Challenge Update #3
Hello friends!
It’s been three weeks of the This Ain’t No Freshman 15, This is the Final 10 Challenge and that means it’s WEIGH-IN time! Before you read my stats below, make sure to check out Jen, Prior Fat Girl’s, blog to see how she’s coming along!
Here we go:
Starting Weight: 138 lbs.
Weight Monday, June 15th: 134.6 lbs.
Weight Today, June 22: 134.6 lbs.
Loss since last week: -0.0 lbs.
Total loss: 3.40 lbs.
Left to go: 6.60 lbs. by 8/1/09
Umm. What happened guys? Here are my day-by-day calorie consumption and exercise stats:
- Monday — 1420 calories, cumulative 60-minutes strength training and pilates exercises
- Tuesday — 1500 calories, 60 minute Turbo Kick Boxing, 2.5 mile run
- Wednesday — 1500 calories, 6.12 mile run & 10-minute body-weight exercises (triceps dips, push-ups, planks)
- Thursday — 2000 calories, 3.5 mile run & 35 minutes strength training
- Friday — 1700 calories, 5.5 mile run, 15 minute stair exercises & 2 hours dancing (that counts, right?)
- Saturday — 1500 calories, rest day!
- Sunday — 1200 calories, cumulative 45 minute strength training
*Calories rounded up. (See here if you’re curious — for a reference I use on how to calculate how many calories to eat a day to slowly and safely lose weight)
Oh, I know! I may have two little culprits to attribute this to — and they’re **drum roll**
- Budding Bicep #1 & Budding Bicep #2
Haha. Ok, for real, I am really trying to stay positive about this. The past week, I have, rather unfortunately, seen my weight fluctuate between 133 pounds to 137 pounds. Since my eating and exercise habits have been stellar, if I may say so myself, I am chopping the 0.0 weight loss up to the fact that my body is actually gaining muscle! Yes, I truly feel like I am losing fat and replacing it with its more dense and lovable housemate, Senor Muscle!
The pressure to weigh in has given me two dear-diary epiphanies:
- I shouldn’t have made this a “weight loss” challenge. Losing an appropriate amount of weight is great for your physical health if you are indeed at an unhealthily high weight. However, having a scale obsession is not good for your mental health! Also, while weighing yourself is a good indicator of whether you are indeed making progress on weight-loss goals, it is not an indicator of whether you are healthy, fit, putting on muscle, losing muscle, gaining fat or losing fat (or a number of other things, obviously).
- I want to be strong and fit, not skinny and scale-obsessed. You would think that 6 years of a health journey would make me an expert on my health goals and even on my own body, but no! Just like with every thing else worth knowing, my health goals and knowledge must continually evolve and improve.
So, while it would have been smarter to make my challenge goal to increase my muscle mass, cut time on a mile, increase the amount of push-ups I can do in one set, lose inches, etc. — I am *thankful* I have learned these valuable lessons and am moving forward with even more enthusiasm (is that even possible?!). I am going to post my actual arm, waist and thigh measurements tomorrow as I feel those would more adequately measure progress than the scale. But, I am 100% accountable to my word, so, of course, I will still be weighing in every Monday with Jen.
What will I continue doing this week?
Singing to my fruit. Talk about a healthy relationship with my food!
Eating Like a Goddess. Look at that spinach, cauliflower & fake egg in a whole-wheat wrap!
More strength training! I am going to nurture those budding little biceps so that *gasp* I might actually show them to you next week! 
So, please tell me I am not the only one who sings to her fruit… Have you guys had any recent health-related epiphanies? Gotten frustrated with a steady weight, or weight-gain, then realized it was beautiful muscle coming in? How are you guys doing on your own challenges?
Tags: calories, exercise, running, strength training, weight loss
12 People have left comments on this post
Hee hee – that made me laugh – budding bicep #1 and budding bicep #2. Love it!
yes yes i love your weight epiphanies! from someone who was indeed “skinny and scale obsessed” i wish i had someone as wise as you to tell me that is NOT THE KEY to healthy living… similar to you i am on the road to build up my muscle mass and become strong! Thanks for the inspiration, love =)
<3 xo
oh la la, YAY for budding biceps!
Isn’t it funny how one day we are totally pushing to achieve our “weight” goal, and the next week we get a dose of serious reflection and “see the light” and what really matters? I’ve seen the light too but normally within a few days, the scale starts calling my name and soon the clouds move over the “what really matters” and I’m back to pushing for my goal.
So…how do we really truly accept the fact that the scale doesn’t matter? This seems to be the question of MY LIFE! As soon as I think I have accepted the fact that the # on the scale really doesn’t mean much, I find my entire existence fighting for the number on the scale. UUUGGGHHH…
Well it’s official. You’ve past my target weight (135). I’m jealous and happy for you! Go! go! go!
Well, muscle definitely weighs more than fat so you may be exchanging fat for muscle. A good feel for all this is how your clothes fit. Now, you many have tighter sleeves due to muscle but say around the waist/hip area. Are the clothes fitting better. Another thing to look at is are you figuring your protein/carb/fat ration for the day or week. What % of calories are coming from where?
No matter what, you are staying consistent & accountable & seem to be doing great! I have a feeling that MizFit might tweak a couple things for you this week. I am not getting involved!!!!
Food is at least 65% of the battle if not more so check out those percentages I mentioned above if you can or if MizFit thinks that is a good idea.
I think you’re eating too little? Idk honestly… If the same thing happens this week, then I would bump the calorie count a bit…
Either way, you’re doing great! Eating soooo healthy and exercising soooo much. I’m proud of you. Keep up the good work
This is sort of why I had to give up the scale…when I build muscle (and my body does it quickly!!!) my weight goes up.
You are doing so well though, please don’t get discouraged!!
Just curious- have you ever thought of taking measurements to gauge progress? For me, it is hugely motivating to SEE changes in size!
Oh I always sing to my fruit
And I love your epiphanies. I think you’re SO RIGHT. There’s times when I get anxious about a few pounds either way and then I remember that it’s dumb, because my weight is healthy so if it changes by a few pound its really not anything to worry about at all. Thanks for the reminder.
I’m glad you’re evaluating what happened the right way. I was going to propose taking measurements now (even though you set a goal weight) and it sounds like you’re already going to do it
Don’t worry about not meeting your weight goal (even though I still think you will!!)… like you said, getting more fit and getting stronger (with more muscle mass) is way more important at the end of the day. 
I am not doing so good annabel. I started off weighing 130 now i’m 132. I ate too much last night too.
Your dilemma is exactly why I did my ‘either or’ goal of weight loss/volume loss. That said, you may want to up your calories a little bit for a few days. I find that if I’m constantly eating at a consistent defecit my body will hold on to stuff and a day or so with an increase in calories, even if the week’s amount of calories is unchanged, will make my body all excited that I’m not making it be efficient anymore and it’ll let go of all that excess it was holding on for an emergency.
My body is a spendthrift.
Anyway, I’ve lost 2-3 pounds in 3 weeks. Not awesome, but consistent. I haven’t really revved up the exercise so these losses are all just because I’ve been trying to be more conscious of what I’m eating.
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