My Plan to Lose Weight by Gaining Weight is Working!

When we last left our plucky dieter (me!), my diet plan for January & February was for me to gain 2 pounds each month in order to lose weight. You can read and try and make sense of that logic in the complete post HERE, but the gist is that it is inevitable that I will gain weight in the winter, so I need to control my weight gain, unlike in years past when I have inflated like a balloon at a kid’s birthday party by the end of winter.

That is me after most winters. Oh, but not this one. I planned to limit my weight gain which would allow me to start Spring weighing less than a year ago. After only gaining a pound in December, I planned to add 2 pounds each month in January and February. Then I could start March at 9 pounds less than last year. I lost 17 pounds in 2020 before the cold weather hit, so if I could lose just 15 additional pounds this year, I would be very happy at being down 24 total pounds from my peak in early 2020. Whew, I did not realize there would be math required with this post.

So, what did I do to only gain 2 pounds in January? Well, I exercised less. Take a look …

My steps were slightly down in January, but I think the snow we got toward the end of the month helped increase my anaerobic workouts. The end result is that I finished January up only 1 more pound. Yay? Now I have some options to consider for February:

1. Exercise even less.
2. Eat more.
3. Get my scale checked and calibrated.

Certainly, the eating more option seems most appealing to me, especially with the Super Bowl this Sunday.

Winter has settled in here with a vengance, bringing lots of snow and bitter cold temps. February will definitely be a challenge as I feel hibernation mode coming on, like this bear under a porch …

I hate being woken from a pre-hibernation nap. I don’t blame the bear for leaving behind some “presents” as he departs. And how did the guy continue filming after the first time the bear charged?

Anyway, if I can limit my weight gain to 2 pounds in February, I will have limited my winter weight gain to 7 pounds, which is less than normal for me. Yes, there will be snow and cold still in March, but I also recall 80 degree days and swimming in the neighborhood lake in past Marches. If I can just make it to the end of February up another pound or 2, I’ll be in good shape and ready to lose more weight in 2021. My goal is to eventually lose enough so that I actually disappear into the ether. Wait and see.