Tags
diet, measurement, status report, update, weight loss, workout
It’s technically week 6 (one day in) and I realised I haven’t made a proper status report in a while now. While the weight rushed off for the first month, things have settled down now, and I am thinking of lowering my calorie limit (which has been set to maintenance since the beginning of May). I have in fact gained a little weight again, but I’m not worried – I have become a fair bit stronger (quite a lot more muscles, actually), and I have been under my calorie limit every day since I started on the 4th of May.
Measurements (since the beginning):
Note: I am fairly sure I have lost more centimeters than this, but I forgot to measure for the first month or so. The starting measurements are from around two weeks ago; the numbers in parantheses are from February (before I gained weight the last time).
Weight: Lost 3.3 kg
Calf: Lost 0 cm (1 cm)
Thigh: Lost 0 cm (1 cm)
Hips: Lost 1 cm (0.5 cm)
Waist: Lost 4.2 cm (+0.3 cm)
Chest: Lost 1 cm (0 cm)
Biceps: Lost 1.8 cm (0 cm)
I have an app in which I enter measurements more or less regularly (read: now and then for the past 13 days), but I aim to do it a bit more systematically. So henceforth I will do it every Monday, where the numbers will reflect how much was lost during the last week, with the totals in parantheses. I’m not sure if I’ll post the measurements other than weight once per week or once per month, but we’ll see.
Diet
My diet’s not been extremely good. While I’ve been below my calorie limit every day, I haven’t made the best food choices. In the beginning I didn’t crave snacks at all, but now that life’s back to normal and things are getting more busy that’s unfortunately changed. With less time I’ve taken the quick fixes instead of the proper ones, and as a result I’ve been more hungry. From now on I’ll focus more on getting my calories from proper foods instead of just wherever, and also eat more proteins for my last meal of the day so that I’m not so hungry in the morning.
Exercise
Exercise has been pretty good, though I haven’t gotten the variation I had planned. I’ve done the following:
- Monday 1st: Walking, 20 minutes (no dance class that day)
- Tuesday 2nd: 30 minutes of strength training (P90)
- Wednesday 3rd: Rest day
- Thursday 4th: 2 hours of dancing
- Friday 5th: Strength training (65 minutes in total) and walking (70 minutes I think? Ended up walking to the store and back because the buses where horrid that day)
- Saturday 6th: Les Mills Combat DVD 45 minutes, ballet exercises 25 minutes
- Sunday 7th: Les Mills Combat 60 minutes (it’s the hardest of the combat workouts, but it’s so fun! And I was able to do it with weighted gloves all the way through)
- Monday 8th: Dance class
Overall things feel good. Last week I complained that I didn’t feel sore, but… even after pushing myself really hard this weekend I haven’t been sore at all, except my abs a little bit. I wasn’t sore after dance class last Thursday either. Perhaps I simply don’t get sore as easily now. I am also happy that I’ve managed to focus on exercise that isn’t very hard on my ankles and knees (areas that are very easily injured when you do Irish dancing, simply because they take such a beating with all the jumping on stiff legs).
I do think I might benefit from doing shorter workouts once in a while. Apart from the beginning of the week I’ve pretty much only worked out for more than an hour. Perhaps some interval training would be good.
Overall + this week
I’m rather pleased with the last week, even if my food choices weren’t necessarily the best, and even if I didn’t lose weight. I did gain muscle (at least I feel a lot stronger), and I did lose centimetres.
I’m not sure what this week will bring – I’m going away tomorrow, and so I won’t be able to do much strength training. I will bring my fitness bands though, and my running shoes. We’ll see how much I end up doing. I don’t have specific plans – I’m visiting my brother and his family, so I don’t know how the week will be – but I plan on running and walking a fair bit if the weather cooperates. It’s generally better weather over there than it is here anyway. If not, well, I’ll bring a couple of workout videos with me just in case.