Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Mid-week Resolution Update

Today, after a particularly vigorous workout, I weighed in at 185.0 lbs.  That's an almost 5 lb. drop from Sunday.  I've been averaging a 1.5 lb drop per day.  That can't be good and it has me a bit worried.  I've tried to be more vigilant about my caloric intake and its distribution across various sources of calories (fats, proteins, and carbohydrates); but I think it's clear that I'm way under-nourishing myself.  I shouldn't be losing this much weight this quickly, and I worry that not only am I burning fat cells, but I'm also cutting into muscle cells.

So, I'm going to try to slow things down and try to increase the amount of calories I'm ingesting.  I've read that one should never slip below 1200 calories per day, and I don't think I've been that ascetic; but I do think that I'm staying under 2000 calories, but burning a lot in a rigorous exercise program (probably upwards of 3500 calories per day counting the number of calories one normally burns in a sedentary state, plus the added calories burned through exercise).

I want to lose weight, but I want to do it in a healthy manner, and I have to carefully look at my diet and exercise regimen to find that appropriate balance between cutting weight and keeping up a healthy, balanced, and sustainable supply of energy through food.

Any tips or advice are welcome.

3 comments:

Eric said...

I have been working out every other day and have changed my work area at the office so that I am standing instead of sitting for most of the day, and three days a week I only eat an apple with some cheese for lunch. Other than that I haven't altered my diet much. The result, since January 1st, is a steady loss of 2-3 lbs per week (while also trading a noticeable amount of fat for lean muscle).

For workouts I have been using 'Supreme 90 Day' which is similar in concept to P90X or Insanity, but unlike those very expensive programs it can be gotten for $20 on Amazon... you get 10 different workout videos that target various muscle groups in different ways, along with a few different aerobic workouts (one based on the Tabata method is particularly brutal).

You need a stability ball and some dumbell weights for most of the workouts. I have a set of 10 lb, 15 lb, and 25 lb dumbbells and find that to be adequate (you need separate weights, not just the kind you can add/remove weight to, because the workouts move quickly from one exercise to another, and each might require a different weight)

The program comes with a workout schedule that is designed for maximum benefit, and I used it last spring/summer and was very pleased with the results. My only complaint was that using their schedule, you don't get very many 'rest' days. Now that I am using the program as a longer term solution instead of just for 90 days, I am sticking with their workout sequence but inserting a full rest day in between every workout. I figure I'll go through the entire program twice this year if I can stick with it.

I've been very pleased with the results from this workout program, a lot of focus on core and leg muscles, with the result being that not only do you build some impressive muscle, but you FEEL stronger as well, which has not always been the case with my workouts in the past.

Anyway, that's my two cents on fitness and weight loss! Congrats on your progress. You are correct though, that is almost an alarming amount of weight to lose over such a short time.

Huck said...

Eric - 2-3 lbs of weight loss per week is great! I also think it's probably much healthier than my rapid weight loss. Sounds like you have a great and balanced exercise and eating routine. I'm taking note and trying to make some adjustments to my program, too. Keep up the good work!

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