Power Tools

I earn my living as a CPA. I deal with numbers and tax research every day. Bet you think this makes me a math whiz.

Umm . . . nope. It does not. I can't add two numbers in my head, unless they each have one digit. Dearest hubby can, but I can't. Just as soon as I visualize two numbers and attempt to add ‘em together, they morph. The digits drift away. Or, they change into something else. Or, they go >>poof<<.

But give me a calculator and a computer, and I’m the equal of any numbers wizard.

So, you ask, what does this have to do with weight loss?

Tools. Give me the right tools, and I can do just about anything.

Not only am I not a math wizard, I also do not have a natural ability to regulate how much food I eat. Either I didn’t get that particular talent, or I lost it somewhere along the way. So, it’s hard for me to unconsciously balance what I eat vs. what I burn. That’s why I use tools. I’m the equal of any “naturally” thin person, as long as I faithfully use my tools.

These are the tools that I use every day:

>>> Food Journal -- I do it the easy way, guys. I have a Palm Pilot with a huge customizable database. With a few clicks and scribbles, I can record any meal or snack. The program (Healthetech’s BalanceLog) even tracks nutrients, average caloric intake, and tells me when I’m over/under my average. Makes journaling a no-brainer.

>>> Food Scale -- when I’m at home, I weigh just about everything I eat. I’m not a fanatic about it . . . I’ll lick the peanut butter spoon. I do it simply because it eliminates “portion creep.” If I know what a serving size should look like, I’m more likely to estimate correctly when I eat out (which is a lot).

>>> Body Scale -- I weigh myself every morning, and record my weight on my Palm Pilot. It’s quick, I don’t get emotional about it, and it gives me useful info. I can look back and see how my weight fluctuates over time. I’ve learned, for example, that my weight stays roughly within a 4-pound range. I have about three years’ worth of data that tells me how much I can eat, on average, to maintain and to lose.

>>> Tape Measure -- the scale doesn’t tell the whole story. It weighs all of you . . . fat, muscle, bone, fluid, stomach contents. It can tell you if you’ve lost weight, but it can’t necessarily tell you if you’ve lost FAT. A tape measure, though, can help you calculate your body composition -- the part of you that is composed of lean mass, vs. fat. There are a number of overly-complicated formulae out there, but I like to use the U.S. Navy Circumference Method. It's easy, requires three measurements, and it appears to be reasonably accurate.

There are other tools that I use less frequently, but that are important, all the same:

>>> Meetings -- I’m a Weight Watchers lifetime member. I still weigh in every month, and I attend meetings nearly every week. I get support from my leader, as well as from the other members. I also get a chance to give back a little, by being a role model.

>>> Message Boards -- I’m a frequent poster on the Weight Watchers message boards. I have made a number of friends there (especially on the Nifty Fifties), and I have learned a lot from the experiences of other folks who are also on this lifelong journey.

>>> Email -- I correspond regularly with a few WW friends. We support each other and help each other maintain focus.

My tools are very important to me, because they give me the power to keep my weight right where it should be. I don’t resent having to use them. Look at it this way: do you resent having to use a hammer to drive in a nail? Do you get upset because you have to use a skillet to fry an egg? Of course not.

Use your power tools . . . they’ll get you where you want to go. And keep you where you want to stay.

* * * * *

Why body composition is important

Why the scale lies

* * * * *

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Comments

[Ann Marie]

Hey great post. How come I didn't get notified that this was out there?

[Debbie]

Beats me; I think it had something to do with the fact that I wrote it and then set it to publish on a "future" date. Won't do that again!

[Debbie]

I just re-published it. Let me know if that triggers a notification.