Why I'm doing this (and what I'm doing)

I need some serious help.

Feb. 17, 2004 I started a weight-loss program. I was 189 lbs (5 foot 3 inches tall) and 29 years old. The program was extremely expensive, and extremely effective: I went from a sedentary, uncoordinated, life-long-last-picked-for-the-team person to, frankly, a 138 lb athlete.

I've competed in three triathlons, three half-marathons, and a full marathon. This year I'm training for a half-Ironman.

I wear a size 6 most of the time.

And I still eat compulsively. Actually, I think it might be worse than before I lost the weight, because then I felt guilty and could stop, and now I just go exercise more.

I see only fat every time I look in the mirror, and I need constant reassurance that I'm not fat.

One of the things people who have had success with weight loss do is meal-track. I've meal-tracked on and off for the last few years, but I want to be more consistent. I'm hoping the blog can help me with that.

And I've also wanted to keep an exercise journal for a while; this can serve as both. And maybe the public aspect of it will keep me honest.

So here's the data for today.

Exercise: Swim 1 mile (40 minutes); run 5 miles (50 minutes); my bike on the trainer (50 minutes); upper-body weights with some combinations. Total calories burned = 1060.

Food:
Pre-workout: Raspberry tartlets and coffee with cream: 180 cals
Breakfast: Banana bread; 2 oz ham; lite cheese; coffee with cream: 545 cals
Lunch: 5 oz chicken breast; salad with light dressing; potato salad: 405 cals
Snack: Dark chocolate: 140 cals
Dinner: 5 oz chicken breast; soup; slice bread: 455 cals
Treat: More dark chocolate: 70 cals

TOTAL calories consumed: 2164
TOTAL calories burned: 2460 (my regular metabolic rate is about 1400)

Calorie deficit: (296)

End of day weight without going to the bathroom and after consuming about 40 oz of water: 146.4