OY! one of my connections on my myfitnesspal page is complaining because she gained 2 oz (yes ounces not pounds) after a day off from her plan. When will people learn that its normal to gain a pound or two with in a week (espec for women). Heck if I weigh on a monday Ill have gained a few pounds, when i weigh on thursdays ive lost the monday weight plus some more. weight fluctuates people! thats why they dont recommend weighing in on a regular basis or at all, using measurements are much more accurate.
I also wish people would realize that weight doesnt just melt off cause you go to the gym a few times a week just because you stayed under your calorie count (aka they arent eating enough). Its about treating food as fuel for your body and fitness is a lifestyle. In fact starving yourself is counter productive because your body slows your metabolism waaaaaay down because it is trying to save your fat reserves cause it thinks your starving. Think of a car, you need to keep gas in the tank for it to run. The body is the same way it needs fuel to run. You need calories and ::gasp:: carbs to keep your body running. You dont run around stuffing your face with whatever and you dont even need to eat much, a simple apple between meals can keep the engine running smoothe. Also the quality of the food you eat makes a huge difference, if you are “allowed” 1400 calories a day, and you stay under but you ate taco bell or mcdonalds and such, your still not doing you weight or health any justice. Of course you can have treats now and then, i certainly do not believe in deprevation because it leads to disaster in my book, but you need to find a balance and moderation. Trust me once you cut the crap out of your diet, you feel much better and wont want to go back to your old habits anyway. I made the mistake a few times and ate a bit too much junk, i felt like hell the next day (the way i had felt when it was a larger part of my diet). Even if you have to eat on the run, there are all sorts of healthier options available. I usually have a purse filled with things like apples, nuts and granola bars. I figure this way i can eat one of those first so I dont end up filling up on junk when the menu is out of my control.
Some people have high expectations for how much weight they want to lose and how fast. I technically need to lose 100lbs but my starting goal was 60 lbs in 8 months. I know some people who are talking about wanting to loose 20 to 30 in a month. thats not only going to darn near kill you but its also gonna prevent your progress when you give up after not seeing the results you want. When you see shows like the biggest loser where they lose 30 lbs in no time flat, you need to remember 1. these people are monitored at all times by a team of health professional and 2. their fulltime job has become getting fit. They work out 6 or more hours a day, they are 100% focused on proper diets, they get their sleep. Their fitness is all consuming. In the real world majority of us are not that lucky to have all that time. My 10 lbs per month loss was contributed to being off work and off school. I had the time for 3 workouts a day and the time to focus on healthy cooking and my diet. now that school and work and volunteering and life in general and…. have come back into play Im way off that pace but still plugging away.
more people need to approach weight loss as a lifestyle makeover instead of a diet. When you worry about it from the angle of wanting to be healthy vs being skinny, i think you tend to stick to it much better. Speaking of which, time for me to get back off my butt and back to work.
The Natural Nanny 