The Down Side of Weight Loss
One of the major goals in Weight Watchers is to lose 10% of your body weight. I hit that a month or so ago and got a keychain for my trouble. While my experience has been mostly positive so far, there have been a few down sides to losing weight.
I noticed my pants were getting baggy a few months ago. One afternoon I walked downstairs and my jeans dropped down to my ankles. Luckily no one was home and I managed to hop down the stairs without breaking my neck. I was out of notches on my belt, so I found myself trying to punch out a new hole with a steak knife. Normally if I do something really stupid like that, it only occurs to me after some grievous injury. However, this time I caught myself before the knife slipped and I lopped off a finger or accidentally committed hari-kari.
I don’t swim very much. I had splashed around with Daniel when we were out in California, but actually swim… I probably hadn’t done that in a couple of years. The motel I was at had a pool, so I thought I would give it a try. My favorite form is the backstroke. I find it relaxing to float on my back and slowly wind my way around the pool. It appeals to my inherent laziness. I lay back in the water and brought my knees up against the wall to kick off. Looking up at the ceiling, I pushed away from the wall and was surprised as my vision filled in with water as I sunk below the surface of the pool.
My library books were due, but the library was already closed. I pulled up to the book deposit bin in the parking lot to drop them off. As I jammed the last few hardcovers into the drawer, my wedding ring slipped off my finger. I heard it jingle all the way down to the bottom of the stacks. After teaching Daniel several new words, I wrote a little note and stuffed that down into the bin as well. Mercifully, the librarians called me the next morning and said they found it.
I’ve found I can actually turn the drawbacks into advantages. Swimming actually requires exercise to stay afloat now. I need more exercise and if I can add a little variety, so be it. I went to the library to pick up my ring and found a good place to write while I was there. While I was out, I picked up a new – smaller – belt and even got a new pair of jeans. I have less than 15 pounds to go before I hit my lifetime goal weight. I’m sure there are still some surprises in store, but – assuming I don’t get killed, maimed, drowned or divorced – the benefits will outweigh the negatives.
