End of day 29

Today is the end of day 29 on MFP.  I've been going over my reports and looking at my numbers and all that jazz.  You know me... I'm a numbers gal!  And so I've been going over them, looking at my averages, all that and etc.  My month isn't really up until tomorrow night, but I had wanted to just see where I was.  I know I'll do it again, but this gave me a good idea.  :)

So, from my calculations, my net calories over the last 29 days has been under 1800.  Right under at 1799.99.  LOL  I thought that was darn awesome!  But calculations also said that total average calories were at 1859.  And for exercise, I was working out 2 but mostly 3 times a week.  It would've been better and right at 3 if this week hadn't gotten so thrown off.  Which is why I've decided to make some changes come Oct. 1st.  :)  Well, it'll be this week, but you know.  LOL  But with both kids sick and then me sick... my numbers this week weren't as great as they could've been.  That's just life, though.  It is what it is.  I do my 'official' weigh-in on the 1st to end my 30 days.  At that point, I'll know what my numbers were for the month.  As of my last 'official' weigh in two weeks ago, I had lost only 1.5lbs.  The 'goal' for the month was to lose a total of 2.  That means in two weeks I should have lost that, but when I've peeked at the scale, that hasn't been the case.  It's either been what it was or slightly up.  Granted, both times I checked weren't great times to be checking, but I won't let it get to me.

But the big question is where does this put me now?  Well, to be honest, it leaves me somewhat frustrated.  I had originally hoped to be in the 160's by now but I slacked over the Summer.  I had hoped that by jumping back in here and doing my thing to be at least back in the 170's.  But here I sit... here I am... still in the 180's as of my last check-in.  *sigh*  I try not to dwell on the numbers and try to just let it be what it is.  I know that weight loss isn't linear and that sometimes it won't be perfect. However, I'm starting to feel that the numbers that MFP have given me are too high.  I was losing better on the 1600 cals.  But the stubborn part of me says I've not seen the final numbers and to shut up.  I may very well hit the 2lb. goal.  But I may not.  So what does that mean?  That probably means that at 1800 cals, I'm very close to whatever my maintenance cals are currently which sorta sucks.  That means that more than likely, I'm barely over 2000 or right at just to maintain.  UGH.  I hate the idea of that.  But what can I do?

I know what I need to do.  Tweak.  It's always about tweaking, isn't it?  LOL  The Good Lord knows I'm not going to quit!  For one thing, I am for sure starting Strong Lifts with the hubby.  I don't want to be a body builder, but I want to build up my muscle and right now I don't have that.  I'd like to do that with him 2 or 3 times per week.  I know another thing is that I need to 'plan' on more exercise.  Right now I plan on 3 times per week and I don't always make that.  Thus making my monthly average too low when there is a bad week.  So, I have decided that what I need to do is plan on some sort of 'formal' exercise every day.  If I'm doing weights 2X per week, then 4X per week I need to plan on cardio.  I may not always make it, but I want to have it in my mind to do it every day just in case I can't the next day.  That way if one week I do it every day and the next week we are sick, it all balances out at the end of the month.  Another thing is, at the moment I have my cals set through MFP at their recommendations and they set it to 'eat back' my exercise cals.  Starting Oct. 1, I won't be doing that.  I will be eating the 1800 cals, but I won't be eating anything back.  If I burn 300, I burn 300.  My only goal will be to keep total cals under 1800 without exercise.  I know that over the average, for me, that will only be a drop of about 60 cals, but I want to see if it changes anything.  Because truth be told, if I can lose a bit more still eating 1800 cals, that's what I'd like to do.  I don't want to drop too low too fast if I don't have to.  I've thought of going back to 1600 cals or even down to 1400, but I just don't know if that's where I want to go right now.  I keep thinking I want to wait until I get a bit lower to do that.  They always say the last few pounds are the hardest and I want to have somewhere to go when I get down to say, the mid 150's.  If I never have to drop that low, I'm cool with that, too!  Because with building muscle, in theory, I should burn more cals just breathing than if I don't have that muscle.  Plus, from all the reading I've been doing, it seems like it may be the best cure for cellulite and loose skin.  You just don't see it on girls that lift.  And no, I won't get bulky.  I'm not going to be eating at a surplus or taking any hormones to bulk so I'll just be building muscle and 'toning and tightening' what is there.  The cardio is going to be purely for burning off the extra fat.  I'll keep doing the calisthenics since that uses my own body weight since I'm sure there will be times hubby can't be with me to lift.

So, for now, I'm happy with this plan and to make the little changes.  Even though when writing them out they sound big.  LOL  They really aren't.  I've been doing most of this already and in the end, I'm just going to try to be more consistent with exercise and keep total cals under 1800.  I guess I drug that out long enough!  HA HA HA!  I've always been long winded.  At the end of Oct. and beginning of Nov., we will see where I stand.  :)

And just to be clear, I'm not unhappy with the half a pound a week, but with so much left to lose and seeing nothing on the scale right now, I just want to be sure I'm doing all I can to move in the right direction.  I want to do this the right way, but I would like to see a bit more loss if possible.  That's why I want to keep my average total under 1800 and not eat back exercise cals.  I'm just afraid if I move TOO slow, or not at all, I'm going to feel like a failure and give up.  But if I do come in at 2lbs. lost this month, I will feel like I at least accomplished something.  Either way, I'm going to take this month as a learning experience and keep tweaking from this.  Same with next month.  But as long as I am either losing or learning something that will help me move forward, I'm going to consider it a success.