Isn’t it interesting when you discover something you thought you understood but actually didn’t understand it all?
Being interested in fitness and nutrition for over a decade, I believed that while there are a variety of “diets” and ways to lose weight, at the end of the day it’s about calories in and calories out. It’s simple math: if you consume more calories than you can exert, you will gain weight. I learned this past week it’s not that simple.
For example, with 100 calories you could eat 1/3 of a McDonald’s Original Cheeseburger. OR you could eat 25 strawberries. Or one medium banana. Enjoy a tablespoon of peanut butter. Eat 2/3 of a 7 oz container of Fage 2% Fat Greek Yogurt. Or, my favorite in terms of volume, 3 cups of air-popped popcorn. Of all of those things, what will satisfy you the most? What’s going to leave you hungry five minutes later?
(Source: https://www.eatthis.com/what-100-calories-looks-like/)
For the past three to four years, I was aiming to eat somewhere between 1,400 and 1,500 calories, all to lose weight. But I was hungry and consistently over-consumed. Many times, I was choosing a more unhealthy option because I was so hungry at the moment. When Kendra, my online coach, increased all my macros (including my calories), I was skeptical. My daily goal is now 1,668. I had a difficult time initially understanding how increasing my calories would lead to weight and fat loss. The secret is food quality. Your body processes and digests nutrients from food differently, based on the food.
This past week I faced a few challenges in my health journey. It was the Fourth of July weekend. I also had two very long meetings at my office and a work dinner. I forgot to pack a snack for one meeting but was able to compare food quality to choose the lesser of two evils from the snacks at the office.
I really wanted those doughnuts. But, when looking at the nutritional value of the two, the Kind bar was easily the right choice.
When I did my weekly assessment this morning, the scale had gone up by .7 lbs. Of course, I was a little bummer, but considering the holiday weekend and my work dinner, I gave myself some grace and instead focused on how to improve on those opportunities next time.
Health Stats
Weight: 135.4 (up .7 lbs)
Body Fat: 26.3 (up .1)
Muscle Mass: 32.6% (no change from last week)
My takeaway this week
Focus on the positive. The scale will go up. The scale will go down. The scale won’t change. In all of these you have to look for the positive and learning the opportunities.
Goals for next week:
1. Remain consistent.
2. Have a plan for upcoming travel.
3. Lose 1 lb.
Favorite meal from this week:
I brought back an old favorite: Double-O-Cinnamon Apple Breakfast Bowl by Hungry Girl. It’s a great source of protein, mildly sweet, and the only way I will eat cottage cheese.