January/February weight management challenge

[Crankin]

I'll be in the same position as you next week...

[Crankin]

OK, we are leaving on vacation in 3 hours. DH has been nuts knowing that he had to do his weigh in 2 days early. I told him he already had a diagnosable case of exercise anorexia... he didn't get to ride to work yesterday, blah, blah, blah.
My final weight this morning: 105.4
Mr. Crankin 147.2

I have been at or below my goal weight for most of the past 2 weeks. Since Saturday, I have toned done the intensity of my work outs, since I have been recovering a sinus infection, which triggers my fibromyalgia symptoms. It's amazing what a combination of just a little bit more of clean eating and an increase in intensity of exercise does for me. When I look at last week, I rode outside 3 times, did one spin class, and 2 very hard weight/core/circuit classes. This is a lot for me, no matter what time of year it is.
I am happy with my new normal of a weight range of 104-106.5. Before my range was just too close to my "danger zone." The challenge has taught me a lot about the way my body responds to different foods, and it's been worth it just for that.
Now, off for 4.5 days of x country skiing, snow shoeing, and eating in Craftsbury, VT.

[Catrin]

Crankin - just curious how tall you are?

I am just trying to decide what a real target weight for me should be. I've recently changed clubs and had a bod-pod (free) eval last week and found out that 33% of my weight is fat That isn't considered obese, but it isn't ideal. I know my diet is pretty good, I mean, I reversed diabetes 2 with diet and exercise. I also get a lot of exercise.

So, on March 16 I am getting a full 1-hour long resting metabolism test, and will then take all of that information to the sports dietitian at my club for a talk. Thankfully the new club is part of a large university fitness research facility so I am pretty confident that these people are qualified. With my age and lack of thyroid or a reproductive system it seems good to talk with someone qualified about my diet. Perhaps I am not getting enough calories...with a target of 1300 I doubt that I am getting too many.

While it is true that I exercise a great deal, and have worked with a trainer for the past 2.5 years, my workouts haven't changed all that much over the last two years - outside of weight and intensity. My exercises have all come from the same "menu" of choices, and I suspect my body is just plain used to it.

The group training at my club that is part of the body-fat loss challenge is already mixing things up. They focus on high intensity exercises that utilize as many large muscle groups at the same time with the goal of boosting our metabolism. Since we started last week I've lost 1 pound...hmmmm

Perhaps my body just got bored? No matter, riding season is just around the corner

[Crankin]

Well, I say I am 5' 1", but I suspect I might be 1/4 or 1/2 inch shorter now. Thankfully, I'm on medication to stop the osteoporosis, which runs in my family.
I think you are right, Catrin, about mixing up the exercise. Since I started the weight/core/circuit classes (in November) it's easier to manage my weight and I have muscles that I haven't seen, even from heavy duty cycling. My body fat has always been consistent; it only goes up when I get near my danger zone weight. I have a range for that, too. I know my body gets adapted to whatever I am doing very easily. Also, with me, sometimes, less is more, as someone stated in Solo Biker's thread. I can do intervals on the trainer for 30 minutes, or go for a 10 mile ride, which includes challenging hills and maintain my weight. Since I am not training for anything, this keeps me from burning out and lets me enjoy my longer rides/skis/hikes a couple of days a week. I seriously couldn't spend the amount of time you spend working out so many days a week. When I see my weight or body fat climbing, or I know I'll be eating more than usual, I will add in more time, but generally, it's a point of diminishing returns for me. I get sick or injured...

[Catrin]

I actually don't work out as much as I once did. For me it is fun and I derive a lot of benefit from exercising so much. My old bouts of depression have completely disappeared, and when I exercise most days my assorted places with arthritis do not bother me near as much as when I don't exercise so often.

I do have to work harder than the average bear just to get my body's attention, that is a given. Thankfully I seem to have figured out that balance and I've not had an over-use injury for some time now I am ramping things up a bit right now as I come out of the whiplash recovery period and looking forward to the riding season. As my riding increases however, my time in the gym will go down and my spinning classes will disappear until next fall.

I know I've lost endurance since my injury because my neck wouldn't allow me to stay on anything that looked like a bike more than 30 minutes for a time, a little more than double that now. The neck still isn't 100% however, so I still have to be careful. I am paying close attention to my body as I increase my activities.

I think things will be fine for the mountain bike trail by mid-April

Considering how large I was for so long, I am not going to complain about 134 pounds. What I need to focus on now is body composition and let my weight do what it needs to do...I am 5'3.

[Catrin]

Yesterday:

B: 3 egg whites, bran cereal, skim milk, coffee
S: strawberries with a bit of fat-free cottage cheese
L: roasted skinless chicken breast and some home-made fruited wild rice salad
S: Luna bar before workout:

25 minute walk, followed by 1 hour intensive training class (wild party, and much sweating to be had!). THAT was followed by a 30 minute Bosu class

Starving after all of that - so roasted some kale, had a small chicken breast, a small slice of Irish Cheddar and a small tomato.

[ny biker]

So, last Friday-Sunday I weighed > 142, which pissed me off. Yesterday I was 140.8, and this morning my final February weight was 140.0.

So that's good. Given all the fluctuation, I think my true average weight is about 141 right now.