Current Weight: 225.5
Current Gain: 3.5
Alright, so obviously there is some info behind this gain. As I mentioned in my last post, I didn't work out a lot the last week of Boston because of just a general "wonky" feeling. Well, my first workout after I felt better I made a rookie mistake, and one that I knew better to make... I overdid it. I felt so happy to be back on the treadmill that instead of easing myself back into my routine, I went whole hog and ran 4.5 miles. It just felt so great to sweat again! Well, the next day I was walking around Boston and all of sudden, BAM! Knee pain in my right knee. It never swelled up too much (just slightly) and I just had some shooting pain. And just like that, I was out of commission until it felt better. Let this serve as a lesson, don't overdo it people!!
So, I basically didn't exercise for over a week, with the exception of the run where I injured myself. Then, to top it all off last weekend we played a casino. A casino that provided us with food coupons. The problem being that all of their food options were DOUSED with sodium and there weren't that many healthy options. I felt so dehydrated and overloaded with sodium, that it actually hurt to bend my fingers in the morning! They felt like they were in sausage casings! The good news was that I started to ease myself back into my exercise routine over that weekend and got in a workout on the elliptical and a short run. Slow, but steady start.
Needless to say, this week and from here on out I'm trying to get back in my routine and detoxing the sodium from my system. I'm trying to not eat out this week and drinking as much water as possible. It's tough, but I need to figure out a way to make this work on my new schedule this year.
That's where my puzzle analogy comes in. The first year I was on this tour, I couldn't figure out the puzzle. I had the pieces there, but I couldn't figure out how they fit together to make it work so that I could successfully continue on this journey and so it meant that I basically plateaued for a year. I fluctuated between the same ten pounds, and by the time I started the second year of the tour, I was 15 pounds heavier than when I started the first. However, maybe I needed that first year to happen because it sparked my motivation and I finally managed to put the pieces together and make it work last year. The pieces were the same as the first year, I just figured it out. I got in my routine and the results speak for themselves. I am currently 30 pounds lighter than I was one year ago.
This is my current plan: I have downloaded a new running app called "Running for Weight Loss" that I am going to be using for a few months. It should actually take me up until I need to start the actual training for the half marathon. With this app, it incorporates walking, running and sprinting and it claims that with a ratio of these three things you should actually lose more weight than simply straight running and it is supposed to make you faster. It is structured pretty similarly to a Couch to 5K or 10K program, and I like that it is going to make me run for about 45 minutes each time. Less easy for me to cop out. I am going to be more stringent about my cross training in between these days and am going to make myself actually strength train this time. I keep saying that I'm going to do it, and then I never follow through. I have to admit, this summer while I was doing the Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred video, I did actually notice a difference with how I felt and so I want to get back to that.
The diet is going to be the hard part, as it's the thing that throws the most kinks into the formula. I am going to continue to try and eat out as little as possible, but I know that there are going to be times where that just isn't possible. Somethings that I'm also going to explore is incorporate some paleo aspects. I know, I know... I've been pretty anti-paleo as I haven't seen it as sustainable for me, but I think to get me over this hump, I'm going to try and incorporate it for a bit. I need to do some more research on the topic, so I won't be doing anything until I fully feel like I have a grasp on what I am doing. The other thing that I'm going to incorporate is intermittent fasting. To be perfectly honest, I was trying to do this already but just didn't know that it had an official title. I'm not going to any super extremes here, like not eating for 24 hours, but more that I am giving myself a timed window in which to eat and get in my calories. Like I said, I pretty much was doing this already (I try to stop eating by 8 PM) but I wasn't as strict in the morning eating hours. For now I'm going to try 10 am - 8 PM, and then slim it down a bit more over time. I have more research to do on this topic, and hope to share some of it with you as I become more comfortable with it.
So, that's my plan at the the moment. I hope every has a great Halloween. Allow yourself a treat or two, but don't let it do a trick on you (see what I did there?) and try not to overindulge too much.
Have a great week!
I think you're doing fantastic, considering that you are literally living on the road out of a hotel room. That would be so challenging.
ReplyDeleteI'm very curious to see how the fasting goes. I don't think I could do it, I get up around 6:00 AM and usually need to eat by 8:00 AM. I've read that it's best to eat 1-2 hours after getting up, and also that it's best to not eat 2-3 hours before bed. That's the hard one for me - by the time I work out in the evening, then make dinner, it's after 8:00 PM, and I try to get to bed between 10-11 PM. Good luck, let me know how it goes!
hi I am your fellow dietbet10 participant. :) I saw your blog address today in db10 board and that is how I end it up here. :) I became interested on IM recently and looked up some info regarding various flavor of IF. The lowest fasting hour per day from these various flavors of IF was 16 hours if I remember correctly. Hence, I think you should aim for that if you want to give it a try on IF. so your fasting will be 8PM - 12PM(on following day). I guess you can start with some break in period to reach that window but it seems like 16 hours of fasting are the minimum that one need to aim for IF.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you probably understand this but exercise has very small effect on weight loss. Your diet will be the key factor. I've heard that and seen that many people loose the weight solely based on diet alone. But, I've never seen people who lost substantial amount of weight (more than 15-20lb or more than 10% of pre-exercise weight) with exercise only.
Eating very limited set of healthy food can be an option. It is painful to eat same thing over and over but it is doable. :) I've done that for last 4 month. :) I am doing SCD (slow carb diet) which are more restrictive than paleo. Hence, you are very limited to what you can eat (at least six days of week). But, it works out ok with my busy schedule and terrible cooking skill.
Yes, I am aware that I'm not hitting the 16 hour fasting period yet, however that's why I said I'm going to slim it down once I start with the 10-8 PM window. I'm working my way up to it, rather than just going whole hog and jumping right in.
DeleteI've also always been aware that diet is the key to weight loss. If you go back and read past blog entries, or I've even mentioned in the diet bet multiple times, that I believe weight loss is 80% diet and 20% fitness. I believe that fitness is an important component, but it's not actually necessary. However, since I've lost almost 90 pounds and have been on this journey for a while, fitness is now necessary for me to lose weight. I can't do it on diet alone, nor can I do it with exercise alone. I need to find a balance between the two that works for me to lose the last 20 pounds.
Yeah, that is totally true.. if you've been doing this for long time and already lost significant weight, it becomes really tricky. In that sense, it maybe the right time for your to consider the other ways of dieting (such as paleo) . Change might break the plateau. Good luck with your diet and hope you are start to make progress again. :) By the way, my name is Young. Say hi to me if you see me in db10 board... :)
Deletei dont put restrictions on the hours i eat. i just make sure i get all of my points (im doing WW) in per day, if i go to the gym (i go at 8pm) and get home around 9, if i want a snack and have the points for it, i eat it. i wont eat an entire meal at 9pm but a 2 point ice cream bar isnt going to kill me (ok they are greek yogurt bars from WW-i really like them).
ReplyDeletei also know nothing about paleo (well i know a tiny bit). but good luck. :) im sure next weeks weigh in will be down.