Operation Skinny: Week 2 Results

So, the results are in for Week 2! Here are the cold, hard numbers:

• Weight: 200.0 lbs (-0.80 lbs - Total: -4.8 lbs)
• Bust: 43.0” (-0.25" - Total: -0.75")
• Waist: 34.25” (-0.50" - Total: -1.25")
• Belly button: 40.5” (-0.75" - Total: -0.75")
• Hips: 44.5” (-0.50" - Total: -1.5")
• BMI: 29.5 (-0.1 - Total: - 0.7)
• Height: 5’9”
• Clothing size: 14 (sometimes 16)
• Total Weight Lost: 4.8 lbs
• Total Inches Lost: 4.25"

How much did I eat? How much did I exercise? My average daily calories were 1544 and my average calories burned were 2951. That leaves me with a deficit of 1407 per day and a total of 9849 for the week. To translate this into pounds lost, I divide this total number by 3500 as that’s the amount of calories per pound. Therefore, according to my food diary, I should have lost 2.81 lbs. However, in reality, I only lost 0.8 lbs.

I just did the boring old elliptical for my cardio, burning 630-655 calories per 50-55 minute session. This is the equivalent of running the same amount of time at a 9.5 min/mile pace. I’m not completely losing my breath as I would be in sprints, but I’m breathing pretty darn hard – no conversation possible – and my heart rate is in the 170-180 range, so this seems a reasonable estimate from the elliptical machines in the gym.

I also did my first thing morning walk 5 days of the week. I walked a total of 10.6 miles, which accounted for 1082 of my total 3015 calories burned working out. Not too shabby! For more information on why this helps boost your metabolism, read Walking First Thing in the Morning Boosts Your Metabolism.

How do you measure calories burned? Luckily for me, the food diary I’m using (FitDay software) computes my daily caloric burn as the sum of my resting basal metabolic rate, background activities, digestion and logged activities (i.e. working out). For more information on how these are calculated, please see my first week of results, Operation Skinny: Week 1 Results. I figure people don’t want another explanation each week. This week I burned a total of 3015 calories from my various workouts.

How many times did you workout? I got in 3 gym sessions, all of which were cardio based. My weight lifting partner/trainer (Scott, the boyfriend) hurt his back early in the week. When readjusting a nearby speaker while setting up his drum set, he pulled something in his back. Luckily, he’s walking normal again – no more hunched over like a 75 year old man with a bad hip – but no lifting sessions in the gym this week as a result. We’re hopeful that he can get back to lifting with me in some capacity (even if it means taking it easy himself) this week.

I would have liked to been in the gym more this week as I was aiming for a minimum of 4 sessions per week, but sometimes life just doesn’t work that way. On the positive side, I’m glad I got in 3 sessions and have to settle for an okay week working out-wise.

Why do you think you only lost so little weight this week? Despite a larger daily average deficit this week, I only lost 0.8 lbs this week, far less than my 4.0 lbs of last week. I had a feeling this would happen -- when you have a big loss one week, often you have a very little loss the following week. The body is reacting to the new nutrition and exercise regime and it can take a little while for the fluid balance to even out. I likely didn't lose as much weight in my first week and the results were exaggerated due to fluid loss. That's why I try to look at my results over a greater time period to give me greater perspective. It still means that in 2 weeks, I lost 5 lbs., which I'm pretty darn happy with. Also, I did continue to lose inches from all over my body which indicates to me that I'm still on the right track, and another reason people should not rely solely on the scale as a means to measure weight and fat loss. Ultimately, inches are more important to me than the numbers on the scale.

How do you feel? What other changes do you notice? More of the same of last week – I don’t feel any differences in weight or size really yet, but generally feeling better from a digestive/clean eating way.  I’m definitely feeling my stamina improve and I’m sleeping better.  I feel like my inner thighs may be not knocking against each other as much, but I’m not sure if that’s reality or just my wishful thinking.

I’ve strangely felt a little off the past two nights – little bit of a sore stomach and nauseous, but it only last a couple of hours.  I find this happening a couple of hours after a cardio workout.  I wonder if it’s a reaction to perhaps being a little dehydrated, or general muscle cramping.  Or perhaps eating a lot of protein as both days I’d eaten 40-45% of my calories in protein, which is higher than my normal 25-30%.  Perhaps my stomach was literally a little sore from having to break down all that protein.  Either way, it appears to have been temporary.

I’d say that the carb cravings are even better this week.  I still indulge in those little dark chocolate covered acai/blueberries for a quick sweet fix, but as a general premise, I’m not eating any other sugary or processed carb food.  I have a slice of whole grain toast topped with avocado (great fat!) from time to time, but other than, I get my carbs from oatmeal, fruits and veggies and dairy (mostly milk).  I’m definitely not craving high processed carb items like pasta, cookies, white bread, etc., which is a really nice surprise.  It’s becoming easier to resist the bad foods and choose the healthier food options, and that is very much appreciated! 

They say that it takes 6 weeks to form a new habit – 3 weeks to break the old habit and 3 more weeks to establish the new habit.  Already I can start to see and feel this process at work.  It is becoming easier to choose the healthier foods and get my behind to the gym. I still don’t get super excited by either one, but they’re both feeling like less of a chore I’m resisting and rather a conscious healthy choice I’m embracing.  I’m beginning to feel more empowered by this journey rather than limited by or resentful of it.  I can feel the perspective beginning to shift.  Baby steps.  Until Week 3…