It has been a frigid, snowy week here in Pennsylvania which has kept me from doing the jogging I said I wanted to do last week. But I still did great on The Diet this week.
My exercise routine was very thin this week. I need to make it a goal to do something active for at least 30 minutes every single day. I can’t always count on the weather cooperating, especially in the winter, with me wanting to get outside. The only exercise I got this week was 1 session of basketball and 1 session of P90X. My goal for this week is to fill in the gaps of my week with a little something active each day.
I’ve lost 2lbs. this week which means I now weigh 208lbs. I’m happy with this number. I’m not happy I missed my goal but last week I said I wanted to be 207 and I’m 208 – no reason to cry over a pound or to get discouraged. Instead, I’ll make a plan of attack for this week to reach my goal of losing 3.3lbs per week.
You see, each pound I lose represents about 3,500 calories burned or simply not consumed during the course of the week. That is, if my metabolism is working correctly. Right now my body is reacting to the fact that I’m eating less and on a schedule. When my weight began to drop my body through up an alarm tell it to store some fat because obviously food isn’t coming by as easily as it had before. So, my metabolism is slower this week than it was last week (in theory I’m no doctor).
So what is my plan? Besides the 30 minutes (at least) per day of something active I need to jump start my metabolism again. For the first few weeks on this diet I’ve been eating at a regular schedule – 8am, 12pm, and 5pm. This week I’m going to double the amount of times I eat (but eat only small amounts). This will make my body think that I have a ready supply of food and that there is no need to store fat. I hope.
A few other tactics that I’m going to try is to increase my water intake. By drinking the right amount of water every day you actually burn more calories. I think it has something to do with your cells being able to take in energy and getting rid of energy easier if they have the right amount of water. Also, getting enough sleep can help you to lose weight. My sleep schedule this week wasn’t great. I’m going to see if I can get 8hrs. a night this week.
With all of these small adjustments combined: eat more often but the same number of calories, do something active for at least 30 minutes per day, drink the right amount of water, and get a good night’s rest – I know I’ll meet or beat my goal for next week. That is, to be at 205lbs.