No Loss Yet :(

I'm disappointed that I'm not losing weight so far. I've been right around 1050 - 1200 calories most days in the last week, with the exception of yesterday which I haven't calculated and the previous day, but both of those should be below 1800 which I consider my very upper limit for an "on" day. Still holding at 156.8 lbs according to my new scale. I wondered if I'm eating too LITTLE two days ago and slowing my metabolism which is why I went well above 1200 calories, which is supposed to be the don't-go-below-this absolute baseline for being healthy for me, according to the internet people. I did work on a bit on Wednesday and my pilates class sounds like it will be good (Mondays and Wednesdays). If I can get in early enough I'd like to do a short aerobic workout before the class.

Starting Point for Round 2

Official second day of the Wedding Body Preparation! I worked out today and haven't gone crazy with food so it's a good start.

Semi-official starting metrics (because I did it late in the day after eating/drinking):
157.4 lbs (eek high! - gives me a BMI of 28.8 "overweight")
35% body fat - this sounds high! but according to the booklet that came with my scale it is "moderate" and the high side of normal is 32%
48% body water - not sure how to interpret this yet

Oops I Got Fat! (But Not Quite Broke)

It turns out that blog are not super-good accountability partners. Step up, y'all!

In the past few months I've put on weight and am now the heaviest I have ever been in my life! Kyle and I snacked our way through his stressful prelim preparation this fall, so he is at his lifetime heaviest as well. But this just makes me determined to see the best comeback ever. Now that I am engaged I actually have to take this seriously as I would like to look my best on my wedding day(s) and honeymoon. I think if I could get back to my summer 2008 weight of around 132 lbs that would be awesome, but it might be too ambitious for the four or so months I have until the wedding. I have looked back at those pictures though and liked the way I looked. I don't know what my weight is right now but I got a scale for Christmas so my first weigh-in is tomorrow. The scale also does body fat percentage and water percentage. I suspect I'll be around 160 lbs! But again, it just makes for a more impressive loss. :)

I did manage to keep my eating-out and grocery spending down. In the last few months I have been under or barely over my eating-out goal amounts and well below my grocery goal amounts.

Starting today I am counting calories, fat, and food group servings as best I can. I got a new cookbook for Christmas that I'm eager to try out. It seems like Kyle is on board as well with losing some weight. I am signed up for a pilates class this fall and in the week between now and when it starts I'd like to get used to working out again and try to build up some strength. I'm hesitant to make a workout goal for this semester before it even starts. An ambitious goal is six days per week but a more realistic (but still challenging) one may be four to five days per week - two for pilates and the rest for aerobics.

Time to Step Up the Steps

I weighed in yesterday morning at 147 lbs. Turns out eating ice cream several times a week is not good for dieting, especially when once I start it feels so hard to stop! At least my backslide wasn't huge. I still have hope for being 141 lbs by the end of August, but it will take renewed commitment to the calorie limits as well as some exercise!

Speaking of which, I read today's Time article on how exercising may actually be counterproductive for weight loss. The argument seems to be that when you vigorously exercise you get hungrier, and the additional calories you consume will probably meet or exceed the calories you burn off working out (there are studies to corroborate this, or at least some version of it). I appreciate what the article is arguing, but I'm not going to follow its advice. Some days when I work out I feel hungrier than if I hadn't, but I'm conscious of those impulses and I am careful to eat anywhere near what I just burned off. I read a different article some time ago that said that people can lose weight either by cutting calorie intake or by working out, but I think that was assuming fixed calorie consumption (like if you're normally eating 2000 cals per day, one group eats only 1500 cals and one still eats 2000 cals but burns 500 cals by working out).

Also, so far this month I've gone out twice, spending a total of $23.61. One-third of my eating-out budget gone in less than one-third of the month - better be careful.

Weight Goal 1 (Revised) Accomplished

Weigh-in today, before eating or drinking: 144 lbs. Sweet - three days before the end of the goal period. I guess my goal for August is like 139 lbs? Something like that.

Not on Track but Doing Well

Weight this morning (before eating but after drinking water, in Wilson): 148.25 lbs

I've lost about 4 lbs in 2 weeks, which is a little slower than I would have liked but it is in the safe losing range of 1-2 lbs/week. I doubt I'll get to 142.25 lbs by the end of the month, which was my goal, but I think I can get to 145 lbs, which was sort of also my goal based on a different starting weight. :)

I'm going whitewater rafting this weekend! Saturday's meals and Sunday breakfast are kind of out of my control but I'll try to keep portion sizes reasonable. Also I expect it to be a good workout and great fun.

Confused

I worked out this afternoon! Kyle was playing racquetball with some other guys after work so I went to the gym at the same time. I did 45 minutes of aerobic and about 15 minutes of body circuits. Afterwards, I checked my weight. I'm weighing myself only in the morning before eating or drinking, which is supposed to be my lowest weight of the day and the most consistent day-to-day. However, I checked my weight after working out, just to see it - I was expecting it to be around the same or slightly higher than last time (152.25 lbs). The scale told me I weighed 147.75 lbs! While that is in the realm of the possible (unlike my roommate's scale the other day, which said 226 lbs) I find it unlikely that those pounds would have disappeared in such a short amount of time, especially without exercising and a day off. So I suspect the scale is not consistent or calibrated or something, but I guess I'll keep using it until another one is available or it becomes very obvious that it's wrong.

Hasn't Budged!

Weigh-in #2 this morning. Conservatively, I expected to have lost a pound, realistically two. But I was at 152.25 lbs, and half a pound is noise as far as I'm concerned. Hmmm. I hope I haven't slowed my metabolism dramatically. Time to start working out I guess!

Starting Point Weight

Official Starting Point Weight: 152.75 lbs

The scale in the Wilson women's locker room is no longer broken (I hope)!