Changing things up just slightly enough to mess me up or to kick start something into working again, I am going to try upping my calories to 2000 per day which is 300 more than I am currently eating. The reason for the change is that I am weight lifting more than I was in the past and am finding myself hungry, "so what fat man? we all get hungry and that's why we're fat! because we give in!" well...sort of. I have not felt hungry for most of my weight loss, meaning that I have not struggled to not eat something because of that grumbling in my gut, that is until recently since I've started weight lifting more seriously and I am in the belief that I may be starving my muscles calories that they need to do what I want them to. I have been on 1700 calories just about from day one and am down more than 200 pounds because of that but I am now changing what I am doing because of the taking weight training more serious so I think that its time to switch it up goals be damned.
"Goals be damned? what are you talking about man??" By changing my calories I run the risk of actually gaining a little weight but in the interest of the long term I gotsta try it just so that I know. My wife proposed that I do the 2000 calories per day for a whole month before I give up on the idea so that will be the plan for me, I am going to attempt to stay with this higher calorie allowance for the whole 30 days and if it works it shall be adopted as my new allowance, if not? back to 1700. Something that I attribute to my success with losing and keeping off 200 plus pounds is the way that I have never over analyzed the weight loss, I look at it very simple move more, eat less and drink my green tea and that's it! I don't ever want to over complicate my health or eating plan because then it becomes a chore and eating/exercising/health should not be a chore no matter which direction we take it.
"Goals be damned? what are you talking about man??" By changing my calories I run the risk of actually gaining a little weight but in the interest of the long term I gotsta try it just so that I know. My wife proposed that I do the 2000 calories per day for a whole month before I give up on the idea so that will be the plan for me, I am going to attempt to stay with this higher calorie allowance for the whole 30 days and if it works it shall be adopted as my new allowance, if not? back to 1700. Something that I attribute to my success with losing and keeping off 200 plus pounds is the way that I have never over analyzed the weight loss, I look at it very simple move more, eat less and drink my green tea and that's it! I don't ever want to over complicate my health or eating plan because then it becomes a chore and eating/exercising/health should not be a chore no matter which direction we take it.
Loving the colors. 
Part of the hiking trail that we took Monday uses the bike trail to connect the more wooded parts of the hike, this is one of the bike trails that I ride on.
Found this carved into a tree on the trail. I enjoy eating the way that I do, I enjoy my workouts and I especially take pleasure in that post workout high that I get each and every time that get my ass moving. Figuring out the balance between how many calories will fuel my body as to build and keep muscle yet burn fat feels like a single colored, no patterned jigsaw puzzle to me but at least for the next month I will be at 2000 calories per day in an attempt to get things going full steam again. Switching up my exercise plan is on the menu as well, Monday Wify took the day off of work and came up with the idea of going on a hike together so that's what we did, we walked about a 4 mile loop with lots of uphill sections. My bike riding is always a favorite for me and then of course I have the gym but I am thinking about maybe a few times per week hitting the gym a second time later in the day for a second dose of cardio.
I am driven to get this last 50-60 pounds off to get down to my goal weight and will do whatever it takes to get there, If beating myself up at the gym and on the trails is whats going to do it then so be it. If I need to do this counter intuitive move and add 300 calories per day to my menu than I will give it a shot because the math makes sense because of the weight lifting and all of the biking I can probably afford the extra intake as long as it is healthy and not a "Hey! I have 300 extra calories give me that cake!" kind of thing.
In 30 days we will find out if this adding calories thang is going to work, I will continue to post the weigh in each Friday regardless of the new 2000 calorie menu and hopefully it continues to show losses throughout. Now that all of that is out there, the time has come for me to get some things around the house done so that I can get out to the gym or on a bike ride, so with that the end has come to todays broadcast of the emergency weight loss system, if this had been an actual emergency.......
Won't you join me in sweat on this fine October day?
As Ever
Me
Ever since I have started the P90X I've upped my calories from 1300 a day to at least 1600 (1800 on particularly hard days where I'm burning an additional 700 calories in one workout)- I'm just THAT hungry! All that muscle building is definitely causing a change in my metabolism because I am eating more for sure but am not gaining.
ReplyDeleteYou rock Tony. And that's all I have to say :)
ReplyDeleteInteresting experiment and is worth a shot. If your doing lots of weight lifting, you body may need it too. I can't believe you would gain weight but it obviously will take a bit longer to lose the pounds... it's a long term plan right?
ReplyDeleteThat makes perfect sense - I am always amazed that your daily calorie intake is only 1700 - as a man, and a man who does so much exercise, I would not be surprised if you needed more. But there's only one way to find out.
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