Ten Pounds in Five Months


August 7th marks five months of staying at home. Beyond trips to the grocery, doctor appointments, and Zoom meetings, every day looks pretty much the same. Toodles has never been happier.

The biggest change has been a dramatic decline in my activity level. I can’t go to the gym and haven’t been motivated to use my exercise app or the dumbbells I bought last year. On some level, it’s like, what’s the point? Nobody sees me anymore. 😉

On the other hand, I’m not ready to throw in the towel. Running has been my go-to activity for several years — a fact I never would have predicted even fifteen years ago. I hesitate to say I enjoy running, but I’m always glad I went and often regret that I didn’t.

The decline in my activity level peaked well before the pandemic. I quit running last November. Weather is partially to blame. More accurately, my pickiness about ideal conditions for a run is the problem.

A spring break vacation motivated me to replace worn out running shoes. I took them out for a test run a few weeks later (March 21). Running three times a week has long been my goal. I did well to run once or twice a week.

By the end of May, I was consistently running three miles, three times a week. Fear of hurting myself makes me leery about running more than every other day. In July I decided to go for hour-long walks on days I don’t run. Before long, I was walking or running every day.

Halfway through July, the drawstring broke on my favorite running shorts (that I’ve had for more than eight years). I broke down and ordered two new pairs. They’re really cute, and I envision myself as looking great in them. I’ve been running every morning since they arrived.

So far, so good. I don’t hurt anywhere. I’m guessing the gradual buildup enabled me to run every day without the problems I’ve had before. New shoes likely helped too.

I feel great. The weight I put on before I started running again is gone, plus an additional ten pounds. For the first time in years, I’m within twelve pounds of a goal set more than ten years ago.

Yes, I’m eating less too. Planned-overs make portion control less of a problem. Experts say daily weighing is bad, but seeing a lower number on the scales every morning motivates me to do what I can to keep the downward trend going.

If history is any guide, I’ll hit a plateau a pound or two shy of my goal. Or maybe not. Working from home makes it easier to go for a daily run — something I haven’t been able to do in the past. I’ll keep you posted.