A calorie is a calorie... but not really.

Sorry about the long time between posts. I simply haven't thought of anything good to write about. I have started a new job which has been super awesome. However, I was spoiled with the ability to eat what I want (healthy of course), when I wanted with all the time to cook it and do all of the other responsibilities needed. Now I am up by 6, out of the house by 7ish to get to work by 8. My husband and I alternate making our box lunches so we do not eat out (thus eating healthier and saving money!). Off work by 5, home by 6ish. Being gone all that time means spending time with our dog, getting dinner started, and getting lunches and dinner prepped for the next day, as well as working out. This isn't actually too bad considering some schedules, but unfortunately my healthy eating has suffered. I haven't gained weight and in fact have lost it, but at a significantly slower pace. So I stand at 40 pounds down with 30 to go. I'm sure you've heard before, a calorie is a calorie is a calorie. I have explained the simplicity in calorie deficits and how this equates weight loss. And technically a calorie is a calorie. 8 + 8 = 16 no matter what. But it is what our body does with this calorie that impacts how our body looks, works, and loses weight. I'm going to provide you with an example-- I LOVE frappe mochas from Mcdonalds. Sweet, sugary coffee goodness tastes like Heaven on earth. It also gets me up and going in the morning. Being "health" conscious I get it without chocolate drizzle and whipped cream on top. That saves me 80 calories. But even buying a small frappe mocha still rings in at 370 calories. These calories mostly come from excess sugar. Now let's consider grilled chicken breast with corn on the cob and 2 baby red potatoes. That can ring in around 370 calories. Here's the difference though. Frappe mochas contain excess sugar that our body doesn't need. And just like that Garden Gnome you got as a gift that you find hideous, you store it in a closet until the giver comes over to the house in which you display it proudly on your front lawn. Our bodies do the same thing with carbohydrates and fat when in excess. The problem is that with Americans and our eating habits, carbohydrates and fats are never in short supply. So it is stored (depending on male/female depends on where) until it is needed for later. So we eat in excess over and over and over and those reserves never go down despite our weight loss efforts. And THAT is the problem. So when the mocha frappe goes to my stomach to be stored for later, the chicken breast, corn, and potatoes are helping me rebuild muscle fibers and fuel my metabolism. More muscle + fast acting metabolism = lean body mass.

So a calorie is a calorie and a pound is a pound. But if you look at a person's diet in which they are under their daily allotment but their meals are crap versus a person with nutrient dense food choices, who do you think is doing better in their weight loss endeavors? I guess I'm saying this to lecture myself as well. I frequently find myself not getting enough calories in so I find higher calorie shortcuts to meet a number. That is utter laziness and a pound of balogney. Dieting is not short term it is a lifestyle to dedicating to live a healthier life physically, mentally, and spiritually. Need calories? Add peanuts or some cottage cheese to your diet. And writing this to myself, not having enough time is never an excuse to eat poorly. If you cannot take the time to invest in your well being now, then think about the quality of life you are going to have when you are older and taking the stairs leaves you out of breath. Or you are so overweight you have to wear a CPAP at night. Get off your butt, stop making excuses because you'll always have 10 of those but you'll only have one life to live and that is NOT excuse to throw it away.

Lisa out.

Reset Button

I think we have been there at some point or another. Your weight loss is stagnant for a period of a couple weeks. You point a finger at the scale and curse it for surely it is lying! Or perhaps, you step on it a couple times JUST to make sure, or you find yourself weighing in 3 times a day or every time you use the restroom. You might try stepping on it lightly, sucking in, stepping on it with one foot, etc... I've already posted about how the scale lies. However, I would be highly hypocritical if I were to say you must avoid it altogether as I weigh myself every day. It has become habit for me, and I simply use the scale as a guide and not as an absolute. When I gain a pound, I no longer go into a frenzy and cut my calories down to malnourished food intake amounts. So, like previously mentioned-- water retention, muscle building, ladie's TOM, sodium intake, exercise, stress, and probably more affects your weight but does not reflect your progress. So what are you supposed to do?

Let me set the stage for a very typical scenario for someone on a weight loss journey. Let's say Belinda, a 220 pound woman is 60 pounds overweight. The first week into her journey she drops 5-7 pounds. This is water weight but nevertheless Belinda is super stoked. Weight loss isn't hard at all!!! She's super motivated and strong willed at this point, making healthy food choices and exercising. She starts running 3-4 times a week and is staying within her caloric intake range for weight loss of 1.5-2 pounds a week. Belinda is feeling fit and fabulous and has already lost 20 pounds. YAY!!! But two weeks go by and Belinda's weight loss progress has come to an abrupt stop. Ahhhh! How horrible! She gets into a frenzy and decides to drop her caloric intake down to the lowest level recommended of 1200 calories per day. Belinda's weight loss keeps going for another 10 pounds then stalls out again. She decides to up her exercise even more, but notices she is feeling dizzy and fatigued throughout the day. She might turn to caffeine or weight loss pills and either ends up in the hospital because her heart feels like its going 100 mph like roadrunner, set the stage of eating disorder by eating too little and exercising too much, or just giving up.

So what did she do wrong? Essentially she had right idea of changing things up when her first weight loss plateau occurred. However, she went about it the wrong way. Our bodies are highly adaptable. When we start a weight loss journey and create a calorie deficit, we lose weight because our body isn't used to the decreased intake. Over time though, our body gets used to operating at that lower calorie amount then weight loss stalls. The same concept applies to our workouts. We need to keep our body guessing and not get used to the same old thing. That is why cross training is necessary. So what do we do? Temporarily increase your caloric intake for a few days. Now I'm not saying you should rush to the Golden Arches and down a couple Big Macs. What I am saying is to temporary increase your intake by a couple hundred calories for a week to change it up. For example, if you are trying to lose 2 pounds per week, that means you have a calorie reduction of 1000 calories a day less than your BMR (3500 calories in a pound times 2= 7000 calories). Try increasing your calories by 500. You should not experience weight gain.  Like previously stated, your body gets used to the same workout routine. I noticed this on my own weight loss journey and incorporated swimming 2-3 days a week into my routine and that broke my plateau. Right now I am currently switching things up by incorporating Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. I have read numerous success stories from friends on myfitnesspal.com . There are 3 levels that you can do to mix things up. 30 day shred helps build muscle and more muscle = less fat. Muscle also burns more calories at rest than fat. Since I am a runner and a swimmer, I figured this workout DVD would have little effect on me, and that it'd be a walk in the park. And I was very wrong. I was sweating and huffing and puffing. It was absolutely wonderful.

So in conclusion, hitting the reset button can be done a couple ways to keep you on your weight loss journey. Temporarily increasing caloric intake or changing workout routine are both options you can experiment with for your success. Also keep in mind, if you are trying to lose a larger amount of weight, that the more you lose the less calories you'll need. Why? Because since your BMR is based on your weight and the more weight you have the higher the BMR, the amount of calories you need will decrease as the number decreases.