New numbers & thoughts

It's me again...your friendly blogger. Today I have some new numbers for you all. Considering I was on vacation last week and I was sick 2 of the 5 weeks of the last session I'm not displeased with my new measurements. I'm planning for good health in the next session which is going to include getting more sleep. I skimp on sleep and still manage to be surprised when I get sick or feel like an extra from a zombie movie.

One of my instructors really put the whole measurement thing into perspective for me. Yes, I should be conscious of the numbers and what they tell me, but they shouldn't be what keeps me going. If the only reason I'm watching my nutrition and exercising is to get smaller numbers then I need to reassess my priorities.

You will recall that I came to this conclusion with the number on the scale some time ago. Looking at it now I can see that I replaced my reliance on the scale with a reliance on my body fat percentage and inches. Don't get me wrong, I do understand that if the numbers creep up I need to look at what I've done and figure out where the problem is. If the numbers go down I am allowed to feel good about that. What I shouldn't be doing and am guilty of doing is "all-or-nothing" thinking.

For instance, for the past 3 sessions my body fat percentage has stayed the same (it went down 0.1% from December to February...I consider that staying the same). Have I pondered the fact that for the first time in my life my body fat percentage is in the AVERAGE range? Nope-I just see the number staying the same and I want to drown that bad feeling with some Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream. Fortunately at 5:30 in the morning with your coach right there it's not like you can whip a pint out of your bag and chow down while proclaiming that exercise stinks and it doesn't work anyway.

I have tried to approach this like a somewhat rational, mature woman. I'm human. While I can walk by foods I should limit 90% of the time, there is that 10% of the time I choose not to walk by and dive into a giant chocolate chip cookie like I'm starving. I ignore the common sense that reminds me the cookie won't make me feel better, it certainly won't help the numbers look better and in reality it won't really taste all that good. I eat that cookie and think "There, I'll show you" in perfect imitation of a two-year old tantrum.

I'm not perfect, not by a very, very long shot. I get frustrated and sad. I cry when the numbers don't go the way I want or I feel like I blew a workout. I don't really think I've ever "blown" a workout, but there are times I leave the BBC studio or the Wellness Center feeling beaten down and like I'm never going to get it. Those feelings are normal and I get to choose: Am I going to throw in the towel or am I going to fight on and improve? So far I'm fighting on because I really like the new me. Not every minute of every day, but more and more often I find myself feeling like I'm really an okay person.

What am I doing now to get those numbers moving? Exercise will continue and with the shoulder healing it's time to start pushing a little. Not to the point of pain or reinjury, I would like to think I have at least learned that lesson. I will also be faithfully tracking my nutrition and thinking hard about the choices I make about what I put into my body. There will be cheat meals, but they will be planned and considered carefully so they don't become cheat days. Right now I am finding I really like the SparkPeople nutrition tracker (you can check it out for free at www.sparkpeople.com). Sure it tells me my diet should be 50% carbs, 20% protein and 30% fat, but that doesn't mean I need to abide by that. I have different percentages in mind for myself. Today for instance my diet has been 32% protein, 39.8% carbs and  28.2% fat and I've consumed 1,362 calories (dinner is still to come. I'm thinking a huge salad with Tuna sounds good). Not a stellar day, but there have been worse. Looking at the percentage of carbs in my diet over a week or so I can see it's time to think more about vegetables and rely less on fruit. When I was just writing down what I ate with no program to calculate percentages I didn't see that. I played around with a tracker awhile back, but that's all I did: play with it.

As an experiment for myself I am going to be diligent about tracking my food and see what that does to my numbers at the end of the next session.

I've certainly been long winded today, haven't I? I suppose you'd really like to have some numbers so you can get back to your lives.

Current Measurements
Weight: 249 pounds
Body Fat Percentage: 29.8%
Hips: 48.25 in.
Waist: 38.5 in.
Arm: 14.5 in.
Thigh: 26 in.

Original  Measurements (I considered posting the numbers from the last session, but honestly I NEED to keep the big picture in mind: I have come a LONG WAY and I need to remind myself of that)
Weight: 293 pounds
Body Fat Percentage: 37.9%
Hips: 54.75 in.
Waist: 44 in.
Arm: 14.5 in.
Thigh: 27.75 in.   

Totals
Weight: - 44  pounds
Body Fat Percentage:  -8.1%
Hips: - 6.5 in. 
Waist: - 5.5 in.
 Arm: Same
Thigh: -1.75 in. 

So there you have it. Thanks for taking the time to read.