Thursday, October 20, 2011

{Fitness} Falling off the Wagon

So I weighed myself on Monday, and I was up by 1/4 of a lb. Which was depressing after losing a pound a week the two weeks before. I could claim that it is my muscle mass growing, but I know that I wasn't stellar with my calories all weekend. We had Chipotle on Friday night, Saturday we road tripped out to Blue Ridge Parkway, and Sunday we had a picnic, and I just wanted to eat what I wanted to eat.


And this gal, who was my best friend during pregnancy and nursing, I have heartlessly abandoned the past couple of weeks, only picking her up to go to the gym. Seriously, I was drinking 8 cups a day easy for months, and suddenly I'm down to maybe 3.

The calorie counting thing is a straight shot to weight loss, but I have to admit, I miss my carb-and-dairy heavy diet. Yesterday I had a salad for lunch. Don't cry for me, Argentina. It was a good one at least. But still. I used to have a bagel an apple and some cheese, and I prefer that.

Anyway, though I did go up a teeny bit, I guess I didn't fall off the wagon completely. Because I did go to the gym four times and track my calorie intake enough that I was only taking in my "maintain weight" calories instead of my weight loss.

So I guess I'm sort of holding on to the tail end of the wagon for dear life.

But I'm not going to lie, it felt bad to see the scale go up.

And though I've been doing crunches 160 crunches (4 different styles, 2 sets of 20 each) after every workout, I still look pregnant (but squishier).

That said (or whined) I have noticed some cool things. For one thing, I am usually in pain at the gym, but I suddenly don't care. I have always cared about that. But now I almost feel separate from the pain. And another thing, I am actually noticing that I have to step up my game to keep things challenging. More crunches, more intensity on the cardio equipment. So I may not be getting skinnier right now, but at least I am getting stronger.

I think the hardest part sometimes is knowing that this is not a goal that is going to be over at the end of October; it is a lifestyle change. And though I know a lot of it will get easier and more intuitive, it is kind of exhausting to think about doing this for the rest of my life.

4 comments:

Allana said...

Lifestyle changes are hard to make. Don't lose hope, it's not a failure! It's a learning moment. And hey, props to you for getting stronger. That's awesome. I am failing at that!

Paul and Madeline said...

Don't worry too much! I don't know about you, but my weight fluctuates by like 3 pounds depending on the day, so I wouldn't worry about 1/4 of a pound personally.

I am really impressed that you're doing so well, and that you have the willpower to count calories! You are a stronger woman than I am for sure!

Madeline

Melissa S. said...

That's the WORST when you don't see an "end" to a goal. You're right, lifestyle change....yadda yadda....I hate that phrase. ;)You know what though? Women's weight fluctuate DRAMATICALLY depending on where they are in their monthly cycle as well. As your body gets ready for certain things....eh hem..... it will let down weight and hold on to it by a few pounds.
PS- I dumped my girlfriend/waterbottle a LONG time ago, so you're doing better then me.

Christie (and Eric) said...

Just remember the scale can be deceiving. Madeline's right, your weight does fluctuate with the time of day, time of month, etc.

Plus (with running anyway - I'm sure gym workouts are the same!), it's supposed to take 2 to 3 weeks for the calorie deficit to become noticeable in your body/weight.

So my advice would be to focus on how you feel - the better you feel, the more you will want to eat healthy and want to work out. And if you want a bagel with cheese every now and then, do it. The more you enjoy your diet, the more likely you are to stick with it.

You are awesome!! Keep it up!