Weigh-In Wednesday #13

I am still trying to thaw out on this very cold Wednesday morning.  The hubs and kids are home, and we are trying to make the most of our "ice/snow" day. Although, for south Alabama, mostly just a thick layer of slippery ice.  And even though I'm a little late getting this post up, (taking it easy and hanging with the fam), I'm reporting in with this week's weigh in.

After maintaining last week, I started logging into MyFitnessPal to see if I was eating too many calories without realizing it (my username on MFP is amandore if anyone wants to add me). As a rule, I have not tied myself to counting calories, I just try to make healthy decisions.  But when I have a week when the scale doesn't budge, I like to check myself.  

An example meal for me:  Turkey sandwich on whole wheat sandwich round with veggies on it.  1/2 cup strawberries, and one kiwi. 

 So for the past week, I have been logging my calories with the exception of a couple days over the weekend.  

Rachel and I all bundled up and ready to run our mile for the fit test.  Thanks for the encouragement at the end of my run, Rachel!  You rock!

Last Thursday night at Boot Camp, we did a fit test to get a baseline fitness level for everyone in the class.  We had to do sit-ups, push-ups, and run a mile.  We had two minutes to complete as many sit-ups and push-ups as possible.  They had to be done with the proper form or they didn't count.  We will be tested again every four to six weeks to see what our progress is. I completed nine push-ups, 39 sit-ups, and ran my mile in 11:32.  Not the greatest by any means, but it only gets better from here.  I was acutally pleased with my mile time.  I ran most of it, only stopping to walk when I had to.  For me, dealing with my knee injury and having to stop running for a while, and just starting back, it was good. 

I found this on Pinterest and couldn't find a source.  

I am still dealing with my knee injury, though.  This week and last week at Zumba, my knee really gave me some trouble.  I will have to not run much for a while and modify my movements in Zumba. It is very frustrating.  I just want to be able to do my best and get the weight OFF!  But, in order not to further injure it, I have to take it easy.  

So, here's the deal.  I lost a pound over this past week, and today when I weighed again, I had gained it back.  So, I am still sitting at 28 pounds lost. 

Three things that I think were contributing to that:

1. I have started eating whole wheat bread and pasta again, about one or two times a day.  I am just one of those people who can't eat bread and pasta on a regular basis, whether it's whole grain or not.  Boo!  So, this week, I will be back to NO breads. (not completely carb-free, but eating low glycemic index carbs like beans, and lentils.)

2. On MyFitnessPal, after you enter in your exercise, it gives the calories you burned back to you to eat.  There has been a big debate on whether or not to eat them back after a workout, and in the past I haven't.  But this week, I did. I didn't want my body to go into starvation mode and slow my metabolism. The number of calories that you are allowed to begin with is supposed to allow for steady, slow weight loss. (I have mine set for a two pound weight loss weekly.) So, for me, I can't eat the calories back.  I might eat a handful of nuts or something small for a post-workout snack, but can't eat the majority of them back or, case in point, I don't lose the weight. 

3.  I am only getting in about four workouts in per week. Sometimes only three.  I need to be doing something at least five or six days a week, even if it is just walking.   

Frustrating? Yes.  But, sometimes you have to adjust things to make them work for you. I hope next week, after making these adjustments, I will have positive results to report: 


*No bread or pasta, even whole grain. 
*No eating the majority of calories back after workout. 
*Exercise five to six times per week.  

To view the post that started my weight loss journey, click here.