Did I just lose 10 pounds in 10 days?!

 

Wait, that's a graph of calories, not weight! Yep. That's because in order to lose weight your calories have to be consistently below your TDEE.

That's HARD because what is your TDEE? Then, what is your calorie intake, REALLY? How accurate are your estimates? How good is your plan?

If your plan isn't working, do you know how to troubleshoot what is wrong?

Tracking your weight on a body weight scale isn't what makes you lose weight. You can lose weight with or without it.

The scale just tells us if our plan is working or not. 10 days ago, they weighed me at the doctor's office, and I GAINED WEIGHT!!! I thought I was on a good plan to lose weight!!! Nope. What was I doing wrong? I wasn't measuring my food. I was eating food that was too hard to estimate accurately. I wasn't sticking to the plan. Many days I didn't even really have a plan except to log calories. I was consistently not accurate with what I logged. I consistently went over my TDEE and thought I could take care of it with exercise.

Last year: BIG FAT FAIL.

Well, that day 10 days ago at the doctor's office was the last straw.

I started making a meal plan every day. A SIMPLE MEAL PLAN. I listed out the foods I would stick to in my last post. And most of all, I logged my food accurately. I choose foods that I can accurately measure. This way I KNOW exactly how many calories I'm putting into my body.

Since I failed so much last year, I had my doubts it would work. I was beginning to think something was wrong, maybe what they say about getting old is true. NO. IT'S A BIG FAT LIE.

I know it WORKS because I've lost 9.6 pounds since that day, 10 days ago. Granted, it was the middle of the day at the doctor's office, and I was wearing heavy winter clothes. Today was first thing in the morning without heavy clothes. The point is, I lost body fat during the last 10 days by being accurate with my calorie intake. I logged it every night in my spreadsheet.

I lowered my TDEE estimate to 1400 from 1500 because it's more accurate for my age. It matches my recent DEXA scan. I made it a steady line on my graph (that's the green line in my graph). My calories need to be under it consistently (that's the blue line in my graph). I added my exercise burn from my fitness watch to add to my visual motivation (it's the red line in the graph).

Now, I'm not sure how accurate the calorie burn is, but the point is that it's an edge in the right direction. It includes my nearly daily steam sauna session which can be anywhere from 100-150 calories. While sauna sessions don't make you lose weight per se, it's yet one more edge in the right direction along with other health benefits.

As we age, it is harder to lose weight. It turns out that as we age not only are we less active, and our LBM lean body mass starts slowly breaking down, but our body reduces its rate of Adipose Lipid Turnover (that's the ability to release body fat to use as energy). That can be overcome by simply lifting weights 3 times a week and doing a couple of HIIT workouts.

Yes, it is harder to lose weight. Yes, it is easier to gain weight. But it's a LIE that you are stuck with being overweight and unfit as you age!!

Just do a little bit every day with exercise, and start being honest with your calories. KNOW what your TDEE is. If you don't believe me on your TDEE go and get a fitness DEXA scan.

Oh, and people that think that a diet is depriving yourself! Pfffst! If we are overweight, we have not been depriving ourselves! Come ON. 

Being accurate with calories doesn't mean you can't have things. It means you make a plan and you fit in those "treats". Be honest. Be accurate. Know what you want. If you want to be fit and leaner, then you must make a calorie plan and be honest about what you are intaking. NO CHEATING.

I enter my two pieces of data into spreadsheet every night and I ponder what I'm doing. I'm in reality. My head is not in the sand, hoping, wishing, and constantly saying "Oh well, tomorrow is a new day!" How many days this year will you say that???!!!

I am tracking my weight in a different worksheet in that spreadsheet. I'm only weighing myself about every 2-3 weeks or so. I don't want to become addicted to the body weight scale. The food scale matters more than the body weight scale FOREVER!!! But I do have a goal weight in mind. I hope to be well towards that goal by my birthday in early February and well into my goal for spring and summer and to have the most amazing year ever! Even if I am likely to get both shoulders completely replaced this year. It doesn't change the fact that you can do what needs to be done with calories and I'll still be able to move my legs for calorie burn! No excuses!!!!!!!!!!!

PS If anyone wants the spreadsheet to track their own just let me know! I'm happy to share.

The 1st Phorm App just kicked off their 2024 New Year Challenge!

I'm excited about being in it. I'm excited about the people who will join me and interact with me in there every week, or how ever often they need to.

I'm 10 days early! This is my year.

There is no reason I can't be THIS again, even 10 years later. I'm very close.

I've proved to myself in the last 10 days that the plan WORKS, if you really do it.

As 1st Phorm says "Just do the work!" or #wedothework.

I may not be on searchable social media anymore, but I'm still here. I still help the people who want help in the App. I love the App and I love logging my calories there. It's more accurate than the counters I've used in the past. I LOVE interacting with my friends in there whether they do the challenge or not.

If you want to join you are welcome to join. If you have friends or family that are struggling and might be believing the LIES about age, have them join. Send them the link to this blog site as well:  Nibbles Fitness Support Blog 

Send me a message. It's my passion to stay fit and help anyone who wants to walk this journey with me. 

PS: Make sure your "advisor" in the App is me. If not, drop the default advisor and add me with "RS". Then send me a message right away in there and we can get started! Whooooo Hooooo!!!!!!!

Who's down for a FANTASTIC 2024?!

This girl is.

Roberta

Never Settle

Never Give Up.

Live Your Dream.