Some of my workouts captured on Instagram- Follow me at happilyeverashley
Maybe I have an unrealistic expectation of weight loss. I mean I watch shows like The Biggest Loser, and those contestants, some only a little heavier than me (but admittedly shorter) lose a minimum of nine pounds in the first week. I guess that is not realistic when you can't devote your day to working out. Part of why I loved the HCG diet was that I could see the results every morning on the scale. I lost 12 pounds in the first week on that diet! But that was a diet- and I am looking for a lifestyle change. Ugh, like I said, I think I have some unrealistic expectations.
A few of my Instgram meals!
Green beans and spinach and ricotta stuffed chicken, shrimp stir fry, steak with roasted asparagus and potatoes,
In the first 2 weeks, I lost 8 pounds. I was happy with 8 pounds in two weeks. I mean it wasn't quite the Biggest Loser style performance I had envisioned when I set out to lose the weight, but it was okay. Then over the last two weeks, I only lost one pound. which brings my total to nine pounds in a month- and that is disappointing. Any health professional will tell you losing an average of 2 pounds a week is a healthy, consistent weight loss. So I am doing my best to not feel the slightest bit defeated.
I know I should be happy that I have lost weight, but I guess I just thought the first month would look different. I thought month one would a least be in the teens. Alas, patience has never been my thing. CLICK HERE to read the beginning of my Sweating Sexy Back journey and HERE to read all of the Sweating Sexy Back posts!
Here's what a nine pound weight loss looks like:
My plan to sweat sexy back was always meant to be a progression of steps. In month one I accomplished the following:
-Eliminated soda from my diet
-Increased water consumption to 100 ounces a day
-Cut out fast food, fried food and most processed foods
-Started working out again and made it to the gym 22 days out of 30.
-Lost 16.25 inches
-Lost 9 pounds
To keep things moving and to keep improving the way I treat my body, in September, I have some big things planned. My goals for this month are:
-Do a 5-day juice cleanse to "reboot" my system and get more fruits and veggies.
-Limit meat and animal byproduct consumption to 3-4 meals a week.
-Cut out all remaining processed foods.
-Start doing my cardio in the AM and strength training/classes at night.
-Go to bed earlier to get up earlier.
This month is going to be a month of adventure for me because meat has always been the centerpiece for my meals. I've always described myself as a meat and potatoes girl. That is definitely about to change with most of my meals being comprised of vegetables, fruits and whole grains. This will probably be the most drastic change in my eating habits I have ever made, but after all the research I have been doing, documentaries I've been watching and consulting I have gotten from friends in nutrition, my gut tell me (ha ha) that this is a healthy lifestyle choice for me.
I want to stress that I am not on a diet, but rather changing my diet, habits and routine. I also want to stress that anyone considering these types of lifestyle changes or others for themselves should do their research, talk to their doctor and make the health choices that are right for them.
Here's hoping for continued success in September!
4 comments:
I know it's rough to not see the lbs falling off, but look at how many inches you've lost! You're doing great...keep it up!
I like it. It's also important to know that even when you do everything right you could still gain wait that week, gaining is, unfortunately, part of the process of losing. Since you are changing your lifestyle, it's good to remember that your lifestyle like life, is full of ups and downs. The important thing is to make sure you make use of the downs as a way to motivate you back into the ups.
9 pounds in two weeks is really amazing, and very likely you will see the number drop. While it can be exhilarating to see the pounds come off in bunches, experts have found those that change their lifestyles and lose the healthy average of 2 pounds a week, are the same individuals that tend to keep the pounds off later. So while it may be tempting to try and lose 10 pounds a week, it's safer and better to do it moderately.
Keep up the good work. Enjoy seeing your updates, it motivates me to keep at it.
I apologize for all of the deleted comments. I don't know why it decided to post my comments 5 different times. (I also decided to post it under my name since you may not know my pseudonym was Publius The Patriot...)
You're doing great! If you're working out like crazy, it makes more sense that the inches are melting off but the pounds are a little slower. You're gaining muscle! Keep up the good work. :)
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