Okay folks, if you follow me on MyFitnessPal, then you’ve seen that I’m working on getting back into logging my calories and toeing the line for my nutrition. I really like the 21 Day Fix containers because they have taught me a lot about how to get in the right ballpark of macros and calories while eating healthy, whole foods – but I’m clearly overestimating my portions again and letting things slide, so it’s time to change things up. I’m super Type-A in general, so calorie counting tends to work really well for me.
7 years ago I started this blog when I was feeling overweight (172#) and unhappy, and over the next 6 months I slowly and steadily lost 20#. It’s time to do that again, so I’m going to be back on Wednesdays with weekly weigh-ins. The difference this time around is that I’m going to focus on eating fresh, whole, healthy foods and not just low-fat, low-cal processed foods to stay under my goal. Thankfully I’ve learned a lot about the importance of the quality of food over the past 7 years. 🙂
Nutrition Goals
Nutrition-wise, my initial goal is going to be a 40/30/30 macro split (carbs/fat/protein) and to lose 1.5# per week (so a 750 calorie deficit per day). On my sedentary desk work days that’s generally around 1,300 calories per day, shorter workout days usually get me up to 1,600 calories, and longer run days bump me up closer to the 2,000 mark. Luckily, MFP links with my FitBit, so it automatically adjusts my net target calorie intake throughout the day based on my activity levels.
Exercise Goals
In combination with that, I’m going to commit to working out at least 3 days per week. That’s less than I have been doing, but I think I need to make nutrition and sleep the priority right now before I focus on exercise so much again. It really is 80% about your diet, and I need to get back to that. I’ll probably be doing a mix of my 21 Day Fix workouts, PiYo workouts, and outdoor runs when it’s nice enough outside to do so.
Initial Weight Loss Goals
Oct. 3 (Beginning weight): 173.8#
Oct 31 (Halloween, 4 weeks out): 168#
Nov 24 (Thanksgiving, 7.5 weeks out): 163#
Dec 25 (Christmas, 12 weeks out): 159#
Jan 20 (my 35th birthday, 15.5 weeks out): 155#
10/05/2016: 173.2#
10/12/2016: 171.9#
Weight Loss: Down 1.3#
Food Tracking: 3/7 days, but I focused on mindful eating all week.
Exercise: Only 1 run. I need to get back into this even when it’s cold & dark in the morning!
So there ya go, it’s back to the basics for me! It’s funny how a loss of 1-1.5# per week seems SO frustratingly slow, yet in 6 months that would allow me to be 25-40# lighter.
Slow and steady wins the race!
God, we’re in the same boat! This summer has not been kind.
So, are you using a heart rate monitor during workouts? I ask because MFP estimates on the high side of calorie burn, as do all running apps I’ve used (MMR, Endomondo, etc). They all know my weight, height, etc. and are generally telling me I burn 20-25% MORE than both of my heart rate monitors tell me for the same workout. That is a HUGE difference and caused me a lot of frustration before I got the heart monitors. And as you know, as you condition, you burn fewer calories doing the same activity for the same amount of time and the apps don’t account for that. Because of that, I only hooked MFP up to the app that calculates burn with heart rate tracking going and that made a huge difference.
Diet is so much of it. Ugh. I’m ready to buckle down, but I must not REALLY be ready because I haven’t done it yet. 😒
Good luck! And bravo for focusing on your sleep too!!!!
Awesome! You give me such inspiration when you do these posts.
Ha, help me stick to it, S! Time for you to get a new FitBit!
I am SO glad you are back to the weekly posts! You were truly the initial inspiration to me to begin taking care of myself again post-partum. I am now down 55 pounds and weigh less than I did before both children. I like your mindset of focusing on nutrition first. That is also what I did and it made such a difference. I am now also spinning three times a week and feeling the best I have felt in years!
Good for you!!!!
I’m nearly at the end of the first 5 weeks of my 12w challenge – I’m down 1.6kg and 1.2kg away from my goal weight. Foods been easy – oh god the meals are so easy and so yummy and exercise has been good but last two weeks I’ve been sick sore and tired!
Are you sure you should be eating only 1300 kcal per day on rest days? That’s my resting metabolism (i.e. what I burn if I were just lying down all day not moving) and I weigh 137. It caught my eye because I know my RMR number. 😉
Good luck!
It worked well 7 years ago, not sure? But my rest days I sit at a computer all day doing nothing, so my guess is it’s about right!