Today is one of those days that is a great example of why you need to be a strong person if you are going to look at the scale between weigh-in dates. I have not lost a single pound since Sunday and it is a little depressing. I realize that my dramatic weight loss last week probably triggered some compensation in my body that said “Whoa… what’s going on here?” so I’m not overly alarmed. Never-the-less, when you are fat and trying to lose weight, you want your sacrifices of food to mean something. I’m not going to dwell on it, I know that by week’s end I will have dropped a couple of pounds and all will be right in the world.

Some good news for today is that I’m going to get another sleep study done. One of the contributing factors to my weight problem is my sleeping problems. I have 3-4 week cycles of sleeplessness that end when my body is so exhausted I simply crash for a couple of nights of solid rest, then it all begins again. When you don’t sleep, your body uses over-eating as a coping mechanism (I have no idea why) and that has been a problem for me for some time. So, tonight I will sleep in a clinic where they will monitor my sleep patterns and see what they can find. Generally, a person of my size is likely to suffer from sleep apnea, a condition where you literally stop breathing while sleeping. This wakes you up over and over again throughout the night making a good night sleep impossible. I have been checked with a sleep study once before and they found nothing, so this may be another wild goose chase, but at least my doctor is trying to help me figure this all out!

If you think about it, being fat has a lot of catch-22s in it. In my case, being fat may have caused sleeplessness, which causes over-eating, which causes over-eating, which causes… you get the picture. It is a vicious cycle we live as fat people and it can be a struggle to dig out. I commend anyone who is facing this challenge and sticking to their program!

As I start my day, I remember that my key to success is to stick with it. I know if I work the Medifast program the right way, I will be successful. The only thing that will stop me from achieving my goals is… well, me! I got my Medifast Community email this morning suggesting I set goals and rewards. I’m not sure about the reward yet, but I am setting an end of February goal of being under 300lbs. which is quite a large task considering I’m at 334 at the moment! I can do it though, especially once I’m back on my mountain bike shortly! Having been a salesman for years, I know that setting a higher goal is important to creating drive. If I said I want to finish the month losing 10lbs, I know I could easily do that, so what would be the point? I wouldn’t have to focus or try, I could just coast into it. By setting a much higher goal, I know that I will be forced to strictly adhere to my program and I will need to exercise to get there. If I miss it, but come close I will not be disappointed in the least, I will be happy I struggle for more!