Week 7: Moving Right Along

I am finally getting into a groove with this weight loss thing.  I am slowly figuring out what will mean success as far as exercise and calories.  I am hitting a stride and I feel really great.

Week 7: - 0.8 lb and -13.2 lbs total.

I know you have to all be tired of my disgusting feet.  I really should put socks on when I weigh.  Maybe I will invest in some cute fancy socks to weigh in. :)

Alright.  So here is how it is going for me.

- I am doing pretty much everything the same.  I keep a tight record of any calories that go in my body, so much so that I think the error would only be 50 calories at the most.  I HIGHLY recommend My Fitness Pal app for this.  This app is used EVERYDAY to keep track of my calories in and calories out.  I have used 3 different apps and this one is my favorite.

- I am exercising almost daily.  Last week I came down with an infection so I missed two days, so I was really happy to see a loss of any kind on the scale.

- When I exercise I do 1 hour on the elliptical switching the incline and resistance between 10/1 and 5/6.  I burn anywhere from 500 - 550 calories.  I'm sure that number is off in some way since it is the machine's numbers.  I need to get me one of those really accurate doo dads to get a better idea.  I do think the machine has to be mostly accurate since I enter in my weight and age at every work out. 

-When I know that I am going to eat out I make up for it in exercise, for example, yesterday for lunch we went to Nasty Villa (Mexican Villa), I had 2 tacos and about a serving and a half of chips.  So I busted my butt on the elliptical for 2 hours and burnt 1,081 calories.

-I drink a LOT of water.

Success in weight loss is a psychological tug of war.  The following mindsets have helped me battle a few of them.

- I have let go of any inclination that weight loss is something that can happen quickly for lasting results.  It has to be a life commitment.  I am taking this one week at a time.

- I only weigh once a week.  Sunday is my weigh-in day and I do not even look at the scale until then.  The thing is if you are weighing multiple times a day and week, you are going to see the normal fluctuations in your weight that come from eating, drinking, and water balance in your body.  That can be so discouraging, so if I could give advice to anyone attempting to lose a substantial amount of weight... pick a weigh-in day and ban yourself from setting foot on the scale until that day.

- If I don't lose as much as I was hoping, I have learned to not stress about it.  I just pick up with the new week and keep my eye on the ultimate prize.

- Think of food as fuel in your car.  Just as you wouldn't gas up a car if it already has a full tank, you shouldn't pump your body full of calories that it doesn't need.  Food is singularly and only to power our cells.  We have to make the emotional disconnnect and see food for what it is.  Does that mean we shouldn't eat things that taste good? No, but too many of us see food as recreational.  Just as too much fuel doesn't do a car any good, Too much food doesn't do our body any good.  It may satisfy our tastbuds for a few seconds, but after that, it's off to storage and then we are left feeling bloated, sluggish, and useless.  Give your body what it needs, and if you put more into it, then use it through exercise. :)

Well, that's all for me.  Onto another week.  My hope is that I will reach my next milestone by next Sunday.  That will be my -15 lb marker. :)

Happy week you all, see ya at my next weigh in.