Wednesday 30 November 2011

check-in 4: eat less move more



It’s my health.  
It’s my life.  
It’s my decision.

See previous eat-less-move-more blogs here:


Week 4 Report
In the last 4 weeks of my eat-less-move-more initiative, I have achieved the following:

Goal:  lose 8 kilos              Current Loss:  2.5 kilos


Things of note
1.    The first 2 weeks saw the fastest loss.  Motivation was high.
2.    The second 2 weeks has slower loss.  Motivation is at medium level.
3.    Loss of focus makes it hard to regain the high motivation, once lost. 
4.    Loss of focus occurs due to events such as leaving a job, having a birthday and receiving 3 boxes of chocolates as gifts (!), having an anniversary, entertaining at home (all occurred during last 2 weeks)

Motivators
Different things would no doubt motivate others.  Here’s what motivates me:
1.    I get on the scales and see success.  Success breeds success.
2.    I feel good psychologically at the end of a day when I have stuck to my plan of exercise and food intake.
3.    I feel great physically when I eat well and exercise hard.  My eyes are clear and I lose the dark rings under my eyes.  I feel energetic and alert.  My belly is flatter.
4.    I have a gentle accountability with my blog-readers whom I have committed to report to.
5.    Feeling my clothes become roomier and feel more comfortable.
  
Next steps
1.    Do a reality check with portion size by checking in with CalorieKing.com.au  This means I enter in what I ate for one day and see how this measures up to the recommended calorie intake.
2.    Maintain exercise routines.
3.    Keep focused and pay attention to my 5 motivators.

Final comments
I'm very happy with my results so far. I don't mind slow progress. Slow is good. Slow means the changes I'm making are being integrated into my lifestyle and can be maintained. Now that I'm past the initial enthusiasm and into the nitty gritty daily grind of eat-less-move-more, this is where the discipline starts and the changes implemented now will have more impact on my long term lifestyle. I'm also pleased that my previous excuses about being menopausal were all just me in denial. I CAN lose weight. My body is quite capable of it. And for that I am very grateful indeed.




4 comments:

  1. HI Cynthia

    Great blog post - love it! I am all about the eat less move more philosophy - at the moment I am eating small meals regularly and moving 2 times a day - i have got to the point wher if i don't charge up and do a brisk 40 minute waslk to the train station in the morning, i am one grumpy person and then I do a 45 minute aerobics class at lunch every day - i found sitting for 8 hours a day was doing nothing for my bottom and the cortisol my body was emitting from stress was going straight around my middle!

    Keep up the good work - I am down to 1 good quality glass of red a week other than that it is just green tea and water

    Loads of energy - I need to lose another 4 by last week in December which I think I can do if I avoid all those Christmas party cannapes!

    Take care - you are doing great

    Leila x

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  2. Me too! Eat less, move more for me = 1.5 kilos less, but I think I am more excited about the 3 cm off my waist and 4 off my hips. And my energy is back, I shouldn't be surprised because I've seen it before, the more I move, the more energy I have. This week I was away for work and did a 12km walk one morning when I had a late start for work (evening training) and felt so buzzed for the rest of the day.
    What's keeping me motivated? Seeing basic things working, checking with myself if im truly hungry or just looking fora distraction, and loving my re-found energy. Sunshine helps too.

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  3. Hi Leila. Twice a day! I'm very impressed. Also your comments on cortisol and it's affects are very interesting, as the connection with grumpiness due to lack of movement. Yep. Been there plenty of times with cortisol and grumpiness. Exercise is the absolute last thing I feel like sometimes. But I can honestly say that never once (not once) have I ever regretted exercising. Energy levels are a great indicator of your progress aren't they! Well done. Keep going! I believe you will get there. You have what it takes. C x

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  4. Hi PR. Congratulations on the 1.5 and the 7cm loss from the waist/hips! That's fantastic. And as for a 12km walk one morning - wow! Thanks for your info too on what keeps you motivated. Just seeing the basic things working - the ticking over of daily routines which collectively add up to success and more energy is very rewarding! Keep going! Thanks for your comment. Cyn x

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