Welcome To The Rumble Strip

On nearly every highway and even on some town roads you’ll see the distinctive grooves near the white shoulder lines known as the rumble strip. It’s a safety precaution that was first used on New Jersey’s Garden State Parkway in 1952, to alert drivers when they crossed the white shoulder line. If you’ve ever hit one at any decent rate of speed the sound can be jarring and if you were falling asleep or unaware you’d certainly become aware quickly. 

I had to use this concept in my weight maintenance. In my past I’ve had some very unhealthy habits with weighing myself when on a weight loss program. When I opted for weight loss surgery I made conscious decision to only weigh myself at the doctor’s office. Weighing myself too frequently puts so much focus on the numbers and not what was actually happening with my body. 

After the first year the trips to the doctor are less frequent and I decided on weighing myself at home every few months.   This works for me because I’m not hopping on the scale all the time and freaking out about numbers. The downfall of this is the challenge of establishing where you are in between weigh ins. Hence, The Rumble Strip. 

I gain weight around my midsection before anywhere else. I’ve always been “apple shaped” and at my heaviest weight I had a 59″ waistline. My waistline is my Rumble Strip. If I notice my pants are a little snug or my shirts don’t hang the same I know I’ve hit The Rumble Strip. Time to look back, focus, and return to basics. 

I put on a pair of jeans the other day and didn’t like the way they fit. They zipped and buttoned but not with the same ease. There’s The Rumble Strip! In looking back, I noticed that even though I don’t eat  the sugary joy of Easter I did tend to eat more frequently. I was probably subconsciously overcompensating for the amount of sugar I was staring at on a daily basis. This type of reflection is good because I’m noticing patterns of behavior and when I notice them I can shift and address them. 

It was time to weigh in. Truth be told, I was a little anxious. I knew it wasn’t a crazy amount because all my clothes still fit but what was it? Seemed like an eternity for the scale to deliver my results.

Six pounds since my last weight check in November 2016. In the months leading up to November I was running a lot of miles per week training for the marathon. After a busy winter where I was not as physically active I’ll accept 1.5lb gain per month. What I will not accept is the keeping of this additional weight. 

In the past, if I gained so much as a pound on a diet I’d likely throw in the towel and go right back to Ben & Jerry’s for breakfast! Now, I just return to basics, be sure to plan better, recognize my eating behaviors, and act accordingly. Weight loss surgery is a tool. How you use the tool over time is the real barometer to success. 

If you find yourself in a slump or going in the reverse direction of your goals do not give up. Establish a Rumble Strip that works for you and when you get that jolt, wake up and swerve back into your lane.