my 90-day goal. I’m under 240 for the first time in a long time. And tomorrow, I’m going to do bedtime yoga, log my food, and keep moving the trend line in the right direction.
238.2. I’ll take it.