I don’t know if it’s fair to really have made this long holiday weekend a test, but I sorta did. All in all, I don’t think I did so bad – and of COURSE after a weekend where I took 2 days off, had 2 days of good backyard patio drinking going on, and hosted a BBQ with too much yummy good, there might be a little gain. C’est la vie. It’s Wednesday, and I’m about 1 lb up from last week’s weigh in. I’m thinking that by the weekend I’ll be back under 160 and this week will be a wash and we can get on with it next week.
I did go back to tracking. It just feels like a reasonable thing to do and it’s a nice check. It was a good break for the last week to just eat as I felt like, and I did notice a few extra chocolates creep into my consumption, but considering the time of month, that’s pretty normal. I’m kinda used to the “earn my calories” philosophy, although I can’t be sure that I was exact each day, I did definitely chill on the calories on non-workout days (minus memorial day proper).
Here’s the familiar rub – I know how to eat to stay around my same weight. My body wants to stay around 160 here. I’m rarely much over 160 for long even when I abuse the chompings a bit, but it’s hard for me to get much UNDER it either no matter how good I am. I’m tempted to say that maybe THIS is my happy weight, but it’s not. I was much happier with my appearance 10 lbs ago (I think this gain went straight to my tummy and face, the two places that suck the worst) and didn’t seem to have much problems maintaining without a race thrown in. So here I am again, 2 months years later, banging my head against the 150’s still. Battling my size 6 jeans that once fit but now don’t. But I digress.
Last week, I have no recollection of calories in or calories out. I took the week off running and DDR because of my heel. I rode my bike a lot. I rode about 12 miles Monday, 14.5 miles Tuesday (and bike commuted for the first time!), arc trainer’d for 40 mins on Wednesday, did 45 mins of weights on Thursday at the gym, rode my bike about 8.5 miles Friday, took Saturday off, rode my bike 18 miles (a new all-at-one-time record) Sunday, and took Monday off. Yeah, 2 sessions of weights and yoga fail. But I did have an awesome biking week! I can tell I’m getting faster and stronger in my quads. 18 miles was a bit long…it’s certainly going to be a bit of training to get to 25 (let alone the swim before and the 10k after) but I think I’m up for it.
This week, I’m going back to the norm. I’m going to give it my all to chip away at these last few silly lbs until our July 4th trip. So far, the schedule is looking like:
Monday: off (walking a mile or two, tubing down the river), maybe 1800 calories.
Tuesday: weights and yoga (300 burnt), ate about 1550.
Wednesday: 12 mile ride, 5k run (850 cal), eat about 1800.
Thursday: 40 mins arc trainer or bike commute (500 cal), eat about 1600.
Friday: weights/run intervals (600 cal), eat about 1700.
Saturday: 20 mile bike ride (1000 cal), eat about 2000.
Sunday: swim 800m (400 cal), eat about 1600.
I have a feeling I’ll skip ONE of these since this is crazysauce calorie burn but I’d like to PLAN on doing it all. I’m pretty set on the long ride to get my mileage up. And the swim since I haven’t in a week. I don’t want to go much above a 5k running until I go get new shoes and I know it’s not going to be a huge issue anyway (hello taking off most of last summer and then bouncing right into half marathon training). But I do want to get some nice soft-landing treadmill runs. So that leaves tomorrow’s workout but I really want to do that too.
Hi, my name is Quix, and I am insane. And since I have nothing else to say, I will leave you with a video of a dog riding a turtle. Take it easy, see ya soon!
I'm a video game producer and a lover of anything game related by trade. I'm a triathlete by hobby. I live for being on or in the water as much as I can - scuba diving, snorkeling, paddleboarding, water slides... you name it. The dichotomy between my outdoor and indoor realities are interesting, but they're all mine! Longer version
Divinari
I have an unhappy idea. Plan for a time, maybe a month or two, where you can attempt to give up drinking. I have a sneaky suspicion it may be part of your current barrier.
Believe me, I KNOW not drinking sucks ass. But, you seem to have tried everything else. I know you’ve gotten below where you are now, but it was tough then, too. I’m pretty sure you track the alky calories, but it has some serious bodily ramifications past the calorie load (kinda like salt).
One good-ish thing about not drinking much anymore? When I do, I’m a comparative lightweight. Like, at normal person drinking levels. 😉
So, maybe find a socially light month or two and give it a try. Hell, it should probably only take three weeks for your body to even out and see if it makes a difference. Logically, if your body is anything vaguely like mine, the lack of drink will help the tummy puffy I seem to think you occassionally complain of.
Maybe do it when it gets too hot for patio weather. Or wait ’til it’s Winter and miserable outside.
I’m also still eager beaver to hear about your new news you can’t share yet!
Quix
In all honesty? That’s in the small inner circle of things that I won’t give up right now even if it means staying this weight, along with (mostly good but some empty) carbs. Maybe someday when I become a grown up it will become more occasional but I’m already turning down MULTIPLE occasions to drink socially per week. I try to limit it to one night on the weekends and occasionally a glass of wine or 2 on a weekday. I am back to modifying my food intake to compensate for it where I wasn’t before April (which in turn makes me likely to drink less – drinking a lot + less than 1000 food calories = crushing hangovers).
I’m well aware that this process would go smoother if I could wrap myself in my own personal bubble with only myself, exercise equipment, water, and healthy food. 😉
Diane Fit to the Finish
I read your other commenters thoughts and then yours. I too had some things that were in my “inner circle.” You just have to work around those – right?!
It sounds like a killer exercise plan – I’d be exhausted after all that, but I know you can do it!
charlotte
I find your self experimenting fascinating! (But then I would, I suppose.) I’m not sure what to tell you about your current head-banging plateau except to say I feel your pain sister. My pants don’t fit either and I refuse to accept that THIS is my weight for the rest of my life.
But.
I’m doing a little (extra?) experimenting this month. I’m doing the Geneen Roth thing like I explained on my site – so far I love it and it’s going great – but I’m also toying around with my macronutrients again. I’ve upped my fat intake to 50% of my daily calories (and I didn’t go paleo – I still eat plenty o’ carbs, very little protein). The only thing I changed was the fat. And I have to say I really feel a difference in satiety. I stay fuller much longer. It’s too early to say whether it’s my “magic bullet” or whatever (do those even exist?) but so far it does seem to be helping. Anyhow, just something to think about. I’ll let you know how it all pans out after the month is over or you can just try adding some extra fat to your diet (but still staying under your same cals) with me!