January/February Weight Management Challenge

[Megustalaplaya]

115 this morning. I really don't know if that is accurate though. My old scale stopped working and I finally bought a new one yesterday. I really think it is weighing me too light as I didn't get as much exercise or really watch my food intake when I was without a scale. Plus, my clothes are not fitting any differently to reflect a weight loss. Since the scale seems to be weighing me light I'm going to change my goal to 110 by March 1. I wish my old one didn't stop working. It was always spot on with my both of my doctor's scales.

I'm back to logging all my food again as I always see results when I log everything I eat. It's amazing how quickly the calories can add up if you're not careful.

[Crankin]

Emily, there's no way I'm not eating enough. Even if I took out the factor of being less strict on the weekends, my portion sizes are not super small. They're not huge, but I could not exist on some of the portion sizes recommended. You are right that my eating is very clean, but it doesn't seem to be enough. I suspect a couple of things. One, is that I naturally gain a couple of pounds in the winter, which sheds as soon as I start more outdoor cycling, even though I am exercising just as much. The other is that my body seems to be exquisitely fine tuned to whatever changes I make. And, the fact is, I get ravenous when I do outdoor winter stuff, even more than when I do hard rides. I also am going to try to do some different stuff with exercising. Not more stuff, maybe just doing some different things once in awhile.
Sitting here, trying to not have a glass of wine .

[Catrin]

I think it makes a lot of difference to our bodies to mix up our types of exercise - that is one thing I've really learned in the last year. Also increased stress of many kinds can raise cortisol levels which doesn't help. It is important to get enough sleep (I could take more of this advice), there are just so many things that can make a difference in this area...

[Crankin]

I've also been trying to get more sleep. Given that I get up at 4:50 a least 2x a week, it's hard, as I work later hours now. If I get in bed at 9, I'm OK, even if i stay up until 10:00.
Stress, yeah. I am getting sick of my job; not the work, per se, or even the burnout that comes in my profession, more the driving all over to go to my client's homes and the fact my office is further away than almost all of my clients. Yesterday was my first drive home in a snowstorm since 2007, when I was teaching. Of course, I was at the office, 26 miles away and I was not happy. I keep telling myself only a few more months, which is true, but somehow everyone has the idea I am there for the long haul, when really, almost everyone comes here to get their requisite experience for their full license, whether they are social workers or professional counselors.

[emily_in_nc]

Crankin, if it helps at all, I am usually at my lowest weights when I drink wine daily. When I was in the 101-102 range a few years ago, I had a glass of wine pretty much every night with dinner. Here, because wine is so expensive, I usually drink a beer or rum drink, and I figured that was why I had put on a few, but I am still doing it and have now lost those few lbs., so who knows?

[goldfinch]

I have really upped the intensity of my biking. I did 560 miles in January, by far the most miles I ever have done. Even though my weight loss is minimal, about 2 pounds in a month, it is in the right direction. But like Crankin, I am having trouble getting enough sleep. The old dog wakes me up at 5:00 am to pee and she urgently has to go. We go to bed about 9:00 pm but I just cannot get to sleep. I've been averaging only about 6.5 hours a night. I've tried taking the dog out and then going back to bed but I can't go back to sleep. Tonight I am taking the dog out later and will try to ignore her between 5:00 and 5:15 to gradually try to get her to sleep later. I don't know how much luck I will have as she always has been an early riser.

Because of lack of sleep and lots of biking I am spending too much time on the couch being tired. I sure need balance.

[Crankin]

I'm sleeping OK, I'm just trying to get more sleep (as I say on a day when I woke at 4:50 for the third day this week, to go to spin).

106.0

Less than last week, downward trend, but I have been really scrupulous in my eating. No wine since Monday. Smaller snacks. Absolutely no grains since Monday, not even Ezekial bread or quinoa. I can do this for about another week, which will, hopefully, get me into the 105 range. We have no plans this weekend, so I will cook tomorrow night, but Sunday might involve going out with my son and DIL.
We are going on another x country ski trip Feb. 14-17. That is pretty close to the end of this challenge and I am afraid it might ruin my goal for me. Last year, our trip came right at the end of the challenge; I gained back all of the weight I had lost, but it was gone a week later.