Weekend Wars

I started getting frustrated this weekend with my weight.  Same vicious cycle as always.  I was, for the most part, doing everything right.  Now, I did get drunk and eat pizza this weekend, but you would think being on point since December 26 that would not be such a big deal.  So I woke up Saturday morning and was thinking and thinking and just getting more and more frustrated.  Then I read Mama Laughlin's blog.  If you don't read it, you should.  I have been reading it for years.  Seriously, go all the way back to the beginning and start reading.  Mega motivation there.  http://www.mamalaughlin.com/

I don't know if I am supposed to do this (copy and paste from another blog), but with a whopping 11 readers, I don't think anyone is going to call the cops.  Mama Laughlin is training for a bikini competition.  She looks AMAZING and has reached so many goals, that she set this big one next.  She has a trainer and she let her readers ask some questions.  This was one of them:

How do I eat more and not gain weight?


This was a great question because I feel like the more and more research I do, I keep reading that you are probably supposed to be eating more calories than you are.  For example, when I first started losing weight I was doing weight watchers and eating probably between 1200-1300 calories a day.  Now, most people who have researched this will know that is not a whole lot.  When I go to the various calculators on the internets and compute how much I should be eating for how much activity I get, they always spit out a number between 1600 and 1800.  That is a BIG difference yall.  Like a 500 calorie difference.  500 calories is more than I usually eat for dinner so that is like adding a whole second dinner to each day.  So, I started eating clean and trying to eat about 1650 calories a day.  Nothing.  My weight dropped about 5 lbs and then started creeping up again.  Insert freak out.  But, then I come across the answer to that question above at such a great time!!!  This is the answer that was given.  Mind blown!

I’m actually writing a massive blog over this but I’ll keep this answer short.

The overall goal is to increase your metabolism, everyone can do this, it just takes time and work. More work!? Dammit...

Look at the metabolism like a muscle you want to train, the goal is to get it to handle more over time.

An Example: Lets say you can squat 100lbs, our goal is to get you squatting 300lb (I have a girl that is going to do that this year) so we do this by adding weight slowly over the course of weeks, months, years until you can comfortably handle 300lbs

NOW… if you were to just one day and walk in load up 300lbs on the bar and try to squat it… well I’ll leave the imagery up to you but in nice terms you're going to get hurt, but if you were to add 5lbs and squat 105lbs until you felt comfortable with it, then we add more weight until you feel comfortable with that as well, and so on...

The metabolism is the same way, if you are used to eating 1500 calories a day and and want to be able to handle 2000 calories a day without gaining weight, you can’t just decide to jump it up to 2000. You’ll gain weight because your body wasn’t ready for that. BUT… lets say you just decided to go from 1500 to 1525… well that’s enough to challenge your metabolism BUT not enough to cause weight gain.

You’d simply just consume 1525 each day until you notice that your measurements (scale being one of those) stabilizes and then you would do a small bump again.

Remember, think of the metabolism as a  muscle. Train it to handle more over time.

Reading it now, it seems like it would somewhat be common sense, but I just really love the way he puts it.  So back to the drawing board I went and decided to do something Jon has dubbed, "Advo Watchers."  I started back on weight watchers Monday.  However, I am still taking my supplements and trying to eat clean.  It's just my way of doing a little more counting until I lose what I would like to lose.  I have dropped 3 pounds since Monday.  Even with Snowmageddon, which we all know was definitely a small eat fest.  Good thing I only had grapes and bananas at my house haha.  I'm happy with my decision to do this and I am feeling so much better already.  Being pro-active always feels good.  

The good thing about weight watchers now is that they have changed it up a bit since when I did it the first time.  The first time your points were figured out from calories, fat, and fiber.  You could pretty much eat 100 calorie packs all day long.  Now, your points are derived from fat, carbs, protein, and fiber.  See the difference there.  They are promoting a healthier way of eating.  You can eat all the carbs you want, but you are not going to be full and they are going to cost you more points.  I think this is a good compromise and I am seeing results.  

So, here's to Advo Watchers!!  Hopefully this is the key to my success.  Also, I am actually looking forward to spin class tomorrow morning!!!  Things are looking up :)