My March to Weight Loss

I need to focus on March for weight loss, because February was a disaster. I gained a pound. On second thought, considering world events, the added pound in February probably doesn’t really qualify as a disaster.

It wasn’t for lack of effort that I gained weight. My steps/cycles remained consistent.

Negating those consistent steps was my love for chocolate and Valentine’s Day intersecting. It would help if my wife bought me chocolate from the dollar store rather than from the fancy-schmancy chocolatier in town. Maybe she loves me so much that she wants there to be more of me to love. Well, in February, she got her wish.

But Valentine’s Day was just one day. That can’t be the whole reason for my weight gain. I think I know what the real reason is though.

I seem to gain weight during what I call seasonal transition months, the months where the temps rise and fall more than a QAnon follower’s hope for JFK Jr’s return. I think the temperature fluctuations turn my metabolism wonky. In February, we had some milder weather followed by cold snaps and snow. Every time the weather turns cold, my body metabolism slows down as it preps for hibernation, and the weight piles on. That’s what happened to me in December.

March is normally more of a seasonal transition month than February, so to keep my metabolism in line, I will have to up the exercise. Last Saturday was a perfect day for a long walk or bike ride with temps nearing 70F/21C. Did I do that? Well, not exactly, but I did get out and about which helped ease my seasonal depression and improve my overall mental health. And then Sunday it snowed. Welcome back, seasonal depression. My mind knows that Spring is right around the corner, but my body wants to pack on the weight for hibernation. What’s a boy to do? Well, definitely not wear any crop tops until I drop some pounds.

The days are getting noticeably longer and warmer, despite 2 snows this past week. I no longer have to get my long, smelly walks in indoors. I am forcing myself to walk outside and doing my best to convince my mind and body that hibernation is not an option, except for an hour every Sunday at church. I just need to get past tomorrow when it is forecast to be 23F/-5C, and I get to march in a St. Patrick’s Day parade. Yay? At least I’ll get a lot of steps in. Spring arrives Sunday, not per the calendar, but per the thermometer. Mild days are ahead. I see the light at the end of the winter tunnel, and I think it is a sunny day.