I've had my BodyMedia Fit (BMF) for about five weeks now. I still love it, which is not to say it's been without its kinks. My display wasn't syncing well to the armband so I replaced the battery. I still had problems. I spoke to customer service and they were very helpful. They covered my shipping to send my original back and they sent me a new one. There was a glitch in their system, so I actually received TWO replacement displays. I still need to send the second one back but almost every person I've spoken to there was helpful (the one that wasn't was named Steve. MY Steve is much better) and they emailed me another UPS shipping label for the second one. The new display syncs better and I've been really pleased with the customer service. Better yet, my BMF has served its purpose: I'm back into the low 140s and weigh less now than I have since college. I'm aiming for just below 140 and will maintain there. I think that's a good weight for me.
Speaking of a good weight for me, there are bathing suit pictures of me on Facebook. I didn't cringe. I didn't untag myself. I didn't criticize every thing I saw wrong with myself in the pictures. I LIKED THE PICTURES. I have never liked the way I looked in a bathing suit, ever. So this is huge news for me. My body is not perfect. But I accept it for what it is and I am proud of how I look now. I've made a lot of progress and I'm proud of what my hard work has accomplished. For 3 kids in 3.5 years, I look pretty dang good. :)
I had a business opportunity that sounded great. Teaching three days a week at a new fitness place in Grass Lake. I was excited, until I saw the facility and met the woman in charge. Nothing was ready. The room that I would have been teaching in was just walls and a tile floor. No mirrors, no fans, no stereo. The woman in charge seemed scattered and all over the place, NOT the sort of person you want to go into business with. Then she mentioned I'd have to bring my own stereo and fans, she wanted me to paint the wall, and honestly expected to consistently have 15 people per class (at this point she had not advertised or researched or anything) and make $900 a month. The signs couldn't have been more clear if they were neon and flashing. Moral of the story: not every opportunity is a GOOD opportunity. Trust your gut.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Monday, June 13, 2011
BodyMedia Fit
It came! And I love it. I'm a numbers person so all the data it gives me is awesome.
It tracks calories burned. Sometimes the display is slightly different from the numbers the computer shows, but that's normal. The computer is more accurate and more personalized, but the display gives a close estimate without having to sync the BMF to the computer.
If you enter all your calories consumed, it tracks levels of different nutrients and food groups. And it calculates whether you have a calorie deficit or surplus and if that puts you on track to gain or lose weight.
It counts steps. Which by the way, I apparently don't walk a lot. I still burn a good number of calories though.
It calculates your activity level based on METS. It tracks amount of time spent doing moderate or vigorous activity. I did have an issue with it not registering my HIIT workouts as vigorous activity. Apparently the sensors are supposed to be centered on your tricep. I had it slightly above my bicep. Since I adjusted it, voila. No issues tracking my vigorous movement. Although I did get VERY annoyed when a delightful person on the BMF FB page was very condescending and said that just because I'm tired and think I'm working out hard doesn't mean it was vigorous. Nice, huh? (I have to admit, I took some satisfaction in seeing I have a better figure. I tend to be petty when I'm annoyed. I don't like being talked down to.) Luckily the other people posting on the page have been much more helpful and personable.
It tracks your sleep efficiency too, which is pretty cool. It can tell the difference between when I'm just laying down or when I'm actually asleep. It tells me how long I was in bed and how long and I slept and how efficient my sleep was. Pretty cool. :)
So far I'm down a few lbs since I got the BMF (and stopped eating oil-popped popcorn). I feel leaner too, which is wonderful. I was feeling thick for a while, so feeling lean is really great. I'm aiming for 140 now, to see how I feel there. I'm pretty happy, now that I'm feeling thinner again. But I think more of a buffer between me and my scary weight would be a good thing. I'm very happy with the BMF. Oh, the only downside? I had to order the watchband for the digital display separately (another $20). But that's it.
If anyone is interested and has questions about it, please feel free to ask. :)
It tracks calories burned. Sometimes the display is slightly different from the numbers the computer shows, but that's normal. The computer is more accurate and more personalized, but the display gives a close estimate without having to sync the BMF to the computer.
If you enter all your calories consumed, it tracks levels of different nutrients and food groups. And it calculates whether you have a calorie deficit or surplus and if that puts you on track to gain or lose weight.
It counts steps. Which by the way, I apparently don't walk a lot. I still burn a good number of calories though.
It calculates your activity level based on METS. It tracks amount of time spent doing moderate or vigorous activity. I did have an issue with it not registering my HIIT workouts as vigorous activity. Apparently the sensors are supposed to be centered on your tricep. I had it slightly above my bicep. Since I adjusted it, voila. No issues tracking my vigorous movement. Although I did get VERY annoyed when a delightful person on the BMF FB page was very condescending and said that just because I'm tired and think I'm working out hard doesn't mean it was vigorous. Nice, huh? (I have to admit, I took some satisfaction in seeing I have a better figure. I tend to be petty when I'm annoyed. I don't like being talked down to.) Luckily the other people posting on the page have been much more helpful and personable.
It tracks your sleep efficiency too, which is pretty cool. It can tell the difference between when I'm just laying down or when I'm actually asleep. It tells me how long I was in bed and how long and I slept and how efficient my sleep was. Pretty cool. :)
So far I'm down a few lbs since I got the BMF (and stopped eating oil-popped popcorn). I feel leaner too, which is wonderful. I was feeling thick for a while, so feeling lean is really great. I'm aiming for 140 now, to see how I feel there. I'm pretty happy, now that I'm feeling thinner again. But I think more of a buffer between me and my scary weight would be a good thing. I'm very happy with the BMF. Oh, the only downside? I had to order the watchband for the digital display separately (another $20). But that's it.
If anyone is interested and has questions about it, please feel free to ask. :)
Friday, June 3, 2011
Popcorn = kryptonite
Maintenance has been a little rough lately. I mentioned in my last post that the scale went up a bit. Well, it kept climbing. Slowly, but steadily. At first I attributed it to other things: strength training, my period, water retention, indulging a little too much at the different graduation dinners. And it was just the scale, right? Well, my clothes still fit fine, but I did my measurements the other day, like I do at the beginning of every month. My waist is up a little, along with my abdomen, chest, butt, and thighs. Not cool. I checked my body fat percentage and that's up a bit too. I was pretty down about it all day and then jumped into solution mode. I need to fix this NOW.
Steve told me I look the same, but you can't argue with every measurement going up. And he said 5 lbs isn't much. That's true. But it's a slippery slope. If I let it go, how soon will it turn into 10 lbs? Or 15 lbs? Or more? No, I'm out of my maintenance range and I need to fix it. So far I've increased the intensity of my workouts and slightly lowered my calories. Nada. I'm barely below 150.
I ordered a BodyMedia Fit. It's a BodyBugg - made by the same company with the same technology, just marketed a bit differently. Plus the monthly subscription is less expensive and it also tracks sleep efficiency. It should be here in a week or two.
But last night Steve wanted popcorn. With my tightened calories, I figured I should measure the popcorn and figure out how many calories that was (we pop it in oil in a dutch oven). I'd tried to figure it out before, but ended up trying to convert amount of popped kernels to amount of popped kernels and it was a confusing mess. So we've been estimating that a batch of popcorn was somewhere between 400 and 600 calories. And I've been allowing for that many calories in my range. So no problem, right? WRONG. According to my Calorie King book, 1 oz of oil-popped corn is 145 calories. Last night's batch weighed 7.3 oz, after removing the unpopped kernels. That's 1058 calories. Uh oh. Popcorn has been a regular evening snack around here. And if Steve isn't home or doesn't want any, I've been know to eat the entire batch. Yup. I've been eating 500 calories MORE than I thought I was.
Now, a math lesson. 1 lb equals 3500 calories. In order to lose about a lb a week, you eat 500 calories less per day. 500 x 7 (days) = 3500 or 1 lb lost per week. So if we reverse that and eat an EXTRA 500 calories a day, we GAIN a lb a week. Yeah, not good. In retrospect, my metabolism may be higher than I thought, if I've been overeating that much and haven't gained more.
Last night I ate a measured amount of popcorn. From now on, I think I'll stick to microwave popcorn. It's pre-measured and if I get the 94% fat free butter kind, the whole bag is only 300 calories. If I need fewer calories, I'll eat a 100 calorie bag. Good grief.
Moral of the story: MEASURE your food. Calculate the calories. Write 'em down. If possible, don't estimate your calories. It could save you a LOT of grief.
Btw, just by avoiding popcorn for a few days and measuring it last night, my weight is slightly lower. I'm at 148.2. Much better than the 150.8 I've seen lately. At least it's moving in the right direction again. :)
Steve told me I look the same, but you can't argue with every measurement going up. And he said 5 lbs isn't much. That's true. But it's a slippery slope. If I let it go, how soon will it turn into 10 lbs? Or 15 lbs? Or more? No, I'm out of my maintenance range and I need to fix it. So far I've increased the intensity of my workouts and slightly lowered my calories. Nada. I'm barely below 150.
I ordered a BodyMedia Fit. It's a BodyBugg - made by the same company with the same technology, just marketed a bit differently. Plus the monthly subscription is less expensive and it also tracks sleep efficiency. It should be here in a week or two.
But last night Steve wanted popcorn. With my tightened calories, I figured I should measure the popcorn and figure out how many calories that was (we pop it in oil in a dutch oven). I'd tried to figure it out before, but ended up trying to convert amount of popped kernels to amount of popped kernels and it was a confusing mess. So we've been estimating that a batch of popcorn was somewhere between 400 and 600 calories. And I've been allowing for that many calories in my range. So no problem, right? WRONG. According to my Calorie King book, 1 oz of oil-popped corn is 145 calories. Last night's batch weighed 7.3 oz, after removing the unpopped kernels. That's 1058 calories. Uh oh. Popcorn has been a regular evening snack around here. And if Steve isn't home or doesn't want any, I've been know to eat the entire batch. Yup. I've been eating 500 calories MORE than I thought I was.
Now, a math lesson. 1 lb equals 3500 calories. In order to lose about a lb a week, you eat 500 calories less per day. 500 x 7 (days) = 3500 or 1 lb lost per week. So if we reverse that and eat an EXTRA 500 calories a day, we GAIN a lb a week. Yeah, not good. In retrospect, my metabolism may be higher than I thought, if I've been overeating that much and haven't gained more.
Last night I ate a measured amount of popcorn. From now on, I think I'll stick to microwave popcorn. It's pre-measured and if I get the 94% fat free butter kind, the whole bag is only 300 calories. If I need fewer calories, I'll eat a 100 calorie bag. Good grief.
Moral of the story: MEASURE your food. Calculate the calories. Write 'em down. If possible, don't estimate your calories. It could save you a LOT of grief.
Btw, just by avoiding popcorn for a few days and measuring it last night, my weight is slightly lower. I'm at 148.2. Much better than the 150.8 I've seen lately. At least it's moving in the right direction again. :)
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Updates for May
Hey hey! I have some updates...
- Turbo Kick is going pretty well. Well, one class went well. I had FIVE people! True two were my sisters, but still. :) The other three are interested in coming again but Thursdays don't work for them. I may switch evenings, as tonight was my first Thursday and it was just me and Leslie again. Can I just say how much I LOVE my sisters? They are unfailingly supportive. I wish Tracy lived closer and Leslie wasn't moving far far away, but they have other adventures ahead. I was less nervous than I thought I'd be. It definitely wasn't perfect but it went well, we sweated a ton, and it was fun. I'll keep at it and get better in time. Kristy should be there to teach with me beginning next week.
- My gallbladder wasn't my gallbladder. Or rather the issue was not my gallbladder. The problem is my stomach producing too much acid and a possible ulcer. So I'm on a month long prescription for Protonix which *should* heal the issue. If not, the doctor will run more tests. I'm noticing more acid reflux. It's not painful, it's just this icky feeling in the back of my throat. I may need to get more Mylanta. I hate the stuff but it was the only thing that worked on my reflux when I was pregnant.
- The scale is not so much my friend lately. I should really just weigh in once or twice a week and go by how much jeans fit, how I feel, and my body fat percentage. I've been doing strength training 2-3 times a week. Last week I did ST twice and abs another day (all paired with a HIIT WO). I feel like I've been neglecting my abs so I think I may focus there a bit more. I'm quite proud of my arms and shoulders though.
- I've been trying other random acts of fitness just to see if I can do them. I can do pull ups (2 if my knuckles face me, 1 with knuckles away), a head stand against a wall, hold the crane for about 10 seconds (a record for me!), almost do the splits, a toe touch, and a pretty dang impressive bridge (up from the floor, I've never been able to bend backwards down into one). I had Ella take a picture of me doing a bridge, curious how far I could arch up. Dad came over and was wincing in pain watching me do it, lol. I love it.
- I have my own fitness website. :) It needs some polishing, but it's paulasfitlife.com. The idea is that to truly be fit, your life needs to be balanced. Happiness requires more than physical fitness. I'm moving in the direction of a more holistic approach and would like to add a life coaching component soon. So much of physical health and fitness is mental. I want to address that as much as the physical exercise. And I will start a fitness revolution! :)
- Turbo Kick is going pretty well. Well, one class went well. I had FIVE people! True two were my sisters, but still. :) The other three are interested in coming again but Thursdays don't work for them. I may switch evenings, as tonight was my first Thursday and it was just me and Leslie again. Can I just say how much I LOVE my sisters? They are unfailingly supportive. I wish Tracy lived closer and Leslie wasn't moving far far away, but they have other adventures ahead. I was less nervous than I thought I'd be. It definitely wasn't perfect but it went well, we sweated a ton, and it was fun. I'll keep at it and get better in time. Kristy should be there to teach with me beginning next week.
- My gallbladder wasn't my gallbladder. Or rather the issue was not my gallbladder. The problem is my stomach producing too much acid and a possible ulcer. So I'm on a month long prescription for Protonix which *should* heal the issue. If not, the doctor will run more tests. I'm noticing more acid reflux. It's not painful, it's just this icky feeling in the back of my throat. I may need to get more Mylanta. I hate the stuff but it was the only thing that worked on my reflux when I was pregnant.
- The scale is not so much my friend lately. I should really just weigh in once or twice a week and go by how much jeans fit, how I feel, and my body fat percentage. I've been doing strength training 2-3 times a week. Last week I did ST twice and abs another day (all paired with a HIIT WO). I feel like I've been neglecting my abs so I think I may focus there a bit more. I'm quite proud of my arms and shoulders though.
- I've been trying other random acts of fitness just to see if I can do them. I can do pull ups (2 if my knuckles face me, 1 with knuckles away), a head stand against a wall, hold the crane for about 10 seconds (a record for me!), almost do the splits, a toe touch, and a pretty dang impressive bridge (up from the floor, I've never been able to bend backwards down into one). I had Ella take a picture of me doing a bridge, curious how far I could arch up. Dad came over and was wincing in pain watching me do it, lol. I love it.
- I have my own fitness website. :) It needs some polishing, but it's paulasfitlife.com. The idea is that to truly be fit, your life needs to be balanced. Happiness requires more than physical fitness. I'm moving in the direction of a more holistic approach and would like to add a life coaching component soon. So much of physical health and fitness is mental. I want to address that as much as the physical exercise. And I will start a fitness revolution! :)
Sunday, May 1, 2011
LIVE Turbo Kick!
I have so much to update. First, I finished out ChaLEAN Extreme. I'm proud of my definition and how strong I've become. I was very frustrated that the scale was up, but I'm pretty sure it was added muscle, which is good but it's still hard to reconcile a higher number on the scale as being something good. I'm working on that. Of course, since CLX ended, the number has gone down. Problem is, I've only worked out a handful of times. My last CLX WO was Friday. Saturday morning a group of us went to Ohio to do Extreme Turbo with the wonderful Angie Green. I took Sunday off and then practiced Round 42 on Monday with Kristy in prep for our first class. Tuesday I woke up feeling hot and my stomach was just disagreeable. While I never threw up, I felt like I might all day. So I took it easy. Wednesday was marginally better but I didn't trust my stomach and I had some congestion then.
Thursday was supposed to be the last Fit Club. Attendance has been steadily declining. Last week there were three of us - me, my sister, and Kristy, soon-to-be co-teacher. We did Cardio Party 2 instead of 1, because it's more fun and I didn't have to worry as much about people not getting it. Then this Thursday, Leslie needed to be home with Paul and Kristy was exhausted. Both texted me to let me know they couldn't make it, which I greatly appreciate. I wasn't feeling well, but figured I could get through one WO okay. Well, no need. Not a single person showed. The pastor didn't even come to let me in. I've been feeling for a while that interest was waning, people were taking for granted that there would always be this free workout on Thursdays, and the whole thing had run its course. I wasn't exactly feeling support from the pastor, who never did get back to me about teaching there - rather, I got the impression he felt inconvenienced by it. Whatever his actual feelings were, it's done now. Which reminds me I still need to call and let him know (that's right, he didn't know Thursday was even supposed to be the final night).
Friday was busy and I had to take Nora to the doctor. And I apparently had a gallbladder attack so I took myself to MedPlus. I'm calling in the morning to schedule an ultrasound on my gallbladder, hopefully for this week. Doctor thinks there may be scar tissue (from what, I have no idea) but whatever caused it, it was freaking painful. I'm a bit afraid to eat, since I'm not sure what will cause pain and what is safe. As such, I haven't had much to eat other than apples, crackers, and bowls of Cheerios since lunch time on Friday. Not good. And the scale is UP. This just goes to show that severely restricting your calories will cause your body to freak out and hold onto any and all calories you do eat (I was still tracking my diet, more to make sure I was eating enough (definitely was not) than anything - Friday I was so painfully bloated, I didn't even hit 1000 calories). So moral of the story - eat enough calories. And pray to God you don't have gallbladder issues, if that is what this is. Although apparently the only "safe" foods are super-healthy, clean foods, so maybe this could be added incentive to stay on track diet-wise, not that my diet was bad to begin with.
Saturday morning I was determined to teach Turbo Kick and make it the best class ever (I did ask the doctor and he said it was safe to work out during a gallbladder attack). Again, no one showed. Maybe I need to advertise more? Post flyers? Personally invite people? I do have a few people who couldn't make it yesterday who plan on coming next week (again, one of them being my wonderfully supportive sister - seriously, best EVER). I have to admit, I was a little relieved yesterday since I was again feeling cruddy and Kristy was super nervous (I was feeling more like "let's do this and get it over with" than freaking out over cuing or forgetting chorey). So we practiced instead. I actually felt better while working out. I have to admit, I want to find out what's going on with my body before I go crazy advertising, just in case I have to cancel (God forbid). Kristy has plans the next two weeks so I'm on my own, no back up if I feel like I'm dying. Fingers crossed I can get my ultrasound tomorrow, k?
So that's what's happening here. Fit Club is done, TK has begun (kind of), the scale keeps changing, CLX is over and I've lost the muscle tone already (seriously, how is it fair that we lose it that fast?), and my body is attacking me. LOL. So hopefully I get this new hiccup figured out and then I rock my new class. Things could be better, but I'm blessed and things could always be much, much worse. Stay active and stay positive!
Thursday was supposed to be the last Fit Club. Attendance has been steadily declining. Last week there were three of us - me, my sister, and Kristy, soon-to-be co-teacher. We did Cardio Party 2 instead of 1, because it's more fun and I didn't have to worry as much about people not getting it. Then this Thursday, Leslie needed to be home with Paul and Kristy was exhausted. Both texted me to let me know they couldn't make it, which I greatly appreciate. I wasn't feeling well, but figured I could get through one WO okay. Well, no need. Not a single person showed. The pastor didn't even come to let me in. I've been feeling for a while that interest was waning, people were taking for granted that there would always be this free workout on Thursdays, and the whole thing had run its course. I wasn't exactly feeling support from the pastor, who never did get back to me about teaching there - rather, I got the impression he felt inconvenienced by it. Whatever his actual feelings were, it's done now. Which reminds me I still need to call and let him know (that's right, he didn't know Thursday was even supposed to be the final night).
Friday was busy and I had to take Nora to the doctor. And I apparently had a gallbladder attack so I took myself to MedPlus. I'm calling in the morning to schedule an ultrasound on my gallbladder, hopefully for this week. Doctor thinks there may be scar tissue (from what, I have no idea) but whatever caused it, it was freaking painful. I'm a bit afraid to eat, since I'm not sure what will cause pain and what is safe. As such, I haven't had much to eat other than apples, crackers, and bowls of Cheerios since lunch time on Friday. Not good. And the scale is UP. This just goes to show that severely restricting your calories will cause your body to freak out and hold onto any and all calories you do eat (I was still tracking my diet, more to make sure I was eating enough (definitely was not) than anything - Friday I was so painfully bloated, I didn't even hit 1000 calories). So moral of the story - eat enough calories. And pray to God you don't have gallbladder issues, if that is what this is. Although apparently the only "safe" foods are super-healthy, clean foods, so maybe this could be added incentive to stay on track diet-wise, not that my diet was bad to begin with.
Saturday morning I was determined to teach Turbo Kick and make it the best class ever (I did ask the doctor and he said it was safe to work out during a gallbladder attack). Again, no one showed. Maybe I need to advertise more? Post flyers? Personally invite people? I do have a few people who couldn't make it yesterday who plan on coming next week (again, one of them being my wonderfully supportive sister - seriously, best EVER). I have to admit, I was a little relieved yesterday since I was again feeling cruddy and Kristy was super nervous (I was feeling more like "let's do this and get it over with" than freaking out over cuing or forgetting chorey). So we practiced instead. I actually felt better while working out. I have to admit, I want to find out what's going on with my body before I go crazy advertising, just in case I have to cancel (God forbid). Kristy has plans the next two weeks so I'm on my own, no back up if I feel like I'm dying. Fingers crossed I can get my ultrasound tomorrow, k?
So that's what's happening here. Fit Club is done, TK has begun (kind of), the scale keeps changing, CLX is over and I've lost the muscle tone already (seriously, how is it fair that we lose it that fast?), and my body is attacking me. LOL. So hopefully I get this new hiccup figured out and then I rock my new class. Things could be better, but I'm blessed and things could always be much, much worse. Stay active and stay positive!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Do the invisible work
I was reading The Slight Edge this afternoon when I read this: "And here's how real success is built: by the time you get the feedback, the real work's already done. When you get to the point where everyone else can see your results, tell you what good choices you've made, notice your good fortune, slap you on the back and tell you how lucky you are, the critical Slight Edge choices you made are ancient history. And chances are, at the time you actually made those choices, nobody noticed but you."
YES! I've lamented this exact thing to Steve. While working at losing weight, making good food choices, drinking gallons of water, working out consistently and pushing hard, no one cared or noticed (well, Steve did but he lives with me). I'd post on FB that I was on day 48 of TurboFire or I was sore or whatever. Very few people commented or liked it. Fast forward to the end, when I had completed 20 weeks of TF and I posted my results. I posted before and after pictures, my weight, and the number of inches lost. I got tons of feedback then. Everyone wanted to know what I had been doing. I think people hoped it was this easy thing I did, some pill I took, some gadget I used 5 minutes a day, some quick, easy fix. Nope. No one wants to hear that it took hard work, it took will power, it took months to see real results. Everyone wants the quick fix NOW.
So there you have it. How did I lose weight? Consistently making small, good choices. Taking steps everyday toward my goal. Setting small goals along the way to my big goal. That's it. If you want success, make choices consistent with your goal. It's simple and hard all at the same time. A short cut or quick fix won't do it. A short-term "diet" won't work. It's a lifestyle change if you want to keep the body changes. So do the work no one notices if you want success. Because trust me, people will see the success.
YES! I've lamented this exact thing to Steve. While working at losing weight, making good food choices, drinking gallons of water, working out consistently and pushing hard, no one cared or noticed (well, Steve did but he lives with me). I'd post on FB that I was on day 48 of TurboFire or I was sore or whatever. Very few people commented or liked it. Fast forward to the end, when I had completed 20 weeks of TF and I posted my results. I posted before and after pictures, my weight, and the number of inches lost. I got tons of feedback then. Everyone wanted to know what I had been doing. I think people hoped it was this easy thing I did, some pill I took, some gadget I used 5 minutes a day, some quick, easy fix. Nope. No one wants to hear that it took hard work, it took will power, it took months to see real results. Everyone wants the quick fix NOW.
So there you have it. How did I lose weight? Consistently making small, good choices. Taking steps everyday toward my goal. Setting small goals along the way to my big goal. That's it. If you want success, make choices consistent with your goal. It's simple and hard all at the same time. A short cut or quick fix won't do it. A short-term "diet" won't work. It's a lifestyle change if you want to keep the body changes. So do the work no one notices if you want success. Because trust me, people will see the success.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Overachieving and perfectionism
I'm at my goal weight and maintaining pretty easily. I'm still working out regularly (5 days a week). I'm counting calories but allowing a few more indulgences. I'm trying to figure out how many calories I should be eating now. The last thing I want to do is screw up my metabolism by eating too little and slowing it so I have to eat too little. Most of the calculators tell me I should be eating somewhere between 2000 and 2400 calories to maintain at my activity level. One even said 2700. I'm eating more in the 1400-1800 range. I started doing more ChaLEAN Extreme so I know I can eat more without gaining weight and I'm gaining definition again. I shifted my workout schedule to just CLX and Turbo Kick for cardio. I need lots of practice to be ready to teach.
So what's the problem? It's been a huge adjustment seeing the scale stay the same or bounce around a bit, even if it is in the range I'm aiming for (140 to 147, in case you're curious). And I had a bit less strength training for a while too, which coupled with the scale not going down made me feel like I was getting soft and losing definition. To put it bluntly, I started feeling fat. Yup. I'm in the normal BMI range. My body fat percentage is below 20% and in the same range as some Olympic athletes (and I'm not talking sumo wrestlers). I'm in good cardiovascular shape. My current jean size is firmly in the single digits and the smallest it's been in years. I'm not fat. But I FEEL fat. My brain likes to play tricks on me. The person I see in the mirror is not the person other people see. It's not good. And I'm a perfectionistic overachiever. I want progress, despite the fact that this is a good size, weight, body fat percentage for me. My perfectionism and overachieving self is what has pushed me to lose weight, get fit, get my TK cert, finish my masters, etc. It's both good and bad. Right now I'm having a hard time with the bad side of it. I'm trying to shift my focus and I have away from the scale. But wanting my body fat to drop lower? Probably not a good idea. I'm afraid I'm venturing into dangerous waters. Will I ever think I'm thin enough, fit enough, just enough? So how do you break the overachieving perfectionist habit? Sometimes I just wish I could see the me that Steve sees. Or the me that my girls see. I really can be my own worst enemy.
Have you been here? How did you deal with it?
So what's the problem? It's been a huge adjustment seeing the scale stay the same or bounce around a bit, even if it is in the range I'm aiming for (140 to 147, in case you're curious). And I had a bit less strength training for a while too, which coupled with the scale not going down made me feel like I was getting soft and losing definition. To put it bluntly, I started feeling fat. Yup. I'm in the normal BMI range. My body fat percentage is below 20% and in the same range as some Olympic athletes (and I'm not talking sumo wrestlers). I'm in good cardiovascular shape. My current jean size is firmly in the single digits and the smallest it's been in years. I'm not fat. But I FEEL fat. My brain likes to play tricks on me. The person I see in the mirror is not the person other people see. It's not good. And I'm a perfectionistic overachiever. I want progress, despite the fact that this is a good size, weight, body fat percentage for me. My perfectionism and overachieving self is what has pushed me to lose weight, get fit, get my TK cert, finish my masters, etc. It's both good and bad. Right now I'm having a hard time with the bad side of it. I'm trying to shift my focus and I have away from the scale. But wanting my body fat to drop lower? Probably not a good idea. I'm afraid I'm venturing into dangerous waters. Will I ever think I'm thin enough, fit enough, just enough? So how do you break the overachieving perfectionist habit? Sometimes I just wish I could see the me that Steve sees. Or the me that my girls see. I really can be my own worst enemy.
Have you been here? How did you deal with it?
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