Monday, March 16, 2009

Week Two

Down 2 pounds this week!

I have to convince myself to be happy with that, even though it's a struggle. I always want to lose 5 pounds per day when I pay close attention to what I'm eating, and while I understand intellectually that is not feasible, the child in me wants it to be so.

The biggest challenge I faced this week was breakfast. I always eat breakfast, but I don't always eat it first thing. I'm up between 4 and 5 am, and I was in the habit of eating breakfast around 9 am - long after exercise. Yes folks - I was running on an empty stomach, which wasn't really a problem on short runs, but anything over 3 miles left me feeling very tired and definitely with an empty fuel tank.

I'm trying to eat within an hour of getting out of bed - sooner if I'm going out for a run. A piece of high fibre bread with a little peanut butter, or a cup of oatmeal with a few blueberries seems to do the trick.

I'm eating every 3 hours - small portions but nutrient dense. I'm not going to waste any of my calories on fluff.

Finding the right balance of food and exercise has always been a struggle. I picked up a very interesting tip a few weeks ago from my friends at Fat to Fit Radio - a fantastic podcast by two guys who have been there and know what they're talking about. Their suggestion was to figure out your BMR for the weight you want to end up at, and then eat for that BMR. It's very simple advice and takes the guess work out of 'how many calories should I eat?'

I've been serious about lifting weights this week - 3 sessions with my home gym and lots of free weights. I concentrate on upper body, and do squats for my legs.

I've been sitting on a stability ball while at the computer to engage my core muscles - try it for a day and you'll understand that it really does work. I have muscle ache in places I didn't know I had muscles.

The weather has taken a turn for the better in these parts - I'm hoping to get my bike out soon and do some biking for cross-training. I just have an ordinary old bike - definitely not a racer, but I enjoy riding it and will crank in lots of miles once it comes out of the shed.

For now - I'm 48 Counting Down, and looking forward to the coming week!

7 comments:

  1. Nice job Lybbe, way to get started right with those 2 lbs! Thats a great accomplishment in a week.

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  2. When I lost the 65 pounds previously, I lost them at a steady rate of 2 pounds per week. My Doctor was very happy with that ratio. SO I think you are doing great.

    Remember that If you try to lose it faster than that, then you may not be looking at the entire picture. Just be consistent. It'll work for you!

    Congratulations!

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  4. Great work! You're moving in the right direction!

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  5. Great job! Two pounds in one week is great. I understand the feeling of wanting it all to come off quickly...I have lost over 50 pounds in the past year and a half, and most weeks I only saw a 0-2 pound weight loss. Slow and steady has worked great for me and the most the important thing has been making sure the scale is moving in the right direction. Keep up the great work!

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  6. Great blog -- and great goal Lybbe! I'm down 38 pounds since last fall...10 to go until goal. Just keep at it and it'll happen. Very cool. Can't wait to keep visiting your page & watching your progress.

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