11 November

I don't think I'm going to have time to post anything tomorrow...or should I say "later today".

Here's the stats for today:

Total calories consumed: 5346...which is 2611 more than I strictly needed to maintain my weight. Which right now is downright variable.

I've been actively gaining for one week and in that time have eaten 9317 extra calories (that is, above and beyond my basic caloric needs at this weight). By all calculations, I should be at least 2.5 pounds heavier than I was last Friday...and I guess we'll see when I get up later today.

I broke down and purchased a different scale this evening and it's MUCH more sensitive to weight fluctation than the other scale. The old scale, although it had a digital readout, was actually just a regular spring scale with some fancy electronics added for the display...and it appeared to be accurate to +/- up to 5 pounds and weighed me the same whether I was wearing jeans and a sweater or buck naked. Not good.

This new scale is truly digital/electronic and appears to shift around within a pound or so (and that just could actually be small differences in my weight depending on how much I'd eaten/had to drink, etc.) In all, it seems to be taking much more accurate measurements.

I only paid $5 for the new scale (it was in a used classified ad) but had to drive nearly 100 km round trip in the dark on country roads to pick it up. I'm not sure if I came out ahead financially when you consider the cost of gas and the hour and a half of my life sacrificed for it, but at least I'm recycling/reusing something instead of buying a brand new one. And, for all intents and purposes, this appears to be a good scale (except that it has the word "Thinner" printed across it. I think I'm going to paint that out and replace it with the word "Fatter". How's that for motivation?)

Not much has changed physically for me since my last post earlier today. I did notice when I was out walking tonight that my belly is quickly becoming more prominent. I think from this point on it's going to be impossible to hide from anyone the fact that I'm gaining weight...and fast. I learned from the last time I gained that 185 seems to be right about where all the extra fat starts going to my belly in a big way.

As I said before, I plan to start posting progress shots from 190 lbs on up (I don't think anyone really wants to see the modest paunch I'm sporting now. I'm waiting until I actually have something worthwhile to show...though I AM taking progress pictures for my own records. God willing, I'm never going to be THIS thin again and someday I might want to have a reminder of just how scrawny I was so I can fully realize just how far I've come.)

Added note: as of 10 am today, I officially weigh 184.5.

And...finally...on this day of remembrance, please take some time to really consider the sacrifices our military men and women have made (and continue to make) in order for the rest of us to live our lives in freedom.