Good morning!
So, yesterday was such a beautiful day. It was ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!
I decided to use it to my advantage, but didn't really think it through, and I should have probably known better.
I went to do my workout, and then decided to go walk. Workout was at 7:15 AM, done at 7:45, out the door from the gym at 8.
I then walked for three full hours. It was the most wonderful, gorgeous walk.
Trouble is, it also made me hungry. Very hungry.
So, I ended up losing control, going WAY over my allowance (and calorie burn).
Still, it was a good day - just a day with zero accomplishment on the weight loss part of all this.
Mentally, it was amazing. I enjoyed it a LOT. I just wish I had enjoyed it with a little more control.
Oh, well. I can't change what has already happened. I can only do better.
The results on the scale are very obvious. SO MUCH FLUID RETENTION!
I'm actually UP 7 lbs since yesterday! It's ridiculous!
Still, all I can do it turn around and do better. Try again. Clean slate.
...
I'm getting so used to these fluctuations that they don't really bother me. At least right now they don't. I know that at some other time today they probably will.
...
I have walked a LOT the last two days. I'm at 45,000 steps for the two days combined. It's a LOT.
I can tell that my legs are tired.
Today, I will try to rest a little, to get my legs back to a somewhat normale state before strength training tomorrow.
It doesn't mean I won't move at all, just nothing excessive.
...
I see something interesting happening in regards to my exercise...
When I do excessive cardio like yesterday - even if it is low impact cardio such as walking - I get sugar cravings. I crave carbs like crazy.
Normally, if I just do strength training, I crave protein rich food, like eggs and meat.
And a day like yesterday, I crave both, but the carbs win hands down.
To me, this tells me to be a little careful with the huge calorie burn cardio. Not only did it take me all day to do it (even if I enjoyed every minute of it), but it made me fail in my primary mission. This is clearly NOT the way to go.
The exact same thing happened the day before yesterday. I walked and did more cardio than usual, ended up overeating, then walked more to "walk it off", then walked even more yesterday, and ended up binging sugar.
...
I really do think the trick for me is to just be active as a "normal person" would be (whatever that is), and not do excessive cardio. Focus on my strength training instead.
Trouble is, I feel that I don't do ENOUGH. Can you follow me?
I want to lose weight, and I know how many calories I can have, but I want to push it forward, so cardio is the way. Right? That's what we have all learnt through YEARS of playing this game.
Well... I think we're wrong in a way.
We're primarily talking calories in vs. calories out when it comes to fat loss. Secondary, we're talking macro nutrients. - and then of course we're talking quality of food and micro nutrients in the end.
However, I think that it's a lot better long term to NOT do excessive cardio, but instead lower the calorie intake a notch.
For me, a day walking INSANELY MUCH gave me an extra calorie burn of about 500 calories. We're talking three full hours of walking EXTRA! So, doing this EVERY DAY would make me lose a pound per week.
Now, I am allowed 3000 calories at maintenance level. Wouldn't it simply be easier to go for 2500, not "waste" hours working out daily, be comfortable and lose the same weight? Makes sense to me.
Keep in mind, though, that I am generally active, even on inactive days. "Doing nothing" for me is pretty far from just sitting on my rear all day.
Regardless, today WILL HAVE TO BE a lazy day. I need for my legs to recover before training tomorrow. I won't do more than my usual small walks around the neighborhood doing various tasks that I have going today.
And that alone will probably make me reach - or at least get close to - my goal of 10,000 steps today. If it doesn't, then I don't mind.
...
No matter what, I need to find that level where I am happy with my weight maintenance (or weight loss for right now) along with my activity level.
It's a scary thing to explore. It means risk of weight gains, and feelings of not accomplising ones goals.
I feel terrible on days where I see that I didn't reach a high calorie burn or a high step count. I feel like I didn't do enough.
But what if that is what makes me crave carbs more than anything else?
What if me leaning back a little more and focus less on the exercise (but track what I do just as accurate as I already do) will actually benefit my mission?
The way I have my spreadsheet tracking my calories in and out, it will simply adjust my calorie allowance to match my activity level, so it won't make things go all haywire.
It's clear to see on a day like today. I went overboard yesterday, and spent a couple of thousand(!) calorie more than I should. So, today and onwards I'm penalized by having about 100 calories less per day until it has evened out. I can choose to either eat those 100 less, or exercise 100 more. It's all up to me. I can also just go with the flow, and everything will adjust over time. I can't keep up with higher and lower activity and intake, that is why I did the spreadsheet.
I am certain that if I follow it - and actually stick to plan - then I will reach my goal. My trouble is that I end up doing stupid things like the candy binges, and that gets me away from goal instead of coming closer to it.
Goddamn binges! :/
...
When I was on the BIG weight loss journey - when I was doing extremely well all the way - I had zero candy for 8 months straight. Literally zero. Actually, that is a lie. Over the course of the 8 months I had ONE piece of candy. No chocolate. No ice cream. No sugary soda, but diet sodas of the zero calorie kind.
I would love to get back to that. It would make life so easy if I could.
I think that a step in that direction is to cool down a little on the cardio. Remove the urge.
Again, cardio makes me crave carbs. Strength training makes me crave protein.
So, what I'm gonna do is simple. I'm gonna stick to plan.
I will move what I basically need/feel like moving. I will do the low impact cardio as I feel like it.
I will do strength training hard and heavy and as intense as I possibly can, and follow the three-days-per-week program that I have been following for almost 1½ years now. This part works 100%. The results I see are simply amazing. This I know I am doing right.
If I end up burning fewer calories - and I will! - then my spreadsheet calculations will adjust my calorie allowance to match it.
At the same time, I will incorporate an Indulgence Day - a refeed day - where I just go to my maintenenace level of calories. This will be done in proper foods.
It will fit my macros.
This is actually what I want to accomplish. I want my days to be good, using the macro counting.
I'm pretty good at planning my meals to make all the numbers line up. I can do this any day of the week, with pretty much any meal you toss at me.
If I know that I need to prioritize a certain meal on a certain day, I can easily get everything else to fit around it. No problem.
IIFYM works. I just gotta do it right. :)
...
I hate that feeling of being back to square one constantly. That is how I feel right now. I end up re-analyzing everything. I end up trying to figure out what to do.
The good thing is that I generally end up concluding that what I am already doing IS working. Trouble is simply that I am not doing it right. I stray away from my plan, binge, gain weight. Gain fat. Not good.
So, the better way has to be to find out what IS accomplishable for me on a day-to-day basis.
It's hard to do this right now. Not working, with too much time on my hands makes Keld want candy.
...
Today, I'm thankful for:
- At least understanding what I'm doing wrong.
- The will to apply what I'm already doing.
- Morning coffee!
- Wife!
Have a great Thursday! Life is good!
