My#80lbJourney Week 3: Calories

My 80lb Journey: Calories

I am now starting week 3 of this journey. To be honest, things seem a bit too easy for me this week. Implementing small changes each week, that was my goal when I started this journey. This week, I kind of jumped into the fitness side of things and haven’t looked back.

As I mentioned in my last post, (Keep Moving), my sister in law introduced me to the crossfit gym she goes to. I went Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I am extremely proud of myself for getting there, especially the Wednesday and Friday, as I pushed past the aches and pains of getting this body moving again.

I will admit, it is embarrassing and tough on me mentally to think of how weak I am now. Having let go of myself, my strength, not just gaining weight, but not moving, and therefore becoming so weak. BUT, this week has also shown me that it is possible to rebuild my strength, to become the healthier version of me. So I push on and am even more determined to shed pounds and build muscle.

I worked out 3 times at Airtime Fitness (did I mention, crossfit is tough on this girl) and felt like I barely made it through…but I did it. It felt great each time I got through a workout. Even the pain of lifting my arms for two days after my first workout, which was focussed on upper body and had me wielding 15 &20lb dumbells and later learning to lift a bar with 20lb on it. It was relatively simple and easy to learn the form for all the moves/lifts. The weight was manageable, at least for a few reps :). But the pain set in on day 2.  Remember, this chick has not lifted more than my groceries and a kid for the past 4 years!

Workout #2 was really tough and I didn’t complete the 5 sets, but I did complete 3 before almost passing out and seeing stars. This girl knows when to push it and when to stop. Workout #3 was even tougher, and I made it all the way through. I will admit, I am doing modified versions of some exercises. But I was there, doing it and doing a heck of alot more than I was 2 weeks ago, right?

I will be the first person to admit, you can’t go from doing nothing to doing what “everyone else” is doing at the gym, just overnight…but you can get your butt to the gym (or moving) and you will one day be that other person the newbie is watching. Do not be embarrassed about what you can’t do, celebrate what you can do, and set goals to do more. Hey, I feel like a beached whale, but now when I say it, my brain reminds me the tide is changing, and I am working my way back to the ocean! And, I have helpers pushing me along the way. Sorry about that, I have referred to myself as a beached whale for so long now, that seemed a fitting comparison.

Calorie Counting

So, I strayed a bit off topic from what I had planned. But today’s post is about food. Calories to be precise.

This weekend I started counting calories, using the My Fitness Pal app. Very eye opening!

By checking the calorie count on everything that crosses my lips, I am more cautious and think a little more about every little thing. Probably the most shocking (well, I guess I knew, but didn’t want to believe), was the amount of calories in bread. My downfall is fresh homemade bread. For the next while, it will be sugar free lower calorie bread from the bakery. I can have 2 slices of it for less calories than one slice of regular. If you know me, you know that I hate buying bread at full price, so it is bakery bread only until I find the right recipe to make my own. If you have one, please share.

I set some goals in the app, and yesterday I was slightly over in calories. But today, because we walked for 2 hours at King’s Landing, I am under my calories for the day. The only thing left for me to consume tonight is water, so I did great today.

The green beans I just ate for my evening snack count as 30 calories towards my daily intake. Trust me, it’s much better than what I would have grabbed 2 weeks ago, but the green beans tasted great, had a nice crunch, I didn’t have to prepare them, and they are filling. That is the ideal snack.

My Weight

During the week I decided that I am not going to weigh myself this week. Every second week is fine for now. It’s time to focus on how I feel and not become obsessed about the numbers on the scale. Perhaps I will be more surprised waiting 2 weeks between weighing myself.

This Week’s Goals (Aug 1-7,2016)

• Continue exercising. Even with the next few weeks being a little harder for me to schedule gym visits, I will get exercise in 3 or more times a week even if I get it done at home.
• Keep checking those calories and learning what options there are for cutting back.
• Start Prepping Lunches: Pack my lunches for the next day. Measure and figure out the calories for each meal ahead. I find Lunches and daytime snacks are harder when the kids are running around, or you are trying to plan activities. Some meals already prepped will make it easier to pick the right food.
• Drink More Water.…I did not increase my water intake this week. I need to really work on this. Will be looking at getting a couple bottles to put in the fridge, so I know visually what I have had and what I need to finish.
• Take Photos and Measurements. I hadn’t done this yet, but I think this will help keep me motivated and I should probably have it to share along the way as well.
• Decluttering, continued: the past few weeks I have also been decluttering my home, I have been lazy about many things over the years. This is a huge one for me. We have too much “stuff”. Each bag I sell or donate sure feels like a weight lifted off my shoulders, even if it is not actual weight.
• Spend some time being creative. This is for my mental health. I used to make scrapbooks for people all around the world through my online store. I need to start doing some again for me. Maybe even just a page a week.

I could keep adding, but my list is reasonable for this week. Putting this out there into the world is also helping me stay accountable. Knowing I CAN do this is one thing, but making sure I actually follow through is another.

Thanks for reading, and be sure to share any tips or thoughts you have. I love reading your comments.

Have a happy and healthy week!

Read Other Posts About My #80lbJourney

• My 80lb Journey: the starting point to a healthier me (week 1)
• My 80lb Journey: Over the Years & Turning Point (week 1)
• My 80lb Journey: Keep Moving (week 2)