207.0 lbs
After 3 weeks of Insanity and clean-ish eating. I have to admit I was disappointed. I was hoping for around 205. I knew I wasn't down to 200. But, I was hoping for more. I combed articles regarding weight loss post-Insanity and found quite a few responses that helped me pinpoint where I may have gone wrong, or if I went wrong at all. A lot of people don't seem to lose weight on Insanity until the last couple of weeks so I should be glad I did. Don't get me wrong, 4.3 lbs is good, it's a loss, but I expected more because I think I could have accomplished that with diet alone. So, it is time to reassess and reevaluate, what were the reasons for the lower number:
- My muscles are still adapting to the exertion - they may be retaining fluid - I'm not sure that this should have affected fat loss and there is not much I can do about this except be happy that my muscles are developing
- Not enough calories - I should be eating 1200. I am not. Most people versed in fitness and training would say that here is my problem and I agree. I also wasn't tracking my calories because I find it to be a hassle. So, from now on and especially from July 1st onwards I will track my calories on Myfitnesspal, eat 1200 calories/day in 5-6 small meals per day.
- Not enough cardio - I am not the ideal participant (the obesity and all) for Insanity so perhaps I'm not getting the ideal results. I need fat loss right now, so I will walk/run 1 hr. on the treadmill and continue my Insanity workouts for toning and muscle-building.
- Not enough water - I am drinking more water now than I did before (almost none), but now I need to really up the water intake to avoid fluid retention and bloating.
- Clean eating - while I've been eating low carb, except for occasional carbs to up my energy, I am going to switch to clean eating and avoid all processed, white carbohydrates as usual and permit oats and whole-grains where possible. Again, though, I'll be focusing on getting 1200 calories as stated in point # 2 and they add up fast.
Based on this, I am ready to go full-force next month. This week I will be travelling so I will restart Insanity on Monday but I will do other videos tomorrow, like Hip-hop abs. I've also heard really good things about Chalean Extreme, so I think I will actually try that next after I finish Insanity, then I'll consider Insanity again.
The month's not over though and I plan to get down as close to Onederland as possible by the end of the week by incorporating the above plan. I ate very high-carb today because I was a little upset but, in reality, I probably finally ate how much I should be eating anyway. I have been eating woefully little but my ED brain believes in extremes - very low calorie or bingeing, it knows little of balance. But, I know that is the essential piece of the puzzle. 4.3 lbs is about 1.43 lbs per week which...is not good enough for me. I am proud of the loss, proud that I'm moving forward but because I weigh so much at the moment, I should be losing more in proportion to how much I have been working. Of course the diet is a problem and I need to start working with my body rather than against it. And, I am 7 lbs away from a major milestone. I know I can't lose all 7 lbs in a week but if my body is retaining water (my period just ended), then maybe I could see a greater loss.
All in all, I am moving in the right direction: Forward. I refuse to backslide, I will not give up. My goal for next month is 187.5 lbs. I know I can get there. And, importantly, I know my body is changing. It isn't the overnight transformation that my ED brain expected and that is fine. I know if I keep going in this direction I will eventually get to my first major goal of 165 lbs. and that's only 42 lbs away! It doesn't seem as daunting as before now that I've lost 33 lbs! That is the important thing. Today, after the weigh-in, I was thinking about how I just want to keep working toward a 1 lbs weight loss. I know it sounds weird after all I've just said. But I want to think about it differently. Just working to get off one pound, one drop in the bucket to keep filling it up, rather than being preoccupied with the ocean (it's really now more of a lake!). I'm not too worried about LA either. It'll be sunny, and the heat, dancing and activity will help me stay in check. Last time I went, I barely ate and when I did it was junk food. This time I plan to be more careful but I also plan on enjoying myself in moderation. As well, I didn't gain weight from my last vacation which tells me that I really wasn't eating much. Something about travelling just makes me lose my appetite.
Also, I haven't yet decided how often I will weigh myself. While I had said every 2 weeks initially, I think that's too long. I think everyday weighing is dangerous but it may help me track .X changes and I will only "keep" the amount I weigh at week's end. I think that system might work if it doesn't fuck with my head too much. I will start back on Monday and forego the scale this week.
Anyway, another weight milestone to cross off my list: 30 lbs down! My reward is an Itunes purchase (which is funny because I spent all day on Itunes yesterday forgetting that it was one of the rewards - don't know what I'll buy yet). So, happy with my result but prepared and ready to bear down for the challenge ahead. Here's to the next 10:
