Here I am 10 months after my last blog post. Again, I fell off the wagon, then had an 8 month party.
But, frustrated again with my weight (it climbed back up too) and ready for a true change, I have finally figured this whole mess out.
The Mr. and I did go through some pretty awful months in the spring. We were dealing with quite a load of stress and trauma. For now, it seems to have settled out - thank goodness! - and we are moving along.
After realizing my weight had ballooned back up to above 280 lbs, I realized that I truly needed to figure this out. I wanted to live healthier and FEEL healthier. This weight is hurting me in so many ways.
Thank goodness I came across some actual sound information during my research. Basically, it all comes down to two words:
Calorie Deficit
What does this mean exactly? I will tell you.
1. You are eating too many calories.
2. You are STILL eating too many calories
3. See above.
That's it
There is no "starvation mode" or major adjustment in your metabolism. There is no gaining an equal amount of muscle while losing the same amount of fat.
So if I am not losing weight/fat, then I am simply not creating enough of a Calorie Deficit to show on the scale (or in inches).
BOOM!
Mind blown!
As I read through this blog that explained the magical law of Calorie Deficit, a humongous light bulb went off above my head.
Seriously, didn't you feel the world was brighter that day?!
Anyhoo. Point is, I feel like I figured out the trick to this weight fat loss and even what to do if the scale stops going down.
Right now I'm in the first week. We will see what the scale reflects on Monday morning. Monday will still be our "free meal" day since we do need one. Some people are able to go through their week and either balance out enough that they can enjoy a higher caloric meal without affecting their bottom line.
But in my case (and the Mr.), we like having a free meal. I have realized, however, that I can't just do an entire Free Day. Basically binge eating all day. That essentially kills any calorie deficit I've created the rest of the week and is reflected on the scale later.
DUH!
The other notion about the scale not going down (or going down much) because I think that I've gained 3-4 lbs of muscle in that week and it's affecting my overall loss is utter bull crap too.
Basically, we do gain muscle mass (if you are Strength training, more on that later), but it is SO not at the speed we think. It takes several months and lots of strength training to gain just a few pounds of muscle. And that is only for a Beginner! (otherwise a female can gain about 5 lbs of muscle in a YEAR)
Bottom line is, I am now going to very specifically document and calculate every single calorie that I consume. In fact, I realize I have to be a bit obsessive about it.
As long as this works (and it WILL) that's just fine with me. The fact that I will have a workable fix if the scale isn't moving down, is such a relief to me.
Here we go with my LAST restart!
08/19/14
Starting Weight: 284.6 lbs
Inches
Inches
- Neck - 16
- Arms - 16.25
- Chest - 41
- Upper Waist (spare tire) - 53
- Waist (belly button) - 49
- Hips - 59
- Thigh - 32.5
- Calf - 18.25
Meal plan
Daily calorie allotment: > 1500
Other Nutritional Goals: Protein - 100 to 130 g, Fat < 60 g, Carbs < 150 g, 1 gallon of H2O
This is an ideal balance, but I haven't quite hit it yet. Fortunately I have stayed under 1500 calories! And my protein intake has increased tremendously. The biggest thing I've noticed about that is I am truly less hungry throughout the day! WAHOOO!
In fact, the last two days I have only consumed about 1000 calories. I understand this is a bit on the low side, but so far, I'm feeling good hunger-wise and still have decent energy. So I look at it that I am just making up for my calorie binge on Monday.
Exercise Plan
Strength Training 101!
We decided to give Strength training a go. I really didn't want to go through a crap-ton of cardio (like before) only to not have the calorie deficit I needed, not to mention that my weight loss might actually be muscle loss!
Strength training will help reduce my muscle loss (and in fact, the goal is to increase muscle) while my body loses FAT with my calorie deficit.
These workouts are only done 3 times a week, with at least a day rest in between (20 min walk on off days)
And yes, muscle does burn more calories (thus technically improving your metabolism), which is definitely why I want to do strength training for my workouts. OVER TIME I will see an increase in calorie burn.
Workout A:
Core - Plank for 30 seconds (work up to 60 sec)
Glutes/Hams (both legs) - Squat to overhead press
Lats - Barbell/Dumbbell pullover
Quadriceps (both legs) - Squat with barbell/dumbbell
Chest - Barbell/Dumbbell bench press
Deadlift
Workout B:
Core - Plank for 30 seconds (work up to 60 sec)Glutes/Hams (single leg) - Single leg glute bridge
Upper Back - Barbell/Dumbbell row
Quadriceps (single leg) - Step Up with/without dumbbell
Triceps - Lying Tricep Extension
Calves - Calf Raise
We've already completed one round of both workouts. Of course the first day after, super sore! But now since we completed Workout B, my legs are feeling better. I do a light 20 min walk on my off days and that should help as well.
I can't wait to see my progress on Monday!
:~D
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