I want to do a follow-up to a vlog I did a few weeks ago called “Maintenance Weight Creep.” In that vlog, I talked about how my weight had crept up even though I’d shaved off food. 

First, I need to apologize because in that vlog I was not mindful of how my words would land for someone with an eating disorder that included extreme food restriction. 

I talked with Dr. Joy Jacobs and she helped me understand how she guides people in what we call the Fifth Bright Line Community. The Fifth Bright Line is no bingeing, no purging, no restricting. 

Dr. Jacobs reminded me that there’s nuance to coaching someone around their food—because everyone is different. I don’t come from a food restriction background and my food addiction has been in full remission for many years, so shaving out food works for me. But if you come from this background, or your food addiction is recently active, it is not an approach for you. I should have mentioned this, and I apologize that I didn’t.

Right after the vlog came out, several things changed quickly for me. The first is that I got an InBody scan. Generally, electrical impedance scans aren’t very accurate, but I trust InBody scans. They show a high level of reliability compared to DEXA and other forms of body composition measurement. 

What I found from this scan shocked me. My lean body mass was way up. I’ve been lifting weights, so that shouldn’t come as a surprise. Lean mass includes muscle as well as intracellular and extracellular water, and all together it’s a very positive sign. 

In addition, my fat mass was down. I didn’t think that would all be the case because my waist measurement is on the higher end of my range, but now I believe this is happening due to age. I’m 50 now, and my waist is an inch or so bigger than it was ten or twenty years ago.

So, overall, the fact that my weight is up a bit is a good thing. Adding lean mass is one of the best predictors of longevity and health. 

The next thing that happened was that I realized I’d been decreasing my thyroid medicine. I have an extreme case of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, and I have two doctors who track my thyroid: a world-renowned thyroid specialist and an amazing functional medicine doctor. I brought this up at an appointment, and we decided to go back up on my thyroid medicine. Now, I feel less cold and my metabolism has come roaring back.

Meanwhile, I work with my personal trainer. I start with 35–40 minutes of stretches, and I began doing those earlier, before the sessions begin, which gives us close to an hour of pumping iron (as opposed to 20–25 minutes), a dramatic increase.

Because of that, I’ve increased my food. Two additional proteins, and a three-ounce serving of grain. My body loves it, and my metabolism is way better. 

I thought I’d considered all the factors before I did the vlog on weight creep, but it turns out I hadn’t. The body and mind are such complex systems. I know the number on the scale is not a pure reflection of adipose tissue. It may be impacted by silly things, like whether you’ve pooped that day. And yet, my weight was up and I thought it was a thing. Turns out it wasn’t a thing. My weight’s up because I’m stronger.

Sometimes I think we don’t need bathroom scales. I know many of you have gotten rid of them. If my clothes fit, I’m fine. So I’m happy in Maintenance, and am thriving. There were just a few variables that I hadn’t considered. I’m getting over 100 grams of protein a day, and I need it because I’m lifting weights. I’m a work in progress. We all are. And I’m glad I got to share this chapter of my story with you.