The Dreaded 10 Pounds - Part 2
Whether you found me through the All The Things podcast or my blog came up in your search results, you’re here! And this blog is about the dreaded 10 pounds I’ve struggled with. Maybe your weight loss journey isn’t about losing the last 10 pounds. Maybe it’s about eating healthy or maintaining your current weight. Maybe it’s about getting in the right mindset so that you can get your butt up and about. Or maybe it’s my magnetic personality that comes out in our podcast that has drawn you to come here. Whatever the reason, welcome! And thank you for taking the time to read what I have to say.
Full Disclosure
If you read part 1 of this blog, you’ll notice an inconsistency with regards to the numbers I shared about my weight. When I first started writing this blog, I weighed in at 131.2. Then, I dropped .6 pounds as I was researching tools for weight loss. As such, the number I entered in the calorie calculator was 130.6 This .6 pound difference dropped my caloric intake by 4 calories. Not so significant. So I just rolled with my initial numbers. Now that I cleared that up, two more things. (1) I officially started this public journey on Monday, January 31 and my weight at that time was 132.8 and (2) I am not a fitness coach, nutrition specialist or renowned bodybuilder. I’m just me and the decisions that I’ve made and share with you are solely based on my experiences and research that I’ve done throughout my fitness journey.
The Journey
Fast metabolism. What is it? Is it good to have a fast metabolism? Well, the higher it is, the more calories you burn and the easier it is to lose the weight and keep it off. Additionally, when you have a high metabolism, it can give you energy and make you feel better. Is this you? Are you one of those blessed people who can eat whatever you want whenever you want without gaining weight? If not, how invested are you in losing weight? Maintaining your weight? To eating healthier? Are you less likely to follow a diet if it involves weighing and tracking your food?
I know that after each pregnancy my average weight gain was around 35 pounds. So I was certainly motivated to lose the weight. I was 27 when my youngest was born and even though I wanted to lose weight, I was at a point in my life where, if I was smart about what I ate, the weight eventually came off. Since hitting my forties, things have changed. My body changed and the approach of being mindful about what I ate was no longer effective. It’s at this point in my life that I realized I needed to do something different. Perhaps, look at nutrition differently? So the thought of weighing my food and tracking calories became a real option for me.
In Part 1 of this blog, I found that my daily caloric intake is 1,375 calories. I set my macronutrient breakdown at 45% Protein, 35% Fat, and 20% Carbohydrates. I arrived at my macronutrient numbers simply by playing around with the percentages. For example, I could’ve easily arrived at 40% Protein, 35% Fat, and 25% Carbohydrates or 35% Protein, 35% Fat, and 30% Carbohydrates. Whatever percentage you decide to allot to each macro, it just needs to add up to 100%. I based my selection on past experience. In order to support my workouts, I want my Protein intake to be higher than the other macros. And to ensure that I stay satiated throughout the day, I set my Fat intake at the next highest level. Leaving the remaining percentage at 20% (100% - (45% + 35%), for Carbohydrates. The breakdown I chose closely resembles a low-carb diet. Had I chosen to have Fat be my highest percentage, my diet would resemble the Keto diet.
One thing I plan to do on this journey is monitor my weight every morning. I plan to follow the macros I’ve set for myself, but there may be times when I either surpass or fall short of hitting the allotted percentages, which can in turn affect my weight. When that happens, it’s important to know for example that “each time my Fat intake went over the set percentage by 10% my weight didn’t change whereas each time my Carbs went up by 10%, I gained two pounds”. I know, I know. This can be a tedious task. But if you’re invested in dropping the “dreaded 10 pounds”, this just may be the piece that helps you get past that plateau.
Non-Scale Victories (NSVs)
The scale should not be the only thing that you look at to measure success. Non-scale victories are just as important: coming off a medicine, walking for 1 mile, hitting a new personal record (PR) at the gym or this…
Here’s a rouched dress I bought at Victoria’s Secret (VS). By nature of its design, your “flaws” should be hidden. But since I bought this a size smaller, ‘tis not the case. I’m sure I could rock this outfit by simply putting a jacket over it. But my NSV goal here is to minimize that noticeable pooch so that I don’t have to put on a jacket.
Another NSV to track are your measurements. Here are my stats as of today:
Height: 5’ Weight: 131.8 Chest: 35” Waist: 30” Hips: 38”
Left Quad: 18.5” Left Calf: 12” Left Bi: 11.25” Right Quad: 19.5” Right Calf: 12.5” Right Bi: 11.5”
I may be slightly off with my arm measurements as it is a little difficult to measure your arms using only one hand. In any case, these are the items I will be tracking over the next several months.
What Do I Eat?
As for what do I eat? For now, I won’t be going too crazy. Green veggies will make up the majority of my Carbs. Any bread I eat, I’ll make using the 90 second low-carb keto bread recipe. The Fat I consume will be good fats (for the most part!): olive oil, avocado oil, avocado, nuts, cheeses, etc. And the Protein will come from eggs, chicken, pork, tuna, protein shakes and protein bars. Make sure you read your protein bar labels as some protein bars have more carbs than protein. As for red meat, I like to minimize the number of times I eat red meat throughout the week. But I will eat it! A good ribeye with a baked potato and green beans hits the spot every time! As for alcohol, if I consume it’ll be over the weekend and in moderation. And sweets… I’ve found that there are a number of keto snack recipes that are tasty and satisfy the need when the urge to eat something sweet overcomes me.
That’s it for this week! Is this something you think you can do? If not all of it, how about parts of it? If you decide to take this journey with me, drop me a note as I’d love to hear how your journey is going.
Until next time…Keep It Real!
Much Love - Imee
