January flew by and is already a memory. It was a great month for me. The first month of a new year is often great for many of us. We take time to reflect upon the previous year. We think about the successes we had and how to make them better. But we also think about how to turn the failures of the year into successes.
Far too often, people wait until January to reflect about the previous twelve months. I’d like to start a habit of reflecting more often—At least once per month! So let’s start right now.
Weight Loss:
I entered January weighing 181 pounds and left it weighing 178 pounds. Three pounds in one month is not a huge accomplishment but it works for me. I read many blogs (here and here for example) about people who are able to lose weight much more quickly than me. But I am totally fine with losing at the rate I’m losing.
Exercise:
I’m currently on a hot streak with my running. I’ve had several awesome weeks of feeling great and I really want to keep building momentum up towards the Eugene Marathon in May.
But the thing that I’m most proud about is the fact that over the last 2 weeks, I’ve added two more hours of exercise per week to my routine. I’ve now had three workouts with my new personal trainer. All three have been difficult. All three have been fun. All three have been awesome! I actually think that I’m starting to see and feel some differences in the way I look after only two weeks. In fact, all of my weight loss for the month of January actually took place during the last two weeks and I think my extra hours of exercise (and the fact that they’re concentrating on strength instead of cardio fitness) are the reason for that.
Nutrition:
I’m really excited to be learning a lot about nutrition from my trainer as well. We’ve analyzed my diet, made some slight changes in both the amount of food I’m eating and what I’m eating. I think I’m already seeing results. I’m never hungry, I’m eating very healthy foods, and I’m generally feeling very good about myself. (Please note that I’m not retracting my statements about counting calories being the most important tool to weight loss. I’ve just moved beyond counting calories to the next step)
So with one month gone in 2010, I’m very excited to be moving in the direction that I’m headed. I’ve also got some really exciting (at least to me) news coming up about the blog and what I want to do with it. Stay tuned
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
A three pound loss in four weeks: outstanding! You’re maintaining very close to a 500 calorie a day deficit — a little less. This is really key to your not feeling hungry. Moving away from carbs, and particularly carbs from processed foods like bread, means that the processing of food into energy in your body is happening more slowly, evening out your energy level and your appetite. This is the way I see your calorie deficit and the change in the composition of foods you’re eating working together.
Dan–I totally agree with your assessment on they way that you “see [my] calorie deficit and the change in the composition of foods [I'm] eating working together.” Just watching and feeling my body perform over the last few weeks really makes me glad I’m paying more attention to my nutrition. It makes me want to work harder and learn even more.
Great Job in January. I think there are a lot of us that saw a good start – I think February has just as much to offer. nice work.
seth´s last blog ..February 1st & February Goals
January is always a good month for me. I’m counting on everyone to help me make the rest of the year as good. And I think at your stage of things a 3 pound loss is pretty good as you don’t have much weight to lose.
AndrewE´s last blog ..Weigh-in post #5 2010: A good January
Andrew–You’re right that I don’t have much weight to lose. But that last little bit has been proving so difficult for me. I’m hoping that these recent changes are enough to put me over the edge!
Seth–Thanks a lot. You’re right about January being good for many of us. Let’s build the momentum to last us through the rest of our lives!
Mac, thanks for the link, and as Andrew said, I think 3 pounds is a great weight loss at your stage in the game. I’ve still got 65-70 pounds to lose to reach my goal weight, and all these extra pounds I’m carrying around are coming off relatively easy for me at this point. I fully expect things to start naturally slowing down soon, and I’m going to have to work harder to keep losing.
The bottom line is that you’re making great progress. Focus on that, and let that momentum continue to carry you throughout the rest of the year (and beyond).
Brandon´s last blog ..A Good Feeling
Great to read, Mac. I had a question, though. With focusing on the strength, do you expect to see more of a weight loss or a fat loss? I’m curious because I would expect to see your weight go up as you’re adding more muscle, whereas the fat percentage would decrease. Any comments?
I lurk on this blog quite often and have never felt the need to comment but I happen to find it amusing that I also started January 181 pounds and left it weighing 178. I am about 15 pounds away from my goal weight so things have been slowing down quite a bit on the weight loss front. I figure that it is not a big deal as long as it is trending in the right direction. Anyway… keep up the good work!
Neal–Maybe you should be my facebook doppelganger? Welcome to GFS and thanks for the comment.
Gwen–That’s a really good question. I don’t really think that I have added enough strength training to really put a whole lot of muscle on my frame. The plan is to slowly build muscle, metabolically activate the muscle that I have for longer periods of time, and use up the stored energy in my fat cells to decrease my weight. The end result, hopefully, is a leaner, more toned and firm body shape at the proper weight for my height and frame. Does this answer your question well enough? Thanks for the comment!