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My goal to become Pope's Biggest Loser, Week 5

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Jon LaDue
  • 43rd Airlift Wing Public Affairs
POPE AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --  I weighed myself the instant I got home from my eight days of leave. After my gorge fest in Wisconsin, I knew that I had blown away three weeks of smart eating and frequent exercising. After all, I lost about eight pounds in my first week of the Biggest Loser competition by not eating fast food or drinking soda. So it would only make sense that I would gain it all back in one week after eating just that.

I talked to a couple of my coworkers on the phone while on leave and they asked me how I was doing with my diet. I told them it would be a miracle if I didn't weigh 220 pounds all over again by the time I got back home.

Well, I only weighed 211.5 pounds. I was astonished. I actually reset the scale and moved it to a different portion of the floor just to be sure. This may not be a surprise to you, but then again you didn't see how undisciplined I was in my eating habits.

Part of the problem was the high calorie and fat heavy meals I was eating, but another part of my problem was the bulky portions.

At the beginning of the competition my wife, Beth, gave me a great piece of advice. She told me that I should eat only until I am satisfied, not until I am full. At first I thought of this philosophy as ridiculous, but then I realized that it actually makes sense. If you eat until you're satisfied, you should be, well, satisfied. As time went on I found it physically and mentally easier not to eat beyond "satisfied."

I really only gained about three pounds while on leave. With the type and amount of food I ate, I have determined that my metabolism must be swinging in full gear. Metabolism is a word that I hear frequently. It is usually used in reference to those certain people who can and choose to eat whatever or however much they want without ever growing plump. I always thought that metabolism just wasn't in my genetic genes. After this week I have learned that maybe that isn't so. Maybe it is something I can learn to control, like before the holiday season ... or the Super Bowl.

Regardless of how little I gained this past week, I still lost a little momentum. I definitely plan to reengage my workout routine. I am considering working out twice a day on "physical training" days.

I am also planning on making an appointment with a nutrition counselor at the Pope Fitness Center to see how much I should be eating on increased workout days.

Aside from nutrition consultations, there are also fitness classes available. Although, some of the classes, like yoga, aren't a perfect match for me, I am excited to participate in others, like the "fat burner" class. After all, that is just what I need.