I Don't Want to Be an Endomorph..or an Apple

Well, I went to a weight watcher's meeting today to check it out. I liked the leader, and she is apparently the leader of most of them near me. She's upbeat, respectful of the group members, and prepared. I like prepared. She was friendly and introduced herself and handed me a little booklet before the meeting started. I like friendly, and booklets, too. I'm going to go to the one tomorrow morning to check out the group members there, and will most likely join one or the other. I'm a little apprehensive about counting all those food points, but I figure once I'm shown the secret of how to do it, I ought to be able to handle it. More numbers!!! I hope I don't have to change my eating habits too much, although I am sure some things will have to change. Otherwise I wouldn't be overweight, right???

Okay, back to numbers. I joined the Sparkpeople site months ago, and they are always sending me articles. Many of them very good. One of them today talked about weight loss goals, and how to determine them, based on a number of factors. One of them is BMI. And, yes, another number. This one was 34.3, which I think is what I had calculated before, but tried to pretend it was only 33 when Trainer from Hell told me it was 42 something yesterday. So, even though this is way too high, I am sticking with it because it is easier to reach an acceptable level from there.

Another of the factors they suggested in setting goals is considering one's body type. I had forgotten that I am an Endomorph, which means that I am shaped like a fruit. Currently like an apple, although more commonly like a pear when my weight is more reasonable. Being an apple is not good at all healthwise these days, although in times of famine it could be an asset, because we endomorphs tend to hoard the fat in our bodies quite efficiently. But, it makes it more difficult to lose weight. There is a delicate balance we must find in our eating habits. Eat too little and not often enough and our endomorphically prone bodies will hold onto every last smidgeon of fat, thinking we are about to starve to death. So, slow and steady is the name of this game I guess. And it also gives some explanation as to why I lost so much weight when I basically ate oranges all day long. Nothing to turn into fat, but gave me calories to function (hmm..they mentioned food turning into either fat or glucose in one of those articles. I'll have to find it again).

Another number I ran across today was what I suppose is commonly known, and that it takes a 3,500 calorie deficit to lose a pound. Now, I was thinking more like 1,500, which I figured meant it would take me about 10-12 days to lose a pound if I kept slowly increasing my exercise and eating the same. At 3,500 it would take me nearly a month. That's not good. I don't have enough patience for that. So, as everyone says, I'm either going to have to step it up more exercise wise, or cut the calories. But not too much, and not so much that my endomorphic body thinks it's starving. I definitely do not want to turn into a watermelon shape.