kingkeld's Journal

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15 March 2014

Good morning!

Today I did a very strange weigh-in.

I'm down a nice chunk - 2.2 kilos - since yesterday, and it's seemingly all fluid. That's quite a drop. My fluid percentage is 58%, lower than it has ever been while using the TANITA scale.

It's neither a good or a bad thing. It's within normal range, as is it every day.

The only downside to it - and I really don't like that one - is that it moved my metabolic age from 29 (the lowest possible on my scal in comparison to my age) to 31. Boo.

It'll be back in no time, I'm sure. I'm not worried about it, but it always sucks when a stellar number suddenly goes awry.

...

Yesterday was a great day though. I did my workout at the newly opened gym, and even talked to a couple of potiential clients for when I am able to work again. It seems that the staff at the gym has been telling people about it, and people were eager to meet it. It was weird, but a great feeling.

...

After the gym I went for lunch with Wife and Daughter. We had Shish Kebabs, with pita bread, salads and hummus. Yum! I enjoyed it thoroughly.

...

After lunch, Wife and I walked around a bit, settled in for a cup of coffee at a small café, and basically just hung out waiting for the time of my hospital appointment.

...

It was GREAT to see the surgeons. They were deeply impressed with my "new" look, with more muscles.

I didn't really realize this, but seeing the pictures the took of me the day before surgery, I can actually see quite a difference. Of course, some of the gained fat also make me look bigger and more muscular, as I take up a little more space, but I could actually see a difference.

They were impressed. Very impressed.

They told me that I am leagues ahead of most of their clients when it comes to settling in to a new life after surgery. Many people struggle.

They told me that they really love my thoughts and approaches when it comes to teaching my clients, and that they really applaud me for it.

Then I left, I felt several feet taller. :D It was just nice to get the compliments.

...

So, this means I am done with the hospital. No more. I'm more than welcome to write to my surgeon if I have any issues, but I don't have any new appointmens, I don't have anything more going on with them.

...

I guess you can say I am now truly in maintenance more. Whatever that really is.

It's something I often ponder upon.

Maintenance Mode. Do we ever actually get there?

I don't see that there is any way that I will ever be in actual maintenance mode. I home that my alternative to maintenance will be to keep bettering myself. Get stronger, healthier, better looking.

This will be an ongoing thing.

I will gain weight in order to build muscle. I will then be dieting to trim down. Rinse and repeat.

I will have times where I'm thinking I'm maintaining, but slowly gaining, and then will have to trim down.

I don't see that I will ever get to a balance where I simply consume what I burn. Even with my spreadsheets and calculations that tell me what I can do on any given day.

Besides, where's the fun in that? If I don't push forward, I won't better myself. And it would be nice to always better myself. Right?

So is there an actual maintenance mode? I'm not sure.

It WILL be easier now.

I have no goal to reach a certain weight at a certain time. I have no goal to reach ANYTHING at a certain time.

My only goal onwards is to NOT gain massive amounts of fat, and to get stronger and better looking. Not muscle man/body builder levels, but just bettering myself nice and slowly.

It's definitely accomplishable.

I can do it with lots of energy, I can do it efficiently, and I can do it with little to no stress.

Also, I can start experimenting a little more with finding out just how accurate my spreadsheet is.

Eating closer to my calories burned, with just a small deficit, will make it easier to see whether I am reading my numbers right.

Lately I have had too large or too small numbers on both intake and burn. It makes it hard to read the results.

The last few days I have seen huge drops in weight, but I have also had 1000 calorie deficits. This sheds fluid, and burns fat. I am, however, also riding the limit to what kind of deficit my body can handle.

So it would definitely be smarter to not go as extreme.

This is not as easy to do as it sounds. I really don't want to eat junk to get there. I want to be able to relax a little, sure, but I don't want to get into the junk. Once I start eating junk I tend to lose control, and end up WAY past my goal. It's so not worth it.

Instead, I need to look at more little things to incorporate in my meals in order to stay satisfied, and just do good. It's not really all that hard. I know what I'm supposed to do. When I focus on it, I have no issues implementing it.

...

Today is Saturday.

Wife and I are going to the little buffet, and it's a nice quiet day.

I probably won't be moving a whole lot, just the walking to and from the supermarket where we're also gonna go eat. If anything else, maybe a short walk for errainds later.

It's ok.

I've had nice calorie burns the last few days - unintended - so it's all good. Besides, it will all even out using my spreadsheet.

I no longer "chase" the high calorie burn activities. I ensure that I get enough exercise for my heart, and I do my weight training, but I really want that to be it. I will obviously go for a walk when I feel like it, but I don't want to feel obligated to doing things if I don't feel like it on a particular day. Except strength training. This is essential.

My goal has been to burn 2800-3000 calories per day. Even on the days where I didn't try, I still ended up at 2800+ calories. Hell, yesterday was almost 3400! It's all good. Just generally staying active will get me to my goal.

It seems to be that I am slowly reaching my ultimate goal:

I want to be able to comfortably eat good foods with a little fun here and there, and be able to just generally stay active and to my training three times weekly.

I will adjust the minor details on my calorie intake. It's a lot easier to commit to consuming 200 calories under maintenance than it is to commit to walking another 30 minutes on a day where you were already very active. It's easy as pie.

...

Today, I'm thankful for:
- Wife!
- Weekend!
- Done with the hospital!
- Sleeping late (and sleeping well!)
- Morning coffee!
- Intermittent Fasting!

Have a great weekend! Life is good!

Weight:	Lost so far:	Still to go:	Diet followed:
88.6 kg	66.4 kg	3.6 kg	100%

(7 comments) Losing 15.4 kg a Week

14 March 2014

Good morning!

Ah, it's Friday. It's the beginning of the weekend, and I get to go out with my beloved Wife, and hopefully spend a good chunk of time together.

It's also hospitalt day. I'm visiting with my surgeons for the last checkup, ensuring that everything is fine.

I don't really feel that it's all that necessary, as everything IS fine.

...and also, I'm a little embarrased by the weight gain I've had since they saw me last. Still, I want to get this last step overwith. It's the final visit at the hospital, and in a few hours I can put all that behind me.

Sure, I gained weight. I gained fat. But - I also gained a good chunk of muscle. That is the extra benefit I got from it. I didn't intend to build muscle right now - actually I just intended to stay the same and just maintain weight - but in the end muscle mass has gone up, along with the fat gain.

Consider it "bulking", as the body builders call it. :)

It's kinda funny, actually. My intentions were 100% to be "cutting", dropping fat while maintaining muscle. But since I lost control of it because of stress and too much downtime with too little focus, I ended up at the other part of the muscle building journey.

I just hope the surgeons understand that it's not all bad that I gained weight.

...

So, yesterday I reached all goals. I had zero issues with over-eating. I had zero issues getting a nice, large calorie deficit. I did everything I wanted to do, and then some.

And I accomplished it simply by doing... less.

I took all my intentions of walking a lot, all my intentions of adding more exercise to burn calories, and I put 'em away.

No excessive cardio, light or heavy impact. Just the walking I needed to do in order to get from A to B. That's all.

The result?

2777 calories burned. 10000+ steps. And absolutely zero problems sticking to my food plan. Hell, I even had a second lunch with Wife.

It was SO FRICKIN' EASY, and I really liked the control I had.

I'm gonna go for the same today, and see what happens.

...

Today, I'm gonna go to the other location of the gym, go work out there and just hang with the boss. He's a good friend, and great company. Then, at noon, I will meet with Wife and Daughter and have a nice lunch out. Afterwards, it's time to go to the hospital, and then possibly a light dinner somewhere. There isn't any real danger in terms of over-eating. No buffets, no bad choice restaurants.

The biggest issue is whether I will get my protein and fiber high enough. I just need to focus on this, eat some extrea SKYR or a protein bar, to make sure I reach my numbers.

It really shouldn't be an issue at all. I'm confident that it'll all work out nicely.

...

I gotta say yesterday really surprised me.

As much as I felt that I was inactive - I am surprised how much movement I did after all. Sure, it wasn't the very high 3500 calorie burn that I can do when I REALLY put my mind to it. Far from it.

But then again, what good is a 3500 calorie burn, if the intake increases drastically because of it?

If I am hoping to burn fat, then it is WAY better to stay at a 2700 calorie burn with a 1900 calorie intake than a 3500 calorie burn with, say, 3200 calorie intake. And, mind you, those high calorie days I tend to lose control and easily end up at 4000+ calorie intakes. Or more. From bad choice foods.

So, let's try this.

It's less work. It's less walking. It's more time to do things I enjoy more. And, potentially, it's more efficient.

...and of course I will still be moving quite a bit. It's rare that I am doing less than 10,000 steps whether I want or not. :)

Today is a good example of that. I doubt that I'll be at less than 10,000 steps. Just the walk alone to and from the gym will be around 5,000. And then there is all the stuff done at the gym. Plus the walk to the station from home. And back. And all the little things inbetween.

It's all good.

...

And on the upside, the spreadsheet controlling my calorie allowance is being WAY generous because I have had an active month. Today's allowance - with a 500 calorie deficit accounted for - is 2900 calories. I doubt that I'll need them. I can't go lower than 2075, so that is probably more what I aim for, but I can go as high as 2900 without having to cuss myself out.

Sometimes these numbers are hard for me to comprehend completely. But they are this high because I have been very active, and because I have earned a deficit lately. It's bacisally a reward for doing reasonably good.

If I go over, the number will decrease again, and if I go under, I will have more allowed. I love doing with averages. It's so nice and easy.

I have my calorie allowance calculator set so it deducts 500 calories for a nice little deficit daily. I think I'm fine with this, I shouldn't really need to up my calories.

I have, however, allowed myself a weekly day where I can up it to have no deficit, kind of like my Indulgence Day, but let's see what happens. No need to do it if I don't need it, right? I'd rather have the deficit and move forward, I think.

...

Today, I'm thankful for:
- Workout! I love the feeling (when I'm done!).
- Getting to meet people at the gym. I love the talks we have there.
- Focus.
- Wife and Daughter!
- Weekend!

Have a great weekend! As always, I'm most likely more quiet over the weekend, but I'm confident that I'll be doing just fine.

Life is good!

Weight:	Lost so far:	Still to go:	Diet followed:
90.8 kg	64.2 kg	5.8 kg	100%

(5 comments) Losing 9.8 kg a Week

13 March 2014

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!

Weight:	Lost so far:	Still to go:	Diet followed:
92.2 kg	62.8 kg	7.2 kg	Poorly

(5 comments) Gaining 23.8 kg a Week

12 March 2014

Good morning!

Yesterday was an interesting day, weight/weightloss wise.

First of all, I messed up.
Second, I compensated.

It was hard work too, but I did it, and came out okay in the end.

So, what happened?

The sugar cravings happened, after an episode of stress.

I have no idea where the stress came from, but it did. It just came from out of nowhere. No real identifiable trigger or anything, and BOOM - there was the sugar cravings. I ended up acting upon them, even if I knew I shouldn't.

So, being really annoyed with myself, I decided to walk it off. Which was a LOT of walking! :)

I didn't FULLY compensate - but I ended up having calories in and calories out even out, so there was no damage. Just the setback of a day with nothing accomplished.

It took me 22,000 steps to do this - pretty much walking all day.

...

I was VERY anxious of today's weigh-in. Which is silly. What I did yesterday wouldn't necessarily affect today's weigh-in. That depends on so many other factors.

I was happy to see that the weight actually dropped - DROPPED - by 1.5 kilos. There wasn't any carb/water build-up/retention.

As a matter of fact, the opposite happened. I'm down mostly water.

...

I had an interesting discussion on the IIFYM page on Facebook.

Everyone there seem to agree that scales aren't the way to go when it comes to measuring body fat percentages.

It seems that "the pros" prefer the good old body fat calipers.

I have to admit that I have never tried one, and generally don't believe in knocking anything I have never tried, but I have a hard time seeing how accurate these are.

Doesn't it all depend on how you measure? Where do you measure? If I pinch the skin on my body, I can find 15 places that would give a different output. How will this be more accurate?

I find it impressive that the TANITA even dares to give a reading for not only the entire body, but also individual limbs (left arm, right arm, body, left leg, right leg). Surely they base this on something, and don't just grab random numbers from nothing.

To me it makes much more sense to shoot a current through your body and measure from that. What the TANITA scales do makes sense to me.

Of course I got curious, so I have ordered a set of body fat calipers. I wanna see how different the measurements are.

The discussion came up because I mentioned that my scale as an average of 7 days gives me an estimated body fat percentage of 15%.

I don't look like I am 15% body fat. I completely agree with this.

There is a great picture to evaluate how much body fat is on your body, and I look nothing like the 15%.

If you ask me, I'd say I look like I'm somewhere between 20% and 25%.

There is one catch in this though. The massive weight loss. The loose skin.

I completely agree that for MOST people, this chart is a reasonable indicator. There are still many factors to consider, such as muscle mass, but it's a good indicator for a well trained, muscular body.

And still, low body fat doesn't indicate the looks in the picture unless you have the muscles. Check out this:

Quite a difference, isn't it?

The issue for me is that I have the post-weight loss loose skin. Of course, I have had surgeries to correct the worst parts of it - the loose stomach skin was unbearable, and I am more than happy to have that fixed. It was downright ugly.

However, I still have - and probably always will have - loose skin everywhere. I will probably never have a sixpack, or even a fourpack. I will never look like the muscular guy in the 10% vs 10% picture.

But I will be in just as good shape.

My thing though, how do I then accurately measure my body fat percentage?

I've been trying to find photos of people at low body fat percentages AFTER huge weight losses, but all I seem to find are pictures of people with loose skin, nothing having worked out, and not having had surgery to remove excess skin.

Either that, or pictures of people who look nice and tight, but really didn't have all that much to lose. They were overweight, maybe obese, but they didn't have to lose half their body weight.

It's really hard to find good examples of this.

...

On the other hand - does it matter? Does it matter if I know my body fat percentage?

Well, yes and no. It won't make me feel better or happier knowing it. But being a numbers nerd, I really like to track this - and I hate the thought of tracking a number that is wrong.

I found compelling evidence that the TANITA scales are pretty accurate. And I found just as much saying that it isn't. What's a guy to think?!?

Anyways, I have ordered the calipers, and I will do a comparison when it gets here. It'll be interesting to see the difference.

Regardless, I have no doubt that the TANITA scale is a great tool for me. It gives me a handful of numbers that I can use to measure progress and trends.

It motivates me. It keep me focused (most of the time). Bottom line, this is what matters. :)

...

In a few minutes, I'm gonna go for my walk. It's a cold morning, so I gotta dress a little warmer than usual for this time of year. It was a super sunny day yesterday, and it will be today too. Since there are no clouds, it will be a cold morning.

After that, I'll hit the gym and do my workout.

I'm certain that it'll be a rough one today. My legs are still a little tired from yesterday, and that makes it rough. Still, I want to go, I want to do this. No excuses. :)

...

I was seriously considering skipping my doctor's appointment at the hospital this coming Friday. I mentioned it in my journal from Monday, I think.

I'm embarrased that I gained weight. Very embarrased. I should be better than this.

Of course, there has been a lot on my plate (pun intended) lately, but it doesn't matter. I shouldn't gain weight, period.

Still, I'm gonna go. I gotta keep myself accountable to my actions. If they tell me off (which they won't) so be it.

This is - I think - the very last visit with the hospital. They are basically just gonna check the scars and see that everything is fine. Everything IS fine.

I am 100% certain that there is no damage from the gain I have had the last few months.

In fact, looking back at my numbers from before the surgery, I'm only about 4 kilos heavier today than I was on average the weeks before surgery. Seriously, it's nothing to whine about.

My only thing in it is that I KNOW I am better than this. I know that I am better than losing control like this. I KNOW I can look better, feel better and BE better.

This is what I'm working on, and what I want to accomplish.

...

Lately, I have been very tired. VERY sleepy. Much more than usual, to the point where I have had to take a nap a few times. I never take naps.

I'm not sure if this is the heart medicine that maybe affects me, or if it is something else. It could also simply be the calorie deficit that is too large.

I've been going low on my intake (well, not yesterday! LOL!), on the days where I don't binge. It might be a tad TOO low. I'm not sure at all.

However, the numbers I get from my spreadshee - for a 1 lb weight loss per week - is that I right now can't consume more than 2700 calories, and can't go lower than 2000.

This has made me aim for 2000. I can't help thinking that I should probably aim for the 2700, and just ensure to not go lower than 2000. 700 calories of energy can make a hell of a difference.

Today I have all my meals planned, all my macros met, and I end up at 2300. There is obviously no point in going higher if everything is good and I feel energized, but I think it's smarter to USE the calories I have available instead of going for too large a deficit and then fail.

...

Since I am done with the hospital, have no further surgeries, and already look and feel great, all I need is to just to have a nice and slow weight loss. I have absolutely no rush, it's just minor tweaking.

I'm generally happy with my weight as I am. Physically, I feel fine. It's just the mental thing of going a little lower on the numbers. It is important? No it isn't. It's just a matter to tweaking and doing better.

If I end up with a 200 calorie deficit daily overall, it would be just fine. If that would make it accomplishable EVERY day, then it would be perfect.

Assuming my fitbit gives me a reasonably correct calorie burn estimate, I could simply go for 2800-3000 calories daily, and just enjoy life - and still slowly lose weight. I would lose ½-1 pound per week, and after some months I would be right where I want to be. That would be good enough, wouldn't it?

I think a lot of it, if not ALL of it, is a mental game for me.

I know I can drop a kilo or two from day to day if I put my mind to it. I do it all the time. Of course, it won't be a fat loss. It'll be fluid.

When I focus and lower my calories significantly, I see a large drop. Less food in my intestines, fluid drop, etc.

When I mess up, it goes the other way, obviously.

Those fluctuations will always be there.

At the same time, I feel stronger than ever before. I think I am still building a little muscle. This is a very slow process since I am in a calorie deficit. Not much excess energy for my body to build muscle from.

And still. I see progress in the gym. It's slow, but it's progress.

...

I really like the 2800-3000 calories daily thought. It isn't even all that hard work to maintain that calorie burn - and as I build muscle and lose fat, it will be even easier.

...

Today, I'm thankful for:
- Wife!
- A pretty good night's sleep.
- Gym today!
- A day with not all that much stress.

Life is good!

Weight:	Lost so far:	Still to go:	Diet followed:
88.8 kg	66.2 kg	3.8 kg	Reasonably Well

(7 comments) Losing 10.5 kg a Week

11 March 2014

Good morning!

Well, lowering the calorie intake to my "minimum allowed for fat (not muscle) loss" seems to work a charm so far. :)

I do have one slight concern, which I will adress in a few moments.

I consumed 2100 calories yesterday - and burned 3200. I was allowed a 1000 calorie deficit. Technically, I was 100 calories too low, but I'm sure it's fine. With so many extra calories though the weekend, I'm sure I'll survive.

I feel great, and I am 1.9 kilos lighter since yesterday. Obviously, this is fluid and other things, hopefully along with a little bit of fat.

Just how much fat, though? Well, if my calculations are correct, the deficit I had should give me something like 150g of fat loss. Plenty for a day.

Of course, we know better than just just calculate like that. Our bodies work in very mysterious ways sometimes, and a lot of little factors play into this.

Still, I was very active. I did 16,000 steps, and my strength training.

...

So, here is my concern:

I see that my calculations COULD give me a calorie allowance that is BELOW my resting metabolic rate, or my body metabolic rate, for that matter.

I'm not sure just how good idea it is to go below that. Our bodies NEED energy, and we need to supply it - not starve ourselves to weightloss.

I'm gonna look further into this.

Then again, this is just for a short time that I'll be this low. As soon as my body fat starts coming off, my body fat percentage will lower, and my "lowest calories allowed" number will rise, as I won't be able to handle this large a deficit without tapping into the muscles.

I will also have a day weekly where I will go for a higher calorie intake, pretty much like my Indulgence Day - to keep me sane, and to keep my metabolism up. This becomes more and more important as I get lower in body fat.

On the Indulgence Days, I will simply go for maintenance level calorie intake.

...
I had zero problems sticking to plan yesterday.

Today, I have everything planned out again, and there is PLENTY of food for me. More than I would normally eat. I should have zero problems.

However, I see the point to having it. I see that I need to protein - which is a lot at 200g. It's actually quite a challenge to consume all this, but at the same time it is very satisfying. I like the foods I'm eating, and I both see and feel how this way of eating is good for me. Especially when the kilos drop off at the same time. :)

I love the science behind it all. I love that I can see the logic in what I am doing - this is what I try to teach in my classes and to my clients. Once we open our eyes and see what we our bodies need and why we need it, it all gets SO much easier.

I feel that I know what I am doing, and this will bring me success, short and long term.

Hell, I already have the success, because I know what I'm doing.

I have no problem identifying why I have gained weight lately. It's entirely my fault.

Stress gives me boredom, boredom makes me hungry for treats, treats are candy that I can't control, and that makes for huge calorie intakes. Huge calorie intakes mean fat gains.

Take control of the calories and see what happens... weight comes off again.

It REALLY is that easy.

As long as I make sure to eat satisfying foods, satisfy my body's nutritional needs and stay at the right calorie intake, I will lose weight until I reach maintenance, and I will stay there.

When I mess up, I will see a setback. It can easily be forgiven, as long as it doesn't happen constantly.

...

Today, I'm thankful for:
- Wife!
- Sunshine in Denmark! It was a beautiful day yesterday, and today seems like it will be more of the same.
- Getting closer to a resolution with work.
- Morning coffee.
- Walking. I think I'll go do some of that in a few minutes.
- Focus.

Life is good!

Weight:	Lost so far:	Still to go:	Diet followed:
90.3 kg	64.7 kg	5.3 kg	100%

(5 comments) Losing 13.3 kg a Week

kingkeld's Weight History

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