So I broke the shocking news early January that I was so happy with my fitness regimen from Decemeber, that I was sticking with it for another month. The (small) crowd dropped their jaws in shock and awe. Now for the results, prepare to not be very surprised at some things, and perhaps more surprised at others…
To recap, this was the plan as of January 1:
-Day 1 and 3: 30 mins interval run, 15 minutes on Cybil, full body strength.
-Day 2: 60 minute run, yoga session
-Day 4: 60 minute DDR session, yoga session
By the end of the first week, the plan looked more like this:
-Day 1 : Intervals, cybil, and full body weights
-Day 2: Long run and yoga
-Day 3: Outside Run (about 3-4 miles), either DDR or cybil, and full body weights
-Day 4: DDR and yoga
The last week and a half, due to allergies/just needing a break, it is now:
-Day 1 and 3: DDR and yoga
-Day 2 and 4: DDR and full body strength
I cannot run and snot at the same time.
So this has taught me a myriad of things. First of all, I cannot ever do the same workout for 2 months straight or I will subconsciously revolt and develop allergies so I just physcially can’t do it. Secondly, even if I think that I’m handling the exercise regime we
ll, I need to make sure and schedule light weeks and breaks every few months, even if it freaks me out because that nagging voice in the back of my head is saying that if I skip a week of runs something terrible is going to happen.
Thirdly, DDR, done at the intensity I do it, is just about as sweat inducing as running, but somehow less tiring. I’d like to believe that the hour long DDR sessions actually burn the 1200 calories the game says I do at my weight, but I think it’s probably on par with an hour of running, which is about 750. When I run, I need at least an extra hour of sleep and regularly get tired around 11:30 pm (even on non-running days). This week, I’ve been seeing at least 12:30 if not 1am and been sleeping in a little more. Totally fine for my schedule on studio days which start at 10am no matter what, but not for office days – I can go in as late as 10am, but I like to get there closer to 8 so I’m off earlier. In summary, if I didn’t really actually like running and want to get better at it, I could probably stop doing it and go back to DDR for the same calorie burn.
Weight Loss Progress:
Sadly, it seems like the exercise really means squat in terms of weight loss. I am doing the same (or lighter) workouts this month, the only change I made was in my diet, and not a terribly drastic one – from approximately 1500-1600 calorie days most days (plus one untracked day – which at most was maaaaaybe 2300 calories, usually closer to 2000) to 1300 calorie days weekdays and 2000 or under calorie 
weekends. This is a change of about 1000 calories per week, or approximately 143 calories per day. Essentially, I’ve eliminated a snack each day.
This change was enough to break the frustrating cycle of premature maintenance. I just couldn’t break that 162 barrier and now I’m regularly weighing in at 158. This is a 5 lb loss this month, just as I hoped for. This makes me happy and dance! Although, it’s been anticlimactic since I had that huge loss the first week, and now the scale seems stuck, although I know my body is just adjusting to the changes. If my predictions are correct, next week should be a stellar week.
So, though we cannot have nice (workouts) things for more than a month, I’m truly pleased with how January went. It proved that the little subconscious fear I had that I cannot lose any more weight without taking drastic measures was just in my head. Also, it proved that I don’t have to increase my workout intensity that often to maintain or lose weight. Unless I want to. Which I often do, but on less calories, it’s nice to know I can just coast a little.
Incidentally, I toyed with the choice in the middle of last year (once I really fell in love with running) of focusing on the athletic/fitness side of this, or focusing on the weight loss side. I ended up endeavoring to do both, however, it is slowly hitting me that I might need to pick a side after all. Once I hit maintenance it will be lovely to not eat to lose and have enough fuel to amp things up, but until then, maybe I need to back off the intensity a little (or at least not increase it so much all the time) until I am done. To clarify – the most important thing to me for the long term is to be capable, toned, and athletic. However, I am so close to settling the weight issue with myself in the short term, I think the answer might be to focus on that, and then give myself free reign to go wild after the scale is just a double check.
Just something to think about as I ponder February’s plan. As in, argh! omg! I haven’t really thought about it and it’s January 30th, eep! Anyone ever have to make the choice between weight loss and fitness pursuits, or am I the only one that seems to think they might be mutually exclusive? Wanna convince me that I am a lovely and perfect snowflake just as I am, and I don’t need to lose more even though those BMI jerkfaces say I am still overweight for 9 more lbs? Hit me up.
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
Those BMI jerkfaces ARE jerkfaces. Buncha smeggy assholes. Even at this point, the hip-to-waist ratio says I’m completely perfect, even though BMI says I’m morbidly obese. Just shows how flawed the system is.
OTOH, I can kind of see why making that BMI number is very attractive. While being heavy, it’s nice to think that the BMI is bullshit. But when it’s in reach, it seems kind of deliriously satisfying to register as “normal” for those kinds of things (at least, that’s how I think it’d feel). You know, just because you -can-.
I don’t think you need to exclusively lose anymore. I think if you concentrated on fitness, you would end up toning and losing what little else you need to, though you may not see a change on the scale (muscle weighs more, etc.). To be able to really fuel yourself and do active stuff, especially with the 5k runs you’re looking to do, and the wedding (omg!), I think it would do you a world of good.
Perhaps you could do it as a gift to yourself for your birthday. That will be the day you change from weight-focused to fitness-focused. If nothing else, give it a month or two trial.
Dear gods, I think I need to eat, ’cause my brain ain’t working. I don’t remember when you have the weddingness planned, but perhaps you should keep weight-oriented, only because you -know- it, until the wedding, so you have less changes. But, since I don’t remember when, that may or may not work.
Right. Eat food. Not so distracted brain. WHeee!